Nisha was upset when she found out that Jack was being forced to leave for a month. She was also not happy in the slightest to find out that she was going to be stuck having Jacob as her 'guard dog'. Jack sighed and told her he wasn't happy about it either. But then he reminded her of how bad the whole magic mess was and she reluctantly agreed that she would need someone to try and keep her safe. He also let her know that Jacob was only going to stick close while she was at home. He planned to have Alec help out, with his fire-based powers.

As a safety measure though, he was moving Nisha into a room much closer to Jacob's for the month he was away. This way, if she caused something to happen in her sleep, Jacob would be more likely to notice. Nisha had asked how Jack could be okay with her being around some other guy. Jack had stared directly into her eyes and sighed. "Nisha, this is Jacob. He's been hating and discriminating against humans since he was born. As far as he's concerned, you're some lowly insect not worth his time. He only agreed to keep an eye on you because I told him I would kill him if he did not. And I'm very serious about that. I will kill him if anything happens to you. That is the only reason he's doing this. Jacob isn't an idiot. He can recognize an actual threat when he sees it. Do you think I like this any more than you, love?" He rubbed at the back of his neck. "The humans will be getting a very bad winter this year, if my emotions have anything to say about it..."

Reluctantly, Nisha agreed and accepted Jack's judgment. She still hated every single second of it, but she'd do as he said. If nothing else, she knew it would make him feel a lot better to know that she wouldn't be left completely defenseless against the onslaught of her own magic...Or, the baby's magic. She was still really confused about that part. But, she was incredibly glad to find out that she wasn't going crazy, as she had feared.

It turned out she was actually seeing, faintly, and hearing, vaguely, the servants. Her hallucinations had just been the image of the servants, the sounds of their voices. Since the baby's magic was running through her veins, she was able to communicate with the Shadow people. Now, she could see and hear them as plain as day. Before, her guess was that the baby's magic hadn't been strong enough to do more than give her brief flashes when it spiked.

And, now that she was 8 weeks along, it had begun to become more and more evident to her that she wasn't in control of the magic at all. Most of the time, the magic seemed to respond to her emotions. But it wasn't all the time. There had been more than once when she had been perfectly calm and the magic had spiked suddenly, causing something to happen. Sometimes it wasn't even all that evident. A few times it had activated as a slow, gradual decrease of the temperature in the room. When it did that, it was relatively harmless. But it was all the other times that she had to watch out for.

The morning that Jack was to leave dawned and Nisha woke up to find she was alone in the bed. A note rest on top of the pillow Jack slept on. Reaching out her hand, she moved it closer so she could read it. As she did, tears of ice fell down her cheeks and onto her pillow.

Good morning, hjarta mítt. I woke up two hours earlier than I needed to this morning. I had to drink you in, memorize every single detail. This month is going to kill me...Nisha, I love you. I love you (just keep hearing this as a echo in the back of your mind). Please, for me...stay safe. I didn't want to wake you, which is why I left the note. Dad and I have to leave at six this morning. Gods, Nisha...How am I going to survive for a month without you?

Try not to kill Jacob. That's my job, remember? Just...My mind's spinning, trying to think of everything I want to say right now...Nisha, take care of our baby. You're going to have to keep both of you healthy in my place. I don't know what you should or shouldn't be eating. So instead...Make sure you don't leave your shoes by the side of the bed. You always forget and nearly trip...Just the thought...Be really careful getting in and out of the tub. Hell, if you were to slip...Take naps if you need them, okay? Don't push yourself for the sake of being stubborn. You are stubborn, I hope you realize that.

Also, you may want to lower the temperature of those long soaks you like to take. I don't think it would be good for the baby to be exposed to the extreme heat like that. If their anything like me, staying as cool (or room temperature, at the very least) as possible is best. The further Others get from their nature, the more dangerous it gets for them.

Above everything else, hjarta mítt, know that I love you. I miss you already, writing this. Every single second we're apart, I'll be thinking of you. Gods, Nisha...you're my whole world...

Its 5:50...I have to go. I love you. I'll see you in a month and not a second later.

Holding the note close to her chest, Nisha fought to get her tears to stop. Her pillow was covered with dozens of the tiny ice droplets. She inhaled sharply, fighting a sob. As she exhaled, her breath came out as a thick, cold, white vapor. Shuddering from a chill that was internal, she slowly sat up in the bed. Feeling emotionally exhausted already, she took in the large bedroom.

