His eyes seemed to darken when she said his name, but his only response to her words was that intense, burning gaze.

It made her squirm, and suddenly Remi really wanted to find her way out of this place before her body burst into flames. She briefly wondered who in her family was responsible for this beautiful utopia of an underground garden.

Remi began following the shining, white walls of the compound around, looking for an exit.

Killure followed wordlessly behind her, and Remi couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of terror around him.

She didn't really know much about what the older members of her family did, but what she did know was that it was inhumane and horrible. She also knew that people were terrified of them simply because of what they could do and because it was more often than not used for evil.

Still, she'd tried to keep Killure away from it all. Although he was bound to her as a slave, Remi had tried to make his stay as comfortable as possible. So, why did he still want to kill her?

"Here," Killure's silky smooth voice cut through the air.

He was standing a ways away from her, staring up at the ceiling. There was a gigantic window, and while of course it didn't lead outside, it might get them out of there.

There were probably other exits, but the area was huge, and finding an easy way to get out might take hours.

The only problem was that said window was over thirty feet above them.

Remi looked around to find a tree they could climb up to it with, but none nearby were tall enough.

Getting all the way up there would be impossible.

Remi sighed deeply. She wasn't sure which of their ancestors had built such a chaotic, unusual house, but she wished they were still alive so that she could ask them what the heck they were thinking.

Clawed fingers gently tilted Remi's chin up, and she found herself staring into Killure's swirling, tortured eyes, a hurricane of stars within their depths. "I can fly us up."

She held his gaze. She wanted to shrink away, avert her gaze. She didn't want to be anywhere near him. But she hid those feelings and made sure they were nowhere to be found in his eyes. "Are you going to kill me when I'm in your arms?"

Killure only came closer with that terrifyingly wicked grin. "I won't kill you, doll. You're the only reason I'm still alive. Besides, if I'd wanted to kill you, I would have found a way to do so before now."

Remi knew that was true, but she still couldn't get his earlier words out from her mind. The rest fantasize about being chosen so that they can kill one of you, even if they die in the process.

If he was one of those types of slaves, then he truly wouldn't mind dying so long as he killed her.

Remi heard an aggravated huff, and then before she could protest, she was being lifted off her feet and cradled against Killure's defined chest. Shrieking, she tried to tell him to stop and put her down, but he didn't listen as they continued to rise higher and higher into the air.

Tears threatened to flow from Remi's wide eyes and tumble down her cheeks, but she reined them in. Would this be it? Would she die before learning all she wanted to learn? Before she could use that knowledge to heal people?

Killure's wings were huge and powerful, pushing air down beneath them in loud, heavy whooshes of air as they ascended. He unlocked the window and flung it open, before carrying them both through. The tip of one of his wings flapped against the edge of the window, despite the window being the size of a small room. It didn't slow Killure down.

Remi didn't realize she was holding her breath until her lungs began burning and she was forced to exhale.

They emerged into a room richly decorated with extravagant wallpaper and swirling, red marble flooring. Gold leather couches were all facing the grand piano in the centre of the room, as though it were the sun and they were basking in its glory, soaking up its rays.

Killure set her down gently, and even held her arm for a moment to keep her wobbling legs steady.

And then, he folded his wings and sunk to his knees, head bowed.

"What—" she began.

"I disobeyed you," he murmured, his voice solemn. "I accept my fate, and only hope you won't draw out my death for too long."

Remi staggered backwards. He thought she would kill him? And he was willing to let her do so without protest?

And then it hit her.

Oh.

He wanted her to kill him. He wanted to die.

"I'm not going to kill you, Killure," Remi rolled her eyes, walking towards the door.

His head snapped up, dark blue eyes full of genuine surprise. " You're . . . not?"

"Your life isn't mine to take."

"Of course it is," he whispered back heatedly. "Any of my other masters would have cut off my head for doing something without being told to."

Remi gave him an incredulous look. "And why should I base my actions off people I don't even know?"

