We walked through the park, hand in hand, as I told him about the lizard guy and the fact that Chris saw me talking to it. He turned around and seemed to have just noticed that Chris and his friends were behind us. "Is he following us?" Kero asked.

I shook my head. "His parents took away his car so he's gotta walk home."

Kero nodded and then disappeared.

I gasped at his speed and turned around looking for him. Suddenly, I saw Kero in front of Chris. I gasped again, running up to him. "Kero!" I called.

"I'm asking of a simple favor." Kero told him. "By tomorrow evening, everyone who thinks that Aathy talks to animals should know that it is a lie. If Aathy comes and tells me that people are still saying she does, I will have to hurt you." Kero said, in a scary voice.

I stared at the fear on Chris's face. I was shocked by how scared he was. Even his friends had stepped back.

"Is that understood?" Kero asked.

Chris nodded.

"Good." Kero then turned around and walked away, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me with him.

I turned around and looked at Chris over my shoulder. He was staring at Kero's back, angry. I looked up at Kero and frowned. "That was mean." I sighed. "But honestly Kero, it wasn't a lie."

Kero smiled. "Yes, it was. He said you speak with animals. That is not true. You speak with Raakshyans."

I grinned. "Oh. Good point."

"Now, if you don't mind, please take me to where you saw that person."

I nodded and guided hit into the woods to where I saw the lizard guy.

Kero looked around, and then stopped in the spot that might have been exactly where the lizard man stood. He took a deep breath and then exhaled. After a short moment he spoke. "This scent is not familiar to me." He turned to me. "Are you sure that he said he knew me?" He asked.

"No." I said. "He just asked where you were and talked about you."

He looked around again and frowned. He then turned around and looked at me again. "Go home." He said. "I'm going to follow his scent and see where it leads too."

I nodded. "But hurry home, okay?" I said.

"Is there anything else that happened? What were you saying about Ivana? You said something weird happened to her..."

"Oh yeah... she saw a snake slither out of her room." I said.

Kero stiffened. "Was she sure?"

I nodded.

"Alright, I'll look into that too. Anything else?"

Diyo's face popped up in my head, but I ignored it. "No." I lied.

He looked at me carefully. "Are you sure?"

"We saw some other Raakshyans." I said.

He kept his eyes on me for a moment and then looked back at where he was looking before. "Okay. Go home, I'll be there soon." He then ran in the direction he was looking.

I sighed, standing alone in the forest.

When I got home, I wasn't surprised to see that no one was home. I then felt the hairs on my neck stand up as I heard some noises in my room. I decided not to go upstairs and walked outside to sit on my porch and wait for Kero to come.

Would Diyo hurt my friends if Kero found out on his own? Maybe I could give him some hints. I wouldn't tell him, he would figure it out. I shook my head. Diyo would never believe it. But there had to be a way. There had to be a way that I could get Kero to find out about Diyo.

"Aathy?" I heard my brother call.

I looked up and saw him looking at me.

"What are you doing on the porch?" He asked.

"I... forgot my keys." I lied.

Aathavan raised an eyebrow. "The door is wide open." He said.

I hesitated. "I was being sarcastic." I lied, again. I hated having to lie to him.

"Get up." He said.

I did, and I walked into the house. I sat on the sofa, in front of the TV, and finished some of my homework before my dad came. When he came, he sent me to my room. I was absolutely pleased to find that no one was in or had been in my room. I slumped down onto the bed and sighed in relief.

It was about six in the evening when Kero got home. I ran down the stairs to meet him. My mom happily welcomed him but my dad pretended that he didn't even see him.

I pulled Kero away from my family. "So?" I asked. "Where did the scent lead?"

"Back to the fountain." Kero said.

"Why did you take so long then?" I asked.

Kero seemed to be distracted.

"Kero?"

"Sorry, I went to Ivana's house." He said. "I was looking around her room."

"Did you find out who it was?" I asked.

"I'm sure that it was Serpethion... why he was there is what I don't know."

"Keroshan." I heard my dad call.

Kero and I turned in his direction.

"I don't think my daughter has told you, so I'll tell you myself. She is grounded."

I sighed.

Kero's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" He asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded.

He chuckled. "What did you do?"

"I didn't call my parents when a basketball came flying in through the slide doors, breaking the glass."

Kero turned and looked at the slide doors which were still covered in plastic. "I didn't notice..." He looked down at the mattress placed in front of it.

