chapter 8

Jaida opened her eyes, squinting a little as her room came into focus. Something that sounded like thunder quickly snapped her completely awake. Perhaps this was a sign that she needed to get out of bed. She began to stretch her arms as she sat up. It was then that she realized her hand was closed around something. She dropped her arms and opened her hand. She stared in shock at what she saw. In the palm of her hand was a beautiful necklace. It was made up of a balled, silver chain that connected to a stone resembling an opal. However, the opal was dark, consisting mainly of black, blue, violet, and red. Connected to the stone was a poll that appeared to be made of ebony. The last part of the necklace was yet another stone half the size of the first. It was also opal like, but it was much lighter, made of pink, white, and yellow.

Jaida just stated at it for a while, marveling at how beautiful it was. She then realized that she had no idea why she was holding it. How had she gotten such a thing? Whose was it anyway? It was then that she remembered her dream. Lucius had spoken to her. He had told her to take something. He had called it a keystone. She had a sneaking suspicion that that was what she was holding. She also knew who its owner was.

"Damn it!" she heard Arius yell, his voice breaching the wall between their rooms. Jaida quickly got out of bed and pulled on a housecoat, tucking the keystone deep in her pocket. She then ran to Arius' room to see what he was so angry about. He was always angry, but this seemed a bit serious.

Jaida reached his room. He was still dressed in his school uniform, which he had worn yesterday. He was currently tearing his room apart, throwing things everywhere. He seemed to be searching for something, and searching frantically at that. Whatever he had lost was obviously of great importance. His room looked like a tornado had hit it.

"Where is it?!" he shouted out of frustration as he nearly tipped his bed over.

"W-what are you looking for?" asked Jaida nervously, finally catching his attention. She felt like shrinking into the background the second his crimson eyes fell on her. The look of outrage on his face would make anyone want to just shrivel up and die.

"Do you know where it is?" he asked her frantically. He kept looking around the room, searching for whatever he had lost.

"Where what is?" she asked him, dreading the answer.

"My keystone," he told her as he lifted his bed to look under it. "My necklace. I can't find it." He put his bed back down and then clenched his fists out of deep irritation. A low growl escaped his throat, his expression getting darker by the second. "Damn …how could I lose it? Someone must've taken it." Jaida reached into her pocket, running her fingers over the smooth stone of Arius' necklace. She was debating on whether or not to just give it back. She was about to tell him that she had it when he angrily turned to her, a deep glare on his face.

"When I find out who took it, I'll kill them!" he shouted angrily. "You didn't take it, did you? If you did…"

"I didn't even know you had a necklace," she told him, glaring back. She tucked the keystone deeper into her pocket, deciding that it was best not to give it back yet. She'd wait until he was a bit calmer. Then she'd make up some kind of lie. Right now however, she really wasn't in the mood to be killed. The keystone was obviously very important to him.

"It was probably Lucius," Arius snarled, clenching his fists so hard that he would probably break the skin at any minute. "Damn him, that cretin!"

"Um…hey," began Jaida, forcing a smile onto her face. "How about we both get dressed and go out for a while? I know it looks like it's gonna rain, but I'm sure the fresh air will take your mind off things. Once you've cooled down a bit, it'll be easier to find it. I'll even help." Jaida beamed at her perfect idea. If she was helping him, she could slip it somewhere and let him find it.

"Fine," he told her, crossing his arms arrogantly as she left his room to let him change into clean clothing. As soon as she was back in her own room, she closed the door and leaned against it, sighing in relief. She unconsciously was fingering the keystone in her pocket. My dream…did Lucius make me take it? What he said about Arius…was it really true? Is Arius…just using me…feeding off my emotions? Tears began to build in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. I should've known better…than to trust a monster like him.

"Jai!" called a voice at her door. "Are you ready yet? Let's go!" Jaida wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and quickly began to change. She picked out a pair of jean shorts and a purple tie-dyed shirt. She grabbed her brown colored jacket, shoving Arius' keystone deep into one of the pockets, and then opened her door. She put on a smile, trying to ignore the deep agitation playing on Arius' face.

