I asked Ricky if he cared to see the others. I wasn't surprised he didn't seem interested. We've grown close enough to expose our vulnerabilities to each other, but his other servants are still just that to him—Servants. Yes, he loves them like family. In fact, they are his family, whether he'll admit it or not. However, while he and I share the bond of lovers, his sees himself as a parent to them. He can't allow his precious children to see him so weak.

Frankly, all I wanted to do was stay in bed with him. I knew it wasn't long before I'd have to leave him again. Unfortunately, I couldn't neglect my scorched arm any longer. When I finally saw Yuu, I was taken back to see he'd tied his hair up. He's always allowed it to flow free, but now he had it back in a traditional oriental style with several hair ornaments. Something about him had changed, only a little. He seemed calmer. I suppose the time away from us helped him to train his anxiety.

Yuu guided me over to the Victorian couch at the center of the room. Ezra was sat in a chair in the corner, polishing and sharpening a few of his daggers. Just as I sat down, Ryan walked in and handed him another blade. He took note of the situation playing out before him and decided to stay. He'd never say it, but I know deep down he does give at least half a shit about me.

Yuu knelt down in front of me and took my arm into his small hands. He began delicately unraveling the bandages, unable to contain his grimace when he saw the burns. When the incident had happened, Ricky pushed me back by the wrist. My fingers remained untouched and my tattoos still in tact, but my wrist and forearm were black as soot.

"Does it hurt?" Yuu asked.

"Terribly." I admitted, "To be honest, it might be the worst pain I've experienced as a vampire. Probably because I've never had a pain last thing long. It hasn't healed at all."

"How'd this happen?" He said, to which I only answered with silence. Yuu was very good at reading emotions and he could understand the look on my face easily. I couldn't possibly let the others know Ricky had lost control of his power like he did. "Right," Yuu muttered, "I wish my father were here. He'd know what to do so much better than me." He paused, appearing lost in thought. Yuu shook his head, breaking himself back to reality. "I'm sorry. I miss him a lot, and when I was at Joy's village, it just made me a little homesick."

"It's okay. I understand." I responded, "How'd the trip go?"

"I'll tell you about it soon. I need to go grab a few things from our room." Yuu swept out of the room quickly, leaving me with the two grumps. Ezra isn't grumpy as much as he is serious and focused. I'd like to say the same for Ryan, but some days that's not easy. He's been especially quiet recently. I've been doing my best to give him his space.

"His father is alive, by the way." Ezra spoke up, "We just don't know where his village is. Moon elves have to move around a lot because they're hunted." He placed the blade he was working on down on the table beside him and focused his full attention on me. "How's the Master?"

"I won't sugarcoat it for you like I would the others. It isn't pretty. He's healing, but very slowly. We won't be going back to the castle anytime soon."

He didn't respond. Ryan said nothing either. Only observed me, his emotions unreadable. I can't imagine it's easy for him right now. He, much like Ezra, prides himself on his ability to protect the ones he loves. If it weren't for Ville's guards, he would've lost his life to Devin's servants. He's feeling weak, and even worse, his relationship is sinking. Now, here I am telling him that he won't get any sense of normalcy back for the foreseeable future. All of this is a lot for anyone to handle, let alone a human.

Yuu returned with a handful of things he'd brought over from the castle. Most of it was completely foreign to me, though I was happy I didn't recognize it. Ville had already tried so many things and I'd hate to tell Yuu that any of his methods had already failed. He called Ezra over sweetly, requesting his help in taking down his hair. Ezra was incredibly gentle as he removed the glass flowers and painted chopsticks keeping his blond locks restrained. I nearly forgot—Moon elves have feeling in their hair, the same as any other limb. Though, I believe Ezra would've been just as delicate had that not been the case. He placed his hands on either side of Yuu's face and kissed his forehead before returning to his seat across the room.

"Your hair's gotten longer." I commented as I noticed it was now well past his ass. When he was sat back on his knees like this, it was dusting the floor.

Yuu replied, "It was the strangest thing. As soon as we got to the untamed lands, it started growing like crazy." As he prepared his supplies, he told me about his solo venture. It was heartwarming to see the brilliant smile he had while talking. Yuu has always understood why he can't explore the world, but that's never stopped him from hungering after new experiences and cultures. He explained two men from Holiday's village agreed to aid him in returning Joy home. They didn't even ask for payment, as they saw it apart of their duty as elves to help another elf in need. Yuu went on waxing poetry about how beautiful the untamed lands are, and what an incredible place Joy's village was. He spoke of it as if it was a holy land for elves. Given how untouched by other species it is, I suppose it may as well be.

The new hair accessories he'd acquired had been thank you gifts from Joy's people. Despite how cold she'd been to me, apparently she was very loved by her own. Yuu stayed a few days to help in healing her, though no one knew exactly what had happened. Strangely, Yuu never asked. Maybe he knew it was me, or at the very least knew it was best not to seek the answer.

The ice elves that'd accompanied him on his journey helped return him to the castle, where one of Ville's guards had been waiting on him. She wasn't the only one, though. Holiday had come to see if anyone at our castle knew of the troupe's location, only to find the place deserted. When Yuu got to that part of the story, he seemed to rush through it and gloss over some details. I don't think he wanted to admit how kind of a person Holiday really was, but I understood. I'd noticed Yuu's outfit wasn't one I'd seen on him before either. It was a cream white dress with high slits and a deep neck, silver embroidery of filigree along the shoulders and fur cuffs. He'd have no reason to own something like this prior, making me think it was a gift from the ice elves when they heard he'd be coming to a land of eternal winter. Maybe, it was even from Holiday directly, but I don't know.

