All Rights Reserved © 2021

Under no circumstances is this story to be replicated, translated, and/or distributed in any way without the permission of the author.
————————————————

Divine Division— "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Seola- Soul; Numa- Spirit

~...~

I was born in the house of Adara. Many births are happy events, foreseen and praised when completed. Fingers and toes are kissed and newly made mothers and fathers smile upon one another in love. Things were a little different in my case.

The Adara were a wealthy family; the wealthiest in the land of Numa. They were also very much human so when the last Seraphim came knocking on their door in the night, they were quite surprised to be suddenly gifted with a new life.

My mother apparently was very beautiful. Her skin was glowing in a tinge of white within the night, reflecting the power of the Seraphim as they are known to do. Her hair was red like fire and her eyes, like the eyes of a true Seraph, were golden bright like the sun. But she was hurt, the meat of her neck torn into and blood caking her skin dangerously. And she was heavily pregnant.

The Adara family head, Derek Adara, was stunned by the injured beauty before him. He gave her the greatest of care, shelter, and in that same night he helped to deliver a child from this otherworldly creature himself. However, the greatly injured Seraph was too far gone. She and I shared only ten breaths together and then she passed onto another life.

That night, Derek Adara had choices to make. In this world, the Daemons had been thought to have killed all the Seraphim in the world. He could give me up, protecting himself and possibly even be rewarded. But he would tell me my entire life, as he looked into my face, my own eyes would open. Two glowing orbs of gold would greet his own sapphire eyes and within two blinks the gold faded into matching blue eyes. He saw himself in me and he decided then that I would be his daughter.

This is a story I was told by my Father for years and one I was sworn to never tell another.

I was crouched low under a table, the skirt of the table flowing low enough to cover all but my slippers. I remained frozen and unmoving as the sound of multiple feet began to echo closer and closer down the halls. My heart pulsed steady and loudly as I tensed, preparing to make a run for it if necessary. The steps were louder and I could hear doors being opened, objects being moved as they searched for me.

Suddenly, feet moved quickly just outside of my vision, and I held my breath as they stormed past where I remained hidden. The movement halted just as abruptly as they had run past. I waited, but when nothing came for me, I released a quiet sigh of relief.

"GOTCHA," The small but shrill voice of Lupa declared with evil glee as she ripped the skirt of the table up to reveal my presence. I gasped, but quickly slipped past her reach and nearly ran into Liza, who stood with her legs parted and hands on her hip triumphantly in my path.

I dove around Liza, very nearly being caught by the tip of her fingers, and then I made a run for it.

"Get her!" Liza roared in a battle cry most impressive.

I ran down the hall with an army of footsteps chasing behind me determinedly. I reached the stairs and leapt with familiar skill, lifting myself onto the railing before sliding down the stairway. Lupa and Liza were both still too small to achieve this accomplishment, but they leapt over steps with their own familiar skill so that when they did learn they would no doubt become better at it than even I was.

I turned the corner and was greeted by a loud roar and the feel of a small body diving into my waist and legs. I cried out as I tripped mid-run, slamming into a nearby table, knocking over a vase atop, and sending it to the floor to shatter.

Before I could even be concerned about that, Rory yelled out happily, "I CAUGHT HER!"

Suddenly, the bodies of Lupa and Liza joined their brother, tackling over my fallen corpse and clinging onto me for dear life.

"You scoundrels," I cried out in false anger, "You little beasts! You haven't won, yet!"

I roared before pushing against the floor, lifting myself under the weight of their bodies slowly. The triplets held on with impressive strength, laughter leaving their throats as I lifted all three from the ground and left them clinging to me with their feet dangling uselessly under them. I couldn't see anything beyond their mass of curly blonde hair as they held onto me for dear life.

"Corrine Adara, you put those children down right this minute," I suddenly heard the sharp voice of Sylvia Adara demand, the mother of the triplets. I quickly bent my knee as though curtseying, but really only lowering so the three cherubs hanging off of me could place their feet on the ground.

