chapter 9

The next few days were the slowest ones Jaida had ever experienced. School seemed to last forever, and hours ticked by like days. She found it rather difficult to focus in any of her classes, and she was currently thanking God that it was the end of the week. It was Friday, but there was still no sign of Arius in school. Jaida had already answered a ton of questions about where he was, and she only said that he was sick in bed. She couldn't very well tell the truth. Only Mr. Owens knew the real reason why he wasn't in school, or at least part of the reason.

Currently it was sixth hour, her English class with Mr. Owens. He knew she wasn't paying attention. She hadn't been for a while now. It was hard, because she found herself staring at Arius' empty desk in every one of her classes. For some reason, it was weird not seeing him there. It was worse because she knew it was all her fault. However, she had to keep some sense of focus. She needed to keep her grade up, and she had to give Arius his homework once he woke up. If he woke up, that is.

After class, Jaida quickly packed her things and began to leave, only to be stopped at the door by Mr. Owens. He handed her some papers, which she willingly took, knowing they were Arius' homework.

"Is Arius still out?" he asked Jaida, and she just nodded sadly. He only sighed, adjusting his glasses a bit. "Look Jaida, don't go beating yourself up about this. It's not your fault." His words, however, only made her feel worse. It was her fault. If she had only trusted Arius from the beginning, she never would have stolen from him. If she had known the keystone was his barrier, she wouldn't have taken it. She was hoping that she could explain this to Arius when he woke up. She had a major apology to make.

"I'll see you on Monday, okay Mr. Owens?" she said as she desolately walked past him, heading down the hallway so she could leave the school. For the past few days, people had been asking about Arius. She had said he was sick in bed, and when Amy had suggested visiting him, she had had to make up another lie. She gave a reason as to why she couldn't, said something about it being highly contagious and how Arius hated visitors. At least part of that was true.

Jaida walked down the streets, heading for her home in hopes that when she got there, Arius would be awake. She was both dreading and anticipating the encounter. She wanted the chance to tell him that she was sorry. She wanted to explain herself, to clear her name. The only problem would be getting him to listen.

Arius' crimson eyes slowly opened, but the sun from his window quickly made him shut them. His eyes hurt as if he hadn't opened them in days, which was partially true. He slowly opened them again, blinking a few times to get them adjusted. He instantly recognized the dark ceiling of his room, but he didn't remember being there. The last thing he remembered was Lucius and the burning sensation that had consumed his body. When he blinked again, he could see the flames, and out of fear he sat up.

Arius cringed a bit and fell back onto his bed, understanding that the flames weren't real. He instantly realized that his whole body hurt. It was no wonder after he had nearly been burned alive. He began to glance around, raising his arms to look over the damage done. However, all of his wounds had been covered. He had bandages everywhere, and it wasn't until he sat up again that he realized he was missing a few things. He had his keystone at least, but his black jacket and shirt were gone. He couldn't see his legs, since they were under the bed, but he already knew that he wasn't wearing any pants. He was left in nothing but his boxers and the bandages.

He leaned over a bit and put his head in his hands, thinking. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but according to the time it was, school had recently gotten out. Jaida would be home soon unless it was already the weekend. He really wasn't sure if he wanted to see her right now. After all, she had betrayed him. If she did show up, he'd probably just end up yelling at her, and he really didn't want to. Hopefully she had a logical explanation for the course of her actions.

"Arius!" shouted a rather relieved sounding voice. He looked up and saw Jaida standing in his doorway. "Thank God you're alright!" Her smile fell a bit when he glared at her, and he watched as she backed away. "I was…so…worried." Her voice faded with each word spoken as she maneuvered behind the wall, trying to avoid the angry glare he was shooting at her.

"Jai, get in here," he demanded angrily, and she obeyed, not speaking a word. She stood at the end of his bed, biting her lower lip. She seemed afraid of him right now.

"Arius, I'm…" she began, wanting to apologize, but he quickly cut her off.

"Just shut up," he began. "Don't even say it! Just don't say it! Do you have any idea what could've happened because of you? I could've died! What the hell made you decide to take my keystone, huh?! Do you hate me or something? Do you want me to die?"

