My body can no longer suppress the indecent thoughts. All I can do to get rid of them is push myself away from Argon. I end up falling on the carpet, then hurriedly get on my feet. Without hesitating, I ran straight for the bathroom, lock the door once I'm inside.

   "Oh god! Oh god!" I cry fanning my face with my hands as I pace up and down restless.
My heart levels have risen beyond control. Is this what they called, liking someone?

   As my disarrayed thoughts go rampant, I lift the hem of my green dress and slide a hand down to my womanhood to check why it feels different today. A fierce blush fuels my body heat cruelly. What is happening? Never have I ever experienced this.

  My fingers feel around my center.

        It's wet!

A wave of shock descends upon me, my eyes bulge and my heartbeat rate rise.
      "Aiden!"
*

*

*
     Aiden clears his throat, earning my attention. He places a glass of wine near my hand on the table.
    "Thanks." I smile taking it.
In two gulps, I empty its content. "More!"

           Aiden goes still.
Our eyes meet and he takes a seat next to me. "What is troubling the troublemaker?" He asks, his hand busy cocking the bottle of wine. Throwing me concerned glance, my brother pushes the bottle away from my reach.

"I...I have a question. And I'm only asking you cause you're the only person in the family that doesn't judge me." I pin a stupid smile at the end of the compliment.

    Aiden chuckles picking his glass.
He takes a small sip while his green eyes study me with caution. "What happened?"

I take a deep breath to calm my thoughts, then lean closer to him. Confident that Argon is out of sight and hearing distance, I lay bare my disturbing question.

   "What does it mean when...when a girl is wet down there?"

Aiden suddenly chokes. He breaks in a fit of ugly coughs, spraying me with the wine that was in his mouth.

  "Are you...are you alright brother? You look pale." I voice, reaching out to touch his whitening face. "How can a fever attack y-"

   "I'm fi-fine!" He coughs pushing down my hand. His eyes are teary and some veins have appeared on his forehead.
As I study his strange appearance, his familiar comes in sight, a cup of water in his hands.

   Aiden quickly gobbles down the water before handing back the cup. In a swift motion of his hand, he dismisses his familiar.

I wait for a minute, making sure that nobody can hear us while also giving Aiden a moment to recollect himself.

         "Daya!" He sighs. "That is something you should be asking mother or your sister."

"Aliya also doesn't know. If I ask mother, I'm afraid she'll be worried like the last time."

My brother immediately gives a hearty laugh. Hard to believe he had almost choked to death a while ago.
  "You were fourteen and asking about how babies are made." He reminds me.

I roll my eyes, brushing off that crazy memory.

  "Will you please tell me?" I beg.

Aiden sighs. I'm not sure if he is disappointed or admitting defeat. He leans even closer to whisper, "It means you have been aroused."
    My brows scrunch.

"What is aroused? I have never heard of this word before."

   He sighs again.

"You're a lost course... Aroused means your body is on heat, you are experiencing sexual desire."

My eyes grow round. I slap my mouth to suppress the gasp about to explode.

"When a woman is aroused, her lady part becomes wet as you said."

   My curiosity rises.

"Do men also become wet?"

His eyes look away for a second as his laughs at my silly question.
    "No you little idiot! When a man is aroused, his...his...um...his manly part becomes hard to the blood flowing in it."

My mind generates images to his description. But, I have never seen a 'manly part' as he has put it.
"What does a manly part look like?"

"Daya!" Aiden barks while backing away from me. "How do you expect me to answer that?"

      "I..." I chuckle nervously.

"That is something only your husband will answer. For now, I'll advise you to tame any sexual desires you may have-"

    "I don't have any!" I blush fiercely, knowing too well that my cheeks are ablaze. "It...it was a friend that asked me this question."

He laughs again. "Okay Daya. Tell your friend to curb all sexual desires till she's married."

I nod, dropping my eyes to my hands.

"Can I now have another glass of wi-"

  "My Lord? My Lord?" Yells from the east interrupt me. They sound frightened and impatient.

