I hold on tightly to Siva's waist as he maneuvers our Pegasus with ease. "Young Mistress." I turn my gaze and focus on Siva as I stare at the back of his head.

"Yes?" I reply bluntly after I've let insanity leak from my vocal chords and pull it back to my mental chains. I loosen my hold on my butler's waist. "Are you feeling alright?" He asks with deep concern in his voice.

"Does this have to do with my earlier Soul Banishment to Limbo? If it does, I certainly don't regret my decision." I speak cruelly and nonchalantly at Siva's concern.

"You don't understand, Young Mistress. This isn't the first time you've done something so heartless." He replies and I roll my eyes in annoyance.

"Are you starting to lose faith in me?" Is that what you're going on about?" I say threateningly as Siva turns around to face me. "No, of course not." He quickly replies and I scowl at him.

"Then what is it?!" I ask losing my temper and Siva lets out a sigh. "You've changed." He says seriously and my features soften.

"What do you mean?" Siva turns his gaze back toward the front where he can control the Pegasus. "Your becoming more..arrogant..more manipulative..more conniving."

He speaks and I pause my reply to gaze at the back of his head quietly. "You forgot shrewd." I add and Siva sighs once more, but mostly from frustration this time.

"You cannot be this way, Young Mistress. This is not the way of a traditional queen." Siva says scolding me for the second time already. Then it's my turn to sigh from frustration.

"Siva, please tell me your meaning of a 'traditional queen'." I ask trying to hold my composure. There's silence before Siva responds.

"A kind, caring and gentle ruler that will always lead our kingdoms to success with words, not violence." He whispers solemnly and I can tell his cheeks have a tint of pink.

"You are a fool then, Siva Da'Vean."

I flip my body over Siva's and land in front of him to take control of the Pegasus. I kick the Pegasus' side and force it to land on an approaching rooftop.

The Pegasi that were following behind, follow the leader and land on the roof as well. Along with the rest of my colleagues and staff.

Ava, Noah and Ashja hop off their Pegasus with confusion plastered on their faces. Jinx, Elliot and Jean do the same as they approach their higher-up.

"What the hell? Why did we stop?" Jinx says a bit agitated and then Jean quickly follows. "The very breasted woman from before could have plans to follow behind us! We should get going as soon as possible or they'll find our trail!"

Then it's Elliot's turn to pitch in. "Your still bleeding from the wound miss Madeline gave you, so the demons could easily find your scent!"

Just to add to the suspense, my colleagues jump into the conversation too. Ava steps up first. "Boss, your staff is right-" I lose my temper and yell at everyone in sight.

"QUIET!"

Silence clings to the air, but shortly after a series of gasps are let out. Rage seeps through my fingertips and they begin to glow a frightening purple color.

"Who else has the same views as Siva?!" I scream and my staff stare at me, baffled by my question. "W..What do you mean, Young Mistress?" Jean asks a bit timidly and I grit my teeth.

My head cracks and twists violently as all my teeth sharpen and lengthen in size. "Do you all question my actions and orders?!" I yell threateningly and steal a glance from Siva.

His eyes have widen and his mouth hangs open as he sees my anger-sickened eyes glow their purple shade. Claws sprout forcefully from my fingertips and I curl them in a frightening way.

"Well?!" I yell and Jinx is the first to step up. "Yes, Young Mistress. We all feel the same way." He says as he lowers his gaze to the ground out of shame. Elliot then places his hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"We have undeniable loyalty and trust in you, but sometimes we feel like your becoming a tyrant than more of a queen." He says as he loses eye contact with me.

Jean later steps up with his fellow workers and speaks as well. "We'd find it more assuring if you would act a little more like one of our past heirs." He pitches in and his last statement makes something inside of me tick.

"All of you are fools."

I compose myself and take a deep breath. My horrid features fade and I replace my frightening appearance with my normal human looks.

"I didn't become your queen to just sit around and say a few sweet words every now and then, to appeal to the masses!" I yell and shock every man standing in front of me.

"I did it on my behalf! I made a promise that I wouldn't fall to our enemies before The Kingdoms would! I intend to keep that promise too." I clench my hands into fists and speak solemnly.

"I don't need to act like one of your past heirs to carry out this task. I will be who I am and trample on every enemy tossed into my den, as if they were merely insects to me!"