For two months, she'd had Jack by her side. Waking up with him every morning, studying with him, watching movies, playing games. They had spent nearly all their time together. Staring around at the room, it felt cold and empty without Jack's bright, happy presence to fill it. Swallowing back sobs, Nisha climbed out of bed and got ready like any other day.

So far, she hadn't experienced any vomiting. She did get slightly nauseous around the middle of the day though. She was a little more tired than usual as well. But, in her case at least, pregnancy mostly seemed to be filled with magic. Fifteen minutes later, taking longer than usual since she was struggling with how cold she was at the moment, she was ready to go.

Out in the hall, she was met by Tina. The Housekeeper was a middle-aged woman with grey-red hair kept in a messy bun. Her eyes were a light green and she wore a smile big enough to make anyone smile in return. "Good morning, my lady," Tina dipped her head in a bow. "How's the baby acting up today?" Nisha had made it quite clear to the woman before that she didn't really care for all the formalities if she didn't need to. And since they were in a private conversation, there was no need for them to act so stiffly to one another.

"W-well..." Nisha shivered again, her breath still coming out in small puffs of white. "I...I think the b-baby knows Jack's gone...somehow."

Tina eyed her worriedly. "Oh, I wish the young one would give you a break. It can't be good for you, with all this cold magic in you..." Tina reached out, taking her book bag. "Here, let me, mistress. You just focus on trying to warm up."

Nisha chuckled a little, voice shaky from more shivers. "N-not even born yet and already t-this kid is kic-c-cking my butt."

That drew a reluctant smile from Tina. "Come now, mistress. Let's get some warm food in you." The servant threaded her arm through Nisha's, helping her make her slow way to the dinning hall.

Nisha's bones were beginning to ache from the cold. Her were starting to hurt and she could feel her heartbeat slowly a little. "N-now look he-ere," she scolded the baby aloud. "You g-gotta settle down. I...I can't h-hand-dle all this c-c-cold."

Tina's hand patted hers. "You're mother's right, young one. You need to learn to stay warmer. You'll make your momma sick if you keep this up."

After another seven minutes they made it to the dinning hall. Everyone sat in their normal seats, though the two empty chairs looked very obvious and lonely. Grace shot to her feet upon seeing Nisha being aided by a servant. "Snowflake, what's wrong?"

Jacob was sitting in his normal seat. His dark blue eyes roamed over his sister-in-law, feeling the magic leaking from her. After a few seconds, he sighed heavily. Rising, he walked around the table to Nisha's side. He glowered down at her. "Okay, Let me make one thing clear. I can't stand you. But as yuki-onnas are really only able to bring more cold, I'm the only one who can push it away. As such, I've had this gods-forsaken promise shoved on me. So, for this month only, I'll save you from yourself." He glared down at his hand for several seconds before reaching out and taking Nisha's left hand in his right one.

Tina stepped back, still holding the book bag. Nisha stared at their joined hands. It was the first time Jacob had ever touched her, even in passing. He's really serious about this, she thought. Going so far as to touch me, when he's such a vehement hater of humans? Wow... She glanced back up, watching him transform for the very first time as well.

His navy blue eyes lightened until they were a sky blue. His dark blonde hair became Jack's human color, growing out to just past his shoulders. His lips turned faintly blue, his skin a sickly white. She felt the cold of his skin against hers before he inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, she felt something...strange happen. A force of power pushed against her, beginning to seep through her skin. She shuddered hard at the feeling of it doing so, her hand unconsciously squeezing his in response. His sky blue eyes stayed glued to her face, not evening blinking at the feel of her hold tightening. His expression was one of calm concentration.

After another minute, she felt the cold in her body begin to dissipate a little. Jacob's eyes flashed for half second before he sighed tiredly. "This baby of yours is very strong. But I'm much more skilled, more in control of the power I have. Even so..." His eyes flickered to Tina. "Move my plate to the chair beside Nisha's. I will have to keep this up until the child exhausts itself. Currently we are holding a tug-of-war of magic inside you," he explained to Nisha. His other arm came around her shoulder, though he looked slightly hesitant before doing so. But after only two awkward seconds, he directed her to her seat. His gaze latched back into Nisha's face. "Our hands will have to stay clasped until this little battle is finished. Thankfully, I am left-handed."

Ten minutes later, Jacob let out a long sigh of relief and untangled his hand from Nisha's. A small line of sweat ran along the side of his face. He retracted his powers, returning to his normal appearance. "I've won that battle..."

