Devyn started toward the medical craft, but the monir stopped him.

"He will be alright."

Devyn turned back to the woman to see her gazing at him softly. By this time, the medic craft had taken flight and was zooming towards the town.

"Come. You are also injured."

Devyn complied with the small pull on his arm and got onto the craft. A warm blanket was wrapped around the human as the door closed and the craft took flight. Devyn rested his head against the side of the craft as they flew above the sharp surface of Sendrum. The monir continued to observe the human as he rested. She saw his slender, well-built frame as well as the many healing wounds covering the exposed surfaces of his body.

How was he able to walk, much less stand? The monir had heard of the human's accident with the hovercycle. He is holding out quite well.

Several of the monir's guards took this opportunity to look at the human who won the bond of the avex. Devyn could feel numerous eyes on him, but he was too tired to care. He was used to being looked at and watched during his life as CEO of Vaumyr and Co. and the son from the tragic accident.

After what seemed like a few minutes, a gentle pat on the shoulder woke the human. Devyn opened his eyes to see the monir waking him. "We are here," she smiled as Devyn looked around to see the craft had landed in front of a house located towards the center of the town. Devyn followed the monir off the craft and up to the residence's entrance. The residence was taller than it was wide. It was constructed in a simple style from the sleek rock that could be found everywhere, but lines of a glowing blue substance cut through the dark rock, creating a daunting contrast. 

A team of demons dressed in light blue robes exited the residence. They immediately bowed when they spotted the monir walking up to them.

"Monir," the group greeted.

"How is he?" The woman inquired of the leading medic.

The man stood straight before answering, "He is stable, but he lost a lot of blood and is still unconscious. It will take a few days for him to fully recover. Mei is tending to him. She will stay to monitor his condition."

"Thank you. You've done well," the monir responded.

The man bowed with the group once more before they took their leave. When the scent of a human was detected, the group stopped and stared at the human standing behind the monir. Devyn nodded his head in greeting before continuing after the monir who had already entered the building. The group quickly exited the premises with lively whispers as they watched the human enter the emyr's residence.

"Why don't you clean up? A hot bath is waiting for you. I will send fresh clothes up," Denzyl's mother suggested.

"Thank you, Monir," Devyn bowed respectively.

The woman smiled at the young man before her. She patted his shoulder before motioning for a maidservant to approach. "Betti, take Master Vaumyr to his bath."

The girl bowed to the monir before addressing Devyn, "Follow me, please."

Devyn followed the girl up the stairs to the fourth floor and down two hallways before she stopped in front of a tall door. She unlocked the door and escorted Devyn inside the room where a bed and other comfortable items for luxurious living adorned the walls and rested on the floor.

"The bath is just beyond that door," the servant motioned to a door in the left wall of the bedroom. "The water is ready. Minerals and herbs that aid healing have been infused into the bath. A pair of clothes will be brought up shortly." The servant bowed before retreating from the room and closing the door.

As soon as the door closed, Devyn let out a shaky breath and staggered to his knees. His bruised and sore legs throbbed from walking and climbing the stairs. After resting for a few minutes, the human slowly stood to his feet and walked into the bathroom. The size of the bathroom astonished Devyn. The bath was the size of a small pool and sank into the floor. Wide steps led into the waist-deep bath, providing easy access for the user.

The wall behind the bath was a one-way-view window. Since Devyn was on the fourth floor, not many buildings blocked his view as most of the buildings in the village remained three stories or fewer. From the one-way-view window, the looming mountain range could be seen above the glow of the surrounding buildings of the modest-sized town.

Devyn wondered how a planet of banished demons could be so wealthy as he looked around at the exquisite bedroom and bath. He also recalled that most of the other buildings consisted of the same level of wealth with the exception of a few poorer, less advanced houses scattered towards the edge of the town. It must have taken them centuries to gain this level of technology and wealth.

Devyn let out a small grunt as he removed his clothes. A mirror stationed to the left of the bath revealed just how battered the human's body was. Bruises the color of deep purple covered his abdomen, arms, and legs. Devyn brushed his fingers over a cut on his side and let out a breath. I guess it could be worse. He looked over the remaining wounds before walking to the edge of the bath and looking at the hot water which had a slight blue tint from the infused herbs. This is going to sting. The human held his breath as he lowered his foot into the water. Sure enough, the cuts covering his ankle and lower calf began to sting as they were covered in the hot water. Devyn let out his breath as he acclimated to the pain and lowered the other foot into the water.

Slowly but surely, Devyn became fully immersed into the bath. He dipped his head under the water to wet his hair before sitting on one of the lower steps. Devyn eventually got used to the stinging all over his body and reached for the soap stationed on the rim of the bath. After cleaning his body and hair, the human walked to the middle of the bath, leaned his head back, and began to float in the water. Devyn let out a long breath and relaxed his body, allowing himself to sink beneath the surface. He closed his eyes and relaxed on the bottom of the pool-like bath.