"Go on. Play time is over," I coaxed them, but the three of them only tightened their grip on me enough to make me wince.

"I don't wanna stop playing," Lupa complained, a strong pout gracing her soft features as she lifted her face to look into mine pleadingly.

"Then we'll play a new game," I responded with a devious smile, "How long can you hold on against my crazy fingers!?" I reached for each of their sides, poking at them expertly. Their ticklish nature had all three crying out with shrill laughter until fingers loosened and I was mostly free. I stood to greet Sylvia.

Sylvia Adara was my father's wife. She didn't know of my past except the story my father told her; that he had loved a woman and had me out of wedlock. My mother had passed away during childbirth. And that had been close to twelve years before he had met Sylvia. They were married and then the triplets, Lupita, Eliza, and Rory, were born when I was thirteen years old. The three of them looked like their mother; the golden curls and the soft features. They, like me, had our father's sapphire eyes.

Sylvia looked at me with her own dark brown eyes, but where she was currently preparing to scold me, she didn't hold a look of cruelty. I had never felt her to be my mother, but she also wasn't an evil stepmother either.

"Now, I'm sure you all know it's far past your bedtime," Sylvia began to scold her children, pulling them forward until they were lined up in front of me with their heads lowered in mild shame.

"But, mother-" Liza began to plead.

"No 'but, mother'. Off to bed, all of you," Sylvia said firmly, kissing each of their heads before pushing them towards their rooms. She gestured for one of the staff nearby to take them to their beds before turning back on me. "Rin, how long are you going to be like this?"

"We weren't tired," I halfheartedly shrugged.

"You're not a five year old, Rin," Sylvia scolded me sharply before pointing to the broken vase nearby, "You need to be more responsible. You're running around here like a wild animal, breaking things, screaming throughout the mansion... how many times have the children fallen and hurt themselves following you around? You're eighteen now, practically an adult. You need to grow up."

I had heard the lecture plenty of times before, but I didn't have the heart to fight the words. I only stood silently with my head down, similar to the triplets only moments before. Sylvia stared at me a moment longer and then stepped forward, kissing me on the forehead before running her hand through my red hair once.

"Go on," She said, gesturing me to follow the kids, "To bed with you, too. You lot are going to drive me insane, I swear it." I flashed her a sheepish smile before heading up the stairs and to my bedroom.

I had turned eighteen only a few days ago, but the implications were there. I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I knew if it was up to my father, I would remain within the walls of this mansion, protected for the rest of my life by his side. But it was lonely here. My days were filled with studying, both academic and artistic. I could play the violin, piano, and harp. I took dance lessons focusing on ballet and contemporary expression. I was raised on proper dinner etiquette, schooled on proper postures, words, and attitudes.

Until the triplets had arrived, my life had been dreary and dull. Their existence was a reprieve, though it meant my own life had been turned upside down. Where I had been a priority, the three Adara children had taken over, their every needs being met on all sides. But I couldn't find it in me to feel jealous or angry with them. The little babies were the only friends I had.

I came into my room, a large bedroom with vaulted ceilings and a bed too large for any normal person. Upon my sheets, three sleeping forms had curled together quietly, the only light in the room being the glow of a nearby dim lamp that reflected shimmers of gold along their soft crowns. I walked to the bed and stared at the triplets for a moment, watching their hair flicker under the light. And as I watched them, my own eyes sharpened, the blue of them fading behind a molten gold that I had worked my entire life to keep hidden when possible.

I blinked hard, pushing my fading concentration to the surface until I felt my eyes dull and become normal again. Then I crawled onto the bed next to the triplets and curled against them, closing my eyes to allow sleep to come for me as well.

~...~

The world was split into two lands; Numa and Seola. Numa used to be the land of Seraphim, creatures of pure light who roamed among the humans and gave solace to an otherwise damaged world. Seola was and still remained under control of the Daemons, creatures of darkness who couldn't survive without feeding on the life of those in this realm. The Seraphim and Daemons had fought a great war against one another, but Seraphim were kind in nature, merciful, peaceful. They found themselves wiped out by Daemons entirely.