Feeling in perfect health, except for the cold of her hand which had been holding his for so long, Nisha glanced over at him. The day had barely begun and already he looked tired. A prick of guilt hit her. Not even thinking about how forward she was being, she reached out her hand and touched his arm. Jacob's eyes widened as his eyes flickered to her face. "Thank you, Jacob," she said sincerely. "I understand how you feel about the situation, but I really do appreciate what you're doing. To be honest, it's really scary, having all this magic that keeps going haywire on me. I'm sorry it's causing you so many problems though."

His blue eyes hardened. "Something as small as this isn't difficult at all," he muttered. Nisha didn't point out how exhausted he looked, figuring she'd be nice and let him keep his pride. He turned his eyes back to his plate, moving his arm away from her. "Hurry up already. We need to leave in five minutes."

The other females watched the two in silence. None of them really knew what to say and decided to just leave them both alone. Since she was feeling much better and her bones weren't aching from the cold, Nisha's movements returned to their normal speed. She followed the morning routine, walking with Mille and Jacob to the entrance hall.

Jacob started to keep walking out to the car, after Millie, before remembering. Biting back an annoyed growl, he stood next to the door, waiting for Nisha to bundle up. Once she was, thinking of all of his time he was going to have to waste on this human, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her middle. Before she could do much more than grip his arm that came around her stomach tightly with her free hand, he set off.

Jacob moved a lot faster than Jack normally did and Nisha felt a little dizzy. With the magic of the baby, she had begun to be able to sense and feel the magic of others, at times. And the abrupt, angry bubble of magic that Jacob called forth wrecked havoc on her new magical senses. She cried out softly in response.

Jacob glanced down, hearing the small sound. Nisha's grey eyes looked dazed and faint, her face pale. After half a second, he realized. Biting his lip, he forced his emotions to calm down. This made his magic stop lashing out in a way that was almost painful to others. Nisha's lips pulled up in a faint smile of thanks as they reached the car. Jacob helped her in before closing her door, barely stopping himself from slamming the damn thing.

The entire drive to school was filled with a tense silence, with the anger radiating off of Jacob nearly a physical thing. Apparently what he had said about the baby wearing itself out fighting against him at breakfast was true. Nisha didn't have one incident happen until magic study, her last period. The school wanted her to participate in magic study, since she now had magic, in a way. But she had no real control over it, and as a result she hadn't been able to do much of anything as far as studying her magic. So, most days, she used the class as she had before.

Today was one of those days. She was feeling happy about being incident free, until she glanced down to find that her pencil had frozen over in her hand. Sighing, she glared at the cold piece of plastic for a few seconds before lifting her gaze to Alec. He wasn't paying her any attention, in his true form of a hellhound. His burning red eyes were currently closed in concentration. Deciding it would be best to wait, she set down the frozen pencil on the far side of her desk. Pulling out another pencil, she began to use it. Only, it too froze over in less than a minute. Feeling her temper pinch at this, she tried a third pencil...

By the time she had gone through five pencils, her temper snapped. Rushing to her feet, she held the newest frozen pencil in her hand. "Okay, that's it, you little brat! I'm trying to do my school work and I know you're doing this on purpose. Stop freezing my god damn pencils this instant!" Her voice pitched into a firm, angry tone, like any mother telling her child off. She cried out in alarm when the baby's magic responded.

In her hand, the plastic pencil burst into sudden flames. Dropping it as soon as she felt the heat, she jumped back from her desk. Eyes wide, she watched the plastic of the pencil begin to bend and warp as it melted from the intensity of the flames. Glancing down at her still flat stomach, she let out a tiny breath of shock. "That is not what I meant..."

Abruptly her teacher was by her side. Ms. Khione reached out, a cold wind blowing out the flames of the pencil. The woman's eyes were just as wide and amazed as Nisha's own. Her voice was very soft as she whispered a single word in terrified shock. "Hybrid..."

Nisha turned her attention away from the smoking pencil. It was letting off fumes from the burnt plastic and lead that was making her feel nauseous. "H-hybrid?" she repeated in confusion.

Ms. Khione blinked, her gaze focusing on her. Then she shook her head, looking as if she was waking from a dream. Her voice echoed this, sounding faint and dreamy. "I-I have to tell the Headmaster..." Slowly, she floated out of the room without another word or pause to look at her students.

Nisha sank back into her desk chair. Peri came flying to her from her own desk. "Oh my gods, Nisha! Are you okay? You didn't burn yourself, right?" Her friend studied her critically for several seconds. "You're really pale right now."

