Seeing a bashed-in head with its insides sprawling across the floor like a disgusting rag is definitely something caused by a demon. Cleo instantly knew it was. She just read about the hooves being able to bash through anything, and just like that it happened.

The blood is still fresh from Genevieve's now dead body laying on the tiles of the Rose Compartment in the waiting room. The smell of rotting flesh and the metallic scent is potent in the air as soon as she ran after Kaleb, and the looks of a brain mushed into pieces with broken skull sutures made it even worse— she had to fight back a gag reflex, because she knows it'll end up in a gag anyway. And that won't make the current sight prettier.

Nurses, servants and healers layed crying in one another's arms aggressively, refusing to look at Genevieve.

A few feet away from Genevieve was her tray with her various instruments and medicines scattered all the floor, and a scalpel lay not too far from her fingertips. So she must have seen the demon immediately, dropped her tray and grabbed the scalpel from it in self-defense.

Something small broke inside of Cleo. Genevieve was a warm-hearted and good person, the best healer one could ask for. And here she lay with no head, the tiles soaked with her dark red blood, and her  green dress sprawled around her like grass. If only the grass was real and the blood was a blanket. She could be having a lovely lunch with her sister in the garden.

Her sister has it worse, she is screaming her lungs out grasping tightly onto her sisters dress until her knuckles turned white, with a few nurses behind her trying to draw her away, but to no avail. Gwen is too violent.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her waiting for her next command. Waiting for the words of reassurance. To explain what happened. But she couldn't. She continued to stare at the sisters.

What was she supposed to say? It's alright? She knows this is isn't alright, this is beyond anything of her imagination.

How the hell had the demon entered? How'd they not hear? Where the fuck were the guards?

The loud sound of footsteps drew her attention away from her thoughts of the demon, but not her gaze which remains plastered onto Genevieve.

It was Lady Delilah. She is galloping as she comes to stand
beside Cleo looking at the horror before and presses her hand over her mouth, Cleo didn't need to look beside her to know that Delilah was crying.

"Well, what happened here? Who did this? MISS!" Delilah's voice then broke and she wails even louder than Gwen. Talk about dramatic and trying to be better.

"Miss?" That shocked voice was Landon's but  there is still a hint of high authority in it. He had to stand strong in a time like this. No emotion, as it causes more heartbreak and no way forward.

"I want a curtain. And not the one I'm wearing. A proper one." She looks to Mabel and her bunny teeth were quivering very slightly, "And also I'm going to the library."

Cleo turns around ignoring the remarks made about her and sways her way back out of the compartment in the direction of the library. Just as she knew, Landon comes running after her his steps sounding faulty.

"Miss? Uh... Where are you going?" He sounds out of breath and pauses in front of her. It was clear he was struggling to keep his cry and heartbreak in because he kept glancing over her shoulder to the body behind her.

"The library. I just said."

He frowns hugely drawing his gaze back down to her, "Miss? But you have to discuss what happened, who the killer is, we need to call an urgent meeting for this from higher Mistresses and Sirs."

"There is no need. I know what happened here." She tries side-stepping him, but he comes back into her path.

She clenches her jaw and looks up at him with flaming eyes, causing him to flinch and to look behind her again. And from where she is standing, she hears the hustling and the sound of thick material, the curtain she summoned for to wrap Genevieve's body in.

"What ever happened here Miss? We have a killer on the loose."

"No."

He pockets both hands in the breeches of his pants of the swallow-tail suit he wore, the lapel pins glinting in the light coming through the massive windows, to the right. To the left are walls displaying various portraits of past courtesans whose lives have ended, but who met up a good reputation to the Court in the past that was so important it had to be acknowledged. She didn't take the time to adress  all of them, well none of them for that matter, nor how completely ingenious the paintings were.

Landon is still looking at her awaiting for her to complete her answer. But she has. She said no. What more was he waiting for?

He sighs and palms his head, "What happened here Miss?"

"Oh right. It can't be a killer old man, not judging by the claw marks deeply embedded in the walls right next to the open windows. Also do you not feel the icy chill?"

Landon immediately turns his attention to the beautiful arched windows on the right open wide with a few hoove shaped blood marks on the walls and claw marks which are deeply scratched in the walls between two windows.

"Yes Landon it's a demon."