"N-no," she whispered, her voice trembling as he continued to yell at her.

"Then why'd you take it?" he asked angrily. "I could've been killed by that cretin because of you! If I die then who's supposed to stop Lucius, huh? You could've caused the destruction of the entire planet! Are you proud of yourself? You're such an idiot!" Arius quickly stopped his rant when he saw Jaida biting her lower lip, her eyes filling with tears. Damn it, not again! He began to feel a bit ashamed and rather nervous as tear after tear rolled down her cheeks.

"W-wait Jai," he began, his voice shaking a bit from nervousness. "Don't cry…I…I overreacted…a bit."

"I'm sorry," she told him as she sobbed. "I d-didn't mean to. It's just that Lucius…he said some horrible things about you. He had me c-convinced that you…you h-hated me…that you wanted to destroy the Earth."

"Lucius?" he questioned, his eyes widening a bit. This was all coming together now.

"He m-made me take your keystone," she told him between sobs as she tried to keep her voice from faltering. "When I woke up, I had it. I don't remember taking it at all. I s-swear it's the truth. I'm so sorry." Arius just sighed deeply as he brushed a hand through his messy black hair. He quickly relaxed his expression so that he didn't look quite as angry anymore.

"It's alright," he told her, wishing that she'd stop crying. For some reason it bothered him. "I forgive you." He watched as Jaida stopped sniffling and sobbing, her eyes widening in shock as she just stared at him.

"You…you forgive me?" she questioned, wanting to know if she had heard right. He nodded to her, not bothering to say anything else. "Why?"

"If it was Lucius," he began, "then I can understand. He has the ability to get into a person's mind. He was already good at mind games before, but now I'm sure it's much worse. I don't blame you if he was involved. He could convince a child to kill its parents. He's very good at manipulating people, especially if they're full of doubt." Jaida suddenly felt ashamed of herself. It was because she had refused to trust Arius that Lucius had been able to get through to her so easily.

"Arius, I'm sorry I doubted you," she told him softly as she sat down on the corner of his bed. "I…I can trust you, right?" He hesitated a bit before nodding once. That was good enough for her, so she wiped her eyes and smiled. "That's good," she told him. "But one more thing…"

"What?" he asked her a bit curiously.

"Something he said…about Deslyans," she began. "Do you…do you really feed off of…human emotions?" Arius opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. He turned his attention to his bed sheets, trying to avoid Jaida's eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt ashamed of that habit.

"So it's true then," she concluded sadly. "You really…you really are just…using me." Arius snapped his attention to Jaida, but she quickly gave him a weak smile. "It's okay," she lied. "I don't…I don't mind…really."

Arius didn't say anything to her as he stood up and went to his closet. He quickly got out a pair of pants and a shirt and pulled them on. He shoved his hands into the pockets, sparing Jaida another glance. She looked disappointed as she just sat there, refusing to look at him. He sighed before walking towards her. He stopped just as he passed her, his back now to hers.

"I hope that…" he began a bit softly, keeping his voice indifferent, "you can believe me…when I say that I've never once used you for that." Jaida's head shot up, and she glanced back at him. He was heading for the door, but he paused again in the doorway. He glanced back, meeting her shocked expression. He just smirked a bit.

"I'm not the monster you think I am, Jai," he told her before he left the room, leaving her there on his bed to think about the conversation they had just had.

Jaida walked down the street alone, having nothing better to do. Arius had insisted on coming with her, but she had talked him into staying home for a change. He was still in a bit of pain, and she told him that she didn't need his help this time. She'd be just fine. She only hoped that were true, or she'd never hear the end of it. Arius was already still partially mad at her. She didn't need to get into any more trouble.

Jaida turned a corner, but she stopped quickly, deciding to turn around. Coming her way were Jerrod and a few other kids, most likely his friends. All of them were just as tough as he was, and if they saw her, she wasn't going to get away. She turned around and tried to run, but a hand caught her wrist.

"Well, well," began Jerrod as he walked in front of her, a smirk on his face. His friends soon joined him, now surrounding her. "Look what we've got here. It's little Jaida Carlson."

