It was a task to follow the person assigned to showing me to my room. I had eaten to my own content and then tasted two glasses of wine before deciding to go ahead towards my future. I realized pretty quickly that the wine had caused a rather strong reaction.

My world seemed fuzzy, like I had grown entirely sleep-deprived and yet I wasn't quite sleepy. I found the person meant to lead me to my room standing outside the door and then spent the rest of my time struggling to keep up without stumbling.

The woman stopped in front of a door, gesturing to it easily but not daring to open it herself.

"You'll be staying here as per King Cyril's orders," The woman said to me when I didn't move to open it myself. I stood in front of her a moment further and then reached to open the door to what would be my room while I stayed here.

The woman didn't follow me into the room and the door closed behind me rather loudly. I jumped in surprise, turning to stare at the door as though it had threatened me. But then I wondered why the woman was so strict in not even touching the door...

I turned to the room curiously, taking it in all at once and lifting my hand to my head to steady myself. For one, it didn't look like an unused room or a guest room prepared for me. There were clothes absently draped over a chair before a large desk in one corner. A tall mirror stood along one wall, catching my attention for only a moment. I stood in the reflection, my hair a bit wild from the trip and my skin a deep red even though I didn't feel embarrassed at the moment. I touched my face, my neck, and chest as though I could determine the cause, but then abandoned the thought altogether.

The bed was a large canopy type, as though I would want privacy even in my own room. The drapes around it were black as night, but that seemed to be the theme of Seola altogether; night. I opened a set of doors nearby to find a walk-in closet nearly as big as the bedroom itself. I only stood in the doorway, peering at the clothes, shoes, and such inside before hesitating with a slow realization. They were men's clothes.

I took a step back into a solid form and yelped in surprised, twisting around quickly to find Niko standing just before me. I stepped back quickly, lifting my hands to my cheeks as I realized this wasn't my room, it must be his.

"Niko," I greeted him with surprise before hesitating, narrowing my eyes as I looked at him. The wine seemed to make things slow, but Niko's concern was still clear. He wasn't Kol. He was still Niko. "Yes, Niko." I confirmed with a solid nod, crossing my arms firmly.

"What did my father speak to you about?" Niko asked with concern, "You obviously didn't give away what you were or you wouldn't be here now..."

"Oh," I answered in a daze, "He just asked me about you. I think he wanted to know my secrets. I didn't tell him all my secrets." I lifted my hands to just brush my fingertips over my cheeks absently, trying not to give away my embarrassment.

Niko peered at me closely. He was entirely too close, but I didn't step away. I liked being close to him. He smelled nice. He looked nice. He wanted to keep me safe. I liked the way the rough skin of his fingertips felt on my own skin.

"And? What else?" Niko asked, drawing me from my daze further. I blinked hard, then shook my head to bring myself out of my own thoughts.

"He gave me his blessing and let me eat. I drank some wine. I feel...," I lifted my hand further, gesturing towards my temple as though I could share my current state with just a wave of a hand. "Outside of my own head. Is this your room?"

Niko sighed heavily, lifting my chin abruptly to look at him. "You're drunk," He stated with realization. I lifted my hand to wrap around his wrist, closing my eyes pleasantly in response and entirely forgetting his statement in the process.

"Do you want to know my secret?" I asked and then giggled at the absurdity of it all.

"No," Niko responded sharply. "Come on. You need to sleep this off."

He gripped my wrist in his hand and pulled me to follow him but instead I stumbled forward and nearly fell. Niko caught me by my arms, pulling me closer to him to steady me. I gasped, looking at him, caught off guard.

I swallowed with difficulty. "Why did they send me to your room?"

"I told you the rules of engagement are different here than the humans," Niko answered carefully. "Our lives are immortal. Marriage is far more eternal than any human contract. We must know we are compatible before agreeing to the ceremony, so we are allowed access to one another and must live together as one. It's expected."

