How could she do this to me?

The agony brought tears to my eyes for the first time.

A rushing surge of emotion swiftly gushed through my anatomy. I could feel every virtue form in my heart. The virtues were being stitched together into my heart and into my very soul. The virtues made there way to my brain. It felt like cold knives tearing through my body.

I couldn't stand up. I couldn't think because my mind was a mass of ice, nearly numb and tingling. The empathy and sympathy shot it's way through my system like the icy flow of electricity.

Everything was burning like my body was on a frozen block of ice.

The pain was like nothing I had ever experienced.

Have fun with it she had said. I was not having any fun at this moment. I was not even enjoying myself.

I had no way of stopping it. I couldn't stop this mental and physical torture.

What if I became human? What if I lost my beautiful powers? What if I couldn't change back to my exquisitely hideous true form? Why was I worrying about all this in the first place? I'd never really worried about things much. There was never much to worry about.

I was becoming a wreck. Was this what humans called a mental breakdown? If this was a mental breakdown I didn't want it. I didn't want any of this. Why couldn't she have punished me some other way?

I could feel a invisible pen carve it's way through my brain etching the word of every virtue.

The mark of those words I know would be permanent. These words had power. They had the power to change everything inside of me.

They had the power to transform my character. What I was experiencing was similar the pain of my rebirth. I was being reborn and at the same time a completely new character was being formed within me. New life was being created in my body, heart and soul.

I couldn't stop this change.

If this pain subsided for a moment maybe I could find her. I would do anything for this to end.

PLEASE STOP THE PAIN.I mentally cried out to her. I was begging her in fact.

Do you want me to beg? I just want this to stop. I just want it to end. Kill me if you want to. Destroy me, I don't care what you do just make the pain stop.She wasn't answering me.

If she wouldn't listen to me from a distance than I would just have to talk to her directly.

I somehow managed to transport myself to the place that she was staying

I failed several times since the pain was so great.

I finally after a few failed attempts, I appeared outside her room. I was in my Nathaniel Demarest disguise.

I don't know how long I could stay this way but I had a feeling it was not going to last for long.

Eventually my true form would come through.I found her awake with a unmistakable expression of amusement.

Her attitude was nonchalant and slightly indifferent. I could feel her calmness and her inner peace that was really beginning to piss me off.

I could tell she had been expecting me. Oh how I'd love to strangle her. Oh the joy i could finally feel after I choked the life out of her.

I wanted her to beg for her life. I wanted her to obey me out of her pure fear.

"You are very foolish Habogi. First you open your mind to me and now I learn that you intend on killing me. You can't kill me Habogi. That which is eternal cannot die."

"I can injure you. I can hurt you and wound you. I can mutilate if I wish. I can break your bones and I can tear through your flesh. I'm a monster remember and that's what monsters do, they harm and hurt and strike people with fear."

"I'm not a person. I'm a Djinni. If you want my help you best restrain yourself from hurting and harming me."

"I wish...I wish...I wish you...you would...free...me from...this pain".

I grabbed ahold of a vanity that was in her room because I could no longer stand up straight due to the excruciating pain that ran through my body.

"May your pain be gone".

Excellent. I was free of the pain and that means I could destroy her now.

"You can't destroy me. You know you don't really want to destroy me anyway. You're just working on an impulse. You're attacking me out of instinct.

You're not an animal. You are a highly intelligent sentient being. You don't have to live on impulses and instinct. You're better than that. You can do better. Use your logic. What would be the point of killing me?"

"The point is that you practically cursed me and I want you to pay for it. I wish for you to suffer for what you've done to me".

"So you just want me to suffer because you're suffering?"

"Yes that's my point exactly. Suffer with me Anna."

"You're not suffering anymore so sorry but that's not going to happen".

She gave me mocking sad frown which she then followed with a warm smile soon after.

"Why...are...you being...so cruel to me?"

I pleadingly questioned her.

"I took your suffering away from you when you asked. I offered you my help to find that gem of yours. I even agreed to be your spy. I gave you adoration, compassion, forgiveness and kindness. I gave you my patience and my loyalty

Yet you call me cruel. I nearly committed murder for you. I gave you a new face for crying out loud.