I walk back to my Pegasus and rest my hand on its neck.

"So if any of you still question my orders, then I recommend your letters of resignation. I will not have doubting idiots standing by my side as I lead my kingdoms into greatness."

I say harshly and hop on the Pegasus. Then I add a few more words. "I might seem like a tyrant to all of you, but just remember your impression of me is far-fetched",

I pause before I can add something that will stay glued to their minds forever.

"You say the pen is mightier than the sword, but what you don't understand is that words are cheap! Humans, monsters and fairytales, They're all the same. Any of them could lie as easily as they could breathe",

I stare at everyone with seriousness clinging to my purple frightening eyes.

"That is why I will show my rule through my actions! No matter how much pain I cause to others or to myself, I will prevail! That sort of sacrifice determines a true queen!"

I yell with burning passion as I speak about my unwavering determination with honor.

Everyone stares at me dumbfounded and I can tell they're impressed by my words.

"Now bow down before me! Show me you truly don't have any doubts in me anymore, you imbeciles!"

My words sink in and every one of my staff members bow down on one knee and place their right hand over their chests, to say in unison the only few words that can satisfy me at the moment.

"Yes, Young Mistress."

My lips form a devilish grin and I laugh triumphantly.

~

After the excruciatingly, annoying lecture I had to give to re-discipline my staff, we all headed to the twins' house to rest before we made a serious decision of returning to The Kingdoms.

Once I've found my jittery neophyte, I asked to speak in private with him.

"Am I in trouble? Does this have anything to do with me not coming to rescue you and your staff?" Alexander says, rambling on with nervousness. I raise a hand and silence his fast-speaking excuses.

"I didn't expect you to engage in a search and rescue mission, you might've wasted your abilities if you did, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

I straighten out the matter and Alexander nods his head respectively. "Then what is it?" He asks a bit timidly and I sigh from frustration.

"We have too many people involved." I say briefly and Alexander quickly understands the situation. "I agree, but Ava and Noah are considerably excellent allies." He responds to defend my newest recruits, but I shake my head.

"They're not the issue."

Alexander's eyes widen once I correct his confusion. "Oh..you mean the girl." He whispers solemnly as he refers to Ashja.

I nod my head without any hint of emotion and place my hand on Alexander's shoulder. I lower my head and whisper into his ear.

"As my apprentice you must follow every order I give you and you shall not disobey any of them, so when I decide Ashja's fate you must agree with me, whether you like it or not",

I pause and raise my head to stare at Alexander's eyes.

"Do I make myself clear?"

I ask and he gulps nervously as he keeps eye contact with me. "But what does her fate have anything to do with me?" He asks as he begins to shake from slight fear of what I may ask of him.

"Because the specific spell I'm planning to use on her will need more than one magician." I respond and Alexander lowers his head and whispers his response.

"I understand." He says and I grin with satisfaction over his response. "Oh and one more thing." I recall the speech I used on my staff. "Speaking of Noah and Ava, please bring them to me." I order Alexander and quietly walk toward the living room.

You've got a lot of explaining to do, you know.

"I know that already. *Sigh* I accidentally blurted out my secret while blinded by my anger and pride. How idiotic of me." I admit my mistake and sulk back into a couch.

At least you don't have to struggle to hide your secret from them. It makes things less complicated.

"I guess your right." I reluctantly say and notice Alexander bring a pair of confused twins with him. "Are we in trouble?" They both say in unison and I laugh bitterly.

"Why does everybody think the only reason I want to talk to them, is to scold at them..?" I mutter and shake my head at the three. "I have something I need to explain to all of you." I get to my point and stand from my seat.

Then Noah raises a hand and smiles understandingly. "We know. You had two secret identities this entire time." He speaks and then Alexander looks between the both of us in shock. "Huh..?!" Alexander shouts, but Ava interrupts him.

"Noah hacked into the security cameras and we listened to the conversation you had with the secretary and bodyguard." Ava explains and embarrassingly rubs the back of her head.

"Yes, the shock was great, but we remembered the oath we made to stay loyal toward you, not to your title."  She speaks with a hint of blush on her cheeks. "Wait, What are you talking about?!" Alexander yells and I realize I've excluded him from the conversation.