"Let's go," she said with false enthusiasm as she led him out of her house like she had so many other times. This wasn't going to be an easy day at all. The necklace felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. She felt so guilty for having it, but she valued her life. If Arius found out she had taken it, even if she hadn't meant to, he'd kill her. It was as simple as that.

Jaida and Arius walked down the streets of the city like they did everyday. They had nothing better to do, and Jessie was hoping against all odds that the fresh air would take Arius' mind off of his lost keystone. It was a losing battle though. She couldn't help but notice that he looked a little on edge, as if he was nervous or something. He was continuously glancing around, staring at people threateningly, and getting lost in thought. He wouldn't speak to her either. He was just too preoccupied with something else.

Arius shifted his eyes continuously as they walked, glancing down every ally, monitoring every human. For some reason, he felt incredibly vulnerable, and he was highly aware of how paranoid he probably seemed to Jaida. His eyes glanced everywhere, and he was walking completely upright for a change. Something just didn't feel right. He felt a bit lost without the comfort of his keystone. He couldn't help but wonder where it had disappeared to.

Arius glanced down at Jaida, who seemed just a bit nervous. Why he didn't know, but he could tell just by the way she was walking. She looked like she was hiding something, like she was afraid for some reason. He wanted to ask her, but he decided against it. He didn't feel like talking to her right now anyway. He was just too busy worrying over his necklace. Where could it be? Did Lucius really take it? He shook the thought from his head, not wanting to even think about that option. If he shows up, what am I supposed to do? I can't fight him…well, I could…if I wanna die that is.

Arius shoved his hands deeply into his pockets, putting on his most irritated glare. He hated this. He completely and utterly hated this. When he found out who had taken his keystone, he would rip them apart. No one was going to get away with this. Taking something that was so precious was a crime, and he wouldn't stand for it. I hope Lucius doesn't show up…there's no way I can win. Not without my keystone.

Arius' worst fear was soon realized as a chill ran down his spine, freezing him in place. Jaida had gotten used to this now; she had stopped the second he had. She turned to look at him, and her face instantly paled. Arius is was quite similar. All the color was gone from his face, and his eyes seemed to quiver with fear.

"Arius?" she questioned. "Is something wrong?" She watched as he looked to the building next to him. They were currently in a rather unpopulated area where the buildings were a bit more spread out. Hardly anyone walked these streets anymore unless they were just passing by or heading to the residential area. The fact that it was supposed to rain had chased even more people away from the streets.

The building Arius was looking at was abandoned and had been for a few years now. It had currently been bought out and was going to be turned into an apartment. It was definitely large enough, spanning at least forty floors.

"He's here," whispered Arius, drawing Jaida's complete attention. She already knew who he meant. There was only one person that Arius became this rigid about. Lucius was nearby, and from the direction Arius was looking, he was either in or on top of the abandoned building. Arius seemed incredibly nervous this time though. Damn you Lucius…why now? What am I supposed to do?

"Let's go," stated Jaida. "If Lucius is here, then let's get going."

"You're staying here," he stated as he turned and walked into the alley nearby, heading for the back of the building. Without hesitation, she followed after him.

"I'm going with you," she demanded haughtily, wanting to accompany Arius on his little mission. She watched as he allowed his wings to break free, stretching them a bit. He glanced back at her, his expression full of doubt but nonetheless serious.

"You're going to stay here," he stated yet again. "Lucius is dangerous, and you'll just get in my way." Before she could protest, he took off, shooting straight up into the sky. He was heading for the top of the building where Lucius was undoubtedly waiting for him. Sorry Jess, but if you come, I won't have a chance at winning. I can't protect you this time. I need to focus on protecting myself.

Arius reached the top of the building and slowed his ascension. There, standing on top of the building, was Lucius. His blue eyes held a familiar amusement that Arius had seen countless times. He was always so smug and confident, and it bothered the Deslyan so. He was going into this fight in hopes that he'd at least survive for another encounter. He couldn't let himself die yet.

