The Council

Another sleek, black car came to a smooth stop as Weston, Izzie, and Saix waited in a parking garage a few blocks from the Almería International Airport. The large man, who Saix heard was named Charles, opened the back door for him and Izzie as Weston slid wordlessly into the front. He looked down to Izzie, silently asking her how much longer until they were at the Council's stronghold. She held up all five fingers, which he took to mean five hours. It would be twenty-two hours since they had left The World That Never Was by the time they arrived to their destination. He was sure Xemnas would dispatch search teams to Blackfoot Creek.

The sun was beating down from the sky, the clock on the dash read a little after two in the afternoon, and Saix wondered why the time was different between Montana and Spain. He supposed this world was much, much bigger than he thought. Unable to stand looking at Izzie's hardened face, he turned his head and looked out the tinted window to his left. There were people all around, walking with what Saix perceived as aimlessness as the car rolled slowly forward, following the flow of traffic. It was relatively windy, too, he noticed. He watched as a red scarf one woman had tied around her hair became undone and flew away. She turned and jumped for it, but it floated higher into the sky, writhing like it was alive. Another woman held her dress still as she walked to prevent it from flying up around her. The car made a left.

Saix closed his eyes, unable to appreciate the new scenery given the circumstances.

…

He snapped his eyes open some time later, confused for the briefest of moments before he realized he'd somehow managed to fall asleep. The environment the car was driving through had changed, and so had the sky. Before, the sun was hanging high overhead. Now, it was set back a little over halfway below the horizon, tie-dyeing the sky in orange, purple, and red. Looking at the dash, Saix saw it was seven-twenty-eight in the evening.

The car was still passing buildings, but they were becoming further and further apart, and there weren't any people out walking around. Every so often, Saix caught sight of a few cows out in the wide pastures that seemed to span for miles, lazily grazing. He risked a glance at Izzie to see that she hadn't seemed to have moved at all in the five hours since the airport. Up front, Charles and the boy Weston were in the same positions they had been in as well.

"Good morning," Weston said patronizingly. "You woke up right on time. Welcome to Camoayapa, home of the Council."

Saix looked out the windshield, and saw what looked like a huge fort made from old, tan stones. The outer walls stretched out for at least a couple miles, surrounding the city. A gate opened, allowing the car to enter. It seemed to be an average city-the houses were all made from the same material as the outer wall, and were closely packed together, but there were people standing here and there, and they looked human. There looked to be a market, a playground, and a school along the main stretch of the city. Saix wondered if they even had electricity. Nothing looked modern. But the people were dressed normally enough.

The car continued down the narrow road, straight to the biggest building located in the very center of the city. Saix stared out the window as they came to a smooth stop.

Through the tint, he could see ancient stone steps and a large, rounded wooden door. It opened, and out stepped two men in dark suits, shades covering their eyes. Izzie stayed stock still until Charles opened the door. She unlocked her body and swiftly grabbed Saix's hand, moving to exit the car. He glanced back toward where the entrance of the city was and caught a glimpse of the moon, beginning to rise from the east. Wondering why the other vampires were keeping on their shades, he turned his eyes ahead, and they widened. The building they were standing in front of was impossibly old, intricate and tall, reaching high into the sky. Saix wasn't articulate in architecture, but even he knew what spires were. They climbed higher than the actual building, worn with the passing of time. He noticed a few gargoyles scattered here and there, and there were rounded windows all around the walls, some large, some small, the glass dirtied with age. The building seemed like it would crumble if a small gust of wind blew, but somehow it stood, a testament to time.

As he and Izzie followed Charles up the steps, one of the other men turned and headed into the building, the other's head following Saix. He couldn't see his eyes, but he felt his gaze.

"So it's true then," The man walking ahead said, moving his hands to remove his shades. "I thought you were pulling my leg." Saix noted the man had a different accent than Charles or Weston, but being unfamiliar with the world beyond what he'd studied, he didn't know what the accent was. "Shame," The man continued, turning to look at Izzie with pity in his scarlet eyes. "Vah tumhen maarane ja raha hai."