"Ah yes, Alexander I am the Queen of The Fusing Kingdoms of Monsters and Fairytale Creatures. I pose as the Protector, so I may not just sit idly by, while my kingdoms are in dire need of a champion." I explain casually and Alexander almost faints from the shock.

"M..my mentor..is the..queen?!" He blurts out loud and I smile at his nervousness. "All the more reason to try to impress me as my apprentice." I say nonchalantly and Alexander composes himself. "Of course!" Even with the shock, Alexander stays motivated and loyal. A faint smile crosses my face as I dismiss them.

"Wait! Ava, Noah please put your masks back on. I don't want you two to worsen my relationship with Ashja." I command them and they nod as they run to find their suits.

What are we supposed to do now. Nicholas and Erika are still threats against you and The Kingdoms.

"I know that, I'm not an idiot." I retort and lazily flop down on the couch.

I see these interesting turn of events have put you in a bad mood.

I groan from frustration and stand up from my seat. I stomp angrily and walk outside to the back lawn. I instead flop down on the grass and breathe a heavy sigh. "It's been entertaining, but it's beginning to become irritating as well." I respond with a twitching eyebrow.

"Young Mistress?" I've closed my eyes, but I can still put a face to the voice towering above me. "Hm?" Too lazy to use words, I simply hum my reply.

"Is something the matter? Usually when your tired you take a nap inside, not on the ground." I sluggishly shift positions, so my back can face the tall figure. "Change of mind." My bad mood has forced me to speak in simple and small words.

"Would you like me to bring you a pillow then?" The calm, polite composure that my steward butler can still hold, even with my sour attitude, lightens my mood and I hide a faint smile. Then I rise from the ground and dust myself off.

"No, it's not necessary." I say and Siva smiles at me. "But why, my Young Mistress?" He asks a bit amused with my sudden mood swing. "Moving on with the more important issues, have you made arrangements to return to The Kingdoms, yet?"

I can see a twinkle in Siva's eyes as he heard my question. "Ah yes! Everyone's luggage is packed and I've notified transportation. This is wonderful! I can't wait to leave this agonizing realm!" Siva grins from ear to ear and his antics cause me to chuckle.

"All that's left is your order to leave, Young Mistress." Siva says a bit restless and I shake my head. "Not yet, but soon." I give a slightly different order Siva was anticipating for. "As you wish, Young Mistress."

My butler leaves reluctantly and his impatient, sad expression amuses me. "Don't worry, Siva. I'm restless to leave this annoying realm too." I say honestly and Siva frowns at my response.

"That's odd of you to say, Young Mistress. Has something happened to make you change your opinion of this realm?" Siva asks and I shake my head. "No, I just feel homesick." I respond and Siva smiles in response to my explanation before leaving.

Homesick? Really? Hmph, more like bored and tired.

I chuckle and walk back inside, but as I do I feel as if someone or something is watching me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on their ends and shivers run down my spine with a cold sensation. The feeling is uncanny and I begin to question my safety.

"Young Mistress! Hurry up inside! We're making these strange human foods called 'pancakes'!" I'm snapped out of my serious pondering when Jean happily tries to wave me back inside the kitchen.

Of course, my suspicions don't go away so easily, but I'm forced to put them on hold to appeal to Jean's request. "Jean, pancakes are usually eaten for breakfast." I correct the wardrobe designer and he begins to pout. "You know, it wasn't necessary for you to say that." He says feeling a bit down and I merely chuckle.

"Yes, but that's no fun." I intend to reply to Jean's protest, but Jinx answers for me as if he read my mind. "Your such a pain Jinx!" Jean begins to bicker with his rival and I burst out laughing. "Don't tell me you're doing this again?" I ask with watery eyes and Jinx sniffs at Jean.

"Of course, the only way to show Jean I'm better than him, is to keep proving it." He remarks and Jean practically begins throwing punches. Obviously Jinx dodges with ease and Jean just continues to try to match his speed.

"Could you just hold still for a second?!" Jean relentless tries to kick Jinx in his face, but Jinx merely laughs at his attempts. "Are you two going at it again?" Elliot claps his hands behind his back and casually steps up to the fighting with a smile.

