"Aurora, you've been sat at this window for hours. Come and eat something."

I ignore Christian, keeping my eyes on the calm view of the blue sky. Every time I see the outline of wings within the clouds then I get hopeful that it's him, but it never is. It's been three days since Cain left and we haven't heard anything from him. The guards weren't allowed to follow him, he ordered all of them to remain on the roof except for Blake. None of us know what's going on out there and the uncertainty is worse.

"Please," Christian says. "This is going to make you ill. The humans are having another party tonight, why don't you come?"

I bite on my nail, staring at a figure in the distance that is walking the path on foot. The figure becomes clearer and I recognize him as one of the guards.

"Why are you even worried?" Bella calls from across the room. I didn't hear her enter the lounge and I have no idea how long she's been watching me for. "It's not like he can even die. He'll come back. He always comes back. It's an annoying habit of his."

"You can't help him from a window," Christian says gently, placing his hand against my arm. "He'd want you to eat."

I slide my hand into his and he helps me up from the window ledge. I look over my shoulder, stealing one last look at the window before Christian guides me out of the room.

"When was the last time you slept?" he says.

"I don't remember."

I hear shouting from the kitchen and I pause in the hallway to see what's going on. Blake is standing at the door to the garden, a crowd of girls form a defiant stance around him.

"I will say this for the last time," Blake yells. "No one is allowed outside until the threat is gone. Humans are being abducted; this is for your own safety. So go back inside and shut up!"

I smile, he's handling it well.

"There are thousands of guards watching over us, why can't we just sit on the deck?" a girl asks desperately.

"Because I said you can't. And if any of you try then you'll be dragged back inside, is that clear?"

I follow Christian into the small dining room. There's a group here eating from a cold buffet along the table. I take a seat beside Jackson and Natalie, ignoring the others' stares.

"I don't understand why it's taking so long to find and capture one rogue creature," a slave says. "They're all looking for her."

"At least our owners are occupied," a girl says. "He hasn't even come back inside yet."

"Do you think the King can handle this? He looked worried when he left."

I pick up a cucumber stick and I bite into it, they continue to discuss Cain's departure and I can't handle it anymore. I leave the room before Christian can stop me. I make it to the staircase before I hear footsteps following me. I'm not in the mood for conversation and I almost tell Christian to piss off but the sweet voice from behind me makes me turn around.

"Aurora," Jackson says. "Are you okay?"

I fake a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Go back and eat your lunch, I'll come see you later."

He runs towards me and wraps his arms around my stomach. I'm so stunned that it takes me a second until I fold my hands into his back. Jackson hardly ever hugs me, it's usually me that forces him into one.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too."

He's trying to make me feel better and it's adorable. I push him away slightly and he walks back to the dining room. I pause against the staircase as Blake enters through the kitchen doorway. Our eyes meet and I wait for him to reach me.

"Tell me you've heard something," I say.

He shakes his head. "Cain is smart, he knows what he's doing."

"Blake," I whisper, dropping down a step to be on his level. "You met Saffron, right? You knew her?"

He nods slowly.

"She must have cared about lifeforms just a little bit for Cain to choose her as his companion. Is she like you?"

"No, Aurora. She is nothing like me. She was good once but then I suppose we all were. Being what we are corrupted her and over time greed became her strongest motive. Add three centuries of imprisonment on a foreign planet to that list, fuelled with hatred, anger and revenge and you've got a cocktail for disaster."

"So there is no way to stop her?" I say.

"It depends if her immortality has ended. Cain has the blade, he'll be fine. He defeated her once and he'll do it again."

I swallow. Blake doesn't know that I have the blade, no one does. I have been keeping it hidden in Cain's bedroom underneath one of his pillows. Even though the weapon can only kill creatures, I still feel obligated to keep it safe. He trusted me with it and it was the last thing he did so I will not risk it falling into the wrong hands.

"I just need to know that he's alright," I mumble, rubbing my exhausted eyes.

"Go and rest. I promise if there's news then I will wake you."

"Thank you."

I grab the banister and I walk around the groups of excited girls that are talking about the party tonight. None of them have any clue about the danger out there or maybe everything is dangerous to them so they've learned to adapt quickly.

I call at my own bedroom first; I fold my arms as I stare at the hole in the side of the wall. That feels like seconds ago and it was three days ago. I gather up some clothes, trying to ignore the sight of the bed in the corner of my eye. I make my way into Cain's bedroom and I change into a tank top and shorts. It's the middle of the day and I have no desire to stay awake. I can't sleep at night and I don't know why. I lay inside the covers, feeling for the blade underneath the pillow next to me. I don't know when Cain slept in here last, he hardly ever came in here once he started sleeping in my bed. His room is clean, organized and oddly empty. There's nothing of importance or value here. Even his nightstand is bare.