I even kissed you. Yet because I've given you a few Virtues you suddenly accuse me of being the enemy. I gave you empathy and sympathy and somehow you make me out to be the monster. I've given you nothing but good things. I've been a blessing to you and now you want to kill me.

If you want me to work with you why are you so against me?

If you're so dissatisfied with me what will satisfy you? If I wasn't enough for you after all I've done for you what can I do that will be enough for you? When will anything be enough fo you? You've been given everything but somehow you have nothing. You know I really feel for you. I'm sorry that you've been blood Bound for so long. You know you've made yourself another prison. You've done that by trapping yourself in cruelty and hatred. You've cut your heart off from any kind of love and tender feeling.

You've locked yourself away with your rage and your bitterness Nobody should have to live that way. You deserve to be free."

The words hit my heart like a rack of knives.

I realized I was the one being cruel. I was the one being unfair. She'd done everything to help me. She'd given me everything except her soul of course.

How could I be so wrong? I was never wrong before. I had no reason to be. I had no conscience to hold me accountable for my action. I could feel a vigorous twinge in my chest and there was a slight tremor in hands.

I felt like I had swallowed a rock and it had dropped down to my stomach. I wanted to strangle her and outstretched my fingers to curl around her neck but a powerful force fought against me. My fingers curled back into a fist and my heart was heavy with a thick sorrow.

"What enchantment is this?" I hoarsely demanded with a hint of terror in my voice.

"It's called guilt and common sense. You have a conscience now and your conscience is telling you that you are wrong. What you're planning on doing to me is wrong and your conscience knows it and it's letting you know. You are a incredibly strong willed so naturally you have developed a even stronger conscience. Everything I've done has been fair."

"Fair there is nothing fair about this. I am the cry of the abandoned child. I am the whimper of the whipped beast. I am the face that stares back from the shadows of the mirror. I am the hollowness at the heart of every hope. I am despair".

"Oh don't be so overdramatic. You definitely have a knack for theatrics. You know If you were human you'd be a excellent actor. Oh by the by if you keep complaining about how unfair I am I may grant you another wish and I don't think you'll like it. How does being human for a day sound to you?" She smiled as if she were merely speaking of the beauty of flowers in the spring.

"If you turn me human I shall tear out your heart and crush it. After I'm done I shall trod upon your lifeless and bloody body. Better yet I shall take your tongue as well. Oh I shan't forget that pretty face of yours. Naturally I'll take that as well. Oh why do I taste disgust in my mouth?"

"It's because those words disgust you to your very soul. Even your heart is pained to hear those despicable words spoken out loud. Pretty soon your conscience will kick in and you won't be able to say anything at all."

Sure enough my mouth wouldn't open. I struggled to part my lips. When I finally managed to move my lips, my head was wet with perspiration. I in turn afterwards attempted to form my empty threats but my tongue would not cooperate with me. It felt like it was glued tightly to the bottom of my mouth.

I struck my teeth down viscously hoping that my tongue would move from it's immobile position.

All that action accomplished was a mouth full of blood.

"There is a human saying that if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all. So when you have something nice you'll be able to say it otherwise you'll remain silent".

She gave me another mocking frown.

"Oh then you could always wish for your tongue to be loosed. You could wish to be speak again. Just wish and it shall be as you say."

I flashed her the red fury in my eyes.

I slowly emitted the thick black blood in my mouth on the Oriental rug on the floor underneath me

"I don't...wish for...anything...from you. You've ...given me ...enough". I finally was able to utter to her in response.

"Now there you go; You said something nice. I knew you could do it. I know it's hard at first but I promise you it will get easier in fact it will become something very natural for you. Once you get used to it it shall become second nature for you. Don't worry, you'll get it, just give it time and eventually you'll get the hang of it. Oh dear you're bleeding. Let me see what I can do. Maybe I can be of help to to you".

She bended her knees and kneeled on the rug in front of me since I was still on the floor. I was nearly completely prostrate, my face was very close to being flat on the floor.

"Sit up".

I don't know why I was obeying her but something deeply embedded in my soul told me that it was the right thing to do.

I could feel her finger tips on my face and sensation of her delicate touch made me flinch. I twisted my head away from away from her.

"Oh come now let me see".