"Allowed access," I said naively, holding my arms across my chest almost defensively.

"I won't harm you, Rin," Niko told me darkly, a frustration in his tone.

"I know," I responded sincerely. "Can you help me to the bed? Everything is spinning a bit..." Niko paused a moment and then suddenly chuckled with amusement, bending down to abruptly sweep me from my feet. I cried out in surprise, but then clung to him for support before he led me onto the surface of the bed easily.

Niko helped me remove my shoes carefully, his fingers brushing over the skin of each foot in the process as he held my ankles in his firm but gentle grip. I watched him curiously, an unfamiliar courage keeping me from being frightened of the idea of sharing a bed with a man.

"Should I take my clothes off?" I asked quietly, my skin heated from liquor and something else altogether. Niko froze immediately, turning his gaze from my bared feet to my face. There was a sudden darkness in his features and I lifted my hand to my lips absently, shy but also uncharacteristically brave.

"This isn't a valid engagement, Rin. You don't want that with me," Niko said cautiously, his tone dark with something besides anger. His words were logical and I knew it. I hadn't felt right since the wine, I knew it, but I didn't lie, not even to myself. The engagement may be false in its true intention, but I was stupid and too easily swayed by gentle words and invasive touches.

I covered my eyes with the back of my hand, turning my face away absently.

"I'm sorry," I muttered in embarrassment. Niko didn't respond and I meant to look to see what expressions troubled his features, but before I knew it, I had sighed carefully and drifted into a dazed slumber under the influence of the wine.

~...~

When I awoke, I was alone. A light remained just dimly in the distance within the room, preventing it from falling into complete darkness. I sat up in the bed sharply, looking around in momentary confusion before remembering the heavy spell of the wine I had tasted too much of. This was Niko's room, but he wasn't here.

I hesitated, moving to crawl off the bed. My feet brushed the soft carpeted floor, comforting me in the dim light. I pushed myself to my feet and moved to the door slowly. There was a speaker beside the door with a button under it. Father had something similar to it in his own room, so that he wouldn't have to call out for help so much.

I pressed the button just once and then waited.

"May I help you?" A male voice said solidly through the speaker. I hesitated, but then held down the button before responding.

"Where's Prince Nikolas?" I asked uncertainly.

"He's resting," The voice responded, "May I help you?"

I thought about his words with confusion. Niko was resting, but not in his own room? It didn't make much sense. I thought over my options, but decided to try a more risky approach.

I held down the button and spoke further. "I'm his intended. I'd like to rest with him. Can someone take me to him?" There was a solid silence on the other end. Perhaps they hadn't known I was officially engaged or perhaps they didn't think I would request to be taken to Niko. Either way, the silence hung for a moment before he finally answered.

"Someone will be there shortly to take you to the Prince," He answered agreeably. "Please wait outside. We're not allowed to touch the door." I paused and then laughed lightly at the absurd statement. Kol, no doubt, would have demanded such a rule. But I obliged and opened the door before waiting just outside it for whoever would be coming for me.

A man stepped around the corner and surprisingly it wasn't a human. He stood before me, tall and graceful with deep crimson eyes. I felt as though I had seen him before, but in the chaos of my past couple of days, I couldn't be certain where.

"Prince Nikolas doesn't like humans to know where he rests during his madness," the Daemon explained to me without introducing himself. I suddenly felt uncertain all over again at the statement.

"His madness?" I asked carefully.

"When he seems to be conflicted... you'll understand when I take you to him," the Daemon tried to explain before giving up. I understood his own confusion. He didn't know the true conflict between Niko and Kol, or the true nature of his "madness". But I still didn't understand what he meant in his statement either.

"Okay... take me to him, please," I asked politely. The Daemon seemed startled by the request or maybe just the politeness of the request, but he shrugged it off and began to lead me through the quiet halls determinedly.

