When I awoke the next morning, Sebastian was poking the fire with a long twig. I groaned and sat up, still exhausted from everything that had happened.

Sebastian glanced at me. "Something the matter?"

I shook my head, rubbing at my eyes. I was never this tired when I woke up. Was something wrong?

Sebastian seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he never looked away from me.

"I'm fine, Sebastian," I assured him, also trying to convince myself. "I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. His expression never changed, and he never looked away from me.

I was the one to glance away first. All the staring was messing with my head. I was trying to avoid falling in love with my murderer, after all.

"Would you like to get some more rest? We're not going anywhere."

I shook my head. I couldn't sleep anymore. If I did, I wouldn't sleep tonight, and that would put me behind schedule. I would be losing sleep the closer we got to finding my family. I couldn't let that happen. I had to be able to find them.

I could still see the afterimages of the demon who had visited me. The bright red eyes staring at me through the darkness, his voice as he spoke through a snide smirk. Him telling me I was falling in love with my demon butler.

What if I was? What would happen? I knew nothing would change if the feeling wasn't mutual. He wouldn't care. After the contract ended, he would eat my soul, and I would cease to exist. Nothing would matter anymore. But what if, by the slimmest of chances, he felt the same way? What if my soulless, emotionless demon loved me?

But I knew it was impossible, of course. He'd waited three years so far for his next meal. He wouldn't let himself fall in love with me. If he did, we'd be in this contract forever. Or is there another way to break off our deal?

If there was, it wouldn't matter. Sebastian didn't love me. The only thing he loved was the fact that our contract was almost up, and he would get a bite to eat.

I stood from my spot on the ground and stretched, trying to wake myself up. It worked a little, but I was still drowsy. I wasn't getting sick, was I? I wasn't sure I could deal with illness, finding my family, and living in a dark, smelly cave.

"Sebastian, I want to go find them."

This caught his attention. "Now?"

I shook my head. "No, but soon. I can't live like this any longer. I think I might be starting to catch something."

Sebastian was beside me almost instantly. He removed his glove and felt my forehead. Not that he could tell if I was sick of not; his hands were always ice cold. Maybe he was just trying to be comforting.

"You might be. These living conditions aren't ideal for maintaining your health. I should have thought of that sooner. My apologies, Chrystal."

I pushed his hand away. I didn't want to touch him. I didn't want any additional reasons to fall for him. "Don't apologize. You've kept me safe and out of prison. I can deal with a cold."

He seemed to be reluctant to believe me. I was, too. What if it was more than just a cold? What if I had caught something serious inside this cave?

I shook it off. I was overthinking things again. I didn't feel sick, I was just super tired. I didn't sleep much because of the demon that had dropped by. All I could do was think about what he said, and see the eyes watching me.

"Well," I said, "I'm thinking too much about everything, and I need a distraction."

"Would you like to train some more?" Sebastian suggested.

I shook my head. "I'm too tired to train. I won't think straight." I began to think aloud. "Honestly, a change in scenery would be nice. I know I can't leave this cave, but it would be nice." I was longing for my bed. I was tired of sleeping on rock. But I wasn't going to complain aloud. At least I wasn't being held captive.

"Perhaps I can find a place closer to where your friends are being held," he commented. "It would be a new place for you, and it would be easier to see what is going on there. We could plan accordingly."

As great as a new place sounded, I was reluctant to accept his offer. Moving closer to the enemy only made it easier for them to spot us. And, knowing me, I'd do something stupid to blow our cover. At least then it wouldn't matter if I loved Sebastian or not; I'd be dead.

I relayed my thoughts to Sebastian, leaving out the part about possibly loving him.

"Nothing will happen to you, Chrystal. I'll make sure of it."

I had mixed feelings about what he said. First, I was happy that he wasn't thinking he couldn't protect me. We'd moved on from the gun incident. But also, I was a little scared he couldn't. If these people really did have demons working with them, and if they were under a contract, they would stop at nothing to do what they were ordered to do. And, depending on their numbers, I was unsure if Sebastian could do it.

"What are you thinking, Chrystal?" he asked, staring at me intently, as if begging me to tell him what was on my mind.

Something about his gaze made it hard to hide my thoughts. "I'm worried about how many demons they may have working for them. What if they have more than you can handle? I can't protect myself against a demon."

"No, you can't. But my job is to protect you, and there is no amount of demons that could prevent me from doing so."

He gave a warm, sincere smile, and I felt my cheeks heat up. I glanced away.

"Is something the matter?" Sebastian asked, noticing the pinkness of my cheeks. "Are you ill?"

I shook my head. "I'm alright." I took a deep breath. "We can go find a new place."

Sebastian smiled. "I'll be back momentarily. Please wait here until I return."

I nodded, and then he was gone.