He released a shaky sigh, "I don't know how this is going to go. I've never had to heal someone undead before. And this," His eyes lingered on my wrist, "I've never seen either. It'll hurt some, but not a lot. So, you know, tell me if it's bad."

"You don't have to be so nervous. I trust you." I warmly reassured him.

Yuu only responded with a faint smile. He had little faith this would work. I could see it in his eyes. The last time I was touched by a healing power of this world, it didn't end well. I can't fault his hesitance. He took my wrist in his small hands and turned it so that my palm was upward. Yuu covered the burns in a mud-like substance. They don't have macha in this world, but it smelled and looked very similar. Then, he bound it in cloth he'd written an elven scripture on. The remarkable celestial power of his soul began to flow through his veins. I could see it's sapphire and azure blue energy coursing throughout his little body as he held tight to my arm. His long hair lifted into the air as if it'd been struck with static, and his big eyes flooded like the ocean.

I can't explain this feeling. Though invasive, it wasn't exactly radically uncomfortable. There was an itch to it, as there always is when something is healing. The pain was finally beginning to leave. It'd been planted in my muscles so long, I'd began to become numb to it. I'd forgotten what it felt like to not be in pain. Suddenly, something unseen ripped through the cloth and lashed out at Yuu. It was faster than lightning. I hadn't even seen it, but somehow, Ezra had. As quickly as that force had leaped from my body, he'd ran to protect his dear. He now stood hunched over Yuu, blood dripping from a gash in his shoulder.

Yuu gasped his name. Ezra knelt down beside him, shushing him, "It's alright, my love. A little shadow isn't going to hurt me."

"Is that why you're bleeding?" Yuu teased him.

He snickered, helping the elf to sit up after he'd been knocked to the ground in the whole ordeal. I didn't know what to say or do because I had no idea what just happened. My arm felt significantly better, but my flesh remained black. I think Yuu did manage to heal the actually injury, but the disfigurement might just be permanent.

Ezra, being the most familiar with demon lords and how they worked, wagered the guess that there was enough residual power left in the wound to lash out. Much like a parasite, it was able to feed on my body and survive multiple attempts at treatment. I still struggle to ever believe what Manson had told me about his own injury, that Ricky was responsible, but after seeing what just a little bit of his power can do when it acts as a disease to the body, I realize it was entirely possible. There's still a lot about that whole thing that doesn't make sense, though.

After the ordeal that had occurred, Ezra and I both insisted to Yuu that he not try to heal me any further. The pain is gone and that's the important part. I can live with a little black scarring. I returned to Ricky, having to break the news to him that he wouldn't be the only one with a permanent mark of our relationship. He wasn't very happy, considering how this happened. I reassured him over and over that I wasn't bothered by this. It's only skin deep. It doesn't matter.

We rested together, his head in my chest, and he told me wonderful stories from his younger years. The years well before he was a slave, when he was free to nurture the forest and animals, and help those in need. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. As much as I appreciated seeing him so gentle, it wasn't the same. I'm already missing the vicious demon who reaped the souls of young girls emotionlessly, then licked their blood from my lips and pricked his tongue on my fangs. The moonlight in his hair, his hunter's eyes beckoning me in, the scent of lust as strong as his convictions. That is the man I fell in love with, and I'll be damned if I'm going to watch him fade away into nothingness.

Eventually, Ricky fell asleep, but I couldn't even close my eyes. I slipped out from his arms and began walking around the palace to think. All I do is think anymore, but what else is there to do?

"I had a feeling you'd be awake." Ville spoke as he approached me, "With your arm healed, there isn't anything stopping you from moving forward." He took a seat on the edge of the large window that looked out over the snow covered mountains.

"Yuu told you?" I asked.

"No, Yuki, actually, but I assume it was Yuu who told him. He was kind enough to explain to me what had happened to your soul. So, now I must ask, when was the last time you've experienced a vampire's death?"

My breath caught in my throat. "How do you know about that?"

Ville's eyes lingered in mine momentarily. He drifted towards the horizon, out onto a night lit by a full moon. "I had a lover on Earth many years ago. A vampire. This world came between us, unfortunately, but our passion was incredible. I learned everything there was to know about vampires from him, including the vampire's death."

A vampire's death, it isn't exactly what it sounds. It isn't a true death, though some have lost their lives to it. The bodies we inhabit are not meant to be kept alive for hundreds of years. Through evolution, we developed a process akin to hibernation. It allows our bodies and, more importantly, our minds to shake away the husk of old age and be born anew. Those who have become overwhelmed by immortality have chosen to never wake from their vampire's death, truly actually dying. Due to how vulnerable our bodies become in this state, it is considered imperative we never tell a non-vampire of it. Whomever this vampire was that Ville spoke of, I was frankly appalled he'd actually expose this secret to someone.

"It's been fifty years." I answered him, "Normally, that's too early, but I know what you're getting at. Because of the damage on my soul, my body could use it now."

"I worry that with that damage, you aren't strong enough to undergo this journey. But, I have no clue if a vampire's death can heal a soul." He pushed himself away from the window and began walking away. "The choice is yours to make. I will never know your soul as well as you do, so I have to rely on you to trust your instinct."