The walk was a surprisingly long one. We moved through hallways, down stairs, through doors, until I was entirely lost and not so sure this daemon wasn't planning on just doing away with me entirely. I lifted my hand to my shoulder absently, hoping the mark kept me as safe as Niko said it would.

When we began down another set of stairs, this time the surroundings far darker than before, I hesitated at the doorway. The daemon took a few steps ahead of me and must have sense my hesitance because he stopped as well, looking behind him at me. I could hear something in the distance; a cry much like a roar, filled with anguish and pain.

"Do you wish to go back?" the daemon asked, not altogether surprised. I looked at the darkness, something I feared greatly anyway without the cries in the distance, and then looked at the daemon waiting for my response. I was afraid. But if it was Niko crying out in the distance, why did he sound in pain? What was hurting him?

"No. Let's keep going," I said breathlessly, despite my fear. The daemon turned to continue and I began to follow him. When the door shut behind us, I could no longer see, and I stopped again. "... Sir? Mister... daemon, sir?"

"I'm here," He answered in the dark with a hint of amusement in his voice. "My name is Gio, Lady Adara."

"Oh. Mr. Gio, I can't see," I told him fearfully, trying not to panic.

"I suspected," Gio responded thoughtfully. I heard steps fading away and held my breath, not wanting to call out to see if Gio still was just ahead of me because I knew if he didn't answer I would probably panic altogether. For a moment, everything was silent. I had thoughts of being in that black room on the ship and I rubbed my wrists anxiously at the memory, trying not to lose myself. But before I could think on it further, a light flickered before me.

Gio stood in front of me on the steps, a lighted candle in his grasp with deep attention on his features. He lifted the candle to hand it to me helpfully and I reached for it with a trembling hand, my racing heart beginning to slow now that I could see again.

"A small light in the dark, just like you," Gio mused absently before turning away to lead me further down the steps. I was too grateful to take notice to the comment and focused on not accidently blowing out the flickering flame as I followed him.

As we descended, the cries began to sound more like roars, though they weren't constant. The sporadic bursts were enough to keep me on edge, making me leap each time as we got closer until Gio stopped in front of a metal door; more a dungeon than a bedroom.

I looked at Gio hesitantly, jumping again when the roar burst from beyond the door in agony.

"Do you wish to go back?" Gio asked me again. I shook my head silently, swallowing hard before pushing myself to reach for the door handle. It wasn't locked. After all, the Prince wasn't truly a prisoner, but I had to know what was causing him so much pain.

Gio had already begun his way back up the steps, not giving me any further hope in the situation. It was as though he either expected me to find my way back myself or that he didn't expect me to come back ever again.

I waited for the roar to fade into silence and then I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. I stepped into the room, trembling with fear, and jumped when the door shut behind me firmly. If it weren't for the candle in my grasp, the room would be devoid of any light. The thought made my shaking hands worse, causing the candle to flicker dangerously.

In the center of the room, a form was laid across a bed, growling repeatedly in anger and pain. I hesitated, not understanding what I was seeing in such dim lighting. Then, in fear that I would blow out the candle, I slowly placed it on the ground in front of me.

I took a brave step towards the bed, my hands tight in fists beside me to control my trembling. The form was Niko, I could see now. He was shirtless, lying on his back with his arms flat on either side of him. There were chains thrown over him, layered over his form like decoration. He twitched on the bed and then cried out again so loudly that I froze.

The chains were burning him.

I gasped and forgot the fear that had held me in its grip just before. I ran to him, closing the distance between us quickly, and fell to my knees beside the bed. I wanted to just rip the chains from him on instinct, but this close I could see they were burned deep into his skin painfully.

"Hey, hey," I called out over his roar, reaching to cup his face in my hands soothingly. "I'm here. Shhh, I'm here." I said to him quietly until his anguished cry diminished into confusion. His crimson eyes rolled from near delirium and then they sharpened to focus on me dangerously.