"Chup raho."

Saix blinked, looking down at Izzie, surprised that she understood what he said and answered. The man, however, chuckled as if amused by her response and turned to face forward. He began speaking to Charles in the same language, which he responded to as well.

Saix looked down at Izzie, questioning what they were talking about with his expression, but she shook her head slightly.

"Saix," He started when the man said his name. "Charles tells me you say you're not human."

"I'm not." He replied, his voice quiet.

"Vaastav mein. I know a demon when I smell one. Though…the scent is quite diluted." Saix said nothing more, stunned into a silence. He had been called a demon before, but that was simple name calling. It appeared this vampire actually believed Saix was a demon. Izzie growled.

"Knock it off, Ramir." He stopped walking and spun to face her.

Seeing his full face, Saix saw that his skin was a pale brown, as if someone had taken an eraser over him and dulled the color. His features were arranged elegantly, his nose sharp and his lips sculpted, his eyebrows full but not unkempt.

"Just because you're immune to my power does not give you merit to speak that way," He warned. Izzie just smiled at him; a challenge. Charles raised his eyebrows, and Ramir's hands balled into fists. Then he looked at Saix, his own mouth twitching into a smile.

The sound that left Izzie's mouth startled Saix more than the threat of Ramir using his power on him. She sounded like a feral cat, an angry lion, and as he turned to look at her, he noticed an orange haze expanding from her body. Like before, her shield worked its way up his arm and encased his body, surrounding him in a pleasant warmth. Ramir's smile faded, and he glared at her.

"Let us go," Weston said. "As much as I love the palpable tension, Atticus will be growing impatient." Growling lowly, Ramir turned and began walking again. As they walked, Charles turned to Ramir.

"What did you mean by, you know a demon when you smell one? I smell no such scent from him."

"I wouldn't expect you to. As I said, the scent is very diluted. It's ancestry, generations old." Saix frowned, narrowing his eyes.

He knew next to nothing about his own ancestry-he was an orphan, and grew up in an orphanage, same as Axel. He had exactly one memory of his birth parents, namely his father, playing with him when he was a toddler. The orphanage never told him what had happened to his parents. He didn't know if they died or just gave him up. But he knew he had always been human-minus the past ten years. He had no special gifts before he became a Nobody. He was painfully ordinary.

He looked down to Izzie to see that just under the stone mask she had on, she looked intrigued. She didn't believe Ramir too, did she?

They came to a huge, open room with two sets of stairs leading to an upper floor with a huge door at the top. The room was exquisitely decorated with more doors on the east and west walls. The floor was marble and the walls were white, huge windows allowing for lots of sunlight during the day, and moonlight during the night. Saix expanded his senses. The moon here was in its waxing gibbous phase, and it'd be obstructed by the ceiling, but he began pulling energy from it, creating a reserve of power just in case he needed it. The power he was gathering was different than the kind he could obtain from the moon in any of the other worlds he'd been to, weaker, but he figured something was better than nothing.

They were led up the stairs and to the huge doors at the top, and Ramir pushed them open. This room was not near as opulent as the huge antechamber, but rather, was made from dark, ancient stone, and it was cold. As they walked forward, Saix saw the room opened into a brighter, cavernous space, perfectly round like a huge turret. Two stories up, long window slits threw thin rectangles of waning light onto the stone floor below. There were no electrical lights, but instead torches hung on the walls, burning with bright flame. The only furniture in the room were three sets of huge wooden chairs, shaped like thrones, and an old wooden table, messy with aged books and papers.

The room had a handful of people in it, a few gathered at the very back of the room, and the rest gathered by the table. Their low, smooth voices mixed into a low hum that floated gracefully through the air. Ramir steered Saix and Izzie toward the bigger of the two groups, Charles and Weston following silently.

