I left Kenneth to check the to-do lost for today, hoping it wasn't long so I could have the chance to spend time with Kenneth. I was honestly so excited. Kenneth was my first boyfriend and I was so happy. He's cute, even when he's in one of his grumpy moods. And he's really sweet too, comforting Thomas the way he did.

I just hoped Dimitri wouldn't ruin my relationship with him, since I was banned from socializing. But Dimitri can't take Kenneth away from me. In fact, I will keep this relationship a secret from him. He doesn't need to know about us. I need to talk to Kenneth about that though. I needed to tell him that I wasn't allowed to socialize and that Dimitri wouldn't allow us to be together unless we kept it a secret from him.

I reached the room with the to-do list. I opened the book to today's date and checked under my name.

This is what the list said:

- You still didn't eat ice cream with me. So....?

What was that supposed to mean? Did it mean I was supposed to eat ice cream with him or was he asking me this time instead of ordering? If he was asking, well that would be something I wasn't expecting. I'd say no though. I didn't need to spend unnecessary time with Dimitri when I could be spending it with my boyfriend.

- That massage didn't happen as well. So make it happen, as soon as I'm done with the killings. Well, after I take a shower of course.

This made me cringe a lot. I didn't want to see him so soon. I couldn't bear the thought of being in the same room as a murderer.

- A lot of dusting needs to be done in my study. Get to that as well.

- Do my laundry and then iron all the clothes afterwards

- Lastly relax, I'm sure you're a little spooked by the screams

I was very spooked. More than it was imaginable. But I was glad I got some time off.

I realized that Dimitri was done with his killings a long time ago and was probably annoyed that I wasn't there to give him his massage. I rushed out and into the hallway.

As I was rushing down, two male demons were flanking either side of an elderly woman who was also a demon. She was probably around a thousand years old, since around then, Demons start to really age since their healing powers keep them quite young and cause them to live very long, healthy lives.

The old woman's eyes shot to me and widened greatly. "You!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger at me as she stopped.

"Come on Esther, let's get going. I'm sure the young girl doesn't want her fortunes told." One of the demons said sighing.

"But she's the one. She's the one!" She exclaimed before turning to me again. I was the one? What was she talking about?

"You! The Shadows are coming. They're coming for you! Be careful and stay alert!" She exclaimed and I was a little frightened about what she said.

"The Shadows? What are the Shadows? And why are they coming after me?" I asked before one of the demons told me not to listen to her and that she was spouting all kinds of nonsense.

"Don't listen to these fools!" She exclaimed, pointing at the two demons with her. "Save us child! Save your humans! Save us all! Only you can. You can save us. I can see it all."

I was so confused. She didn't answer any of my questions so I don't know why I bothered asking another one. "How do I do that? How do I save everyone?"

She suddenly grabbed onto my shirt, pulling me closer to her. I was really spooked but if what she was saying was true, I needed to listen. "Save King Dimitri. Only then can you save us all. Whatever you do, save him first! Save him before he succumbs!"

Save Dimitri? But from what? "What am I saving him from? Is it the Shadows you spoke of? And how do I save him? What am I supposed to do?" I asked, more confused than ever.

"Are you seriously believing her?" The other demon muttered, causing the woman to glare at him before turning to me with a smile.

"Only you know." She said and I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Do you mean that only I know what I have to save him from or that only I know how to save him?" I asked and she smiled even more.

"Only you know how to save him before he fully succumbs. Just don't forget that the Shadows are coming and there may already be one residing in this castle." She said before walking away from me.

"Wait!" I called after her. "What do you mean only I know how to save him?"

She turned around to look at me again. "Follow your heart child. Don't let anyone taint your choices. Do what you truly want. Do what you think is right. Don't bother caring about anyone else. Don't be scared to hurt others. Right now, it's all about you and what your heart believes is right. Follow your heart and you shall succeed. Let others taint your mind, and you shall fail."

She then walked away and I tried to wrap my mind around all that she said. I needed to figure out what the Shadows were? Maybe then I'd understand what she was talking about.

But right now, I needed to reach Dimitri's room. I practically ran down the hallways towards his bedroom. Once I reached his room, I found him laying on his bed with an arm placed over his eyes.

I quietly knocked on the door catching his attention. "You're way late." He stated and I nodded my head. I wanted to have as less interaction as I could with him so I didn't say anything except a small sorry.