"Welcome Arius," greeted Lucius as Arius touched down on the roof top. "It's so good to see you again." He glanced around a bit, realizing that the Deslyan was alone for a change. "I was hoping you'd bring that human girl with. Feeling vulnerable today, are we?"

"Just shut up," snapped Arius angrily, but he knew that Lucius could see right through him. He was scared to death right now, but he had to keep up his front. He had to keep pretending that he was confident enough to take on the angel.

"I'm surprised you're actually going to fight me," said Lucius with a smirk. "After all, without your precious keystone, you can't defend yourself."

"I still have magic," snarled Arius. "That's more than enough to beat you."

"Then let's put it to the test, shall we?" suggested Lucius as he spread his wings and took off, heading right for Arius, who had no choice but to counter. He already knew that he'd be doing a lot of that during this battle. He could only run and dodge in hopes that he could eventually find an opening. He couldn't allow himself to get hit. One fatal blast of Lucius's magic was enough to do him in. Damn…if only I had my keystone.

Jaida threw open the doors to the abandoned building. She looked around and eventually spotted what she was looking for: a stairwell. She was going to go to the top of the building and find Arius. She wanted to watch the fight between him and Lucius. She wanted to make sure that Arius was alright. She didn't know why she cared, especially after how mean he always was to her. She just didn't want to see him die.

She climbed staircase after staircase, but there were so many of them. It was a good thing that she had a lot of strength in her legs. She knew she could make it to the top. Sure, she would be dead tired afterwards, but she just needed to reach the top and then stay out of sight.

As soon as she reached the door, she slowly pushed it open and peeked out. She wanted to stay out of sight for a ton of reasons. If Lucius saw her, he'd try to kill her, and she was sure Arius wouldn't be too happy to see her either. He probably wouldn't kill her, but he would yell a lot. She would only be a distraction anyway, and by the looks of the battle, that was the last thing Arius needed.

In the sky above the building were Arius and Lucius. They were exchanging blows with their fists and with magic. Jaida watched as Arius used his black magic against Lucius's fire. The attacks basically canceled each other out, but every now and then one would make it through. Jaida watched as Lucius was hit with a sphere of black magic. She also watched as a ball of fire brushed Arius' arm, easily burning through the fabric of his clothing and scorching his skin. I don't get it. Why didn't his barrier go up? Magic shouldn't be able to touch him, right?

She stood there and watched as both Arius and Lucius stopped for a moment. She tensed up as Lucius looked down towards her, his eyes locking with hers. He smirked maliciously, and she knew he was going to say something. She knew he had seen her.

"Well," he began. "It looks like we have a visitor." He prepared a ball of fire and quickly tossed it towards the entrance to the roof. Panicked, Jaida threw open the door and ran out of the way just as the sphere of fire slammed into the door, blowing it into pieces. This, needless to say, had drawn Arius' attention. His eyes were now on Jaida, and a look between anger and worry crossed his face.

"Damn it Jai!" he shouted to her. "I told you to stay out of this!" He quickly noticed a light from the corner of his eye and turned back to Lucius. He was just in time to cancel out a fireball, but the explosion quickly blinded him long enough for Lucius to escape. He didn't exactly escape though. Instead, he flew down towards Jaida, landing a few feet in front of. She backed up on instinct, fear lacing her eyes. This only brought out an amused laugh from the angel.

"Arius," he began, knowing that Arius could hear him but not see him. "I'm sure you're wondering…where your precious keystone is." He smirked cruelly, extending his arm and aiming his palm at Jaida. She backed up more, her body trembling in fright as a sphere of fire appeared before Lucius's palm. "How about I show you?" He fired off the sphere, and Jaida was sure she was going to die. She closed her eyes, awaiting the pain she knew was going to come.

However, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw that the ball of fire was being nullified by a thin, golden light. She was shocked to say the least. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

Arius was finally able to see again, and he had heard Lucius talking. Now, however, he could hear something else. It was the sound of magic being nullified. It was a beautiful sound, almost like the echo of a bell toll. However, this wasn't in anyway music to his ears. He slowly glanced back and saw a barrier of transparent golden light in front of Jaida. It was protecting her from Lucius's fire. She looked shocked to say the least, but nothing compared to the expression on Arius' face. He was horrified and stunned, but in his eyes there was a deep hurt.

