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My real name is Adrian; however that name is all but lost to me. I was born long ago; long before you; before living creatures stepped foot on Earth; before humans were even a fleeting thought. I was born a demon, the first son for the original sinner, those that humans now call the devil, Lucifer, or Satan. I mostly refer to him as my father. As the legends go, my father sought power that rightfully belonged to the Creator. My father's followers and The Lord's angels engaged in a fierce battle that no human armies could ever rival. And, as it is written, my father was defeated and cast down to his own fiery spirit realm. I know these stories are true because of my past situations and because I know my father rather well, and he is extremely power hungry. I know that humans now refer to our realm as Hell, and it is said to be a wicked and evil place where those whose souls have done wrong in life are punished forever in a fiery pit after they die, but, I must clarify before I continue my story, this is just not true. If humans would sit down and actually read the bible, they would see that the dead are conscious of nothing, as is plainly stated at Ecclesiastes 9:5. Thus, humans neither go to heaven nor hell after death. There are many things I do wish to share with you about the things I know, but if I start, I fear I may never end. So I will begin my story, because you have waited so patiently through my babbling, at my brother's birth, because there is little I can remember before that, and I do not really care to remember any of it anyway.

It was a humid day, more so than usual. My brother was born mid-afternoon, and I never knew his mother, and neither did he. I cannot say that I hated my brother, for that would be going quite too far. I merely did not agree with him, for he usually agreed with my father. I very much disdained my father then and still do to this very day. But whether I do or not does not matter, because he is still my father, and I have to love and respect him no matter what.

My brother was born a strong, generously proportioned feline with large silver wings. He looked more like a surface dwelling creature rather than a demon, that of which I was quite envious. My form was that of a deformed canine with extremely large claws and fangs, those of so that it seemed to make my looks less fond to the eyes. Because of the form that I despised so well, I would normally take on my human form, for I thought, even if I was a demon and that was not how I should have looked, it was far more appealing than my truest demon form.

It was not long after he was born that my father took both my brother and I out to see his deformed and distorted kingdom, that of which I had no wish to be part of. It was not until after we started out that my father told us that he was dividing the kingdom into sections, the different clans of demons making up different sections, and that he would give us each both our own sections of the kingdom, dividing it into three total parts. His would be the largest, mine second largest, and my brother's the smallest. We would each have our own castle in the center of what my father referred to as our "kingdoms." But it was all a lie, and that I knew quite well. My father would still rule the entire kingdom, overriding any decision my brother or I made that he did not think was fit, but I went along with it anyway.

A few days later my father was taking me to meet the rulers of my clans, those that I gave commands to; those that I did not care to meet. My father was trying to prep me on how to take care of my "kingdom," how I should be hard and commanding and not compassionate at all. But the thing was is that: I was not commanding, and I was slightly compassionate. The ones that I commanded were beings too, even if they were lower in rank and status than I was, I still would treat them as I wished them to treat me. My "kingdom" contained several thousands of clans and an uncountable number of demons, but there was one clan and one demon that I remember without a glitch.

"Adrian," my father said as he took me to the palace of the next clan, to the leader and his two sons, "this is Verondase," he continued as he gestured to the three demons bowing with their heads to the ground, pointing out the one in the middle more so than the two to its side. "He is the leader of his clan."

"It is an honor for us that you grace my sons and I with your presence, my lord," uttered the demon in his low, deep, raspy voice. It scratched my ears and throat to hear him speak. It reminded me of nails scrapping stone or the screech of a succubus. Their voices were much more horrid than that of their cousins, the siren. I had not even seen his face yet and I was very sure I would not like him.

"You and your sons may rise," I said in a low, annoyed voice. I had not even bothered to count how many times I had done this today, and I did not care to know. This was bullshit, all of it, and I wanted no part of it. I wanted to go home, back to my house, and sleep all day like I would usually do. But I did not know right then that I would see the only reason I would stay with this gig.

Both of the demons' sons were rather tasteful in looks, charming to the eyes if you will, but the one that stood to his left was the single most beautiful creature I had ever seen, and probably will ever see, in my entire meaningless existence. His eyes glowed gently but brightly on his dark but pale face, his mouth and nose covered by a scarf-like cloth that was wrapped loosely around his neck. He had red feathered wings, like his father and brother, but they were much brighter and seemed much more beautiful and appealing. His hair was the purest ebony color in hell, and he looked much more like an angel than a devil. He was the most beautiful creature in any kingdom, and, from the first moment I saw him, I pined for him.

"This is my elder son, Evangalion," the demon lord said gesturing to the one on his right, "and my younger son, Verdae," he said as he motioned to the one to the left of him, the one I was watching. I suppose I slightly noticed the older boy making a sexual gesture toward me, that of which I do not care to explain. I had not really noticed enough to be troubled by it much, but he did not take the hint and leave it be.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord," the elder boy said, probably only to get my attention. When he spoke his brother looked away from me, most likely intimidated by his elder brother's superiority maintained by his age and rank. I glanced to Evangalion, just to recognize that he was there, just to get him to shut up, which he thankfully did. I do not think I much liked the elder boy; he was too confident of himself, too sure he was good enough for me.

Before anyone else could say anything more, I turned and began to walk in the direction of my home. And before my father could say anything, I did. "I am going back to my house," I said as I walked, not even glancing back to see the look on my father's face. "I am tired, father. I will continue the tour with you tomorrow. For now I would like some rest." I continued walking, not even waiting for my father's response. I could always blame my detachment from society as the reason for my absence from social gatherings, and I always did. This was no different. Besides, I had to find a way to get that gorgeous creature into my home. Oh, and I never finished the tour.

~~~~~~~~~~

A day on Earth or to a human is nearly equaled to a year here, but time for demons passes quickly. Living forever is almost like not living at all. It had been several human days since I had seen Verdae. His face I remembered perfectly, his body that I wished to caress was burned into my memory. His eyes would consume my dreams, and everything about him that I wished to know, I had found. The only thing I did not know about Verdae was his touch.

I sat up in my bed and walked over to my balcony. I was rather happy to have a home away from my father, one that was my own, but I had no one to keep me company in it. The only one the shared the house with me was my servant, James. He was useless besides telling me updates about my clans and getting me food. He was good looking, but not nearly as wonderful as Verdae. And as I looked out over my "kingdom" toward his clan the sensation I felt for him burned ever deeper into my chest and stomach and a few places below. If I could have him, if I could hold him and touch him and be with him, maybe, just for a little while, I could be happy for once.

"Adrian!" I nearly fell over when my brother darted in front of me, screaming out my name as he normally did, so I was not sure why I was surprised.

I looked up at him with a scowl on my face, glaring at my only brother. He was sitting on my balcony rail, smiling his innocent smile, gently fluttering his gorgeous wings every so often. He looked as if he could never do anything wrong, and for that I despised him. "What is it?" I growled, annoyed that he seemed to always continue doing this to me.

"Are you thinking about Verdae again?" he asked with a smirk.

That ass! He's been reading my notes again! "You wretch!" I grabbed his throat and threw him to the floor, choking him, hoping maybe I could rupture his voice box. "Why do you always do this to me? Why can't you and father leave me alone?"

"Let go Adrian!" He started to cough as he tried to yell at me, simultaneously trying to kick me off of him. "I am going to tell father if you don't!"

"The dead cannot speak, you little bastard!"

"I'm going to tell Verdae!"

At that I stopped, let go quickly, and got off of him. How could he threaten me like this? I was older! I should be in control of him, not the other way around! "If you tell anyone," I said with a deep cold stare, "I am not going to stop next time." He looked down and away from me as his ears folded to his head. He looked like he was sorry, but it was my brother, so I did not let up on my glare. "I mean it, Kanada!" I raised my voice just to show my emphasis.

He nodded a little. "I'm sorry Adrian." His voice was soft and more considerate than usual. Maybe he really was sorry. "I'm just lonely. I don't like not living with dad or you. I don't like being all alone."

"Then go live with father," I simply said as I began to walk back into my room and lay on my bed. Like the lost little kitty that he was, he followed, probably hoping to maybe get some sympathy out of me or something like that. I was not really the sympathetic type, but, for my brother, I supposed I could show just a little remorse.

"Dad wont let me live with him. He said I have to learn how to be independent if I was going to rule his kingdom." He gasped after he realized what he said and I turned to look at him.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything!" He seemed frantic to try and shift the tension away from his self or to act like I was hearing things. It obviously didn't work and I was angry to hear the words he had given so little thought to be uttered.

"Father is going to give his kingdom to you?" I stared on as my brother nodded slightly, backing up a little, hoping that I would not take my rage out on him. "When did he tell you this?" I said as I lay on my large bed and turned away from him. How could he do this to me? I was his firstborn son!

"A few days ago. He told me not to tell you; he said you would get mad."

"Damn straight I'd get mad! It is my right as first born to obtain whatever father leaves behind!"

"But you don't even like this place. Why would you want to rule it?"

I glanced at my brother as I gave it slight thought. I didn't want the kingdom, I didn't want to rule, and I didn't want to stay here. "It's the principle of the thing!" I yelled back at him as I pulled the covers of my bed over my body and head. "Now get out of my house!" He sat there and didn't say anything for a few minutes. That was like him, always waiting for you to tell him again, never doing it the first time. It always seemed like he enjoyed being yelled at. "Kanada," I said as my patience began to thin, "go away."

"I was thinking-"

"That's a first," I interrupted him on purpose, maybe trying to disturb him enough to go away. He growled a little, but that was about all the response I received, besides his tail whacking my bedroom floor.

"If you're going to be mean to me like that," he said in his almost cute pouting way that never worked on me, "then I'm not going to tell you what I heard about Verdae's clan."

I sat up quickly and pulled the sheet off my head at his last teasing comment. "What about it?"

"I'm not telling! You were mean to me!" He got up and turned around so his back was to me and sat back on the floor. So like him. "I'm not going to tell you until you're nice to me!"

I sighed, disgusted at my brothers' ignorance and stupidity, and got off my bed and walked over to him. "I'll give you food if you tell me."

"Food?! Really?!" He immediately turned and looked at me, his tongue hanging out of him mouth, drooling wildly. Here food was a luxury, not something everyone should receive. My father and I were the only two that were able to eat freely, and anyone we thought was noble enough to receive it. Kanada was in love with food. "Okay, I'll tell you. But only if I get food!!"

"No problem," I said with my devilish smirk. He's so gullible it's almost sad; almost.

"Okay, I was going out for a stroll among the simpletons, when I overheard some of them talking. They were saying how Verondase's clan was multiplying without orders or consent and that their borders are not going to sustain their race for much longer. Their clan needs more room for their growth; however, if he asks you for the extra room, he'd be exposed and eligible for death by breaking your laws. Thus-"

"He's stuck between a rock and a hard place." I looked down at the floor and gave it thought for a moment, then looked back at my brother. "But I thought the demons in that clan devoured their mothers after they are birthed."

"They do. But the thing is: there have been more and more births with several children. I'm sure it's mostly the work of Verondase and his elder son; Verdae is much too young to father children. Besides," he added with a sly glance and smooth words, "you have to get to him first, don't you?"

I glared down at my brother and his remark. "Do you want your food or not?" He nodded, shrinking back a little as if I were going to take away his privilege; as if I were a father about to take away the privileges of his son. "Then go tell James and make it quick. Eat as much as you like, and then leave."

His lips grew wide into a smile and his eyes lit with ecstatic glee. "Thanks Adrian!" he yelled as he darted out of the room and down the hall. I heard a few things crash, but no matter; I was in a rather happy state myself. As I sat on my bed then laid back and stared at my ceiling, I concocted an awesome plan to take Verdae into my possession. It was simple, but I was sure that it'd work rather well. And why shouldn't it? Everyone would be happy, even Verdae. It was perfect; no flaws or anything wrong that I could find. And even if something did go wrong, I was sure I would still find a way to keep Verdae. And, as I closed my eyes and slowly fell into slumber, I smiled, just a little, knowing that'd I could soon have what I wanted, and I would be happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

As I stared up at my ridiculously high ceiling on my ridiculously large bed in my ridiculously over rated home, I noticed that being separated from Verdae finally began to really hurt, and like a bitch. I longed for his scarf to be removed so I would be able to caress his luscious desirable lips that I could only dream about. I wanted to strip him down and absorb his beauty, his loveliness. I longed for him; I burned for him; I hungered for him. But my fetish proved revoked by my loneliness all too often, and it sent me into even deeper depression. I felt alone and, for the first time in my life, I hated it.

I rolled over on my side and looked out the balcony window. I was bored of sitting here and waiting for something to happen. It was making me tired, not doing anything. I couldn't just sit here and wait for Verdae to fall into my lap, though that would be nice. I rolled off the bed and fell on the floor. I landed on my face, of course. It didn't hurt that much, but hell, I fell on my face! I pushed myself up with the heals of my hands, still on my knees, and noticed a few drops of blood on the floor. I also noticed that a drop would widen the pool every two seconds or so. My face was still parallel with the ground, so I though, since I had nothing much better to do, I'd watch. It seems strange, but it was slightly enjoyable. I studied the texture and distinct color and the way the pool slightly rippled when the drop hit it. I was, for some unknown reason, astounded by it.

Eventually the drops slowed and stopped all together. I was slightly saddened, but I recovered in a mere half moment. I went to get up when it happened again. "Adrian!" I fell on my ass when he nearly ran into me. All I saw was two large yellow eyes and I had no time to think, so, yep, I fell on my ass. And it hurt a lot more than falling on my face.

"What is it?!" I yelled as loud as I possibly could, and he hid in the corner quivering like a terrified little kitten, which he was. I smirked at it. Finally he understood that I was in charge. "What is it, Kanada?" I asked slightly more calm, but still with a small growl. I wasn't going to let go of my power over him just yet, not with the way he was. Give him an inch and he thinks he's a ruler. But I was going to show him who was boss for once.

"Y-y-your," he was stuttering uncontrollably, no doubt still rattled. When I try and kill him he doesn't do this, but when I yell he breaks down like a baby. "Y-y-your-"

"Spit it out, Kanada!" Hurt, he started to cry. He made it out like I was the evilest person in the universe, like I didn't deserve to live. I sighed my harshness off and decided to act like a brother for once. I came to me for a moment that I was lucky to only have to deal with one Kanada; only one brother all together. Thank Jehovah.

I walked over to him and pulled him to his feet and gave him a good hard slap on the face to snap him out of his lament mood. "Thanks," he said with a small sniffle. "I needed that."

"I know," I responded bitterly. I'm not sure why thought, since I was being nice to him just a moment ago. "Now what the hell were you trying to say earlier?"

"Your nose is bleeding," he said as he pointed to the center of my face. I looked down to try and see, but to no avail; my nose was centered too close to my eyes.

So I let go of Kanada's arm, which I had grabbed to pull him up, and felt my nose and right below it. It felt wet, and I pulled my hand back to look at it. Sure enough, it was that deep red liquid with that same texture and same smell of the blood on the floor. I wiped what I could of it onto my hand and my brother, with out even a say so, licked it all off. I slightly scolded at him, but he seemed too preoccupied with my bodily fluids. And when he was finished with that he put his paws on my shoulders and the little bitch started to lick my face.

"Kanada," I growled as he continued to lick, "get off of me!" Before I could even comprehend it, he was out the room and down the hall. I sighed a little in my relief, and then looked at the small patch of blood that still remained on my floor. "That must have been where it was from," I muttered to myself as I felt my nose a bit. It hurt slightly, but that was all. I couldn't understand why it had bled if it hurt so little. Maybe I was slightly immune to pain or took it rather well?

I shrugged it off and walked out of my room and into the hall. I suppose all the rooms were mine, but some of them I've never even been in and are probably just consuming dust or stray demons that snuck in. And it's happened before, but James quickly dismissed them from my estate. I really didn't mind them staying; if only they had asked. However, I wouldn't even mind if Verdae didn't ask to stay.

When I entered the dinning room my little brother was sitting at the table stuffing his face with food and wine, flicking his tail forth and back in cattish glee, the fool. Our little deal had expired nearly a week ago. I watched him for a while before I purposely went over and stepped on his tail. He meowed in a loud screeching voice, half roaring, clearly in pain. He immediately grabbed his tail, cooing and cuddling it like it was a pet or something. I rolled my eyes, sighing heavily, hoping vainly that would have hammered some brains into him.

He looked up at me with his big hurt eyes and his "what did I do?" look. It didn't work on me, and I don't think that was ever a passing notion in his mind, not with the current brain cells he had. "What are you still doing at my house, Kanada?"

"I just came by to see you!" He looked as if he were near fake tears. "Why can't I come see you?" He began to cry pathetically and I rolled my eyes in disgust, unmistakably annoyed by his futility. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Because you're my brother," I purely stated as I grabbed the scruff of his neck and drug him out of my house. "Our deal expired seven days ago and you still come over to my house every day and stuff your face with my food. My food, Kanada!"

"But it's yummy!" he yelled out as if it justified what he had done. As we drew ever closer to the entrance of my beloved home, he started to yell louder and more hysterically. "Please don't throw me out, Adrian! It's not like I did anything really bad! Besides, I have more information!"

I stopped and looked at him, a brow raised. "Is that so?" I narrowed my eyes into a slight glare. "Like what?" I waited for a response, which didn't come for several moments, so I began to drag him again.

"Hey, stop it!" He struggled to get free but I held fast, not willing to let the little bastard run freely around my house when he had his own to screw up. "Come on Adrian! I just wanted to know when you were going to get Verdae!"

I looked down at him as if he were crazy since it was none of his business anyway. "Why do you care? It's not like you even know who he is!" Damn, why did he have to unbury the memories? I was doing just fine until he had to go open his big ass mouth and make me remember how goddamn hot Verdae was. His wings, his skin, his eyes, his body, every goddamn thing about him! Stupid Kanada.

"It's been seven days, Adrian! Why do you always have to wait for everything? Doesn't it get annoying?"

"Patience is a virtue, and nothing could ever be as annoying as you. Besides, I have to wait for just the right moment. If I rush in like you would it could screw everything up."

"If I liked someone I'd go get them right away. It wouldn't matter to me if I screwed something up or not. And I just wanted to know when you were going to get him. I don't want to come in and the first thing I see is you two sprawled out on the floor making love." He somewhat mutter the last part.

"Then don't barge into my room anymore!" I let go of his scruff and kicked him in the ass out the door and watched him roll down the steps into the dirt. "And, not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to get him tomorrow." I slammed the entrance door and walked back upstairs to my room and went to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

I stared at my ceiling and thought to myself briefly "if it's tomorrow, why am I still sitting in my room?" It only took a short moment for three legitimate reasons to manifest themselves in my head, the first of which was that I was nervous. It was perfectly reasonable to be, since it would be the first time I ever really got to talk to him. What if I said something wrong? Or what if I said something weird or something to piss him off? Ok I'm going to stop thinking about that one now.

The second reason was that I was worried that I might screw something up like Kanada would do. Is stuff like that hereditary? The last thing I ever wanted was to be like my brother. I wanted everything to go off perfectly, and if it wasn't perfect it could fuck up the whole plan and I didn't want my plan fucked up.

The last reason seemed to be more wedged in my mind than the other two. I could be just plain scared. Scared that I would say something wrong; scared that I would fuck something up; scared that he might not even remember or like me or want to come with me. I was scared of being rejected by him, the only person I never wanted to reject.

~~~~~~~~~~

My father had told me a lot of information in my life, that of which was most likely not true, always acting like he was a good mentor, but nothing he ever said seemed to help me out any, and this situation was no different. As I strolled along the barren desolate wasteland that I scorned so greatly with every cell of my body I ran through the things that my father told me, that I surprisingly remembered, in my head. The only thing that I could really pick out that might help me a little was being commanding and not compassionate. Shit, that was going to be tough.

As I neared the clan, and I knew I was nearing it because of the crammed hordes of uncivilized monsters that dominated and oppressed the land to make it nearly uninhabitable, I looked over the plain at the palace that wasn't nearly as large as mine and I felt the burning churning sensation in my gut knowing that I was drawing ever closer to the only thing in this perverse realm that could ease my pain and sorrow, and it excited me greatly.

As I continued to draw closer I became slightly uneasy for some strange reason, for I began to notice that the only demons I saw were female, and they gave me unwanted sexual glances. And then I remembered, for I had nearly forgotten, that the clan was predominately female. For some reason their chromosomes were mostly one sided - a male would only be born if there was a certain mutation in the cells. Like lions, there were few males and many females. The only males in the clan at all were Verdae, his brother Evangalion, and their father Verondase.

While I walked to the palace, for it couldn't rightly be called a castle, the females would all step aside to make a path for me to walk through. It slightly relieved me to know that I didn't have to fight my way through the crowd and to know that they were smart enough to notice my superior authority. It was quite evident that the clan had been expanding without orders or consent, for their numbers were quite larger than they had been when I first came here, even if that was long ago I could still recall that there wasn't this many. But I couldn't give a shit how much they fucked, as long as I got what I came for.

I noticed that as I continued to walk another path was being formed on the opposite side of the mob and was heading straight in my direction. It seemed to move faster, for I was only going at a calm walk, so I figured whoever was making the path was in a rush to great me, most likely the welcoming comity. Damn it, if only it were Verdae I could grab him just then and carry him off, but sadly I knew it wasn't. So I just continued to walk and they quickly came to me.

It was a female, and a very young attractive one at that. Her eyes, thought not as beautiful as Verdae's, were bright gold and full of life and glee instead of her sisters, whose eyes were dingy and consumed with evil sorrow and hate, pain and lust. She had leathery bat-like wings, much like mine only smaller, folded to her back. (Oh, yes, you didn't know I had wings. Well, I usually keep them hidden within my back, for I have little use for them.) Her body had deep curves and she wore a red leather strap around her neck, most likely to prove that she was owned and was not for purchase or trade and the penalty for taking someone's pet was death.

"Hello, my lord," she said as she bowed low to the ground, which I'm sure wasn't hard for she was on all fours because she had run here like that. She looked up at me and I gestured with my head for her to rise, which she did. "My name is Melee. I was sent by my masters' father to come and greet you. It seems as though he was slightly surprised to hear that you had come here, my lord."

"Yeah, just going around and making routine checkups." Yeah, that was the only thing I could come up with! You got a problem with it? "So, who's your master, Melee, was it?"

"Yes sir, you are correct. My master is prince Verdae, the younger son of my lords' two male heirs." I noticed she smiled a little when she said Verdae, but I didn't show it in my face.

"Yeah, I think I remember him," I lied smoothly. What else was I to do? Tell her I mourn and long for him more and more for every moment that passes? "Well shall we be off, Melee? I'm quite eager to see if I remember the palace any."

"Of course, my lord. It's not far, but if you mind walking I'm sure I could fly you there." She seemed enthusiastic to do whatever she could to make me comfortable, probably by orders of Verondase.

"That's alright, Melee," I said, adding a small smile to ease her worries a bit. "I really don't mind walking, and even if I did, I could fly there myself." She nodded a little and smiled back at me, much bigger though, and we both started off toward the home of the one that I'd soon put in my possession. "Hey, Melee," I somewhat muttered as we continued to walk.

She looked up at me to make sure I had said something. "Yes my lord?" Whenever she talked she sounded so innocent, kind of like Kanada, only more believable and cute.

"Why is it that there are so many females, but you're the only one I've really heard actually talk? Are the rest mute or something?" It had been bothering me for a while and I figured that I'd never know if I didn't ask.

"Oh, Verondase calls those ones lame. They aren't as smart as those that live in the palace like the lord and the princes' and I. There are very few that are intelligent enough to actually be capable of speech, and I am one of the lucky few." She seemed pleased with herself, as if she earned the right to be smarter than the other demons, and it slightly bothered me. I didn't like it when people thought they were better than others because of what they were born with or achieved.

"I see. . ." I trailed off as thoughts of my sweet darling began to fill my head one more as we approached the castle. "Melee, is Verdae kind to you?" I was itching to know because I'd be rather crushed if he just so happened to turn out like his brother after all the work I went through already to try and obtain the striking creature.