He gasps and points at the wall his blue milky eyes wide, his old frame shivering wildly.

The blue-tint came back to his lips again. Was the presence of the demon the real cause? Was it why Sir Andrew's complained about the crops freezing? And why her maid suffers from the cold?

It seems too easy to her to be real. Were the demons assembled around her Court freezing everyone like the books said?

"This is impossible Miss! The-there has been no demons accounted for in the last twenty years. It died out. Why is this-, this can't be right."

"Well looks like I am going to die too then."

He looks at her sharply and practically growls out his next response, "No. You will not die. You can't. Elementals has never ever died at the hands of a demon. Never. This will bring the rest of the population to shame— that we can't battle a demon and live properly."

She tries hard not to mention that the rest of the population was the villagers. The current population on Earth was small. The Court and the Village. There can't possibly be more humans alive past their boundary except for wild animals, and a huge amount of mountains and trees, ridges and plenty oases. She also refrains from telling him that it is not for him to decide how she died or when. It all comes unwillingly and unexpectedly.

Like a woman's monthly cycle.

But it's better to keep quiet about this, before he loses his mind even more than he already has.

"This is the second demon attack Landon." She suddenly blurts out. It's been about time you did this Cleo.

"What?" He breathes harder than before, his chest lifting and rising at a rapid pace. His blue lips suddenly becoming more blue and his old skin looks a bit too pale — she is afraid he was getting an old man stroke.

"I didn't want to tell you because you'd get more unwanted stress, looking at your age."

"My age Miss? That has nothing to do with anything. But a second demon, when, where?"

She bites her tongue, dammit, he was not supposed to know that she left Court. "According to the guards, they've been doing some investigations at the Village, during the night of the powder festival. I'm dead sure it was a demon attack. And perhaps it also vanished into thin air like it did here."

Lying to Landon for some wicked reason, hurt more than Genevieve's death.

"Landon tell me how many patients do we have because of the cold sickness?"

He looks too exasperated to even answer her.

"I'll see you later Landon. We can have this meeting some other time."

Before she could dissappear out of the room, Kaleb grasps onto her forearm. "Cleo?"

She shimmies out of his warm hold onto which already sent heat rushing through her. "I'm leaving. Clean this up. I have some work to do."

Never did she think that she would ever utter those words to anyone except to Jezio. But the only works she ever did that drained her was just to purchase opium. Traveling to the village and awaiting for her opium like a surreptitious assassin is rather tiresome, having to constantly skim the perimeter, assessing the area in case someone followed her isn't easy work. As well as keeping her hidden facade.

It's a shame that she barely does work, her own work. Landon tried drilling it into her head that she has to do her part, but it's just something she won't attend to. However she is dead sure that they already figured that she gets tedious after just five minutes of a meeting, so physically having to do work this time? Hell no.

"Miss! Please wait." Kaleb says this so soft she could barely hear it, as he makes her face him.

Landon has sat on the floor in a rocking position with his eyes pressed into knees. Cleo lifts her hand up and whistles gaining the attention of the full room and she points to Landon weeping softly and quickly a servant comes to his aid.

Cleo could understand why Landon is the way he is. Suddenly a new life cycle in the second decade, with no demons and with one Elemental left and having all those hopes and dreams of her to lead for the next decade to come till it was her time to pass, and having those dissappear is heart wrenching.

Cleo feels a tad bit upset. She'll die too. Just like all of the others did before her time. Demon attacks. And die after her crowning. It's just the next death cycle. All hope is gone. Bone man was right.

She should think of what flowers she'd want on her grave, who who should stand where, who should attend in the first place. She didn't want anyone to eat cake on her funeral-

"Why are ignoring me?"

She gives a fake laugh as she meets his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes shining but also afraid, she could see the fear behind his eyes. Those locks falls gently on his forehead and she could already see the beginnings of a scruff, which just added to his handsomeness.

Those broad shoulders were begging for her touch. "No reason. I have to go somewhere first."

Like the trained and disciplined guard he is, he follows after her. That is supposed to be his job all day and all night. But again he seemed to abandon his post. It's becoming his new thing. "Are you sure?"

She answers him as she makes her way to the library her back to him as he trails a few steps after her. "No Kaleb I am not sure. You weren't at breakfast. And after your investigations I sent you on, you arrived late smelling of rum. Tell me that is how correct protocols are followed here in Court."