Now, Numa was also controlled by Daemons, though it consisted mostly of humans. Between Seola and Numa was a large river called the Division. It spanned miles across and streamed either side to the end of the Earth. Daemons mainly stayed in Seola, being that it was their homeland of inherent darkness, but it wasn't unheard of for them to travel to Numa often, especially in obtaining humans to bring with them back to their land for slavery.

Being that Numa held no royalty and the Adara family was the wealthiest in the land, when Daemons came from Seola, it wasn't uncommon for them to seek temporary shelter among the mansion. But these times were always very uncomfortable for the family and especially for me.

Father had received word that Daemon Royalty was coming to visit and he was panicking.

I sat on the edge of the balcony to the main lobby, my face pressed against the bars of the railing as I peered down at the buzzing staff members dancing around my father and his orders. Rory was on my lap, his small fingers clasped around the bars as he watched with interest.

"I heard they call the Daemon Prince the Mad Prince," Liza cooed next to me, sitting on my left and sucking on a lollipop with concentration. Lupa looked from across my right to her sister with wide eyes.

"Why?" Lupa asked in a hushed tone.

"He's mad all the time," Rory said from my lap, sounding wise and very confident in his response. He twisted his head to look at me questioningly. "Is it true Daemons eat children?"

"Only bad children," I teased, poking Rory's nose and making him frown before he turned to look at Lupa.

"I guess you're going to be eaten, Lupa. Sorry," Rory apologized sincerely, accepting his sister's future death with apparent ease. Liza began giggling with amusement next to me, which did nothing to ease a suddenly horrified Lupa.

"Shut up, Rory!" Lupa whined before grabbing my arm pleadingly, "Tell Rory that's not true. I don't want to be eaten."

"Nobody is going to be eaten," I promised her, reaching to pull her under my arm in a comforting hug. "Father will keep us all safe." Father looked up then, as though sensing us watching him from above.

"Children, go get dressed now!" He called up, obvious stress lighting his features. Despite his concerns, he still looked well. His tawny brown hair was styled professionally and his outfit was untouched by blemishes. I pushed the kids to stand up to listen to Father, nudging their begrudging forms towards their rooms. "Rin, don't bother dressing. Just stay in your room until I say it's safe to come out, understand?"

"Yes, Father," I replied, waving off his words absently. It was the same routine anytime any Daemon came to our house. I would remain in my room for a few days, pretending to be seriously ill, until the Daemons were gone and it was safe to leave. It was lonely, boring, but highly important. Not that I exactly obeyed the terms to the letter... I had a habit of sneaking out to spy on Daemons when they visited, keeping my distance, but watching them curiously as they walked down the hallways, lead by staff to their rooms.

I didn't recall visits from Royals before and I was very curious how a Royal Daemon looked in comparison to other Daemons.

I stayed in my room the rest of the day, being given my food on a trolley, until I could hear the sound of bustle in the distance. The Daemons no doubt arrived and were being introduced to the Adara family minus one, perhaps an obligatory dinner if not just for show, and a tour around the mansion. The children would be taken to their beds for the night. Father would either have a meeting with the Daemons this night or maybe speak about one the following nights. The Daemons would no doubt request a stock of humans to be taken back with them or whatever else terms they would have.

I once had the thought that my father was doing wrong, collecting humans under his employ in the dozens, and having them sign away their freedom to then hand them over to the Daemons regularly for whatever purposes they needed them for. But when I watched him prepare for their visits, I could see his fears bright on his features, and I knew whatever he was doing was because worse things waited for him and his family if he refused.

I waited until well into the night before I moved to my door, leaning my head against the wood to listen for any sounds of movement beyond it. When I heard nothing, I opened the door and began my journey, sneaking through the halls stealthily towards the south side of the mansion where we usually kept the guests from Seola.

Most everyone was asleep by this time, but from my past experience, Daemon's didn't sleep during this time. Sometimes I was able to spot one in the past just briefly, but as I turned a corner I didn't expect what I came across.