"Oh yes my lord! He is extremely kind indeed!" She seemed happy to talk about anything that involved Verdae, and from the collected evidence it wasn't hard to conclude that she had an engrossment for him, that of which slightly annoyed and angered me. "In fact," she said as she looked back up at me, "I couldn't fathom having a master any better or nicer than my lord Verdae. He's very wonderful." She blushed slightly as she uttered the last part and sighed a little, adding to her brightly colored face. It angered me even further, but I was happy to hear that he was compassionate.

~~~~~~~~~~

As we drew closer to the palace I began to notice that the crowd of demons was thinning rather rapidly and that the females closer to the garrison were looking at me differently than the ones that were farther from it. They seemed less lustful and demonic, as these seemed more knowing about who I was instead of just discerning I was better than them. They seemed much more eerie, and it was almost as if they were watching me. Their eyes were brighter like Melee's, but horrid in a way that didn't seem normal to most other demons. Most all seemed to be wearing a red leather strap around their neck also like Melee. There was something I found rather odd about them, and I didn't really care to find out or even know what it was.

We entered the main corridor, the place that I first saw the only reason I was here again. But I was sad to see that Verdae was not in there, but only his father and brother. Verondase hastily raised from his chair to great me, bowing to my feet to show his misplaced respect. It was a bother for this to happen every single time I wanted to talk to someone, but I shrugged it off.

"Master Adrian, what brings you to this lowly kingdom of ours?" He looked up at me with a wicked demonic smile that nearly sent shivers up the back of my spine. It was a rotten half smile that lied like my father, choked me like a pool of blood, and made me think of things I couldn't remember. For some reason it hurt me, but at the same time, I knew he was scared of me.

"Hello Verondase," I replied to his question as I glanced to Evangalion, whom was also smiling at me in the same way. It was a little less uneasy, for a son I suppose could never be exactly the same as his father. "I just came by to make sure your clan was doing alright. I had heard some rumors."

"Rumors, my lord? What sort of rumors?" He was very bad at trying to act like he didn't know what I was talking about. He knew very well what the rumors where, but he tried at all cost to avoid talking about them.

"Just rumors," I said as I glanced around to see if there was any trace of Verdae, which there was not. "Would you mind at all if I could speak with your sons, Verondase?" I knew that he'd say yes, since he really couldn't say no to his ruler, but I figured it'd be more polite to ask than to demand it.

"Of course I would not mind, my lord. But my younger son isn't here at the moment. Perhaps Evangalion could show you around some as you speak with him?" He seemed to want me to become interested in his older son rather than Verdae, perhaps to gain a higher authority for his clan among demon standings, since the elder son was always considered dominate over his younger siblings. That's why I became angry when Kanada opened his big mouth about father giving him his kingdom. It was my right to have it, not him. But I didn't really care if Evangalion was stronger or larger or came first, I still only wanted Verdae, and I would accept nothing else.

"Alright," I countered in response as I looked back at Evangalion again. I flirted him my wicked smile which seemed to make him a little more than happy, excited even, which didn't surprise me much. "Shall we go, Evan? Do you mind if I call you Evan?"

"Oh, not at all my lord," he said as he shook his head a little. "You my addresses me as you wish, sire." He walked over to me, flirting his sexual glance that seemed only half there in his eyes; not even half there in his heart. "Come this way," he said slyly, slightly suggestively, and he turned and glanced over his shoulder taunting me to follow, and I did, though I thought I might regret it later.

~~~~~~~~~~

"So where's your brother?" I asked as he led me back outside, around the other side of the castle that wasn't so occupied and much quieter. I liked it much better than the crowd of females.

"Verdae? Probably around here somewhere." He glanced over to me as he continued to walk and talk. "He likes to stand near the edge of the borders alone and look out over the plains. He's kind of depressing, actually." He looked up at me as we walked. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to both of you, and if he's not around I can't really talk to him." I looked down at him and our eyes met red to violet, bright to dark. "Evan," I said after a moment of us staring at each other, "do you like your brother?"

"I guess," he answered as he casually looked away and walked over to the outer wall of the bastion and ran his fingers along the stone as he walked. I walked after him, glancing down at his ass a few times, since it was there and it was rather nice. "He is my brother, and it's not like I really have a problem with him. I am a little jealous though," he said as he looked down to the ground.

"Why's that?" I adjusted my position a little to get a better look and I tried to pretend that I was listening. Well, I was listening . . . a little.

"He's better looking than me," he responded as he looked back up to see where he was going. "Father likes me more, but I'd rather be more alone like Verdae." He sighed a little as he glanced to the side. "He's lucky because he doesn't have to live up to any of father's expectations because father doesn't have any expectations of him."

I looked up to him when he said those last things, and it seemed that I could relate to him some, since that was the same way I felt about my father. My father only expected things of me because I was first born, and he cared little about what Kanada did. That was probably why he told Kanada that he'd get fathers kingdom, because he knew my brother couldn't keep it to himself. He just wanted to "motivate" me, and for some unknown reason it had worked. "Evan," I said as I stopped and he turned to look at me.

"Yes my lord? Is something wrong?"

I softly grabbed his arm and pushed him gently to the wall and placed my hand on the wall next to his head. "I know how you feel, Evan. I don't really appreciate my father obsessing over how great he wants me to be either." I put my face close to his as I continued to talk. "Evan, is there anything you want? Is there anything I can give you?"

He smiled his wicked demon smile at my question as he put his face even closer to mine. "I suppose I can think of something. Why do you ask?" I didn't notice at first, but he had slid his leg in-between mine.

"Because I need to know why there are so many females here. I need to know what Verondase has been doing." He pulled his head and leg back to where they were before I said those things and he looked away from my eyes.

"I can't. Even if I do dislike my father, if I told you I could get in trouble as well." He glanced back at me to see my reaction, but it hadn't changed.

"Evan, if you tell me, I'll protect you. No matter what you did," I said as I leaned closer, our lips almost touching, "you will by no means be in trouble. I'll make sure if it." His eyes were prettier than I had noticed, his skin looked smooth and demonically dark, his black hair hung over his face a little and his lips were red like blood and his breath smelled like it too. He was beautiful, and I felt stupid for not noticing it before.

He didn't respond and he looked a little uncomfortable, so I backed off, dropping my arm to the side and moving my face back from his. "Him and I . . . we. . . " He seemed nervous still and he looked to the side so he didn't have to see me when he talked. "We breed with the females. Verdae and I didn't think it was a good idea, but he said you wouldn't find out. He said you wouldn't care." He looked back at me, distressed and anxious, concerned that he still might get involved in the dilemma. "Verdae wouldn't do it, but father persuaded me. He said if I wanted to be a good ruler I needed to know how to reproduce. Once I did it I enjoyed it so much I became addicted. I didn't want to." He started to be come frantic. "I didn't think this would happen! I didn't think we'd get in trouble!" I covered his mouth with my hand before he could scream anything else out.

"Shut up Evan! Don't yell like that or someone is going to hear us. And if someone hears us we're both in deep shit." He nodded to show that he wouldn't shout anymore and I pulled my hand off his mouth.

"Adrian," he said softly as he wrapped his fingers around my arms, "what I really want is: you." He tenderly pressed his lips to mine in a smooth gentle kiss, his eyes closed and breathing a little hard. I don't know why, but I enjoyed it rather well, so I pushed my lips to his as well.

Some where along the line the kiss became much more passionate, and he had inserted his tongue into my mouth, and I had forced his back to the wall. As we continued to progress farther into the kiss I impulsively began to push and rub my hips to his in almost a humping motion. He and I both enjoyed it, for I could feel both our erections increase in rigidity as I continued to rub. It felt splendid, and I hoped that I'd be able to do it with Verdae soon.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Evan and I both pulled away from each other at the same time and I looked over my shoulder to make sure that the fantasies that I favored in my head for that brief moment of that person was one in the same as that who said those reproachful words. He was. Verdae; the most beautiful form in heaven or hell.

Evan peaked over my shoulder at his younger brother and smiled nervously. "Oh, hello Verdae. You remember Master Adrian, right?" Since when did I become master? "He came by to talk to us about the, um, progress of our clan." He seemed to have had a bit of difficulty finding his words for the moment, but he recovered just shy of gracefully.

"That's a strange way of talking," Verdae muttered as he glanced away from us and began to walk off. Evan followed. I stood there and watched quietly through the ordeal.

"Verdae, where are you going?"

"To the margins. I'm bored. I thought I'd go watch the wind erode my soul away." Ah, what a poet! Made me want to screw him even more.

"You shouldn't walk away from our king! It's disrespectful! You didn't even bow to him, or say hello or anything!"

The younger stopped and turned to look at his brother and stared at him for a moment, then glanced at me. His luscious eyes met mine, bright and red like fresh blood, more beautiful than the dusty desolate plains of my distorted "kingdom." They were so beautiful it nearly killed me. He looked back at his brother and utter rather smart sarcastic statement. "You're walking away from him without his consent." Damn, he was smart.

"But, I, uh. . ." Evan seemed at a loss for words, and it made me a little more content to watch him squirm under his brother's intelligence, so I didn't help him out. It just went to show that I really was my fathers' son. "Come on Verdae! Stop trying to put me on the spot in front of our Master!"

"He's not my Master," Verdae said as he turned and began to walk away again. His last statement really pissed me off, and I was unable to stand for it. It seemed that instead of Verdae liking me, as I hoped, it was Evan, the one I didn't really favor.

"Verdae," I growled as I walked over to him and grabbed his arm. He looked at my hand, then at me. He seemed a little agitated, but not enough for me to really be affected. "Though it may be slightly annoying, it's preferred you'd address me with proper respect. I am your ruler after all."

He stared at me for a moment then put his hand over my hand on his arm. "I know, Lord Adrian. I'm just a little upset. I apologize for my misconduct. May I do anything to evade your wrath for my unruly behavior?" He spoke with such dignity and grace, such thought and precision, it nearly made me melt, and it certainly made me hot. I couldn't help but smile.

"It's quite alright, Verdae." I smiled a little as I talked and he seemed a little surprised to see me do so. "But it would be nice if I could talk to you for a bit. I think I've gotten enough I need to know from your brother." I glanced over my shoulder, as did Verdae, and Evan nodded a little to clarify that he was unnecessary for me anymore. I think he knew what I really wanted, and I don't think he was very happy with it.

I looked back at Verdae and pulled my hand off his arm and he gazed back up at me. "Shall we go, Lord Adrian?" He said it so simply as if were no big deal, as if he didn't know what I wanted, and I don't think he did know.

~~~~~~~~~~

He and I walked along the border of the clan where the demons were nil and the plains stretched for what seemed like miles. The wind would blow the dust gently down the fields and swirl it up and it would disappear into the thin humid air, and it was beautiful. But not nearly as beautiful as him. He would look straight ahead and wouldn't even glance at me. It pissed me off with how much I wanted him. I hated being ignored by those whom I wanted attention from.

"Verdae." I gave a fleeting looked down at him but he kept his head straight forward and didn't react to his name. I found it rather rude, like he was ignoring me, but I figured that he was just thinking and shrugged it off. "I was wondering if there was anything you wanted or needed to tell me. I've noticed-"

"My father and brother have been mating," he stated plainly when he interrupted me. I didn't expect him to come out and say it so, but apparently he didn't feel it was worth hiding. He seemed like a very forward person by the way I observed his actions so far. It seemed like he didn't care if knowledge was out in the open. I knew that, as a ruler, something like that was very dangerous.

"I see. Apparently, you don't think they should have hidden it from me. Why's that?" I was just trying to make conversation with him. I really didn't care why he said the things he did, as long as I could hear his sweet voice.

"They broke a law. They should be punished." He looked up at me as I walked beside him. "If you knew, why haven't you punished them? Aren't you going to abide by your laws?" I smirked down at him as he said that. He obviously didn't care the way he talked to me, as long as he knew he was right. I thought it brave, and I liked it.

"There are certain circumstances in which laws do not have to be abided, such as in a certain compromise. Things can be worked out so that both parties are satisfied with the outcome. That's why I'm here. If your father and brother were put to death it wouldn't satisfy me any; in fact, it might hinder my plans." I stopped and turned toward him and he followed the gesture. "Verdae, are you happy? Do you like it here?"

"No," was his plain and unadorned answer. "I hate it here. I'd rather be rid of my father and brother and the rest of my clan or chose death than live in this desolate hole. I'd take my chances on Earth if I had to. I just want out of this place. I want to be saved."

I put my hand on the back of his head and pulled him forward, kissing his forehead. He looked at me as if I was crazy, but the expression soon left his eyes when he figured it was pointless. I smiled when he did so and pulled my hand back to my side. "Don't worry, Verdae; you'll be rid of much grief soon enough."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Verondase, I know what's been going on. I don't appreciate you going behind my back and breaking my laws. In fact, I find it very vulgar."

"I'm sorry my lord. I know that I deserve death, but I also know that you are a kind and forgiving master. Please, is there anything I can do or anything I can give to you that could ease my chastisement? I'll do whatever it takes, my lord."

"I know you will, Verondase. And, thankfully for you, there is something in your possession that I want. If you give it to me, I will not only disregard your punishment, but I will expand your borders to accommodate your new residents. But if anything like this ever happens again, consider your grave dug."

"Of course my lord! It is my word that nothing of the sort will ever cross your ears again. And as for your desires, consider them granted. Anything you want my lord, and I will do what is in my power to grant your wish."

That's right, my wish. The only wish I've ever had, and the only thing I ever wanted. If I could have my wish a reality, if I could have the thing, the person that I wanted, I'd be happy, and he could be happy, too. At, least, I think we'd both be happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

I could hear the main entrance open and James greet the new arrival. I was excited, so much so that I didn't want to get out of bed because I thought I might trip or something and make a bad first impression like Kanada would. It hurt me to think that I wasn't the first person he could see when he entered my domain. I wondered if he thought I had only done this to torment him or tear him away from his family; I wondered if he thought I didn't like him as might as I might have come on to. I wondered if he thought I didn't care.

It hurt me even deeper to think about those things. I never really understood how fragile I was until recently. I didn't want to be fragile; I wanted to be strong like father, like Kanada, like Evan, like Verdae. I wanted to be able to take care of him, but I can barely control my own emotions. How would I act if he was near me all the time? How would I be capable of holding myself back?

I grabbed my dyed royal purple bed covers and pulled them over my head so I wouldn't have to see him when he came to check in on me. I didn't yet want him to know that I wanted him. I didn't want him to see my face. I didn't want him to notice the hungry sex-craved look in my eyes. I didn't want him to look at me.

"Master Adrian," James called as he opened the threshold to my room and walked over to me. "Master Verdae is here. I told him to wait in the main corridor. Is that alright, master?"

"Yeah, whatever," I grunted from under the blanket, wrapping it tighter around my body. "I'll be there in a minute. Just get out; I need to get dressed."

"Of course master," he said as he bowed, and I know he bowed even if I couldn't see him because he always bows, and exited my room to grant me the privacy that I desired.

I pulled the quilt off me and sat up, only to make myself fall over again on my back, hanging my head off the edge of the bed. I nakedly stared up at my ceiling, no intention of getting dressed or going downstairs. I was such I moron. I had spent so much time thinking of a way to get Verdae into my possession I had given little or no thought at all of what I was going to do with him (besides fuck him) when I retrieved him. It's not like I could just go down and screw him.

"Lord Adrian?"

I nearly fell off my bed, startled at the sudden unannounced demon standing in my doorway. I quickly sat up and pulled my purple comforter over my waist and legs, hoping that he had not seen my erection that had stiffened from thoughts of fucking him, although he probably had noticed anyway. "Oh, um, hi Verdae! I thought you were going to wait downstairs. . ." I was a little egger to find out why he had come to my room and how he found it.

"I thought that maybe you'd rather have me come up here. I didn't think you should have to come to me. I asked James were your room was so I could come to you. Was I incorrect in my thinking, Lord Adrian?"

"No, uh, it's alright Verdae. I guess it doesn't really matter now," I slightly muttered as I blushed a little, still concerned about my present situation. "So, is there anything I can do or get you to make you comfortable, Verdae?"

"I don't believe so. I think I brought everything I needed from home." I think he could sense my tension, for he looked away from me and about my room. "You're chambers are very large, Lord Adrian. I didn't believe that there could be any room larger than my fathers."

"Yeah, I don't like it much. I mean, it's nice to be away from my father, but I'm kind of lonely in this huge place alone."

He looked back at me, into my eyes, and gazed deeply into me. "Isn't that why you wanted me here? So you wouldn't have to be alone?"

I was slightly startled that he'd say that and not think that I'd be offended. It seemed like he thought that I wasn't insulted by anything, which entirely wasn't the case. In fact, I was probably a lot more sensitive than he contemplated. "Well, of course that's why I brought you here. I also wanted you to be happy. Oh, and Verdae, thank you for agreeing to come stay here."

"You. . ." He seemed a little confused. "You wanted me to be happy?" He didn't seem like he believed me, and that somewhat upset me. The last thing I wanted was for Verdae to not trust me.

I wrapped the blanket around my waist, got up and walked over to him, putting my arms around his shoulders. "Verdae, I knew you weren't happy there. The last thing I wanted was you to not be happy. I couldn't stand to see you like that." I leaned over and kissed him on his forehead like I had done the day before, but his reaction was much mellower and he even put his head on my chest afterwards.

"I suppose you're right. I wasn't happy." He pulled his head off my chest and looked up at me. "Adrian," he said, gesturing down a little, "your cloth fell off." I looked down and he looked down with me, and sure enough, it wasn't there. And I did it; I made the first worst impression of my life, just like Kanada would have done. I really am a moron.

~~~~~~~~~~

"And this," I stated as I opened the door to the space across the hall from my room, "is where you'll be staying." I watched him walk in and look around the room. He seemed as if he weren't happy for some reason, and the last thing I wanted was for him to be uncomfortable in my home. "James will be bringing up your things shortly. Is there anything else I can get you?"

He turned and looked at me, staring for a moment, which made me a little uncomfortable; he then shook his head a bit in response to my question. "I'm fine, sir. But, if you don't mind me asking, aren't I the one responsible for retrieving things for you?"

I wasn't sure what to say since he was right. He was my pet now, something for me to treasure and that should do as I say; he was no longer merely an occupant of my kingdom anymore; he was finally mine for the taking. "Well, I just want to make you feel comfortable so you can serve me to the best of your abilities." Oh yeah, that was smooth. "Besides, not to sound rude or anything, but I might work you to the bone later."

"Alright," he said as he looked about the room again. "I don't mind. It's better than doing nothing all day." He was right; work was a lot better than nothing. Sometimes I wished I had some kind of work to do.

He went over to his bed and sat down, bouncing on it a few times to make sure it was sturdy, which it was. He then laid down and stared up at the ceiling, me watching him all the while. After several moments he turned his head to look at me, still staying silent all the time. For some reason, to me it seemed like he was inviting me to come lay with him, but I felt hesitant to go any closer to him in such a position in case I lost control of my senses; but the craving was still there and it was hard to ignore. "How is it?" I asked to just try and make conversation.

"It's nice," he replied with what seemed like such a small unnoticed smile. "It's comfortable and soft, but nice and firm." His speech didn't really seem to help my present situation much, but I tried as hard as I could to ignore the suggestiveness in his words that were probably only in my head. "Adrian?"

"Uh, yes Verdae?" It took me a moment to recess from my delusional state, but thankfully the time-lapse wasn't long enough to be noticed by the demon, though he did give me a slightly odd look and I did feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Are you feeling alright? Your face looks a little red."

"I'm fine, Verdae." I looked away, blushing madly. I couldn't help it; he was so damn beautiful! And the way he looked at me, though probably not intentional, was so seductive and addictive that I craved to take him where he laid.

"If you say so," he said as he added a small sigh and sat up a little. "Is there anything I can do for you? I'd be happy to serve you, since it is my job and all." Though it was a chore, he made it sound as if it were something enjoyable. I suppose he thought if he were going to work he might as well be happy to do so.

"No, I think I'm fine for now. Thank you for asking, though." I smiled a little but he looked slightly puzzled. Did I say something wrong? Was there something on my face? What did I do!?

"Thank you? What does that mean?" At first I thought he was kidding, but the dazed confused look on his face was certainly not that of a kidder.

"It means I appreciate the gesture. I'm appreciating you for asking me if I wanted anything. Didn't anyone every thank you for anything?"

"I don't believe so," he said as he laid back down on the bed, running his hand through his hair very sexily as he stared at me some more. I wondered why he did so, because it seemed that he was only trying to tempt me. "Do you want to come and sit with me?"

"Sure," I smiled a little as I replied and walked over to the bed. How did he know? I hope he can't read minds.

I sat on the bed and he came closer to me so that he was barely anything length away from me at all. Quite unexpectedly, he leaned over and put his head on my shoulder, his soft ebony hair gently grazing my darkly tanned skin, though I was still a little anxious to have his scarf removed and to see how wonderful he would look in his human form; but he felt so warm and smelled so good I didn't really care at the moment. I was quite content being with him like that for the moment, and I was glad to know I didn't have to force him to.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Here is your food Master Adrian," James said as he sat the carved stone platter down on the table near my bed as he bowed a little. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Master?" I hated the way he always called me master; it sat heavily on my nerves, but I would never tell him that. If I did he might become upset.

"Yes James, there is something else you can do for me." I sat up from my laying position on my bed and looked at my senior slave as he stood and awaited his orders like a good little mage. "Would you be so kind as to go give Verdae some food? I'm sure he'd be exhausted after his long trip here, and I wouldn't want him to think poorly of us just yet."

"Of course, Master," he said, surely bowing once again as usual, and exited the room.

I looked over at my food in detainment. There were several demons out there much more powerful and deserving of the privilege than I was, and it angered me to know that they went hungry every day and every night. I grabbed the platter and went over to my balcony, tossing the thing off into the distance, the food flying with it. I watched as several demons from the closest clan ran across their borders and fought ravenously over the scraps of food. It was pathetic, and for some reason, I felt sorry for them; I felt as if I should do something to help them more.

"Lord Adrian?"

I almost fell off the balcony, much as before when he walked in on me when I was laying on my bed. Why did he keep doing that? I turned and looked across the room at my beautiful pet whom still seemed half asleep. "Yes Verdae, what is it?"

"James woke me. I'm sorry; I didn't realize I had fallen asleep on you. I apologize." He seemed sorry for sleeping on my shoulder, which I very much enjoyed as I had sat there for a very long time and listened to him breathe, and wanted some sort of discipline or telling-to for what he had done, but I didn't seem it necessary.

"Oh, it's very alright, Verdae. I knew you'd be tired from your trip, so I don't think I'll hold it against you." I turned away from him and looked out over the dry fields that surrounded my castle in all directions, gray and cracked.

I could hear his light footsteps as he crossed the smooth, dark, deep black marble floor to my balcony doors. He crossed the door thresh and stood next to me and stared out at the plains with me. "Is it like this everywhere," he asked as he looked at me with his bright crimson eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much." I tried not to look back at him, for I knew that if I did I would have been overcome by shear emotion and fuck him right there. "It's not really easy to get used to something this I suppose. It's hard to think that there isn't anything better out there."

"But isn't there?"

I looked over at him, a bit surprised to say something like that, and I didn't comprehend it right away. "Isn't there what?"

"Something better. Isn't heaven better? Or even Earth? I heard somewhere that Earth is very beautiful." He looked out over the fields again as he continued. "I wouldn't want to have to live here for the rest of eternity merely waiting for God to come and smite us just for what our forefathers did. If I'm going to live a long life, I don't really want to live here."

I turned toward him and, despite my fears of rejection, I put my arm around him and pulled him as close as he'd allow to my chest, which, I was happy to say, was rather close. He looked up to me and I finally noticed that he was at least a head shorter than me. He didn't seem to mind that much, though. I tried to pull his scarf away but when I did he looked away from me and I wanted to know why. "Verdae, can I kiss you?"

He looked back up at me, slight nervousness hidden in his eyes. "I don't want you to see me. I . . ." He hid his head away on my shoulder so I couldn't look at him, and it seemed to make him feel a little better. "I don't look the way everyone thinks I look; I'm not that beautiful."

I gently laid my hand on the back of his skull and tilted his head up so that he could see me once more. "You are that beautiful if I say you are, no matter how badly you think of yourself." I took his scarf and pulled it off, finally revealing his entire face with only one major flaw. A large broad scar ran from the edge of his lips all the way to his ear with two smaller noticeable ones on each of its sides. But if it wasn't for that he would have been perfect. "Is that all?" I smiled a little to try and ease his distress but it didn't seem to help much. "That will be an easy task to take care of. You shouldn't worry so much."

"I . . . shouldn't?" He looked with his bloody eyes into my violet ones for comfort, and I tried my best to reassure him, for it really wasn't that big of a deal. I still thought he was beautiful no matter what. He smiled back at me a little and, to my much pleasured surprise, he leaned up and kissed me softly on the lips.

I blushed madly, of course, and did what I could to try and divert the attention from my redding face. "So, how did this happen?"

"My brother hit me."

I clenched my free fist in deep anger after he had scarcely uttered the words. I didn't want to hear of anyone hurting my Verdae. "Why did he hit you? Did you hit him back?"

"We were in a fight, and no, I did not hit him back. My father would have my head if I even made my brother break a nail. He likes my brother more than me. I guess that's why he got you to let him stay."

What? "What? What do you mean 'let him stay'?"

"Evangalion said that you really wanted him to be your slave but father bargained with you for me instead of him." That selfish rat! I should have his head for that! "I really don't mind; I was just happy to get away from that place; but Evangalion seemed rather upset. I think he wanted to go with you instead of me."

I began to laugh for I just couldn't hold it back any longer. To me, it seemed all too funny. "Verdae," I said between small snickers, "I didn't want your brother."

"You didn't?" He seemed slightly confused.

"No. I asked for you, not him. I didn't even consider taking him for a slave."

"Then why did he say those things?" He seemed as puzzled as ever.

"Because he was jealous of you. He wanted to come live with me, and since you were the one coming instead, he made a story up so you'd feel bad and tell him to go in your place. That or it just made him feel better thinking that I really wanted him instead."

"So, you really wanted me, not him?" I nodded a little in response for I didn't think I could talk clearly anymore with the fits of laughter I was having. "Why?"