All the perfect faces turned toward the little party as they approached. Most were dressed as if they were attending a business meeting at a Fortune 500 company, in shirts and pants and dresses that wouldn't stick out as odd anywhere else. But there were three men dressed in long, sweeping robes-matching the robe Weston had on, black, with silver lining the sleeves. Every immortal had on the same gaudy pendant as well, marking their position as members of the world's most powerful coven. The man closest to them spoke first.

"Isa-bella!" He smiled widely, saying her name with a gleeful tone. He clapped his hands together as he floated forward, the motion so surreal and graceful Saix gawked. Even Izzie, whose every move looked like dancing, could not compare.

Saix was more astonished as the man drew closer, flanked by what looked like bodyguards, for his face was not unnaturally attractive. He couldn't decide if the face was beautiful or not. He supposed the features were arranged perfectly, but this man's face was as different from the vampires beside him as they were from Saix. His skin looked brittle and delicate, a shade of grey as opposed to white, and his eyes, while red, seemed glazed, diluted, much like someone with cataracts.

The man quickly closed the distance between himself and them, and took Izzie's face in his hands, placing a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. Saix's chest burned as he watched, his teeth gnashing and his hands balling into tight fists.

"Atticus," Izzie replied, her voice flat and emotionless. Saix didn't like the way Atticus was looking at her. His smile was wide and toothy, but obviously put on-it didn't reach his eyes. And in those strange eyes was a predatory spark, a dark look that said he wanted her.

"Are you quite sure you still don't wish to join us?"

"I am quite content with my current lot, thank you."

"Ah. Very well, then." It was then that Atticus turned his gaze to Saix, and the look in his eyes shifted. Whereas he looked at Izzie as if she was something to be conquered, like she was prey, he looked at Saix like he was nothing but a mere worm. Something beneath him, something to be squished. "And who is this?" His voice, however, remained joyful, almost childlike. He eyed Saix from head to toe, taking stock of his face, his hair, and his clothes. "I've never seen something like you."

Something. Not someone. Saix didn't answer.

"Atticus, this is Saix." Izzie said.

"Saix," Atticus repeated his name like it was the most wonderful word he'd ever heard. "Maravillosa. It is lovely to meet you. I am Atticus. Behind me are my brothers, Decimus and Celio. We make up the Council…though I'm sure you know that already."

"Yes." Saix kept his response short.

"Hmm." Atticus hummed, still smiling creepily, and looked from Saix to Izzie. "He seems different." Saix clenched his jaw again, irritated that this man was speaking of him like he was an object. Evidently, Izzie felt the same.

"Talk to him."

"Of course! I was merely making an observation." He turned his eyes back to Saix.

"You are not a vampire, so you do not see it, but the way humans move are very…bumpy. They're quite ungraceful. Even those who other humans believe are. Their movements are jerky, not at all smooth. Now, the way you move isn't near as fluid as our movements, but I noticed that your grace is far more eminent than a human's. Humans also have very potent blood. I'm sure you know we see them as food. But you…you smell…well, not bad, but, oh, how shall I say…diluted. But, beyond all that, there's a special, almost otherworldly beauty to you. It is not the winsome charm a human may have, but it's not the extravagance of those like myself. I can tell you are not a normal man. Dare I say…perhaps, there is…demonic blood in your veins?" There it was again. Someone else thinking Saix was more than a human, more than a Nobody.

The immortals in the room exchanged glances with each other, some murmuring amongst themselves as Atticus eyed Saix from head to toe. Izzie stepped in front of him, cutting his view. Atticus's eyes focused on her, and he smiled sweetly.

"My dear child…I know that look." He sighed, almost dreamily, and continued, "It's a look I've seen many times in our kind. The look of a vampire in love. You love him." Saix already knew that, of course, but Izzie had never said it-in English. He absolutely did not like the fact that Atticus just took that away from her. Izzie's shoulders stiffened a bit, but Atticus, seemingly oblivious, sighed again, and suddenly her hand was cupped in both of his. Saix hadn't seen him move.