"Rin," Kol said roughly, struggling to calm himself under his agony. "Kol did this to me. You have to get these chains off me. He won't let anyone release me until he's taken over again."

"He did this?" I asked, startled but beginning to understand slowly. Kol shifted just barely, but it made the chains hiss painfully against his burned flesh. He growled in agony, but kept himself from screaming out again.

"Please, Kol's insane. Help me," Kol said, his voice soft like Niko's but still not exactly the same. I couldn't be tricked by Kol, something he hadn't figured out yet, but I couldn't leave him like this either. Niko must have done it to protect me, but it was too horrible to witness.

I reached for one end of the chain, lifting it with difficulty. Kol couldn't resist the roar of agony as his flesh was peeled along the silver as I pulled it from him. I felt tears burning in my eyes as I continued to rip the chains from him, his body so mangled from the silver that I couldn't imagine it ever healing. It felt like hours, but I finally was able to pull the last of the chains off and tossed them to the floor uselessly.

Kol led unmoving even after the chains were removed.

"Kol? Are you okay?" I asked him, cupping his face in my hands again. His skin was soaked in sweat, but a glance at his wounds show they were already slowly beginning to heal. Kol lifted his own hands to grasp my wrists firmly. "Kol?"

Suddenly, I was thrown to the bed on my back, Kol's grip holding me like my own chains. I gasped in newfound fear, but also felt relief. He could move. He was healing. "You're okay," I affirmed aloud to myself, tightening my hands into fists beside my head. Kol looked confused or just conflicted.

"You knew it was me all along?" Kol asked me with a frown. I nodded. "How?"

"You're... different," I echoed an answer I had given Niko previously.

"If you knew it was me, why did you let me go?" Kol asked further, a restraint in his form as he continued to pin me to the bed dangerously. I was breathless with fear, but also a sense of something else.

"You were in pain," I responded faintly.

"I left you in pain," Kol said darkly, "Alone in the dark. Afraid and bleeding. Delirious."

"You were sorry," my voice trembled, recalling that situation vividly. To make things worse, the candle suddenly flickered and went out. I tensed immediately, my fear palpable in the darkness, but feeling Kol's form above me, his hands wrapped around my wrists, and seeing his eyes glowing in the darkness kept me from panicking.

"Why are you afraid of the dark, hmm?" Kol asked from above me.

"It feels like death," I answered honestly.

"I can make it feel like something else, if you wish," He said dangerously, his eyes raking over me hungrily. My skin burned at the statement, not knowing exactly what he meant but having an idea. Kol released my wrists, but I didn't move to try to run away. He suddenly snaked an arm under me, lifting my torso towards him before pulling the cloth of my dress down from my shoulder to bare the mark Niko had given me.

"He very much enjoyed that," Kol said, his voice thick with hunger. "I want you to beg me to take you. I won't be as rude. I'll do as you ask." I felt breathless in his grasp, my body hot and throbbing under his words. He moved to strike my shoulder and I yelped.

"Don't bite me!" I cried out, grasping at him fearfully. Kol stopped just as quickly, his breath over my flesh dangerously. I gasped, trembling in his grasp, but more afraid of that intoxicating bite than his anger. I had to think of something else for him to do or else he would continue. "You said you'll do as I ask. I've never... I've never been with anyone before. How about... will you... will you kiss me?"

My skin was feverish at my daring request, but the darkness did help in this regard. While I knew Kol could see me clearly, I didn't have to see his own responding expressions.

I felt Kol move away from my shoulder, shifting me until I was in his lap most suggestively. My legs were spread on either side of him and he held me so close that I could feel something solid pressed firmly against my sex. I looked into his eyes widely, the only thing I could see in the darkness. I felt like I was on fire, my skin sensitive to every brush of his skin against me like static.

"A kiss, hmm? That's sweet," Kol finally said, moving closer until I froze in his grasp. He carefully inhaled and then blew slowly on my lips teasingly, knowing I couldn't see any of his intentions in the dark. He lifted his hand to cup my face, running his thumb over my bottom lip lightly. My lips parted without a thought, as though hypnotized.