"Because I like you, Verdae," I answered with a small smile. "And, even if your brother is good-looking, he doesn't hold a candle to you." I leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. "I want you, Verdae, and no one else."

He stared at me for a moment, not sure what to say, then, without so much as a warning, he suddenly pressed his lips hard to mine and we shared our first, and one of my favorite, passionate kiss. It was the most enjoyable and tasteful thing I had ever done and ever will do.

~~~~~~~~~~

"So how was it?" my brother asked as his tail wagged steadily as he sat at the foot of my bed and waited impatiently for me to respond.

"What makes you think we did anything," I asked as I slipped my shirt on. For some unknown reason it was unusually chilled this morning and I had picked the long shirt made of wool because of it.

"You two were standing on the balcony kissing," he said as I looked over at him and his tail began to twitch a little more rapidly. "And quite passionately I might add," he included with a wink.

"And how would you know that? I heard that you were at a festival, in honor of you I might add, yesterday all day." I went over to the mirror and combed my hair with the brush that my father had given me at my enthronement made of small bones that he had retrieved from what we referred to at the "surface realm," or Earth, as a gift for my new home. Even if he wasn't a good father he did still try to make my brother and me happy.

"You might add it, but you won't." I glanced back at him but his stupidity was too great to bear and I looked back in my mirror. "Adrian, do you love Verdae?" The question seemed to come out of nothing.

"I don't know," I responded without turning around. "I think I do, but I never loved anyone before so I'm not sure." Demons never know what love is; it is something they lost when my father caused their descent from heaven. Demons are almost bare of emotion; no one loves me, they respect me.

"Did you sleep with him yet?" he asked as he watched me walk over to my balcony and close the doors as to not let out the heat.

"No, I didn't. I thought I told you that already."

"No..." He lied.

"Yes I did you loser," I called him as I heard a knock on the door. I went and opened it and, to my delighted surprise, it was Verdae. "Oh, hello Verdae. Is there something you needed?"

"I thought I heard you talking about me and wondered if there was something you needed from me." I just loved the way my sweet Verdae talked.

"There sure is! Your virgi--!" Kanada yelled out of turn at Verdae as I stepped on his tail. He responded with a loud shrieking ear shattering cry.

"I beg your pardon?" Verdae seemed slightly confused at my brothers' comment and sought enlightenment. "Master, is this giant feline your pet?"

I blushed slightly as I smiled at his adorable question while my brother held his injured tail. "No, this is my younger brother," I replied as I gestured to the overgrown kitten. "His name is Kanada. He's the ruler of the neighboring kingdom to the southeast of us."

"Oh, I see," Verdae remarked as he watched my brother and his questionable antics. "Then why is he here in your kingdom?"

"I've asked myself that several times," I answered as we both watched Kanada together. He didn't seem too happy about it.

"Why are you staring at me?!" he yelled as he ran out of the room. We both slightly snickered to ourselves as we heard him scream all the way down the hall until we couldn't make out the noise anymore.

We both looked at each other at the same time and I noticed that he blushed a little. I smiled at walked over to him, inspecting his scars. I ran my fingers along them gently, happy to be able to touch his soft silky skin freely. "There's a spell I know of that could take care of this easily," I remarked as he continued to stare at me. "But I'm not that good with spells. James is a mage, though; I'm sure he could do it without a problem."

"That would be nice," he smiled as he put his hand over mine. "But could you do it? I don't want anyone else to know."

I nodded and kissed his forehead. "I understand. I'll try; but if I turn you into a frog or something it isn't my fault," I added with a smile. He looked puzzled again.

"What's a frog?"

~~~~~~~~~~

"This is a frog." I pointed to the picture in the book my father had made of all the animals that lived on Earth, from the flying creatures of the heavens to the crawling ones of the ground. The book was extremely large and contained every animal that had stepped food on the ground since the beginning of the Earth's creation. However, I always wanted to see them in their flesh.

The pages also contained detailed profiles on each animal. Verdae seemed rather interested in them and flipped through each page and studied every picture carefully. But he had not been educated enough to read, so he asked me to read the names and the profiles for him. I happy did so and explained to him points that he seemed bewildered with. However, he enjoyed it nonetheless.

"This one looks like your younger brother," he pointed to a picture of a lion and it did look remarkably like Kanada. If it had his large silver wings and the gemmed crown on its head it would be very hard to tell them apart except that the lion would be much smarter.

"I guess that does look like him," I admitted as I leaned over him slowly and smelled his hair just a little before he noticed. I don't think he would have minded anyway.

"What's this one?" He pointed to the drawing of a tan large-eared black-backed long-snouted bushy-tailed medium-sized canine. For some reason I had a thought of deja vu.

"The book says it's a jackal." I hadn't really looked at the book thoroughly, for animals didn't interest me much, so I had never really noticed this particular specimen before. For some reason, it reminded me of my demon form.

"What sort of animal is that?"

"A canine; they live in packs together and either scavenge or hurt, depending on what sort of food there is."

"It's a very pretty animal," he stated as he pet the picture a little.

"I guess." For some reason, this seemed to me to be a particularly interesting animal.

At that moment James ran into the room panting hard as if he had rushed to get here. "Master Adrian," he started as he tried to regain his breath, "near the borders, the clan of mages..."

I quickly stood and went over to him, grabbing his arms to keep him from shaking so much. "There's a rebellion of the mages at our borders near your fathers kingdom. They demand a meeting with you immediately."

I looked to Verdae and he nodded to approve that he would be fine by himself. I turned back to James and let go of his arms. "Then I'll go. Make sure no one besides me comes in unless they have my direct orders." He nodded and I walked out of my room.

~~~~~~~~~~

As I flew I pondered why it was so eerily and chillingly cold out that day and I realized that it was probably the mages' magic. Mages were very powerful demons that at one point had a very high standing in heaven, but were recognized little; that is why the joined the battle for the throne, for my father had promised them much power when he ruled the scarred realm. They were very angry at my father and his empty promises when they lost the battles and were cast down to their current position. Most of the mages were very aged and some were older than my father and those were the ones that doomed their children to a life of little if any meaning; and I knew that most of the seniors were much stronger than me. There were very few that were stronger than me and hardly none stronger than my father. I was worried that these mages might end me in their rage.

As I approached I saw fierce battles going on in the region below me. There were mages verses other demons that I had not even a recollection of. I knew that such demons existed no where in my kingdom. From my elevated position I could see a young female mage being harassed and having a very difficult time with several of the unidentified demons. She seemed utterly defenseless and I was not doing to have her death be placed on my yoke.

I swooped down and grabbed her arm, kicking the closest demon near me and flying her to a safer place. She was in a mad and frightened fit, thinking that maybe she was still being attacked. She scratched at my face and chest and struggled to get away from my grasp, refusing to open her eyes, but I held her still. "Mage!" I screamed at her, trying to get her attention, "Sister! Open your eyes and look at me! You have to tell my why this battle is regarding!"

She cracked one of her eyes open and glanced at me. It took her several moments to realize who I was, but when she did she quickly bowed. "Lord Adrian! I'm sorry I scratched you! I was afraid you were one of those demons!" She seemed very upset about hitting me and for another reason that I wasn't sure of.

"Sister, you must tell me, why is this battle taking place? Who are you fighting?"

She didn't respond at first but stood up and stared at me. "You, milord." Her response bewildered and shocked me, and I had no idea what she was talking about and I believe she saw it in my face. "My father, the lord of the clan," she continued as I listened on in disorientation, "is angry about all the laws and restrictions you have set on our clan alone."

"That's a lie!" I nearly screamed at her. "I have passed nearly none if any laws since I obtained my office. I haven't even been here." Before I was able to continue there was a loud explosion to the west of us near the castle. Not before yelling "Father!" did the girl dart away and toward the cloud of dust and smoke. "Wait, sister!" I called after her as I proceeded to chase. The witch took to glistening light blue feathery wings and I had no chance to follow on foot so I also flew.

We approached the castle that now had a large section of it destroyed. She ran into the building, into the large maze-like passages, and I pursued as closely as I was able. "Sister, wait!" I called after her. She was running too fast to wait and I nearly lost her several times when she turned into a new corridor.

She finally stopped at the entrance of a large room where there were several older mages and even more unidentified demons fighting each other. Such a sight set a fiery rage in me to know that these demons were fighting because they thought they were fighting me. I couldn't stand to see battles that I had nothing to be with being taken out in my name.

"That's enough," I growled under my breath as I saw the girl go after the fiends to save her father and blood being spilled with every slice of a mages' sword. I couldn't stand and didn't want to see this vulgar sight any longer. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" Everyone stopped to look at me after I yelled and, when I was finally recognized by the unknown demons, they scattered quickly out of the room like a gun was fired into a crowd of humans. Any that came close enough to me I slashed with long claws taking a few parts of their bodies off some of them.

When they had all cleared out I looked at the mage that was being helped up by the girl that I had saved earlier; experience was no match for numbers and youth. "Now," I started as the ex-angel looked up at me, "I want to know what's going on here, and I want to know now."

~~~~~~~~~~

"That's preposterous!" I stood, bringing my fists down hard on the table. "I have only been to this clan once! How dare you accuse me of unjustly treating your people!"

"You have sent several representatives under your command in your pusillanimous place to make defiant sure that new and strict laws are being taken out on our people. Unjust laws for our people and our people only!" He paused to make sure his point came across. "You have sent several soldiers to battle any rebels if they refuse to abide by these new laws! And now, since there are several rebels, you have sent a war against us to destroy us!"

"I have done no such thing!" I don't know why I was yelling; I knew that the thing he was saying wasn't true so I wasn't sure why I was raising my voice. I also didn't understand how they thought that I was the one sending out demons that I had never seen before. "I have passed very few, if any, laws since I obtained my position and they have been over my entire kingdom!" I was using that word like it was true now. "I have never seen these demons before in my life, and I assure you, I hath not sent them!"

"Liar!" one of the mages in the crowd yelled at my statement. There was much murmuring after him and I felt they were convinced that I was to blame for their dead and injured. Several spoke up calling me "hypocrite," "murderer," "liar," and "bastard." It was difficult, but I kept my tongue and temper. The way they said those things mad my chest hurt; I was none of them and yet they still provoked.

"That's enough," the elder called to the crowed before turning to me again. "They have all stated upon entrance of our clan that they were sent directly from your palace, Lord Adrian; they have all had documents singed by you; they have said all orders are directly from you. Who are we to believe? Your family has been well known for being liars. How do we know that you aren't deceiving us at this moment?"

"Because I am not like my father." I growled under my breath when he said those things. I was not happy to be compared with my father; even thought of as the same family. I didn't want to hear this old geezer speak anymore. "I saved your daughter, you ungrateful low-level demon!"

"It's true, father," the girl spoke up as she turned to the old man. "He saved me from the soldiers. He wouldn't have saved me if he wanted us all to perish."

"And how do we know he's not toying with us?" The elder never once looked at his daughter; he never once took his eyes away from me. I found it very disrespectful to her.

"I would not toy with my subjects," I slightly rumbled in spite at the old man. "I told you before, I am not like my father; I find no joy in tormenting people for my own twisted pleasure. In fact, I find it rather immature," and I added with a smirk, "quite the same way I find you, my dear elder."

He scowled at me fiercely with deep resentment in his heart. He sought to exert the hatred he still felt for my father on to me instead, even if I had nothing to do with his pain. I knew very well that this fallen angel could kill me at the swipe of his claws, but, for some reason unknown to my conscious, I was not frightened at all; in fact, I felt rather confident that he wouldn't do something stupid like that. "If you're going to be disrespectful like such then perhaps I should have a word with your father."

He was so stupid. "Don't you see, you old geezer? My father is the one that set those bonds on you in the first place! I have to reason to antagonize this clan but he does, and you know that. You're just too prideful and stubborn to admit you were wrong, just like before."

He cringed and scowled at me even more cavernous, probably feeling even deeper agitation towards me. "It is known that you were the one whom sent out the demons to overpower our clan because you don't want us to practice our magic. That's the only reason you set those unjust restrictions. Your father has no reason to do such."

"That isn't true and you know it!" I was becoming quite annoyed at this point. "I happen to know that my father and you have been in fierce debates in the past. He's afraid to lose power to anyone that he knows he can't manipulate and he knows he can't manipulate you!"

"That's enough!" the old man yelled. "If you insist on restricting our freedom to practice our spells and gain strength then we will go somewhere else to carry out rituals." Why was he acting this way? Why wouldn't he believe me? Why wouldn't he listen to me?

"Fine," I almost muttered under my breath as I slowly sat down. "Fine, you can leave." I heard the demons speaking with each other with slight fear in their voices. "Take your clan and leave this realm. Go to Earth; live among the humans. I'm sure they'd just love to get their god to annihilate each and every one of you."

I could hear him growling under his breath; he was not happy with me at all. "Then we will go! All of us!" Why was he doing this? "Our father would not betray us as you may think."

"F.Y.I. old man: he already has; in fact, you're the ones who betrayed him. It was your decision to turn around and fight him just because you wanted recognition." I glared as I muttered "people like you make me sick."

"Fine," he glared back, "we're going." He looked to his people. "We're going!" he repeated as if none of them heard him. They stood silent as they listened to their king; for them it was hard to understand what he was trying to accomplish; in fact, I wasn't sure myself.

"But father," the daughter spoke up, "we can't go to the surface realm; it is dangerous. What if the angels--"

"Silence, Sheba! Do not lecture your father!" The way he talked to her angered me deeply. A father should not agitate his child in such a way. "All of us will leave despite any of your misplaced concerns." There became loud murmuring from the crowds and it was apparent that several, if not all, of his subjects were not in agreement of his plans.

"It looks as if they don't agree with you, elder," I smirked as he glared at his people. There were always two possible outcomes of stating the obvious: the first was you'd look stupid and the second was that you'd look arrogant; I'd rather look arrogant than stupid and I did. "Perhaps you should go on your own." At that moment I noticed six more mages step forward and come toward the elder.

I watched them as they whispered to themselves as if they were trying to keep secrets from everyone else. I knew who they were, some of the most powerful demons in our entire realm and some of the oldest. They were wise and formidable foes, but I hadn't the patience to deal with them today. "Alright," he elder said as they all stood and looked at me. "The seven of us shall leave. My daughter will be taking command for me." What did he think he was doing? "We will leave in peace. Thank you for allowing us to have an audience with you, Lord Adrian." He's thanking me now? "Farwell, Lord Adrian."

~~~~~~~~~~

It felt much warmer as I began to walk home and I wasn't so sure if I liked it that way; I was thoroughly sick of it being humid all he time. I slowed my pace slightly when I heard footsteps running after me. I finally turned to see who it was. The young female was chasing after me as if she wanted something so I stopped and waited for her until she caught up to me.

"Master Adrian," she stated, panting some, "about my father, I'm very sorry for what happened. You must be very angry for having to come all the way out here when it really had nothing to do with you. I just wanted to make an apology for my father. He can be very prideful sometimes. He's just been fooled so many times by your father that he's a bit weary of you, too."

I smiled at her words; her beauty and grace were as much of an apology as I needed. "It's quite alright. Sheba, was your name?" I hadn't really noticed how beautiful she was until presently. Most demons had adopted a more hideous form after they were forced into this realm but mages were the few creatures that had kept their angelic beauty; this girl was no exception.

"Yes master, my name is Sheba." She bowed after she responded.

"You don't have to apologize, Sheba; it's not your fault, it's your ignorant father. Has he left already?" I was hoping so; I didn't want that bastard to reside in my kingdom any longer.

"Yes, he left rather quickly. Was there something you wanted to say to him?"

Yeah, I wanted to set a curse on him so that if he doesn't praise God in glory for the spells that he is able to perform then they would turn on him and kill him. "No, not really; I just wondered."

"Oh, I see." She paused a moment like she was thinking about something to talk about to keep me there. "So, are you going to go back to your castle now, Lord Adrian?"

"Yeah," I replied as I turned and began to walk again. I didn't really want to stay. "I have to go home and feed my pet." I really loved referring to Verdae as my pet. I longed to return home quickly so I could see his beautiful eyes and gorgeous face.

"I see," she said as he followed me for a few steps. "Then I shouldn't keep you." I stopped and looked at her. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Master Adrian." She turned and began to walk back to her castle.

"Sheba," I called after her. She looked at me and I gestured for her to come back over, to which she obeyed. I gently grabbed her chin and tilted her head up, leaned over and kissed her lips softly. I could feel her face get hot with embarrassment but I knew that was what she was waiting for. I stopped after several moments and smiled sweetly at her. "If you want to, Sheba, you can come by my house if you ever have any free time." The only reply I received was a nod. "Goodbye Sheba." There was still only a small nod and I let go of her chin and flew home.

~~~~~~~~~~

I opened the front door and the first wonderful sight I beheld was my beautiful darling pet curled up and sleeping quietly on the floor near the entrance. He was such a stunning spectacle to behold that I nearly fell victim to my emotions. I kneeled next to him and pet his hair gently as I stared at him. I had longed to be with him the entire time that we were apart and I was finally content after being gone for over two wretched days. I wondered how he felt and why he was sleeping on the floor and not in his room.

At that moment James walked in. "Oh, Master, your home," he nearly whispered as he walk to the two of us. "He's been sitting there and waiting for you to return for almost a day now. He must have finally gotten exhausted and fallen asleep. I told him that he could just wait in his room for you and that you'd probably go to his room as soon as you returned but he said he wanted to be here and make sure that you hadn't gotten wounded in any of the fighting."

What James said made my heart ache for some reason; I didn't think that Verdae would have worried about me. I slid one of my arms under his back and the other under his legs and lift his up. He moaned and turned a little but that was about all the response I received. James watched as I took my darling upstairs and into my room.

I set him down on the bed where he opened his eyes just enough to look at me. I smiled at him sweetly and kissed his forehead before covering him up with my dark royal purple crushed velvet blanket. He smiled back at me for a moment before whispering "welcome home, Lord Adrian." To hear those sweet considerate hospitable words being uttered gently from his luscious lips mad me feel this strange warmth inside that only he could compose. But concern quickly consumed his face. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head a little but still smiling all the while. "I'm fine Verdae. You shouldn't worry about me, I'll be alright. Besides, if I can take care of you I'm sure I can take care of my own self."

He smiled more and slowly sat up. "I was worried that you'd be badly injured or something and might not come back at all." He was worried that he might have to go back home.

"Verdae, you should lay down; you're tired and you need your rest."

"It's alright milord," he responded as he put his head on my chest. "I can take care of myself, too. You are not the only one." He shivered a little and pushed his body closer to mine seeking warmth and comfort.

I put my arms around him and pulled his as close to me as I could; it was still cold outside and in for some reason. "You can sleep in my bed tonight, Verdae. It's much warmer and much more comfortable." He shook his head and I could feel his face getting slightly warm and flushed.

"No, it's alright, I'll be fine," he stated in protest that wasn't going to work. "It's your bed and you should sleep in it."

"That's right, it is my bed. And I think you should sleep in it tonight. It's too cold for you to be sleeping in that deathbed. I want you to live past the night, you know, and that thing will chill you to the bone."

"But I don't want to deprive you of you luxury, sire." He tried to stand but I held him close to me; I wasn't really for him to leave me yet, I had missed him far too much for that.

"Than we can share the bed," I compromised as I laid him back down and pulled the blanket back over his chest.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Nah, the bed is big enough for at the most five; I'm sure I can make due with another body sleeping next to me." Besides, I wanted him with me. "You just relax and try to sleep while I change, alright?" He nodded and closed him eyes, cuddling up to the large pillow. I couldn't help but to stare at him for several moments before I took off my clothes and joined him in the bed. He had already fallen asleep but was still shivering often. I found this was the perfect opportunity and excuse for being close to him so I put my arm around the boy and cuddled up to him. I could smell his soft ebony hair, feel his smooth flawless skin, hear his heart gently beating, and sense his warm breath on my bare neck as I laid there and listened to him breath and for those few hours that I was awake I was for once finally happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

"James," I called as I slipped my silky black robe over my back and on shoulders. "Have you prepared my bath yet?" I was itching for a good warm bath after being gone for those few days and I demanded it immediately.

"It's almost ready, my master," he replied from the bathroom as he continued to draw the water. Water was hard to come by in place and I was lucky to have more than enough for a bath.

"Good." I slightly growled but I wasn't sure why. I just needed something to relieve my stress and a bath was the perfect way to do such. I looked back at Verdae whom was still sleeping peacefully on my large luxurious bed. I so badly wanted to take him with me into the hot steamy water and wash over his entire muscularly ripped body. But all those thoughts were just wet dreams.

I panicked when I saw him stir and quickly pulled the robe tightly around my waist. He opened his eyes and looked up at me. All I could do was blush and smile. "Good morning Lord Adrian," he greeted as he sat up and waited for a response. I just stared as I watched the blanket slide off his chest. He was still wearing a shirt but that wasn't how my mind saw it. "Lord Adrian?"

"Hu? Oh, yeah! Right! Good morning!" I'm such a fucking dumbass. "Did you have a good rest Verdae?" Would you like to take a bath with me?

"Yes I did," he replied with a smile. "I'm sorry I feel asleep on you again. I'll try not to do it anymore." I was happy to see him smile like that at me and no be worried about his scars. That reminded me that I had to get that spell to get rid of them. I should have done it when I was at the mages clan.

"That's good." Would you like to take a bath?

"Excuse me for asking, but what is that for?" He pointed to my robe and I blushed but had no idea why. I must be really stupid.

"It's my robe. I was about to go take a bath." Do you want to join me?

"Oh. You must be very wealthy to have enough water to take baths."

"Yeah, I guess." I blushed some more; I couldn't figure out why he made my heart beat so fast or why my face turned red when I talked to him. "Verdae?" Would you like to come with me?

"Yes, Adrian?"

"Do you...umm..." I had said it in my head so many times but I had no idea how to say it aloud. "Would you like to...umm..."

"Lord Adrian?"

"Will you take a bath with me?!" Why did I have to say it like that?

He stared at me blankly for several seconds as if I had said something horribly wrong or incredibly stupid and I felt like I had. "Alright," he answered as he stood. "I'd be very flattered and pleased to bathe with you, Lord Adrian." He smiled, just a little at me, then turned and began to strip off his clothes.

My face flushed madly and I turned away from him hoping that he wouldn't look at me and notice. "Well, I'm going to get into the bath. It's just a few doors to the right. If you need a robe you can ask James."

"Yes, Lord Adrian," he replied as he began to slide off his outer garments and I quickly left the room to escape the temptation, though I knew that there was much more to come in the several minutes that followed.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was already stripped and in the tub when he entered the room in my purple satin robe. He looked utterly scrumptious, though he seemed hesitant to remove the garment.

"Is something wrong, Verdae?"

He looked up at me and shook his head just a bit. "I just can't retain my wings in my body the way you can, Lord Adrian, and I'd rather that they'd not become wet because it takes very long for them to dry." I really didn't have much to say to that so I let him continue. "If you don't mind, do you think I could alter into my human form?" I thought he'd never ask.

"Of course you can." I had been itching to see how beautiful he looked. "I myself usually stay in my human form. I really don't like the way my demon form appears." I looked away as he undressed so as to not make him more embarrassed.

"I'm sure you look very stunning, Lord Adrian." His comment, though extremely flattering and wonderful to hear coming from his lips, had very little truth to it. I wasn't beautiful at all, but I didn't want him to know that; I didn't want him to think of me as ugly.

"So, which form do you like better: your human form or your demon form?" I glanced back at him as he tried to get into the black marble bathtub while still trying to cover his self. But I mostly noticed how beautiful he was.

"I think I like my human form better; it is much easier to manage." His hair, still blacker than black, was slightly shorter, at least enough to be noticed. His red eyes still seemed to glow, but in a completely different why that seemed indescribable. They glowed with light instead of darkness, love instead of lust, pleasure instead of pain, necessity before desire. They were gorgeous. And his skin, it had lost its dark tint and seemed much whiter in contrast to his black hair which made his entire essence seem to be ever more prominent. His bodily features were much like mine but I was proportionally larger in stature and body build. He was "skinny" but still kept his muscular tendencies. My muscles were much more defined and noticeable and I was slightly taller, too. I also noticed that the scars were gone.

"If you want to, Verdae, you are welcome to stay in that form."

"Maybe I will..." He voice was deeper, too.

He was finally able to slide in and he sat across from me blushing slightly. He was looking down at the water seemingly avoiding my gaze as if he was embarrassed to see my reaction to his naked flesh. But, to me, staring at him was like gazing at the reddest most beautiful rose in all eternity. "Is something wrong, Verdae?"

He glanced at me and shook his head, "no, it's just that I took a bath with my brother once a long time ago when I was very young..."

"And?"

He shook his head again as if trying not to think about something. "It's nothing important." I was not convinced. "You can just forget that I said anything." It was not a very satisfying response. "I am sorry for bringing it up."

"Well, you have intrigued me now, Verdae, so I beseech of you, tell me."

This was the third time that he had shaken his head and I was becoming more than a little suspicious. "It really is nothing at all, Adrian. I'm sorry that I deluded you like that." He wasn't answering me in the way that I wanted.

"If it's nothing than you shouldn't have much of a problem telling me," I smirked thinking that I had caught him with that. "So why don't you just tell me, Verdae?" He sat there silently as he stared at the water, taking a moment to glance up at me once or twice. It slightly agitated me. "Verdae?"

