Word Count: 1670

~Aspen

I'm forced to walk all the way across the city to the only place I know I'll have refuge.

I keep my head down and my hood up as I weave past people, trying not to draw any attention. If one person recgonises me from the alert Atari put out, I'll probably be killed in the middle of the street.

Eventually I make it to the apartment building in question. I've been here only once, when Oliver was out of town.

Stalking up the stairs, I look for the hidden key. This place belongs to Kaia, who should be out of this Territory with her family, safe and away from my monstrous husband.

Finding the key, I make my way inside, tensing as I hear voices floating from the kitchen.

Frowning I listen closer. It's Kaia, she's home, accompanied by the silken voice of a man.

Opening the door, I still. Keo is leaning back against the kitchen counter, dripping with seduction as speaks softly to Kaia, whose back is to me.

"I just don't get why you think people hate you," I hear her say, pushing at his shoulder playfully.

He gives her a long stare, intending on corrupting my sweet friend. "They fear me. But I won't hurt you."

"What is going on?" I question.

Kaia jumps, turning around. Her cheeks are flushed bright red and her eyes are glazed over. Who knows how long Keo has been here, blatantly seducing her for his own amusement.

"Ah, Aspen! I was wondering where you were," Kaia exclaims, smoothing her hair back.

"I didn't know you would be home..." I look over her shoulder at Keo, who watches me with a smug smirk on his face. He knows exactly what he is doing, proving he is even more infuriating than I first thought.

Kaia smiles weakly, as if there isn't an almost full blooded Demon standing behind her. "I came back to the city to see you."

"It's not safe..."

"I heard about what was revealed about you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she insists quietly.

"I'm okay Kaia. I'm worried about you," I murmur, leaning forward to hug her. Just feeling her arms wrap around me soothes all my concerns, until I pull back and see Keo again.

"I'm alright. Keo said he knew you..." Kaia says, motioning behind her.

My eyes narrow. "Did he now."

Keo grins, remaining strangely quiet. He obviously is enjoying have my friend wrapped around his finger, leaving her yearning for him with just his beautiful face and tempting words.

"He's not all that bad." She turns around, gesturing for him to join the conversation.

Kaia doesn't know who Keo is, evidently. She knows he's an attractive man who talked her into letting him into her apartment, but I doubt she is aware that he is a Demon like me, except far more powerful.

"Why are you here, Keo?" I ask bluntly.

"I've been slaving away looking into this little spirit problem for you. I thought you owed me some practicing of your magic." He folds his arms over his chest, eyes glistening.

I glance at Kaia, who frowns, confused. There is so much to explain to her, but with Keo here, I'm not sure it's the right time.

"Now?"

He tilts his head, that smile going nowhere. "While your mate is out of the way."

I hate the way he says that. Out of the way? No, Kastriv is hurting, in Atari's clutches and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get him out.

I don't even want to know how Keo is aware that Kastriv is gone...

"I should be finding a way to help him," I grit out.

"You can help him, by improving your magic so you can easily kill Atari and wipe the lands of her horrible presence." He shudders, as if the thought of her disgusts him. I narrow my eyes, wondering what the history between the two of them is.

She hate's Demon's. Maybe that's enough for him to want to be rid of her.

"If you hate her so much, you kill her," I challenge.

He tilts his head back and forth, considering it. "It's against my code of ethics."

I laugh. That is ridiculous. Keo kills whoever he wants, whenever he wants. He may justify it as only targeting Angel-bloods, but I have my doubts.

"Whatever. Fine, can we get it over with then?" There is no point denying working with him. We made a deal, and I'm secretly itching to see if I can enhance my powers.

Keo turns to my friend, who looks bewildered by the nature of our conversation. "Kaia, darling, would you mind going into the other room for a bit. Aspen needs to concentrate."

She looks at me, and I nod once. I'll explain this to her later.

"Oh. Of course." She gives Keo one last smile before she darts from the kitchen, leaving us to ourselves.

I level a look at him. "You play with women far too easy."

He smirks. "Jealous?"

"I feel bad for you. It must be hard not making a connection to anyone," I mutter. There was that other Demon that he spoke to, but I doubt even their friendship extends far.

"This isn't about me, this is about you." He continues to smile, but I sense something in his shift.

I must have struck an impossible nerve in him.

"How do I use my magic?"

"Considering you don't know what exactly you are capable of, I would concentrate on connecting to your power before trying to use it," he says, gesturing for me to follow him.

"And how do I do that?" I follow him out of the kitchen and into the living room.

I half expect him to sit on the couch, however he opts for the floor instead, settling down onto the thick rug. Frowning, I linger back, not sure if I like this.

"Come sit down with me, and take my hands," he instructs, raising a brow expectantly.

Despite not wanting to be anywhere close to him, I settle down on the rug in front of him. He holds out his hands, so I take them, trying not to think about how much larger they are compared to mine.

"You should know that I find touching you abhorrent," I mutter. All I can think about is how many people have lost their lives to these hands.

"I don't care what you're feeling, as long as it's something," he says. "Now. Try to relax. Concentrate on the connection between us."

Releasing a long breath, I let my eyes flutter closed.

Being a Demon is unique, it's special. It doesn't matter what most people say, I know that deep down, and through that, it allows me to connect to other's like me. Which is why I don't shy away from the connection between Keo and I.

"I can feel it," I whisper.

It's as if my body knows that he is a more powerful version of who I am. Everyone around him submits to his power, but right now, I want to use it.

"Good. Now use it to grasp onto what I know you're feeling," he murmurs distantly. It feels as though I'm floating away from my reality...

"I'm scared," I admit.

"Don't be. This is good."

Using that feeling, I dig inside of myself, trying to use the connection to amplify what has always existed within me, even if it's been dull and out of reach.

Suddenly, the feeling flares to life, right within my grasp. Distantly I can feel my brain aching from the effort, until finally I manage to get a hold of that feeling, using it to...

Something happens, a bright light flashing in my vision before my eyes open.

Except they aren't really my eyes...In fact, I'm seeing myself from Keo's perspective. My eyes still appear closed, and I look a little horrified.

And just like that, a bright light flashes painfully in my eyes, and I'm back in my own head again.

I jump back from Keo, ripping my hands from his grasp.

"What happened?" He questions, noting my fear as I push myself back into the couch, wishing I could shrink down and rid myself of this horrible feeling that has overcome me.

"You tricked me..." I hiss.

I couldn't done that. Keo must have projected some kind of vision into my head in order to scare me, or to make me think I have more power than I thought.

Keo looks as confused as I feel. "I didn't do anything, Aspen. What did you feel."

"I could see myself, but it was through your eyes," I tell him, pressing my palms to my temples, trying not to throw up onto Kaia's nice white rug.

Keo takes a long time to respond.

"Really?"

"It felt like if I was there a moment longer, I could become you...start controlling you," I explain. It's so hard to set it our in words, but had I not panicked, I may have been able to dig into his mind and if I can do that...who knows what else I could do.

Keo looks thoroughly disturbed. I don't blame him. Nobody wants to hear that their mind was almost taken a hold of to be used at someone else's disposal.

"As deeply fascinating as that is, I'm not sure I like the sound of you having control over me," he says, laughing softly, although the tension in his tone doesn't go by me.

"Did I do that?"

He nods grimly. "It seems so."

"What does this mean?" I ask, hugging my knees. What is Kastriv going to say when he learns about this?

Keo sighs, eyes darkening. "It means you're more powerful than I thought."

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