Chapter 10

"What?" I asked, turning in his arms to face him. "I am going!" I could feel my powers drifting up in my voice, and I fought to push it down. I was going to go, and not even the great Youko would stop me.

"Think sense, Nyx! What would you do out there? The world is cruel, and people would turn you in without a moment's doubt. I could not bear the thought of losing you to that," I could see his body stiffen with anger. I was actually scared of him at that moment. It hurt to see him like that. I placed a gentle finger on his lips, and he stopped.

"I have to go," I whispered, placing my face in the V of his kimono, "I couldn't live with myself if I had been the cause of your deaths!" He wrapped his arms around be and gripped me in a tight hug. Tears began to fall down my face. His head rested gently on top of mine as I cried. "I have to."

"Shh," he soothed quietly, rubbing down my black hair.

"Listen, Nyx," I am glad they didn't call me Princess, and I turned to face them, "it would be an honor to serve you," Haden said. I smiled.

"And to die for you would be more than I could ask for," Sen said, stepping forward with a bow from a warrior. Jevr, who I had come to like in the past two days came in, his golden eyes wide, his gray hair ruffled. He had just awoken from his nap.

"Mama?" he asked in his slurred tongue, "Is Nyx going to weave?" Those words made me break down into tears. I was on my knees before I even knew it. "Why is she cwying?" I looked up at him, and he came over to me and gave me a hug. "Are you Ok, Nyx?" I nodded.

"Yes, Jevr," I whispered, and hugged him back, smiling.

"Are you going to weave?" he asked next. I stilled. I did not want to go here. Not with Jevr, "Nyx?" he asked. I sighed, and my hands dropped from around him. I pulled him away and looked into his face. He looked like Youko to me. Golden eyes, silvery hair, pale skin, even the silver fox ears and tail. He was a young child, and I couldn't let him die because of me, but, as he looked like Youko, he acted like him in many ways. He wouldn't let me go, just like Youko wouldn't let me go. I shook my head, and he ran and grabbed me in a great hug. "Thank you! We will be gweat frends!" he said in his slurred language that made me smile widely. I stood up and with a nod to Sen and Haden, I went outside, to face the city I had grown up in.

…………………………….

"Are you alright?" Youko asked as he came to sit next to me. The sun was setting, and I could see the castle's silhouette against the dusking sun. I sighed and nodded. We were sitting close, our thighs touching slightly, our knees nearly touching, but, his arm was wrapped around my waist, but I didn't push him off. I was no longer held to Serkan by my vows. He shattered them when he placed me in that dungeon.

"I don't know. I couldn't say good-bye to Jevr, even if his life depended on it," I admitted. I brought my knees up to my face and hugged them tight, and it tickled when the tears rolled off my face and landed gently onto them. "Same with your parents." He chuckled slightly, lifting me up onto his lap. I smiled at his touch and his grace, as usual, and felt him rest his head on top of mine. He was still taller than me, even if I was sitting on his lap. I leaned back against his chest, savoring the moment.

It could be my last.

"Well, they would die for you. You are their new life. You gave them money, happiness, and well, Jevr has never really had a friend. He is really small for his age, Nyx, and you gave him hope that he could have a friend, other than me, of course," he said. More tears fell down my face. "Thank you," he whispered, before turning me around to face him.

I had seen that look in his eyes before, nearly four months ago.

He leaned forward, but stopped, "I am sorry," he said. I smiled, grabbed the side of his head gently, and pulled him in. Our lips locked together tightly in a warm and passionate kiss that I wished would last forever. He pulled back, a shocked look in his eyes. "What was that about?"

"Serkan broke his vows," I whispered, "I am free to whom I will," I said, knowing he would understand. He smiled, lifted me up in his arms, kissed me again, and led me to his room, where we fell asleep together, in each other's arms…