//song: House of the Rising Sun - Lauren O'Connel

I tried to steady my breathing as we walked down the street. My footsteps didn't echo down the empty street even though logic told me they would.

Asmo had made it so that we wouldn't make any noise as we followed the man down the street.

It was eerily quiet.

He turned down one alley then another. The more he turned, the more the crowd thinned out and I realized wherever we were going, it was not a place I'd wander on my own. The streets narrowed and became dirtier and unkempt. The homes became smaller and clustered.

I vaguely remembered warnings from my childhood. The warnings my parents would give me when we passed a certain side of our city. They'd tug on my hand as they held it and kept me close to their side.

I noticed that Asmo did the same in his own way. He watched corners carefully, eyed the closed doors with more scrutiny than I thought was warranted. He was being careful in how he followed the man, staying close as he did.

The man stopped suddenly and knocked on the door in front of him.

Asmo casually stepped aside, moving into a small terrace away from view. I moved with him, following his steps and pushing myself inside. My heart beat erratically and for a moment, a smile appeared on my lips.

I was high on the adrenaline coursing through me.

Asmo, peered around the corner, watching the man's back.

"I didn't know we were hiding, Asmo," I whispered with a small laugh.

I heard him chuckle quietly. "People here might not know I'm the prince." He turned to me again with a half smile. "But they do know me." He relaxed slightly turning to me. "I'd rather they not know that I'm involved with what is about to happen."

I swallowed the sudden fear I felt at the mention of what we were about to do. He hadn't outright said what his plan was, I had only come to my own conclusion...but I needed to hear it from him. I needed that confirmation. "What is about to happen?"

After a moment of silence, he relaxed against the wall. "He went inside. Now, we just wait for him to come out. We'll get him then. It shouldn't be too long." He completely ignored my question but for a moment, I was all right with pushing it out of my mind.

I nodded, watching him as he placed his hands in the pockets of his coat.

The welcome smell of fresh rain took over and the small patter of light rain against the cobblestone road was a comforting sound.

I tucked stray black hair away from my face. "How do they know you, then?" I whispered. "If they don't know you as the prince?"

He kept an eye on the road beyond my line of vision as he spoke. "I've lived on my own in this district most of my life. Rich but no one worth knowing. My family was irrelevant when Robyn was king since I am sseveral times removed. Robyn went mad then Warren died. Damien has no children, so I'm the heir after him. Before then, I was mostly avoided."

I took a deep, quiet breath. Asmo was sharing more information than before. It could be information I could use in the future. I frowned and pushed him to continue sharing more. "Avoided? It sounds lonely."

He looked at me with a devious smile. "How is your darling Julian?"

My voice answered for me. It was that mechanical voice that I had no control over. "He's noticed I no longer want to be with him. I cringe when we touch. He's already pulling away." My hands flew to my mouth, my eyes wide.

Asmo smiled again. "Good. Progressing faster than I expected."

My anger flared. He had probably noticed my prying and cut us off before the conversation could get very far. I crossed my arms. "I don't know how you made me say that. This didn't happen with the first bargain."

His voice was low. "I had to make sure I would get my way this time. No exceptions. It's all in how it's worded." He laughed softly. "I've been making bargains long before you were born, girl."

I looked away from him and instead tried to concentrate on the rain as it cascaded over the cobblestone road. "Old pervert," I mumbled under my breath.

He chuckled.

The silence that followed was deafening but I knew I had to take advantage of it. Leah's words came back full force. I bit my lip, knowing I had a small opportunity. "Affection shouldn't be forced."

There was a moment of silence between us and when I looked at him again, I noticed he was looking at the street again completely ignoring me.

I utterly failed. Again.

I let out a long sigh.

"Come on," he said softly. "Looks like we're up." He didn't look at me as he left the small courtyard.

I followed him as he emerged to the lonely road. I could see the shoulders of Asmo's dark long coat begin to dampen as the light rain fell on us.

My clothes began to soak from the rain as I followed the two men. I followed Asmo closely but he kept a reasonable distance from the other man.

I felt my fingers tingle again from the rush of danger. I settled into it.

I felt the danger of what we were going to do--what I was going to do. There was no denying that we were in actual real danger but with everything that had happened in the last year, I lived in it.