"I am sorry, but I really don't feel comfortable talking about it."

A light went on in my head, my heart began to ache and the hairs on the back of my neck stood erect when I understood what he was trying not to say but still wanted me to know and, at this point, I was very much starting to hate Evan. I grinded my teeth and growled lowly unable to control my anger, but I hoped and didn't think that he noticed. I felt like my father. "Verdae, you must tell me: what did Evangalion do to you?"

"I can't," he turned away to avoid me but I would not have it, not now, not when this was so important. "I can't talk about it."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him to my chest. "I will not accept that as a response!" That bastard. "Tell me what he did to you!" How could he hurt my Verdae like that?

"Please don't make me say it." He sounded so scared. I wasn't going to hurt him; I was going to kill his brother. "I don't want to say it." His faced was flushed and very hot. Perhaps I was coming down on him too hard when I should have been stabbing my claws through Evangalion's throat.

I softened my voice and kissed his head taking in a breath of his shorter and even softer hair. "I'm not angry with you Verdae; what happened was, in no way, your fault. It was your brother that did whatever it was and you are not responsible for his actions; only he is." I pulled him close to me as he put his head on my shoulder like he had those few nights ago when he had fallen asleep on me. "I just want you to be happy and you can't be happy with thoughts like that lingering in the back of your mind. You need to talk to someone."

He didn't respond for several seconds as he pulled away slowly and looked off to avoid me. "He touched me between my legs. He grabbed me and groped at me." I sensed an extreme amount of hidden tension in his usually soft and quietly gentle voice. "He kissed me, too. He slid his tongue into my mouth." He clenched his fist under the water and ground his teeth like I had done. "I didn't know what to do; I felt so helpless. I told my father but he said I 'should let Evangalion do what he wants; he's going to be your king one day.' It made me so angry. It's like the only person he cares about is my brother. I'm not important at all."

I know how you feel. "I think you're important." I put my arms around the back of his neck and pulled him into my lap. "I care about you, too. Verdae," I kissed his lips softly, "I would not mistreat you like that and I'm not going to let anyone else do it either." I promise I won't hurt you. "I'm not going to let you go back to that. I'm not going to let you be abused like that. You're going to stay right here with me forever, and I'm never going to let you go." I will never let you go.

His fingers gripped my hair as he pulled himself farther to me. He was so warm. At that moment I didn't really care if I never got to fuck him or if this was the closest that we would ever be to each other again. I did not care if this was the end of eternity. In fact, I wanted everything to end right at that moment because then I would have died happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know why I always stared at my ceiling for it was not really all that interesting, but I did it anyway. I was thinking about putting something up there so I could at least have a reason to look up there, but alas, I had nothing. Perhaps I could tie Verdae up there.

I had owned him for over a month now, but we barely talked at all after our bath incident. I felt like it was my fault. I was the one who forced him to talk to me about it and now it felt that he hated me for it. I pushed him too far for my own selfish desires. The only time I really ever talked to him was when I gave him a chore to do. He never came to my room anymore and he stayed silent at dinner and he never objected, refused, or accepted an assignment. I wanted him so bad.

I wanted him so bad. I wished I wasn't so stupid. I wished that he liked me the way I liked him. My chest hurt and my stomach ached and my head was full of things that only made me hurt more. If only I wasn't afraid of talking to him, if only I wasn't so stupid, maybe I would have had him by now.

I turned over on my side and stared out my balcony window hoping that maybe my brother would come pay me a visit. He hadn't been around in rather a long time so I figured that he didn't want to see Verdae and me making love or anything. But unlucky for me, we hadn't gotten anywhere near a good third-base make-out. And the thought of making out with Verdae made me exceptionally hard.

I reached between my legs and gave myself a nice squeeze to start off with. I tried to make little if any sounds but it was difficult with my present situation. I began to grope softly and the thought of Verdae doing it to me made me ever harder. I whimpered as I turned on my back and began to pump, slowly at first than harder, awaiting my far-off release. I grazed my second hand over my chest thinking how much better it would feel if it were Verdae's hands and not my own. But the thoughts didn't stop me this time as I began to pull ever harder on myself. A moan unintentionally escaped my throat so I had to shut myself up. The only option I really had was to shove my hand in my mouth, so I did.

I ran my tongue along my digits and nibbled them often as I continued to pump with my other hand. I got bored with it easily and took my fingers out and ran them over my hardened nipples. I had been doing it for several minutes now and I was hoping I could get free of this feeling that just continued to build up in me out soon.

My back arched quickly and out of nowhere when I felt a delightful rapture in my chest and stomach. It was the same feeling I had always gotten when I thought of Verdae or when I masturbated. It was heavier than usual and stayed for more than a brief moment so it signaled that I was near ejaculation. So I pumped harder and faster hoping it would speed up my release.

My shoulders arched my back up harder as I felt it come ever closer. I gasped a moan as I felt a hot thick wet stream push out of me and go all over my chest stomach and hand. I let go of myself and panted heavily as my hand fell next to me on the heavy and semi-covered purple sheets. I tried to lift it but I had taken far too much energy out of myself and I felt rather helpless.

I laid there for several moments before I sat up some and looked at my chest. The dense white liquid seemed to overwhelm my flesh so I wiped it off with my dirty hand and gave it a slight lick. It tasted good, but I wasn't really hungry and didn't want to have to eat it all since there was quiet a bit of it. I thought maybe I could wash it off with a towel but I didn't want to go out in the hall like that in fears that Verdae would see me. I wasn't too worried about James since he had seen me like that before.

I reached over the side of the bed and grabbed a shirt I had thrown down before I had gotten into bed. I wiped off my hand and chest and tried to clean the bits off the blanket but it had already stained. I tried spitting on it and "washing" it off but it still didn't seem to work. I was mostly worried about Verdae seeing it and questioning me about it and then I would have to explain why I was doing it and then I would have to tell him that it was thoughts of him that had gotten me that way in the first place.

I sighed as I tossed the shirt aside and let myself fall on the bed. I was so tired and hoped that I would not be bothered by James, and for once, Verdae. The only time I ever wanted him to see me naked is if we were doing or going to do it. But of course, as I'm sure you know by now, what I really want never goes exactly as planed.

"Master?" I heard the voice and the knock on the door and rolled over so that I could pretend I was sleeping and thought maybe he would go away. "Master?" He knocked again and I moaned as I grabbed the closest thing to me, probably something made of glass, and threw it against the door. My ears slightly twitched as I heard it shatter against the thresh and I hid my head under the pillow. I'm sure James was just happy that He hadn't opened the door yet. "Master, I'm coming in."

And he did. He opened the door and stepped right on in, avoiding the glass and walking over to my bed. I almost smiled as I felt his warm gentle fingers graze over my cheek and brush my hair away from my face. I could feel him sink into the bed as he pet me and watched me still trying, and very badly, to pretend to sleep. After several moments I took his hand and kissed his knuckles, adding a small lick for his deserved please; he put up with so much from me, and I respected him for that, that he deserved something now and then. "What is it, James?"

"Aires, a demon lord from a nearby clan, desires an audience with you. He cam here unannounced or uninvited and refused to tell me what he wanted and demanded to see you immediately." He leaned over and kissed my ear. I also admired his courage when he dealt with me. "Should I send him away?"

"Aires, was it?" That name was very familiar and I believed that he was one of the few demons that I met with and actually acknowledged. I remember him being youthfully sexual and very beautiful. I thought I recalled him as being very close in age to me only slightly older and he was already a distinguished ruler. However, I did not actually know my exact age so it was impossible for me to know how old he really was.

"Yes, milord," he answered as I let him take his hand back and he continued to pet me again. It felt very nice and soothing and I semi-wished that it was Verdae doing it instead.

"No, he can stay," I replied as I turned on my stomach so he could pet me more and stretched out to loosen my muscles that had been tensed by my erotic encounter. "Tell him that I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Yes, Master." I closed my eyes as he ran his hand along my head down my back and gently grazed over my ass. A delighted shiver crept along my spine as I could feel my hairs stand on end. "I will be downstairs if you need anything, Master." For some reason, I think he meant it in a much more sexual way.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was not sure why but I decided to put something nice on, perhaps to emphases my glory or to make the man jealous, but I think I mostly wanted to impress him, though he was the one that should have been trying to impress me.

I drifted down the stairs as my black cape floated gently behind me. I glanced down into the room and saw him staring at me out of the corner of his eye. He looked mostly the way I remembered just slightly older. I was not so sure why he was watching my every move and, quiet frankly, I did not like it.

He leered at me with a tasteful smirk that made me feel slightly dirty after masturbating like I had only a few minutes prior and a low respectful bow. "It is an unduly pleasure to see you yet again so soon, Master Adrian." He stayed bowed and it seemed that he was well aware of the company he was in. The way he spoke was so seductively sly that I felt I could have listened to him ramble on for several hours and not think badly of it in any way.

"Obviously it wasn't soon enough for you," I stated as I turned and walked over to my substantially large chair and took my honorable position. "You may rise." My command he quickly obeyed and he, again, watched and stared at me. "Now, what is it you wanted whatever your name is?"

The barely noticeable change in his expression led me to believe that he was not very happy with me not using, or so he thought not remembering, his name. His muscles had also tensioned slightly but he soon relaxed and his normal expression was regained. "My name, Master Adrian, is Aries, and I have come to talk to you on a note about some of the land of mine that you gave to another clan just outside what used to be my borders." He paused in case I wanted to jump in but I let him continue. "It's not that I mind really," he began with a smile, "but I just thought that we should hammer out the details in a more formal way so that everything is clear to all three parties."

"I made the agreement with Verondase, no one else." I ran my fingers through my hair and I think he slightly enjoyed the sight of what he thought was my beauty. "Personally, I don't see any reason for you to be involved. Sure, the land was on your clan, but your clan belongs to me. I think I should be able to do what I want with my property, don't you think?" I received no reply. "Do not you think, Aries?"

I think he smiled because I remembered his name but it is rather hard to tell with demons; they often do things that don't make sense. "I suppose I agree, Master Adrian."

"Good." I guess I was becoming bored and glancing around or I just saw out of the corner of my eye Verdae standing at the top flight of stairs and watching the two of us. I stared at him for a moment and I believe that Aries also glanced back at him for when I looked back he had a slight sneer on his face. "Is there anything else you wish to discuses, Aries?"

He looked back at me and smiled. Without a word or any change in his expression he slid into my lap, his chest facing me with each knee on either side of my thighs. He gracefully reached into my hips and untied the belt that was holding my pants up with just as much grace if not more. He put his hand at the junction of my legs and torso and the only thing I could think was "holy fucking shit he's grabbing my cock!" And through the whole thing I sat in speechless surprise.

"You smell very good, Master Adrian," he complimented as he took a long sniff of my chest and neck. And as he began to grope lightly he added "you feel very good, as well." I closed my eyes and leaned into my chair, engulfed by the more than pleasant feelings and unsure of what I should do. I couldn't help but to let out a light moan when he licked my neck and began to grope harder. "Do you enjoy that, Master Adrian?"

I nodded as I cracked my eyes open. "Yeah, I guess." Verdae was still there.

"You guess?" He continued harder as he licked and whispered in my ear. "Why did you pick such a child as a pet, Master Adrian? There are several others out there that can satisfy you much better than that boy can." He grazed my lips with his tongue before continuing. "I could do a much better job at satisfying you, Master Adrian."

He did not care at all about his land or even his clan for that matter; all he wanted was to get into my pants and he didn't even want to for power, unlike Evan. This man, this demon, wanted my body and my member and was obviously very agitated that I had chosen such a young and inexperienced demon prince as a pet instead of someone older then even myself and able to help me with my ruler ship skills. But I did not want him; I wanted Verdae.

My eyes snapped open and I glared straight at the demon. "Aries," I growled as I pulled his hand out of my pants, "get off and get out now. Or else."

He was shoved out of my house and the door slammed behind him before I plopped back down in my large chair. I glanced back up at the landing.

But Verdae was already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~

I suppose I was not the stupidest demon in hell. At least I retained my common sense, unlike my brother. But I could not really be called smart either, since I was at a loss on how to get my new pet to like me again, with the imprudent hope that he liked me in the first place. He had almost been a year with me and I wondered how time could have passed so quickly.

It was cold out again but this time it seemed natural or the closest thing to it. I hoped that maybe Verdae would sleep with me again that night, but my hopes are often let down. It would not have surprised my any but I still kept my fingers crossed.

I got off my bed and grabbed some attire from the ridiculously large closet and put them on over my bare skin. Didn't seem to help; I still felt naked under my clothes. But at least I was not as cold anymore.

I hoped that nothing would go wrong today. I hoped that today would be like any other boring miserable day of my life with one great exception: I hoped that I could really make Verdae mine today. It was, at least according to my father, my birthday, after all.

James greeted me even more happily than usual and had already prepared my nice warm bath that was merely waiting for me as he did every year. I was unhappy, though, for him to be the first thing I saw, but it did not let me down too much seeing as how my darling the second one. He was standing at the end of the hall in his human form just outside the door of the bathroom leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He looked so utterly beautiful and I wanted to turn him around and fuck him against the wall. I walked down there with my robe hanging broadly open; I really didn't care today. He opened his eyes just a little as I approached but he really opened when he saw what I was made of. I was actually proud of myself today.

He quickly looked off when I approached him. I would not stand for it, not today. I felt courageous today. I gently took his chin and tilted his head up so he had to look at me. His eyes met mine and I smiled. "Good morning Verdae."

"Good morning, Adrian." He smiled back a touch. I loved that smile. "I got you something," he blushed as his reached into his shirt and pulled out a not too large but not really small glistening red stone that was almost as beautiful as his eyes.

I smiled gently as I took the stone. "Thank you, Verdae. It's very beautiful." I was not going to hold back anything today: I had nothing to lose. "Would you like to take a bath with me?"

He blushed light red from the flirting question and nodded as he flirted his eyes back at me though I was not sure if he meant to or not. It did not really matter to me as long as he looked at me and not past me. "Of course, Adrian."

"Wonderful." I whispered as I took a step back and went into the bathroom. "You can go get ready," I called back as I set the stone on the floor next to the tub. "I'll be waiting for you, Verdae." I smirked happily to myself as I stepped into the black marble bath knowing that this would be the best birthday ever.

James had somehow gotten luscious pink and blue bubbles for beauty, color, and sweet scent like he did every year. And, somehow, for some reason, it seemed to emphasize Verdae's beauty as he entered the room in nothing but a lose towel wrapped around his naked waist. I could not hold back a smile as he slid it off just before he entered the bath and stepped in sitting not too far from me. I had a slightly sinister smirk on my face as I watched him relaxing out of the corner of my eye. I wanted him so badly it was starting to hurt again, more than usual.

"Verdae," I started as I looked at him. He looked up from the water as his response. "Could you sit next to me?" Yeah, I really said that.

He smiled before he scooted along that bottom of the marble bath and sat very close to me. I noticed that his face was slightly pink and I was not sure if it was from the heat of the water or if it was really because of me. "So, do you like it, Adrian?"

"The stone?"

He nodded.

"Yes, it's very beautiful," I admitted as my smirk changed into a smile. "Thank you very much for giving it to me, Verdae." Feeling confident, and slightly cocky, I put an arm around his shoulders. The most of a response I got from him was a slightly startled look that quickly faded into his normal expression. "Did James tell you that my birthday was today?"

"Yes," he added a nod. "I brought that stone with me when I came here. My brother and I found it out in the plains one day a long time ago along with several others. That was the largest one we found and he let me keep it."

"It sounds kind of important to you."

"It is. It reminds me of some of the nice times I had with my brother."

"Than why did you give it to me?" He did not respond. "Verdae, why did you give the stone to me?" He always felt so confined and I didn't think he had to.

"Because I wanted you to have it. I don't have any more nice times with my brother so there's no more reason to keep it for myself."

"You don't want to remember about the good times because it reminds you of the bad times." He merely nodded. "You don't have to worry about your brother anymore, Verdae." I was beginning to think this room was cursed. I pulled him into my lap without protest and began to lightly kiss his neck and shoulder. He moaned gently as he reached behind me and placed his hand on the back of my head playing with my hair a little. "Verdae," I whispered that made him shiver weakly beneath my strong hands. "I will never let anyone hurt you like that again."

He leaned his head back on my shoulder as he let me run my hand along his chest down to his stomach and nearly between his legs. I stopped just at his navel and gently rubbed his soaked bare flesh as he turned to my neck and nuzzled his face into my nape. "Adrian," he whispered softly in my ear as he reached over and took hold of my shoulder. "I trust you."

I felt a huge leap in my stomach and I immediately became hard at his words. No one had ever said anything like that to me before, ever. It made me feel important, happy, special. It made me feel excited. "Verdae, there's something I really want from you."

"Yes, Adrian?"

"I know you might be mad at me for this request, but," I reached between his legs and gently rubbed his inner thigh, "there's something that I've needed from you ever since the first moment I saw you."

"Adrian..."

~~~~~~~~~~

I circled him a couple of times as I took in every nook of the gorgeous, smooth, beautiful naked body that stood just waiting for me to take. He was so wonderful and it was hard to not push him to the wall and fuck him right there. He stood still though, staring straight ahead quietly as I circled him. He was slightly hardened but I assumed that it was the wet and the cold and not me. Why would he be hard over me?

"Stand against the wall and put your hands over your head," I commanded as I stopped in front of him. He obeyed by taking a few steps backward so that his back was touching the wall and he slowly, almost as if trying to seduce me, raised his hands above his head. I held them there so they wouldn't be in the way and with my other hand gently caressed his chest and stomach. His eyes were closed and his head tilted to one side as he moaned just under his breath. He sounded so sweet.

"Adrian," he moaned gently as I reached between his legs and rubbed him firmly. "Why didn't you tell me this is what you wanted?" This wasn't really the best time to talk but whatever he wanted.

"Because I wanted to get to know you. This wasn't my absolute goal." I licked his tender neck. "I wanted to get to know you; to be near you; to be with you. There were things I wanted out of both of us that I couldn't get unless we were together." I kissed his ear and smelled his soft luscious strands of hair. "Besides, I wanted you to be happy and you weren't happy there." He released a small raw gasp.

He came too quickly; it only took a few fast hard jerks before he let out a heavy pleasured moan as the stream of hot white liquid was released from his body and covered my hand and both of our stomachs. He was young and I suspected that he hadn't done anything like this before so I wasn't too surprised. I lifted my hand and stole a sample of the creamy heavenly liquid. It tasted like the glistening waters of seraphs and cherubs.

I leaned over him on the bed as I laced his fingers between mine and my other hand made its way down the side of his stomach until it was past his ass and positioned carefully under his thigh. I lifted up his leg and placed it over my hip as I leaned more into him. He moaned as my genitals began to rub against his and I was afraid that he might cum again too quickly. So I pulled his hips up and slid my knees beneath him to hold him.

"This might hurt," I stated before I began. I tried to enter slowly, but the new sensation trying to get inside of him made him uneasy and his body tightened allowing me little room for entrance. "Verdae," I whispered as I listened to his breathing beginning to grow coarse from his rising emotions. "You have to relax. I haven't even gotten in yet and you're already tightening up." I licked his open lips as he began to pant from his faster beating heart. I was able to hear it clearly now.

"I can't, Adrian," he half-moaned as he broke one of his hands free and slid it round my shoulder to my back and ran his fingers through my hair. As long as I wasn't trying to enter him he seemed relaxed and ready. "It feels so different."

"I know," I whispered as I nuzzled against his neck. "But I promise you it will feel utterly fantastic once we get started. All you have to do, Verdae," I whispered as my fingers let go of his and glided down his arm to his chest, to his stomach, to his hips to hold him steady, "is forget about that annoying pain and focus on your hot pleasure!"

He threw his head back and nearly screamed when I suddenly pushed in. He became so tight it was nearly intolerable for the both of us. I only cringed myself. But it felt so good. I knew that, even for him, it was one of the best feelings ever. No, it was the best feeling ever. That awesome feeling of my cock sliding into his ass and his hips jutting upward at the fast inward motion was, without a doubt, the best feeling ever.

The way his chest raised beneath me, the way his breathing was heavy and his sweat sweet with hormones, the way hard erotic moans slipped through his lips as he tried to utter pleas of my farther progression, the way his eyes watered from the hard pain but growing pleasure, the way his body shivered as his fingers clenched my locks tugging for more, the way he moved with me as I began to push in and out, in and out, progressively faster and progressively harder until we were both near our climax, everything I felt right up to that long awaited moment of sweet release inside my darling Verdae, every event that I had to undergo to be able to be with him like this, it was all worth it when felt myself let go inside of him, and he all over me.

~~~~~~~~~~

I opened my eyes and sat up a little when I heard a hard knock on my front door. I decided that it'd best be ignored when I took a glance at the beautiful slumbering figure next to me. What a darling. His chest rose and fell gently with his breath as warm scented air slipped through his blood-red lips. He looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake him. I leaned over, kissing his forehead gently as I took a moment to steal a look at his beautiful face.

He was still warm from the ordeal and I had insisted that he hadn't move. I had sent James to fetch him a cup of warm water so he could cool his inners and warm his outers. It seemed to have worked for the most part but I still wanted him to sleep since he was so tired and out of breath from the whole thing. He gave little protest, which pleased me, and I had sat there for a long time just watching him sleep. Neither of us had the time to clean off and I was thinking about calling James to prepare me a bath when a second loud knock began to annoying me.

I laid back down and listened to my Verdae breath as I heard a third knock. It troubled me not, for I knew James would soon answer it and send them on their way telling them I had more pressing matters to deal with or taking my gift if that was what they were there to give. James knew how important my time alone with Verdae was to me and he wouldn't interrupt that. He knew how I felt about Verdae.

I was lucky to have such a slave as James. He wasn't even bothered by our hard fucking. He wanted me, yes, and I think even to a certain extent he loved me. But he still respected my decision to have Verdae over him unlike some demons. Aries. I didn't like that boy and it was hard to believe that anyone did. At lest he was out of my hair right then. I hoped that I wouldn't have to deal with him for a long time.

It was really bothering me now, that knocking. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. "Knock knock knock," I echoed. "Go fuck yourself," I muttered as I sat up hoping that Verdae wouldn't awaken from the loud noises or my incessant babbling. What the fuck was James doing? Jacking off?

I slipped on my robe on and began to head downstairs when the knocking at the door finally ceased and I heard two familiar voices coming from the doorway. One I knew was James and the other, though it rung a small sweet bell in the back of my mind, I was not able to place it. I made my way quietly to the landing and tried to see who was trying to enter entrance into my chambers.

"I'm sorry sir," the voice said in response to something James had uttered earlier, "but I wish to speak to no other but the Master. It was a request put upon me personally to see to it that Master Adrian receives this invitation from my person and I plan on giving it to him like it, Master James, or not." The way he spoke so sophisticatedly yet so smug at the same time...

"I'm sorry Master Vord, but Master Adrian is asleep right now and I have specified orders not to wake him until a certain time."

"If that's the case than I'll wait here for him until he wakes up," Vord stated as he brushed past James as sat on the couch in a very gentlemanlike way. James followed him trying to keep an eye on the malicious boy. Vord was a looker.

He was the son of a lord that ruled a very prominent clan which lived exceptionally close to my castle and was almost "rich" in a way. I allocated food throughout my entire kingdom based on how many lived in the clan and the amount of food they consumed but theirs was one of the few clans that knew how to distribute it among themselves in an effective manner. Most of the demons in that clan had very shiny soft fur coats, as I recalled, and were rather happy with what they had.

Vord was very beautiful with his brilliant yellow eyes and his sandy blonde hair. He was, through and through, a hardass gentleman. He didn't give a fuck about anyone or anything but himself and what he wanted. I had no idea if he liked me or not but it was as sure as heaven that I wouldn't mind having such a creature to sleep with at night. But my preference would still always be Verdae over anyone.

"I'm here James," I called as I stepped off the landing and continued down the stairs. "Stand down; I can handle this."

"Yes, Master," he replied with a bow as he took a step away from Vord.

The young master smiled upon sight of my presence and bowed respectively, noting me with two simple words: "Master Adrian." He had always called me Master, ever since we were children. We grew up together, our fathers being good friends. We were very near the same age but I vaguely remembered being there as he was birthed. But he was not the same young child I remembered growing up with, playing with almost every day, the two of us sneaking off to hide in the castle as my father grew ever agitated with us. No, he was far from that now. He was tall and handsomely beautiful. He was no longer a child, but had grown into a young price, losing nearly all of his innocent qualities much the way I had. I had almost forgotten those times from so long. I had almost forgotten that he was and had always been my only friend. I almost forgot about the way I had a crush on him when I was a kid. Remembering those times from so long ago made me hurt inside knowing that those memories were long lost and could never be found again.

"Vord," I smiled as I embraced him in my arms. "It's been so long! I've missed you!" I remember feeling a light breath on my neck and for a reason unknown it reoccurred to me that I had just fucked like a dog. In a haste to cover up my animal-like behavior I continued to babble. "Where have you been? Why didn't you come see me sooner?"

