I didn't like being followed.

I was painfully aware of Cat - still disguised as a raven - following us from roof to roof as we strolled down the busy downtown street. Since it was Saturday night, the bars and venues were busy, overflowing with crowds and live music.

I wasn't ever a fan of going out on Saturday nights Downtown, preferring to stay home and watch a movie ... but the dream unnerved me and I needed to be out with people. Staying home alone didn't seem like a safe option for me.

Which was why after we finished dinner at my favorite restaurant, we decided to take a stroll and find somewhere to sit down and talk.

It seemed that Cat couldn't come in at all. I'd lost sight of him as soon as we found an empty enough bar that we could sit at and talk comfortably. The place was small and upscale. There were black and white pictures on the brick exposed walls, red cushioned stools at the bar and deep mahogany wood.

At the back of the scarcely populated bar, there was a man on the guitar crooning in the microphone in front of him singing acoustic versions of popular songs.

"Tears for Fears," Chris mentioned casually as the waitress left our high top bringing our drinks. He nodded behind me towards the singer as he sang a popular Tears for Fears song. "He's pretty good."

I nodded in agreement and took a sip of my water. I sat facing the entrance of the bar and watched as the people walked back and forth at the entrance, not once glancing inside.

He took a drink from his glass of beer. "So what are you studying? You're still in college, right?"

I fiddled with the corner of the napkin under my glass of water in a nervous gesture. "Yeah, I'm working on a dual degree - I'm a Computer Science major. One more year to go."

"Have you thought about an internship? My company does that for the summer, I could ask around for you if you'd like."

I frowned. "A bank does that?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I actually work in one of the big offices. It's actually in charge of the IT infrastructure of the entire bank and its branches."

I found myself leaning towards him trying to absorb everything he was saying. "What is it that you do, exactly?"

We spent the better half of an hour talking about his work, then about the internship program. He gave me advice about school, what to expect as I was graduating in my senior year since he was a recent college graduate himself.

The advice was invaluable, and for once, I was happy my mother meddled in my life.

A low rumble broke through the small bar causing the guitar player behind us to stop playing. The patrons looked around the room trying to find the source of the noise. The glasses shook on the table and the dimly lit room grew darker still. Chris moved slightly closer to me in a protective stance.

The darkness and shadows converged to one corner of the room and I watched Damien as he stepped out of it, as if he was created from it. It was almost as if the shadows were all on that section of the bar on purpose to conceal his sudden appearance.

Anyone that had looked before would have thought that he had been standing in the shadows all along.

But I knew better.

The lights in the room suddenly grew brighter and the room was as dimly lit as it had been a moment before Damien appeared. Everything returned to normal, the rumbling ceased.

It was careless, even for Damien. We'd always been so careful when appearing in public. For him to suddenly materialize in a bar, even as dark as it was a moment prior, was very un-Damien like.

Chris didn't seem to see him approach us, he gently asked me. "You okay? That was weird."

I nodded but couldn't speak. I watched as Damien strode over, in clothes I'd never seen before.

I'd always seen him in impeccable clothing, tailored shirts that I'd seen the men in magazines and ads wear, never this.

He was still in black, it was almost like a second skin. But the material seemed like it was not of this world.

It was beautiful.

He wore a long coat that trailed behind him that picked up as he stalked forward towards us. The fabric of the clothes he wore under his long coat was unrecognizable. It shone and shimmered as he moved, made for him.

He was dressed like a King.

All eyes were on him.

And his perfect violet eyes were fixed on me.

My heart twisted in my chest like I'd never felt before. Something was wrong.

Once he was at our table, he only said, "Emylin."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. The way he'd just suddenly appeared, the way he said my name, something was very wrong.

The music started again on the guitar, the buzz of the people having conversation started up again.

I turned to Chris next to me suddenly realizing I was with someone else.

I cleared my throat. "Chris, meet my friend Damien." I tried to smile but failed, nerves getting the better of me.

Chris stood, walked around the table and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Chris."

Chris in his gray T-shirt and jeans looked so ordinarily plain next to Damien.