"Jai…" he whispered, his eyes on the human girl as the barrier faded. "You took it? You took my keystone?" Realization quickly hit him, and he felt a pain in the pit of his stomach. He had been betrayed.

Jaida looked on in awe as the barrier faded from her. She knew that the barrier had originally been Arius's, so why did she now have it? She unconsciously reached into her pocket and drew out the keystone, staring at it. It was glowing softly, feeling warm in her hands. Is this it? Is this what made that barrier? If it did, then…

Jaida suddenly felt sick to her stomach. If this was what had given Arius his barrier, his protection against Lucius's magic, then by taking it, she had nearly killed him. She glanced up at him, instantly regretting doing so. He looked shocked, hurt…betrayed. He was staring at her as if she had just taken a knife and stabbed him in the back. She couldn't take it. Never had anyone looked at her like that, and Arius had been the last person she had thought would.

"So you understand now," began Lucius. For a moment, she had forgotten that he was even there. "You know what the keystone is for."

"You…" she began, suddenly feeling scared again. Scared and a bit angry. "You tricked me. You made me take it…you made me take it so you could…kill him."

"A little slow are you?" he asked with amusement dripping from his voice as he gave her a wicked smirk. "You were so easy to manipulate. You doubted him so much that it was a breeze breaking into your mind. All I had to do was feed fuel to the fire, and you willingly ate up every word I said." Jaida backed away a bit, but he just took a few steps towards her. "Now, I'll be taking that if you don't mind."

Jaida was about to turn and run, but Lucius quickly grabbed her wrist, squeezing it so hard that she released the keystone. It fell right into his other hand, and he clutched it tightly, a smirk on his face. He then shoved Jaida to the ground, watching as she sat up and just stared at him. He once again extended his arm, aiming his palm directly at her. This time, however, he didn't create a ball of fire. He created a sword. He gripped the fiery hilt in his hand, and Jaida could do nothing but watch the flame sword as he raised it high above his head.

"I congratulate you on a job well done," he told her, a twisted smirk on his face. "Here's your reward." He swung the sword down, and Jaida closed her eyes, waiting for the fiery sword to cut through her. Again though, the pain never came. The flames never touched her. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, and what she saw had her at a loss for words. In front of her stood Arius. He had blocked Lucius's sword with a magic produced one of his own. Lucius looked furious with this development, but Arius didn't even smirk at the agitation he had caused. His mind was somewhere else.

"Arius," began Jaida, wanting to apologize for what she had done. There was so much she wanted to tell him.

"Not now Jai," he told her. "We'll talk later. You're gonna tell me exactly why you took my keystone." He glared at Lucius, knowing that the angel had something to do with all of this. He quickly became a bit worried when Lucius began smirking. He panicked a bit more when a cold laugh escaped the angel's throat.

"You're so naïve, Deslyan," he began. "I'm surprised you even took up this challenge without your keystone. You have drive, I'll give you that. But you do know…that you can't win." The sword in Lucius's hands began to quiver, and it soon wrapped around Arius'. It didn't stop there though. It snaked around his hands and up his arms. It wasn't touching him, only swirling around him. He released his sword in hopes that it would stop, but it just kept snaking up and down, soon flowing in tendrils around his body. It was just like a snake, slithering everywhere. Not once did it actually touch him, but he knew that was going to change.

"Damn you," he cursed at Lucius, his voice betraying his expression. His voice gave off his anger, but his eyes hid none of the fear that was coursing through his body.

"A Deslyan's greatest weakness," smirked Lucius as he waved his hand around a bit. "I hope you're afraid, Deslyan, because I doubt your body can stand up against the heat of my flames." He smiled coldly before preparing to snap his fingers. "Your bodies burn so easily. Rest in pieces Arius."