"Because I want you to, doll," he growled, his voice broken and hoarse.

"So, you're saying that you want me to hurt you whenever you do wrong, because that's what you're used to?"

"Yes," Killure looked her hard in the eyes.

She stared at him for a moment longer, taking in his large, muscled frame. Her eyes burned and sadness coursed through her as realization flooded her mind. "You want to be hurt because it's what you're used to. It's what you expect from me. And when you don't get it, you don't know what to expect, and not knowing what comes next makes you uncomfortable. You'd rather pain, because you don't know how to accept kindness."

His wordless stare was all she needed to confirm. She shook her head at him, grasping his shoulder loosely. His eyes drifted to the hand she was touching him with. "Come. Let's find our way out of here."

Although she was still terrified of him, understanding him a little better gave her more courage.

However, she still didn't have any clue of how to make it out of this maze. Sure, it was her house, but she'd hardly ever been down in the lowest level of the house before, and it was even more maze-like and confusing than the other floors.

If anyone ever had something they wanted to hide so that it would never be found, this would be the perfect place.

"Oh, it's you guys," the familiar, disengaged voice of Blue spoke.

Remi smiled upon seeing him, and it grew when she saw Bliss emerge from behind him.

'Are you lost?' Bliss mouthed the words, though no sound came out.

"Somewhat," Remi laughed, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly.

Both were silent for a moment, until Blue finally turned to Killure. "Can't he smell the way out of here for you?"

Remi spun around. Killure was leaning leisurely against the wall, watching her through half-lidded eyes with a cold smirk. "Can you?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded.

"And you didn't find it necessary to let me know?" Remi grumbled, crossing her arms beneath her chest. His eyes darkened, dropping to her breasts for a moment before snapping back up to her face.

He shrugged his shoulders lazily. "You didn't ask."

"You let him talk to you like that?" Blue asked curiously, walking around the Icix and observing him with the curiosity of a scientist observing a lab rat. "Interesting. After all I've heard this one has been through, one would think he'd be more docile. Perhaps this is how the women preferred him to behave at Madam Lementine's facility?"

Killure's body tensed, and he snapped his dark eyes wide open in anger.

"Stop it, Blue," Remi pleaded, putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder and guiding him away.

He only raised his eyebrows at her, as if she was the one acting oddly. "You have an Icix for a slave, and you don't even want to study him?"

She shook her head. "The anatomy isn't all that different. Large-scale the anatomy of a bird's wings, and combine it in reference to the human anatomy."

Bliss tilted her head from beside her brother, getting his attention. "Bliss says that you're somewhat wrong, and I agree. Don't you want to know how the nerves leading to his wings interact with the rest of his body? Or how his DNA codes for having claws and ears like that? I'm sure he's full of all sorts of wonders."

Of course she wanted to know. It had been eating at her ever since she first set eyes on him. But after using her powers to fix part of his broken wing, she had become worried that one day he would be injured and she couldn't help him, and decided to go to the Archives and find out whatever she could about the anatomy of an Icix. Perhaps when she was back from her mission, she would be able to go.

Blue and Bliss shook their heads simultaneously. "On the off chance that he has a tragic accident, perhaps you will allow us to watch as you dissect him."

"He's not going to die," Remi said plainly.

"Ah, probably not," Blue pouted, and Bliss mimicked his expression. "Icixes are extraordinarily hard to kill if they don't want to die."

He blinked once. "I'm tired. Bliss is, too. We're going to lay down in the grass."

Remi furrowed her brows. "You knew about that?"

"Yes," they nodded. "It is our mom's garden. If you want to get back upstairs, take that door. Your Icix should be able to smell you out of here from there on."

The garden was Colleen's? Remi should have expected that, considering her aunt's love for all things floral. Still, why hadn't she known about it? Were there other secrets her family was hiding from her?