Danger was a close friend of mine.

I felt my heart hurry its rhythm, my breathing just slightly behind.

As we followed, my heart began to grow heavier. Asmo wanted me to kill the man. He had chosen him specifically because he knew I wouldn't want to save a man with the history he had.

But what if he changed? What if in the time that Robyn was no longer king, the man had new work? What if he was ashamed of what he'd done?

I looked up at Asmo's towering form in front of me. He wanted me to kill him just based on what he told me. Would I be wrong to question him? Would he expect me to?

The man hurried his steps and turned into an alley...and I knew that this would be where we he would be stopped.

It all happened within a breath.

One moment I was following Asmo, the next the man was laying sprawled against the cobblestone alley.

As the walls of the alley narrowed, Asmo lifted his hand. The man was instantly lifted into the air then slammed against the walls around him. He groaned and screamed but it didn't stop Asmo's attack.

Truthfully, it didn't make me feel any remorse for what I was about to do.

The man kneeled in front of us but it wasn't because he wanted to. Asmo made him fall on his knees, bending his legs against his will until they echoed in protest around us.

"Your Highness." It was immediately apparent that he knew who Asmo was. He bowed his head respectfully but was stopped halfway. He straightened with his hands at his sides, completely immobile.

Asmo stepped closer slowly as if relishing in how the man reacted. He placed a finger to his lips as he approached him. He took his time as he neared, the way I imagined a cat stalked its small prey. A smile hinted his lips. He was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing. "Sir Mazin, address your queen first."

My breath caught.

The man looked at me with wide eyes. "Q-queen?"

Asmo crouched next to him his coat billowing around him as he did. "Yes, queen. I'll forgive that you don't know your current ruler. After all, you've fallen out of favor in the courts. News travels slowly through the lower circles. She would like a word with you."

I swallowed as I approached the man, my hands shaking.

The man eyed me skeptically. "There is no queen."

I remembered how Asmo looked at me when I questioned the man from Tenebrous. He had looked at me with admiration. He had told me that he would bow to no one when he saw me on the throne. He was delighted at how I acted.

Would that be what he wanted now?

I knew I still had to play my part.

I laughed taking my finger to my lips as if to stifle my laughter.

The man looked at me and froze. He recognized the ring on my finger. I had dropped the glamour on my ring purposely and let him stare at the large stone.

"We haven't had a queen in..." His voice trailed off and he was noticeably paled when I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. "Forgive me."

"He knows how to address royalty," Asmo chuckled as he turned back to him. "That can't be picked up from the streets."

I hid my fear as I looked at them still on the alley floor.

"You learned your manners during Robyn's reign, didn't you?" Asmo said darkly. "Won't you tell your queen how you became acquainted with the Courts? You sold your services, didn't you?"

He nodded slowly. "That's right."

I licked my lips hesitantly, still full of fear."What did you do, Sir Mazin," I asked, "that made you so close to Robyn?"

Asmo turned to me, his leather shoes crunching against his weight. "Does he need to bore you with the details? We've already gone over this."

I crossed my arms. "I want to hear it myself."

He looked at me then away, and for a moment, just one moment, I thought that Asmo was setting me up. I thought that maybe Asmo could have lied.

But I was very, very wrong.

"I supplied humans, children specifically, to the Courts as needed." He scoffed. "Disgusting things, really. I've always hated humans."

My teeth clenched and my hands balled into fists.

"We were meant to be their masters, really. I only sought to restore the balance as nature demanded it. Before it was outlawed by Warren, I supplied them to those who wanted them. It had gone out of fashion but there were a few who still asked."

Asmo met my gaze and I was sure he could see anger written on my face.

I looked away finding something building in me. I felt that familiar tug, the one that coiled under my finger. I had found it before in others. It was their life. The man's life was being called towards me as my power built.

Asmo stood, walking to me with a look of concern. It was a look for me only. The next moment, he turned to the man and the concerned expression was gone.

"How would you do it?" I asked quietly.

He puffed out his chest with pride. "With my magic, of course. I am proud to say that I was able to use my magic to capture them by whatever means. It will be my honor to do it again in your name."

My anger snapped. "No, you won't."

I tugged at the life I held in my hand and within a moment, he was sprawled upon the floor, pulled by my magic.

