I didn't sleep well, even with Sebastian's arms wrapped around me, protective and comforting. My dreams were filled with visions of what could happen in my near future. The ritual to change me and my friends could go wrong, and one or more of us could get hurt or worse. I saw Maia and Thomas turning on us at the last minute, pleading and fighting for us to not go through with it. I watched as the demons had to eventually knock them unconscious so they wouldn't hurt us or themselves.

I knew these weren't visions of the future. I knew I was only being tortured by these thoughts because of how scared I truly was for what was to come. I was scared of how I was to become a demon. I was scared for my friends. I was scared of my dream. Sebastian and Lisa knew something. Why didn't they tell me?

By the time I finally decided I couldn't take the nightmares anymore and got up, it was well into the afternoon. Sebastian's arms slipped away from me as I pushed myself into a sitting position, trying to rub some of the sleep from my eyes. He watched me curiously, and I shook my head.

"I can't. I don't want to see that anymore..." I told him as I stared down at my hands, tears welling up in my eyes. "I can't..."

Sebastian pulled me to him, and I quieted as I felt him embrace me. I buried my face in his chest and willed away my tears, but to no avail. I cried as he held me tightly.

Suddenly, I cried out as a sharp pain ran through my skull. I pulled back, closed my eyes and gripped my head tightly, and it took all I had to keep from crying harder.

I sat opposite Sebastian, clutching my skull, and after what felt like an eternity he pulled me back to him. After another beat, his lips captured mine.

I felt myself immediately relax as he kissed me. The images from my dreams melted away, the tears slowed, and it even seemed like the pain dulled. I sighed and leaned into him as he pulled me closer.

By the time he pulled away, my mind and body were completely relaxed. I placed my head on his shoulder, and I felt his head come to rest on mine.

"I'm going to take you home now," Sebastian's gentle voice whispered. "Sleep, My Love. You'll need your strength for what's to come."

I couldn't even manage a nod. I finally fell into a restful sleep in his arms.

*

When I woke up again, the first thing I noticed was how rested I felt. Next was the familiar warmth around me.

I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. Even through the darkness, I was immediately greeted by a familiar black blanket, along with the rest of my bedroom. I smiled. I'm home...

As I glanced around and took in my surroundings, I noticed I was alone. That fact saddened me greatly, but I knew everyone had things they needed to be doing. The demons were preparing for their ritual, while the others were either preparing themselves for the same thing or taking care of the house.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a light knock on the door. I moved and opened my mouth to call out to the person beyond the door, but all that came out was a small whimper. I bit my lip as the muscles in my back ached, reminding me of everything that had happened over the past couple of days.

The door opened slowly, and I glanced up to see Sebastian and Evan standing in the doorway. With one look at my expression, they both hurried into the room.

"What happened?" Sebastian asked softly.

"Nothing," I assured him. "I just moved too fast. I forgot about my back for a minute..."

I saw him relax at my answer, relieved I hadn't hurt myself further or seen anything scary.

"That's actually the reason I came up here, too," Evan spoke up. "I thought I could heal what I wasn't able to the other day."

I looked from him to Sebastian, suddenly nervous. It wasn't even about the fact that I would have to take my shirt off. Evan had already kissed me once in order to heal me, and I still didn't feel good about it. If anything, I felt I at least needed Sebastian's permission this time.

As if he could read my thoughts, he gave me a soft smile. He proceeded to sit on the bed, then opened his arms. "Come here."

I crawled over to him, and he pulled me against his chest. Then, he lifted the back of my shirt to my shoulders. "It's alright," he cooed in my ear. "You need to have as much of your strength as possible for later. This is only to help you."

I nodded and rested my head on his chest, trying to relax. He pet my hair comfortingly as he slowly removed the bandages from my back. I felt my body stiffen as he pulled, but I was able to remain calm and keep still in his arms.

Evan approached a moment later. "I would try to cloud your mind and calm you down, but I feel like it would only make matters worse, considering your stronger than me now." I could hear his kind smile as he spoke. "I'll be gentle. Try to relax."

I ended up doing the opposite as I braced myself. I wasn't expecting him to hurt me, but just imagining what he was going to do was unwelcome. It felt wrong, but according to Sebastian, it needed to be done.

"Wow," Evan breathed as he took in the wound. "I hadn't realized the cut was so deep. It definitely would've left a scar if you'd let it heal on its own."

I tried to ignore him, but was also thankful I wouldn't have a scar if he healed me. Not only did I not want a giant scar going down my back, but if Sarah ever saw it...

With that, I tried to bury myself in my mind, distract myself from what was going on around me with my thoughts. I ignored the cold fingers on my sides that were keeping me from squirming. I ignored the fact that Evan's tongue was slowly making its way over the wound. I focused on Sebastian. One of his arms was around my shoulders, holding me close while also keeping my shirt out of Evan's way. The other was still stroking and petting my hair, trying to keep me calm while I buried my face in his shirt at the unwelcome and uncomfortable sensations on my back.

After what felt like forever, my back began to tingle, just like every other time Evan had healed me. I felt his head move away and his fingers brush lightly over the injury. After another long moment, the sensations disappeared and he backed away completely.

"Like last time, I can't do anything about the bruising, but for now, the cut is gone and there shouldn't be any more pain," Evan informed me. "And after the ritual, the bruises should heal rather quickly."

I didn't make any attempt to respond to him. I stayed frozen in place, even after Sebastian lowered my shirt back down.

Another long and silent moment passed between the three of us before Evan spoke up again. "I'm going to head back downstairs and see what I can do to help there." I heard the door open and close, and he was gone.

As soon as we were alone, Sebastian used the hand that had been stroking my hair to pull me closer, and his other began to rub my back soothingly. "You're alright," he whispered. "Everything is alright."

We sat like that for a long time, until eventually he stilled his hand on my back. "Let's get you downstairs. Maia has prepared dinner for you."

I felt myself give a slight nod, but I didn't move. Sebastian's didn't seem to mind as he gently lifted me into his arms. I kept my face buried in his chest as he left the room and we slowly made our way to the kitchen.