Being deeply loved by someone

gives you strength, while loving

someone deeply gives you courage.

– Lao Tzu

Guess How Much I Love You

Hiei's POV

The game began at dawn.

The Monarch's stench proceeded him, invading every crack in the stone with the musk of rotting lilacs. No other scents accompanied his, but Kain's presence this early disturbed me. Most creatures, whether demon or otherwise, are driven by force of habit and live their miserable lives pursuing pointless routines they've carved for themselves. The fox woke at seven each morning for his human job, Yukina insisted on making tea for the hag every afternoon at three, and Yusuke faithfully set aside every Friday evening as a date-night with his woman. Unconciously, I had fallen into habitual behavior as well: training in familiar places rather than seeking out diverse areas, remaining near the temple to protect Yukina, keeping the Jagan trained on all those fools, even when my duties in Alaric took me far away. As comforting as they were, habits made people vulnerable. Only after surveying the guards and household will a thief attempt to breach a vault, only after marking when the target beds his woman will an assassin strike; likewise, the captor observes his captive closely, noting when the prisoner sleeps, relieves himself, everything as he forms a new routine for his imprisonment. A captor's aim is to disrupt the captive's day-to-day life, unsettling him through overturning any symblance of monotony, yet even tormentors are creatures of habit:

Nothing good comes from a captor breaking his routine.

The Monarch never visited at first light. No, he preferred to either be seen in full daylight or shrouded by darkness, to terrorize under the sun and moon but never in-between. For him to arrive this early meant one of two things – either he was over-eager or felt rushed.

Neither boded well.

Shoulders screaming, I turned my head to watch his approach. He was still a mere speck but flew as if possessed by the wind, red wings reflecting twilight rays againt his dark braid. Cursing silently, I glanced to where Aaron lay curled on the moldy hay, lost to sleep. For a moment, I allowed myself to become lost in the contours of her face, filing away every detail. Her cheeks were slowly thinning: while the butterflies were persistent in bringing her food daily, the scant meals were never enough to fill her, and for the past few days she'd refused to eat. Also, the skin on her hands and face remained chapped now because of constant exposure to the wind and sunlight could not reach her corner of the room. Dark patches were forming under her eyes due to fatigue, for even when she gave into exhaustion and slept, she almost always woke within minutes, screaming.

As if sensing my gaze, she opened her eyes. The crystalline quality of those irises – bright and cold as sapphires – immediately brought to mind the night she first awakened over a month ago. Raw power swirled in those blue depths, along with a knowing which came only with age. I'd seen those eyes before, watched as Aaron drowned in them, powerless against a force even the Spirit World feared – Aisuru.

Dread pressed against my shoulders worse than mere body weight ever could while the marks stoked the flames trapped within my core. Aaron wasn't gone – her marks attested to that, emitting a soft glow as my fire pervaded her soul – so why was she here? Had she forgotten her promise? What–

All other thoughts ceased as the Monarch alighted by my side, his scent fueling the ever-present migraine pulsing through my forehead. As always, his attention focused first on her, a cruel smile twisting his lips as he leered openly at my mate. I couldn't stop the low growl bubbling in my throat, even though I knew the sound would only lead to 'extended play'. He stared at her like she was a piece of meat, a common whore free for the taking:

I wouldn't allow it.

The ploy worked. Kain turned to regard me with a look akin to amusement, ignoring the glare which had caused many of my enemies to wet themselves. Aaron continued to stare at me as she sat up, legs tucked close to her side, chipped nails raking against the stone as she lifted her hands into her lap. The sapphire hue remained in her eyes, cold and unfeeling, out of place on her gentle face. Aisuru stared back at me, not Aaron, and that was enough to render the growl silent.

My heart shuddered as he took first one step towards her, then another. Though she remained unmoving, the marks sang against my skin and for a split second I saw a flash of sky-blue amidst the sapphire, smelled her fear, ripe and intoxicating as aged wine. She was afraid–

My mate was afraid.

"Don't touch her." The command came out husky and cracked, the result of thousands of swallowed screams and a month with little water.

He stopped mid-motion, shoulders stiff, back tight. Kain turned once more to face me, lips parted in surprise. "So, you can still speak!"