We both turn our heads to the servant running towards us from the manor. His eyes bear a strong grip of disbelief.

  I only recognize him when he reaches the gazebo, Leo, Aiden's errand boy. He pants like a dog, out of breath and sweaty.

"What is it?" Aiden questions getting up. He walks over to his servant, an impatient look on his face. "Speak!"

    "Lord-Lord Sebastian is-" Leo draws a deep breath, "-is dead!"

I gasp, and Aiden roars, "What?"

"He has been missing since last night. They have found him in the Gareta maze. I've heard that his body is badly disfigured, like a thousand crows feasted on all his flesh. He has been identified by the family crest ring."

    
       Gareta maze!
That's where I was last night.

Fragments of my vague memory quietly flash by. I remember going there with Argon, but I don't remember how I got out of there. Could I have killed Sebastian in a fit of rage? I clearly remember being angry at him for how his familiar looked abused. But, my body is weak compared to his big frame. That marks me clean.
*

*

*

      The bruise on my temple appeared to be as a result of a weak impact. If I had gotten in a physical abuse with Sebastian, my eyes would be purple and swollen.

Or could it be that it did happen, only that Argon was the one who fought to protect me, hence accidentally killing Sebastian?

My world stops and starts spinning the other direction. The ground below me seem to be rising higher and higher, or is it me who's falling?

   Something suddenly breaks my fall, catching my weak body before lifting it off the floor. That strange scent, it brings back a memory. I see a man carrying me, but why am I recalling him upside down?

It's Argon, he now carries me in his arms, heading back to the manor.

       "You?"

He looks down at me for a brief moment then concentrates on his path ahead.
   "I'm feeling better. You can put me down now!"

       He continues walking.

"Argon! Put me down right no-" He instead lifts me higher and closer. Oooh! How I now anticipate in the punishment I'll give him later. If I keep ignoring his rebellious nature, he will never respect me.

    "Argon? Argon?"

He ignores me once more.

I wriggle in protest, but his hold is tenfold stronger than me. In the end, I give up my will to fight and let him carry me back in the house.

   He walks in thought the kitchen door, ignores the shocked stares we are receiving from the servants. And he doesn't stop till we're in my room.
The second I feel a weakness in his grip, I quickly slide from his arms and make my dress hurriedly. Such an embarrassment.

  "I have had enough of your wildness Argon. Kneel!" I yell glaring up at him.
His left eye twitches and his jaw clenches. I can see traces of anger on his face. This is the first expression my eyes have seen on him since I bought him. And it frightens me.

     I take a step back, and he takes one forward. Without even knowing it, I find myself against the bed post and Argon blocking my path.

He's angry.
I'm scared.

    "And I've had enough of your nagging!" He breathes.

He can speak!

My breath vanishes, my heartbeats too.

    Argon's hand comes forward.
I see it heading for my throat. This is it! This is how I die!
No! He can't hurt me. He'll be hurting himself as well.

"Your thoughts are far irritating than your words!" Argon fumes and his hand...tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
   
   I hold his eyes for as long as I can.
"How can you talk? They said you're-"

      "Mute?"

My head nods without informing my brain.
"Just because one hasn't spoken yet, doesn't mean he can't speak. Humans never change, always assuming without knowing the truth."

For someone who never spoke for three weeks, he sure is speaking a lot.

"You...you're my familiar and I'm in-" I use all my strength to push him," -charge."
    Argon only moves back from his own will. Not from my frail shove.

       "Let me make it clear for you Daya Kline. I, Kane Reign, am not a familiar. I can never be tamed by a human, especially a girl." He holds out his right palm. "And this-" a paper document suddenly appears on his hand," -cannot make me obey you!"

Argon, Kane or whatever name he likes, offers me the document. My eyes savage through it before looking up at him in confusion.

    "How did you get the pact? It's supposed to be with-"

"I killed that sage of yours. A betrayer of the demon world."

An unexpected gasp shoots out, the pact document slips from my hand.
  
    If he really killed the Sage, how powerful is he? How little of that power does he need to erase me from the world?