At the end of one of the halls was a strange man. I hadn't even made it out of the northern rooms of the mansion, where my family personally slept, so I was surprised to see an unknown figure among these halls. I stepped back quickly, hiding myself behind the wall of the corner. Then I pushed myself against the wall and peeked around the corner carefully.

The man hadn't moved yet. He stood looking at a painting on the wall, his head tilted with a clear face of concern. He was tall, well dressed, and in great shape otherwise. I could see pale skin, skin that wasn't touched by the sun often, onyx hair currently messy but well taken care of, and a line of a well-trimmed beard trailing a sharp jaw. I followed the lines of his feature curiously with great interest, taking in his entire existence with a sudden intensity that made me feel as though I had forgotten where I was.

He was the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

After being stunned by his initial appearance, I began to notice that he seemed to be looking at the painting but not actually seeing it. Then he hesitantly turned towards my direction, making me quickly hide behind the wall with surprise. I heard his footsteps get closer and then stop after only a couple steps. I waited and then gained the courage to peek once more.

He was looking at a door, one that belong to a room kept for my great aunt when she came to visit which was fairly often. The man stepped forward and grasped the doorknob, twisting it before opening the door just briefly. A glance in the room seemed to be enough for the man because he only made a small noise of frustration before shutting it.

I suddenly realized the problem, an idea coming to me so suddenly that it surprised me.

I abruptly stepped from my hiding place, moving on tiptoes towards the man.

"Excuse me," I called out softly, my voice hushed in case any sleeping people would be awakened nearby. The man froze in response, straightening stiffly before me. I lifted my hands to my mouth to stifle a giggle as I tried to ask my question without laughing. "Are you... are you lost?"

He turned his head towards me slowly, pausing, and then turned to face me entirely. My laugh was lost on my lips as I was greeted by the most crimson eyes that painted his features into one of exotic danger. He was undoubtedly a Daemon. And yet, I didn't immediately run away upon being in his presence.

For a moment, he only peered at me with that same look of concern that he held when peering at the painting, as though it was something he wanted to enjoy as a normal person but couldn't because of the predicament he found himself in. I suspected he expected me to panic once realizing what he was, but I only stared at him openly before frowning.

"Well?" I pushed for an answer from this stony statue.

He hesitated and then lifted a hand to run over the back of his neck with discomfort.

"I was looking for my room," He admitted finally before glancing around him with frustration, "I went for a walk without a guide. This place is big... but I guess I can't judge." His voice was deep and yet quiet and calm. It was soothing, but also held power behind it. I knew if he were to yell in anger it would be something fierce to see, but in his current tone it did nothing but draw my interest. He was even more handsome so close in front of me and his voice washed over me, making me feel light and high wired at the same time. I watched his frustration briefly before it pulled a small smile back onto my lips despite those blood red eyes.

"I can help you, if you'd like," I suggested most stupidly.

"Uh, no, no. It's okay. You can just... point me in a direction and I'll be fine," He answered quickly. My amusement grew as I wondered if he was worried about my health if I took him to where the Daemon's were all rooming in the middle of the night by myself.

"Okay, I won't help you, then," I decided firmly, lifting my hand for his determinedly. He looked from my face to my hand with confusion, staring at my offer uncertainly. I shook my hand impatiently before saying, "Come on. Don't be rude. After all, you're my guest right now."

The man hesitated only a moment more before lifting his own hand to grasp mine. His hand was cool and much larger than mine. In his grip, I could feel a hum of restrained power and I felt the brush of a sharpened tip of his claws ever so lightly on my rather vulnerable skin. I widened my eyes briefly, but was immediately curious as I looked at his grip in mine.

I thought I heard the shuffle of noise in the distance, catching my attention even if it was only the house breathing. I stepped ahead of the man, allowing him to stay put only a moment before I reached behind me with my other hand to grasp his hand in both of mine. Then I pulled on his grip in clear indication that he would have to follow me.

