Beau sighed to himself as he stood staring at what seemed to be a blank wall. He was one of the people here that knew better. Just the fact that Jasper trusted him to know where his room was was one thing. Actually allowing him in there was another thing. He liked his privacy, to say the least. Was this really for the best? To let himself become involved with a demon like Jasper? There was no turning back from that decision, but he figured he had nothing left to lose at this point.

He gently knocked against the wall. A moment of silence passed before the wood paneling split apart just enough for Beau to squeeze through. It snapped shut the second he did. He was met with a dark stairwell leading up to the attic. With the exit now blocked, he couldn't really turn back. He headed up to the one room of the house he never thought he'd see.

"I actually was starting to think you weren't going to come." Jasper spoke as he heard Beau walk in.

"I wasn't, but I thought about it. You wouldn't ask me to come here if it wasn't important." He responded.

"Yes," He responded, "What'd you think of it in here?"

"I was expecting it to be bigger, to be honest." Beau walked over to where he sat on the edge of the bed.

Jasper scoffed, "Please. I'm not a greedy leader. If the others are to live in a small room, I think it's only fair I do as well." He placed his hands along the crow's hips. Jasper closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Beau's heartbeat. "I do not want you to think I'm a fool for needing Sixteen's help to identify the names and locations of the final prayers. I knew their given names, just not their chosen names."

"I don't understand. Chosen names?"

He took in a deep breath of his companion's cologne as he sat up straight. "Yes, our chosen names. Asher, for example, he chose to be called by that name. His given name is the Incubus. That is the name his people gave him before they betrayed him. Jarin, he was given the name Scarab because the Egyptians believed scarabs to be symbols of protection. Sixteen was given the name of the Willow Tree, due to the fact many people believe willows symbolize healing and grief."

"I see," Beau replied, fascinated. "And you?"

"Please, this is to stay between us. The fewer who know, the better. They named me the Architect. My power is to create." Jasper held his hand out and used his abilities to cast a small iron crow with a loop around it's feet. He set the ring in Beau's hand gently. "But, my curse is unlike the others. They all must feed off of something to survive. I, thankfully, do not, but I feel as if my curse is much worse. My curse is my immortality, and there is only one thing that can kill me."

He studied the demon in front of him carefully. It pained Jasper to admit this all to anyone, even someone he's become so close to. Beau looked down at the ring in his hand. He took it as a gift, one he'd never let go of after this. "Am I allowed to know?" He asked.

Jasper gave a short nod, "That is part of the reason I wanted to speak with you tonight. Someone must know. The only thing that can kill me is Malphas' magic. Meaning, my one weakness is a crow."

Shock washed over his face. A million thoughts rushed through Beau's mind, including the darker ones. Was there a chance he could be insinuating the worse? "That is why you respected Chris so much, despite his ranking being so much lower than your own. His husband could've killed you. But, if that is true, you're saying that Covey and I could kill you as well."

"I honestly don't know if you could because you've been tainted by a vampire, but Covey... Yes, he could end my life easily. That is why I desperately needed him at my side. You, however, the only thing you've weakened is my heart. All these years, you accused me of luring you in when the truth was, I was the one that couldn't resist you. As strong as I am, the second I'm around a crow, I become as weak and submissive as a human. It's pathetic, isn't it?"

"No," He replied, "No, it's not. You're willing to admit your faults and that makes you stronger than you know. It's a fool that ignores their weaknesses. I promise, I will never harm you, and I won't allow any of my kind to do so. You and I are in this for the long haul."

"I was hoping you'd say something like that, because I need to ask something of you." Jasper sighed as he thought it over for the hundredth time. "There are several things I need to tend to outside of the manor. I am not sure how long I'll be gone, but in the time I am gone, I ask that you take my place as the warden temporarily."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't one of the elves or Finch be better suited for the job?"

"Perhaps, if circumstances were different, but they are still mourning a great loss. They aren't fit to lead in that state of mind. Plus, I care for them all dearly, but they're all a little too generous of souls to be leading the manor. You have to be crude to take this position. I know you're capable. Please, Beau. I need someone I can trust."