He lifted his eyes, his milk-glazed irises turning a clear color as he stared off into space. Saix frowned a bit, confused, until he realized Izzie's shield was still surrounding him. Her mental guard was lowered, and Atticus had seized the opportunity to slide in and read her mind. "Ahh…I understand," He mumbled, his eyes following the images he was receiving from Izzie's mind. "Yes…quite complicated…such strong emotions…yes…I see…"

"Long enough." Izzie hissed, yanking her hand from his grip. He jerked, suddenly yanked out of his trance, and blinked a couple times. Yet, even though his brothers and other members of the guard looked offended by her actions, Atticus blissfully ignored them and looked at Saix. "What a remarkable young man you are," He marveled, tilting his head. "Indeed, you are quite special." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The fact that this brought his body around to bypass Izzie did not go unnoticed by her or Saix, who lifted his chin. "I have only seen what Isabella has shown me, and all I have are questions. An empty shell, devoid of emotion, yet has somehow become attached to one of us, so much so that you possess the power and sheer strength to stave off a sadistic hunter such as Trevor…You bring with you many mysteries. Tell me, young one, you lack the ability to feel emotions such as love or compassion, so why have you gone so far as to risk your life for her?" Saix remained quiet, his gaze never leaving Atticus's and his stone expression never wavering. He cocked his head playfully, weaving his fingers together in front of him. "Well, if you would prefer not to tell me, perhaps…you can show me?"

His fingers unlaced, and he held a hand up, almost daintily, as if he expected Saix to kiss it, and tilted his head. Saix looked down at Izzie, and she nodded in encouragement, though he wasn't sure he had much of a choice in the matter. Suddenly his hand felt cold, and when he looked down, he saw Izzie's shield had retracted, uncovering his hand so Atticus could read his mind. He peeled his glove off, and lifted his hand, palm up, as if to shake Atticus's hand.

He was surprised at how hard Atticus's grip was when he enclosed both of his hands over his. It was almost as if he wanted to hurt him. Atticus leaned his head down, lowering it so much so that his nose touched his hands, and hummed. As he concentrated, Saix noted his skin felt ashy, almost like chalk, and had a more fragile undertone to it than Izzie's did. Like shale rather than granite. It was also much colder than he thought anything could possibly be. When he glanced around the room, he could see the brothers were perked up, interested in what Atticus may find in Saix's mind.

"Hm…" He hummed again. "Strange…your mind…is like a television…with poor reception…"

"What do you mean, brother?" One of the other two asked, frowning.

"I see things…but they cut out abruptly…then come back in…Whole pieces of information…missing…Almost like…there's an interference…Strange…So very strange…" He let go, and the moment his hands left Saix, he felt the warmth of Izzie's shield return. Atticus lifted his head, his eyes closed as he processed the things he saw in Saix's mind. "So very interesting," He mused quietly. "It is quite obvious to me you two share the bonds of the mate. What is not obvious is how. Saix, it was hard for me to decipher your thoughts. Your mind is…very disorganized. Everything kept jumping around. One moment it was a thought from childhood, the next it was one as an adult. What I did manage to catch, however, is that you feel something for Isabella, even though you have been told time and time again you do not have the ability to feel anything."

"Izzie," Saix mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Izzie." This time, he spoke louder, and Izzie turned to look at him. "Her name is Izzie. Not Isabella." He stared straight at Atticus, though he felt Izzie's shocked gaze on him. Up until now, Saix had insisted on using her full name, claiming that Izzie "wasn't her true name", but now, after hearing everyone else use her full name in such a condescending, threatening way, he found he didn't like using it anymore. Like he had always been disrespecting her by doing so.