"How is this not helping?" The man asked at some point, in which I responded with a sharp shush before listening for anyone who may be wandering the building as well. I pulled him away from the northern part of the mansion, down the stairs until we were on the ground floor, and then through a shortcut path that cut through the northwest quarters and towards an exit from there.

I released the man only once I'd reached the door and pushed it opened into the night quietly, peeking through to see if any were out in the vast garden before us. When I saw no one, I looked behind me at the man and gestured for him to continue following me.

"Come on," I whispered before giggling and stepping outside with excitement. The garden was one of my favorite places to explore, to relax during downtime, and to just generally enjoy nature without leaving the grounds. It was large, some parts hilly and besides all the plants there was a large fountain in the middle along with cobblestone paths and string lights overhead.

After passing the fountain and moving over a hill, the path turned to a slope that would lead to my hiding nook in the garden. I turned to walk backwards while peering at the man. He was looking around curiously, that frustrated concern finally having left his features at some point.

"See? I didn't help you at all. You're still lost," I laughed pleasantly, my plan one of devious intent and the smallest of pranks I could come up with at the time. The man turned those crimson eyes on me with interest and I paused in my steps before him. "Are all Daemon eyes red like that?"

"To an extent, yes," He replied slowly, "Who are you?"

"Oh, I forgot we're not properly introduced, yet," I said with surprise before glancing down at myself. I was dressed for bed, not really having been prepared to do anything beyond hopefully spotting a random Daemon just briefly before going to sleep. I decided to make the best of my situation and stepped back before grasping the fabric of my sleeping gown and bowing in greeting. "My name is Corrine Adara, first daughter of Derek Adara. You may call me Rin. It's nice to meet you."

The man watched my introduction with amusement, tilting his head curiously.

"Your father said you were too sickly to meet us with your family. I expected you to be bedridden," He said, a curious lilt to his tone. I suddenly hesitated, beginning to realize I was currently going against everything my father fought for to protect me from this man's kind. The man began to walk around me in a slow circle, inspecting me as though to find any injury or illness able to be seen by his eyes. "You seem very lively to me."

I lifted my hand, touching my bottom lip with momentarily nerves.

"Well, my father doesn't want me to... he doesn't want any Daemon to hurt me, so he asks me to stay in my room," I admitted honestly, my truthful nature finding its way through my words despite any need to be dishonest. I paused, looking at the man to see he didn't seem to find this idea offensive or untruthful. He didn't move to deny my father's concerns and this began to concern me as well, albeit a bit too late. I was alone, far from the mansion, in the middle of the night with a stranger. I hesitated further and then braved to ask, "Will you hurt me?"

"I won't," The man answered as though the opposite would have been just as easy to do. He stood in front of me then, looking at me for a moment before looking away as though uncertain of himself. He lifted his hand again to rub against the back of his neck in discomfort. "My name is Nikolas Veil, first Prince of Seola. You may call me Niko... Please call me Niko."

I blinked with surprise. And then I laughed loudly recalling Liza's words and the conversation with the triplets. "You're the Mad Prince!" I declared before promptly covering my mouth at my rude reaction. My eyes widened more in surprise of my own stupid words than the identity of the man before me. "Oh, I'm sorry. I meant... it's nice to meet you, Niko."

Niko hadn't reacted at the nickname even those in Numa knew him by.

"Nice to meet you, too, Rin. I think," He only replied with uncertainty.

I looked around us briefly before gesturing for him to follow me further, "Come on. I'll show you my favorite spot." I turned towards my hiding nook, feeling giddy with nerves and also excitement. I was so used to playing with small children and otherwise spying on Daemons, I hadn't expected to actually converse with anyone. My father would be furious, but only if he found out.

I didn't look to see if Niko was following me. I stepped off the path into more wild bushes and through some trees before coming across an arc of vines. I reached forward, lift some of the plants before finally turning to see Niko standing curiously behind me.

"In here," I gestured to the path I made. Niko peered at me for a moment and then moved ahead of me through the vines. I followed, letting the leaves fall behind me. Within the arc was something of a dome clearing, bigger on the inside than it seemed from outside and well hidden. I had created something of a miniature room within it, housing bedding and figurines, books even that were lifted and covered in case it ever rained. Niko looked around the hidden nook with quiet interest, taking in the scene as though he had fallen into a strange dream.