"Close your eyes," He said to me, his voice dangerously low. I took in his crimson eyes a final time and then did as he requested, closing my eyes until I was left in total darkness. I knew he could hurt me, that he probably wanted to, but at the same time I felt he wouldn't in that moment. Despite my fear of the dark, being in his grasp felt comfortable and I found myself relaxing. "So trusting..."

Lips, soft like satin, ran over my own slowly. I held my breath, tensing immediately with surprise at how gentle it was. I'd never been kissed before, but I thought I had an idea on what it would be like. Kol clasped my face in his grip but pulled from the soft kiss just as soon as he had given it. I frowned briefly in disappointment despite myself.

Kol chuckled, deviantly pleased. "What's that frown for, sweet little Rin?"

"Will you do it again?" I asked, meaning to ask if he was planning to, but ending up requesting him to instead. Kol traced his thumb over my lip once more in response, halting any further words on my tongue.

"Ask me properly," Kol demanded, his voice low with hunger. A chill crawled over my flesh in response, drawing heavy gasps from me as I tried to catch my breath.

"Kol," I breathed shyly, my skin burning with a deep blush, "Please. Will you kiss me?" My words barely left my lips before my breath was entirely lost in a much deeper kiss. I whimpered and parted my lips, inviting Kol to deepen his kiss even further. A low growl erupted from his chest as he did so, causing me to tremble in excitement.

Just when I thought my heart would burst, Kol pulled from the kiss with a small pleased laugh. My eyes fluttered opened, dazed, and for a moment I only looked into Kol's hungry face stunned. And then I realized I could see his face. I looked from him to myself, gasping in fear when realizing my skin was glowing an even ivory shine across my skin as though I held my own heaven underneath my flesh.

"What's happening?" I asked fearfully, pulling away from Kol and crossing my arms over my chest as though I could pull the light back into me.

"Fear makes you unable to hide your eyes," Kol answered slowly, watching my skin with a new desire in his eyes, "Pleasure makes you unable to hide anything. Such a naughty Seraph, enjoying the kiss of a Daemon so much. Do you want to see how bright we can make you?"

In a panic, I pushed myself from Kol forcefully, falling from his grasp and off the bed entirely onto the floor. He crawled towards me lithely, danger and desire clear in his intention. I panted with panic, thinking wildly before my pinky brush the cold metal of the chain on the floor beside me. Without looking, I abruptly pulled it to me, twisting it around my torso, around my neck, limbs, and between my legs like a protective barrier.

Kol paused and then led out on the bed on his stomach, the desire diminishing in his features unhappily.

"That's not fair," Kol said coolly. "You look ridiculous."

"Yes, well. You're... a pervert," I responded sharply, pushing myself to my feet. I hesitated, finding myself at a loss. I couldn't leave as I was, a glowing beacon just announcing to the world that I wasn't human. But I couldn't leave in the dark once the glow was gone. I wouldn't be able to see.

"You're stuck with me, Rin," Kol said with amusement, "Take the chains off. We can have some real fun. And then I'll let you go." I frowned at him in response.

"Can't we call this a truce?" I asked naively.

"You are honestly adorable," Kol responded, propping his head on one hand easily. "I could just eat you up." I tightened my grip on the chains anxiously, my muscles tensing in response to his words despite myself. Kol watched me, his expression slipping into one of hunger as though he could sense my own body's reaction as well.

"I'll just find my way by myself, then," I decided, my voice high and breathless.

"Fine. I'll stay close behind you, in case you drop the chains. And then I'll fuck you on the floor. I'll bite you over and over and fuck you until you're spent. Then I'll take you to my room and fuck you some more-"

"I get it!" I cried out hysterically, my grip on the chains so tight that I knew the only thing that would make me release them would be death itself. If it weren't for the even glow on my skin I was certain it would be a deep dark shade of red by now.