Atticus blinked, taken aback for a moment, then smiled. One of his brothers, however, curled his fingers against the throne he was sitting on, and snarled, "We will call her however we wish. You are in no position to tell us how to address anyone." Saix turned his eyes to him. It appeared he and Atticus were twins, judging by the near exact same facial structure and pitch-black hair. Having a living being look upon him seemed to be action he took as offensive, and he growled, baring his fangs.

"Decimus," Atticus warned. His chest rumbling, Decimus slumped back in his seat, his narrowed gaze locked on Saix. Atticus turned back to him, his fingers looped together. "Unless I misread you and Isabella, you insisted on calling her by her full name up until just now. Tell me, what made that change so radically?" His eyes sparked, a small, sardonic smile on his lips, and he didn't wait for Saix to answer. "It's because you love her, young Saix. You love her with everything you have, even though you've always been adamant you are unable to do that." Izzie opened her mouth, but Atticus shot her a dark look. As her lips closed, he turned and walked back toward his brothers, all eyes on him. "Through a series of events," He said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "A young boy named Isa was attacked, his heart ripped from his body."

"Atticus!" Izzie gasped. He ignored her.

"This is not the heart you and I think of, for where he hails, a completely different world, universe, humans have their emotions, the "heart" we count as metaphorical, as an actual organ within their bodies. When this heart is removed, they cease to be. For most, this is the end of the line. But for those who have a strong will, the shell that is left behind continues on, acting on its own. The boy named Isa became the man named Saix, a human-looking being. But he is not considered human. According to the laws of the land, he does not even exist. He walks in neither the light nor the dark but instead wanders the twilight between. He does not have the ability to feel any sort of emotions…or at least, that is what he has been taught. You see, there are others like him. Eleven more, to be exact. They have all congregated together to form what they call Organization XIII. Beyond the human-like beings, the Nobodies, there are other, less intelligent Nobodies that obey those like Saix. For ten years they have been this way! Undisturbed, working toward the goal of becoming human again, until…they stumbled upon little Iris." On hearing the name of the absent vampire, the small blonde vampire across the room sneered. Apparently the memory of not being able to kill her made her upset. "They were able to take the girl by surprise and kidnap her from her home in Montana. Shortly thereafter, Isabella confronted Saix, and he took her to the world he hails from, and kept her there. Over time, they formed the bond of the mate."

"This is all far-fetched," The third man in a black robe, who Saix took to be Celio mumbled, seemingly uninterested.

"Indeed," Atticus nodded. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."

"If he can't feel emotions, how could he form the bond of the mate?" Weston asked.

"It is my belief he has been lied to," Atticus turned to look at Saix. "Perhaps it started out that way-not being able to process emotions. However, I believe now, after being around Isabella, around someone who can process emotions, you have developed the ability to do so as well." Saix didn't answer, and Atticus sighed wistfully. "Your gifts and heritage would make for such an intriguing immortal,"

Izzie narrowed her eyes, her little hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Across the room, a movement caught Saix's eye. When he looked, there was a boy, no older than thirteen, with an expression of horror on his face. His eyes were wide, his gaze locked on Saix, but moving back and forth, as if he were following something. His full lips were parted in shock, his shoulders stiff and his hands trembling. Saix frowned deeply. The boy swayed from side to side, his body moving as if he were about to faint, and then he seemed to snap out of it and whirled on his heel, heading for the one of the doors hidden in the recesses of the room.

The sound seemed to catch Atticus's attention as well, for he looked, only briefly, before turning back to them.

"And now, I am very curious," Atticus continued as if nothing happened. "I believe that there is the blood of a demon in your veins, even though it is quite watered down. I am not sure if you know this, but demons are near as strong as vampires. Our gifts are not known to work on them. I wonder if any other gift would have an effect on you." He looked to Izzie, as if he expected her to grant him her blessing. She growled lowly, expanding her shield dramatically to assert that, no, she wasn't okay with it. Atticus sighed, turning his eyes to the ground and lacing his fingers together.