"I hide here sometimes," I admitted before stepping forward and then lowering myself to sit on my fur blanket cross legged. Then I watched Niko walk around the nook slowly, picking at the random items I'd collected and mostly hid here from the triplets. "It can get..." I lifted my hand, gesturing with my fingers by my ears absently as I searched for the correct description, "... loud? Suffocating... just sometimes."

Niko stood before me and then paused before gracefully sitting in front of me, crossing his legs as well. He looked out of his element, as though not used to doing things so informally. Though, being a Prince, it was probably true that he lived a much more elegant life than doing childish things with humans in hidden garden nooks.

"I have a question," He remarked suddenly. "Why would your father only ask you to stay in your room and not your younger siblings?"

"Oh, this again," I answered immediately and reached nervously to touch my bottom lip again. It was as though I was telling myself not to give away secrets, just a brush of my fingertips over my lip in comfort and warning. "I... Well, they're young and loud so I don't think they could stay in their room quietly and pretend to be sick as well..." True, but not the whole truth.

Niko smiled suddenly and it stunned me. He was handsome before, but a smile seemed to make him shine in the darkness. Even though a smile also flashed a pair of dangerously sharp teeth I hadn't noticed before.

"You can keep a secret, but you can't lie, can you?" He noted with amusement. "I'm used to speaking to liars. It's refreshing." I felt my skin tinge red at the statement, knowing it to be true. I was a terrible liar so I didn't like to even try. Niko smiled again just briefly, though I wasn't sure what amused him this time. I tilted my head.

"Do all Daemons have teeth like yours?" I asked curiously, reaching to touch my own teeth absently as though I could grow sharp fangs as well. Niko immediately frowned, sudden discomfort gracing his form at the question, but he didn't look away.

"For the most part, yes," He answered slowly.

"You don't like when I ask about Daemon things," I stated curiously, "Do you not like being a Daemon?" It was a ridiculous question, as though being what you are was a choice, but it was just a feeling I had when watching him.

"Do you not like being human?" Niko responded, his tone void of emotion and yet decidedly defensive.

"I haven't had the experience of being something else, so I can't say. It was a stupid question, I know," I answered sheepishly before continuing, "Can I see your hands?" I held out my hands palm up in front of me on my lap. Niko seemed to have started to get used to my random line of questioning because he only paused a moment before holding out his own hands and putting them on top of mine.

I gripped his hand and turned them so his palms were up as well, looking at the lines of his palms and then at the sharp tips of his nails. They looked like normal hands, normal fingertips, but just a brush of my own fingertips on a nail stung and sang of those dangerous claws Daemons had.

"Yes, we all do," Niko answered my question before I could ask if all Daemons had sharp claws like him. "But we can retract them if we want to." I looked at him curiously and then began to run my fingers over his hands investigating the texture of his skin.

"If you had a choice, would you choose to stay Daemon or be Human?" I asked absently.

"Is there a third option?" He answered with his own question.

"Nope. Predator or Prey, what's your choice?" I giggled with amusement.

"Prey. I'd be a rabbit." Niko chose stubbornly.

"Okay, fine, be a rabbit," I lifted his hands until our palms were together, but my fingertips didn't come close to matching his. "Your hands are much bigger than mine."

"You're small. What would you choose?"

"I'd be Daemon for sure," I answered with confidence. Niko suddenly laced his fingers between mine gently, lowering our hands and tugging me forward towards him to gain my full attention.

"That's a bad choice," He said with a frown.

"I don't think so. Daemons rule the world. They're never afraid. They're powerful, have sharp teeth and claws so nobody can mess with them, and pretty..." my voice faltered as a blush of embarrassment overcame me and I found myself looking away from his open stare nervously, "... pretty eyes..."

"Rabbits are way better. They have strong running legs, fluffy tails, big ears, can spend all day in the sun doing whatever they want, and never have the urge to kill people and feed off their blood for the rest of their immortal lives," Niko's tone dropped dangerously, the warning clear in the truth of his words.