"Well," He smirked, "If you insist. As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn't say no to you."

"Hm, is that so?" Jasper teased him. He slowly stood up, raising his hand to Beau's cheek. "You are so beautiful." He whispered before closing the space between them.

For a second, Beau actually did kiss back. He may have had an advantage over Jasper, but he was still just a crow. The power of a demon weighed down on him so heavily, it made it hard for him to say no. His senses got the best of him and he pulled back.

Shamefully, he wiped the spit from his lip. "I will help you any aspect except for that. We're friends, coworkers, but we are not lovers. Love gets in the way of progress."

Jasper let himself slip up for once as he displayed shock on his face. He caught himself and corrected his actions. "My apologies. You're right. I suppose I'd hoped you'd let go of your fear of love just this once, but I can understand. It's getting rather late, but before you go, there is a few things I need to tell you. It's best you know about the demon we're going after, so you can understand what the rest of us are going up against.

The others, I've been able to keep an eye on and understand. I've told you about all I know about Asher, Drake, and Sixteen's history. The one I sent them to recruit goes by the name Haven. Even his chosen name means safety. His given name is the Dragonfly. In Native American culture, dragonflies were seen as signs of protection and healing. Because he was created by such spiritual, humble people, he will not fight unless he absolutely has to.

The one we must kill, on the other hand, craves destruction. He's chosen the name Jupiter Zima, but his given name is the Puppeteer due to the fact that he's a necromancer. He was created at a time when Russia was weak, and he is the reason Mother Russia became a force to be reckoned with. The last time we had a run in with each other was over a thousand years ago and at the time he was starting to learn how to control the living."

"Are you sure you can take him in your current condition?" Beau questioned with concern.

"I have no other choice. Before I go after Jupiter, I will first fulfill my promise to Shae. Once I do that, I can no longer summon him at any moment to fight for me. You see, the name you've known him by for all these years is not his real name. I cannot speak his real name because it is what summons him. He is the secret seventh cursed prayer. Only myself, the elves, Yuki, and now you know this secret.

Chris would refer to the Black Valley as the Hell of Hell. It was a place where criminals were dumped, and eventually the rich began to hunt them for game. So, many sacrificed their own lives in a ritual to create Shae. His curse is that he is chained to the valley. I will be bringing Covey to Hell to begin the dethawing process and the first place he'll dethaw is the valley. Then I'm going to use Deacon's power to destroy it. Once I do, Shae will be free."

"You wouldn't go to those lengths for nothing. What is the true extent of your pact?"

"Originally, we had agreed that once I freed him, he will continue to serve me until my body at the time failed. However, we later altered the contract. Now, once the valley is destroyed, Shae will serve me until Yuki's death. He doesn't want to live without him, let alone live with the guilt that he failed to protect him. When the day comes eventually that Yuki dies, Shae will allow me to have his body. He is the only demon in existence with power equal to mine. I'll wait as long as I have to to have a body that will return me to my former glory."

"And what's to stop you from just killing Yuki yourself to get Shae's body?"

"That would be suicide." Jasper sharply replied, "Everyone seems to be under the impression that Shae hides Yuki away to protect him. The truth is, he does it to protect everyone else. Anyone who hurts the prince will become doomed to death. He can't control it. The poor thing is responsible for his own family's death. They hurt him dearly by disapproving of his marriage, and not too soon after a fire consumed their home. I fear to think what torturous death would meet the one who dared to kill him."

Beau took a deep breath, "Anything else insane you'd like to dump on me?"

He smiled softly, "Plenty, but the rest can wait. You deserve a good night's rest after this."

"I'm not sure how you think I'm going to sleep after all that." He joked. Beau began to walk towards the exit. He glanced back at the warden, "Goodnight, Jasper. Sleep well."

He was left feeling hollow inside. The only person he was hoping would make him feel loved had broken his heart. At this point, he was starting to thing he was unlovable. He muttered, "Sleep well, my love."