However, Saix noticed when Atticus's left index finger crooked up, and, in the next moment, someone swept Izzie off her feet, breaking her concentration and restraining her. Saix whirled to see Charles, one of his large arms around Izzie's torso and his other hand clamped down on her eyes to keep her from seeing. She screamed, kicking her legs and raking her fingernails down Charles's arm, but he didn't seem to notice her struggling as he held her fast.

"Ramir?" Atticus's tranquil voice echoed through the room, and Saix turned his head to see the man from earlier, a sadistic smile on his face as he brought his eyes to him.

"This is going to hurt just a little." Ramir taunted. Saix shoulders stiffened. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. If he tried to fight, he'd only be killed before he could even do anything. So he stood, waiting, as Izzie screamed and roared and snarled.

Ramir lifted his chin just a tad, and Saix knew it was coming. He balled his fists, clenched his teeth, and closed his eyes, bracing his body for whatever pain was coming. When it hit, it wasn't anything like what he expected. It started in the pit of his stomach, burning, but not in a painful way. Rather, it was simply irritating. That irritating pain expanded, climbing up Saix's chest and spreading down his arms, sinking down his stomach and into his legs, but still, it wasn't what he would consider painful. It was something like a small bee sting or an upset stomach from eating too much spicy food. If the pain tried to rise, something in his head crackled, and kept it at its minimum.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked to Ramir, whose smile had turned to a scowl. His body was leaned forward, inclining toward Saix, his face screwed up in intense concentration. But no matter how much he willed it, his power simply was not hurting Saix enough. Suddenly, Atticus's high, obviously fake laugh echoed around the room, and he clapped his hands together, startling Ramir out of his concentration. When he turned his blazing gaze away from Saix, the annoying pain in his body left. Behind him, Charles loosened his arms and Izzie slid to the ground, ghosting over to Saix and shoving him behind her, her body crouched and ready to spring.

"Astounding!" Atticus cried, his face alight with joy. "He does hold the power of a demon! I would simply love to see your powers in action, young Saix."

"Are we free to go?" Izzie interjected, anger and irritation heavy in her voice.

"Of course you're not free to go," Decimus growled.

"No laws were broken." She shot back.

"Clearly the biggest law of our kind has been broken!" He roared. "You have allowed a human into our world!"

"I am not human." Saix reiterated that fact.

"You have a beating heart and that is cause enough."

"The official law only states that humans are not to know of our existence," Izzie reminded him. "It says nothing of-"

"Regardless of what he is, he is not one of us. Keeping our secret is imperative."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about this one revealing our secret." Atticus said finally. At this, Decimus glowered, his thin lips pulled from his fangs. Atticus looked from his brother back to Saix, appraising him. "I will allow you to leave once I see your gifts for myself. Fair? I saw the manic way you behaved in Izzie's mind. So fascinating! So, child…" He waved his hand, expecting Saix to simply go berserk, as if that would be entertainment. Saix pursed his lips.

"He can't just do it whenever he wants to," Izzie growled. "There needs to be a reason."

"Ah, I see. Very well. Charles?" Saix looked back to the behemoth of a man, who began approaching, his eyes locked on him.

Are you serious? He thought. In the next moment, Saix felt a small hand push against his chest, and he went flying back, his back hitting the ground and knocking the wind out of him. He slid several feet across the shiny granite floor before coming to a stop and rolling onto one knee. When his eyes found Izzie, he saw her slam into Charles, her arms going around his waist. Snarling, Charles grabbed her by her hair, swinging her around and tossing her across the room; her body slammed into the stone wall, imprinting her tiny frame into it. Saix's breath caught, his eyes glued on Izzie as she fell to the floor. He couldn't tell if she was hurt or not. Charles whirled back around to face him, and he began approaching. Saix looked up, his fingers curling against the cold floor, his lips parting to reveal his teeth. He could feel it-that deep, burning anger that always signaled the transition into his berserk state. But he still wasn't threatened enough. Not to mention, the moon was obscured by the ceiling here, and it took time to pull from the reserve of power inside him.