I watched the deviant smile that had risen on Kol's face for a moment before turning away entirely, stalking towards the door I'd come through. Each step included the tune of chains around me, loud and ridiculous but necessary. I stopped in front of the door and waited pointedly. My skin was already dimming since warding off Kol, so it would only be a matter of time before we'd both be plunged back into the dark.

"You can't wear those chains forever," Kol's voice was low and close to my ear. I tensed, but didn't move, concentrating on pulling myself together.

"I'll just wait until Niko comes back," I responded, feeling a sliver of doubt.

Kol scoffed. "Saint Niko. The great big idiot hero. If you knew half of the thoughts he's had you wouldn't be so eager to see him again."

I lifted my arm up slightly, struggling to see in the dimming light. As the darkness began to close in around me, I felt that familiar fear rise with it. Fear... and something else. An ache. I lifted my hand to my neck just under my jaw line slowly, trying to identify the ache, but the light abruptly faded out before I could.

I reached for the door blindly, tracing the material until my fingers caught on the door handle. I pulled it open carefully and began my trek through the solid blackness around me. My breath hitched when I reached out to feel nothing but air, a panic wanting to take over.

"You look..." Kol began.

"Ridiculous, I know," I interrupted with exasperation. I lowered my hands to my side, turning towards Kol's voice to find he was no longer behind me but further ahead, his eyes glowing crimson in the dark. I hesitated, wondering if he had somehow turned me around already, but I felt certain I hadn't. Which meant I had to go towards him.

I stepped in his direction until his eyes disappeared, making me pause, but then continued blindly. As hoped, my feet caught on the bottom step of the stairway I had gone down before, causing me to stumble slightly but I was able to catch myself before falling completely. I breathed a sigh of relief, but paused to reach for that ache on my throat once again. My fingertips brushed my skin ever so lightly, but it felt like a line of fire ignited in response. I immediately jerked my hand away, lifting it to my face as though I could see the flames, but there was nothing other than darkness.

I didn't know where Kol was, but I didn't want to be blind any longer. I pushed myself up and began to climb the steps determinedly, ignoring the chain jangling around me. Eventually, the steps evened out as I remembered which meant the door was... I lifted my hand and felt the cold touch of escape.

I opened the door as though I were being born again, relief washing over me entirely when I found a lit hallway waiting for me, along with two figures. Kol stood leaning against the wall across from the door with amusement lit on his features. My relief changed to a frown as I looked at him with disapproval.

"Come now, Rin. I helped you find the stairs, didn't I?" Kol teased me, his arms crossed over his chest easily. I took a moment to look at his bared skin. Where before it had been covered in horribly deep burns and cuts, it was now flawless and untouched. I turned my gaze from him to the second figure.

Gio stood on guard next to the door, alert but looking at nothing as many trained personnel at my home had done during their employment. I looked from him to past him down the hall. Then I turned to look at the opposite direction with hesitation before turning back to Gio with a small thought.

"Mr. Gio, sir," I addressed him politely. Gio looked at me directly, his eyes glancing at the chains over my form before immediately looking back to my face without any expression crossing his. Kol had already pushed himself from the wall, straightening with renewed vigor at my three words. "Can you tell me which way we came from to get here?"

"Don't you tell her anything," Kol promptly demanded, the threat clear in his tone. It was apparent who Gio was more inclined to obey because he immediately relaxed back into his statue-like state, tense but also not present. I parted my lips in disappointment and then frowned into a pout before glancing at Kol, who stood pleased with himself.

"Can't I have a hint?" I asked Kol naively.

"Mmm," Kol responded thoughtfully, "It's either this way..." He pointed to my left. "Or that way." He pointed to my right. I sighed, giving Gio a last glance before hesitating. Gio was looking at me again, but only a moment before his crimson eyes darted down the hall and back. I wasn't sure if I was just making a message out of nothing, but it was as close to a hint as I could figure out and so I immediately began walking towards the direction Gio had glanced.