"Wanna bet I'll win, Elliot?" Jean asks happily as he now tries to aim at Jinx's legs, but before Elliot can answer, Siva hurriedly comes with a tray in hand. "Elliot, please don't encourage this behavior and come help me with setting the table." He says with a hint of stress and Elliot chuckles at his reply.

"Now, who says I was encouraging them? I was just enjoying the show." Elliot says jokingly as he helps Siva with the trays in his hands. "Jean, what have I told you about starting fights with Jinx?" Siva begins his lecture as he prepares the table with Elliot. Jean immediately stops fighting and begins pouting again.

"B..but! He provoked me!" Jean begins protesting, but the sly Jinx raises his hands in defeat. "What? I was merely checking if the Young Mistress was alright." He says in a sweet, polite tone. "Jean, just bear with him, haven't we've gone through this before?" Siva continues his scolding as he runs to the stove to continue his cooking while Elliot calls for the rest of our team.

"But! He's so rude!" The playful fighting and hilarious scolding, cause me to roll my eyes and just laugh at their antics. Then I snap out of my cheerful mood when I feel a cold, gust of wind send shivers through my body. My serious pondering returns and I begin to follow my instincts.

I turn and walk toward the giant staircase while bringing attention to myself. "Young Mistress? Are you alright?" Jean asks and I can see worry plastered on his face. I smile and fake a calmed expression. "I'm just heading off to the bathroom." I say and the others nods their heads understandingly as they go back to their bickering.

I feel as if a force is leading me somewhere, so I merely let my feet lead the way. I find myself walking into the bedroom I'm occupying in the twins' house. This, of course, puts my senses on high alert and I begin to ready myself for anything.

Although, what I find still bewilders me.

"Evan?!"

The demon I know all too well, stands in the middle of my room and then begins to walk around curiously as if nothing's wrong.

"An interesting choice of furniture, my love." He says calmly as he begins to inspect every inch of my bedroom. I begin to start laughing softly with bitterness, but my emotions sink in and I angrily begin punching the wall.

Leaving dents in the wall and cracking the paint.

Once I finish, Evan only stares at me with amused eyes. "Feel better now?" His simple amused response angers me, so I stomp toward him and grab his tie to pull him at eye level. "How the hell did you find me?" Lethality clings to my voice as I threaten the demon.

Evan merely chuckles and continues to hold his sweet smile. "I had a tracker on Alexander." His reply drops my jaw open and I gawk at Evan's beautiful face. "I'm such an idiot." I lean my head on Evan's chest and groan my response.

Unfortunately, Evan sees this as a sign of affection, so he places his giant hand on my head and begins to pet me. I swipe his hand away and place a good amount of space between us. "Actually, you're the idiot here." I retort to his actions, but Evan still holds his sweet façade.

"My, such rudeness for someone of royal nobility."

My eyes widen and my pulse quickens. I gawk at Evan and worry about how much he already knows. "You really shouldn't be surprised. Your identity was already discovered by Smith's spies by the time we met." Realizing that Evan is right, anger swells over me as I remember the conversation I had with Nicholas.

"That damn secretary..!" I scowl from frustration and breathe a heavy sigh. "You knew the entire time and you still bothered to ask for my real name." I growl at the demon and he merely chuckles at my anger.

"It was amusing to see you act with such confidence." He remarks as he covers his mouth and I watch his shoulders bounce as he muffles his laughter.

His response sparks rage into me and I practically aim my fist at his face. He skillfully catches my wrist and pulls me toward him. He places his hands on my body in a dancing position as he begins to swing me around lightly.

"Please Black Rose, let's just enjoy our time with each other." He says as he begins to move my hips around to force me to dance.

His playful actions anger me even more, so I shove my leg at his body and push him to the ground. I keep my body over his as I pin him down. "Getting rough now, are we?" He says teasingly and I bear my teeth as I growl at him.

I try to punch his face, but even with him on the floor, he's still able to avoid my attacks. Anger swelling up inside me causes me to blindly attack the demon without any reasonable thinking.

Because of this, Evan eventually finds an opening and he flips my body under his. "Should we continue where we left off, Black Rose?" The statement boils my blood with rage and I begin thrashing. I suddenly regain my composure when a certain thought comes to mind.

