I'd been in the hospital like that for two days. The doctors prodded me and asked me questions "Do you often feel like life just isn't worth it? Can you tell me if you've ever heard voices before?" It was tiresome. Luckily, they released me and I could go home.

'Ssori didn't take me straight there, though. Instead, he brought me to a cemetery. The place where my father was buried. I wondered if 'Ssori knew that being near my dad sometimes calmed me down.

"Why are we here?" I asked as we finally stopped in front of Dad's grave.

'Ssori turned to stare at me, brow lifted. "No reason. I found it and decided you should speak with him."

Maybe he was right. I could tell Daddy all about it and he would listen just like he used to. "Okay," I whispered and swallowed. "Hey daddy, I have this crazy story to tell you..."

xXx

"Mir!" Mom cried, coming out of the house to meet us as we walked up the drive. She hugged me so tightly, I was afraid that my lungs might burst. I think she got the point when I started to wheeze. Quickly, she released me and searched my face worriedly. "Where did you go? They said you left the hospital two hours ago!"

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Sorry. I went to talk to Daddy," I told her. "I needed to, you know?"

Mom nodded and sighed. "Okay. Come inside and eat, sweety. You look like you haven't eaten in two days."

"Hospital food," I responded, shrugging. "Can 'Ssori come in for dinner?"

Mom glanced over at him and then nodded. "Absolutely." She gave him a grateful smile. "I appreciate you helping out, Mr. Hissori. It's been very..." She paused and laughed at herself. "Well, helpful."

Yoru-Ssori bowed slightly. "You are welcome, Ms. Micheals. It was my pleasure to offer assistance," he replied. "If you have need of me again, provided I am not needed elsewhere, I will offer my hands without thought."

"That's very sweet, Mr. Hissori. Ah, Yoru, was it?" she asked and grinned. "You can just call me Kandy, okay?"

"Of course," 'Ssori agreed.

We moved into the house and Mom sent us upstairs to wash up and wait for her to cook the food. I trudged up to the bathroom, 'Ssori right behind me. Standing in the doorway, I paused and looked around. I had this eerie feeling that I wouldn't be seeing this much longer. Like I'd be leaving soon and would not return for a long time, if at all.

"... Hey, 'Ssori?" I said, turning around to find him inches away. I tipped back my head and stared up into his face, disguised to look human. Funny that I hadn't noticed that before. His ears were rounded where they'd been tipped before, his eyes had been dimmed to a pale brown and his hair darkened to black. It was odd seeing him like this. I like his hair the way it normally was.

"I want to see your hair," I said, tone commanding.

His brow lifted fractionally, but he obliged and dropped the illusion. His eyes brightened and his hair lightened, returning to it's normal silky sapphire color. That was way better, in my opinion. "Why?" he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly.

I swallowed reflexively and reached up to tug at a few strands hanging over one of his shoulders. His brow inched further up, but he didn't comment and didn't say anything in protest. I swallowed again, the memory of my vision fresh in my mind. "'Ssori? Don't let anyone ever hurt you, okay?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but I shook my head. "Shush. I'm talking." His brows furrowed but he said nothing. "I mean it. Even if something happens to me, don't let it effect you. I mean, I'm just a mortal. You're this amazing demon guy that will probably live forever, you know?"

Yoru-Ssori's eyes narrowed. "You are alive and will remain that way," he replied stubbornly.

"Not true," I refuted. "I'm human, 'Ssori. One day, I'm going to die, and you're going to go on. I mean, I don't know if reincarnation is real or if I believe in it, but maybe I'll come back again, right?"

"You will," he said, frowning in such a way that I just knew it was his version of a pout. "Humans always reincarnate. You have likely had a dozen lives already."

"Great!" I smiled up at him. "I'll come back if I die, then. Will you? You, with your long, long life?"

He hesitated and looked away. "No."

"Then don't die, no matter what. I don't care if I'm laying there dying and you have this sudden need to protect me or get revenge or something. Do not die." I poked his chest. "I will be back. I might be different when I come, but I'll be back. I can't promise I'll remember, but you'll be there for me and that's enough. I can die if I know you'll be alive, kay?"

