Tobi's sedative was much easier to make the following day. My father took an early lunch break which left me with plenty of time to gather the chemicals and equipment I needed to create around ten doses of the drug.

Pouring the clear liquid into a suitable vial and sealing it completely, I labelled it carefully with the chemical formula. After tucking it away safely, I joined my father and other colleagues for lunch and the day continued as normal.

Any spare time I had available for the remainder of the week was spent in preparation for Tobi's awakening. I requested a leave of absence from work for the following week so that I could immerse myself fully in this project.

Sparring with Tobi for around ten or fifteen minutes every evening allowed me to get used to his movements and his tactics and to ensure I knew the best way of restraining him without injury. Together, we also ensured that any remaining hazards were packed away in the shed, along with the knives from the kitchen and anything made from glass.

Using the remaining bells, levers and pulleys, I set up various alarms around the house, including on all the windows. I also removed the lock from the bathroom door since I didn't want either of us getting trapped on one side or the other.

By the time the weekend approached, I felt more or less ready for the Ravim to wear off, having done everything I could think of to prepare.

At around six o'clock on Saturday evening, on my instruction, we got ourselves ready to visit Seren's house for the meal she'd invited us over for. Tobi looked respectable in a green V-neck sweater and black jeans, and I decided on a plain black top with blue jeans for myself.

Before leaving, I double checked that I had the punch-injector with Tobi's sedative in a pocket within easy reach.

After we stepped out into the crisp, evening air together, I locked up the house behind me and started the familiar route to our destination, with Tobi beside me as I'd directed. The sun was almost dipping into the horizon, not yet draining the amethyst and rose colours from the trees but casting them in a softer hue. The bird chatter was fading along with the light, slowly being replaced with the sound of crickets chirping as they woke from their slumber.

Taking a peek at the porcelain angel walking beside me, I acknowledged silently to myself that in a just a couple of days' time, both of our lives would change, possibly forever. And this change was daunting, especially when I had no idea whether it would work out for the best or not.

Still, I'd come this far, and I wasn't about to turn back now. Although he didn't realise it yet, this man with the ice-blue eyes had inspired me to try again to find a cure for Amanda and the other Katki. I couldn't possibly live with myself if I knew there was a chance, even a slim one, that I might be able to find a way to bring Seren's baby girl home to her mother, and I decided not to take it.

Taking a deep breath, I resigned myself to the idea that all I could do was make the best decisions I could with the information I had available to me and hope that I didn't let anyone down in the process.

"Matty."

Seren's friendly voice broke me from my thoughts.

I looked directly in front of me to where the voice had come from.

"Seren," I replied, surprised to see her on my route to her residence. "You didn't have to come out and meet us, you know. You haven't been gone so long that I've forgotten where you live."

Seren chuckled softly at my quip.

"Actually, I did have to," she explained. "We have a visitor. I don't think he'll be staying long, but I think I should bring your Katki in through the back door, just in case."

She had a point. It was unheard of to bring a Katki with you for dinner with friends. If they had a visitor, the action was bound to spark questions that I didn't really want to answer.

I nodded in understanding.

"Seven Zero Eight One," I addressed my companion. "For the next hour, I want you to follow Seren's instructions as if they're mine. Do you understand?"

"I do," he replied impassively.

"Will you comply?" I checked.

"I will."

I turned to Seren.

"All yours," I told her, smiling. "Thanks for this. See you at your place."

"Follow me," she instructed Tobi, before turning back and winking at me. "See you in a few, Matty."

Nodding back to her, I briefly considered giving her the punch-injector but stopped just short. Doing so would involve an explanation of why I had brought it with me, and given that Tobi wasn't yet showing any signs of non-compliance, I reasoned that the probability that he would completely awaken within the next few minutes was negligible.

Loitering in the streets for a while, I took in the earthy autumnal air so that Seren and Tobi had a chance to get settled before I continued along my intended path.

On arrival at my destination, I rapped loudly on the door.

It was Peter that answered.

"Matty!" he cried warmly, pulling me into a bear hug.

Peter was a similar size and build to me, with blond hair and green eyes. He was a gentle giant, as well as being the best thing that had ever happened to my dearest friend, and I was happy to reciprocate his zeal.

"Peter!" I enthused, patting him on the back. "Great to see you again. Everything OK?"

I gave him a meaningful expression, which he picked up on immediately.

"Perfect," he told me, indicating with his tone that he knew I was asking about Tobi. "Please, come in," he continued. "There's someone we'd like you to meet."

I took off my shoes in their porch and followed Peter inside. Recognising the faint aroma of lavender, which was Seren's favourite scent, I presumed there were probably some candles burning to provide the distinctive smell. As Peter escorted me to their lounge, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the wicks burning on the mantelpiece.

Sitting in one of the armchairs sat a slender man in his early twenties, with thick, curly mahogany locks and hazel eyes, who stood up on my arrival.

"This is Dominic Andekas," Peter said by way of introduction. "Dominic, this is Matthew Sullivan."

The eldest son of the most illustrious couple in our society, Thomas and Rachel Andekas, was sitting casually in my best friend's lounge? I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Matty," I nodded with a smile, letting him know he was welcome to use my nickname as I extended my hand to him in greeting.

"Elijah Sullivan's son, right?" Dominic greeted me amiably by shaking my hand.

"Right," I confirmed. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine, Matty," Dominic replied pleasantly, before looking around and checking his bulging pockets. My eyes followed his hand and I saw the top of a comb poking out of one of them. With curls as thick and wiry as his, I wasn't surprised that he kept a means of taming them on his person.