Lucius snapped his fingers, and Jaida could only watch in horror as the tendrils of fire exploded in a wave of it. The flames consumed Arius, and tears began to spill from her eyes as his cry of pain reached her ears. She couldn't even see him anymore. All she could see was the wall of fire and Lucius, a smirk playing on his face. He was thoroughly enjoying how much Arius screamed as the fire consumed his Deslyan body. This was why he had wanted Jaida to take the keystone. Without it Arius was defenseless against the angel's fire. He had no barrier to keep him safe because she had stolen it. If he died, it would be her fault. It wasn't Lucius who was killing him. It was her.

The flames stopped, releasing Arius from their hellish torment. His black jacket was gone, and the sleeves of his shirt had been burned off. His clothing had holes everywhere now, and the skin that showed through them was raw from the flames. The feathers of his wings had been charred, and his whole body was smoking. It was a shock that he could still stand after such an onslaught.

Just as that thought left Jaida's mind, she watched Arius sway just a bit. He then began to fall backwards, and Jaida quickly got to her feet. She caught his shoulders, but she began to struggle under his weight. She was eventually forced to sit back down on the ground, allowing Arius' head to rest gently on her lap. She could see blood dripping from the burns that were on his face. His arms were covered in small trickles of blood that flowed from the many burns on his body. His eyes were closed gently, as if he was just sleeping. He looked peaceful despite the torture his body had just been put through.

"How touching," noted Lucius as he slowly approached them. Jaida glared up at him, angry at the angel. She didn't care if he was going to try and kill her. She was just too infuriated right now.

"It's sad though," stated Lucius. "He was betrayed…by the only human he ever trusted. I hope you're proud of yourself Jaida. You shattered what little faith he had in humanity. I didn't kill him. You did." Lucius suddenly yelped as his hand began to burn a bit. Tendrils of smoke were rising from it, so he quickly tossed the keystone he had been holding. It landed just a foot away from Jaida.

"Damn Deslyan artifacts," he cursed as he nursed his burnt, raw hand. He shot a hard glare at Jaida before extending his arm again. "It's time to end this. You can both die together."

Lucius was going to use his fire again, and Jaida knew that neither she nor Arius would survive the attack. However, maybe there was one way. Right before he released his flames, Jaida swiped the keystone off the ground and then shifted Arius so that he was closer to her. She cradled his upper body, holding him and the keystone tightly. She could feel the necklace growing warmer as the golden light appeared around her and Arius, nullifying Lucius's fire. The angel obviously hadn't been expecting this.

"Human," he growled lowly. "You won't be able to keep that up for too long. Eventually your body will succumb to the demand of the keystone. You don't have the energy to use it properly."

Jaida pulled Arius closer, allowing his head to rest on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest. Arius, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If only there was someway I could make it up to you. She could feel the heat of the flames start to soak through the barrier, but she just held the keystone tightly in her hand. She had to keep this up. Their lives depended on it. Ever since this all began, you've been protecting me, and I've never done anything for you. Just this once, I wanna be the one to save you. So please Arius…don't die now.

Suddenly, Lucius's attack stopped. The barrier fell, and Jaida opened her eyes to see what was going on. She was shocked to see Lucius backing away as a beam of black light was shot towards him. He spread his wings and took to the skies, avoiding the black magic. Jaida only watched in bewilderment as someone else soon joined them on the roof top. She could see the pair of black wings on his back, and when he glanced at her, she instantly recognized him.

"Nero?" she questioned, wanting to know why he was still on Earth.

"Get out of here," he demanded urgently.

"Wha…?" she began, confused.

"I said get out of here!" he repeated louder. "Take Arius and leave! He has to stay alive! He's the only hope we've got!" Jaida slowly began to stand up, doing her best to carry Arius like she had before. His wings made it a bit difficult, but she eventually got him positioned so that she could carry him down the stairs and out of the building.

"Nero, what about you?" she asked, glancing back at the Deslyan. He just smirked and turned his eyes to an outraged Lucius.

"I'm gonna stay here and keep him distracted," he told Jaida as he got ready to take off towards Lucius.

