I didn't know what to expect from dinner, just that I was supposed to dress like the princess fit for the suite they'd put me in. Nocen teleported us back to my room, explaining that he'd be back in a hour. I was free to wander Felix's home to my heart's content, and I'd be unchaperoned in my wanderings.

"You let your prisoners walk around unsupervised?" I'd asked, earning a snort from Nocen.

"You aren't a prisoner; your living situation should tell you that. You can leave the manor if you wish but the creatures outside aren't as friendly as I am. They're always hungry and will feed regardless of who or what their meal is. Don't be frightened if you do wander outside; I have no difficulties tracking you. Demons are bred for it, especially me, so don't think you can escape me even if you tried. I'll kill the degenerates that try and eat you."

I swallowed, feeling queasy. "What a gentleman."

"Don't call me that." He'd hissed. "I'll be back to fetch you soon. Put on one of the nice dresses in your closet, and try to look presentable." With that, he disappeared into a grey storm cloud, leaving me to look around.

My walk-in closet was full of dresses, all beautiful colors and made of the finest fabrics I'd ever touched. My desire to flip Felix the middle finger by skipping dinner was overturned by my wish to have a conversation with him especially if I got to wear one of the gowns.

Peering through the foggy windows of Lolita's Dresses on my walk to school was the highlight of my mornings, gazing at all the designs and wondering if one day I'd ever be able to wear one. In my imagination, when my prince came to marry me then I'd get to wear any color dress I wanted. When my parents never returned, that dream along with many others faded away just as my memories of my family had too.

One dress in the closet captivated me in a way none of the others did. It was a soft fabric and a peachy hue that reminded me of an Ultrona sunset. I faintly remembered sitting between Matilda and Andrew, our shoulders brushing together as we licked at our ice cream glowing nectarine in the sunlight.

Zipping the dress up the back, I pushed my hair to one shoulder, smoothing the fabric under my fingers. The dress was strapless, tight in the waist but with a full skirt like a Cinderella gown. Even though I never considered orange to be in my color wheel, the hue looked nice on me. Deep down I felt a strength I hadn't known before as I stared at the confident, polished woman in front of me. High heels really did make a woman feel powerful.

Nocen appeared behind me in an explosion of silver, flipping through a newspaper as he lounged in the arm chair across the room. He was wearing a new suit, black like the color of his eyes. His blonde hair was washed and brushed back from his face, his side profile showing off his chiseled jawline.

I turned around to face him, pain radiating through my chest. I wanted to be with Finn so badly, and here was his doppelgänger parading around me. This had to be torture, and somewhere Felix was feeling very smug.

"Orange is a bold choice." Nocen said, not even looking up from his paper. "I've seen many women try to pull it off, and I know too many men who can't stand the sight of peaches. What a misfortune for them."

"Is this your way of saying I look like an orange?" I said, narrowing my eyes.

He looked up for a second and gave me a quick scan before shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe more of a carrot."

I bit my lip as I felt my temper flare up, "I really appreciate your opinion, asshole."

"Watch your tongue or I'll backhand you." A smile spread over his lips as he let out a loud laugh. "Say something else. I'd like to punch you through a wall and display your bruises to my dear twin brother.  My wolf's been itching to dig his teeth into something since we left your city."

"Leave Finn alone." I snapped, making Nocen stand to his feet as he threw his newspaper onto the marble. He walked slowly towards me, letting each step resound against the floor in a haunting rhythm.

When the demon stopped in front of me, he leaned in close to whisper, "want to know a secret? I watched Finn die. I could have stopped it, but I didn't. I watched his soul slip out of his body as he laid in the dirt with a hole in his chest like the pathetic scum he..."

My hand snapped out, touching Nocen's chest as my meraki leapt out of my skin. In the next second, I was surging deep down into the demon's core, seeing the pulsing fire inside him barricaded in darkness. It was still cracked from our last encounter, and I gave it another firm punch.

It split into pieces, the cracks running along the surface like delicate glass. Nocen jumped away from me before I could shatter the rest, his shouts of agony ringing in my ears as the bedroom came into view again.

Nocen was on the ground, eyes shut as his body shuddered and curled into a ball. He was quivering, moaning in pain as his hand dug into the fabric of his suit against his chest. When his eyes flickered open, they glowed a poignant brew of green and black.

I dropped to my knees beside him, my eyes widening as his body finally stopped shaking. He took deep breathes, gazing up at the ceiling as though he'd never seen it before. His green eyes focused now on me, only making him shiver.

"Nocen?" I asked, feeling a knot in my stomach. What had I just done to him?

"I'm sorry." He said, "Kate, I'm sorry."