Another growl slipped between clenched teeth, reaching deep into my chest. Even though her eyes were gone now, I could still smell her fear, feel her clinging to my flames as if they were her sole connection to this world. I didn't know why Aisuru was here, but Aaron needed me: she needed me to protect her, even though I couldn't move; she needed me to be strong, even though my body was determined to fall apart; she needed me to get us out of here, even though I knew we didn't have the strength, stamina, or resources to escape.

She needed me, and that's all that mattered.

Slowly, the Monarch's attention shifted back to her as he raised his hand. He stood a mere six inches from her, and though his legs remained rooted to the floor, he could easily reach her from where he stood. I knew my words held no power over him – he could do anything he wanted to her and there was nothing I could do about it – I even knew he wouldn't harm her, not until he was ready for her heart. Still, knowing those things didn't stop the breath from freezing in my lungs as he reached for her, the snarl that escaped my lips as her fear spiked. The marks' re-branded themselves on my skin, calling out to flames which refused to come, all while screaming the only word they seemed to know:

Mine.

"Don't. Touch. Her."

His fingers stopped an inch from her face. Kain turned, then, retracing his steps until he stood before me. I bared my fangs at him, biceps burning as I clenched my fists in a futile effort to calm down. This was the same game we played every day, a game where I did everything in my power to keep his attention away from her and he rewarded my efforts with pain.

True to the unspoken rules, he back-handed me, the ferocity of the strike throwing my weight savagely against the leather at my wrists.

Sometimes, my skill at this particular game amazed me.

"I was beginning to fear your vocal chords were damaged – you haven't spoken in several days." I merely glared as the chain obediently swung my toes back to the ground, ignoring my stinging cheek and the metallic taste accompanying it.

The Monarch's insistence on wearing light-colored garments to these sessions aggravated me to no end. Normally, captors wore dark clothing when torturing their victims; with color nearly indiscernible on black cloth, the tormented could not tell how much blood coated his assailant and that unknown element further addled his senses. Kain, however, chose to wear light colors; mostly white, as he did today. His white clothes stung worse than the blows ever could because through them, he said my blood wasn't worth hiding. The white made my weakness a spectacle, a mockery for the world to see.

Her fear clung to the roof of my mouth like thick honey but I could no longer see her. His crisp white shirt overrode everything, save the marks' screams. Anger rose silently as I stared at that shirt, starting in the darkest pits of my stomach where the flames lay dormant and ending in the fists clenched above my head, nails digging into my palms until I felt warm blood against my skin. He smirked as he watched the dark emotion fill my eyes, watching the liquid trickle down my wrists only to become lost in red leather cuffs, and his pupils contracted to predatorial slits.

The soft hiss of sliding cloth sounded, and we realized simultaneously that she'd moved. Before Kain could react, I spat on him, watching with grim satisfaction as blood-drenched saliva marred his white shirt.

"Is that all?" I smirked. Each word punctured my throat like hot glass shards, yet as he glanced down at the red infecting one white stitch after another, I knew I'd won – I had his undivided attention. "I've been hit harder by women–"

Even though I expected it, his next blow knocked the air from my lungs. Twisting his fist in my gut for good measure, Kain retreated a step to examine the stain settling on his chest. The chain groaned as I bowed my back, willing the throbbing muscles in my abdomen to untense. I knew from bitter experience my body would better absorb the blows if I relaxed, if I made no move to defend myself from him. Nagging doubts told me I was weak – a coward by not fighting for her – but I knew better. If I continued to maintain the Monarch's focus, she would live; her heart would remain intact and eventually we would escape. She would live, she would be safe, she would be–

Mine.

I felt her gaze on me, but didn't dare tear my eyes away from Kain. The sapphire poisoning her soft irises chilled me, and I honestly didn't want to see who watched from across the room. Aaron's horrified stare always shook my resolve to remain impassive, stoking the marks into action, every instinct demanding things I could no longer give. As for Aisuru, her gaze meant the death of my mate, something I refused to accept; not while she sat in front of me, not while her marks still burned against my skin. Carving, calling, always; always:

Mine.

Finally, Kain sighed, frowning as if I were a disobedient child. "You are only making this harder on yourself. Don't you know it is too late?"