"Look, I'm in a hurry," she said, trying to pull away from the boy that was holding her. He only tightened his grip, smirking as he squeezed her wrist.

"Where's Arius today, huh?" began Jerrod. "Isn't he usually with you?"

"He's busy," she told him. "I'm running errands, so will you just let go?"

"I think you better come with us," began one of the boys. "It isn't safe in the city alone."

"I'm safer alone than with you," she mumbled, but they all heard her. She cringed as the one holding her began to crush her wrist. She was sure he'd break it at this rate.

"Hey Jai!" called a semi familiar voice. All of them turned to watch a boy dressed in black approach. He had a smile on his face, his crimson eyes seeming rather bright. His black hair was spiked, very different from Arius is half spiked half messy style.

"Nero?" Jaida questioned, watching as he walked up to them all casually. He quickly gave her a smile and then eyed the boys around her curiously. He was a bit taller than they were, but then again, he seemed older too.

"Now, now," he began, still with his casual smile in play. "What seems to be the problem here? I don't think this is the proper way to treat a lady, am I right?" He brushed right past Jerrod and towards the boy behind Jaida. He grabbed the boy's wrist, giving a hard squeeze, causing him to release her.

"Just who do you think you are?" demanded Jerrod.

"Now," began Nero, ignoring the question, "I suggest you all leave, or I'll report this incident to Arius. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know what your intentions were." Jerrod said nothing as he motioned for his friends to follow him. Jaida watched as they all turned the corner and continued on their merry way.

"Um…" she began, turning towards Nero. "Thanks." He just smiled brightly, putting his hands in his pockets.

"No problem," he told her. "Any friend of Arius is a friend of mine. If I may ask, what are you doing out here alone?"

"Running errands," she answered. "My mom asked me to. I would've brought Arius with, but he's…you know." Nero simply offered her a smile.

"Well then, allow me to accompany you," he said brightly. "Wouldn't want you getting in any trouble, after all." And without another word, he began walking with her down the street.

Jaida walked quietly, watching Nero out of the corner of her eye. He was still smiling, something Arius never did. She had originally thought that all Deslyans would be like Arius, but Nero was exactly the opposite. He was more talkative and less arrogant. He had seemed pretty scary though the first time she had met him. If Arius hadn't come, he could have killed her. Perhaps Arius had a lot of influence in the Deslyan world.

"Um, Nero?" she asked, drawing his attention. "The other day…when you fought Lucius…how'd you escape?" He just smiled brightly before turning his attention to the street again.

"It's strange really," he began. "Lucius just left. He probably got bored since his magic didn't work against my keystone. He was probably hoping to see me burn like Arius. You see, the angels like using fire against us because our bodies burn very easily. You could say we're all, to a certain extent, afraid of fire. Arius can tolerate it a bit better, but he's special. He can tolerate about anything."

"He's special?" she questioned curiously, wondering exactly what that meant. Maybe he was stronger than the other Deslyans. She wouldn't doubt it for a second.

"I'm sure you remember our conversation," he said. "You know, the message I gave him? The council sent him here to kill Lucius. Arius is the only one who can measure up to his strength."

Jaida just nodded in response, not saying anything afterwards. She was absorbing the information, and something else quickly caught her attention as well. Nero was telling her things that she probably couldn't have gotten out of Arius himself. Maybe he'd answer a few more of her questions. She had quite a few, and they all centered around the arrogant Deslyan who was back at her house.

"Nero?" she began, hoping he'd answer a few questions for her. "Can I ask you something about Arius?"

"What about him?" Nero asked curiously. Depending on the question, he wouldn't be able to answer it.

"Why is he so…um…cold?" she asked, hoping that that was the right word. She got a bit nervous when she saw Nero's smile fall, his eyes taking on a look of pity.

"Arius has…a few issues he needs to work out," began Nero, choosing his words wisely. He didn't need Arius at his throat for letting out too much information. "He isn't very fond of others, human or Deslyan. He prefers to be alone, but I see you kinda ruined that for him by finding him the day he arrived, right?"