"What did I do to you? Nocen?"

He drew in a breath, grimacing as his hand went to his throat. "Dammit, I'm half-awake. Fuck, I'm almost alive again."

Darkness still had a hold on Nocen, which made itself presently aware whenever he tried to answer my questions. The evil influence nearly crippled him, trying to fight for control as it tore through his body for self preservation.

"I have... to keep pretending..." Nocen panted, his body shuddering under the strain. "If I... listen to what it wants me to... say and do... it won't hurt me and I'll still be... awake."

"Do that." I told him. "We can't let them know, Nocen. Just play along for a little longer, and then we are getting out of this place. How far can you teleport?"

"Far... enough..." He said through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw, his eyes squeezing shut as he let his head fall back against the wall.

I rested my hand against his shoulder, "stop fighting it. Do what it tells you until we have an opportunity to get rid of it completely."

Nocen was finally able to compose himself, the green in his eyes fading away again. With his shuddering gone, we were able to go to dinner.

Silver swept the world away around me before I found that Nocen and I had appeared in a grand dining hall. A table as long as an airplane rested at the center, an elaborate spread of food awaiting us.

Felix sat at the head of the table, Maven to his right. Nocen walked around, reclining back in the seat to Felix's left. I sat beside Nocen, all pairs of eyes flickering from me back to their plates.

I glanced down to my plate, a juicy steak paired with mashed potatoes and vegetables waiting untouched. My eyes met Felix's as he let out a laugh, "eat! I didn't poison you; that would be a waste."

Narrowing my eyes, I stood up, holding my plate in one hand as I walked around the table. I set my plate down in front of Felix before taking his, earning one of his sickening chuckles as I returned to my seat.

"Whatever you prefer." The pixie chuckled before taking up his knife to slice into the steak.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, making Maven let out a laugh.

"Always so to the point?"

"Considering you captured me, yes I'd like to know your plans for me." I replied, narrowing my eyes at her before looking to Felix. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"As I said before, that would be a waste." He said, holding up a large chunk of steak on his fork. "We don't like to deal with leftovers."

"So then how am I of any use to you besides dead? I'm with Secta and the guardians, who are clearly at opposition with you."

Felix smiled, "we want to see if we can persuade you to switch parties, Kate. You may get along with us more than those gutter rats conditioned you to believe."

This time I laughed, "you really think that you stand any chance of making me change sides? Felix, I've already seen and heard enough to know that I'm on the good side."

"Even when this said 'good side' is taking advantage of you?"

I felt my nostrils flare, "they aren't taking advantage of me and you know it. That's your forte."

The pixie shrugged his shoulders, digging into his mashed potatoes as though we were engaging in any regular dinner table conversation. Felix swallowed before his eyes met mine, "you truly believe that Secta is keeping you around just for your own good? That all he is getting out of your relationship is the satisfaction of helping a little novice merakian?"

I wasn't planning on telling Felix any of Secta and I's conversation. Yes, the god had kept me around so that he could have a successor if he didn't try and kill me first. It sounded worse in my head than I remembered it being, so I simply shook my head. "For the most part, he's doing it to help me. No one's intentions are ever completely pure, but his are of a higher moral caliber than yours."

"Are you sure that there are no other alternative motivations, per say, for your loyalty to the guardians?" He asked, the suggestion in his tone making my skin itch.

After chewing my piece of steak, I glanced up at  the pixie, "define alternative motivations."

"He wants to know the details about who you're fucking." Maven said, not even looking up from her plate.

My eyes widened as Felix snorted, "don't be so crass at the dinner table. We already know who she is 'making love' to, and his brother doesn't want the extra information."

Nocen shot Felix a glare which only made him chuckle. "No, I really don't..."

"Especially the details about how he was balls deep in Cybele not too long ago." Maven added; I dropped my fork.

"Excuse me?" I said through gritted teeth, my blood beginning to boil.

"Maven, go and fetch Jericho." Felix said, and the woman disappeared into thin air. He looked to me, "I'm sorry your boyfriend's been unfaithful, but it's in his nature."

"Finn is not a cheater, and Cybele is head over heels for him!" I snapped, pointing at Nocen who continued to eat his dinner. "This tactic you're trying to play isn't working, Felix."

"What tactic, dear? I'm only telling the truth." He said, wiping the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

Maven appeared through her portal, a tall man like a giant by her side. His dark hair was pulled up into a man bun, his thick beard covering most of his face besides his black eyes.

Felix stood up from his chair, extending a hand to me. "Kate, your vocabulary is missing an essential word, one that Finn has kept hidden from you. Let's start our lesson by defining the wolf term 'mate', and that will show you the whole truth."