Everything was quiet and still under the surface. The hot water hugged Devyn in a warm embrace, extracting all the stress and pain. Small bubbles floated to the surface as Devyn slowly let out his breath. Once his breath was spent, Devyn broke the surface and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air. After he had soaked for a few more minutes, Devyn ascended the steps and exited the bath. He donned a bathrobe folded on a stand beside the bath and walked into the bedroom to find a fresh set of clothes lying on the bed.

The human changed into the new clothes and grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom. He then sat on the bed and towel dried his hair. Once his hair was dry, Devyn looked down at the clothes he was wearing and smiled. They were soft and loose, chosen specifically for a healing body.

A soft knock on the door grabbed the human's attention as the door opened and Betti poked her head into the room. "Dinner is ready. The Monir suggests you eat," Betti informed.

Devyn nodded and thanked the girl before standing to his feet and following her down the hallway. The human's bare feet made soft padding sounds on the smooth, glass stairs as he descended the shallow steps. His damp hair hung in his eyes as he stopped at the landing of the third level. He watched the maidservant enter the second level before he turned and stepped off the staircase onto the third floor. The hallway was dimly lit with merely one light activated above the farthest door on the left.

Devyn curiously put one foot in front of the other until he found himself standing in front of the dimly lit door. The human stretched out his hand and reached for the handle. The mark on his back began to pulse with heat as his hand neared the handle. Soon, the pulsing became intense, and Devyn's hand finally rested on the hand.

"Master Vaumyr," a voice sounded behind Devyn, startling him. The human turned to see Betti standing behind him. "Dinner is this way," the servant motioned towards the stairs.

"Ah, ok. Thank you," Devyn responded. When did she get here? The human's hand traveled to the mark on his back. The pulsing had subsided, leaving the human bewildered. That was weird. Why did it feel like that?

The human looked to see the servant girl still gazing up at him. "You're not supposed to be here. The emyr ordered all servants and guests to vacate the third floor," Betti said.

Emyr? Devyn's brows crinkled at Betti's words, but he did not want to get involved with demons' traditions and values. For all he knew, the third floor was the family's sacred place. Devyn turned to look at the door one more time before following Betti out of the dim hallway. The two descended the stairs to the second floor and stepped into the wide opening leading into the dining and drawing rooms.

The monir was already seated at one end of the table. A man with a dark head of hair was seated at the opposing end. The atmosphere was tense as the two sat across from each other. The monir's gaze was on her empty plate while the man looked at his clasped hands. When the entering of Devyn and Betti grabbed the two's attention, the man lowered his hands while the woman looked up and smiled.

"Devyn, come. Sit here," the monir gestured to the chair to her right. Betti bowed before exiting the dining room as Devyn approached the chair.

"How dare a human sit at the same table as I," a growl sounded from the man.

"Klein," the monir said curtly. "He is Denzyl's mate."

The man let out a scoff as he looked at the human with disdain. "We'll see about that."

"Klein," the woman said in a warning tone. "I'm sorry about my husband's behavior," the monir apologized to the human sitting next to her. Devyn bowed his head to the monir and who he assumed to be the emyr before resorting to sitting awkwardly as the two adults continued to strain the mood.

"How is Denzyl?" Devyn inquired of the woman after a few moments of stressed silence had passed. He had been dying to ask this question since he was brought out of the hold. He could feel a gaze of hatred flick to him as the emyr looked up.

"He is better," the monir answered softly. "Though, he should have woken by now. Denzyl has always been strong, so I am concerned that he has not regained consciousness yet."

"My son should wake momentarily. I have my people working on him," the emyr addressed his mate. The woman looked at her husband with a distrusting gaze before turning back to the human and patting his hand reassuringly. Only a few moments passed after which a trail of servants entered carrying trays of food and drinks. The main courses were set in the center of the table while the side dishes were set towards the edges.

Huffs and puffs could be heard throughout the meal as the emyr continued to let his grudge against the human be known. The monir seemed just fine ignoring her mate's obvious tantrum, but Devyn kept looking back and forth between the two. He found himself to have only eaten four bites from his plate by the time the meal was nearly done. The sound of a door closing brought Devyn's attention to the stairs to see a woman leaving the third floor. Her light blue robes signaled her position as medical staff as she delicately descended the steps. The girl entered the room and bowed in greeting.

"Ah, Mei," the monir greeted.

"Monir, Emyr," the healer bowed once more before approaching the table. The girl's gaze landed on Devyn briefly; she quickly looked away once she realized he was a human.

"What's the news?" The emyr inquired of the girl.

A smile curled on the girl's lips as she happily announced, "He's awake. Avex Denzyl is awake."