"But you…" she began to protest.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I have a keystone. I'll be alright for a while at least." He gave her one last glance and smiled. "Take good care of Arius. He needs someone like you to look after him."

"What?" she began to question, but he took off into the cloudy skies.

"Now go!" he shouted back as he began his battle with Lucius.

Jaida quickly ran to the roof's entrance and then began to make her way slowly down the stairs. She could hear what sounded like explosions, but she soon realized that it was thunder. It was about to start raining. She had to make it back home though. She needed to get Arius some place safe. He would probably need medical attention, but she couldn't take him to a hospital. She could never afford something like that, and if they recognized him from before, her family would have a serious lawsuit on their hands. And the fact that Arius wasn't even human probably wouldn't help their cause any. This was all getting so complicated.

"Hang on Arius," she coaxed gently. She knew he was still alive thanks to his gentle breathing, but she wasn't sure if he'd last long like this. She really needed to get home and treat his injuries.

When she finally got out of the building, she found herself standing in the rain. The dark clouds above had finally decided to open up a bit. However, now she was getting soaked, but at least the rain would help to clean a few of Arius' injuries. There was a flash of lighting, and she shuddered a bit as the thunder came only a second after. She looked up at the building and could see two specks in the sky. She prayed silently that Nero would survive before completely turning her back and leaving.

She walked down the streets, hoping that no one would see them. Arius still had his wings, although they were limp and hung down his back like a cloak would. Maybe no one would think of them as wings, although the sight would be strange enough. She was partially dragging him down the street after all.

Jaida began to think about all of this, about her predicament, about what had happened to Arius, and she came to one conclusion. This was all her fault. Because of her, Arius could have died, and even though she had betrayed his trust, he still protected her. He saved her life from Lucius. If she had known that the keystone was his barrier, she never would have taken it from him. She never would have let him fight Lucius without it. There wasn't much she could have done to really stop him though, but she could have tried. She had nearly been the cause of his death. That would have been something she could never live with.

"Arius, if you can hear me," she began with tears in her eyes. "Then please forgive me." The tears began rolling down her cheeks, mixing with the rain drops that were already clinging to her face. "I should have…trusted you. I'm so s-sorry."

She knew it would still take a while to get to her house. They were pretty far away, and she was sure someone would notice them soon. She quickly recalled the first time she had seen Arius, and how his wings had disappeared even when he was unconscious. His keystone had done it, so Jaida took out the necklace and slipped it carefully over his head, making sure not to drop him while doing so. She reached over and brushed his wings gently, and just like before, they began to disappear. Soon enough, there was no sign that they had ever been there.

Jaida could now position him a bit more comfortably without having to worry about hurting his wings. He was still heavy though, or at least to her he was. His frame was actually relatively thin. He was strong, but no one would guess that by looking at him. He looked like just your average high school boy. Come to think of it though, she had no idea how old he really was. She knew for a fact that he was older than she was, but she wasn't sure by how many years. He was probably at least nineteen. Technically, he didn't have to go to school if he was, but it was just easier this way. It would give him something to do between Lucius's attacks.

Jaida staggered a bit as she walked, her legs starting to hurt from supporting Arius. She wasn't going to be able to make it to her house. Maybe if she hadn't had to run up all of those stairs and then go back down them, this would be easier. She had carried him like this before, but this time it was difficult. She was starting to wish that one of the cars speeding down the street would stop and offer her a ride. However, everyone in the city minded their own business. No one cared to stop in their routine to help out a stranger. It just wasn't heard of. It just wasn't normal. That's probably why no one ever noticed Lucius. He was abnormal. No one in the city was perceptive enough or willing to recognize anything even remotely out of the ordinary. They were all so naïve.

Jaida could hear the sound of a car approaching, and she figured it would just speed by like all of the others. However, as it got closer to her, it slowed down. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it. She soon stopped and glanced back, watching as the car pulled up to her. She had been warned to be careful around people who were willing to give a stranger a ride. There were reports of men who would kidnap children by tricking them into getting into their car. She was hoping that that wasn't the case, or she'd have to try and run while carrying Arius. However, when she saw who emerged from the driver's side, her heart began beating faster.