I swallowed roughly, but decided not to let him scare me.

"Yes, well, you be a rabbit. Even if I chose Human, I'd still end up hunting you and making rabbit stew, so it's a win-win situation for me." I smiled then triumphantly.

"Did you just say you'd turn the Prince of Seola into rabbit stew?" Niko asked in surprise.

"I did. I'm fearless," I responded in mock pride before laughing easily. And then I released my grip on his hands as I had an idea. "Oh! Lay down."

"Lay down?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, lay down, lay down," I got onto my knees and began to push his shoulders back demandingly until he succumbed to my wish and laid onto his back. I shifted myself and then led down beside him, lifting my hand to point to the roof of the nook. Between the leaves of the vines above us were sporadic gaps where the sky could be seen overhead. Stars glistened among the sky, making it seem as though the ceiling were decorated in twinkling lights as well as the rest of the garden.

"Isn't it pretty?" I asked, expecting nothing less of absolute confirmation. When I turned to look at Niko, he had already turned to peer at me.

"Yes," He responded, watching me intensely before turning his gaze to the sky again. "But I see nothing but stars anytime I'm outside, so it's nothing new to me."

"Sometimes you need someone to point out something beautiful to remember how beautiful it actually is," I told him before musing further, "Daemons live under the stars. That's another reason why I'd choose to be that. Humans are afraid of the stars."

"Humans are afraid of Daemons," He corrected me, his voice low.

I paused, curious but also nervous. I turned to look at Niko lying beside me, and then asked, "What do you do with the humans my father sends to Seola?"

Niko lowered his gaze from the stars to match my stare, his crimson eyes glowing in the darkness breathtakingly. There was uncertainty in them, but he remained cool and quiet.

"Some are employed to serve Daemons." He answered briefly.

"The others?" I pushed further.

"We need humans to feed on," Niko responded begrudgingly. "My kind is immortal and as you know humans are not. Their numbers dwindle in Seola, so we reach out to Numa for more supplies. That's what humans are to us; food supply."

"Have you ever tried surviving on animal blood?" I asked curiously.

"It could keep a Daemon from succumbing to a dry death, but it won't satiate the hunger. Human blood is...," Niko stopped abruptly, tensing. "I don't want to speak about it anymore."

"Okay," I agreed if only not to upset him further. My theory still stood; he didn't like being Daemon. I sighed absently, "How long will you be staying here at my father's mansion?"

"Do you want me to leave already?" Niko teased, though he sounded more doom and gloom than humorous.

"No," I whispered more to myself, but Niko froze beside me as though he heard the response clearly. I turned to him, feeling exhaustion creeping in as I continued, "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to hide out together again another night. I... I don't have many... I don't have any friends, really. And... I like talking to you."

"Would that make you the Mad Heiress?" Niko questioned with amusement and I covered my face with my hand in embarrassment before laughing.

"I said I was sorry!" I threw my hand down and forced a pout, "Be my friend? We can be mad together." Niko peered at me then, his expression serious as he mulled over my request sincerely. After a moment, I began to think something like becoming friends with someone wasn't so simple as asking them because he didn't accept.

Instead, he began to sit up as though to leave.

"I shouldn't be here," He said abruptly.

"Wait! Don't go, yet," I pleaded, "Just wait a little longer."

Niko hesitated, something obviously bothering him, but something told me he didn't want to leave just yet either. He finally led back down carefully, not answering my request, but not leaving me altogether yet.

"I can't be friends with you," He finally said without looking at me, "Sorry, Rin. After tonight, we won't meet again."

"Okay," I whispered quietly, saddened but also not surprised. I couldn't be friends with a Daemon anyway. It was a silly thought. But it didn't mean I had to be upset. I waited a moment and then began pointing out clusters of stars, telling Niko names I'd begun to give them myself, even though they probably already had names before.

------------------------

Music: Far Out- Lost With You (feat. Ruby Chase)