Glaring, I bit back a snarl. Slowly, as he knealt to remove my boots, I retreated into the comfort of the marks, allowing them to take me far away from here. I sensed his fingers grip my toes, breaking them one by one, though I couldn't feel the pain because I was with her:

Her lips brushed against mine during that first meeting, eyes frightened and pleading, heart pounding like war-drums in her chest. The satisfying sting of the first mark, binding us together. Days spent resisting the mark's call, experiencing her every thought and feeling as if they were my own. Training with her in the forest, every nick and cut dealt to her coming back doubled, knowing I may very well be preparing her to fight against me one day. Silent nights spent keeping watch while she slept, her hair cast white in the moonlight, my name spilling unconsciously from her lips. The surprise at how easily she let down her guard – her blind faith in me – knowing I could kill her at any moment. Once again, I became lost in the scent of her hair, melding her body to mine as I fell asleep holding her in the temple. Even as her awakening pulled the flames from my back against my will, I knew I could never part from her. Killing her brother, giving her the second mark, fleeing through the forest, that last night of freedom in the cave, offering myself to the Monarch . . . For her.

Everything was for her.

Aaron's POV

"Make him stop!" I cried, rallying against my inanimate body.

Aisuru ignored me, watching impassively as Kain continued methodically breaking Hiei's bones. He'd begun with his toes, working his way up Hiei's feet and ankles to his current position at his knee caps. I cringed as Kain effortlessly split both joints in two, though Hiei's lack of reaction disturbed me more than anything else. The fire apparition's gaze remained on his tormentor, though his ruby irises had long since adapted an unfocused quality, a lack of awareness I'd never seen before this past week. Try as I might, the fortress of his mind refused to let me feel more than the flames coiled around my consciousness, and Aisuru appeared disinterested in attempting to breach his walls. With a growing sense of dread, I realized Hiei was hiding: from the pain, humiliation, the cold room, Kain, me . . . everything. I'd never seen Hiei hide from anything, and knowing Kain could make him resort to something like that terrified me.

"Please, make him stop." I begged, focusing on the smell of crushed lavender – her scent. Each day, she refused to look away from Hiei's torture, forcing both of us to watch through my eyes. She rationalized this as honoring his sacrifice, showing him that his pain mattered; I saw it as tearing what remained of me into little pieces. "I can't take it anymore–"

"Then go to sleep." She replied curtly, tracing Kain's snapping the bones surrounding Hiei's knees with a determined gaze. "He will be here when you wake."

Going to sleep was the last thing I wanted to do, and she knew it. I'd lost precious time sleeping – hours I had no memory of – all so I wouldn't have to see Hiei's pain. Sometimes I couldn't fight the urge to sleep; but each time I lost consciousness, fear embedded itself deeper into my soul. I didn't regret asking for her help because she kept Hiei safe, stopping Kain with one word whenever he got too carried away with his play. Still, my influence over my own body decreased daily; certain memories were growing fuzzy around the edges, and three times already, I'd temporarily forgotten my name.

Slowly but surely, I was fading – just as Aisuru promised.

The protest died on my lips as Kain stopped his assault, rising from his crouch to look Hiei in the eye. Those ruby irises remained hazed and unfocused, pupils dilated, lids resting at half-mast even as Kain lifted his chin between wet fingers. Blood leaked slowly past Hiei's swollen ankles, curling around his disfigured feet to drip onto the floor.

"Asleep." He scoffed, dropping his hand before walking to the darkened corner at his right. Aisuru turned my head to follow his movements, noting with growing curiousity the metal tub resting there, supposedly forgotten days from before. The tub measured about three feet in length, though it was perhaps only about a foot and a half tall; the water in the tub had long since frozen over, but Kain lifted the container with ease, tucking it under his arm before making his way back to Hiei.

After setting the tub down, he turned once again to regard the fire apparition. Even with Kain's face inches from his own, Hiei didn't so much as blink. If anything, his gaze grew more listless.

Sighing, Kain sliced through the thong with expert precision, leaving Hiei's wrists knotted together as he fell onto the Monarch's waiting arm. My excitement over his unexpected freedom quickly died when Hiei still didn't move. Rather, he lay draped across Kain's forearm like a sack of flour, forehead kissing his knees, lifeless fingers reaching for the floor. He still drew breath – the marks attested to that – but something was wrong. Why else would Kain release him?

Kain lowered his arm, allowing Hiei's body to tumble into the basin. Time seemed to slow as he fell, limbs twisting in on themselves, his dark lashes low-lying sails against coral irises. Those same eyes shot open as his back hit the sheet of icewhich shattered instantly under his weight and heat, plunging him into the frigid water. With a satisfying splash, the clear liquid engulfed him from throat to mid-thigh, drawing a strangled gasp from him as the back of his head and broken knees struck the tub's iron lips. All of this happened within seconds, yet each felt like an eternity.