She keeps walking faster and faster, but he follows suit after her close behind. She hears faint mumbling from him and a few curse words under his breath, but she continues,"Look I know you're fairly new. But if staying at the Village is something you want. Just speak up. So I can get a new King of the Guard."

"No Miss that's not what I want. I-"

"Why did you take so long to finish?" She looks over her shoulder behind her to see him assessing the floor. It's something he likes to do she noticed. Whenever he feels out of place he finds an object to study to keep himself busy.

When he didn't reply she continued again,"Did you find anything Kaleb?"

His shoulders drop and before she could see anything more she faced the front again, internally jumping up and down seeing the library coming into view.

"No I didn't."

"Hmm. That seems a bit absurd don't you think. Something must have kept you up for you to miss breakfast with me in the morning."

Before she could bid the guards for her to enter she turned to face him again, "Go away."

His face is of pure shock and she could see his jaw clench and his fists balling up. Classic brawler material.

"Excuse me Miss?"

"You didn't hear me? I said go away. Do other things. I'm going to stay in the library and then my chambers for the rest of the day, and I want you to do other duties. The flowers are pretty outside to look at if you're bored."

He eyes her with an unreadable expression but he sighs then bows and waited till she entered the library and before the doors closed behind her after she told the guards to, she could glimpse him still watching her before the door closed completely leaving her to feel a bit empty.

                                                                °°°

Jezio holds her so tight, she could barely breathe— but she liked the feel of his arms around her anyway. As soon as she entered his room he immediately lifted her up and crushed her to his chest, whispering how much he missed her into her ear. His hot breathe tickles the shell of her ear and sent plenty shivers crawling down her spine.

She tightens her hold around his neck and presses her face into his shoulder blade. She also couldn't get enough of how strong his arms felt around her waist and how he swayed her left and right which made her toes curl in her boots.

She likes it when Jezio holds her. She didn't love it. But it was nice. Fair. It made her feel fluttery and warm; but it didn't resolve the dead feeling she still has on the inside. Yes she loved him. She cared enough about him for him to not get hurt or to leave her, but she wasn't in love with him. She just doesn't think he feels that way about her. So why should she try for him?

"Fucking hell Cleo, I missed you so much." He whispers this in her neck this time as he sets her on her feet, before cupping both of her cheeks into his warm palms as he runs his gaze over her face expertly.

What he was possibly looking for she didn't know.

She doesn't answer him as she looks up into his sky-blue eyes and then to his messy hair which was falling apart in the supposed bun.

"I really thought you weren't going to come to me again." Then he lays his forehead against hers breathing raggedly on her face as he closes his eyes.

She feels smug as soon as he said that. Poor guy was worried about her. They've been friends for a long time. She can't even begin to think about everything thing she did with him—which were downright inapt and unfitting; would do to her reputation. She knows this has to come to an end, before their relationship becomes too close.

She can't think of anything he did that deemed as possessive to her, but maybe she is missing some signs and hints that he could of been sending. The only hint she could clearly see is the look he gives her, the wanting to devour you whole look, which she should perhaps consider to do right before her crowning where she is sure she would struggle to see him again, because Landon would be on her case, and she could at least bag to the maids that she has layed with a man before.

She honestly would hate to break her friendship with Jezio. He was the only friend she ever had, and the things they did made her feel a little less lonely and dead, which is the sole purpose of weeds and rum, but still it worked for her. And to lose all this with him brought a tugging to her heart.

"I told you I would come again Jez, and I did. But I can't stay long." She finally replies and removes his snug hands from around her face and rests them slowly against his thighs.

He didn't fight to get them on her again. He never did.

"Why?"

She sweeps her hood off and unbuttons the first three buttons of her shirt for some air. His room is too hot. Sweat is already on her, especially her face, his room heat and his hot breathe caused droplets to form on her bangs which stuck to her face, and the loose strands from her single braid  is stuck to the back of her neck.

"Court things. Someone died. I have to be back to give the instructions on the way forward."

He glowers at her and points to his unmade futon. This is how it looked when they were too drunk and jumped on his bed. She wonders if another girl was here with him before she came,"What happened?"

She sits down beside him and crosses her legs facing him. He was already in the exact position. "It was a demon. It killed Genevieve. Our highest-rated leader."