"I'm sorry, Master Adrian," he pulled back and rested his hand gently on my shoulder. "I've missed you as well. I've wanted to visit you often but I never had the time. I'm sorry, Master Adrian, I have no excuse." He kissed my cheek as his sign of friendship and I returned the favor.

"It's alright, Vord," I said as I put my hand over his. "Just so long as you're here now. I haven't seen you in so long! I swear this is my best birthday ever!"

"Oh?" He smirked as he pulled himself a little closer to me. "I had heard you had gotten a new pet, but I wanted to see for myself. I would never believe you would get any pet more lowly than myself by listening to just word of mouth alone."

"Vord, please, don't call him a pet. You know how I feel about titles like that." But I called Verdae my pet all the time.

"Yes, Master Adrian, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Not that I'm using it as an excuse, but you know my upbringing."

"Yes, Vord, I know it well. It was the same as mine, if you remember correctly." I loved the way the two of us could carry on a conversation like this without any problems; he always agreed with me on everything no matter if I was right or wrong.

"In that case, I will do my best to adjust my thinking to your standards, Master Adrian. I wouldn't want to upset you any further."

"You didn't upset me, Vord. You know it takes a lot more than that to upset me."

"Of course, Master Adrian. It's been so long I've nearly forgotten everything about you." He looked me up and down for a moment. "Even how handsome you were."

"You've grown rather handsome yourself, Vord."

He smiled and kissed my lips as a gesture of his gratitude. "Thank you, Master Adrian. But no matter how handsome you say I look, I'm sure I pale in comparison to your great beauty and glory." He was always doing and saying everything he could to make me look better. He always flattered me in that respect.

"Come now, Vord; enough of this talk. What do you say about going to see my new boy? He's even better looking than me!"

"I'm very well convinced that's a lie, but I suppose I'll take a look anyway, just to prove you wrong, Master Adrian." He laced his fingers between mine and held my hand as we walked upstairs.

Verdae was still sleeping when we entered the room; he had slept through the entire ordeal. I felt bad about it, like I had driven him to his seemingly endless state of rest by totally exhausting all his energy in one foul swoop. Well, I suppose it was two, but that wasn't the point. He had nearly kicked the blanket off himself in his sleep to I recovered him at my notice that he was shivering slightly from the still cold room. Verdae looked so peaceful and beautiful I could tell by the slight tension Vord was emitting that he was becoming jealous of Verdae's good looks.

"He's very pretty," the prince complimented; but it seemed like so much less than a compliment the way there were hints of scorn and resentment in his voice and the atmosphere was thick with his jealousy. He gently took a lock of the sleeping Verdae's hair and twirled it around his finger as he continued to look over him as if he was checking the boy for any flaws. "However, Master, I don't believe I can give this relationship of yours my blessing," he commented upon finding no visible blemish.

"I didn't ask you to, Vord." I realized the harshness of my words as he pulled his hand away from the sleeper and looked at me. He was upset and it was my fault even if I didn't mean to. "I'm sorry, Vord; you know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, Master," he smiled weakly, "but I just haven't seen you in so long--"

"--and I'm acting like such an asshole to you. I'm sorry, Vord." I put my arms around my friend and embraced him tightly as I kissed his lips firmly. "I'm really sorry, Vord. I guess having power goes to everyone's head; even the people that don't want it."

"That's not true, Master Adrian. When we were young you'd always tell me about how you'd never be like your father." He kissed my ear as his arms crept their way over my shoulders and around the back of my neck. "I know that you wouldn't go back on something like that; I know that you would never tell untruths that way; I know you, Master Adrian, and you would never let a little something like "power" get to you so easily." He smiled so sweetly up at me with his glassy yellow cat eyes that he always hid emotion behind like a real devil; a snake; a beautiful sexual bottom feeder that somehow continued to captivate me with his hounding looks even now. Those eyes were some of the most beautiful but I still felt that they couldn't compete with my darling Verdaes'. "I'm sure you would make a much better power than a demon, Master Adrian. You already have the looks of one."

"Oh, pray tell, Vord!"

He snickered at my successful attempt at making him smile. "Alright," the smirk never leaving his face, "I'll tell you what makes you so wonderful, my Master."

"Master?"

My ears tweaked at the sound of the second voice. I turned to see my Verdae sitting up staring at Vord with arms wrapped around my nape, his lips adjacent to my ear and his chest pressed close to mine. My face flushed immediately with the thoughts running through my mind: it's like I'm cheating on him; he's gonna hate me; I bet he's so pissed off; how could I have done this right after we had sex?; why am I such an idiot?; why am I such an idiot? It kept repeating in my mind. Why am I such an idiot?

"Oh, Verdae, you're awake," I managed to almost smile. "Did we wake you? I'm sorry." I was talking too fast. He didn't even say yes. "We can go if our presence bothers you; it won't be a problem at all." Why was I talking so frantically? Why was I such an idiot? "Come on Vord! Let's go!"

"It's doesn't bother me, Master," my shirt was grabbed after I had Vord's hand taken from behind my head when I was about to escort him out of the bedroom. I looked back at Verdae, the blanket barely covering what was meant to be covered, his fingers gently gripping my robe (I had almost forgotten I was wearing it) as he stared up at me with saddened eyes. It made my heart hurt like I had done the poor boy a great wrong. "Really, Master, it doesn't bother me."

"You even got him to call you master?" Vord smirked at me with certain wicked gleam in his eye, the kind that you'd often see a sex-deprived man with when he's about to get some sweet honey's ass; a predator right before the kill is made. "My my, Master Adrian, what have you been doing with this boy?"

"Nothing like that, Vord," I gently shoved him away, "and you know it." I placed myself next to Verdae putting an arm around his waist as his head was set on my broad shoulder. "Verdae, this is my childhood friend Vord. I've known him for a very long time. He came by to see me today." My pet did not reply but nuzzled my skin and I believed I felt a small lick. "Vord, this is Verdae, my 'pet,'" I mocked.

But he only smiled his agreeing smile, nodded his agreeing nod, as usual never arguing with me on any one point, always grinning and bearing it even if what he was thinking inside might be: shut the fuck up you stupid moron. "It's nice to meet you, Master Verdae. I hope you make Master Adrian very happy," he added with a reptile's smile. But what he was really saying was 'you better make my Adrian happy.'

"I'm sure he'll do a fine job, Vord." I kissed Verdae's head before I laid him back down and stood. "You should get some more rest. You're probably very tired."

"You just want to be alone with Vord," the boy uttered as he buried his head in the purple silk cushion. That was only half truth. I really did want him to get some more sleep.

I ruffled his hair and kissed the back of his head smelling his soft black locks. "You just rest and I'll be back later, alright Verdae?" He nodded. "You just lay here and relax." Another nod. I just watched him for a moment before I took Vord's hand and pulled him out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

"So, why did you come by today, Vord?" I asked as we both took a sip of blood wine. "Not that I don't want you around, and not that I don't think you'd come see me, it's just that I know you never do anything without several reasons and that includes coming for me."

He merely flashed his smile at me before taking another drink and giving a reply. "Yes, I suppose that's true, Master Adrian. And I thought I knew you well," he snickered. "You're right, I have more than one reason, but my main reason was to see you. I wanted to see you today," he leaned over and kissed my lips, "no matter what. And I'm very glad I did." His lips were so soft. "The reason I came was because my father wanted you to come to his dinner party tonight." Yamtai? "You know how my father feels about you, so he asked me to ask you instead."

"But why does he want me to come?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe because it's your birthday and he wants to make your father happy. You know how buddy-buddy your dad and mine are."

"I know, but Yamtai still doesn't like me. He never liked me. Why would he want me in his house?"

"Don't know. My dad's weird, remember? He's a crazy ass! Nobody knows what that guy is thinking. I'm not sure I even want to know."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Vord," I added a sigh. "Alright, I'll go to your dad's goddamn dinner party. Who else is going to be there?"

He took yet another sip of wine in his selfishly dignified way I encouraged. "Well, it's going to be: you, me, my father, Aric, his daughter Chloe and his son York, the young female mage Sheba, and Aries."

"Aries?!" I grabbed Vord's shoulders and shook him dropping my cup somewhere along the way. "What do you mean 'Aries'?!" I couldn't believe it; it wasn't possible; he couldn't come; not him, anyone but him.

"I mean Aries, the prominent young demon lord. Why?" He seemed slightly puzzled. "You got some sort of grudge against him?"

"He's a crazy ass!"

"You mean like father? Maybe that's why he invited him..."

"But Vord, I can't be in the same room with that guy! He's insane!"

"What's wrong, Master Adrian? And why are you hanging on to me?" I realized that my hands were still clenching his shoulders and I began to blush again for a reason I didn't know.

"I'm sorry." I let go of him and looked off, embraced at my frantic and unexplained jabber. "It's just that: Aries came here several months ago and he..."

"He...?"

"He..."

"Master Adrian," Vord touched my cheek and turned my head toward him. "If there's something you need to say you can say it." He took my hands in his. "You know I will not judge you on someone else's account or spread any rumors about you." He held my hands to his lips and kissed my fingers softly as I watched. "I promise, Master Adrian."

It fell silent for several moments before I uttered my reasoning. "He tried to sex me up, Vord. He went down my pants. He grabbed me and groped me. I felt so helpless. I couldn't talk and I couldn't move and I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything."

He pushed himself into me, into my lap and against my chest, and kissed my lips as he nuzzled his chest to mine. "I'm sorry I wasn't there; I'm sorry I couldn't help you. But I promise I won't let anything like that happen to you when I'm around." He continued to nestle deeper into my torso as he successfully comforted me. "It's alright, Master Adrian. I promise I'll protect you."

~~~~~~~~~~

"So you're going to Yamtai's gathering," Verdae more stated than asked to confirm. "And your friend invited you."

"Yep," I verified as I stood in front of the bed changing my cloths. "I shouldn't be gone for more than a day, so if you need anything you can just ask James, alright?" I slid the tunic on.

"He must like you a lot."

The shirt only half way down my chest, I stopped and looked at him. "What d'ya mean?"

"Well he must like you a lot if he wants you to come to his party. He wouldn't invite you if he didn't." He looked away, through the balcony doors, and watched the air. "At least, I don't think he would."

I smiled after I understood what he was saying. I was almost happy to hear that jealous tint in his voice, that sincere dislike, that almost pouting nature of a little child. "Yeah, I guess," I added as I pulled my shirt all the way down my chest and sat next to him. "But you know what, Verdae?"

He glanced at me.

"I bet he doesn't like me as nearly as much as I like you."

He smiled just a little before he leaned on my arm and shoulder curling up next to me like a dog or cat. "He must really like you," he acknowledged as he nuzzled his head into my shoulder.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he doesn't like me at all. He probably even hates me. I wouldn't be surprised."

"Vord doesn't hate you," I stated as I pet his smooth black hair. "He's just very protective. He's known me and been my friend ever since we were children. He just doesn't want to lose me. Once he has something he doesn't let go of it no matter what. It's just the way he is. It has nothing at all to do with you and everything in the world to do with the two of us."

"I still don't think he likes me."

I smiled as I kissed his lips softly and pushed his back to the bed. "It doesn't really matter if he likes you or not: Vord always does whatever I tell him to do. If I tell him to like you he'll do his best. And if he doesn't like you: so what? It's not like he can really do anything about it."

Verdae smiled back as his arms fixed around my neck. "I suppose so, Master; but would you really make him like me?"

"Naw," I replied with a small shake of the head. "To be blunt: I really don't want other people to like you. I want you to myself, Verdae. I don't want others to start liking you; they might get jealous and try to steal you away from me!"

A sad look arose on his face when I said those words and he began to paw at the back of my shirt my locks of hair. "But I wouldn't let them, Master. Just because they try," he said determinedly, "doesn't mean I'll let them." His lips became very close to mine. "I like being here with you, Master. You treat me much better than my father and brother did."

I kissed his soft red lips, the taste of blood lingering in his breath. "I just want you to be happy, Verdae. There is nothing I'd rather see more than your smile." He smiled, blushing, and turned away from the embarrassment I caused him as I gathered him up in my arms. "Why do you call me 'Master,' Verdae, when you know very well that I do not completely own you yet?" He shook his head. "I took you, yes, but you have no pets' mark; you have no pets' collar. What we did means everything to me, but nothing but lawbreaking to everyone else." I licked his lips as he let out a small moan and my hand reached between his legs. "I like it when you call me 'Master,' but you don't have a reason to."

"Then give me one," he demanded as he pushed his chest to mine, his goring to my palm. "Give me a reason to be yours, Adrian. If you really need one that badly..." What he said angered me.

I pushed him back and he fell helplessly to the bed. I grabbed the waist of his pants and forced them past his hips and he just watched my strip him of his last shred of clothing, totally exposing all his bare flesh and wondrous parts that only I could see and touch. Only I could have all of Verdae. "Where is it, Verdae? Where do you like my fingertips the most?" He remained silent. "Tell me, Verdae, or do I have to search every inch of you and find it myself?"

He shook his head, his flushed pink face turning ever redder as I began to caress his body for his one special place; the only place no one but I could touch so everyone would know that this was my Verdae and that he belonged to only me. He opened his eyes a crack and turned his head slightly to look at me as he took my hand in his and glided it along his flesh to between his legs. At first I thought he was leading me to his shaft but our hands stopped short of it in the place where his thigh met his torso, just next to where all his heavenly goods were stashed.

I caressed the unclear line and his head was thrown into the comforter, his back arched high, a long hard moan escaped his quivering lips and his erection grew so hard that he his body came very close to the release of climax. I didn't know that any one thing could make someone so aroused and I refused to share our secret. No one knows a secret that doesn't exist. "So this is it, my sweet," I hissed as I watched his back slowly recede and his breath beginning to return to its normal state. "This is the place where you want me to touch you the most." He nodded. "But anyone could touch you there," I growled to myself. Anyone could touch him when I'm not around. I tickled again.

He came this time; all over my hand and his chest. All actions before proceeded as same as I watched so much of the dense liquid stream from such a tiny opening. To me, it was amazing. "Adrian," he panted beneath me, "please, stop." But his words, his tired pleas, never made it to my ears as I thought of all the horrible things someone could do with my Verdae if they only found out his secret. I couldn't stand it; I wouldn't stand it.

"I'm sorry Verdae," I whispered as I placed a sharp fingernail at the edge of his eroticizing region. "I hear if you scream out loud it doesn't hurt so much?" I might have heard him say my name in bewilderment but in my state I wasn't even sure if I heard or thought my own words, let alone his. "I'm sorry Verdae, but if I don't so it, someone else will."

I felt the prick of my nail through his skin and the violent arch of his body as sharp knife-like entity cut open his perfectly good flesh, tearing easily through the human-like skin, ripping open his flesh and exposing his muscle before blood quickly flowed through the wide opening. Not even the loud roar that emitted from deep within his throat awoke me from my unconscious thoughts. After that I felt a sharp piercing pain come over one half of my face and it wasn't until then that finally I realized just what I was doing to my lover and how much he was struggling to get away from me.

He had scratched my face, I could feel the blood running down my cheek and it finally got to me that I hurt him. I had hurt my Verdae. The only person I cared about; the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with; the person that I never wanted to hurt; the one that I needed, wanted, more than anything; the thing, the reason that kept me alive; the man that was my first love. I had hurt him. I felt my chest tighten and my heart ach. I wanted to cry; I wanted to die.

I grabbed the comforter and held it to the wound muttering "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over and over until I wasn't sure I was talking anymore. He stopped struggling now and concentrated on trying to sustain his consciousness as I did my best to stop the bleeding. I had to get James, but I couldn't leave Verdae's side. I called for him several times but I don't know when. My mind was lost in the panic I had caused and I was unsure of everything at that moment, especially my own sanity.

I could feel, feel something, cold hands, no, just one hand, on my shoulder as I stooped over Verdae still, my hands soaked with my sweet lovers blood. "Adrian..." Did I hear it or was it in my head? "Adrian..." That voice was far too sweet to ever be a resident in my mind. I turned my head up and looked at Verdae. He was sat up and staring at me; he looked so afraid of me. I wanted to die. I wanted to die so badly. "Adrian, the bleeding stopped. You don't have to hold the blanket there anymore." My hands slowly pulled away but I continued to stare at the demon. He slowly turned his head away from me. "I think I'll call James for assistance with the wound then go to my room."

He stood and I didn't stop him. He began to walk out of the room and I didn't stop him. Only was he right before the door that he stopped himself and looked back at me. He returned to me as if some unspoken prayer had been answered and he sat next to me again. He looked more worried than scared now, but still scared. I wondered if he could see the distress in my eyes or if he was just concerned that I might hurt him again. "Did I do something to make you angry with me?"

"No, of course not." I tried to touch his cheek but he flinched when my hand got close so I pulled it away again. "I'm sorry, Verdae. It wasn't you at all. I just have breakdowns sometimes. It hasn't happened in a while. I just zone out and do whatever I'm thinking of."

"You were thinking about cutting me?"

"No, it's not like that!" How was I to explain it to him? He wouldn't understand... "I was thinking about losing you; about someone taking you from me; about them holding you without your will or torturing you as you struggled to get away. I couldn't stand it; I didn't want those fears in my mind. I had to mark you. I had to make sure no one could have what I had even if it meant getting rid of it for good. I could not share that secret with anyone, Verdae. I don't want anyone to make you feel the same way I make you feel!"

"No one can, Adrian!" He grabbed my shoulder and pulled himself to me. "No one can make me feel the way you make me feel." It's like a disease. "But that place, Adrian, it was going to be ours. It was the only place where I could feel all your feeling rush in at once and sooth me. It was the only place that I could connect with you on that level." His lips were oh so close to mine. "You didn't have to destroy it to keep it ours."

"But I did... You don't understand, Verdae," I whispered as my head hung. "It's not just that place on your body that I want to keep ours, it's all of you; all of us." I put my arms around him even if he was scared.

"Why does it matter? As long as we had one thing together we could have shared that and been happy no matter what else happened! I would never let anyone else go near there!"

"That's not the point!" I yelled. I shouldn't yell. I breathed before speaking softly again. "Does it matter to you, Verdae?" I asked as I held him tighter in my arms, the smell of blood over his thigh, my legs, his legs, my face, my bed. "Does it matter to you that I don't want to share? Does it matter to you that I can't stand the thought of anyone but me touching you? Does it matter to you that I want to protect you - shield you - from everyone else? Does it matter to you that I care for you with all my soul? Does that make me selfish? Does it make me a bad person?" I held him tighter. "It doesn't matter to me! Nothing matters to me as long as I have you by my side!"

I could feel my chest tighten and my heart begin to ache as my eyes watered and I really wanted to cry. I didn't know what that feeling was back then: I had only felt it once before, but I knew that it meant I was in deep pain. I remembered the last I wanted to cry: it was so long ago I don't even know anymore, but it was when my father told me my mother was gone. I had cried for days and I didn't want to live anymore and I still didn't what to live to that day. That's why I hurt Verdae; that's why I didn't like anyone; that's why I never hung around with others; that's why I was so detached; that's why I didn't like my brother; that's why I hated my father; that's why I hated myself.

~~~~~~~~~~

Vord pulled me aside into a separate hall almost an hour after I arrived at the home his father shared with him. "Master Adrian, is something wrong?" Was it really that obvious? "You're not acting like yourself. Did something happen after I left? Or are you still worried about Aries? And what the hell happened to your face?"

I didn't want to talk about it. "I'll tell you about it later Vord," I answered as I caught sight of Yamtai's eyes and smile from through the threshold and across the room. I hated those eyes and that smile. Yamtai was one of the oldest creatures in the history of forever and used to be a very high order of angel when he lived in heaven. As rumor has it he merely become bored with his position of angel and decided to join with my father to concur heaven. Their plan failed, of course, and those two and several other were the reason I was born a demon and not an angel. It was his looks, though, that scared me.

Even if he was a demon his body still retained the beauty of a seraph while also adopting a demonic charm and aurora. His eyes were like fire, bright and orange, and they glowed just like it as well. They were almost more captivating that Verdae's. His hair, beautiful deep blonde, short in the back and long in the front, was some of the most beautiful and could also rivaled my Verdae's. His smile was like the beauty of a deadly lie with sharp piercing teeth. He was slender yet strong, cold but warm, sadistically innocent. I was terrified of Yamtai and he knew.

I could tell that Vord's father was taking a liking to Arise as I watched them stand close and talk warmly to one another on the other end of the chamber chuckling every now and again. It worried me slightly to have two people that I really didn't enjoy the company of getting along so well.

"Master Adrian," I heard someone call. So I turned and looked, because it was rude to ignore people when they called you, even if I was feeling like being a little rude tonight. Sheba.

"Hello Sheba," I greeted as she approached me. "It's been a while. I had worried you'd forgotten about me."

"I could never forget about you, Master Adrian," she smiled as she handed me a large old book with a lock on it. "I got this for you. It was my fathers. I guess he left it behind when he left for Earth."

"Thank you, Sheba," I smiled as I took the book. It looked useful. A spell book no doubt. It was the second present I had gotten since I arrived, the first being from Aric, an older demon with two young children he had brought to the party: York, the older son, a strange silence about him, and Chloe, the young fair princess that was being courted by almost every damn demon prince in the unsacred realm, including my Vord. I had noted Vord watching her every move more than just once and I was sure he wasn't just after the spoils of marriage. I almost felt bad that I could always get whatever I wanted with so little effort as he and Yamtai had to work for every little scrap of what they had. I hated my father for it. "If there's anything you ever need, be sure to let me know. I'd be happy to help." Even if I was talking to Sheba I was directing it to Vord. I had said it so many times to him but he never asked anything of me.

"I will, Master Adrian," she curtsied in her nice fancy fluffy dress that kind of made her look like some sort of furry cat. (Damn, she must have been hot in that thing!) And she added before she turned to walk off "you have my word of it."

"Looks old," Vord commented after she left earshot.

"Yea," I concurred as I blew some of the dust off. "And fragile," I added as I opened it and a page twirled to the floor. Vord fetched it for me. He was so kind to me.

"At least you know it's worth a little something," he chuckled. "I don't know what the hell you're going to do with that rock polishing kit Aric gave you."

"I'm sure I'll have my uses for it," I smiled to myself as I inspected the inside cover. My, my, what was this? "This book was made in heaven."

"You're kidding!" He seemed so shocked. "Then it must be worth much more than a little something! My god, Adrian, this thing could be priceless!"

There was a name at the top inside covers' left corner shimmering like bright gold as if written long ago in dragons' blood, never fading, always present, which was impossible given the known wear of the book. It was not the mages' name. "The book wasn't his."

"...what?" He looked into the book.

"This book didn't belong to him." I looked up at Vord. "It belonged to Gabriel."

There was utter silence between the two of us as all other noise seemed to drown out into oblivion and we both could only stare at each other for several (and I mean several) seconds before Vord finally echoed the name "Gabriel?" I could only nod for confirmation. "The messenger of God?" Nod. "No wonder Saru left it..."

"That old thing, eh?" Yamtai asked as he glanced over my shoulder. It scared the shit out of me. How the hell does he always do that? "I told Kun to leave it but he never listened." He sipped his wine so smug I'd punch him if I wasn't afraid to death of him.

"Dad...!" Vord was just about as surprised as I was. Did Yamtai scare everyone?

"Hey son. What're you doing? Staring at this old book?" I heard him mutter something about Kun, a deceased demon lord, under his breath. "It's a damn relic; probably older than me."

Vord almost stuttered as he talked to his father. Maybe I wasn't the only person that Yamtai scared the shit out of. "We were just looking at Adrian's present from Sheba. She must have grabbed the wrong thing or something. I'll go give it back to her." He seemed frantic to get away. Was there something I didn't know about?

"No, that's right," Yamtai smiled as he took the book from my hands. "Kun stole this from Gabriel right before the final battle. Everyone knew our side wasn't going to win so Kun wanted a keepsake or whatever you want to call it. I told him not to. I told him Gabriel would be mad. But that guy just didn't listen." He had been inspecting the book as he talked and he finally gave it back to me. "Saru left it because he knew if Gaby knew he had the book he wouldn't be around much longer. Lucky you, to inherit such a treasure, eh, Adrian?" He had that sinister smirk, that damn dragon smile. "That's your own little piece of heaven in you hands. You should treat it well." He smirked at me again before walking off with Aries.

I sighed as I felt Vord's reassuring hand on my shoulder. "God, your dad is scary," I breathed as I looked at him after Yamtai had left the two of us standing in the corner like bewildered children. He was smiling at me. He was so reassuring. I liked Vord's smile much better than his fathers'.

"I know, but you get used to it after a while." He patted my shoulder before kissing my cheek. "Come on, Master Adrian. Dinner's almost ready; we should get seated. You can sit next to me. That way you won't have to sit next to my father," he smiled again. He was so pretty.

"Thanks Vord," I smiled back. "You really are the greatest."