Apparently satisfied that he had everything he arrived with, he addressed us again.

"I suspect now that you've arrived, you're all about to eat, so I should really be on my way before I outstay my welcome. I hope to cross paths with you again sometime," he added, addressing me again, and I nodded.

"You know you'd be more than welcome to join us," Peter said, already knowing that the brunette would refuse. It was rumoured that the Andekas family never consumed anything outside of the Kinnisvara.

"It's very kind of you to offer," Dominic acknowledged, walking purposefully towards the door. "And thank you, but I should go."

The three of them said their goodbyes to each other, with Seren and Peter waving Dominic off before closing the door behind him.

As my favourite couple walked back into the lounge, I turned to face them with a meaningful look, since a member of the Andekas family visiting somebody outside the Kinnisvara was, to my knowledge, almost unheard of.

"So ... what ... you're friends with Dominic Andekas now?" I asked them both incredulously.

"Apparently," Peter replied, shrugging his shoulders with false nonchalance, before breaking into a grin.

"Peter is friends with Dominic," Seren clarified. "We met him on our most recent visit, and those two just clicked."

We migrated through to the dining room, where Tobi was already sitting at the dining table, wearing his usual blank expression. Except for drinks, the table was already set for dinner, including a vase of flowers on the table.

"Dominic sees people come and go from the Kinnisvara all the time," Peter explained as we entered. "But the only people who are permanently in his life are his family. He told me that any time he makes friends with someone, they disappear from his life shortly afterwards, generally to raise a family of their own. So, I think that's why he's making more of an effort to stay in touch with those he gets along with."

Listening to what Peter was telling me, I realised that I hadn't really considered things from that point of view before. Perhaps the Andekas' life was lonelier than I'd realised. I remembered how much I'd missed Seren when she'd been away and silently acknowledged that we probably would have visited each other during that time if the situation had permitted.

"Yeah, I can understand that," I conceded. "What I don't understand, though, is why he'd choose you as his friend," I added in jest, following him through the dining area and then into the adjoining kitchen to help with food.

Peter shook his head.

"Next time we do this, we should probably just invite your Katki to dinner, and you can stay at home," Peter replied with mock disgust, waving a serving spoon in my direction. "At least he's not rude."

I chuckled as I helped him unload various items from the oven. The amazing aroma hit me the second the door opened. It appeared we were having minted roast lamb with a variety of vegetables and gravy, and everything looked as delicious as it smelled.

"Seriously, though, it must be pretty nice to have a friend in that family," I pointed out, as I pulled out the potatoes and stacked them into a serving bowl.

"I guess so," he replied, retrieving the lamb and carving it carefully. "Although, after the first month or so, I stopped thinking about him like that. Now, I just see him as Dominic."

My mind wandered to all the appetising food I was faced with and couldn't believe Dominic wouldn't stay for this when he had been given the chance.

"Is it true they never eat and drink outside the Kinnisvara?" I asked, curiously. "Or does Dominic just not like your cooking?" I added, winking.

Everyone who knew Peter, knew that his cooking abilities were superb. He narrowed his eyes and waved the carving knife menacingly at me.

"Got something to say about my culinary skills?" he grinned with plenty of humour in his tone.

"Not when you're the one holding the knife," I chuckled back, with a mock defensive stance.

"I think it's just a tradition," Peter answered, returning to his task while answering my original question. "They probably need some way of separating themselves from the rest of us to keep order. Not eating with us probably helps them to maintain a certain distance."

Making our way through to their adjoining dining room, Peter and I laid the food on the table.

Evidently Seren had busied herself making sure we had drinks, so that we were ready to get stuck into the feast on its arrival.

"Thanks for keeping my Katki out of Dominic's view," I said to my hosts, once we'd all started eating.

"No problem. I mean, can you imagine what he'd think if he could see us all like this?" Seren replied, indicating Tobi who was joining in with the meal as instructed.

The two of them were so supportive of my unconventional attitude towards the Katki, that for a moment, I considered telling them what I was doing with regard to the Ravim. However, reasoning that the fewer people that knew, the better, I pushed the thought aside and continued with my birthday treat, including a slice of Peter's spectacular birthday cake.

After we'd had our fill of food and talked the evening away, I thanked our hosts, and Tobi and I walked back to my house. It was significantly colder and darker than our walk here, and the crickets were now out in full force. But despite the chill in the air, the moon and stars still shone brightly enough in the cloudless sky to guide us home.

Tiger greeted us in her usual affectionate manner as we entered, but I was too tired to give her more than a quick stroke to acknowledge that I'd seen her.

After guiding the Katki upstairs, I requested he brushed his teeth and got changed into his navy pyjamas, and then followed suit myself.

"Time to sleep, Tobi," I told him once we were both ready, curling under the blanket on the side of the bed which had become mine.

The platinum blond stood motionless next to the bed, making me sit up again.

"Tobi? Do you understand?" I asked him, even though I knew the answer already, because he'd flawlessly executed the same command every other night this week.

"I..." he faltered.

Butterflies fluttered inside my gut as I realised what was happening.

The Ravim was wearing off.

"...do," Tobi finished his sentence slowly, hesitating slightly before slipping under the blanket.

As the porcelain angel lay down next to me, I acknowledged that this might be the last time that Tobi would act on any of my instructions. Knowing that I was likely to wake up next to the man inside the shell, I made sure that the sedative was clutched firmly in my grasp and tried to get some rest.