(Sorry it's late, but here it is! I was busy on Saturday and updating totally slipped my mind until now. The next chapter will be released this Saturday. I hope you all enjoy!)

It was the most intense battle we'd ever had. I was swinging my swords skillfully, and he was dodging every blow. We went on like this for what felt like hours.

Finally, I lunged at him one last time, as fast as I could manage, and felt my sword stop moving, me following suit soon after. I gasped for air as I tried to catch my breath, glancing up to see why Sebastian had stopped me. I gaped at him.

My sword had pierced his side, and he had grabbed my blade with his hand to stop it from going any further.

I wasn't sure if I should be backing away and spewing out apologies or jumping up and down in excitement. He'd stopped my blade once before, but never had I actually struck him. I had outsmarted a demon in combat.

Sebastian glanced from the sword to me, smiling. He pulled the tip of my sword out of his side and released it, so it fell to the ground. The other sword was still in my hand, in a blocking position. I'd been too shocked to even think about moving it.

"Well done," he smiled at me. "I do believe you are ready."

"I didn't mean to-"

He interrupted me by moving my sword out from in front of me. I dropped it to the ground as he did so. The next thing I knew, his arms were wrapped around me, and we were standing there together. He was holding me.

I stiffened. Why was he doing this? What was he doing?

"You're finally ready," he said. "I knew you would be."

I relaxed. He was... proud of me? But I'd hurt him.

He stared down at me, and noticed my gaze was still on the small patch of blood on his shirt.

"Hey," he said, grabbing my chin with his thumb and forefinger and forcing me to look up at him. He searched my face, then gave a soft smile. "You did a wonderful job. Don't worry about me."

I nodded. He was a demon, I suddenly remembered. He'd be fine in a few minutes at most.

But I still didn't quite understand why he was holding me like this. It was gentle, reassuring, and kind.

My mind suddenly slipped back to that night a couple of weeks ago, when the demon came to visit me, telling me it would be dangerous to fall in love. But it didn't feel dangerous. I felt safe in my butler's arms, and if this was love, then I wanted to fall as far as I could.

*

It was almost nightfall. Sebastian had made me lie down for a while once he'd finally released me, and I'd obeyed. I could feel my body was still weak from illness, and didn't have its full stamina. I'd gotten close to overexerting myself in my training, and I couldn't afford to do that again. I had to be rested. I had to be ready.

The final couple of hours went by slowly. Sebastian and I didn't speak. He was trying to let me rest, and I was trying not to sleep. If I slept, I would have just woken up tired, and that wouldn't have helped either of us.

By the time the sun was gone from the sky, I was leaning against the wall of the cave, tapping my foot anxiously. I was ready. I believed in myself this time. I could do this. We could do this.

Sebastian knelt before me, his eyes sparkling in the dim light. "Are you ready?"

I took a deep breath, then nodded. Sebastian stood, then held out his hand. I took it, and he pulled me up.

I stood on weak legs. I had to cling to Sebastian for a moment as I tried to get my legs to work properly. Sebastian grabbed my wrists, trying to help steady me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as my legs finally started to hold me up. I stopped wobbling, and Sebastian reluctantly let go of me.

"Chrystal, are you sure-"

"I'm not waiting any longer, Sebastian!" I interrupted. "My friends have been waiting for me for, what, 3 weeks now? I won't make them wait any longer." I took a breath, calming myself, before I gave him a soft smile. "Besides, no matter what happens, I'm your top priority, right? Nothing will ever happen to me until the very end."

Sebastian tried to return my smile, but I could tell it was forced. He was still doubting himself.

I stared at him. "I trust you, Sebastian. So stop doubting yourself. And that's an order."

This time when he smiled, it was real. He picked up my swords, then stood tall and held out his hand. "Shall we go, My Lady?"

"Yes," I answered, taking his hand. He led me out of the cave and into the night, then picked me up and carried me so we could move silently through the woods toward our destination.

When we arrived about half an hour later, the moon was still rising, the stars were dim, but we could see the silhouettes of a lot more than the 50 guards that Sebastian had originally estimated.

"Do you think they knew we were coming?" I asked.

"Maybe once they'd noticed I'd escaped they increased security."

I gulped, fear beginning to course through me once again. I couldn't take on this many people. Sebastian would be going inside, and I would be left out here to fight alone.

Sebastian sat me down on the grass behind a bush. He handed me my swords, and I held onto them with unsteady hands. 50 men I had been confident about. But this many? There had to be at least 100 outside, and I had no idea whether or not there were more inside that would come out once we showed our faces.

"Chrystal?" Sebastian asked. "Are you ready?"

I looked to him, and suddenly all of my fears didn't seem to matter. Sebastian was here. He wouldn't be far, and he would know if I needed him, or I could call out to him if I had to.

But there was an annoying voice in the back of my mind that was telling me to turn around and run as fast and as far as I could.

"Sebastian... I don't know if I can do it. How many of them are demons? Can you tell?"

He let his gaze turn to the men outside the building. After a brief moment, he turned back to me. "None of the people out here are demons. But there seems to be only one or two inside. I'll do my best to ensure neither of them make it out here."

I nodded, feeling a bit better about the situation. I could handle humans, I kept telling myself. I could do this.

But that voice never went away. At least, not until the moment before Sebastian sprang into action.

He leaned forward and kissed me softly.

When he pulled away, he was giving me an encouraging smile.

"Let's go," he said, before running into the building.