"If you say so, Master Adrian."

~~~~~~~~~~

I watched Vord watching her from across the table as we ate. Chloe. He was trying to be as discreet as possible about it and I don't really think anyone noticed with the exception of myself. She was a cute kid and all, but she was just that: a kid. But still, I felt almost jealous for some reason. I had never had to share my Vord with anyone; the idea of it nearly angered me. I wanted my suckup, no matter how often I didn't see him, all to myself. Just like Verdae, I wanted them all for me. I was selfish like that, I guess.

Everyone was chatting with each other across the table with the exception of Vord, York, and Aries. Most everyone was trying to talk to me at once and it was hard to even follow one conversation. Even Yamtai was talking to me. Vord was too busy watching Chloe, York was too busy eating, and Aries was too busy trying to avoid eye contact with me (which I was fine with) but still trying to watch me. I had glanced at him every so often and caught his icy eyes a few times, but other than that there was no exchange between the two of us.

After dinner I talked to Aric about the rock polishing set he's given me earlier. (Aric's hobby was basically anything to do with rocks and gems.) I also asked him about carving and shaping rocks, which he seemed to know a lot about, and about the rock Verdae had given to me. He said the stone sounded like a ruby, a rock found on Earth, but he couldn't be sure until he saw it. He said I could bring over a sample if I was able and he'd inspect it for me.

Aric's information couldn't have come at a better time. I had felt horrible about taking Verdae's link to his happy memories and I really wanted him to keep the precious red stone. However, I thought it rude to just give him back something that he really wanted (or said he wanted) me to keep. So I figured if I could shape, carve, and polish the stone, putting some work into it and giving it to him as a gift, doing all of it myself, that he could see that I really wanted him, all of him, no matter what had happened to him before he became mine. Verdae was more precious than any damn rock to me, and I wanted him to be happy.

"Thanks for all the info, Aric," I smiled in satisfaction. "Do you mind if I come over to your place some time soon so maybe you could help me get started?"

"Of course, Master Adrian," he laughed in his big burly kind of way, his stomach rolling and shaking as his son stood next to him silently with his head hanging down. I had forgotten the boy was even there half the time. "But if you want, I could always come to your castle instead of you making the journey. I'd be happy to do anything if it made you more comfortable."

"No, that's alright. It's sort of going to be a present for my new pet and I don't want him to find out just yet." I smiled a little. "It would spoil the surprise." I wanted to see the look on his face when he saw it. I already had the perfect idea in my head.

"Ah, yes, your new pet! I remember hearing about him! Isn't he prince Verdae, younger of the two sons of Verondase?" I guess the rumors were really spreading now. I knew that now, having suspicions since Aries had confronted me about it. I was sure that he was probably at least one of the people behind them, even if there was no proof.

"Yep, that's him alright," I smiled, proud of myself. I didn't care what anyone thought of my decisions as long as I was happy with them. Of course, Verdae had to be happy with them, too.

I was a little surprised when Aric leaned over to whisper to my ear. "Master Adrian, I know there's been a lot of controversy about you choosing such a young and inexperienced pet, especially one that hasn't much of a standing among the ranks, but I want you to know that I've seen the young prince and I'm very much backing you on this decision. I think it will not only give the young detached boy some companionship, but it could also be good for you on the count that, not to be rude, of course, Master Adrian, but a very good way to relieve some of your building stress, if you understand what I'm trying to say." He had a point.

"I understand fully, Aric," I whispered back, "but Verdae isn't just my pet, he's my friend. He isn't just my friend, either." I sighed a little at what I was about to say. "Verdae is my lover, Aric. I would never do anything to upset or rupture our relationship." I sighed again at what I had just said. "I'm not even sure we have a relationship."

"I understand, Master Adrian," he said as he took my shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure everything will work out for the better. Verdae is a very nice boy; he just needs to be brought out." He gripped my shoulder firmly trying to reassure me and, in some strange way, it kind of did. I guess it was that optimistic view that Aric always had.

"Thanks, Aric," I smiled a little as his hand left my shoulder. He smiled back. At least there was someone out there (other than a few someone's that I won't stand to mention who cater me at every step or agree with me on every subject even if they still felt inside that I was wrong) that agreed with me. It eased me.

"Of course, Master Adrian," he laughed as he pulled back from me and I watched his big belly roll. He wasn't really fat but...it can't be said that he was skinny either. "I'll anyways try to help in any way that I can! Feel free to ask me anything, anytime!"

I smiled back at the jolly old lord. How could this man possibly be a demon? I had heard he was expelled from heaven after seducing the daughters of Adam, but... "You have my word on it, Aric. Believe me you'll be one of first people I come to." He didn't look too convinced, but I wasn't really worried about convincing him. "Then I'll come by in a few days, make sure everything's running smoothly and, perhaps, do a little of what we talked about."

"That sounds wonderful, Master Adrian." He gave my arm a firm smack (ouch) and the sound of hard flesh against flesh that echoed softly was, happily, unnoticed by the other guests. "I'll be running along then. Don't want these little tikes to say up to late." He looked for his daughter whom was talking a little to Sheba, the only other girl at the party. "Chloe, come on, we're leaving!"

His daughter turned to him and smiled a little as she waved as to say either ok, dad, I can hear you. I'm not really that far away, you know? You don't have to yell it across the room or yes daddy, I'll be right there, I'm almost done talking to Sheba. Could you give me just one moment? Whichever it was (and I didn't really care because no matter what she still looked cute) she tried to turn back to Sheba and ignore her father a little as they finished trying to converse.

"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting with you again, Master Adrian," Aric smiled as he turned back to me and gave me a firm handshake. God, everything was firm with this guy. I didn't even remember giving him my hand.

"It's no problem, Aric," I smiled as I took my hand back. This was way too much smiling for one night. My face was even starting to hurt some. It was a good this that this was a sign of people clearing out. I really wanted to go home and maybe have Vord come with me and spend the night. I wasn't exactly sober anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~

The party cleared out quicker than I thought and for that I was happy. But all the damn hellos, smiles, handshakes and talking, then dinner, then more talking, then more handshakes and smiles, and finally the goodbyes. I like the goodbyes best; it meant, unless I wanted to, I didn't have to see those people again for a very, very long time. The only one I never said hello to, didn't smile at, didn't shake the hand of, didn't talk to, and didn't say goodbye to was Aries. And, for some reason, it made me feel really bad since I knew he wanted me to say or do anything, just so long as I acknowledged him.

"Vord," I moaned as I almost feel on my companion after the final guest left. "I'm tired. I want to go home. Take me home." I sounded like a child pestering his father and the tugging on Vord's shirt didn't really help much. And Vord, the ever patient father, just smiled at me.

"Alright, Master Adrian," he lifted me off him. "I'll take you home." And he added with a small chuckle "I don't think you're fit to make it there by yourself, anyway. What would Verdae say if you walked--not staggered--into the doorway half drunk?"

But Yamtai, the never-so-caring father, did not smile. "Let him go home by himself." No, he did not smile at all. "It's not like he lives that far away. And what's the worst that'll happen? He won't get any sex, that's what. He can deal." I knew it! He was only being nice to me in front of everyone else! I tried to glare at him but I almost fell over and Vord had to catch me.

"Father, may I please go home with Adrian? I really don't think he's feeling well enough to go by himself. I just don't want him to get hurt on the way." Yamtai stared at his son. He never liked the fact that Vord liked me and always did what I asked. To Yamtai his son was a bigger sin than he was.

But like every father, he had to give in under certain pressure from his only son. "Fine, Vord, do what you want. It's not like I can stop you." He turned off to retrieve the rest of glasses and take them in the kitchen to be cleaned. Yamtai and Vord had no slaves. Their huge house everything they had, they all worked for it. And my father never did a damn thing for his "friend." Maybe that was why Yamtai hated me so much. "Just be sure you're back in at least three days. I need you to help me clean this place up."

"Of course, father," he replied as he hoisted my arm over his shoulder and placed his hand on my hip to hold me up. I think I was about ready to throw up. "Come on, Master Adrian," he whispered in my ear as we started to walk. "Let's take you home."

~~~~~~~~~~

He let me fall into my chair, but I think right then I'd like to be on the floor; more space there and I wouldn't be able to fall off anything. "My god, Master Adrian," he started as he let me rest before taking me to my room. "I'm surprised you could fool the other guest so well. Did the buzz just hit you after everyone left or were you holding it in?"

"I don't know," I said as I tried to stretch my heavy tense body. Pain. In my leg. Soft at first like the feeling where you know something is coming but it isn't quite here yet. Then it hit me all at once like a boner. "OW! SON OF A BITCH! THAT FUCKING HURTS! UNHOLY MOTHER OF FUCK, THAT FUCKING HURTS!!"

Vord just stared at me having no clue at all what I was talking about. He knew I was in pain but didn't know where or why. "Master, please, calm down. If you keep yelling you're going to wake James and Verdae." But damnit, this really hurt!!

The shock slowly left but the pain still lingered. The pain pounded on the back of my lower leg and something felt out of place. I think I just pulled the muscle, but damn, did it hurt! "My leg hurts..." I muttered after I composed myself again. "I don't think I can move it."

"What happened?" He looked concerned and it embarrassed me. I didn't want to tell him that I just pulled a muscle. I mean, that would make me look like a damn wimp. And, even if Vord knew I was a wimp, I still wanted him to respect me like he always did.

"I don't know," I lied. I was a demon, it was okay to lie! "But it hurts really fuckin' bad. I don't think I can get upstairs." But Verdae was upstairs. I wanted upstairs! Damnit! And it was going so well, too. "I guess I'm going to have to sleep down here."

"I'm sure I could carry you up if you wanted." Was he really that bold? He wanted to carry me? I knew he'd never drop me; he'd spare my life for his. But did he really want to be so close to me?

"I don't want to make you do that, Vord. I don't want you hurt." But I knew he could do it without getting hurt.

"I can do it," he smiled as he slid on the armrest for the chair. He had such a cute ass. "I wouldn't want you to sleep in a very uncomfortable chair." The chair was actually pretty comfy, but he didn't need to know that.

"Fine. Take me up stairs, man slave!" I tried to hit him but it was more like a light smack with the way I was feeling. He only snickered at my behavior passing it off as drunken talk. But I really said that in full regard. I should have made Vord my pet, too. He'd probably be a pretty good one. I mean, he already acted like he was.

He stood me up and crouched down and let me fall onto his shoulder as he stood again. I had a very nice view of his ass and was rather content. That is, until we started going up the stairs. Bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. I didn't complain though. You shouldn't complain when a friend, or anyone for that matter, offers to help you and they don't do exactly what you want. They were still helping you. That was just rude. Besides, he still had a nice ass.

He let me down gently on the bed in a sitting position, but I rolled over to lie down. Verdae was not in my room. He must have been in the one across the hall. But my stomach hurt like a bitch and, like a lot of drunk people, I started to get to thinking about a little more than just the bed being under me. Vord was the only one around and he was stating to look better than usual, and he looked pretty damn good to begin with, though he was a little fuzzy around the edges. Oh well. I'd make due.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me, planting a heavy kiss too his lips. I had never realized how good Vord tasted until now. He tasted spicy, unlike Verdae who had a sweet and sour taste of the flesh. I liked sweet, but spicy was good every now and then especially when drunk.

He pulled back. "Master Adrian..." He looked so surprised, as if I had done something surprising. But at the same time, as I rubbed my leg gently against his crotch, I could tell that he had really enjoyed the kiss. Of course, I was pretty well drunk, so I was ready for anyone. "Master Adrian, we can't do this. You're just drunk. What about Verdae?"

"What about him?" I tried to sit up and be seductive but it's kind of hard when you're drunk. But you don't know that when you're drunk. I put my arms around his neck and fell back, pulling the confused boy down with me. "Come on, Vord, kiss me!" He just stared at me. It made me a little mad. "Vord, I'm telling you to kiss me."

After staring at me some more he crawled on the bed with his knees on either side of me. He rested his left forearm on the right side of my head and his right hand above me. He looked really pretty from that angle. His hair framed his delicate face as his eyes glowed bright yellow in the dark room. Slowly, unsurely, he leaned down and kissed my lips softly. I couldn't tell right then, but Vord was blushing madly.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up with half my clothes off and a messy-headed Vord lying asleep next to me. I had no idea what the hell happened before and the first thing I thought was oh, fuck I hope Verdae doesn't come in! and the second thing was god-fuckin-damnit, my head hurts and I feel like shit! I looked out the window and saw darkness. It was still night. I looked a Vord again. Messy hair. That worried me. Messy hair was a sure sign that things happened when one (or two, maybe ever more) people were drunk.

I got up and went over to the mirror. I still had a little limp in my leg from pulling the muscle, and that I remembered. My hair was messy, but not so much. My pants were still on, my ass didn't hurt, and I didn't have any strange tastes in my mouth besides a mix of alcohol and morning mouth of which, if I am to give you any advice at all, does not taste very good at all so you should keep a mint or something handy.

I looked back at Vord, still sleeping on the bed. His pants were still on and it didn't look like he was too disturbed. I know he'd look different if he had really had sex with me. Vord, my very best friend, would never let me do anything I knew I didn't really want to or shouldn't. Wouldn't he? He was always there for me, always looking out for me even after not seeing him for years. Vord, the first person I ever wanted, was just laying there on my bed basically asking me to take him, and I didn't want to. I was over Vord and wanted Verdae, but I had the feeling that Vord was starting to develop his own crush on me.

I walked back to the bed and stared at a sleeping Vord. He was so cute. He was just lying there, sleeping, snoring just a little, all pretty and cute like and the messy hair seemed to add to it. I laid back down on the bed and watched him for a while. I wondered what really happened last night, but I didn't want to wake him just for that. Besides, he had done a little drinking himself and I didn't want to see him with a hangover; that wouldn't be cute. So I decided that, because my ceiling is not so entertaining, I'd watch Vord until I fell asleep again. And I did.

~~~~~~~~~~

I felt someone touching my hair. Soft fingers, knew just what they were doing. I kind of wanted to open my eyes but some other part of me said don't you idiot, this feels good. But, it was me and, even if curiosity really did kill the cat, satisfaction brought it back. I opened my eyes to glowing yellow, smooth skin, light pink lips, and a smile. My dear Vord, lying next to me, playing with my messy strands, had a strange smile on his face.

"Good afternoon, Master Adrian," he whispered as he leaned over and kissed me. That smile, that look, it was one of satisfaction. Why was he looking at me like that? Why was he satisfied?

I finally heard his words and sat up quickly, startling him. "It's afternoon already?!" I rolled off the bed and grabbed my pants (weren't they on when I was up earlier?) and pulled them on. I tried find my shirt but when I looked around I saw Vord holding it as he flirted that smile at me. It was at that moment that I realized I was covered in sweat and there was a strange pain inside of me like a wound had been freshly opened. Holy shit, what did we do?

"What's wrong, Master Adrian?" He looked like... "You look a little surprised." ...Yamtai.

"Vord..." I had no idea how to approach the subject to I thought I might as well straight-up ask. "What did we do?" He just smiled more.

"What do you mean, Master Adrian? Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?" He flowed off the bed and to me like a snake, seducing me with those eyes. His fingertips ran over my cheek like flowing water and when his lips tasted like fire to mine. I pulled back.

"Vord, stop playing with me! What happened last night?"

He didn't say anything but instead slid his fingers through my hair, the knots and tangles retreating back into straight, smooth strands as his lips advanced to mine again, so close I could taste the spice. "Is something wrong, Master Adrian?" He spoke like ice. "You look so scared. Your heart is beating so fast." His words were becoming more intense. "There's fear in your eyes." His lips brushed gently over mine as his other hand rested on my hip. "Are you afraid?" Why couldn't I respond? Why couldn't I move? "Are you afraid of me, Master Adrian?" His hand glided from my hip down the inside of my pants and my heart leaped as I felt his bind his fingers around me.

I closed my eyes and let out a moan, trying to pull back my head but his hand held me there as his tongue entered amid my lips and ran over mine. I could feel my chest tighten and I began to breathe harder as he constricted his grip on me; my lips closed over his as I leaned forward to meet his body to mine. I could feel his tongue and fingers teasing me as my erection grew stiffer and my heart began beating faster.

"Vord," I panted after I released my lips from his, our saliva mixed together in our mouths and dripping slowly from the side of our lips. He looked so beautiful, so sexual, so handsome and seductive with that same smirk crossing his lips and those same eyes slashing at the strings that barely held my heart intact.

"You're knees are becoming weak, aren't they?" He stepped back and pulled me with him until the back of his legs hit the edge of the bed. "Do you want to sit down, Master Adrian?" He let his hand slide away from the back of my head when I nodded. He sat down and pulled me on his lap and pushed his lips to mine again. His tongue penetrated my lips once more and it pressed over mine, so wet and warm, our fluids mixing. I almost felt lost when he pulled it out again; I wanted more. But I felt better when his warm lips pressed to my ear and the heat of his fingers ran down my back to create a longing shiver of delight.

He leaned back to lay down and brought me to his chest, our bare heated flesh pressed to one another as he licked the rim of my earlobe and I let out a light moan. His fingers grazed along my flesh for a while until he reached beneath my pants and firmly squeezed my ass. "Vord," I moaned, nearly unsatisfied by his delicate hands. He was being far to gentle with me. "Do it harder," I gasped in his ear as my fingers took strands of his fine silk hair to hold on to.

He just smiled at me some more as his hands left me beneath my waste and took hold of my shoulders. He lifted me back up to a sitting position as my fingers detached from his locks and my eyes opened to see his smile. He sat up as well and kissed my chest several times before rolling me onto my back on the bed. He straddled me, his knees on either side of me, and licks my lips over before inserting his tongue once again. I kissed back this time, running my tongue over his, pushing myself to him, no longer afraid.

I tried to give chase when he pulled back again but I felt so weak and tired it was hard to move already. He just stared at me for a while, his smile gone, as if he were just watching me lay there. It embarrassed me so I turn my head to the side and closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. I could tell I was blushing from the heat of my face and I was sure he could see it, but, because it was still Vord, he didn't say anything, he just licked my ear. I moaned again.

I opened my eyes again as I felt his body shifting, moving down, and at first I didn't know what he was doing. Then I felt him pulling my pants down. I wanted to sit up and tell him to stop, scream at him to stop, but I felt so tired, my head still hurt, and my body wouldn't move. Why couldn't I move? I began to tremble now, totally exposed to the cool air of passion, and my fingers would twitch every time a shiver ran up my spine. It was at that point that I knew I was being repressed. And I began to mistake my repression for weakness.

I yipped when he suddenly licked my head and my heart started to pound. He was really starting to get right into it now and I didn't know how long I could hold out before I came; the feeling had already been building and it wasn't going to be easy to suppress. I tried to hold back the moans as his lips brushed over it again in a light kiss before he slid it into his mouth. My back arched and the shivers became more often and present from the erotic state. I was surprised how deep he could take it and a heavy moan escaped my lips when I felt myself hit the back of his throat. I knew then it wasn't long.

"Vord," I gasped as I pushed my fingers through his hair, "I can't wait." I could feel his head moving along me, down and up, in and out, faster and harder, running his smooth sharp teeth along with his warm wet lips, but making sure they would not puncture the flesh. "Damnit, Vord, I can't hold it!" I almost cried as my fingers gripped his hair and my back began to arch. It didn't feel like he was listening, that or he didn't care, because he kept going, harder even, to the sound of my moans. My body began to stir uneasily on the bed as I became so close. I didn't want to yet; I wasn't ready yet. But my body didn't care what my mind wanted.

My eyes snapped open and I gripped his hair tightly between my fingers as my back arched up hard on my shoulder blades and the pounding sensation that raced like wildfire escaped me and was thrust deep into the man beneath my hands. He took everything I had to give and swallowed it up into him before removing his mouth from around me. He was out of breath, but wasn't about to stop now.

"Vord," I gasped between breaths, extremely exhausted from my release, as I tried to keep myself composed from the rapid shivers that crept along my flesh like spiders. "Vord, I'm so cold."

He licked my ear. It didn't help. "I know," he whispered with a kiss as he pulled up my knees and placed himself beneath my hips. "Please, just a little more? I promise you'll like it." His lips felt so warm on mine. "Please, Master Adrian?"

I didn't have the strength or the willpower to say no; I loved Vord far too much to deny him anything, much let alone my body. I leaned up and kissed him back with the strength I had left and nodded. "Just don't do it too hard," I said after I laid back again. "I haven't really..." It was something hard and embarrassing to say so I turned away to blush again. He smiled and kissed along my neck causing the shivers to increase.

"It's alright, Master Adrian," he whispered as his lips caressed down my chest to my tender nipple. I let out a long withdrawn moan as my lips quivered from the cold sensation. "You don't have to worry about anything; I'll be very good with you." I moaned again when his lips closed over the tender flesh adding a small nibble with the dulls of his teeth. I had to cling to the sheets to hold myself back from hard moaning when he pulled his head back and blew a swift breath of air on the damp flesh which became even harder on contact.

"Vord, stop teasing me," I moaned as I felt a finger begin to lightly glide along the flesh of my opening. "Just go in already!" I almost screamed, I wanted to, as my back arched lightly from the shivers and I clenched the blanket, accidentally puncturing holes in it with my sharp claws.

My back arched hard when he did what I said. I should have expected that, it was Vord. I could feel two of his digits trying to push into my tight opening, which put me in a great deal of pleasured pain, but there was only so far he could push his fingers in. He soon reached the limit and pulled them out slowly before thrusting them back in again for my pleasure.

It was starting to get hard to breathe, as if someone was sitting on my chest and I didn't know if continuing was going to be a good idea or not. But it felt so good any stopping at this point would be like trying to stop a train. So I tried my best to take my abuse and shove it up my ass along with Vord. "Vord," I moaned again as my hips began to spasm with the feel of in and out, in and out and the shivers. "I want you in me."

"What's that, Master Adrian?" he teased as he leaned over me again. I wasn't in mood for such talk but I wanted it so bad it was hurting.

"I want you in me, Vord," I moaned louder.

"Are you sure?" He wouldn't stop teasing me.

"Yes, damnit! I want you in me! I want you pushing and pounding hard in me screaming until I can't take it any more!" His fingers retreated out of me and my back slowly subsided from its risen state from the release of pressure. "I want you to take me, Vord." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I want to feel every inch of you deep inside of me. I want you to come in me."

He smiled before licking my lips and whispering in my ear. "As you wish, Master Adrian."

I threw my head backward and gasped loudly as he entered hard into me. I clenched his shoulders and rocked with him as he began. I could feel him pushing into me, harder and harder, faster and faster, more and more and more. I hadn't felt like this ever before and, though the feeling itself was wonderful and dazzling, I wasn't sure I liked it as much as being with Verdae. In fact, I knew this wasn't what I wanted. I liked Vord, but I loved Verdae.

I felt something rush deep into, a sin flowing into my body when he finally released. I came almost right after him, the feeling pushing my out into the open. We both let out heavy moans as I clenched his shoulders. He cringed and my fingers began to feel something warm and wet and slightly sticky. I was too busy panting to notice the blood streaming down my fingers, down my hands, down my arms. Vord looked straight into my eyes. "Master Adrian," he muttered.

I looked at his chest and saw blood tricking down either side from several puncture wounds in his shoulders. I pulled my hands away as I stared at the blood. It was so deep, so beautiful, so mesmerizing. And it made it all the more better that it was Vord's blood. "Master Adrian," he whispered again. It somehow broke me out of my trance.

I sat up quickly. "Vord, I'm so sorry!" He silenced me with a sudden kiss. I could feel the warm fresh blood as his chest met mine again. "I'm sorry, Vord," I said again when he pulled away. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Why did I hurt everyone? "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really," he smiled. He glanced at his shoulder and watched as the blood slowed to a stop. He looked back at me. "It really doesn't hurt at all. Look, the blood already stopped. I'm sure I'll be fine." He kissed me before getting off my bed and grabbing his cloths. "I should go home or else father will be angry with me."

"You're leaving already?" I didn't want to be alone.

"Do you want me to stay?" He looked back at me after he pulled his shirt on.

"Well, couldn't you stay for supper or something? I really don't want you to leave yet."

"Alright," he smiled. "But I need to go get James to dress my wound, if that's alright?"

"Sure that's fine," I smiled back.

"Alright, I'll be right back." He went over to the door and opened it. My heart stopped.

"Verdae," I whispered when I saw the figure standing in the doorway. Vord said nothing. All he could do was stare as my pet stood there intimidatingly with his shining red eyes watching; they were watching each other. I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around myself as I walked over to them. "Verdae, please, let me explain."

"You don't have to," he said as he turned and walked down the hall. My chest hurt. My heart ached again. I wanted to die again. I made another stupid mistake. I hurt Verdae again. It was all my fault. It was all my fault.

~~~~~~~~~~

Vord left later that evening and I found myself several days later alone again staring up at my ceiling. I was starting to despise my ceiling. I felt where Verdae had scratched me those several days ago. A scab had formed there over the almost two weeks now and the memories hurt. My body hurt. My heart still hurt. I was tired of only feeling my pain. I needed something to do.

I got up, grabbed Verdae's stone, and got dressed. I went down stairs and told James I was going to be back in about two days and left the house. I wanted to tell Verdae I was going but he hadn't talked to me since the day Vord had spent the night. I was very worried that he was starting to hate me with all the things I was doing wrong lately.

I went to Aric's house and the first person I was confronted with was York. "Hello sir Adrian," was the first words I ever heard out of the boys' mouth. To be truthful, the boy almost scared me. "My father has been expecting you. Please, come in." I hadn't said anything yet and the boy was already taking me to his father. He was a creepy little kid.