"Mr. Owens?" she stuttered a bit, feeling a little nervous as he turned his hazel eyes to her.

"Jaida, what are you doing out here?" he asked at he took out an umbrella, opening it up. It was then that he noticed who she was carrying. His eyes widened in shock. Jaida cringed a bit, wondering how she was going to explain this.Why did someone have to stop? Why did it have to be Mr. Owens? At least Arius doesn't have his wings…

Mr. Owens walked right up to Jaida, holding the umbrella over her and Arius, who was still unconscious. He was in rough shape, covered from head to toe in wounds. Mr. Owens raised a skeptical eyebrow at Jaida, obviously wanting an explanation.

"Mr. Owens…" began Jaida. "Can you…give me a ride home? Please, I…"

"Say no more," he told her with a small smile. "Get in." He walked back around to the driver's side and waited for Jaida to get in. She opened the door to the backseat and laid Arius down on it. She got in with him, allowing his head to rest on her lap. As soon as she closed the door, Mr. Owens took off, heading for the residential area.

It was silent for a while, but Mr. Owens continuously glanced back at Jaida, obviously wanting to know what had happened. She was crying, something he rarely saw her do. She had all of her attention on Arius as she unconsciously ran her hand through his black hair. If there was one thing he admired about Jaida, it was her compassion. She cared about everyone, no matter who they were or what they did. She was a kind girl, and he noticed that she spent a lot of time with Arius. This was the perfect chance for him to clear up a few of his questions.

"Jaida," he began, drawing her attention. "What happened?" He saw her hesitate before opening her mouth to speak.

"We…we were attacked," she began, trying to keep her story as truthful as she could. "I got myself in trouble…and Arius protected me, but he…" She glanced down at Arius again, taking note of all of the bleeding burns and cuts he had. "They really hurt him. After he scared them off, he collapsed. I was taking him home…" It was then that she realized one fatal error in her story, in her entire made up story about Arius. He had no residence, no address, and no parents. Pretty soon the school would want his information, and she didn't even know if he had a last name. How was she going to get out of this one? She was going to have to change her story a bit.

"Where does he live?" began Mr. Owens. "We can drop him off along the way."

"Mr. Owens," she began nervously, hoping he would believe yet another lie. "There's something you should know…about Arius."

"What is it?" asked Mr. Owens curiously.

"He…um…his parents…" she began, deciding to tell him exactly what she had told her mother. "They sent him here alone…so he could attend a better school. He…the day after we found him, I went to the hospital and talked to him. He told me that…he didn't have the money to afford an apartment, so I…" She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't find this next part strange. "I told him he could live with us. He's been living at my house."

Just as she expected, he gave her a very skeptical look. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't believe her or if he found this strange. He could always ask her mother about it, and she'd give him the same story. Strangely enough, the next thing he said wasn't even related to the lie she had just told him.

"He needs medical attention," he told Jaid. "Those wounds look pretty bad."

"We can't," she stated. "He's…he's under our care for now. We can't afford a medical bill, you know that. Besides…he'll be fine. Just take us home, okay?"

"Whatever you say," he sighed. "You've never been wrong before, so I guess I shouldn't doubt you now. I assume he won't be in school tomorrow though." Jaida nodded, knowing that Arius probably wouldn't wake up for a few days. At least it would be easy to keep this from everyone else. She would just tell them all that he was sick in bed. Her mom was rarely home anyway, so she wouldn't have to worry about her finding out.

The rest of the ride was silent as Jaida focused her attention on Arius. No matter how much she disliked his attitude, and no matter how mad he made her, she didn't hate him. She couldn't, especially not after he had saved her, nearly giving up his own life for hers. Compared to him, she wasn't important at all. She was just some human he had met by chance. She couldn't stop Lucius, she couldn't save the world…he was the only one who could. If he ever died because of her, she'd never forgive herself. I promise I'll be more careful from now on. I'm gonna try to trust you. I really want to, and I hope…that you can trust me again. I'm so sorry…Arius.