I heard Kol begin to follow me before stopping.

"You'll pay for that, Giovanni," Kol promised the daemon dangerously. I turned to look at them with a jolt of concern, not wanting my efforts to cause anyone else pain.

"My sincere apologies, Prince Nikolas," Gio merely responded, placing a hand over his chest and tilting his head respectfully. He then smirked at Kol, much to my surprise. Before I could catch his reaction, Kol already had turned to watch me which made me aware of his previous threat still lingering over me. I tightened my grip on the chains around me and immediately began to shuffle away down the hall, peering around me for hints of the path Gio had taken me to get here.

I spotted a familiar painting down an adjacent hall and turned to follow that direction. Next would be a door that seemed to be part of the wall... I found the ever so slightly odd door and opened it, beginning to climb another flight of stairs. The links of the chains over my right shoulder slipped slightly and I had to pause to adjust it. Within that momentarily pause, I felt a wave of dizziness and cold chills ease over me uncomfortably. I paused, holding my head and panting until the wave faded.

"Carrying all that silver must be exhausting," Kol said slowly behind me, "Just give up, Rin."

"I'm fine," I replied breathlessly, more to myself than to him. The ache was getting louder on my throat. It felt like it was stretching over my skin, reaching for my jaw and heading towards my shoulder as well. It was unpleasant, but I didn't want to show myself weaker than I already was.

The stairs led to another hall. I didn't even pause to ponder the direction, an uncomfortable chill drawing on my strength. My feet were turning to lead and my breath grew deeper with strain. I tried to lift my hand to touch my throat, but the chains were getting much heavier. My skin was growing damp, probably from the exhaustion of wandering this maze with the weight of the chains.

I began to feel like the ache was my entire body, the chill growing with it. I forgot about Kol, swaying in my steps, and finally pried the chains off my shoulders altogether. Was I having my own reaction to the silver? Just the thought was enough to make me drop it in a heap at my feet.

"Rin?" Kol's voice echoed behind me, not devious like before.

"I don't feel well," I told him honestly. "My throat..."

Kol was suddenly in front of me, an arm snaked around my lower back. I thought perhaps he was going to attack me as he'd threatened before. But after a moment, I realized I must have been falling because it seemed more like he was keeping me on my feet.

"Let me see," He muttered unhappily, reaching to lift my chin carefully to inspect my throat. His face turned to steel, emotionless and cold as he peered at me. I wondered what it was he didn't want me to see in his eyes. I only watched him silently, obediently standing still so he could do what he wished. At least, until he brushed a thumb lightly over the skin of my neck just under my jaw.

White hot flame licked at me so suddenly that a sharp scream tore from my lungs in pain. Kol had lifted his hand away just as quickly, instead reaching to lift me off my feet into his arms with ease. I panted in his grasp, the pain warping the world around me momentarily before it fell back into place. As it faded, I realized it wasn't a hot flame that I had felt. It was more like... ice cold to the point of feeling hot.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked Kol, tears blurring my eyes.

"Nightburn," Kol responded shortly, "You're dying. And quickly."

My heart jolted in my chest at the declaration, but the ache throughout my body only increased with it as though every beat of my heart drew at a limited strength within me. Nightburn. Just how long had I gone without the warmth of the sun on my skin? The voyage across the Division felt like it had taken at least a couple of days. Then another night within this unfamiliar castle... Father had always made it a point to assign sun exposure to my schedule everyday as though he knew more about me than I did.

Kol walked swiftly through the halls, dodging any persons who may be wandering around at this time. It was pretty quiet as though the entire world were resting. It made the pounding of my heart sound much louder in my head. I leaned my head against Kol's arm, whimpering as the cold ache only spread further until I could feel a hint of that icy flame tracing my jaw and cheek, reaching for my lips.