"How'd you know I found him?" she asked with wide eyes. She couldn't remember Arius ever mentioning that fact to Nero. He just smirked when he saw how shocked she was.

"Don't worry, I'm not psychic or anything," he told her. "It's just that Arius always works alone. If you hadn't found him that first day, he would've probably gone about this the way he does all of his assignments: recklessly destroy anything that got in his way in his search for Lucius, even if it meant killing humans."

"Really?" she asked, not seeming too surprised. That kind of sounded like Arius.

"On other planets, it was easy," explained Nero. "The species were primitive for the most part. If one saw him, he'd just destroy it. You see, it's best if no one knows about the Deslyans. However, your planet is complicated. There are so many rules. If a human were to see Arius during a fight with Lucius, he wouldn't be able to just kill the one human. News spreads fast here, and you have the military. Arius would end up having to destroy the entire city, maybe more. So you see, it's probably for the best that you convinced him to let you live."

Jaida just nodded dumbly, seeming a bit confused. She had never looked at it like that before. She had never known that Arius was so dangerous. Of course she had always known he was a threat to anyone and everyone who crossed him, but this was indeed a shock. She really had done her city a favor by meeting him. She began to wonder if the Deslyan boy enjoyed destroying things. She made a mental note never to push him that far. If he got angry enough, he would probably go and destroy a few buildings or maybe a mountain just for kicks. Arius was indeed a threat to society, and yet he was living under her roof. What have I gotten myself into?

"Hey Jai?" began Nero with a nervous smile on his face. "Um…I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to Arius. I'd kind of like to keep my body fully intact if you don't mind."

"Of course," she told him with a smile and a small laugh. She wouldn't say a word to Arius, because she was sure he didn't want her knowing about him. After all, he wasn't used to being around anyone else, and now he was always around tons of people. No wonder he hated it so much when people stared at him.

"So…" began Nero as he put a bright smile back on his face. "Where exactly are we going?"

Jaida sighed as she stepped out of the last stop on her list. Her errands had taken her across the city to a ton of different shops and grocery stores. She would have been done sooner, but there had been such a long line at the bank. It had taken forever just to take out the money needed for her errands. She was now harboring quite a few bags, and Nero was carrying a few as well. She really had bought a lot of things, and the lines at the stores had all been really long. It was already starting to get dark.

Jaida bit her lip nervously as she saw the sun sinking behind the buildings in the distance. Night would fall before she'd make it home, and the city really wasn't safe to travel through at night. She was just about to ask Nero if he'd walk home with her when he opened his mouth to speak.

"It's getting kinda late," he began as he also watched the sun. "You should probably get home."

"Yeah," she began a bit nervously. She really didn't want to walk home alone. He obviously knew this, because he instantly came up next to her, a smile on his face.

"I'll walk you home if you want," he told her, smirking as she sighed in relief.

"Okay, then let's go," she said, sounding a bit more enthused to be going home. This way she wouldn't have to worry about being attacked, and even if they were attacked, Nero would handle things. Being in the company of a Deslyan was rather calming and reassuring. Deslyans were strong enough to take down any human, and she knew that both Nero and Arius would keep her safe when she was with them. It was a very comforting thought. She rather enjoyed having two bodyguards.

"Hey Jai," began Nero seriously, drawing her attention. "There's just one more thing you should know about Arius. He tends to say the opposite of what he means, so don't take anything to heart, alright? I can guarantee that once he knows you personally, he won't let anyone touch you. You don't need to worry about Lucius or anyone else for that matter. He won't let you die. Just trust him, alright?"

"Okay," she said, assuring him that she would. She wasn't about to doubt Arius again since the last time she had nearly gotten him killed. She would try to believe in the arrogant Deslyan no matter how hard it got.

They walked for a while, not saying too much of anything. It was dark now, and they were getting closer to the residential area. Once they reached it, Jaida knew she was in the clear. Her mom wouldn't be home for a while longer, so she could sneak back in without troubling anyone with her late return.

"I can go alone from here," she told Nero with a smile. He just nodded and handed her the bags. They weren't that heavy really, but there were a lot of them.

"You sure?" he asked, wanting to make sure she'd be able to get home alright.

