The story so far:

----Aija, Zuri, and Ze are three friends, who were working at the Pristine School at Innermost. Aija gets involved with the Ytai first, leading Zuri and Ze to them as well. Zuri falls in love with Nala (Lalana), who is Ytai and works with Thieron. Aija and Ze are captured by Thieron, of H'eon, when they were at the Hospital - Aija was at the Hospital with Kuna of R'ies and Zuri to stop a Harvest; Ze was there to visit his sick student Xan. Thieron has bound Aija to himself, and Nala has bound Ze to herself. Luka works for Thieron(Ah'n), along with Lalana (Nala).

----Aija, Ze, Thieron, Luka, and Nala go to the South Land. Luka admits that they are there for a Harvest. While they are on the Harvest, they get stopped by a group of people - the Zayr. Aija and Ze meet Princess Ruyanir of the Zayr. Ze and the Princess have an instant connection. The Prince has requested Aija and Ze to meet him. Prince Irih' va and Aija have a conversation about the Àvo; he explains how it works. Aija seems to like the Prince. The Prince gives Aija a strand of his golden hair - for protection. Irih' va sees Aija in his future but isn't sure she will choose him. He wants her to choose him. Irih' va catches Ze using his powers, and he shows Ze that he, too, has the same powers.

----They are preparing for the Ker'zan.

----Etrie tells Zuri that he is going to kill Thieron and Nala. She is very adamant that she, too, goes to the Ker'zan with them.

----Aija and Thieron had been to the Open to meet his Uncle - Alton Ivar, Head of H'eon. There she learns that the conditions are worse than she had anticipated. 

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****35.1 - Aija****

She felt like someone was pressing down on her chest and choking her. 

She found it hard to breathe. The feeling in her chest was heavy. 

Aija had woken up and had been nervous the whole day. That night was the Ker'zan; Thieron had explained about it to her and Ze, on a need-to-know basis. She understood that the night involved danger, and she couldn't shake the feeling of heaviness. It felt wrong.

On the day of the Ker'zan, I will send you help. 

Prince Irih' va had offered her help. And, today was the day she had to decide whether she took it or rejected it. 

 How would she know whom to trust? The biggest question, however, was - did she want to leave? 

Aija looked at herself in the mirror. The morning was bright through the window, and the light fell on her. Nala had brought her the dress she now wore. It looked expensive, and for the first time, Aija wondered where the three Ytai got their money from. They seemed well off. 

The dress was black and hugged her near the waist, making her look petite. The skirt reached the middle of her thighs. The front of the dress and the full sleeves were made of sheer material and were decorated with crystals and other embellishments all over; they sparkled when they caught the light. The neck was a deep V-neck. It was a pretty dress. She liked how she looked in it; a small joy. 

She saw the two hair strands on both of her wrists in the mirror; one white and one golden. One belonged to Goldstar and one to her. She questioned herself if she would ever get to meet this man called Goldstar. She also needed to know why this human man meant so much to an alien Princess. 

There was a knock on the door. It was Thieron. His eyes widened as she turned around to face him. 

"I...I need the room to get dressed." he stammered. 

"I'm done," she told him and made her way towards the door. 

"Aija," Thieron's voice was soft. 

She looked up at him, surprised. He rarely called her by name. It was like he was averse to the sound of her name. 

She was standing close to him now, and he towered over her. 

He whispered something. It was Ytèan and sounded something like "Te illoè veri adreyr." 

It sounded so lovely in his voice, even though she had no idea what it meant. For all she knew, he could be cursing at her. 

She looked at him, his two-toned, different eyes not masked by the blue lenses. There was raw emotion in them, and it took her breath away. Thieron never showed emotion, he loathed showing feelings. She had even come to the conclusion that he was a demon devoid of compassion. But, the pure pain in his eyes undid her deduction. The raw emotion on his face now made him beautiful. So terribly beautiful. 

Thieron regained his composure, and the mask of no emotion returned as if it had been a mistake. 

"I need to get ready," he muttered, angry that he'd been thrown out of his element. 

Aija took a deep breath and let it go. She left the room and headed downstairs, her thoughts running wild. What had come over him? Or had she imagined it all? 