I look at the window for as long as my mind will allow until I cannot keep my eyes closed anymore.

A strange sound wakes me up in the night. It sounds like scraping. Slow movement catches my attention from the bottom of the bed and I sit up, watching a shadow slightly move against a wooden chair. I keep staring through the darkness, pulling myself higher as a lump forms in my throat. A set of piercing green eyes open and meet mine.

"Cain?" I whisper.

The scraping stops. The eyes just keep staring back at me, becoming the only source of light in the entire room. I panic and throw the covers from me, jumping over to the other side of the bed to get to the door. I pull on it and pull on it but it's locked. I run over to a window and I try and push on the latch but it's stuck and I'm not strong enough to lift it.

"Sit down," a female voice says quietly. "You'll exhaust yourself."

The creature still sits in the chair with her back to me. My eyes are adjusting to the dark and I see the blade in her hand, she drags it along the armrest of the wooden chair. I scan my eyes over the desk in the corner, picking up the empty bottle of whiskey. I hold it tightly as I walk around her, she looks up at me as though she's bored.

"Go ahead," she says. "Use it."

I stare at the bottle in my hand, knowing it'll be useless. I fall back down to the edge of the bed; she finally straightens and rests the blade on her lap. Her disguise is still coated in shadows but I make out the dark blonde hair that curls around her throat.

"How did you get in here?" I say.

"The King's guards aren't all as loyal as he'd like to believe. I have been here a week and I already have an army. And now I have this." She picks up the blade and studies it, almost smells it. "You have practically just handed me the keys to the palace."

I take a deep breath. "Are you here to kill me?"

She flicks her eyes up. "Why would I kill you? You absolutely fascinate me. And you can't fascinate me if you're dead."

I remain still as she stands up and leans over me. Her fingernail cuts underneath my chin as she lifts my face up. Her entire body trembles at first but then she bites down on her teeth like she is containing a squeal from her lips. She backs away with deep breaths, staring down at me in wonder. But it isn't hunger that has her stunned, it's something else.

"How did you do that?" she says.

"Do what?"

"How did you repel me?"

"Repel?" I question.

"Yes, your energy is warning me off," she says, grabbing my hand forcefully. She hisses and drops it. "Fascinating. Completed souls always are."

"Where is Cain?" I say.

"Is that what he's calling himself?" she mumbles, turning away to the window. "Don't worry yourself about him, I am your owner now. You are mine."

I look back to the door, wondering if I should try and escape again. I close my eyes because I'm convinced that I'm still sleeping, caught in the beginning of a terrifying nightmare. I open them to see her right in front of me, she twists her head.

"Hurting you would hurt him," she says. "Killing you would destroy him and make him vulnerable to the blade. I've been thinking a lot about what to do with you while you slept. I've been thinking about the best way to make him suffer. And I think this decision trumps all of them." She crouches down to my eye-level. "Being Queen is exhausting, isn't it? It'll be over for you soon. Is there anyone in the palace you'd rather I didn't kill? I wouldn't want your fascinating soul to become depressed."

I can't believe this is even happening. She's talking like she owns the place now, like she's already replaced Cain's leadership. Just like Cain did, she's tricking me. That's why she won't tell me what happened to him. Does that mean it's bad?

"Fine," she says, walking towards the door. "I'll start in the slave quarters."

"No!" I shout, charging after her. "Please, leave them alone."

"Will you give me names?"

"So you can use them against me?" I cry.

"So I can avoid them," she says. "I don't expect you to trust me but they're going to die anyway. I am seeking revenge on the King, not you. Being a completed soul makes you very lucky. You have four names."

"Four?" I demand. "I can't. . ."

I hold my head as I back away. I can't breathe properly. She becomes impatient and the first three names flow out of my mouth. The fourth I struggle with. She is forcing me to save someone and I never wanted that responsibility. She's sadistic. I'm not close to any of the owned girls and I hardly speak to the other slaves, except for Miles. He always has a smile for me, he always greets me even when he is half asleep and moody. I am torn between him and Samson. But Samson doesn't have long left, he is already so sick now that Saffron might not even touch him. I give Miles' name with a shaky voice.

"My guard acquaintances will escort them out," she says. "I'll be back for you later."

"Please," I beg. "Don't do this. You said it yourself that hurting me hurts Cain so I am all you need to get your revenge."

"I know," she says. "That's why I have you."

I try again to plea with her but she smacks me across the face and I hit the floor instantly. I try to remain conscious but my eyes roll to the back of my head and I am thrown into an unexpected sleep.