(Well, I finally wrote a new chapter, but it ends with a cliff-hanger, so I'm sorry if that ticks anyone off. I originally planned to have this finished by my birthday, but considering that my birthday was yesterday, and judging by how slow I'm writing this, I'm wondering if I'll get it done next month... Plus, on top of that, I have play practice five nights a weeks, band practice, assisting with middle school marching band [I love bossing around those kids], waiting ever so impatiently for 'Gutterflower' to come out, and I'm in the middle of writing a term paper [on music therapy, since I'm a music student]. And then there's lot of other stuff that I don't want to talk about... Razor Osaka, I have seen Buffy, but I don't watch it on a regular basis. Yeah, I get names from all sorts of places. Well now, on with the show. Things get mildly risque for once. Nothing graphic; I hardly ever write NC-17, and I highly doubt I'd post it.)

CHAPTER 3- Secrets Don't Last Forever...

*

While romance was blossoming between Keith and Artemisia, another began to grow suspicious. Evan was becoming deeply troubled by Keith's sudden distant behavior; he hadn't socialized with any of his friends nowhere near as often as he used to. Evan knew there had to be reasons, but he know didn't exactly what kind of reasons.

It was a late afternoon at the shop when things started to take a negative turn. The shop owner had left early to take his wife to the doctor, leaving Keith and Evan alone to run the place. They were in the process of closing for the evening when Evan, at the spur of the moment, decided to make an attempt at finding out what was going on.

"So..." Okay, a pathetic conversation starter.

"What is it?" Keith raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Keith, is something going on?" Evan asked, the worry clearly evident in his voice.

"Why?" Answer with a question. Keith didn't want to do any more lying than he had already done.

"You've become quite the socially inept being these past few months," Evan stated in a semi-blunt manner.

"'Quite the socially inept being?'" Keith couldn't help but be amused by the statement. "You were dragged along to another one of your mom's book club meetings, weren't you?"

"Dammit, don't try to change the subject!" Evan's voice suddenly rose. "What are you hiding from me? I'm your best friend, for Hyne's sake!"

Keith kept his cool, looked Evan straight in the eye, and answered, "You would not be able to understand. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"I thought best friends didn't keep secrets."

Keith only shrugged in response.

"Fine, Keith."

Evan yanked off his apron, an ugly and coarse piece of tan material, and threw it on the counter. As he began to storm out, Keith ran to try to stop him, but when his hand touched his friend's shoulder, his hand was swatted away.

"Leave me alone, asshole," Evan snapped, then hurriedly exited the shop. Keith heaved a loud sigh, feeling slightly angry with himself for upsetting his friend, but he knew he couldn't tell Evan the truth.

If I told you I was in love with Artemisia... What would you do?

*****

It was both a blessing and a curse that the sky was without a moon that night. A curse because once Keith had left the city barriers, there were no more city lights to allow the sight of the dark-haired youth as he headed towards his destination. A blessing because it would be harder for him to notice that Evan was following him.

Evan kept very quiet, for two reasons. One, he did not want Keith to hear him and be discovered, and two, he needed to hear Keith's footsteps (fortunately, Keith was wearing heavy boots with metal buckles which made some noise as he walked).

Evan was beginning to make out Ultimecia's castle close by. Why was Keith heading in this direction? He continued to follow Keith into the ruins of the old orphanage, becoming extremely cautious so as not to trip over any of the rubble. He crept along, watching Keith slip out a back door. A gigantic chain was driven into the ground, forming a bridge leading up to the crumbling castle. Evan swallowed hard... Keith had definitely gone insane. Evan watched Keith reach up the steps leading inside the castle before continuing to follow him.

Evan had been one of the better runners on the track team when he and Keith were still in high school, and being able to move quickly and lightly across a chain bridge was not the most difficult of tasks he had ever done, but Evan still found himself holding his breath as he crossed.

Of course, he said to himself. The witch lives here...

*****

When Keith stepped inside the castle, a sudden feeling of dread washed over him. Thinking that maybe something was wrong, he fled to the hall. The door to Artemisia's room was open, and Keith rushed in without hesitation of what might be on the other side.

...Which happened to just be Artemisia sitting on her bed, reading a book.

"Keith?"