Yoru-Ssori pursed his lips. "I will obey your orders, if you are beyond saving. However, if there is any way that I can save you, I will risk life and limb to do so."

I sighed, but decided that I really couldn't expect anything else out of him. Maybe I should cut my losses and take what I could get. "Fine. It's a deal," I agreed, holding out my hand for him.

Carefully, he gripped it loosely and gave a slight shake. His hand was huge against mine, and I was one of the tallest girls in my class (aside from Katie Garner, who was freakishly tall at 6'2"). Though I guess height and size were a little different.

Alex's voice suddenly interrupted our moment. "Yoru! Mir!" He collided with 'Ssori's side, struggled between us and grabbed me in a hug at the waist. "Mir, how are you? Do you feel okay? Mom said you were sick and that's why you were at the hospital for so long."

I hugged Alex tightly, glad that he'd be okay. "Yeah. I was sick," I whispered, just content to hold on forever if I could.

"Mir? I can't breathe," Alex told me quietly.

Laughing, I let him go, not wanting him to think I was a basket case or something. "Well, we're going to go hang out in my room. I'll talk to you later, okay Alex?" I said, already walking away.

I didn't hear his reply, but that was okay. Alex was in danger if I talked to him too much... I couldn't do that to my little brother.

Yoru-Ssori's hand slipped into mine and he intertwined our fingers. "We have someone waiting for us in your room. Please forgive her temper," he said softly.

I blinked and looked up at him. "Her?" I echoed, stopping outside my bedroom door.

"Yes," he replied as the door swung open.

Standing before us was a female demon. Pointed ears, odd red eyes, fiery crimson hair that I had a feeling resembled blood when it was wet. Her arms were crossed and her body language spoke of impatience. Feet were in some weird wooden shoes, clothes looked kind of like Japanese warrior garments (I think they are called 'haori' and 'hakama').

"Well? You could stand there all day, but I have better things to do," she finally snapped after a while of silence.

"You will hold your tongue, Ahm-Aya," Yoru-Ssori replied coldly, eyes narrowing on her.

She hesitated a moment, eyes widening almost imperceptibly. Then she focused on me, studying me for a few minutes before stepping back and letting 'Ssori drag me into the room. She closed the door behind us.

"Do not tell me this is-"

"My Accersoro," my demon interrupted her.

Red eyes rolled sky-ward. "Oh, bloody- Really? Well this is just perfect," she muttered irritably.

"Wait, wait, back up," I said, pulling away from 'Ssori to sit on the edge of my bed. "What the heck is a 'ackersoro' and why am I one? More importantly, if it has anything to do with blood, virgins or sacrifices, keep it away from me."

'Ssori's lips twitched upward. "Accersoro, Miranda," he corrected calmly. "It means, roughly, 'summoner'."

"Okay," I said, eying Red and just waiting for her to bite me or something. "That's understandable." We'd already been over the 'he's a demon and I summoned him somehow with no repercussions' deal. … or at least I hoped there were no repercussions...

Before I contemplated this further, I remembered that I'd heard the name 'Ahm-Aya' before. Way back when I'd only just started seeing these visions. Brow raised in question, I turned to 'Ssori. "This is her? You said you'd ask her."

But I already knew the answer. I already knew what I was. I hadn't stopped to think about it, and I hadn't previously asked 'Ssori if he'd asked Ahm-Aya. It was just this big assumption and I'd not even questioned it when 'Ssori appeared to be on the same page as me.

Now, though, I wondered if he'd done some digging when I wasn't looking or something. Not that I minded. It was nice that we both knew what was up, and I didn't have to explain it to him. I had always been bad at explaining things, and 'I'm a Seer' would probably not quite cover it.

Yoru-Ssori sighed. "Yes. And I did," he replied. "You are-"

"I know," I interrupted, at the same time that Ahm-Aya muttered an impatient, "She probably already knows, idiot."

'Ssori glowered at the redhead. "Why are you here? Did I not order you to keep an eye on the old fool?"

Ahm-Aya's irritation melted into mild displeasure. "I was sent to warn you that Drai-Nehn has crossed here to put his own plans into effect."