To his credit, Hiei didn't scream or struggle as his torso settled in the bottom of the tub. I could tell when the pain registered because he clamped his jaw shut, lips pressed in a tight line as the cold water arrested his aching muscles. Rather than inspect his body, however, Hiei's gaze immediately shifted to the left, glazed eyes searching until they found me. Scarlet and coral danced in those depths, weaving delicate lattice-work as he gave me a once-over, eyes hardened with anger, pain, and concern–

Concern for me.

My heart clenched under his gaze and I wanted to scream at him, to call him an idiot and berate him for his utter lack of self-preservation. Tortured until he passed out, body broken, baptized in a frozen tub, yet still his first thoughts were for my safety. Even now, his flames prodded my mind, assessing, assuring; the marks cried out, always the same word – always mine – and I wondered for the hundredth time why he was doing this. I wanted to take his place, to take away the pain, but neither he nor Aisuru would allow it.

I wanted to protect him, but he wouldn't let me.

"Sleep well?"

All emotion save anger fled as Hiei glared at the man towering over him. Kain's lips lifted in a smirk, appraising the fire apparition with calculating violet eyes. Water, murky with shed dirt and waste, lapped against the tan throat and strong thighs; each ripple added fresh gooseflesh to already chilled skin, tensing his swolled biceps and abdomen and hardening his nipples. Though trickles of steam rose from the tub, I knew Hiei's body didn't have enough energy to warm the water, not with his fire locked deep inside. The warded cuffs allowed access to just enough energy so he wouldn't freeze to death, yet even that meager warmth had waned with a month of no food and little water. Even now, the tub betrayed his weakened state with light tapping as his body shivered; his lips took on a blue sheen, though he refused to allow his teeth to chatter.

The sight shocked me into submission and for the first time in days, I stopped fighting Aisuru. Never before had I seen Hiei effected by the elements – whether training under the summer sun or racing through winter's chill, he remained unmoved – yet now I realized he wasn't immutable. His fire refused to warm him, and something within me knew if he remained cut off from it much longer, he wouldn't make it–

If something wasn't done soon, Hiei would die.

"Please," I begged as the flames' hold began to lessen and his glare dimmed around the edges. The marks allowed me to feel the sluggish pace of his heartbeat, the cold settling into his veins, slowing his pulse. "Please . . . Don't forget your promise."

Aisuru continued to watch the silent standoff, Kain's smirk widening as Hiei's eyelids began to droop. She could hear his dwindling breaths, noted the sheen blanketing his eyes, and admired his resolve as the flames held on with feeble fingers.

Finally, she spoke. "Deleir."

Kain snapped to attention, inquisitive gaze focusing on me. Even as she addressed him, the word flowing easily from my lips with an air of authority I could never hope to possess, I realized this was Kain's true name:

Deleir – calamity.

He stared for a moment, lips parted in surprise. "Aisuru?"

Her name was little more than an elated sigh, yet the surety behind it drew Hiei away from oblivion to stare at me. Aisuru ignored his questioning look, focusing on her former third in command. "Tarfe la."

Kain smiled, giving a short bow before stepping away from the tub. "Of course, my Queen."

I felt her irritation bubbling, though she kept my face set in a perfect mask. "Niceties will get you nowhere, Deleir. Dople herr elle kapa."

This time, Kain simply dipped his head in acknowledgement, lowering ivory hands to grip the black thong securing Hiei's wrists. To his credit, Hiei didn't say a word as the Monarch lifted him into the air, water rolling in thick drops down his back and stomach. Instead, he stared at me openly, anxious scarlet overtaking coral as he searched my eyes for something that wasn't there.

Kain stepped closer, the hand holding Hiei's wrists lifted high over his head. "You have arrived sooner than expected." I scowled at his thinly-veiled glee, though Aisuru made sure my lips did not move. "Tell me, what of the human girl?"

For once, Hiei did not growl at Kain's proximity to me. If anything, his body stilled further; I doubted he dared to breathe. Unbeknownst to his captor, Hiei's irises steadily bled scarlet, nearly manic in their intensity. I could feel his fear, his doubt; sheer panic roared through the marks as his flames seared my consciousness, their protective embrace smothering. Couldn't he sense me, feel my presence as I leaned into his heat? No matter how firmly I pressed, his fire burned hotter and hotter, charring the frayed edges of my soul. The flames ate steadily at the blurred line between Aisuru and I, the line which kept us apart. If it dissolved, if Hiei burned through that line–

I would disappear.