"Oh shit. There was anther one? But I thought you killed it."

"So did I. But this had to be another one. It seems they're all rising again after so many years."

He nods and plays with his bed sheets between them. It was close enough for her to feel his fingers brushing her legs. "But this is bad. Hell, the Court must be a mess right now."

"It is."

"Cleo?"

"Yes?"

He looks at with all seriousness, assessing her again this time to her whole body, "Your thigh? Oh fuck! Let me have a look."

With a fast and sudden burst of adrenaline she slaps his hand away as he reached for her leg, which made him halt and to look at her with confusion in his eyes.

"No. It's fine. It's only a scab remaining and my limp is gone."

"But are you sure? Shouldn't I at least check for infections, is it blue?"

She snaps too loud, "No! I told you it's fine Jez. Stop worrying about me. I can fix this shit myself."

He gasps but quickly closes his mouth. He doesn't meet her eyes and even moves a little further away from her.

She closes her eyes tightly. Instantly regretting her actions and words. Jezio just cares a little too much for her.

"I'm sorry Jez. I'm just going through so much right now."

She moves closer until their knees touched and she moves her hands over his with him immediately grazing his fingers against hers.

She goes on when he just stares at her, "My thigh is perfectly fine. There is no infection or anything I promise. You know I wouldn't lie to you." If there weren't any peculiar red tattoos on her skin, she would of let him check it out, and even attend to his dream of sleeping with him.

"Cleo, that's not even my main concern. The demons... They- they're back again. Do you know what this means? Just when we thought everything would be alright, things turn to shit. Fuck Cleo, the past Elementals-"

"Jez I know. And there is nothing I can do."

He breathes hard again, fisting his hair and just by their knees kissing could she feel him trembling massively. She takes both her hands and boldly rests them on his thighs. She feels him freeze and slowly he lowers his hands on top of hers. His warm calloused ones cupping hers and is now stilling her trembling hands.

She bites her lip and she sees him dropping her gaze to that before meeting her eyes again. "What if you die too? Just like the others."

His words made her heart pain and soar and she bites her lip harder. "I know it's a coincidence, suddenly the demons are rising the time before my crowning, and suddenly everyone goes straight to the worst."

He tugs her hands towards his chest, "Cleo. We had hope. They were gone, dead and now suddenly this?"

"The Elementals didn't die at the hands of a demon Jez."

She knows she's alone in the room with Jezio, but she still lowers her voice when she speaks of demons and the Elementals. And still, she trusts Jezio to keep this knowledge to himself and to not even utter a single word to anybody for that matter.

She suddenly thinks of bone man and compares Jezio to him. Jezio is far by on the brighter side, and he is smart enough to be trusted— well at this stage Cleo has no choice but to. She got herself into this anyway. If Jezio tells the villagers about her visits to him, then it's game over. But bone man on the other hand doesn't seem intelligent enough to be trusted. Not even considering the fact that he warned her about the demon which came casting down upon them like hail, which is definitely something Jez couldn't do. So bone man is wiser.

So if she had to choose between Jez and bone man. She'd pick Jez. He is more handsome also.

Thinking of bone man. She needs to pay him a visit. She's ecstatic that she has sent a nurse to heal him — Genevieve. An advantage that she is dead. No word will be said.

"What do you mean that's not how they died? How'd they die then?"

She pulls her hand away into her face, pushing her palms into her eyes. "Ah fuck Jez. I don't know alright? I'm not here for that. I came here for something else."

He doesn't seek her hands again and keeps silent his eyes wholly focused on her.

"Look. I need to go to somewhere, somewhere in the sea. Do you know any monks residing there? One by the name of Esra?"

After she grabbed her books from the bookshelf, she found Thane in another quieter section playing with his Daisy and briskly questioned him about the location of the person which he told her about before, but little Thane said that all he knows from what he has seen from his visits with his father to him is that his name is Esra and he lives on high rocks in the middle of the sea.

Cleo can still not believe that a man's name was Esra. But she promised Thane all the chocolates and cakes from the kitchen for keeping it a secret between them and to also thank him for telling her this. If he hadn't, she would never have known what was beginning to etch on her skin.

"Esra? In the sea? But why-"

"It's for Court. Stop asking questions." She clicks her tongue and looks at him firmly. She knows Jezio wouldn't just leave things as it is especially when it concerned her.