From behind Charles, Izzie yanked herself to her feet and dove across the room, jumping onto his back and grabbing his head, jerking it back. Charles bent his body back, one of his arms going up to grab Izzie by the back of her jacket, and he yanked her over his head, slamming her into the ground. There, just like with the wall, an imprint of her body was made, tiny bits of broken rock flying up into the air. Now, instead of leaving her there, Charles straddled her and began beating her.

"Stop!" Saix shouted. Charles ignored him entirely, slamming his fists into her face, his knee planted firmly into her gut to keep her where he wanted her. She offered some resistance, trying to push his hands away, but he easily overpowered her.

The burning anger grew hotter as the instinct to protect Izzie overwhelmed Saix. He felt the power rising from the pit of his stomach, making his entire frame shake. On his scalp, he felt the prickling that made his hair stand on end. On his face, he could feel the scar widen and deepen, crawling up toward the top of his head and down near his mouth. In his mouth, his gums tingled, his canines expanding to form fangs. His eyes began burning, the way they would if he ever cried, turning completely gold and looking like two small glowing moons. The switch inside him finally flipped.

Atticus watched in wonder as Saix let out a wild, almost deranged, shout, making every other vampire turn to look at him. Charles, being so absorbed in beating Izzie, didn't notice.

Saix launched himself forward, moving so quickly everything actually went blurry to him. His body rocketed the twenty feet separating him from Izzie and slammed into the vampire wailing on her. It was like running face-first into a brick wall, causing a wave of pain to run all through Saix's body, but it did the trick.

Charles stumbled off Izzie, staring bewildered at Saix. Before anyone could react, he lunged back to Izzie, and the moment his hand connected with her arm, a dark corridor swirled up around them.

…

Wack. Slam. Shudder.

As Izzie's body healed, she came back to full consciousness to the sounds of what sounded like someone chopping down a tree. Slowly, she pulled herself to a sitting position and looked around. She had been laid on a pile of soft moss between two large rocks, tall pine trees surrounding her, the sun shining in thin ribbons down to certain spots of the ground. Oh, was she in Twilight Town? As she looked for the source of the sound, her eye came to a tall figure surrounded with a blue aura, swinging a weapon into a tree. With one hit, the tree buckled and shuddered to the ground. Beyond the newly fallen tree were several others who met a similar fate.

Quickly realizing who it was, Izzie pulled herself to her feet and approached him.

"Saix?" She called. He didn't respond at first, continuing to launch his claymore toward the next target. Carefully, Izzie closed the rest of the distance between herself and Saix, reaching a hand out toward him. Before her fingers could even brush his shoulder, he whirled on her, the claymore flying back into his hand as he bared his teeth at her. "It's me," She said softly. "It's alright."

Slowly, so as not to aggravate him any further, she brought her hand to the back of his head and brought him down to her shoulder, wrapping her other arm around his back. Against her chest, she could feel the pounding of his heart, easily going at a hundred and fifteen beats per minute. His chest rose and fell rapidly. After a moment, she heard the sound of his claymore vanishing, and his arms came around her, constricting tightly.

"Izzie," He whispered. She pulled back a little so she could look at him.

"You're using my nickname now."

He nodded a bit. "I saw how they used your full name to disrespect you." Izzie blinked, a little surprised, then smiled at him, running his hair through her fingers.

"Saix, I have never felt disrespected by you," His mouth crooked up a little.