"Just come and do your job." He said sitting down on his comfy chair. I obliged, standing behind his chair and placing my hands on his shoulder blades. "One second, let me take my shirt off. It feels better that way." He said and I instantly removed my fingers. I didn't want him to take his shirt off. Even though his body was really impressive. I didn't want to be drooling over a murderer especially since I had a boyfriend now.

I looked away from him just as he removed his shirt. I then slowly placed my hands on his muscular shoulders, trying to ignore how amazing they felt. I felt Dimitri let out a sigh as my fingers worked all the knots out of his shoulders. I almost sighed too at how good it felt for me. But thankfully I didn't.

I was glad Dimitri was quiet the whole fifteen minutes but in those fifteen minutes I kept thinking about how cruel Dimitri was, that I had to say something. "You're horrible, you know that?" I said and he turned his head to look at me.

"I'm horrible? How am I horrible?" He asked and I looked back at him in surprise.

"You kill people as a hobby! If that isn't horrible then I don't know what is!" I exclaimed and he rolled his eyes.

"First of all, don't pull that cliche line at me. And second, it's not my fault I like to kill. It's just who I am." He said, turning his head away from me.

"No it isn't! No one's born a murderer. You weren't born like that. You choose to do what you do. Like you said, everyone has a choice. So don't pull the whole, 'that's just who I am' thing. It's pretty darn cliche as well." I retorted back before he barked at me to keep my mouth shut and focus at the task at hand.

"No! I will not keep my mouth shut! Not until you learn not to kill innocent human beings!" I exclaimed before he grabbed one of my hands and pulled me around his chair so I was standing in front of him now. His eyes were closed for a few seconds before he opened them, revealing his dark red eyes. "I'll never learn." He said darkly. "There is nothing for me to learn anymore. I'm gone. Long gone." He whispered the last sentence.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion and a little worry.

"Nothing." He said. "Just... Nothing." He stroked my hand with his thumb for a few seconds before letting go. I then resumed massaging his shoulders. I felt so confused about everything.

I needed to find out about the Shadows. Maybe I should check the library and see if I can find some books on the Shadows. And then I needed to figure out what I needed to save Dimitri from and how to do it. I glanced down at his dark hair and ran my fingers through it, quite unconsciously as I racked my brain for anything I might have learned during history class about Shadows. But nothing came to mind. Nothing at all.

The old lady said that in order to save everyone, I needed to save Dimitri. The way she said everyone, it seemed she was talking about both demons and humans. I had to save both? But what did I have to save the demons from? The Shadows? This was all starting to give me a headache. Maybe the two demons that were with the old lady were right that the lady was just spewing out nonsense. And that none of what she said was right.

But what if she was right? I couldn't miss my chance to fix everything. Whatever it all was.

"Dimitri?" I said. "Do you know what the Shadows are?" I asked and he immediately turned around to look at me in surprise.

"How do you know about the Shadows?" He demanded looking really angry all of a sudden.

"I don't, that's why I'm asking." I said and he seized my arm in one motion, and pressed me hard up against the wall.

"Do not speak of the Shadows ever again!" He roared out. "Especially not in my presence! Do you understand?"

"Yes." I whimpered out at the pain in my arm from his tight hold. He immediately let go of my arm when he realized he was hurting me.

"Sorry." He said, rubbing the pain away from my wrist. "Just, please don't talk about them ever again!"

I could see fear hidden deep in his eyes which made me feel scared too. The Shadows were real and Dimitri himself feared them. Dimitri, out of everyone, feared them. "Why not?" I asked, feeling really scared.

"Please, if you know what's good for you. If you know what's good for everyone, you won't. I beg of you!" He said fearfully, grabbing my hands and squeezing them.

"I won't Dimitri." I said giving his hands a light squeeze back. "I won't."

"Promise you won't. Promise me Isabella." He said and I nodded my head.

"I promise Dimitri." I said and he sighed in relief, his whole body visibly relaxing.

"Thank you." He whispered, suddenly pulling me into a hug. I was surprised but soon relaxed in his hold, hugging him back. I could tell Dimitri really feared these Shadows and knew that if he was scared, then I should be too. And I was. I was more than scared. The lady did say that the Shadows were coming after me and that I was the one who had to save everyone. I now knew that it was definitely the Shadows I had to save Dimitri from. Whatever they were and whatever they did. I had to save everyone from them. No matter how terrifying they were.

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