She spoke to me gently, her voice was as soothing as hot flowing gold.

"Why do you even care?" I nearly spat the words out at her.

"Does it sting?I can heal it for you. All you have to do is ask."

My brightly lit red eyes darkened to the color of fresh human blood.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why do you care so much? It's not as if I did anything for you that was that wonderful."

"You saved my life once remember? I should repay you for that at least."

She touched my face with the tips of her fingers once more.

I grasped onto her wrist so I could direct her hand away from my face.

"You owe me nothing. You are free from any payment. You've done enough for me."

"What of the gem? What of Amberson? Don't you still want to free your people from the void?"

"That is inevitable, the freedom of my people. However Amberson can wait. She must not know that I'm here. If she senses me here she most likely will be reluctant in helping you search for the gem. Remember she is a pawn. If she becomes a nuisance to us, you must allow me to deal with her accordingly."

"You cannot harm her unless she wishes you to."

"True I cannot bring harm to her directly but she has a sweet little sister that knows nothing of me and my power. If she proves difficult her sister can be easily used as a simple tool of persuasion for her. Her sister rather liked me if I remember correctly. Her sister Shannon is not quite as bright as she is. So she would be easily fooled."

I could see her face become overshadowed by discomfort.

"No you mustn't hurt her. If there's anyone that should handle Amberson it's me. She'll trust me. I have a trustworthy face after all. Her sister shouldn't have to suffer for her stubbornness. This Shannon you speak of should only be used as a last resort. I am a free agent of the Djinn, so I should be the one that deals with Amberson personally. I believe that's what you had in mind wasn't it?"

"Originally I had intended for you to kill her when the time was right."

"I won't kill her for your sake alone. She's done nothing to me. So you actually wanted me to carry out your revenge. Oh you silly Djinni".

"Yes it does seem rather silly now but a part of me still wants to frighten her a bit. Oh please just let me play with her a little. I won't harm her or hurt her I promise you. I just want to play."

"I suppose there's no harm in you playing around a little. Yet you mustn't grant her any wishes. Wishes will only create more heartache."

There was still a bit of cunning left in me because it just occured to me that a single wish would be all it would take. I would simply walk into her dreams and would strike her with the sweetest of nightmares. I would trouble her with one nightmare after another until she would finally subdue under my power out of pure exhaustion and she would make her final and fatal wish. Then her soul would belong to me and the sweet cries of her agony would come to my ears.

I could not let Anna know what I was planning to do for she would only stop me. If I couldn't claim Alexandra's soul then Anna might bless me with yet another curse; she would turn me human. I nearly shuddered at the thought. If I didn't do this correctly I would be granted mortality.

Human skin, human thoughts, human weakness would be mine soon if I failed this secret mission.

She mustn't know my plans. I would lock these plans away in a secret place within my mind. If she were to venture within my mind she would not find my secret scheme. Honesty I could feel was creeping up on me, so in my haste I hid my plans from her mental insight.

This was going to be tricky but maybe if I did this as quickly I could then perhaps I could pull this off.

Shit. I had a sudden urge to open up to her and tell her everything. The honesty was already settling in; it curled around my heart and squeezed it vigorously but still I resisted. I could come clean right now but the end of all my worries and troubles was only a wish a way.

Oh Alexandra I have a message for you. You might have escaped me once. Yes it's true you even succeeded in fooling me but I assure you that it will not happen again. I shall come to you, I shall come to you in your dreams. Brace yourself sweet Alex. I am coming for you and nothing will stop me.

I know she heard my thoughts but I was careful not to alert Anna of the fact I was trying to reach her through the simple art of Telepathy.

Maybe I shouldn't give her nightmares after all. I would persuade her with sweet beautiful dreams.

I would tell her some horribly mushy fairytale of how I had greatly changed by a single kiss from a pure hearted maiden. I had greatly changed and I had been kissed by a pure hearted young woman but the kiss wasn't enough to change me. Yes I would pretend to be her friend. I'm sure she would make a bit of a fuss when she first saw my face but then she would soon see things my way.

Friends first then eternal suffering later. The perfect plan hopefully Anna wouldn't sniff out my plan before it was completed. Her promised mortality was just a risk I had to be willing to take.