"Stop." Aisuru commanded, cerulean gaze shifting to Hiei. "You are killing her."

His eyes widened at her cold tone, foreign inflections marring each word spilling from my lips. The flames receded immediately, shrinking until they coated my mind like a freshly baked glaze, oozing into every crevice of my consciousness. He blinked, surprise giving way to anger as he bared his fangs at her.

Kain, however, laughed. "So, she still lives." He cut his own mirth short with a sneer, releasing his hold on Hiei in order to close the distance between us. Hiei's legs crumbled beneath him like ill-constructed towers of blocks, broken bones succumbing to gravity without a fight, and he fell onto his elbows with a pained hiss.

Aisuru leaned my head back to keep eye-contact with the Monarch, all concern for Hiei forgotten. "I must admit, I wondered if the incident with Arhou was a fluke; yet here you are." I shuddered, a motion which never surfaced as Kain's gaze swept over my body, noting the perfect posture as well as the marble quality of my face. "How long?"

She pressed my lips into a thin line and suddenly I felt her power: dreadful, glorious energy, bright as the sun and rabid as hellfire. Her aura permeated the room, pushing out any hint of cold, iridescent rays spilling from my every pore. That power flooded my veins, coiling in each bone and strand of muscle tissue until the only place for me was just beneath the skin. My soul groaned at the effort of remaining apart from her; it would be so much easier to become one, to slip away into the ocean that was Aisuru–

Only, Hiei would not let me.

The marks burned against my palm and upper arms, calling a name over and over again. I heard their cries once, twice, until finally it clicked. Aaron – that was my name.

I had almost forgotten.

Clinging desperately to the connection, I focused on the red eyes just behind Kain's boot, allowing them to become my whole world. Scarlet cut through the raw power swirling about me and suddenly I filled my body again, watching him watch me. Aisuru remained in the driver's seat, but I was no longer fading. The marks sang against my skin as scarlet gave way to crimson, though neither butterfly seemed to notice Hiei's anger.

Kain's raised hand caught my attention and, before I realized what was happening, his cold palm cupped my cheek, fingers threading gently through stray blonde locks. This time Hiei did growl, though both Aisuru and Kain ignored him, even as the stones beneath us vibrated with the sound. In fact, Aisuru did not react to Kain's touch, choosing rather to watch him with a cool gaze.

The Monarch leaned forward til his face was inches from mine, breathing in her scent with abandon. Hiei's growl morphed into a barely-concealed snarl and I heard rather than saw him sit up. "Release her!"

A smile graced Kain's lips as he shook his head, chuckling. "Oh Hiei, you still don't understand do you?" He rubbed his thumb lovingly against my cheekbone as he spoke, his eyes never leaving Aisuru's. "The game is over – I have won."

Instantly, the rumbling in his chest stopped and crimson darkened to ruby. Hiei carefully wiped the malice from his face, leaving guarded suspicion in its wake. "What do you mean, you've 'won'?"

A satisfied hum ran down Kain's throat and his eyes drooped in pure ecstacy, drinking in every trace of Aisuru lining my face. "Aaron grew weary of your martyrdom and called Aisuru forth." Hiei's mask cracked instantly and his eyes widened to the point where I feared they would fall out of his head. "I suppose your ineptitude was too much for her to bear, or perhaps she simply couldn't stand to see you suffer anymore." Kain shrugged, refocusing his attention on her eyes, memorizing the deep blue marring my irises. "Regardless, the girl gave herself willingly to Aisuru. I have won."

Hiei's face twisted into a mixture of unbelief and fury, body shaking with barely-suppressed rage. "Liar!" He hissed scathingly, nose crinkling as he bared his fangs at the Monarch. "Aaron is not a coward! She would not give up so easily!"

Kain lifted an elegant brow, glancing over his shoulder to meet Hiei's glare. "I am not lying, boy." His cool tone only served to bristle the fire apparition further; I had no doubt if Hiei's legs weren't broken, he would have ripped Kain's throat out then and there, regardless of the thong binding his wrists. Bile rose in my throat as Kain continued absently petting my face, a disgust I knew Aisuru shared. "Vessels act much like cocoons to butterfly souls, protecting them until they are ready to awaken. However, vessels must concede willingly before the butterflies can fully awaken. Do you know why?"