Kol stopped before another hidden door, opening it carefully before glancing around him briefly. He carried me into another pathway of complete darkness, but the feel of his grasp around my body and the mind warping ache of the nightburn kept me from feeling any real fear for my future. Was he planning to leave me in another dark room to see just how fast the nightburn would take me after all? Would he keep his promise of watching me beg for my life, bleeding my eyes golden until he was satisfied?

A switch was triggered and a light flooded a large oval shaped room filled with all manors of metal slabs, devices, chains, chairs, cages, and etc. I blinked in both confusion and curiosity, but my eyes were blurred by dizziness. From what I could tell, the room wasn't well-used. Sheets were left over some tables and dust seemed to be gathering on others.

Kol moved towards a large dome at the center of the room which had walls that rose all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. There was a steel door with only a small slab which would be the only window into the dome room. When Kol opened the door, another chair sat in the middle of the dome, but it didn't look inviting. There were shackles opened on the arms, legs, and head area of the chair.

I whimpered at the sight of it, grasping Kol's arms weakly in my grip as though I could cling to him for life. Kol either didn't notice or didn't care about my response. He approached the chair determinedly, kicking his own foot out to knock the shackles at the feet of the chair out of the way. I would have jumped at the loud sound, but the ache had absorbed most of my strength already so I could only manage to turn my face away and into Kol's form.

Kol shifted me in his grip, twisting my own body to begin to place me in the dungeon chair... the torture chair... whatever chair it was it couldn't be good. My breath came quicker and I wanted to fight it, but I couldn't.

"Don't," I pleaded in fear and confusion, "Don't leave me."

"Rin," Kol sounded far away, but when I blinked he was in front of me, crouched before me and I was already settling in the dungeon chair. "Do you see these bindings?" He was gesturing to the shackles on the arms of the chair. I thought he meant for me to put my wrists in place or else, so I moved to obey despite very much not wanting to. Kol immediately snatched my wrists in his hands, preventing me from doing just that.

"They have mercury in them. It'll hurt you if you touch them. Do you understand?" Kol said to me in warning, his voice low as his crimson eyes watched me determinedly. I tried to understand. I knew what mercury was. I knew it could be harmful in certain amounts towards humans. I didn't understand how it would hurt me just by touch.

I shook my head in confusion, looking from Kol to the shackles in fear.

"Mercury is to Seraphim like silver is to Daemons," Kol explained patiently, "I can't stay here with you, so you just have to make sure not to touch these bindings. Okay?"

"Don't leave me," I pleaded fearfully.

"I'll die if I stay here with you," Kol chuckled lightly, "You'll understand in a moment. Just don't touch the bindings." Before I could plead with him further, Kol disappeared, shutting the door to the dome and leaving me in the dark in the dungeon chair with poisonous mercury that would burn my skin as silver burned his skin if I touched it. I shrunk into myself, pulling my arms tight to my stomach. I was afraid in the dark that I would accidently brush against the shackles somehow.

Before I could truly begin to panic in the darkness, a loud clank sounded off overhead. I wanted to look up, to see what was going to happen to me, but the nightburn had drained me of strength and left me with a painful chill that ached over my entire body. I closed my eyes and imagined being back in the garden in Numa, basking under the sun.

I nearly yelped when abruptly I could feel it. The sun was flooding over my skin, strong and warm. I opened my eyes to see the golden rays washed over me. I lifted my face into the heat, realizing the ceiling had opened up and allowed the sunlight in. And almost immediately, I could feel the burn of the night halt in its progress and instead begin to heal ever so slightly.

I realized then what Kol had meant, that he would die if he stayed with me. He wouldn't be able to tolerate the sun very long. I sighed a breath of relief and then relaxed in my dungeon chair, turning my face to the side slowly before drifting off into a calm sleep under the glow of the sun.

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Music: Lotus Blue- Fly Me To The Moon