Alec's voice came from the other side of Nisha's desk, though he was out of her range of vision. "You official scared the shit out of me earlier. And now I see why Jack was so insistent that I help keep an eye on you. That baby of yours is a monster."

Feeling a mix of cold fury and burning rage fill her, Nisha turned her head to glare at Alec. Her head felt hazy, her mind buzzing as the magic began to fill her up once more. She nearly felt faint, but her anger kept her conscious, barely. Her voice tight with her rage, she rose to her feet. In the back of her mind, she noticed Alec grow so pale he looked deathly white. He physically shrank back from her as she moved to get into his face.
"If you ever refer to my child as a monster again..." she began to threaten him.

He shot to his feet, retreating even further. She noticed that even her other classmates had wide, terrified eyes, shrinking back in their own seats. "A-alright!" Alec gulped, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. "I d-didn't mean it like that...I'm sorry, Nisha, so...s-so just calm down..."

The buzzing in her head grew even stronger until she felt her body giving in to the strain of the magic. "Peri," she gasped. "H-help..." Peri jumped forward, grabbing hold of Nisha just as she began to fall forward. "T-thanks," Nisha murmured wearily. Peri helped her back into her seat.

Silence reigned for two more minutes before Headmaster Blake appeared. His black eyes were solemn as he requested Nisha follow him to the office. Peri went with her, helping her suddenly worn out body as she walked behind Blake. Once at the office, Peri sat out in the front of the office so that Blake and Nisha could have privacy in his personal office.

Blake sighed heavily as soon as they were both settled. "It's been quite the crazy past few weeks for you, I understand. And with this new...development, things are only going to get harder for you."

Nisha blinked at him. "Are you going to tell me you're kicking me out of school because I'm pregnant?"

His lips pulled into a ghoulish grin. "Of course not, my dear. But I do need to explain to you your situation, as of twenty minutes ago." He laughed, his voice filled with a creeping darkness. "It appears the mixing of hellhound and an insanely powerful et hiemis' magic has created a creature never heard of before. With how much human you have, it seems impossible for this to have happened. But happened it apparently has. And I've never heard of such a thing in the two centuries I've been alive...You, Nisha, have a hybrid of ice and fire growing inside you. One whose powers are immense and the nature of those powers are the complete opposite of one another. As such, it would explain the sheer trouble you have been experiencing. To be honest, at this rate...I'd be amazed if you survive this pregnancy. More than likely, this child will kill you and itself in the process. If I were you, I would abort it."

Nisha's eyes bulged in shock. "D-did you just seriously tell me to abort my baby?" she demanded in a breathless hiss.

Blake's black eyes burned. "I did indeed. But that is a choice that both you and your husband must make. And he is not here when you need him most...You may have to decide on your own. Do you keep the child, who will be monstrously powerful when born? Or do you kill it off before it destroys you?"

She had no words for the emotions rushing through her at his words. Without another word, she rose up and left his office. Blake didn't try to stop her. Peri paled at Nisha's face when she saw her leave the headmaster's office. It was blank, completely expressionless. Shivering in worry and a small hint of her own fear over what had happened in the classroom earlier, Peri hurried to follow after her friend.

Nisha's body moved on autopilot. She went back to the classroom and collected her books. Ms. Khione didn't say a word and neither did Nisha. Once she had her books, she returned to her locker. Peri walked silently at her side, not knowing what she could say to help. At her locker, Nisha got everything she would need for the day. After putting her books in her school bag and closing her locker, she stopped. Her body couldn't move anymore.

Peri's voice was very quiet and serious. "N-Nisha...you're scaring me. You...do you realize what happened in the classroom?"

Blinking, feeling as if she was in a dream, hearing everything from a distance, Nisha turned her head to her friend. Her voice was monotone, echoing in her ears. "No."

Peri gulped, looking her friend in the face. "Nisha...you're eyes changed completely. Your left became like how an et hiemis' does in their true forms. And your right was like Alec's in his true form. T...the sheer magical force coming off of you when you got angry at Alec was more than when Jack lost control in the classroom before. Nisha...t-the baby is more powerful than Jack..." Her voice cracking, Peri tried to explain to Nisha just how badly the baby's magic was getting out of control.

Feeling shock settle over her shoulders, the impact of Peri's words were dull. Shrugging slightly, Nisha sighed. "So? No matter what any of you say, this is my baby. No one is going to force me to give them up..."

Peri paled at her words. "G-give up?" she repeated. Her mind quickly figured out what that meant. "H-Headmaster...he r-really suggested...?"

"According to him, I'm most likely not going to survive this pregnancy," Nisha explained coldly.