"Why aren't you trying to kill me for escaping your mansion?" I ask with a dull expression and my sudden coldness causes Evan to wince. "I lost my control and I understand I was rushing into things too quickly. I shouldn't have scared off my darling Black Rose.." He says in such an apologetic tone that I almost believe him.

Almost.

"Cut the crap! You know you don't care or love me!" I protest and continue to thrash until I feel a sweet whisper in my ear. "Why do you deny me, just let me in and I'll show you how much I do love you. Even if I have to make you scream at night." Evan says seductively and I can feel him nibble on my ear. He moves his head next to my neck and his hot tongue gently begins to rub against my sensitive skin.

I barely hold back a sweet moan.

Elizabeth. This isn't the sort of image the queen should hold. I understand humans have emotions, but just remember their will is far more stronger.

All of the ridiculous pounding in my heart slowly begins to calm down and I take a deep breath.

"You toy with me as if I was just another one of your meals."

I talk bluntly without bothering to show emotions and I can feel Evan's shoulders tense up.

"You use temptation to capture your targets into a sinful trap, the easiest trick in the book. Yes, humans usually never reject temptation and grab on to that single thread of false hope, but I..",

Evan raises his head slowly and stares at my eyes with a dead serious composure that eliminates his façade.

"But I won't fall so easily to something as absurd as that. Hope? There is no hope! Just determination and stubbornness." Evan's eyes begin to glow that frightening color of red every demon possesses.

"I don't need your 'love', it's disgusting for that matter, but really the only reason I don't need it, is because I already have something that satisfies my needs...", I stop and stare at the demon's glowing eyes to glare at him.

"My ambition. It drives me to the point of madness, arrogance, stubbornness, and even bloodshed. You should keep your distance from me or I'll drag you down to get what I want, and what I truly want is success. You should keep that in mind the next time you question my morals and principles."

Evan's eyes are gazing into mine and I can feel his hunger for me. "You manage to plunge yourself into a pit of darkness and still walk through it with such dignified stability, surely your enemies must cower in your presence." His words seem to slip unconsciously from his lips and he soon notices what he's said after his cheeks form a light blush.

I chuckle devilishly at his reaction and smirk at him. "Your attempts of capturing me again were meaningless, I expect you to know that." I finish my last statement and see defeat in Evan's expression.

Expecting to hear a reply from Evan, I almost let the sudden slam of a door go un-missed.

"YOUNG MISTRESS?!"

Siva and the others rush toward us and Evan skillfully jumps in the air before they can attack him. He lands on the floor right behind them, but they ignore him for a moment to tend to me.

"Young Mistress! What did that retched demon to do you?!" Siva practically burst with worry as he inspects every inch of my body. "We'll kill him if that will soothe the pain, just give us the order, Young Mistress." Jinx says with his voice spilling with rage.

Elliot hurriedly tries to search my room for the medical kit he left here and once he's found it he hands it to Jinx. "Young Mistress, answer us!" Jean says desperately trying to help as he watches Jinx hurry to bandaged any possible wounds.

I roll my eyes and sniff at their worry.

"Enough! I don't need your fawning, it's embarrassing and pathetic to see all of you like this." I retort as I put space between them and I. My butlers are the first to protest. "But Young Mistress! This is a serious offense!" Siva and Elliot say at the same time and I groan from irritation.

"I know that! But I can handle this myself! Your place is to stand by my side and to never question my methods. Not to treat me like a baby!" I scold them and they remain silent as they place their hands over their chest. "Forgive us, Young Mistress. We were just caught up in the moment." Elliot apologizes and Siva walks up beside me.

"Yes, please do forgive me, but you must remember I am still your guardian and my limits are different from a normal servant." Siva says bluntly as his composure recovers.

I nod my head understanding and respond respectively toward him. "Of course, you make a good point, nonetheless do not doubt me anymore. I'm more than capable of handling a man."

I protest and watch Jinx and Jean walk up to me with their hands over their chests. "We're gravely sorry we doubted you as well, please forgive us." Jinx apologizes for the both of them and I let a sigh.

"Just go and prepare my evening tea, I need something sweet after all this." I grumble under my breath and walk out the door. I stop once I notice what disaster I possibly left inside my room. I hurry and find my staff glaring daggers at the smirking demon. I sigh and fake a cough.