"Master Adrian!!" Aric hugged me as York walked out of the room. Aric had a small workshop in the back of his house in which he would carve, shape, and polish his rocks. The shop was dirty but slightly charming in a way. "I've been waiting for you. I'm so glad you made it here safely."

"Thanks, Aric," I smiled a little as I pulled out the stone. "Here's the stone I was telling you about. Did you find any information on it yet?"

He took the stone and inspected it carefully. "Well, I went and looked up some things about any rock I could think of that was what you described. But this doesn't like just like anything I've ever seen before." He turned in over in his hand several times before handing it back to me. "I'm not sure if I can help you with what it is - I can only tell you it's valuable - but I sure can help you with the shaping and polishing of the rock. By the way, Adrian, what are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to give it to Verdae."

He stared at me. "Didn't you say Verdae gave you the rock?"

"Well, yes, it's just that I think he'll need it. It's hard to explain. I just..." What were the words? "I just want to give him something. I've taken too much."

"I see." He patted my shoulder. "Well, Master Adrian, no need to fret! I'll help you make the best gift for Verdae you could make!" He paused. "Of course, it will take some time."

"I know. I told James I'd be back in a few days. Everything should be under control until I get back." I just hop this will make him feel better.

"Alright then!" he laughed with a roll of his stomach. "Let's get to work, Master Adrian!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Kanada swatted at a feather father had sent me for my birthday. He was always just like a cat, curious and fun and bitterly annoying at times. To tell the truth I had missed him for the past few weeks. He had come by just before my birthday and given me a long monks' staff. It was a strange gift and I had no idea what it was used for but I accepted. But as he sat there swatting my peacock feather my mind began to wander. It drifted like a gentle river until everything I saw faded off. All I could see in my mind was Verdae's beautiful glowing eyes staring back at me.

"Adrian, wake up!"

I fell off my bed when my brother yelled, and very loudly I might add, in my ear. I glared up at him as I pushed myself back up. "What the fuck was that for?!" I yelled back at him.

He cowered over in the corner. "You wouldn't wake up! I'm sorry! Don't yell at me!" He was so afraid of me. He better had been. "You just zoned out again and it scares me when you zone out because you do scary things when you zone out."

"Okay, I get it Kanada!"

"I just..." He sniffled a little. "I just don't want you to be like you used to be." Like I used to be? I didn't even remember how I used to be. All I remembered was...darkness...and a light...

~~~~~~~~~~

I looked up when I heard the door to my room open and Verdae walk in. He had the scarf wrapped around his neck, his scares visible only if he turned to one side. His eyes glowed gently like a small red flames as his red lips moved like liquid. "You wanted to see me, Master Adrian?

I looked back out the balcony window as I stood from the bed. "Yes, I did want to see you. Why don't you join me out on the balcony? It's cooler out there." He just nodded and followed me outside. "Would you like some wine?" I offered.

"No thank you, Master Adrian," he refused. "I'm not really that thirsty. But thank you for the offer." His words sounded so empty like they didn't mean a thing to him. His eyes looked empty too and I had a feeling that he still didn't want me near him.

"You've been saying that a lot." It bugged me.

He looked up. "Saying what, Master Adrian?"

"That," I gestured to his words. "That whole 'Master Adrian' thing. I don't like it. I'm not your Master yet, am I? So you shouldn't be calling me that."

"But you marked me." I cringed at the memory. I didn't want to have to think about so much blood. "I thought that was how you showed you were someone's pet."

"I suppose that's how it is in the State." I looked at him. "But it's different in your clan, isn't it, Verdae?" He nodded. "Just how is it in your clan?"

"Females are selected out of the groups and given a red leather collar with the name of their Master written on it. Until the collar is taken off by their Master or someone in higher power than their Master or if one of the two die they are a slave or pet and are used for whatever their Master sees fit."

"So you chose Melee?"

"My father chose her for me. I really didn't want a pet or slave. I wanted to be left out of that clan." He looked out over the edge of the rail. "I guess no one understood that."

I reached over and pet his soft hair as we watched the dust roll by on the wind. "I hear it's going to be your birthday in a few days. I'm happy for you. You must be excited." I looked at him when he didn't respond. "What kind of present do you want?"

"I want Vord to die," he said plainly as the wind gently blew his hair. I watched his blood-red lips utter the words but my ears hurt to hear them.

"That's not something you should wish for, Verdae." He looked up at me. Red eyes meet light violet. "If you wish for calamity to strike your foes it will return three fold back to you. I wouldn't want such terrible things to happen to someone I love so much."

His eyes opened wide just before our lips met and my tongue entered his mouth. The taste of sweet blood flowed to my lips and around my tongue as he copied my gesture. We some how ended up on the floor and I could feel the heavy pulsing in my ears and down my pants as I began to rub against him. "Adrian," he panted as my tongue ran over his lips, "I want you."

"I know," I muttered back as I started to undo his pants to take them off. "I want you too. Badly. I want you so much it hurts!" I forced my lips to his and we tongued again as I whipped his pants off his legs and maneuvered them free from his feet. "I want to take you right now."

"Take me!" he gasped as he pulled my shirt over my head. He put his hand on the back of my head and sloppily kissed me hard. "Tell me I'm better than him. Tell me you love me."

"I love you, Verdae," I whispered in his ear as I gently squeezed his member. "I love you more than anything, more than anyone. Vord isn't the one that's important to me." Everything stopped for that moment as I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. "I don't love Vord the way I love you. Vord isn't the person that makes me happy." I kissed him lightly before continuing. "I'm sorry you saw what you did. I was drunk, it was my fault. I don't want you to hate Vord about it. I really don't want you to hate me but I'd rather it be me than him. At least I can make you feel better."

He leaned up and kissed me gently. "I'm not mad at you. I was mad at Vord, but I guess I was just trying to stay calm by being alone. I didn't want to end up yelling at you. I was just really mad. I'm sorry I avoided you for so long."

I smiled before gently kissing him and groping his member. He moaned weakly under me. I think I liked being on top much better. "Apology accepted, my sweet. But that doesn't mean you don't have to make it up to me." He moaned loudly and his back arched up to me as his plea to get more from me. "Tell me what you want Verdae. Scream it to me."

"I want you to take me," he gasped. He could just get the words out. But I wanted more.

"I said scream it, Verdae," I whispered in his ear. "Let me know you really want it. Loudly!"

"I want you do screw me!" he moaned. He was trying but I really wanted him to scream it, loudly, right in my ear. It made me so hard.

"Do it again, Verdae!" I started to pump him and his body rocked with the motion.

"I wanted you to fuck me!" he nearly yelled as he threw his head back. He hit the floor and let out a cry of pain. I immediately stopped and centered my attention to his head.

"Are you alright, Verdae?" I held his head in my hands. He wasn't bleeding, thank god, but he still looked in pain.

"I just hit it a little hard," he said as he felt the back of his head. "It just hurts a little. I'll be fine." He took one of my hands and placed it back between his legs, wrapping my fingers around his unit. "Don't stop. Please don't stop yet, Master Adrian."

The longing in his voice and the desire in his eyes burned into my chest and I began to pump him again. "How's that?" I whispered in his ear as I held the back of his head and pumped harder.

"Yes, god yes!" He moaned loudly as I continued on harder and harder. He wrapped his arms around my neck and moaned loudly in my ear. It made me hard. "Adrian, harder! Please, do it harder!"

"Say it some more and maybe I will," I smirked as I licked his ear. He let out another series of moans as I nibbled the rim and pumped him as hard as my arm would allow. He moaned it over and over, loud, right it my ear, until his back arched violently and he came all over my hand and his chest and stomach.

His back feel quickly to the floor and he breathed heavily, his chest moving up and down, up and down, as his breath beat hard past his lips and against the warm air. He still moaned a little as he tried to sit up. I didn't stop him but I wasn't sure if he had composed his strength enough to do it yet. It took him several attempts, but he did sit up. "I don't think I like doing it on the stone floor," he panted with a small smile. I smiled back.

"Then we should do it on the bed." I slid my arms underneath him and lifted him up with my knees and took him over to the bed. I lowered him down gently as his body relaxed on the comforter. He looked so beautiful lying with his pretty body and his pretty hair and his pretty face and his pretty you-know-what and his pretty eyes. He had such pretty eyes that captured my willful soul. I wanted to badly to be his victim for all eternity. "I have something to give you."

He cocked his head slightly and looked up at me so adorable. "Something for me? What is it?" He sat up and tugged on my arm. "Come on, tell me!"

I smirked at his child-like antics and took his hand off my arm. "How about I just give it to you? Then I wouldn't have to tell you and you wouldn't have to nag."

He smiled sheepishly. "Um, that'll work too, I guess."

"Alright." I ruffled his hair and walked over to my dresser. I took his gift and concealed it within my hand as I walked back over it him. He watched intently, but patiently. "I know it may not look like very much, but I did try to make it look nice. I'm sorry if you don't like it." I opened my palm and he watched as the red stone glowed softly in my hand.

"My stone," he whispered as his eyes grew wide when he saw the feather-shaped rock tied to a long read leather cord the unwound and fell off the side of my hand. It was a perfect fit and my palm and it had tried to make it look as much like a real, delicate feather as I could. I don't think I did a very bad job, but I was afraid I could do better.

He reached out and caught the strap as I said "I'm sorry if you don't like it. If you really want I'll take it back and try to make you something better." He held it from the top of the strap and stared at it as it twirled slowly by the end of the quill.

"You made this from my stone?" He spoke quietly.

"Yes; I'm sorry if it upsets you. I just wanted it to mean something to you. I didn't mean to upset you." I felt stupid now. He looked like he wanted to cry. It was such a bad idea.

"You made this for me? All by yourself?"

Did he want it? "Yeah, I made it just for you. I thought it might look pretty on you. And I guess I did make it myself. That's not really important, though."

He grabbed me and forced his lips to mine in a hot kiss as his hand slid between my legs. I almost fell back with the sudden action but caught myself in time and kissed back. I could feel his warm hands rub me as his tongue grazed over my lips several teasing times. Why wouldn't he just get it over with and suck my soul out? Why did he have to tease me so?

"Master Adrian," he moaned in my ear as his chest pressed to mine. His heart was beating so fast. "Will you please put it on? I want you to see what I look like with nothing else on."

"Sure thing," I whispered back as I took the gift from his hand and strung it around his neck twice before tying it in the back. I adjusted the strap so that the first time it was wrapped around it looked as if a choker clinging loosely to his neck, then the second time around held the broach low near the center of his chest between his pectoral muscles just above where his abs began. He looked just the way I envisioned him, only better.

"How does it look?" he asked as he laid back down so seductively as he looked up at me. "Do I look alright?"

"You look fine," I smiled as I got on top of him. "In fact, you're better than fine, Verdae; you're perfect." He blushed hot red when I said it and looked away from me.

"Don't say things like that; they aren't true. I'm no better than anyone else."

"That's where you're wrong, Verdae." I kissed him softly as I felt our souls pass each other and it sent a shiver up my spine. "You're the most important thing to me. I love you. I would never leave you or hurt you intentionally. I'm sorry for anything I've done in the past. Please, let me do anything I can to make it up to you."

"Well," he began as he run his cold fingers lightly over my unit, "you could start by satisfying me to a full extent. And I think we could work from there," he smiled.

"Of course, anything you say," I smiled back.

~~~~~~~~~~

I glanced back at Verdae as I leaned over the balcony railing. He was still fast asleep; he looked so peaceful as he was off lingering in a happy dream somewhere. Perhaps he was dreaming about me? But that was a foolish thought. I wished to join him but I knew I couldn't; a demon like me isn't able to infiltrate others' dreams.

I watched the dust fly as the wind picked up quickly from a swift downward draft. Such things were uncommon and it intrigued me. I stared out and even leaned over the rail to see if anyone or anything was causing the wind to kick up in such a manor, like my brother, but I saw no evidence of such a thing. "Kanada?" I called as I began to look all over. "Vord?" There was no reply. "Is someone out there?" Still nothing, but there was a strange silence about it all. Perhaps someone sent to kill me? I closed the doors to the balcony in worries that whoever it was would hurt my Verdae as well as me. I walked back to the edge of the rail and looked out. "Come on out! I know you're there!"

"Are you sure you want me to?"

My heart stopped when I heard the voice and the feel of warm warm lips breathing into my ear and hands placed gently, ever so gently, one on the side of my neck and the other on my hips. I could see him glowing gentle white out of the corner of my eye. The color was so pure; I had never seen such a thing before. My body broke into hard sudden quakes just a second after he spoke. I had no idea who it was but I could sense that he, they, were of divine origin.

"You're scaring the boy," the second scolded to the first. He spoke like a whispering stream. His voice was so celestial I could listen to him talk for days.

"As you wish, milord." I felt the hands leave my body but the shock remained. Were they here to kill me, the son of the traitor? It made sense. "But, if you will, Sir Adrian, I'd much like my book. I haven't held it in a very long time."

I turned my head slowly to try to get a look at this celestial being. The color of his eyes was such light blue they seemed to float like clouds and his pupil looked like the hole into hell. His long hair glistened silver against his white robe as it fell over his shoulders and back. He was as beautiful as Verdae, but I didn't admit that.

"Gabriel, I told you to stop teasing the boy," the other scolded again. He looked at me. His eyes were a soft honey-hazel and his hair was curled black in well arranged lumps on his head. The scary thing is I knew who it was.

I stumbled backward and hit the rail. I felt very dizzy and light headed before gravity decided to take its toll and I felt the burden of my weight begin to pull me down. But before my body slid very far the hazel-eyed angel took my hand and pulled me back on the balcony floor.

"Careful now, Adrian," it smiled as I sat on the ground dumbfounded. "We wouldn't want you hurt, now would we?"

"Yes you would!" I cried as I tried to take my hand back. I retrieved it quite easily.

"My, it does yell often, doesn't it?" Gabriel muttered as he rubbed the side of his head. He didn't look too pleased to be there at all. And, wait a second, he called me it.

"I'm not an it!" I yelled before the black locks could do anything about the witted white angel. "I'm an Adrian!"

But I shut my damn mouth when the angel kneeled in front of me, his face very close to mine, inspecting me carefully. He had the prettiest eyes to descend from heaven and the strange sent of white unfermented cakes and fine wine. I wondered if his lips tasted as equally as good.

So I pushed mine to his. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But unfortunately, he pushed the other way.

"You unholy beast! What are you trying to do?! Turn me into a demon as well! Never touch me again! Don't even come near me!"

But the other one didn't seem as upset by the event; he was even laughing a little to himself as Gabriel tried to wipe the stain of demon from his lips. The young man I found was very lighthearted. And very beautiful. But the son of god nonetheless. "Why didn't you let me fall? Aren't you here to kill me?"

"No, of course not, Adrian."

"You aren't worth the time," Gabriel muttered as his fingers washed over his lips. The boy shot a small glare to the way of the angle and it quickly quieted.

So I went on to the next best thing. "Then you want me to kill my father?" It seemed like something legitimate to ask.

"No no no, of course not! Besides, murder is a sin; it would go against angles' standards."

I tried to justify my reasoning by pointing to myself and uttering "demon." He just smiled.

"You now who I am, it seems. Am I correct?"

I nodded some. "Yes, you're the archangel Michael." I looked away; his sight was too much to bear. "You...you're the only begotten son of the most high lord Jehovah, most holy over all the heavens and the Earth, commander over all that lives."

"That's right, but you have no idea why I'm here, do you?" I shook my head. Why did he have to speak so gently to someone that defiles him so? "I'm here to ask a favor of you, Adrian, if it isn't too much trouble."

I glanced back at him. "A favor? Why would the son of the most high ask the son of the lowly devil for a favor? Isn't that going against your standards as well?" He smiled at me. "I'm sure you have myriads of angles that could do this favor myriads of times better than I, Milord Michael."

I was about to decline when he held out his hand to me in a very strange way that compelled. So I bit my tongue and swallowed senses and took his hand and he helped me to my feet. "It is true, what you say; I have several angles to perform such tasks for me. But don't you believe that there's a reason to choose you, Sir Adrian?" I remained silent. "Because I can see into your future, and I can see into your heart." He turned and looked through the glass doors at my still sleeping Verdae. "You're very fond of him, aren't you? He's fond of you as well. I'm sure you two would be very happy together."

"You do you mean 'would be'?"

"The future is never totally clear, Adrian. Some events are meant to happen, destined to be, but some not even I nor my father can foretell. Your future is unclear, and the longer you remain the more painful and complicated it will become."

"Enough of this." It was making me angry. "What is this favor? Tell me and I will give you my verdict."

He looked straight into my eyes and I had to catch myself on the rail as I saw a vision, a horrid, terrible vision of the spilling of innocent blood, draining down the branches of a tree to the ground below. It made me hurt for some reason. "Adrian," he began after I composed myself, "here is the favor in which I have no place to ask of you, and nothing in return to give but a promise that shan't be uttered until this favor I am about to utter is fulfilled: Adrian, I want you to leave your home, I want you to leave this place, I want you to forget you were ever here, and retreat to Earth."

And I know what you're thinking; I was thinking the same thing: why the hell would I do that and what the hell was I going to do there? I finally had what I wanted, so why leave it all behind? But I was unable to speak from the shock that had just been yoked upon my shoulders from out the sky. And the only thing I could muster up was, "What?"

He didn't respond to me but instead turned to Gabriel and said, "Isn't there something you came here for, my friend?"

He was stunned at the sudden question and seemed unable to answer in a well manor. It was strange to see since he had kept very cool so far. So he tried to pretend like he didn't know what Michael was talking about. "Master...I, um...I don't know what you're speaking of!"

Michael just kept smiling (I wondered if he smiled about everything?) and replied, "I think you do know, Gabriel. Why are you so hesitant to except your heart? Just because angels aren't given free will doesn't mean that they shouldn't do as their heart sees fit."

I had no idea what the fuck Michael was talking about but, apparently, Gabriel knew just what to do. But still, he seemed hesitant. "Master, I could be expelled." Expelled from heaven? Then it must have been serious.

"Not if I commission you," Mike said, still a smile fluttering on his soft lips. "Go on, Gabriel, go see him. I'm sure he's missed you after so long."

Gabby was silent for a moment before bowing to him master. "Thank you, Master. I swear it; I will be back as soon as possible. And if anything happens I will take full responsibility."

"That's alright Gabriel," Mike smiled at his heavenly servant, "just go."

Gabriel nodded before jumping off the edge of the balcony and flying northeast. I watched for a moment before looking back at Michael. "Where's he going?"

Mike just smiled, "he's going to see an old friend."

~~~~~~~~~~

Now, I'm sure you're curious as to where Gabriel is going (hell knows I was) so I thought that, since you probably aren't so much interested in me right now as much as to where Gabby is, we can just fallow him for a bit. Keep in mind; I wasn't there so the story may be a little different if you hear it directly from the two of them. I only got this from word of mouth. And also keep in mind that I didn't hear this story until several thousand years later.

Gabriel alighted on the tower of the castle not very far from mine. The angel watched the demon below before dropping down onto the balcony where the man was standing. The demon was looking out over the land, not facing the angel, not sure if he wanted to. There was silence between the two figures for several moments until Gabriel finally broke the echoes of nothingness.

"It's been a long time," he said as the demon turned toward him, "Yamtai." (Yeah, I know that was lame, I was just trying to be dramatic, so fuck you.)

Yamtai smiled a little at the glowing white angel as he took a few steps toward him. "Yeah, I guess it has, hasn't it Gabriel?" They stood very close now, face to face, eye to eye, sky to pit, heaven to hell. "You know what, Gab?"

"What, Yamtai?"

"I really missed you!" Yamtai threw his arms around the angels' neck, smiling happily, embracing him tightly. Gabriel likewise put his arms around the demon but his expression did little in the way of change and his arms were not wound so tightly around the sinner. Yamtai tried to kiss Gabriel but the angel intervened with pressing his finger to the demons lips.

"Please, Yamtai," Gabby said as he partially turned away, "I've already been kissed by one boy today. And you know how I feel about that sort of thing."

"Right," Yamtai said as he looked away. "I just really missed you a lot. And you know how I feel about you, Gabriel."

"Yeah, I know how you feel about me, Yamtai; that's what got you in to trouble in the first place, remember? Not really too smart of you. You should have kept it all to yourself."

"Yeah, I remember," he replied, his voice becoming agitated. "Did you just come here to mock me, Gabriel? Are you really so mad at me? Do you hate me so much?"

Gabriel said nothing, but instead pulled his arms tighter around the fire demon as his lips gently brushed over his forehead. "What makes you think I hate you, Yamtai? Why would I hate you?"

"Because I-" He stopped in mid sentence and looked back at the angel. "You know why, Gabriel! Why do you always have to make things hard for me?

The angel took the demons chin in his hand and moved their lips so close together it was enough for them to almost kiss. "I'm sorry for making fun of you, Yamtai. But you did try to jump me and you knew that that was prohibited in heaven. It's not that I wouldn't do it with you, that is if I like males, it's just against the rules."

"And angels don't have free will," Yamtai added as he turned his head away. "That's why I left, Gabriel. I couldn't stand to not be with you and her." He clung to the angels' tunic as he moved his lips to his ear. "I really wish you would have come with me and her. We weren't doing it for Lucifer, you know; we were doing it for ourselves, we were doing it for each other. We both missed you so much, Gabriel."

"That reminds me..." He pulled Yamtai's head back so he could look at his face. "How is Meline doing? I haven't seen her in so long."

Yamtai looked away again, unable to face his old friend when he said, "She's dead."

Gabriel's arms dropped to his sides as his body became tense and his chest began to swell. "Dead? How can she be dead? How can an immortal be dead?"

"We gave up our immortality when we became demons. We still live for nearly forever, but we still cannot elude our deaths. We don't know why Meline died, and I think I feel better not knowing. I'd like to believe that it was from her shifting environment or maybe the toll of having children. It was always hard for her to try and spend time for the both of them." Yamtai growled under his breath as he added, "And it was all because of that stupid boy."

"Yamtai, you can't blame Adrian for Lucifer's tricks. He deceived you, and just because Adrian is the spawn of his deception doesn't mean that it's his fault.

"But it is his fault Vord was always second best. It's his fault that I couldn't give my son everything I wanted him to have. You have no idea what it's like to have you son call his brother 'Master' just because they have different fathers. It's that damn jackal's fault, that damn spawn of that damn snake," he sneered as he looked off. "And I was a fool for trusting him."

"No, Yamtai," Gabriel said as he gently caressed Yamtai's cheek. "You are not the fool. It isn't your fault that you were deceived; that is what the devil does. And I'm sure, given the chance, most of all the outcasts would come back in a heartbeat. Yamtai," he took the demons chin and tilted it up to him again to plaint the seed of a gentle kiss on his red lips, "no matter what, demon or angel, I will always love you."

And so it is said that they got it on, angel and demon, Gabriel on top, but I don't know all the sexy hot details, so sorry. I mean, hell, I'd like to know, but life is cruel. And so, because I have to, I'll skip the sex and get to the after talk.

"So, why are you here, anyway?" Yamtai asked as Gabriel played with his golden hair.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you look good as a blonde?"

"No, and thanks. So why are you here?"

"I'm here with Michael. I wasn't filled in on most of the details but he needs Adrian to go to Earth for some reason. Something about a prophet."

"Why the hell would Michael need a prophet?"

"I don't know," Gabriel said as he sat up and grabbed his shirt. "I have to get going soon."

"Do you think he'll do it? Adrian, I mean. Do you think he'll go to Earth? I hear he's got it pretty good in his damn castle with his new puppy."

"You sound like you have so much scorn in your voice," Gabriel said with a smirk. "Yeah, I think he'll go. But I think it might take a while. Sure, he has it good now, but in a place like this it's probably isn't too hard to lose everything you have to a snake."

"Yeah," Yamtai muttered as he looked out the window. "Maybe I should go too. It's about time the world saw a real dragon."

"What about your son?"

"Vord? He'll be fine on his own. And I don't think I'll leave quite yet. I'll go just before the jackal leaves his den. You always have to be strategic when hunting your pray."

~~~~~~~~~~

"No, really," I said, trying to persuade Michael as to Gabriel's whereabouts, "where's he going?"

"Just to see a friend," he still responded with his angelic smile. "Now, Adrian, about our deal--"

"No deal," I interrupted harshly as I looked away from him. I couldn't stand to look at him any longer; that white light that he emitted seemed too familiar. "Look Michael, I don't even know why you'd want a demon to leave this place. The only thing I could think of is so you could kill me off or something."

"Perhaps, then, I should tell you." I glanced back at him as if to say 'alright, tell me; just try to change my mind,' and so he did tell me. "Adrian, it could be said that we are the light and the darkness of the world. It could also be said that we are polar opposites and that we should be enemies. However, Adrian, polar opposites attract in one way or another. Your father and my father bicker and fight amongst themselves despite the knowing that my father could easily destroy him. My father is the light; your father is the dark. But are we destined to fallow their paths, Adrian? Are we destined to be enemies for the remaining of eternity until the Great War comes?" I remained silent. "I for one do not wish to see your blood shed, Adrian. That is not to say that it will be."