The other girl paled even more. She desperately wanted to agree with the Headmaster...But she knew that would only make Nisha more upset and hurt. So instead, she changed the subject. "School should be over in a few more minutes. Do you want me to walk you out to the car while you wait for Jacob and Millie?" Nisha nodded silently.

Jacob heard about the incident that had happened in Nisha's class while he was at his locker. Amelia Amiri was telling it to anyone who would listen, the fucking gossip. His hands clenched into fists as he heard what had happened. Maybe Nisha will die before Jack gets back. That will work perfectly. It'll be so good. He loose the one damn thing he's ever cared about. Karma's a bitch, isn't it? You took my place as Heir, took everything I was suppose to gain. If you loose what you love in the process, all the better.

But even as he thought it...Even as he felt the smug irritation fill him...Fear quickly took its place. He cursed. If Nisha actually died, Jack would most definitely kill him. Hurrying to gather his things, he glanced around, looking for Nisha. She wasn't at her locker. Shrugging, he figured he'd check by the car first.

As he moved to do so, Tatiana Fae stumbled into him. "You fucking little bitch!" She yelled at a girl who swiftly ran by. "Watch where you're going, slut!"

Jacob's free hand automatically reached out to steady Tatiana. She blinked before purring like a cat and smiling slowly in pleasure into his eyes. "Oh, why...Jacob..." She had a water bottle in her hands and chugged back a swing of it before smiling even wider. "You're so handsome...You know that, right?" she asked him in a soft whisper. Her hand reached up and wrapped around the back of his neck.

Jacob tried to pull out of her hold, but found she was considerably stronger than her appearance let on. Before he knew it, she was ravaging his mouth. He gasped in stunned shock at her actions. She took the opportunity to kiss him deeper, her tongue mingling with his. She pulled back, licking her lips with the tongue that had been playing with his. "Mmmm..." her pink eyes flashed blue for half a second. "You taste very good. I can't wait until the next time I get to taste you, Jacob. Now, off you go to play my little game."

She untangled herself from him, her eyes filled with lust, crazed excitement, and a menacing threat he couldn't understand. He watched her leave, shaking his head. He felt a little light-headed. He was about to turn and go after her, to demand she apologize for her uncivilized behavior.

The sound of Nisha's name made him remember what he had originally been doing. Shaking his head again to clear it more, he continued down the hall to the school exit. That was Tatiana Fae, right? he asked himself. A fae, so there's no point getting worked up over her actions. They wouldn't make any sense, no matter how long I try to think them over.

Keeping his eyes down, not wanting to look at all the other students who he could hear already gossiping about that kiss Tatiana had stolen, he didn't look up until he reached where the car was parked. The first thing he saw was Nisha leaning against the navy blue sedan heavily. Her pegasus friend stood by her side, looking very worried. Both girls glanced up as he approached, alerted by the cold air that hung around him as his irritation leaked out.

He stared down into Nisha's grey eyes. They looked less focused than normal. Voice in a angry growl, he reached out and took Nisha's book bag from Peri's hands. "Get in the car," he ordered. His sister-in-law blinked up at him, her expression distant. But after a few seconds, she slowly complied, her movements jerky and mechanical. He turned his dark blue gaze to Peri's wide, hazel eyes. "Thank you for staying with her."

The shorter girl gulped. "Um, yeah, sure. I was really worried about her. She's not feeling or looking so good right now," she felt safe to tell him. Nisha was already in the car, so the door blocked out Peri's soft voice. "I'll...um, get ready to leave myself, I suppose."

Jacob watched her walk off, seeing Millie heading to the car. His youngest sister waved half-heartedly before climbing into the back seat quietly. Once both of his passengers were buckled up, after Millie helped Nisha's numb fingers click in the seatbelt, Jacob left the parking lot. The ride was silent. Nisha had nothing to say, Millie didn't know what to say, and Jacob brooded in a mixture of fear and anger.

Reaching the WinterPalace, Jacob took Nisha's half limp body into his arms, nearly carrying her inside. Millie silently grabbed everyone's book bags. A servant took Jacob and Nisha's school bags from her hands. Jacob motioned another servant to help Nisha remove her winter wear. Once she was, he sighed heavily. He glanced to the servant who held their school bags. "Place them inside our respective rooms," he instructed. "Millie, go ahead. I'll deal with the human."