The only other time he'd called her by name was when they were returning from the Open. She had been distraught by the way people suffered in the Open. She had seen it first hand when the woman – Ziya – had taken her to her small wooden home. And she had wondered if her father truly knew what was going on. She had asked Thieron about it, not sure if he was aware of who her father was, but it looked like he knew. She had expected it – especially after he had made sure she knew that he was aware of Zuri. 

****

Luka was standing in the main room, and he looked at her as she descended the stairs. His lips parted at the sight of her, looking taken aback, and then it laced into a slow smile that touched his pink-blue eyes. He was wearing a black suit, a white button-down shirt, and a cute little bowtie. He looked handsome. 

She remembered walking in on him in his room. He had not been wearing a shirt. Just before he had turned around, she had caught sight of his bare back. There were two slanting lines in the shape of an inverted V running down the length of his back. It wasn't ugly, it was just a shade darker than his pale skin, but it was undoubtedly there. She wondered what it was. It looked like it had been placed there on purpose; the lines were precise and straight. Seeing it, she had forgotten what she had wanted to say to Luka. He had listed a few things that she might have wanted to talk to him about, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. 

"You clean up well." 

It was Nala. She was wearing a red body-hugging dress, with a deep V-neck that reached dangerously close to her belly button. Her silver-blonde hair was tied in a bun, the pink hair strands almost glowing. She wore a bit of makeup. Nala looked stunning. She was outright gorgeous in just jeans and a tee, now she looked mesmerizing. No one would know she Harvested human souls for a living. She looked like the celebrities that did movies before the Wars. 

Aija's thoughts went to Zuri. What would be her reaction seeing Nala like this? Aija had to remind herself that Nala was the enemy. 

Nala handed her a pair of black shoes. "Sorry, no heels," she told her. "There might be a situation where we need to run."

I can't even walk in heels, Aija thought, happy with the flat ballerinas. 

Ze joined them from his study, all dressed up in a burgundy suit. Aija stared at him in awe. He looked great, and she immediately thought of Ruyanir. She had no pang of jealousy; just wonder as to what Ruyanir's expression might have been. 

Ze nodded at her once his expression severe and conspiratorial. 

Aija sighed. 

"What?" Luka asked. Her cheeks warmed at his observation of her feelings. 

"Ze and Nala match; somewhat." 

"You and I are in black," he told her. 

"Ah..." she said, looking down at her dress. 

"Thieron!" Nala shouted. 

"Give me a minute!" he shouted back in CommLang. "Settle in the car!" 

The four of them took their seats, Nala in the front passenger seat, Aija, Luka, and Ze at the back of the black car. 

Thieron joined them a minute later. He was dressed in a grey three-piece suit, his hair combed back away from his face. He looked exquisite; he had a look of danger about him despite the formal attire. No, the suit made him look more dangerous; somewhat untouchable. He belonged in the movies just like Nala. They could do a film together, and it'd be a major hit. Guys and girls would be swooning at the sight of them. 

He turned around and handed Ze and Aija breathing masks, "Just, till we reach the building. The air inside is purified." he told them an Aija was reminded of the sick man Thieron had dropped home. Why had Thieron done it? Why had he taken an infected human to his home just because he couldn't walk?

'Everyone makes mistakes. There's more to him than meets the eye.' Irih' va had spoken about him. He had also told her, 'I told you - Ah'n is bound to his duty. And, you don't even know him. All things aren't black and white, Aija. There are grey areas in life. You have the pieces; you only need to put them together seamlessly. One day you will know.'

What did it all mean? What was she not seeing?

Thieron cleared his throat, and she looked at him, thoughts dispelling. He was wearing the blue eye lenses, and she almost told him to remove them. 

****

By the time they reached the Open, it was night. They didn't go to the Mansion. They went to a different place, this building was palatial and fort-like built of stone, sitting amidst a field of maize. They parked the car somewhere outside – it was the only car in sight – and walked to the gated building. There was a huge garden ahead of the stone building that led to ten steps; which led to the massive wooden doors. 

Thieron caught hold of Aija at her wrist and stopped. The others continued on, oblivious to the fact that the two of them had stopped. Aija looked up at him, puzzled. 

"Stay close to me," he told her. "This place is full of Ytai, who would love to kill you in an instant." 