He was right. "And personally Michael, I don't want to see you dead either, not to say as that'll happen. But that's the way things are destined to be. We can't change things just because we don't like them."

"But as I told you before, Adrian, our destinies can change, for unseen occurrences befall us all. Accidental death, murder, and illness. Even your mother was victim to such tragedies." How did he know about my mother? "But we can change things, Adrian, you and I. We can give everyone hope for a new, a better life."

"But that's not going to bring my mother back," I stated as I turned away again. I was upset now. "So just tell me this great plan of yours and I'll tell you my decision."

"Fair enough," he said as he walked over and stood next to me. "I can't tell you all the details, but I want you to go to Earth to be a prophet for me and a protector of my people. I will not force you to go, nor will I make you do what I ask if you do go, but that is my only request for you, Adrian, until I am able to go to Earth myself."

"So all I have to do is go to Earth and tell ignorant humans that someday you're going to come to Earth and do something for the good of humans? Sounds fun," I said sarcastically.

"And protect my people," he smiled at me.

I glanced back to him and replied, "I'll think about it. I can't guarantee anything, seeing as how I'm pretty comfortable here."

"That's fine, Adrian. Remember: you can stay here as long as you want; the offer will still stand as long as I'm not at Earth, no matter how much time passes. However, if you wish to not leave here than I wish you luck in your relationship; trust me Adrian, you'll need it."

I looked back inside the room at Verdae as he still laid sleeping on the bed. I knew that angel wasn't threatening me, he was just warning me about the future. I knew I should have taken him more seriously, but I was blinded by my greed. "Thanks for the offer, Michael. I'll sleep on it."

"Of course," Michael said as he kissed my cheek. "I wish you good fortune, my friend. And I hope that I'll see you again, Adrian. Farwell." He stepped onto the railing and just before he let himself fall he looked back at me again. "And Adrian," he said with a comforting smile, "I promise you'll see him again. Hell and heaven couldn't keep you two apart." And the angel let himself fall backwards off the balcony.

~~~~~~~~~~

And nothing changed. Verdae mentioned something about a light slightly arousing him from his sleep, so he just turned over, not even opening his eyes, but it was disregarded and things were as they had been before the two angels arrived. And for some time I barely regarded it as anything at all, shoving it into the back of my mind as if it had never happened. And things were quiet; Vord came to visit me every year for my birthday and I lived happily with Verdae for several years (I even bought him a pet dragon) until he grew out of his, what humans call, "teens" and into his "twenties," the more important years to a demon when they should begin their apprenticeship of their fathers and become full-fledged demons. But my Verdae still stayed with me and it was never mentioned for him to return home. That was about that time that things began to become as the angel had said to me: bad.

James answered to a messenger that came to my door one early afternoon. The boy requested to see me so James came to my room and knocked on the door. I was glad he knocked since I was just a little bit busy with Verdae. "What is it James?" I called out from atop Verdae on the bed.

"Milord, there's a messenger at the door from your brother, Kanada," was his reply.

I looked up from my partially strained lover to the door. "What does he want?"

And so James replied, "He delivers an important message from your brother and wishes to see you as soon as possible. It sounds very urgent, Master Adrian."

"Alright, I'll be down in a moment," I called to James, then looked back at Verdae. "I'll be back in just a minute," I said as I kissed his lips and got off of him. "Don't go anywhere."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere without you, Master Adrian," he smiled as he watched me walk out of the room.

I walked down the stairs with my robe draped around me like I was actually trying to look royal. The messenger kneeled, on knee and foot and fist, in front of my chair with his head bowed low to the ground. I sat in my chair and looked at the boy. Oh, yeah, I had to say that thing... "You may rise," I more suggested than commanded. He did.

"Please forgive me Master Adrian. I meant not to come on such short notice and interrupt your--"

"Yeah, okay I got it," I interrupted so he could get to the point. "Just tell me what is so important that my little brother couldn't come here and tell me himself like he always does."

"Milord," he sighed as he picked up again, "Master Kanada's mother is dead." I froze where I sat. I hadn't known the old girl that much, and neither had Kanada for that matter, but it still came as a shock. "He asks of you to attend the funeral service in respects for his mother."

I wasn't sure what to say. What was I supposed to say? "When did this happen?" I could feel my heart start to hurt for my brother.

"Late last week, sire."

My poor sweet brother. "When will the service be?"

"In three days, milord."

"Then I'll leave now," I muttered as I stood. "Leave now and tell my brother that I'll be there as soon as time allows," I commanded.

"Yes, sire; as you wish," he said before bowing and leaving my presence.

I went back to my room and told Verdae what the boy had said to me as I got dressed. "But isn't Kanda's castle at least a day and a half from here?"

"Only if you walk," I replied as I pulled a shirt over my head. "I can make it in half the time if I fly fast enough." I pulled on some pants.

"I should probably just stay here than," he commented as he pet his small dragons' head. "I'd probably just slow you down."

I looked at him lounging very sexily on the bed with the dragon. He had become so accustomed to nice things. "Do you want to stay? If you want to come with me I'm sure you can ride on my back." I knew he couldn't fly as fast as me. Sometimes we'd have games to see who could fly the fastest and things like that. "I wouldn't mind it."

"That's alright," he smiled. "I'd just be a burden to you. Besides," he added, "it should be a time for just you and your brother to spend. He needs your support right now and if I were there I'd just get in the way of you two."

"Alright," I agreed as I leaned over and kissed him lovingly on the lips. "I'll try to be back as soon as possible. Don't go outside unless James is watching, do a James says, make sure you take a bath every night, don't talk to anyone that comes here that you don't know..." And I put my hand over the stone near his heart that hung on the leather cord round his neck. "And don't forget me."

He smiled sweetly. "I promise I'll never forget you. Besides, Master Adrian, it's not like you're going to be gone forever."

"You're damn straight," I said as I ruffled his hair. He giggled as he grabbed my hand and pulled me down on top of him on the bed. His chest would rise and set slowly as his eyes flashed fresh blood at me. It reminded me of the vision I saw in the angels eyes. "I would never leave you," I whispered softly as our lips became close and my hand moved its way between his thighs.

"And I would never forget you," he replied as his tongue tasted my lips, the sweet scent of blood on his hot breath. I could feel his body begin to shiver with anticipation. "I love you, Adrian."

~~~~~~~~~~

Kanada was standing silently in front of the casket in his human form as he stared on at the lifeless body. It was one of the seldom times that I had seen Kanada in his human form thus far and, even if he wasn't the most beautiful creature with his wild black hair and his bronze skin, he wasn't that bad looking. But he looked so sad.

I approached him and we both stood there in silence watching the body as if we expected it to rise up and embrace my brother; but nothing happened.

And it took what seemed like forever for someone to talk first, and it was Kanada. "I didn't really know her very well at all," he whispered as I looked over to him. "Is that bad, Adrian? I mean, sure, dad took me away from her soon after I was born, but that didn't mean I couldn't go see her. Is it my fault she died?" He turned to look at me. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Adrian, I know I didn't know her very well, but she was still my mother." He put his arms around me and pushed his face into my chest and sobbed quietly as I stroked his hair.

I didn't know what to say; there was no comfort to give. My brothers' mother had died and now he had to suffer through it just like I had to suffer with my mothers' death. There was no way to give him hope of her return, no way to comfort him in his time of need, no way to ease that pain the chocked his heart and settled like thorns. And at that moment I understood what Michael had said about a new, a better life, and I wanted that for my brother.

He had stopped crying enough now to talk again. "I never felt like this before," he sniffled as he rubbed his face into my shirt. "My chest really hurts; it feels tight, like I can't breath. And I feel so empty. I feel like something really really important flew away and I can't get it back." He clung to my shirt and hugged me as tightly as he could muster in his distraught state. "Adrian," he sobbed into my shirt as his fingernails dug into my back, "I want my mommy back."

~~~~~~~~~~

I opened the door but Verdae wasn't waiting curled up on the floor waiting for me like he had been so many times before. It semi-worried me, but I figured that he'd be in my room lounging about on my bed sexily waiting for me to come in and take him. So I went to my room.

Verdae was not there. So I went to his room.

He wasn't there either. The only living thing in the room was the dragon, Luma, whining as it sat on the windowsill with his tail flicking madly back and forth. Luma never whined. Something was wrong. I called for James all over the house but there were no replies. Not one word was answered in my reply and I was starting to get scared.

I went to the kitchen and found James unconscious on the floor, dried blood on his head and on the floor. I couldn't wake him so I took him to his room and let him sleep. I finished searching the entire house but Verdae was nowhere to be found. So I sat on the couch and waited for a whole day in hopes that Verdae would come through the door safely and unharmed.

He never came home.

~~~~~~~~~~

A knock on the door woke me and I got up quickly and flung open the door. It was not Verdae; it was Vord. "Vord, what are you doing here?" I asked, a little angry; not at him, just in general.

"My father is gone," he replied, almost distressed. "He's not at home and no one has seen him in two days or knows where he is. I wanted to know if you've seen him."

Why would he ask me if I knew where Yamtai was? "No, I haven't seen him. Why would you think I did?"

"Because the other day he was talking about how he was going to hand Verdae over to your father." He looked away. "I'm sorry, Master Adrian."

My heart beat faster. "What?" Did Yamtai hate me so much? "Why would he do that? What the hell is wrong with him?" Vord just remained silent. "Vord, do you have any idea why he'd do something like this?"

"Because," he said quietly, "I asked him to." I froze and was unable to speak or do anything else. Vord, my best friend, my only friend, asked his father to get rid of my lover? "I asked my father to tell your father the Verdae was becoming troublesome, a burden, to you and to take care of the problem. I didn't know he would do it so soon, or like this."

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes "What?!" It was getting harder to breath and it felt as if someone was stabbing me through the heart. "What the hell are you talking about Vord?! Why the fuck would you do something like that?! What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"Because I thought you were getting too attached to him!" he yelled back. "He wasn't your slave anymore, he was your lover!"

"He's always been my lover!!" I snapped as I backhanded my friend without consciousness. I stepped back when I realized what I had done. "Vord, I'm sorry." I tried to touch the cheek the I had hit but he pulled away. "Vord..."

"I'm happy that you love someone," he said quietly. "I'm happy that you're happy. But that's what I wanted." He looked back at me slowly. He looked so sad. "I wanted your affection, Adrian; I wanted you to love me." He looked away again. "But I'm just your friend. I'm just your whore for when you need me. I'm nothing else to you."

"That's not true Vord." I tired to hug him but he wouldn't allow it. "Vord, you know I love you."

"Yeah," he muttered," when it's convenient for you. Other than that I'm just here to stand on the sidelines and tell you how great you're doing. I never get to be in the game with you; I'm never really near you." He glared at me. "And what about Aries? All he wanted was to be close to you, too! You never even talked to him, Adrian! Did you ever think that he just wanted to make you happy too?!"

I remained silent. I had nothing to say. Vord was right: I was wrong.

His face softened and he leaned up as if to kiss me but the feeling didn't come. "The only time I was ever close to you was when you didn't want me to be. The only time Aries was ever close to you was when he tried to make you. All we wanted, Adrian, was to make you happy." His fingers ran gently through my hair as his lips closed softly over mine.

"I'm sorry, Vord," I said when the kiss had ended. "I didn't know that's how you felt." I put my hand on his cheek and he rubbed against me lovingly. "Vord, you should have told me. If I had known that was how you felt I would have done everything differently."

"But I was acting stupidly and selfish. It's my fault that Verdae is gone and that you're upset. If I had been thinking more about you this whole thing wouldn't have happened." He pulled my hand away and looked off. "If that's what you want, Master Adrian, if Verdae is what will make you happy, than I promise I will not interfere any longer. But that doesn't mean I condone it."

I was silent for several moments before I asked him, "Vord, where is Verdae? Where is he right now?"

"With your father; at least, as far as I know, that's where he is." He looked at me almost as if he were going to cry. "I'm sorry Master Adrian. I just wanted what was best for you. And I thought I was best for you." And Vord turned from me and walked away.

And at that moment I felt more alone than I had ever felt in my life, and it really hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~

I stormed into my fathers house, easily punching aside any victim that dare stood in my way. I was angry; very, very, very angry and I would not stand anyone interfering with me at this moment. I was going to get Verdae back from my son of a bitch father no matter what it took.

I pushed open the doors to the thrown room and stomped my way right in. My father looked up at me and smiled. For some reason it had always made him happy to see me angry. "Well hello there, Adrian. What a pleasant surprise. And by what matters have you come to my humble abode this day, my dear son?" the way he talked always pissed me off and today wasn't any different.

"You know damn well what brings me here," I said as I stormed right up to him without even stopping to bow. "Give me Verdae back right this instant and I won't burn your house to the ground!"

"Temper, temper, Adrian," my father said as he wagged a finger in my face. "Why can't you be more laid back like your brother? Maybe that way you'd find a nice female to settle with instead of teasing all the boys."

"Give me Verdae!" I demanded, clearly not in the mood for his games.

He frowned at me. "Come now Adrian; he's just a poor little boy. Leave him be; let him go home. A boy his age needs his father to be about. He told me he'd much rather be home than doing nothing but get screwed all day by you."

"He would never say that," I growled. "Verdae would never choose going home over living with me! His home is with me now!"

"How do you know that, Adrian? How much do you really know about the boy?"

"Don't try to deceive me. Remember, father, I'm not some stupid human. I don't fall for tricks from a serpent. I suppose they're the only ones you can deceive anymore. All the demons know better than to listen to you anymore." He scowled at that. "I'll only ask you once more, father: where is Verdae?!"

My father did not respond but I heard a servant call out from the crowd saying, "In the bed chambers."

I glanced behind me at them then back at my father. Then I started to walk away. "Get back here, Adrian!" my father commanded as he grabbed my arm. "I forbid you to have anything to do with that boy any longer!"

I turned my head and scowled at him before turning on my heels and cutting him in the side of him face with my fist. (And hell yes, did it feel good!) He stumbled backward into him chair. "You may be my father," I scowled, "but I love Verdae more than anyone. And I swear, even if his fingernail is broken, I'm not going to hold back." And I left the chambers and went upstairs.

I opened the door to my old room and smiled when I saw Verdae sitting on the bed looking out the window. But my smile went away when I heard him crying. I approached him but he did not stir. "Verdae," I said as I sat next to him and put an arm around him, "it's okay; I'm here now." He turned to me and put his head in my shoulder and cried softly as I pet his hair.

I wanted a better life for Verdae and for Kanada. I wanted them to be happy. Just the two of them was enough reason for me. I would have given my life just to make the two of them happy; even just to make one of them happy. And as I sat there holding Verdae close to me I could feel how much pain he was in and I knew it was because of me.

And so that's when I decided that for right now the best thing to do was to leave; in that way there was at least a hope that Verdae could have a better life than what I could give him. And perhaps, in some strange perverted way, I could make life better for a lot of other people, too.

~~~~~~~~~~

He was sleeping, still very exhausted and distraught from the whole ordeal, even if it was a week ago. And I had just done him for the last time, so expected him to sleep; he always slept after we had sex. I had sat there and watched him for the longest time before I finally got dressed and packed a few things. I took a staff and a cup that I knew I could sell for a good profit and a change of cloths and Gabby's book, seeing as how I hadn't the chance to give it to him during our last encounter.

Other than those things I had nothing else I wanted to bring; that is besides Verdae. But I knew I couldn't take him so I forced myself not to wake him. Doing this hurt more than anything else leading up to that point ever had: my lungs would not draw in a breath, my heart would not stop beating as fast as it could, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, my chest was swelling up with sever pain, my head was flooded with all the good memories we had, and my heart ached with the heavy pain of loss. I knew it would be impossible to say good-bye to him, so instead I wrote him a small note that read:

I promise I'll see you again

Heaven and hell couldn't keep us apart.

I love you Verdae.

I'll always love you.

I stuffed everything into a satchel and threw it over my shoulder. I kissed Verdae's forehead and whispered, 'I love you' softly in his ear. I turned to see Kanada sitting there just before my balcony doors, his tail flicking softly as he stared at me. I didn't know what to say to him so I let him have first word.

"Where are you going, Adrian? Are you going on a trip?"

"Yes, Kanada, I'm going on a trip." I walked out onto the balcony.

"Where are you going? Are you going far away? Can I come too?"

"Yes, I am going far away, but I can't tell you where and you can't come."

"But the only place very far away is Earth, and Michael said I could go with you." I turned on my heals and looked at my brother with surprise. But I let the look go away so he could continue to speak. "Michael came to talk to me after my mother died. He said that you were going somewhere soon and that, since I didn't have anyone else, that I could go with you. He said it wouldn't hurt anything, it'd just make it better." He went over to me and head butted my thigh. "Can I come with you, Adrian? Please?"

I stared at my brother for a moment before reaching down and scratching his ears. He was all alone. "Yeah, you can come Kanada. I need the manpower for what I got to do anyway."

He looked up at me with a smile. "Really Adrian? You need me to get past Shiligin?"

I felt a lump start to form in my throat and I gulped heavily to swallow it down. Shiligin, the dragon that protected the borders that housed the portals between Earth and Hell, had always shit out of me when I was little. She was supposed to be the craziest-ass dragon in all of history, and she wouldn't, by any means, go down without a fight. There were tails of how many people she could demolish in a single blow. "Well, we aren't going to fight her," I said, trying to sound sensible, "we're just going to have to fly past her really really fast. Got that Kanada?"

"Got it!" he smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~

"FLY FASTER!" I screamed as I held on as tightly to my brothers' scruff as possible without hurting him a great deal. The dragon, the giant one that was chancing us a full speed and getting very close, I knew wasn't going to give up and turn around until we were eaten. It led me to wonder how Michael and Gabriel had gotten past her.

"I'M TRYING!" Kanada screamed back as he flew as fast as he possibly could. The dragon was right on his tail and I knew that if we dropped speed, even for split second, it would have eaten us in one bite. "Adrian, we're going to die!!"

"We're not going to die if you fly faster!!" I could see a portal ahead of us. I knew that the dragon wouldn't fallow us through the portal. "We're almost there, Kanada! Just a little more! Just a little faster!"

"I CAN'T!"

"Yes you can and if you don't I'll kill you!! Come on Kanada!" We were flying almost straight up and gravity was trying to take its toll on our bodies. But the portal was so close I could visibly see the energy being emitted from it. "We're almost there Kanada! Look, it's right there!"

My brother cracked his eyes open and looked at the portal. Until this point he had been guiding himself on his senses, but now he could see the target just in front of him and it somehow renewed his vigor. With one last attempt to outrun the dragon he let out a massive roar and discharged a huge amount of electricity, shocking the dragon, hurting her and making her fall back and giving us enough time to reach the portal.

"We did it Kanada!" I congratulated just before we were pulled into the portal.

~~~~~~~~~~

I felt sand choking at my lungs and stinging my eyes and I struggled to get free of the small grains the completely surrounded my body. I swam and reached and struggled to get to the surface until I was finally able to breathe again.

But a huge, bright, overwhelming light stung my eyes and I had to shield them with my grainy hands. And I heard a voice, not far from my, yell "Goddamn it! That hurts!"

I tried to look over, and I knew it was Kanada, but I couldn't see a damn thing. This light was so bright it was nothing like I had never known before. "Kanada," I called out.

"WHAT?!" he screamed back.

"Where are you?" I called.

"I'm right here!" he yelled back. "I can't see a goddamn thing!" he commented sounding very pissed off.

"I can't either," I replied. "We just have to let our eyes get used to the light. Just keep your eyes covered for now."

"That's what I'm doing!" He coughed a little. "My mouth is full of sand! I hate this place already! I wanna go back home!"

"Just be quiet Kanada! My mouth is full of sand and my eyes hurt, too. We're just going to have to get used to it. So just sit there and don't say anything until you can see again." And he really didn't say anything until his vision came to him, which was about the same time it came back to me.

"Hey, Adrian," he said as he looked over to me. "I feel really really tired," he panted.

"Well, you did just outrun a giant dragon. I think I'd be a little tired if I outran a giant dragon." Every color I saw looked ten shades brighter.

"No, I mean like really really tired. Like more tired than I was outrunning the dragon. It's like all the energy is being sucked out of me." He laid down in the sand in the sun. "I think it's this form," he said, one of the only smart things he ever said.

"Makes sense," I said as I glanced around. "This is a human world, so a demon form would take more energy to maintain than a demon one. Maybe that's why I don't feel tired." I looked back at my brother. "You should probably change into your human form before you pass out," I commented.

"Alright," he said and I stood and looked around as he changed.

Sand. There was a lot of sand. Of course, I had never seen anything on the ground besides sand and rock, so it wasn't much of a change to me and I thought that the whole Earth looked like that. So I walked around a little and Kanada grabbed my bag and followed me.

"So, what's the difference between this place and home? And where are all the humans?" I pointed over a nearby ledge. Kanada walked over to it. "Whoa," was his response when he saw the giant construction and the multitude of animals roaming around nearby. There looked to be about two of every of them except for a few that there were six of. There were even several of these tall brown things and short green things (which I found later to be grass and trees) growing out of the ground. But the only humans that seemed to be around the ark were four females feeding and watering the animals and two males building. "I'd have thought there'd be more," Kanada said stupidly.

"Those are only a few of them," I said as I smacked him on the back of the head. "The rest must be somewhere else. Hey, look at that." I pointed to a lion. "It's a lion. Looks just like you, Kanada." I reminded me of when Verdae and I had looked at the animal book.

"Yeah, it does! That's so cool!" He tried to run down the side of the cliff but I caught his head and pulled him back. "Owies."

"We can't go down there yet, Kanada. The humans might get suspicious and drive us off. Do you want to get driven off? I didn't think so. Now, if we're going to do this right--"

Just then a human male ran by screaming, "The floor is coming! The flood is coming! You're all going to dddddddiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!!!!!"

And we watched as he ran by, screaming wildly, yelling something about this flood thing. Kanada looked at me and asked, "What's a flood?"

"I don't know," I replied. "But it must be bad if it's going to kill us. Perhaps it has something to do with that ark," I said as I looked back at the giant box. It looked almost near completion. A small family of jackals caught my eye for no reason at all and I watched them for several moments until Kanada said something.

"That giant glowly ball is going away," he said as he pointed to the large bright glowing thing (which I found later to be the sun) that seemed to be moving across the sky and trying to hide behind the Earth.

"When that thing goes away it will get dark," I commented as we watched the glowing ball slowly creep its way down past the Earth. "We can probably go see what's going on down there after it goes away."

~~~~~~~~~~

When it was dark, it was cold. Very cold. So cold it hurt. So we went down the cliff to sleep with the animals. They really didn't seem to mind and I talked to a few of them. One particular animal, a beautiful young male fox, told me just about everything I needed to know. Kanada sat in on just part of our conversation, but then left to go cuddle with the lions for the rest of the night.

"That's all I know," the fox said as he set his chin on my knee and I pet his head gently. His fur was very soft. "I hope it helps you on your quest," he said as he licked my other hand.

"That's everything I needed to know," I said as I scratched his ears and he pushed his head to my hand asking for more. "Thank you very much. Not many of the other animals were much of a help."

"Well the other animals don't sneak around the humans' camp and listen to them tell the tails of their ministry. It's sad that no one believes them. I believe them; that's why I came. They also found me a female but I don't like her a lot. I know I can't, but I'd rather mate with a male."

"I know how you feel," I commented as I scratched his ears.

"Why? Did you have to leave a mate when you came to this place?"

"Yeah," I said with a slightly upset sigh. "I really loved him a lot and it really hurt to give him up."

"I'm sorry," the fox said as he licked my hand assuring. "I didn't mean to bring up something that upset you. It does hurt to lose someone. I'm sure he misses you very much."

"I hope not." The fox said nothing but continued to lick my hand as I continued to pet him. "It's been so long to him, I bet. But I haven't even been a day here. I hope he forgets me. Maybe he won't have to hurt so much if he just forgets me."

"Maybe he doesn't want to forget you," the fox said as he crawled into my lap and laid down. "Maybe he loves you just as much as you love him. Maybe he'll wait for you until you come back. Or maybe he'll just get tired of waiting and come looking for you himself."

"Maybe..." I looked down at the fox and gently tugged on his ear. "Hey, I never got your name and I never told you mine. So I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours."

"That sounds fair," the fox said as he sat up and butted the top of his head against my chin. "My name is Gret. It's nice to meet you, mister demon." He licked my lips.

"And my name is Adrian," I said as I scratched his ears. "But since I disowned my father, I guess that really shouldn't be my name anymore, seeing as how I'm not his son anymore. So I guess I should get a new name."

"How about Jackel?" the fox suggested with a foxy smile. "You smell and taste a lot like a jackal, but since you're a demon, your name should be just a little different."

"Jackel?" I repeated. I smirked. "I like it. I think I'll keep it."

The fox smiled back at me. "Than from this day forward you will start your new life. From this day forward you will no longer be known as Adrian, but Jackel." He licked my cheek as he whispered in my ear, "Congratulations, Jackel; you've been born again.

"Yeah," I smiled as I looked up at the stars. "I guess this is the death of the son of the devil," I ran my hand down Gret's back, "and the birth of a Jackel."