Millie shot him an angry glare. "Jacob, can you please just stop and get over your problems? Nisha's family and she's suffering right now. She's going through a really hard time and you keep acting like a dick every chance you can to both her and Jack. Can't you tell how terrified she is? Jack's gone, all this crazy stuff happened, and she's alone. How can you keep treating her as anything less than she is? She's your younger sister, carrying your niece or nephew."

Jacob stared down at his sister, surprised. Unless she was excited and giggly, Millie didn't seem to talk too much. But she was normally happy and hyper. Seeing her like this...It was one of the few times he had ever seen her truly angry. It was one of the most serious speeches he had ever heard from his eleven-year-old sister. Her words were both incredibly true and more mature than he had ever expected the bubbly preteen to ever be able to act. Without another word, Millie stormed off.

Watching her go, he glanced down at the current major problem in his life. Nisha stared straight ahead, her hands at her sides shaking slightly. Feeling like he was about to do something that would require him to soak his hands in holy water for three hours later, he reached out. His right hand took hold of her left, feeling the cold metal of her wedding band against his skin. "Nisha," he sighed heavily. "Get a hold of yourself. You're making the rest of the family worry about you, badly."

Nisha blinked slowly, first registering the cold feel of Jacob's skin against hers before hearing and recognizing his words. "Are you including yourself in that worry?" she asked in a listless voice.

He shook his head quickly, wanting to pull his hand out of hers. "Of course not. The only thing I care about is that you don't get hurt or die. If you do, Jack will blame me, no matter the situation. And if that happens, my life will come to a abrupt end. I'm only helping you to save my own skin. Nothing else matters to me but that, in this fucked up situation."

Nisha's lips lifted into a small smile, turning her face up to his. Jacob blinked, feeling a little taken-aback by that smile. "You know, Jacob...You remind me of Jack, in a weird way. I've never got to see you like this before. But now that I have, I can definitely tell you and Jack are brothers. Your both so...I don't even know what the word is...Blunt? Abrasive? Infuriating?"

Unwillingly, he felt a thread of amusement fill him. Clearing his throat, he stopped himself from laughing. Instead he focused on the irritation her words brought. "Don't compare me to that little fuck-boy of a brother I have."

His hand in Nisha's began to grow hotter than he found comfortable. When he glanced down, he found that their joined hands were lined with the haze of heat, so hot it was visible in the air itself. Her teeth ground together as she spoke in a tight voice. "Don't call Jack a 'fuck-boy' ever again. That's my husband you're insulting and I won't stand for it, no matter who you are. Take it back, Jacob."

He gulped, thinking in the back of his mind. Perhaps I should fear this human girl as well, besides Jack. Or is it the baby I should fear? "A-alright," he muttered in a reluctant tone. "I take it back. I'm sorry."

The magic slowly began to retract, the nearly painful heat dissipating. "Thank you," she grimaced, her hand squeezing his as she swayed a little. "Oh, this baby means business..."

His left hand automatically started to reach out and steady her, but he held it back. He bit back an almost strangely protective surge of worry that shot down his spine at how weary and pale she looked. She glanced back up into his face, smiling a little. At her smile, he felt his stomach drop into a jumble of nerves. He blinked, startled by the emotions that were running through him like a car without brakes.

Her smile slowly shifted into a tired, but serious, expression. "Okay, Jacob. Let's just go ahead and get a few things straight right now. I'm not any happier than you are by our current situation. But, it is what it is. Second, I am too tired physically, mentally, and emotionally by this pregnancy and everything else going on in my life to have to fight a war every day. So, can you think about this logically and realize that we can't let our dislike of one another keep getting in the way of this strange partnership?"

He swallowed, feeling his gut tighten in an almost painful way when he heard her say that she disliked him. He stared into her eyes, feeling a strange surge of emotions fill him as he did. Grey...he thought distantly, feeling like he was beginning to fall into a deep abyss. Grey like a stormy sky. Grey like clouds full of snow. Grey...Why have I never realized how amazing of a color it was before?

His voice was a little shaky as he nodded his head. "Yes, I understand, Nisha. We have to work together and get over our personal feelings. We'll have to think of this as a business relationship."

She nodded firmly. "Exactly! All of this will just be business until Jack gets back. Only a month, only thirty more days to go." She held up their joined hands. "Shake on it, partner?" Slowly, he did. "We should head to our rooms and get started on our homework," she sighed. Her hand let go of his as she wondered off. A servant came up to her and she asked them to direct her to her new, temporary room, following after the servant.

Jacob stared down at his right hand that had been holding hers. Centimeter by centimeter, he closed it into a tight fist. For some reason, he prayed that the next thirty days would go by slowly.