"I know that. If you had, you'd have called me out." She giggled. Saix observed her for a moment, studying the perfection in the planes of her cheeks. Before, when they first arrived to this forest, there were cracks crawling up her cheeks from the back of her head, as if she had been made from porcelain, and her normally bright eyes were dull and glassed over. Charles had nearly, literally, broken her. "Izzie," He began. "I thought, with me being as I am, I would never be able to care for someone as much as I do you, to put my life on the line again and again. I've never gone berserk without consciously thinking of doing it, but I have done it twice now. Since you told me about being mates, I fought it like hell, but…" He went quiet for a moment, then continued, "Atticus said you love me. And on the plane, you said it, too." Izzie nodded, a little chagrined that he'd figured it out.

"Yes." She replied softly. He lifted a hand to her cheek, cradling her head in is palm.

"How?" He mumbled.

"What?"

"I'm not an easy person to love."

Izzie gazed up at him for a couple moments before a smile spread across her face and she shook her head. "You are to me." Saix's throat tightened. He had never been an emotional creature, even when he was human, and normally, seeing or hearing two people tell one another they loved each other made him roll his eyes. Now, he finally understood. Being told he didn't have any emotions was a lie. He was capable of feeling. He loved Izzie. "I love you, Saix." He knew it was coming-it was obvious-but the moment she said it, in that sweet, impossibly beautiful voice, he felt his cheeks light up and a wave of embarrassment come over him.

Izzie smiled a little as Saix's cheeks turned bright pink and he averted his eyes. She reached up and placed her fingers on his cheek, gently pushing his head to encourage him to look at her, and when he did, she stretched up onto her tiptoes and softly, so soft he could barely feel it, brushed her lips against his.

And even though he could barely feel her lips, his body reacted. There was a charge, like an electric current, that surged from his lips deep into his bones, twirled down his spine, and ignited in the pit of his stomach. His heart kicked up excitedly and his breathing accelerated, though his body stayed stock still. And then, the cold touch went away.

Saix was confused for a moment, before he realized Izzie was pulling back. It was then that his body moved-automatically, he didn't tell himself to move-tightening his grip on Izzie's back and cupping the back of her head more securely. Now, his blood boiled, heating up in a familiar yet at the same time strange way as he pressed his lips to hers. This time, it wasn't a gentle brush.

His lips closed completely over hers, allowing him to actually feel the cold, hard texture of them. It didn't make him uneasy. Izzie gasped, his response shocking her, and when her lips parted, the scent that always surrounded her, that same scent that had clouded his head when he would dream of her, became more potent, more concentrated. He could taste it on his tongue, but had no words to match the flavor to. All he knew was that it was delicious. Not in a food way, but in an addictive, possibly dangerous way. He gripped her, held her with such strength that it surprised her, and leaned into her, pushing her up against a tree. Izzie scrambled to kiss him back, trying to settle into a rhythm, but with the way he moved his lips against hers, it was hard to predict what he was going to do next. It was something she wouldn't have expected from Saix. He wasn't the most passionate person in the world.

After another moment or two, she pulled back a little. Saix ignored this and just leaned closer.

"Saix," Izzie murmured, lifting her hands to his chest and locking her arms, preventing him from getting closer. "Breathe." He stared down at her, confused for a second, before he realized his lungs were burning; he took in a greedy breath.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide as she took in the expression on his face. His eyes were half open, narrowed in infatuation, a blush spread across his cheeks and even the tips of his ears, his lips parted, and his breathing labored. Izzie had never seen a more beautiful man in her life. She didn't stop him when he leaned back down and kissed her again. His skin was so warm and soft. She was so happy he finally let himself get close to her.

A sound reached Izzie's ears, and she pulled back from him, looking over his shoulder. As he turned, Demyx came into view, looking shocked.

"Saix! Izzie!" He hurried over to them, tripping over a root and barely managing to keep his balance. "Where have you guys been? It's been almost twenty-four hours since your mission, what happened?" He looked from Izzie to Saix and tilted his head curiously. "And why do you look so weird?"

"Listen, Demyx," Izzie answered, coming to stand between the two men. "Let's go back to the castle. We'll explain everything then."

…