"Let me out!" I screamed, pushing against Aisuru's crushing influence as hard as I could. Hiei didn't need to know this – he didn't need to know any of it. I made this choice to protect him, but if he knew what I'd done – what I gave up for him – it would tear him apart.

He would never forgive me.

Aisuru remained still as Kain's fingers explored the hard lines of my face, fixing my gaze on Hiei. For his part, Hiei didn't break eye contact with the Monarch, though his brow furrowed ever so slightly in question.

Kain smiled. "There is room for only one soul in a body. While two souls can coexist for a time, eventually one must succumb to the other, as I'm sure you know from your friend, Kurama. Didn't he tell you how this is accomplished?"

"The fox's secrets are his own." Hiei seethed through clenched teeth. "I grow tired of your riddles, butterfly! Speak plainly before I rip those wings from your back!"

A sadistic curve twisted Kain's lips. "The battle for dominance ends when the vessels surrender and their souls are devoured." All anger fell away from Hiei, shock ravaging his face only to leave him with wide-eyed horror. "That's right – Aaron's soul is fading as we speak."

"Let me out!" The marks' cries were deafening in my ears, nearly drowning out my incessant plea. Hiei needed me; I could feel his flames contorting in my mind, searching, prodding, desperate in their search. For some reason, he couldn't find me, even through our connection. "I have to help him!"

"What can you possibly do?" Aisuru demanded coldly, either ignorant or uncaring of the thirsty fire ravaging my consciousness. "You stand no chance of defeating Deleir."

I knew that; of course I knew . . . But I couldn't face the pain the marks revealed, the betrayal in Hiei's eyes as he stared at me, at Aisuru. He thought I'd abandoned him, given up without a fight when all of this was for him, to keep him safe – to keep him alive! He had to know I was still in here, that I hadn't faded away.

"Aisuru has not devoured her soul completely – not yet – but soon." Kain purred, turning back to face me as Hiei's irises swirled in a kaleidoscope of purple, pink and red. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, though the wall around his consciousness appeared flimsy at best, as if it would topple at the slightest push. "Perhaps as early as tomorrow morning, the process will be complete. Aaron will be no more, and I will eat Aisuru's heart. Although, the girl has a beautiful body," His smirk sent a shiver down my spine, "it would be a shame to waste it."

"Let me out, now!" I demanded, pushing against her with all my might. "Trust me!"

Aisuru surprised me by complying and before Kain could so much as blink, I punched him as hard as I could.

The cold hands left my face instantly as he fell back. Immediately, icicle-pain erupted from the base of my wings but I welcomed the sensation – the ache was the first thing I'd truly felt in a week. Ignoring my stinging fist, I glared resolutely at the red-winged man, rising as high as I could on my knees. "Don't you ever touch me again!"

Both men stared, mouths agape. The marks burned against my skin, each line radiating a blood-soaked light; Hiei's responded in turn, the sinister glow ravishing his neck while simultaneously dwelling in the shelter of his hands. I embraced his flames, sending every thought and emotion I could grasp his way until they all melded into a senseless conundrum, a garbled song with only one clear message – I'm here.

Recognition dawned in those candy-red orbs as I turned back to face Kain. His white fingers were now stained with the blood trickling from split lips, and though he continued to stare, he made no move to rise from his seat on the floor. "And if you try to hurt him again," I allowed the passion to seep from my face and voice, leaving only icy calm in its wake as I glared at the Monarch. "I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood – my heart will be useless to you."

I felt Aisuru and Hiei rebel against the words, but ignored them. Neither of their methods had brought us any closer to freedom; it was my turn to face Kain, and I would do this my way.

Surprise lingered on Kain's face far longer than I expected, but soon enough his features slipped into a contemplative mask as his gaze moved from me to his dyed fingers. After scrutinizing each tainted digit he breathed a sigh that sent chills down my spine, though I refused to let the fear surface, mimicking a certain fire apparition by hardening my glare.

Finally, Kain spoke. "I see now why Aisuru wished to preserve your soul – you are very brave." He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Something swam beneath those mauve pools – a knowledge almost as ancient and awesome as Aisuru's – and I froze. Doubts rose unbidden, nibbling at my resolve, tempting me to retreat back into the safe confines of her control. I didn't stand a chance against him; I knew that, but I would not let him hurt Hiei:

Never again.