Evan notices me and I roll my eyes. "What are you lazily standing around for? Hurry up and don't leave my side." I say nonchalantly and Evan's eyes soften as he walks to stand with me. "That goes for all of you too." I add as I order my staff and they hurry to follow as well.

Evan walks beside me while everyone else walks behind me, carefully watching Evan's movements. Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, I notice my friends already waiting a the table. Alexander only takes a glance in my direction, but once he notices the certain demon standing beside me, he yells. "Master!" Alexander then races toward me.

When Alexander reaches me, he places himself between Evan and I trying to protect me. "Alexander? I see you've taken a liking to my love." He says and I snort at his response while my staff glare at him. I can see Alexander trembling as he tries to protect me from his old master.

I smile kindly when I see that, even as scared as he is, he remains loyal. I place my hand on his hair and gently pat his head. Alexander turns his head towards me and stares in shock.

I continue to pet him gently as I speak. "You misunderstood Evan, he's protecting me because he's such a brave, loyal apprentice." I respond and I can notice tears forming in the corners of Alexander's eyes as he hugs me.

"Thank you. I've just noticed how lucky I am to have met you and not have to work for that foul demon anymore." He muffled his response as he continued to helplessly clutch my body.

I look up and notice Evan glaring at the boy. At first I believe it's jealousy, but I remember he's a demon and that he probably felt insulted by Alexander's words.

"Alexander, would you prefer to eat your dinner in your room? I don't think you'd eat comfortably if you were in Evan's presence." I ask concerned for Alexander's health and he nods his head as he grabs his plate. Once Alexander has left I went to handle the others.

"Skull, Bones take care of Ashja and eat outside." I order the twins and they follow my orders without any hesitation because they understand my reasons. "Jeez, all this damn secrecy is gonna make me barf, I swear."

Ashja, of course, being the person that she is, complains before she leaves. I shake my head and face the remaining men. I walk to a near couch and point at it. "Evan, sit. We have things to discuss." The demon follows my order and my staff surround him from the back, however I stand in front of him.

"Evan, what are you doing here?" I begin the interrogation and Evan grins. "I'm here for you, my love." He responds and I raise an eyebrow at his response. "To kill me? Or to take me back to your realm as your bride?" I ask clearing up any confusion and shock my staff. I shake my head and signal them that I'll explain things later.

"To kill you, but the second option does sounds tempting." He begins to toy with me again, but I bear with his childish antics. I've mastered interrogations before and just by looking at Evan's sitting position, I can tell he feels confident.

Evan has his legs crossed and his elbow rests on the arm handle. He even supports his head with his fist, a movement I'm all too familiar with. "Are those orders from Connor J. Smith? Or is this revenge?" I ask my questions carefully, so Evan can't find a loop-hole to lie around.

"These were Smith's orders." He responds and I nod my head as I clasped my hands behind my back. I notice a understanding look on my staff and realize why I continued to allow them to call me 'Young Mistress' in Evan's presence, it's because as a follower of Smith he was already given the news about my identity.

"I figure you reported our little 'incident'?" I ask and Evan nods his head, grin still intact. "Did you bring an army or troops with you? Are they hiding and waiting for your signal as we speak?" I ask a serious question as my staff ready themselves for an ambush. 

"No, I ordered them to stay back." My jaw drops open and I rush up to the demon. I clutch his tie again and pull him closer toward me. "Liar!" Evan tilts his head and keeps his smile in place.

"Don't accuse me without any evidence." His response causes me to grit my teeth and glare at him. "And don't answer me without any reassurance." I retort and Evan shakes his head lightly. He snaps his fingers and an image conjures up out of thin air.

"As you can see, all of my soldiers are on break." I look at the image and notice demons enjoying themselves. A little too much, actually.

My face heats up and I cover my eyes. See, in the image there were demons preparing themselves to 'make love'. Siva hurriedly steps forward and swats at the image to dismiss it. It disappears and I hear a light chuckle coming from Evan.

"Come now, shouldn't you be a little more mature about this. Unless..you're a virgin.." Jean suddenly yells out of nowhere when he hears Evan's realization. "Quite! Don't even think about making fun of our Young Mistress! You demons aren't acquainted with the term 'innocent', but that doesn't give you the right to mock people because of it!" Of course, my staff ready themselves to back Jean up, but I dismiss the chaos.