He looked insanely beautiful in the grey suit, and Aija had to stop herself from running her eyes over him. He's the enemy, she reminded herself. The demon's pull to the dark side is always stronger. 

"If I'm not there, then please stay close to Luka and Lalana. Do you understand?" 

Aija nodded and caught sight of his dimples. 

The two of them joined the others who had stopped before the entrance and were waiting for them. The guards at the entrance bowed at them as they entered and glanced at her and Ze in disgust. 

Together they went into the building. It was beautiful inside, there was music playing as well. The place was teeming with Ytai men and women, all dressed in their best; few also in their dark blue gear. The air smelled sweet as soon as she removed the breathing mask. The voices of the Ytai mingled, creating a hum in the air. Ytèan sounded beautiful. A double-staircase led to the top floor and indoor balcony; the walls were lined with ceiling-to-floor windows. Little golden lights hovered about the place, lending a soft glow.

Aija found herself admiring the place despite the situation and who it really belonged to – it didn't matter; she had to admit that it was beautiful. 

She imagined the Leadership was unmistakably, willingly oblivious to this. Such a colossal conflagration of Ytai, even in the Open, couldn't be missed. 

"Stay here," Thieron told them all. "I'll show myself to Ivar and return." 

Aija looked at Ze as Thieron left them standing in the centre of the main hall. Ze was looking around, curious. Luka and Nala stood on either side of Ze and Aija almost protectively, flanking the humans in the midst of all those Ytai. 

Ze caught her attention and nodded. She nodded back. 

"I need to go to the bathroom." Ze declared. 

Luka and Nala glanced at each other, each wondering what to do since Thieron wasn't there to make the decision for them. 

"You should go," Nala told Luka. 

"I think you should," Luka said, pointing to his wrist, indicating the bond. 

"I don't care who comes, just hurry up," Ze said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. 

"You should," Nala told Luka. "It isn't far. I'll stay with Aija." 

Luka looked between Nala and Aija and finally agreed. Luka and Ze went in the direction of the back hall, and Aija saw Luka asking a Ytai for directions. Nala and Aija stood right where Thieron had left them. Aija looked around and didn't find Thieron anywhere. She feigned dizziness, and Nala caught hold of her. 

"Aija?" she sounded worried. 

"I feel dizzy," she said. 

"Why? Didn't you eat?" 

"I did," she whispered, acting tired. "I need some water. I've been tired since the sea-savage attack." It wasn't entirely a lie. 

Nala seemed worried. She looked around, and Aija wasn't sure if it was for Thieron. She sighed and helped her stand. She led her to a table and seated her there. "I hate to leave you by yourself. Too many Ytai," she said. 

"I'll be fine. I'm sure there's water nearby. It shouldn't take long." 

Nala was extremely uncomfortable with leaving her alone, but Aija insisted, and so she left. She turned back around twice to see her, and once she was out of sight, Aija took off. She ran to the back hall and found a different staircase leading upstairs. Ze had told her about it. 

When the three Ytai had been busy discussing the Ker'zan, they had ignored that Ze and Aija had been spending a lot of time together. Ze had told her that they needed to talk about something vital, but wouldn't tell her what because he was afraid the three Ytai would find out. He told her that he would on the day of the Ker'zan and had given her instructions on what to do – he would go to the bathroom; obviously, one of the three Ytai would follow him. Depending on if one or two Ytai were with her, she had to request to go to the bathroom too or act faint and then escape. There were stairs at the back of the hall (how did Ze know all this?), and she had to use them to get herself to the rooftop. 

She was curious as to what he wanted to tell her. And, she was pretty sure this had to do with what Prince Irih' va had told her. Perhaps, he had offered Ze too, an escape. Maybe, Ze knew who was going to help them? She was quite sure that the Prince had wanted to tell her more that day, and it was possible that he knew Thieron was close-by. 

 The Ytai of the H'eon stared at her as she made her way up the stairs. Finally, she made her way to the rooftop and found Ze already there. 

"Ze!' she said, "What are you doing? It isn't safe here on our own." Oh, the irony of what she had just said. She would have to be with Thieron, Luka, and Nala – Ytai themselves, to be safe. But, if this really was about the escape, it was only a matter of time before they would be rid of Ytai. 

"Ai!" he began. "Prince Irih'va spoke to me that night in his house. He offered us an escape."

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