Word Count: 1667

~Aspen

I stare at the Demon across the table from me, and then at my mate beside me.

"We didn't know who else to talk to," I say after what feels like decades of silence.

Kastriv wasn't happy when I brought up Keo and how we should meet and talk to him. Eventually he reluctantly agreed, letting Keo visit one of his many properties.

And now, we all sit in the same room, the tension palpable.

Keo looks at me. "Not when everyone wants you dead."

"How can you help Aspen?" Kastriv demands. He doesn't want Keo here for any longer than he needs to. I can't blame him, Keo does have an infinity for making situations uncomfortable.

Keo sighs, tipping his head back. "Look, I don't know much about spirits. It's not my kind of thing."

"You must know something." I'll beg him if I have to.

He sighs, tilting his head from side to side. He was very dramatic when I asked him to come here in the first place. Apparently he has far more important things to deal with, forcing me to remind him of his obligation to help me.

"My assumption from what I've been told is that the spirit was never trying to communicate with Kastriv. It was trying to communicate with you," Keo explains, gesturing at me.

Kastriv frowns, not looking convinced.

"I've known of this spirit since I was a kid. Long before I ever knew about Aspen," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

I can tell the spirit is present, considering Kastriv's demeanour. He is tense, trying to keep his eyes on us when I know they want to wander to the spirit.

"That does not mean the spirit didn't know about her. Chances are, it is using you, Kastriv, as a way to get to her," Keo mutters, sounding annoyed that he even has to explain it.

I shudder. "What does it want?"

"You'll have to get in Kastriv's mind and not freak out again to get your answer." Keo smiles sardonically, almost like he is mocking me. I narrow my eyes, wondering if I should get in his head and control him so he remembers who he is dealing with.

"How do we know it's safe?"

Keo shrugs. "You don't. But what other choice do you have?"

For someone who has devoted their lives to saving Demon's, he seems to have an easy time sacrificing me to the spirits.

"She asked for my help..." I breathe, remembering the horror in her eyes, the desperation. It's even more disturbing knowing she looked exactly like me. It was like looking in a haunted mirror.

"Remember that spirts can be tricky. Many lie and deceive," Kastriv warns me. He looks dubious about this entire thing, but he knows there is no avoiding it.

"I don't think this one is trying to deceive," I tell him.

"There's only one way to find out." Keo motions his hand, trying to hurry us along. I wonder what other devious things he wants to get back to so desperately.

"I'll do it tomorrow," I decide. I don't want Keo present when I actually speak to this spirit.

The Demon grins, clapping his hands together. "Excellent."

A knock suddenly sounds from the door.

Everyone stiffens. We are all being hunted down by somebody, and the tinge of apprehension is evident in all our gazes as we look between each other.

"Who is that?" I ask warily.

"You tell me, this isn't my home," Keo reminds us.

We are in Territory Six right now, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. This person behind the door hasn't just randomly stumbled across this place, but at least not many in this Territory have been alerted to the known Demon.

I sigh, stalking over to open the door. Each one of us flinches at who stands there.

"Atari?" I gasp.

She stands there in a black coat, the hood pulled over her head. She smirks cruelly at me, my blood turning ice cold at the sight of her.

"Hello Aspen. Kastriv home?" she asks, cocking her head to the side.

Kastriv stands, motioning for me to fall back. "What do you want?"

Atari flicks her hood off, striding into the room. I want to panic, but I force myself to be calm. She is here to intimidate us. It's not like she can kill us all.

"Don't run away Keo. I think we should all have a discussion," she says, staring the Demon down.

Keo doesn't flinch, although his usual smile is gone. He watches Atari with a sharp gaze, ready to move if it comes to it. The history that I realise is between them may be addressed right now.

"And what could I possibly have to say to you?" Kastriv growls. I wonder if he's considering killing her, because I am.

It dawns on me that I could get into her head, maybe control her. But that seems like a very dark place to be...

"I just want my Noble back. I don't want trouble," she says simply, tucking her hands behind my back. I narrow my eyes, hating how she believes she owns them.

"You shouldn't be here. You need to leave," Kastriv orders.

"I'm giving a final warning before I rid of our little secret." She wanders over to Kastriv, who stiffens at her proximity. I wait for her to touch him, but even she seems afraid that pushing Kastriv too far will leave her without a head.

Anger simmers in my mates eyes. "If you do that, you won't be able to control me any longer."

"Do I have control of you now? Certain things have come into your life that have ruined you allegiance with myself and the other Noble's," she exclaims distastefully, gaze sweeping over to me.

"You can say my name," I snap.

She laughs a little, waving a dismissive hand in my direction. "You are hardly worth speaking about."

All of a sudden, Kastriv lashes out at Atari, but before he can strike her, he's forced back by an invisible force. Keo stands swiftly, but is promptly forced back down into his chair by similar magic.

Atari laughs at their attempts, while I gape at her, wondering where this magic has come from.

"If only you had something to care about, Keo. Then we could work together," she sighs wistfully, looking over the Demon with painful scrutiny.

"You mean you wish you had something to hold against me." He tips his head back to look up at her. He doesn't look too threatened, but it is clear he isn't comfortable.

"But you're just a soulless Demon with no worth to me now," she mutters. "Because what use is someone if they cannot be controlled?"

Keo gets to his feet so swiftly I flinch. Atari doesn't even blink.

"You disgust me. You forget who you really are?" he growls.

"I am who I want to be," she responds simply. I look between her and Keo, wondering what I'm missing. How deep does their history go? I know nothing about Atari beyond her name and her connection to Kastriv.

Keo looks over her, like the sight of her disgusts him. "You're just like me. Just like those you hate. How is that?"

"I am nothing like my ancestors. I am civilised and use my power for good." She smooths her hands down the front of her, as if she is physically representing how much better she is than us.

It hits me all at once what is being insinuated by Keo.

"You're a Demon?" I question.

I should have seen it. Keo hates her, but he refused to kill her, telling me it was against his own beliefs. But that doesn't explain why she clearly hates me and Keo just because we are Demon's...so is she.

She doesn't pay me any mind, not bothering to answer my query.

Does it change anything? Whatever problem she has with Demon's isn't going to be changed by me or Keo. I imagine Keo has tried before, considering his desire to keep all Demon's safe and together...

"I expect you back soon, Kastriv, or I will kill them," Atari warns, before she steps through the door and vanishes.

For a while, we just sit in silence.

I turn to look at Kastriv, who appears deep in thought. "She's going to kill us?"

"No, she's going to kill my parents," he murmurs solemnly. I sit up a little straighter, my heart tumbling down into my stomach.

"Your parents?"

He stares down at his hands, so much emotion playing in his eyes that I can hardly keep track. "She has been using their lives against me since I started working with her. It's how she ensures my compliance."

"And now she is going to kill them?" I can hardly believe it. I knew it was something devastatingly important to Kastriv, as his compliance seemed too strong when Atari treated him as she did.

"I don't wish to choose, but what can I do? She has them somewhere I don't know," he admits, frustrating digging into his voice.

"I may be able to help," Keo says.

I turn to look at him, surprised. Keo hates Kastriv, that's no secret, so him saying it in a calm, reasonable voice is shocking. Why would he want to help?

"How?" Kastriv asks, sounding as confused as I feel.

"I can track people. I should be able to find them," Keo tells us earnestly. I nod, knowing that his special ability may be able to help, even if I'm not sure why he is willing to be generous now.

"So we can save them?" For the first time in a while, Kastriv looks hopeful.

Keo gets to his feet. "Maybe. But we don't have much time."

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