Surprisingly, the door was unlocked when we made it to the house. I looked around the small foyer and was immediately uncomfortable. Even as Sebastian found the light switch and the room brightened, something still felt off about the place.

The house looked normal enough. It was obviously a downgrade from what I was used to, but I wasn't complaining. I found the small size of the house comforting. There were less places for people to hide.

"A quaint little place, wouldn't you agree?" Sebastian asked, breaking the silence and closing the door.

I nodded. "Very."

We walked further into the house and found what appeared to be a living room. That was when I realized one of the things that had been bothering me.

"This house has no decorations..." I thought aloud.

Sebastian nodded. "Seeing as how people come and go from these places, I wouldn't think the police would take the time to decorate them. I suppose we will have to do so ourselves for the duration of our stay."

There was very little furniture, either. The living room consisted of two small couches and a dusty bookshelf. The only things on it were religious books and a piece of paper with the phone numbers of each of the ten houses in the area.

I tentatively perched myself on one of the couches and stared at the floor, deep in thought and still feeling uneasy.

Sebastian noticed right away, but knew his job. He left the room and came back a few minutes later. "The house is safe, and it appears the bedrooms were cleaned before our arrival, which makes things easier." He told me all of this, knowing that I would open up to him only if I knew I was safe. He then proceeded to ask, "What is it?"

"I'm just really confused. Something like this is not how the police are supposed to handle things. They're just sending us away to the middle of nowhere? This doesn't feel right anymore. Yes, it wasn't safe to keep living at home, but this feels wrong too. It's like I've just been shipped off to a refugee camp and I don't approve."

"But you aren't a refugee. You haven't been forced to flee the country. You are merely being protected."

"I know, but something about this system makes me feel uneasy. We're miles away from any kind of civilization. What happens if there's some huge emergency that a handful of cops can't handle?"

"That is what I am here for," Sebastian answered, stepping toward me. "I swear to you, I will keep you safe."

I nodded.

"I am going to go back and retrieve your swords like we had discussed. Would you like for me to tell Evan where we are while I am there?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He'd made it pretty clear that he was trying to help me when he saved my life. It would help him to do that if he knew where I was. "What should I do?"

"I'd recommend staying inside. There's a master bedroom just up the stairs, if you would like to rest."

I nodded again.

Sebastian bowed. "I will be back shortly." And then he was gone.

As fast as he had left, the dread of being alone in an unfamiliar place set in. I decided to take his advice and rest upstairs. He wouldn't be gone long.

I found the bedroom and noticed that Sebastian had been correct. This was definitely the cleanest room in the house. I hoped that hadn't meant something bad had happened in this room and they had simply kept it clean because we would need it. I sank onto the large queen size bed and lay myself on the white cotton sheets. I kicked off my shoes and removed my gloves, then curled up on the soft fabric.

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing I was alone, but at least I could rest my body for a while. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend I was home, in my own bed, surrounded by familiar walls, but I couldn't. I needed to stay alert. Being hidden away from the rest of the world didn't mean I was safe, especially when dealing with the supernatural.

I lay there staring at the white wall for a while, searching for all the places the paint was chipping. I'd counted seven so far. Clearly these buildings were either well used or poorly cared for. Perhaps even both.

About an hour had passed when I heard knocking on the front door. My heart rate increased, and I could feel all of my nerves coming back. Who was at the door? Sebastian would just let himself in, and it hadn't been long enough for Lisa and James to be here, had it?

Then I remembered Lisa saying I was only about an hour's drive from the city. If anything, they should have been here sooner. But if it was them, what would I tell them about Sebastian not being here?

I slowly stood, my heart racing. I had to check. If it was another demon who had somehow followed us, I had to call for Sebastian. But he's been gone for an hour. Shouldn't he be back by now?

I left the bedroom and slowly descended the stairs. The wood was cold to my bare feet, but I ignored the chill. A greater one was going down my spine at the thought of who I would see beyond the door.

I made it to the foyer and stood in front of the door. I took one last deep breath, then stood on my toes to look through the peephole.

I let out a loud sigh of relief when I saw James. My tense body relaxed as I unlocked the door and opened it. There before me stood James and Lisa, both smiling to see me.

"Glad to see you made it alright. We got stuck in a huge traffic jam shortly after you all left." James' smile fell. "Why did you answer the door? Where's your butler?"

"I don't know," I answered, beginning to worry for him. "He said he was going home to get my swords and would be right back."

"Have you tried calling for him?" Lisa asked.

I shook my head. "If he's busy with something, I don't want to distract him. I'm just worried he was being followed and had to stop to fight."

"I wouldn't worry too much. He's still under an oath to always return to you. He won't let himself get killed."

I smiled at her, believing her words. Our contract meant that he would always return to me. He would be back soon.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Here are your belongings," Lisa said, offering me my purple suitcase.

I thanked her and took it, setting it on the floor by a dusty coat rack.

We stood there awkwardly at the door for a moment, then I jumped back, realization hitting me that I was probably supposed to invite them in. "I'm sorry. Please, come in."

They both gave me a kind smile before coming into the house. I began to close the door, but something pushed forward from the other side, making my whole body freeze.

The person outside pushed forward until I could see who it was, then my frozen body melted.

It was Sebastian, and beside him was Evan.