'Ssori stiffened. "It is too soon!" he snarled, eyes wide. "He will ruin everything if he does this now!"

Ahm-Aya shrugged. "I am aware. I was to notify you and our spy in the Curia has notified them. We may as well manipulate them to our own means if we can. They should be moving to prevent it."

'Ssori turned away from her, face pale (well... pale...er) with anger. I wanted to reach out to him and help him somehow, but I didn't want to further infuriate him either. And anyway, he was already mumbling in an entirely different language. Ahm-Aya retorted something to him in the same tongue, making a face when he snapped at her.

I looked back and forth between them as they argued in this weird Demon-y language, blinking and feeling grossly out of the loop. 'Ssori... Aya... 'Ssori...

I started making up phrases in my head for what they might be saying. "I do not care if I have a stick up my ass, my hair is red so I am brilliant, even if I do look like the devil effeminate," said Aya.

"Well, you're not nearly as pretty as me with my sea blue hair and ivory skin," retorted 'Ssori, looking angry.

Aya scoffed. "I am female, hear me roar."

"Oh that's so eighties," 'Ssori muttered, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Ever heard the term 'retro'?"

"Are you commenting on my sense of style? Do you not realize that, as a vicious female that wants to eat Miranda, I can kick your ass for that? How dare you-"

"I am Prince Yoru-Ssori, woman! Obey me!"

"Bite me."

"What?" they chorused, looking at me.

I realized then that I'd said the last out loud. Flushing, I tried smiling innocently. "You have pretty eyes?" I asked, blinking at 'Ssori.

He stared at me for a moment before looking at Ahm-Aya. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "What?"

He sighed. "I will need to get to him before the Curia," he said, thankfully switching back to English.

"Do you think he will listen to your words now when he did not before?" Ahm-Aya demanded, and her tone suggested that she'd already said this, or something similar, in their previous argument. "You are a fool, highness."

"You will not question me, Ahm-Aya," Yoru-Ssori growled.

I frowned slightly at his tone, which clearly said 'I am male and thus better than you'. And I, being the American girl I was, didn't take that so well. "'Ssori? Who is Drai-Nehn?" I asked.

He froze, golden eyes flickering to my face and away. He didn't answer immediately, instead walking around the room to brush his fingers over everything there. Finally, he picked up a piece of paper and used a claw to cut it into a perfect square, then began to fold it. As he did so, he spoke, answering my question.

"Drai-Nehn is the recognized King of our... clan, is the best translation, I suppose," he murmured, and I got the feeling he was translating 'demon-English' for me... which was just slightly weird, in my book. "He is the one the Curia watches most, though they know about the diversion of the sects..." He trailed off, tugging on a corner of the paper and holding it out for me to take.

Carefully, I took the origami rose and looked at him. "But who is he to you?" I asked him. "I mean, why do you care about getting there first?"

"He is family," 'Ssori whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. He'd started folding another piece of paper, focusing on that rather than meeting my eyes. "He and I were... very close as we grew up. He is... I believe the human term would be 'cousin', as he is the eldest son of my father's deceased brother."

Somehow, this brought to mind that second I'd had, the one that came when I touched 'Ssori for the first time. My heart thudded in my chest in agony before I got the courage to ask, "... and who was the person he killed?"

Pale blue eyes and white-gold hair swam before my eyes, a mere ghost of a vision that didn't really tell me anything aside from the colors. That, and the pained look on 'Ssori's face had me wishing that I didn't ask.

"My... he was..." He stopped. "He is dead, so he does not matter. I cannot waste time here, we must go now, before it is too late."

The Yoru-Ssori I had slowly begun to get to know was gone, replaced by this cold, expressionless demon that I couldn't begin to predict. He held out a hand to me, chin lifted and nose in the air. "I cannot allow you to remain here, where it is unsafe. Come with me."

I was scared of this man (demon? Creature?), but I couldn't let him go by himself. Even if Aya would be with him, it still didn't feel right. I had to go. I needed to protect him, if I could.

Swallowing, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet. I left the paper flower on my pillow. "Family reunion, huh?" I asked meekly.

He inclined his head. "Or something similar."