A sigh left Kain's bruised mouth as he stood and wiped his hand clean on his pants, soiling the white silk on contact. "What a pity."

Somehow, faster than I could ever hope to be, Hiei appeared between us. One moment, I was staring into Kain's baleful eyes; the next, black hair obscured my vision and a warm back pressed against my thighs and stomach, heat seeping down to my bones almost instantly. Even though he was forced to sit flat on the floor, legs pulled uselessly to the side, Hiei still managed to appear menacing, deadly. A growl reverberated deep within his chest as he held his bound hands before him, baring elongated claws at the butterfly standing before us. The symbols flashed on the cuffs encasing his forearms, preventing any semblance of fire from coming forth and I wondered briefly if the compression hurt.

Kain did not give me long to contemplate Hiei's condition. "You realize you are only delaying the inevitable?" I wasn't sure which of us he addressed, and in that moment, I didn't care. My face remained set in a glare and Hiei's shoulders stiffened as he bent his elbows as much as possible, ready to defend us both. Kain ignored his steadily deepening growls, though he made no effort to move closer. "Once begun, the awakening is irreversible. Surely Aisuru told you this?"

A slight tensing against my belly button betrayed Hiei's surprise, though I knew he wouldn't allow the emotion to surface. I feigned indifference, pushing every trace of emotion from my voice. "Your point is?"

He chuckled, which only made Hiei growl louder. "Merely curious; I should have known my Queen would not lie to a child." The butterfly in question remained silent, watching from the corners of my mind, yet allowing me to handle this my own way.

Trusting me, just like I asked.

Kain turned his attention to Hiei, and the growls muted instantly into a low rumble. "Your loyalty to this girl is admirable – it rivals even the bond between guardian and Queen – but it is not enough." The rumble disappeared and Hiei fell eerily still. His shoulders took on a boulder-like quality, threatening to bruise my chest and rib cage as the air stilled in his lungs. "As I said, once an awakening begins, there is no stopping it. The girl regaining control will only hasten her own death."

He surprised me by stepping away, crimson scales reflecting afternoon sun against the dull walls. Kain considered us for a moment, gaze travelling from Hiei's face to mine, eyes harboring a mixture of sick pleasure and disgust. "Since you are so eager to be with this abomination, I will offer you one reprieve – you may spend the rest of the night together."

Suspiscion gripped with biting fingers and I narrowed my eyes. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

He raised an inquisitive brow, a frown marring his sculpted face. "I am attempting to honor your pointless sacrifice. However," A smirk creased those still-bloodied lips, "if you would rather I return that filth to his chains, I will gladly comply. He still has more play to offer, after all."

Hiei's snarl shook my body and without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his chest, cementing his torso to mine and pressing my chin into his shoulder.

Kain chuckled, but made no move towards us. He knew to take my threat from moments ago seriously. "I wonder if you will even make it until morning, though there are worse fates than having your soul devoured. The process is painless and in the end there is only sweet relief, a sense of fulfillment unlike anything you've ever known." His smirk widened. "I know this because my vessel said as much years ago, when I ate his soul.

"I look forward to what other surprises you have to offer me, Aaron."

A/N: First, I apologize for this overdue update. This chapter was surprisingly difficult, especially Aaron's POV (for obvious reasons) and I'm not the happiest with how it turned out, but this is the best I can do for right now. Honestly, the past couple of weeks have been difficult because my mind has not been in the best place, but I know God will see me through this! I'll try to have another update ready by Tuesday, though it may be a bit late.

Originally, this chapter and the next were meant to be one, but I knew it would be entirely too long if I attempted to combine them. So, I chose quality over quantity. I've been building up to this point for a while now and hope you guys are enjoying every minute of it!

Also, I'm debating whether or not to write a sequel to this story. I've never attempted one before, but am seriously considering writing one. Thoughts?

Again, the butterfly tongue is Hymmnos from the Ar tonelico games, though I will say that when butterflies speak in their tongue, it is almost always to give or follow orders. The idea behind this is that their language reaches into their souls, compelling them to obey their superiors whether they want to or not. Hopefully this clears up some cofusion!

Okay! Hiei's free, Aaron's in the driver's seat, and they've been given a break from butterfly madness! What will Hiei do now that the cat's out-of-the-bag? Is there truly no way to stop Aisuru from eating Aaron's soul? Find out next time!