"My dad has been sleeping there to make sure no one sneaks in at night."

"When are they coming to repair it?" Kero asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Hmm, I guess you should go to your room." Kero grinned.

I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs.

After finishing my homework, I went back downstairs to get something to eat. I was then absolutely surprised by the fact that my dad, Kero and my brother were sitting on the same couch, next to each other, watching TV.

I smiled. Hopefully my dad is starting to like Kero more and more.

After putting some macaroni and cheese on to my plate, I slowly turned my head in Kero's direction, hoping that he was looking at me.

But he wasn't. I looked at him and realized that he was sniffing something.

I walked out of the kitchen and into my living room as my brother and my dad looked at Kero, uncomfortably.

Kero got up and walked to the slide doors. He took a deep breath and then turned to me. "Diyo was here, wasn't he?"

For some reason, I couldn't breathe.

"Well?" He looked angry.

"No!" I said.

My dad got up. "Who's Diyo?" He asked.

Kero kept his eyes on me. "Don't lie to me Aathiray." He said.

"I'm not." I said, giving him a wide eyed look that told him to shut up.

He stared at me.

"Keroshan... who is Diyo." My dad repeated.

I slowly shook my head and it was then that Kero realized why I wanted him to be quiet. I didn't want my family to worry.

He turned around to face my dad. "Sorry." He said. "I was mistaken... I thought I smelt the scent of a demon... but I was wrong. But if you don't mind, I need to ask Aathiray some questions before I return home, can you please allow me to speak with her in her room?"

My dad seemed surprised, but he grunted. "Go ahead." He said. He sat back on the couch and started to watch TV again.

I then noticed Aathavan, who was staring at my face. Did he see? I didn't have time to make sure because Kero grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs.

When we got to my room he shut the door and looked at me, eyes blazing. Suddenly, his head jerked up. "He was here too?" He asked.

I didn't say anything.

"Aathiray Aryan, why the hell did you not tell me this?" Kero asked. He looked like he was trying very hard to contain his anger.

I pulled Kero down onto my bed so that he was right in front of me. "Is he here?" I whispered into his ear.

"No." He said. "He is nowhere close."

"He threatened me." I said quickly.

"What?!"

"He told me that if I tell you, he'll kill my friends and family!" I felt my eyes tearing up. "He was here, and he hurt Ivana and I, but Aunty Seretha saved us!"

"Why was he here?" He asked.

"He said he was given orders to kill me or something."

Kero stiffened. "What?"

I was then surprised when Aathavan opened my bedroom door.

"Who's Diyo?" Aathavan asked immediately.

Kero and I hesitated.

"He's just some guy who I met back at Raakshya." I said.

Aathavan ignored me and looked at Kero. "Diyo's the guy who stabbed Aathy... isn't he?" He asked.

Kero hesitated. "No."

"Does he have anything to do with it?"

"No." I lied.

"Sane, his friend, is the one who stabbed her... so yes."

I looked at Kero, with my mouth gaping open.

Kero shook his head at me.

"He was the one who broke the glass?" Aathavan asked.

"No. That was a basketball." I said.

Aathavan didn't look at me.

"Yes." Kero said.

Aathavan looked like he was going to pop a vein. "Keroshan... is my sister in any danger?"

"No!" I said. I gave Kero a look.

"Possibly..." Kero said, truthfully.

"Huh? Kero!"

Aathavan looked at the floor and then back at Kero. "Thank you for telling me." He said.

Kero nodded.

"Aathiray, you're going to sleep in my room until this Diyo guy is gone."

"Aathavan-"

"Shut up." He said. "And do not go anywhere without anyone." He walked out of the room.

I turned and looked at Kero. "Wonderful!" I said, angrily. "Why did you tell him the truth?"

Kero glared at me. "Aathiray, he has a right to know!" He growled.

"But you're scaring him!"

"Scaring him or not, he's your brother and he wants to know. I know how it feels to have a sister who could possible in danger! Luckily for me, I was able to make sure that she was okay." I looked at him and remembered the time that the queen tried to kill his sister. I guess he was right. I wouldn't know how it feels to have a sister in danger.

"Aathavan however, cannot do that but he still wants to protect you. You should be proud to have a brother like him."

I was. I have always been proud of my brother. I sighed. "Sorry... you're right... but..." I looked up at him. "I don't want him to get hurt."

Kero smiled. "We'll make sure that he doesn't get hurt."