He gasped loudly. "What's-"

I tugged again and he was drgged forward to my feet.

"Asmodeus!" He gasped. "I was only ever faithful!"

His gasps of pain burned my ears. My hurt stung. It felt like it was being constricted in a vise. Everything in me screamed in protest.

Everything felt wrong.

I concentrated. While my Light magic could only concentrate on his life, dark magic found something else. It was familiar but dull.

I knew exactly what it was. It called to each other like an old friend almost as if they were the same thing.

He deserved to die. If anyone did, it was him. But it was different this time from Robyn. Robyn hurt people I loved, he was going to start a war, he almost killed me--this man's crimes were in the past...I could prevent them from happening again.

I could take away his magic. I could make him the thing he hated most.

I could make him human.

I tugged again, only this time it only pulled at something within him, not all of him. It was easy, like plucking a flower from a dead, withering branch.

He didn't deserve what he had.

He gasped but it wasn't in pain. He sounded surprised. As I pulled and tugged his life force I could see his life drain within him. I saw magic dull within.

He pushed himself to his knees then stood. He stumbled forward but was stopped suddenly by Asmo as he placed a hand against his chest.

He'd aged. He aged right before my eyes. He was no longer fae, his face didn't hold the beauty of immortality. He was completely and utterly human.

The man looked at his hand then at me. His wrinkled face contorted with hate. "What did you do?"

I could feel myself sway. I felt dizzy.

I swallowed as I addressed him but didn't show fear. "You're human now. You got what you deserved." I looked at Asmo. "Specter him somewhere where he will get the treatment he deserves."

Asmo didn't hesitate and before I could blink, he disappeared along with the man.

I collapsed on my knees, trying to catch my breath. The world was spinning, my ears were ringing but I felt elated. It was something new. Something I could use against Mal. Something I could use to defend us.

I felt someone appear next to me and when I looked to where they stood, I recognized the shoes.

"I don't think I've ever seen that before."

I reached out a hand towards Asmo. "Just help me up."

He took my hands and gently lifted me by my upper arms. I gripped his arms tightly, afraid that if I let go, I'd fall again.

I closed my eyes, willing the dizziness to stop. I was guided a couple of steps back and when I felt a sturdy wall, I leaned my weight against it.

The world was spinning, but at least it was slowing. I looked towards the sky, willing for the cool rain to help me calm my sudden dizziness.

I started to breathe easier. My vision began to come into focus and when I could finally get my wits about me, I laughed quietly. "The sprites are out."

I watched the different colorful sprites dance across the dark sky. There were more than I thought I'd ever see and when I looked around the dark alley, I realized they were clustered around us.

"You just used a lot of magic, they're attracted to that."

I looked from the sky back down to Asmo, who was watching me with rapt attention. I'd never seen him so fascinated. Inadvertantly, whatever happened when I was dizzy was working to my advantage. He looked at me in stunned fascination. In sudden awe.

"I made him human," I whispered to him. "I didn't know I could do that."

He shook his head. "We should go home."

I frowned, gently pushing him away. "I am going to my home. You should go to yours."

He took my wrist pulling me towards him. "You should rest before spectering anywhere--"

Panic gripped me. I pushed him away, putting pressure against his chest. "Stop."

He froze suddenly, his fingers still wrapped around my wrist.

I looked at my other hand, still splayed across his chest. My eyes rose to meet his as he held me close.

I was dizzy, exhausted but I knew in that moment, regardless of the stupid bargain, or how I was feeling, I had the upper hand. I could use the moment to my advantage.

I licked my lips, trying to soften my voice as much as possible. "Asmo," I breathed. "Please. I can't."

Hesitantly, his grip loosened and when he stepped back, I was gone.

•••••••••••

A/N: Going to be ramping up in the next couple of weeks. I don't see the end in sights but we'll get there.

Very soon, I hope.

Which leads me to my next announcement: I am going to be taking down all 3 books from Wattpad as soon as book 3 is done.

Yep. It's happening for real this time. I want to explore other options and see where else I can go with these great stories. Unless, Wattpad makes me an offer I can't refuse...

Which is doubtful, to be honest, but a girl can dream. If you really like these stories, let me know, I love your feedback!