Whether or not he felt intimidated, he didn't let it show.

Damien didn't break eye contact with Chris as they shook hands then as he walked around the table back to where he was sitting next to me. He graciously waved his hand at the empty stools in front of us. "Would you like to join us? We're just having drinks."

Damien's eyes scanned the two of us. "You two are pretty close for just drinks."

I looked at the space between Chris and I. Admittedly as the conversation flowed, we'd gotten closer but not so much so that would cause alarm.

Especially not with Damien.

I turned to Chris. "Do you think you can maybe get me another water? I'm running low."

Chris nodded, understanding that I was looking for a way to speak to Damien alone. "I'll be right back."

As he left the high top, I turned to Damien, frowning. "What's going on? Everything okay?"

I could see some anger brimming beneath the surface as his eyes followed Chris to the bar. "Oren reported back that he couldn't see you anymore."

I shook my head in confusion. "What?"

His eyes finally turned to look at me. "You never fixed your glasses."

Still confused, I answered. "No, I never did. It was closed by the time I got my phone replaced - who is Oren?"

He sighed and I could see some of the anger leave his eyes. "Oren." When I didn't answer, he continued. "The cat, the raven. Yes, I know you know. He told me too."

Indignation fired up inside me. "So you are having me followed? Are you serious?"

He seemed frustrated. "It's for your own good."

"Why?"

It was as if the question had some sort of power over him. He stopped what he was doing and I could see the gears turn in his head as if he were seriously thinking the question over. He was probably not used to having someone question him so much.

Damien had always had his secrets but now since he had to get married ....

More were coming out - and it didn't seem like the kind of issues that would blow over. They were starting to scare me - I feared for his safety.

And with I was starting to find out, I feared for mine as well.

But he never answered.

I sighed in frustration. "More secrets then? Okay, will you at least tell me who Oren is?"

He changed the subject, nodding in the direction of the bar towards Chris. "Who is he?"

I blinked at the sudden whiplash from the question. "A friend. I met him yesterday, we went out for dinner, we're having drinks now-"

"Is this a date?"

I shook my head. This was no date - not in any way. Chris was helping me prepare for my future. But I didn't let him know that. "Why do you keep changing the subject? What is going on?"

He sighed. "Em, you need to stay within eyesight -"

I scoffed. "What? No. I won't stop living my life just because bird-boy or cat-boy, whatever- can't follow me-"

His tone started to sound irritated. The way my father's would get when I was young and I started asking too many questions. "This is for your own good, Em."

I crossed my arms. "Tell me why this is so important and I'll think about it. I'll follow your rules."

He leaned his head back and rolled his shoulders. Almost as if the conversation was causing him to have a headache or irritate him. But he still never answered.

Chris placed a glass of water in front of me once he returned. He had his own drink in his hand as well and took a sip as he took his seat next to me.

"Damien," he asked. "Will you be staying with us?"

Annoyed, I answered for him. "No, Damien is just leaving."

Damien shot me a look and when he was about to speak, I interrupted. "Don't you have someone waiting for you? Where is Leah?"

I'd never seen Damien so angry. He glared at me as he spoke, "Good night, Emylin."

We both watched him as he left the bar, his steps echoing on the cement floor.

"Wow," Chris breathed. "He's intense. Is he always like that?"

Adrenaline coursed through me, causing my hand to shake. I'd never gotten into a fight with Damien.

I grabbed my glass, embarrassed at the entire situation. Hopefully, Damien's sudden appearance didn't hamper my chances of getting more advice from Chris. I tried to think of an excuse at why a friend would suddenly appear then storm off. I couldn't very well tell him the real reason why the King of the Underworld suddenly appeared due to some information given to him by a shapeshifting subject of his.

I tried to sound convincing. "I think he's just watching out for me, like a big brother."

"I don't know about that - that was more jealous boyfriend than an overprotective big brother."

I almost choked on the water as it poured down my throat. I felt the liquid dribble down my chin and drip onto my clothes.

Chris reacted quickly and grabbed some napkins for me, handing them to me as I set the glass down. "You laugh but that's what I saw."