"Cleo? Why do you need to go to the seas?"

"I told you, I'm looking for an Esra." She flicks invisible debris from Jezio's pants, he is quick to catch her fingers.

"Why? Look at me."

She didn't.

"Cleo."

She lifts her head but leaves her fingers in his. "I told you. It's Court things. And I would appreciate it if you stopped asking me questions."

Jezio traces his lips with his tongue, making them red and shiny. She averts her gaze away quicker than the speed of light.

"So what do you need from me?"

"I need you to tell me how to get there. You know the entire Village by heart. I need to see him urgently."

That drew his attention she could feel it in the tighter hold he has of her hands. "Seems important."

She didn't like that his voice drips with ice, "It is yes. Can you tell me?"

Almost harshly he let's go of her hands and stands up, stretching his arms and legs. The golden muscles moving lovingly.

"Of course."

She sighs in relief and presses her hand over her heart feeling the steady thump, the thing she sometimes wished would stop so that she could sleep in peace forever.

"I'll go with you." There goes the rapid heart again. It beat so hard it hurt her chest and she can feel her breathe starting to flail.

"No you can't. This is my own things. It's none of your business." She stands up before him.

He is all big, tall, handsome and icy icy cold. But she could easily burn him with her a simple flick of her hands.

"So you're going alone? With Landon?" His face turned grotesquely as he mentioned Landon.

"No. I'm doing this myself. What is it with you, with Landon and I? I wanted to ask you what you mean by him getting me soft?"

"So? Let me come with you." Completely ignoring her last question.

She throws her head back as she groans out loud and brings it back up with some flames in her eyes. She could even feel the curling of flames licking her fingertips and very faintly the smell of smoke. She knows he notices it too. The smell is potent.

"Jez. You're staying right here. I have to leave now." She pulls up her hood but Jez steps right into her space grips both her wrists causing the hood to fall back off and moves his head so close down to hers that she could see the angry veins popping out on his forehead.

"I want something from you first Cleo. I hope you don't mind." His grin is evil and smug. Just like him.

"And what would that be?" She asks so sweetly with a head tilt, it made Jezio's jaw clench and his hold to tighten around her wrists— hard enough to trap her, but not hard enough to leave bruises.

He let's go of her wrists to place his hands on either side of her hips and slowly draws his hands up her ribs to rest just beneath her breasts.

Her breathe hitches and she shivers. So new to what he is doing. Having feeling his hands this intimate on her is so new. And she loves every bit of it. She loves how it makes her drowsy and how it brought heat to blossom straight from where his hands held her so damn close to her breasts, to her belly and then even lower.

She resists the urge to lift his hands to cover her breasts completely.

His mouth comes down. Close.

And softly he brushes his lips with hers, so soft she could barely even feel it. He grazes her lips with his not kissing her, but just brushing them together slowly and gently.

His lips are hot. Unlike anything she ever felt before. And so soft, she would pick this over her cushions any day.

She raises on her tip toes wanting more. Trying to capture her own with his, he chuckles under his breathe but instead of her trying to get his. He takes it first.

He presses on her lips firmly, pecking her over and over again sweetly. Eventually he tugs her lower lip which made her gasp and for him to swallow it up by thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He swirls his tongue all over hers kissing her slowly and passionately.

She moans and wraps her arms around his neck. His hands still held her waist tightly to his front, as he expertly kisses her.

Their tongues fought for dominance, and it got deeper and harder and fiercer. With her eyes closed tightly she succumbs into his lips.

He backs her against the wall, so she could finally collapse by the jelly in her legs and he lifts her up and she instinctively wounds her legs around  his waist.

God's. She could kiss for days. If she knew it was this good, she would of ordered a personal kisser to do this to her everyday.

She melts into Jezio's kiss. She just loved how gentle he was with her, and how his mouth against hers made her feel fluttery and her toes to curl.

"We have to do this again." He whispers hoarsely into her neck after breaking the kiss. He pecks butterfly kisses down her throat sensually his hands now cupping her hips. His fingertips tracing her bottom. A heat wave rushes through her, her breasts peaked and her core burned.

He starts leaving open-mouth kisses on her neck. And she could swear he caught the sight of her eyes rolling into the back of her head, and gasping out loud.

"Yes." She whispers back.

For once she would turn down opiates to do this.