"Silence! Let's just move on with the interrogation already!" I shout and hear another chuckle coming from Evan. "If you must." He says obediently, but I can sense his amusement and hunger. I keep my composure and continue with my questions.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? You had a perfect opportunity when we were inside my room." I ask the biggest question that's been wandering my mind ever since I realized it. Evan removes his head from his fist and let's his arm dangle off the arm handle.

This sudden movement implies that he's taking consideration about the question. "You're right, I did have the perfect opportunity to kill you, and I was going to when you began to blindly attack me because of your anger, but..", he pauses and bites his lower lip. He's showing indications of uncertainty.

"Well?" I force him to spit it out instead of letting him debate whether he should tell me or not. "But I changed my mind. I don't want to kill you, not after you showed me your true colors", Of course I don't believe his statement and I'm sure Evan can tell, but despite of this he still continues.

"You act dull and expressionless, but in reality you use these traits to prevent people to see your true intentions, so they can underestimate you and allow you take advantage of their ignorance. I should know, I fell victim to your trickery just a moment ago." 

I stand in awe as I hear Evan's explanation. His words hit the bullseye of my mind and this confuses me. My staff is trying their best to hold back any angry outburst toward Evan, so I try to finish the interrogation up quickly.

"So what are you implying?" I ask with dead serious eyes and Evan smiles sinisterly at me. Any trace of kindness escapes his face and I can feel that this is the true Evan. "I followed Smith because I believed he would bring the queen to her knees, it was a good plan, but now that I've realized that you might have a shot at bringing him instead to his knees, I want in."

His request throws me off and Evan stands up to take a step toward me. I wave off any attacks from my staff and let Evan finish. "You're powerful and a master of manipulation, deception, and intelligence. These traits combined are dangerous and effective. There's no chance that I will not be on the winning side, if I join you." He finishes and I cover my eyes as I muffle laughter.

I clutch my stomach and my shoulders bounce from my muffled laughs. "You're joining me because its convenient and beneficial to you. How quaint!" I say and regain my composure to stare at Evan straight in the eyes.

"If you prove to me your loyalty, then I'll happily let you join me. If you can't, then I'll have to kill you, you know too much." I set the conditions and watch Evan's movements. "What if I were to place my mark on you?" He asks and I glare at him.

"If you want to make a contract, then the deal is off." I swat the idea away, but Evan just shakes his head. "No, not a contract. Merely a symbol of obedience." He corrects my worry and I look over to my staff. Siva seems to approve the situation, but the others are denying it.

I then try to find another way. "Can you mark your body with any form of symbol, not just your own?" I ask and Evan ponders this for a moment. "Yes, it's possible. Are you considering leaving your mark on me instead?" I nod my head and explain matters to him. "I'd rather you mark your own body than mine. I wouldn't want to find out I gave up my soul by accident."

Evan shakes his head and chuckles at my response. "I understand, what marking would you wish?" I placed my thumb on my lip as I pondered about this. "Well, you keep calling me 'Black Rose', so let it be that." I choose a random symbol, considering the fact it's only temporary. Evan smiles and I can tell this satisfies him.

He removed one of his gloves and placed the same hand on the left side of his neck. As his palm touched his skin, the skin began to sizzle and smoke flew into the air. Evan let out horrid screams of pain as he carved the symbol into his neck. I simply stood there with my cruel expression while hearing him scream, as did my staff.

Once Evan had finished he flopped down to his knees and began panting with relief. I could see a beautiful rose with a circle surrounding it. The circle had small, almost unnoticeable diamonds adorning it.

It was truly captivating.

"Does this prove anything?" Evan says as he regains his strength. I smirk and look down at him. "Yes, it does." I say as my eyes glow their frightening purple color. To my surprise the rose glows in response.

A sure sign of connection.

Evan grins his sinister smile again and his eyes glow that demonic red color. "This pleases me, my precious Black Rose." He responds and I sniff at him.

A demon team member? This will surely become interesting.

I chuckle in response and agree with my magic. "My enemies always give in once they've realized their defeat, don't they?" I ask quietly to myself and notice Evan's hungry look for me.

Just remember to control your pawns carefully. I don't favor betrayal.

I snort. "Never underestimate me, just remember I have control of everyone's strings."