Keith let out a sigh of relief, but the feeling remained.

"What's wrong?"

"...I ... don't know..."

"Keith..."

Artemisia got up from the bed and went to Keith's side. She curled her ivory fingers around Keith's hand and held his hand against her chest to feel her heart beating. Keith's emerald eyes stared at her curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you feel it?" Artemisia looked into his eyes. "My heart is at ease, because I am with you. And if it were to beat faster, it would in the moments when we-"

Artemisia was interrupted by a sudden, passionate kiss. Keith's hands had moved to her waist, holding her close against him. As she threw her arms around his neck, he lifted her off her feet, and carried her to the bed.

"Moments like that?"

"Yes." Artemisia smiled.

Keith gently placed her on the bed, and laid down next to her. He propped his upper body up on his right arm. He reached over to her and gently stroked her cheek with his left hand.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

"Keith..."

Keith proceeded to kiss her again, this time trailing down to her shoulders. Artemisia immediately realized where this moment was headed, and she tensed up.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked.

"I ... never ... you know..."

Oh, that's right, Keith thought. She's a virgin. I should have figured that one out.

"Sorry, I'll stop," he said.

"No, I don't want you to stop," Artemisia told him. "I just felt I had to let you know."

"You know I love you, right?" Keith smiled at her.

"Of course. And I love you too."

*****

Evan gently pushed open the wooden double doors and entered the castle. He looked around, his eyes widened in a fearful sort of awe. The stairs leading up the front foyer were dimly lit by the candles of the chandelier, eerie shadows being cast against the grey stone walls by their flicker. Evan shivered.

Keith, why did you come here?

Evan slowly wandered over to the door on his left, which had been left open. He peered around the hallway, and hearing voices at the end of the short hallway, made his way down it. Once he came to the end of the hallway, he noticed a door left slightly ajar. The voices were coming from in there. One was definitely Keith's, the other, a female voice. Evan carefully leaned in to see what was going on.

"Oh Hyne..."

Keith was sitting on a bed with a young woman. Their lips were locked together, and Keith's hands were unzipping the back of the woman's dress. The woman was unbuttoning Keith's shirt, pushing it off of him. Evan turned away from door.

Artemisia... Evan started to run, fleeing the castle. You bitch. You may have Keith in your power now, but you will not keep him... I've got to warn his father...

*****

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

Keith opened his eyes and looked next to him. Artemisia was laying on her side, her yellow eyes happily staring at him. She leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"I like how you look when you're asleep," she said to Keith. "So calm, so serene... It's like staring at an angel."

"Angel? Me?" Keith chuckled. "I highly doubt that."

"Okay then, a fallen angel."

"Eh, close enough for me."

*****

Keith whistled an old love song as he walked, er, skipped down the street towards his house. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out a few people giving him strange looks, but he could care less. When one is in love, true love, they are unburdened by the reactions of others.

Upon reaching his home, Keith hopped up his porch steps and opened the door. He went inside, and entered the living room, but suddenly stopped.

Xander and Evan were sitting there with a small group of other men, staring at him. Keith felt that paranoid feeling returning to him, and his face fell.

They know.

"Grab him" was all Xander said.

Two men jumped up and tackled Keith before he even had the chance to run. They picked him up from under his arms and Xander pointed to the closet. With Keith kicking and yelling, the men holding him shoved him into the closet and slammed the door shut. Keith got up off of the floor, and began pounding on the door.

"Let me out! Please, let me out!"

"My friends," Xander began, ignoring his son. "We have tolerated the demon in the castle as long as she did us no harm. Now she is seducing a young man, luring him like a fly to her evil web. We can not allow this. Gather whatever you can use as a weapon. We will put an end to this before it has a beginning."

"Don't you dare touch Artemisia!" Keith screamed. "Don't touch her. I swear to Hyne, if you lay one finger on her, I will kill you. I will fucking kill you!"

"She has poisoned your mind," Evan said. "You'll be grateful someday that we saved you."

Keith banged his fists on the door, screaming and yelling until he realized that he had been left alone. He hit his forehead against the door, and cried out in a pleading voice.

"Please ... she's not evil ... she's not ... just hear me..."

*****

(Sorry this chapter's crappy. I'm also sorry for the cliffhanger.)