With that said, Bliss pushed a button hidden in the layout of the wall, which opened doorway with stairs leading down to the garden below. The door closed soon after they went through it, reverting back to a wall—as though the door had never existed in the first place.

Remi took their directions, with Killure following behind. Once in the hallway, he began walking beside her so that he could point out where they needed to go. And he did, silently.

Painfully silently.

The silence was uncomfortable, and made Remi fiddle with her thumbs and look anywhere but at him as they walked.

He shot her a couple annoyed glances but never spoke.

After ten or so minutes, they made it back to ground level.

Now familiar with her surroundings, Remi guided them over to the kitchens.

Safire bounced out soon after they arrived, a pretty smile on her pretty face. "All yours, Rem! Just as you asked."

The kitchens were many rooms long, with countless stoves and ovens and even more pantries and cooking tools. Per Remi's request from earlier in the week, Safire had cleared out all the cooks and servers, relocating them to the kitchen on the floor beneath them.

Remi marvelled at how clean the area was. Everything seemed to shimmer and sparkle, as though they were eager to be used to create good food.

Feeling the heaviness of Killure's questioning gaze on her back, she turned around and smiled. "Remember how I was asking you about what delicacy you liked best?"

He ducked his head in a nod, still acting moody.

"Well, we're going to do some baking!" Remi grinned from ear to ear. Cooking baked goods truly was her favourite pastime, and had been ever since she was a little girl and had first been introduced to a stove.

Killure looked less than impressed, but didn't protest.

"Find me a bunch of flour," she instructed him, unable to keep the glee from her voice. All awkwardness from earlier was forgotten as she became enthralled with figuring out what she should bake.

Remi began humming a pretty tune as she pulled out measuring cups and mixing bowls.

Perhaps a cake.

Killure stood beside three bags of flour, which he'd already placed on an empty counter. Even though the flour bags were tall and unopened, and sitting high on the counter, the Icix was still much taller. He seemed to tower over everything he stood by.

"Have you ever baked something before, Killure?" Remi chirped, handing him a mixing spoon.

He took it from her, but glared at it as if it was thoroughly offensive.

He snapped his eyes up to hers. "A few times."

She tried to hide her surprise, and joked, "Well then, show me how it's done!"

She didn't actually think that he'd do it.

His eyes followed her movements closely as she slipped on an apron, but swiped at her hand when she tried hand him one as well.

Okay, so no apron.

Without saying a word, Killure began measuring and pouring, walking confidently around the kitchen as if he'd been there a thousand times before.

Remi stepped forwards, trying to get his attention. "Can I help?"

He gave her a lazy smirk. "Sure doll, by sitting on that stool and looking pretty."

Had he just called her pretty? She felt her cheeks heating up, and wanted to turn away but couldn't escape his intense gaze.

Though, he was also saying that the best way she could help was by sitting on a stool. Rude.

Remi pursed her lips. "You sure?"

"I'm sure," he winked, before turning around and resuming his mixing.

Now Remi's face burned as though it were on fire. She pulled a small, folded fan from her pocket and unfolded it, fanning herself to cool off her face. If he asked what she was doing, she'd say the heating stoves were making the air hot. Had he turned the stoves on yet though?

Remi quickly put away the fan, and opted for watching Killure work, and humming while she watched.

He moved so easily around the kitchen, and every movement he made seemed fluid and confident.

For a while she tried figuring out what he was making, but got distracted by the way the muscles of his strong back moved as he worked. Even through his dark shirt, they were defined and pronounced.

Her humming slowly faded off into silence as she wondered about how he got here. How did he end up a slave, and how had he survived this long? Most slaves in the city didn't last more than a year, because buyers were often sadists who accidentally broke their toys.

She realized Killure was staring at her. "I like it better when you hum."

Remi immediately arched a brow in surprise. He'd just let her know of something he liked for the first time, and she didn't want to discourage him from doing the same in the future. So, she hummed one of her favourite songs, and didn't miss the slight upward tilting of his lips as he turned back to cooking.