"Yep," she said cheerily. "Thanks for the escort."

"No problem," he told her as he turned around. "And tell Arius I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, alright? I need to get home, after all."

"Okay!" she called back as he was soon out of her view. She just turned and walked down the street, the streetlamps providing her only light. The moon and the stars were like myths in the city. No one could ever see them with all the bright lights and tall buildings.

Jaida soon reached her house and went up to the door. She pushed against it, surprised to find that it was unlocked. Then she remembered that Arius was still home. If anyone had tried to rob them, he wouldn't have let them get very far. It was nice having someone else at home other than just her mother, especially someone as strong as Arius was.

When Jaida got into the entryway, she quickly set down her bags and removed her shoes. She sighed a bit out of relief, happy to see that her mother wasn't back just yet. She didn't need to worry her after all. However, someone else had noticed her entrance, and when she turned towards the stairs, she saw Arius sitting there. His eyes were focused completely on her, a glare present on his face.

"Where were you?" he asked her in a low, reprimanding voice.

"I was running errands," she told him. "I could've swore I told you that before I left."

"It's already dark out," he told her, his eyes narrowing. "You know it's dangerous at night. What if you had gotten attacked? What if Lucius had shown up? You never should've gone out alone!"

"But I wasn't alone," she told him, ignoring his outburst as she began to take the bags into the kitchen. Arius blinked a few times, confused.

"Who were you with?" he asked curiously as he followed her into the kitchen. Jaida just sighed. He was being so nosy. What did he care anyway? As long as she was safe, it didn't matter, right?

"Nero," she answered as she started to put away the groceries. She glanced back at him a bit. "I ran into him today, and he escorted me during my errands. He was very helpful." She wanted to laugh when she saw how disappointed Arius looked. He also seemed a bit irritated. Why, she didn't know, but his expression was very different from how he usually looked.

"Well?" he asked her as he crossed his arms, fixing her with a very dissecting glare.

"Well what?" she asked as she ignored his glare for the most part.

"What did you two do all day?" he asked her curiously, earning him a long, exasperated sigh.

"Didn't we already go through this?" she asked him, now sounding a bit frustrated. "I told you. I was running errands, and he helped carry some of the bags. Then he walked me home. That's all."

"He should've carried everything," Arius stated angrily. "It's too heavy for someone like you." He turned away a bit since she seemed to be ignoring him anyway. "I would've done it," he mumbled afterwards, earning him Jaida's attention. She gave him a rather skeptical look, dissecting his expression in her mind. He was being so rude and so nosy. She wasn't sure why he cared so much about what she had been doing. He didn't worry about her, or so he was always saying. So then why did he seem so interested in what had happened? She tried piecing everything together: the look on his face, the tone of his voice, his posture…and she eventually drew a conclusion. She just stared at him out of possible shock or surprise. She wasn't sure what it would look like to him.

"Arius, are you…" she began, earning her half of his attention. "…Jealous?" Well, that word had gotten his attention. He turned to face her, looking like someone had just shot him. He quickly glared at her, his eye twitching just a bit.

"O-of course not!" he shouted at her angrily. "Why would I be? I could care less about who you're with and what you do! I just…want to make sure that…that…" He couldn't finish that sentence. It would sound stupid if he did, coming from him anyway. He couldn't really tell her that he had been worried, that when she hadn't come home during sunset, he had been running through all of the horrible possibilities that could have happened to her. He just couldn't say it. He had even sat on the stairs for nearly an hour just waiting. He had only wanted to make sure that she was alright. Why, he didn't know, but he had.

"You wanted to make sure of what?" she asked curiously, but he only turned away from her and began leaving the kitchen.

"Nothing," he told her between clenched teeth. "Just forget it." Jessie only smiled, her bright green eyes gleaming with a soft admiration.

"Hey Arius," she called out, stopping him in the doorway. Even though he couldn't see, she flashed him a beautiful smile. "Thanks for worrying." He didn't say anything as he began to head for the stairs, leaving her alone to finish the rest of the unpacking. It was only when he reached the top floor that he responded in a whisper.

"…You're welcome, Jai."