There's a Fire That Never Goes Out

PROLOGUE - 3 Months Ago…

Roman looked at Haven's dead body, lying across the floor. His eyes were hard and emotionless. He could vaguely hear Ever's cries; she had tried to save her friend at the last minute but had failed. She was a failure, though she had done what he had wanted, he could feel nothing but disgusted by her weakness. He looked up to see the look on Damen's face, like he was about to kill him.

"Ah, ah, ah." He mocked, waging his finger, "You're not cured yet. If you kill me you never will be." Roman's lips turned up into a cruel smile. Damen's face filled with hate and sadness. Shouldn't he be happy? He was about to have Ever back? That's what he wanted. So why is he being so ungrateful? Empathy. Yuck, Roman hated that word. Not only did he not truly understand what it meant but he also didn't understand why Damen wanted to feel it… why he wanted to be more mortal. Mortal meant weakness to Roman, and he hated weakness.

"You got what you wanted!" It was Ever who spoke, kneeling beside her best friend's corpse, "Now give us the cure." Roman cocked his head to one side. This was what he had wanted wasn't it? Well, a deal was a deal. He took out a small glass tube. Damen reached out for it but Roman pulled it out of his reach.

"Not so fast." Roman smiled as he spoke, "I want a guarantee."

"What kind of guarantee?" Ever's voice was ice cold. She hated him. He didn't blame her.

"A guarantee that you won't try and harm me in anyway after I give it to you." Roman reconsidered his phrase, "Not that you could. But still, I don't want you to make things unpleasant. You see I like it here and I plan to stay here for at least the end of high school." Roman smiled at them. Ever nodded, defeated. He had broken her. That was my goal wasn't it? He thought to himself. Yes, and he had succeeded.

"How can we guarantee you that?" Damen asked. His whole body was stiff. He looked like he would like nothing better than to rip Roman apart limb by limb.

"First of all you can stop standing like that. Secondly you can take an oath." Damen's eyes remained like stone.

"You just want our word for it?" Ever askedbetween sobs. God she was stupid sometimes.

"It's not that kind of oath." Damen clarified, "It's a binding spell basically. It will make sure we keep our promise." Roman smiled at the two of them.

"All that excitement for later." Roman said. He looked down at Haven's lifeless body once more, "First we have to dispose of her."