Derrick

Eighteen.

This chapter has 1000 words in it and may contain numerous spelling errors. I'm sorry that this update is a day late. There'll be another update later today to make up for it :) Thank you for reading!

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I hadn't changed clothes since I'd left with Roy earlier in the day, and I was grateful. Sebastian's room was always cold.

As I got closer, my heart only fluttered faster and faster. I kept looking over my shoulder, certain that I'd find Roy staring at me. The dark corridor was empty like usual, but I still tip-toed toward Sebastian's room as quietly as I could. I ran the door code through my head a few times.

When I arrived, I hesitated. Should I bother? I remembered the last time I was with him, and it brought a deep blush to my cheeks. Then I remembered our argument, and guilt flooded my system. I shouldn't have gotten so angry at him. In truth, he did go through worse things at Derrick's hand than I did.

I tapped the code into the door and pulled it open.

Sebastian was sitting in his chair, and he watched me as I shouldered the door shut.

"Decided to come back?" He asked, an edge in his voice. I wordlessly made my way to him and unchained one of his hands. I felt his gaze on me as I worked, and I resisted the urge to shiver.

When I got his hand free, he loosened the chain on his other hand. He stood and stared at me. His gaze drifted from my face to my hand, where my engagement ring sat proud and shiny on my finger. His eyes narrowed.

"You're marrying him." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Because I made you angry."

I started to deny it, but we both knew he was right. Our argument pushed me into the direction of marrying Roy. I just nodded.

His hand came to rest on my throat, and I froze. His touch was gentle as he grazed my neck, back and forth.

"Remember when I had an entire kingdom? When I held a party to find someone I could live with forever?" His voice was unexpectedly soft. I couldn't respond as I stared into his silver eyes.

His eyes shifted, turning into something dark and dangerous.

"What if I did that?" He asked. "Made you into someone I can live with forever?"

My eyes widened. Surely, he couldn't be serious. I opened my mouth to speak, but his eyes hardened and he placed a hand over my mouth.

"If I took away your mortality, would Roy still want you?" He wondered to himself.

He met my eyes and dropped his hand from my mouth. His other hand was still resting gently on my neck.

"I could do it right now, you know." He said darkly.

"Please don't," I squeaked. He sighed and took a step back. He ran a hand through his stark black hair, an uncharacteristically nervous gesture. He was acting very odd.

"You don't know how hard it is," He murmured, low and smooth. "To know I could make you mine."

My heart was pounding hard and fast, the way it usually did whenever I was with him.

"Why didn't you?" I asked. "When you were courting me?"

"I don't know."

The answer was so ordinary and simple, but there was never a time Sebastian didn't know about something. It only added to my suspicion.

Resolved to erase some of the tension, I sat down. He sat down too, a confused expression on his face.

"Do you want to keep playing our game?" I asked. He thought about it. Then he gave me a small, hesitant smile. It felt like something had changed, like he was being a little more open.

"What is your favorite animal?" He asked, diving right in. I rolled my eyes.

"Cats, obviously. What is your favorite animal?"

"I've always liked hummingbirds." He answered. My mouth popped open.

"Hummingbirds?"

"Hummingbirds."

It was something that was so unlike him. 'Hummingbirds' and 'Sebastian' didn't belong in the same sentence. I worked to regain my composure.

"How averse are you to becoming what I am?" He asked, a weird catch in his voice. Fear tickled my stomach.

"Uhm.." I tried to think of a good answer. Was I really that averse to it? Of course I didn't want to be one, I told myself. How would Roy react? Would he lock me in a room like Sebastian?

"I'm...fairly averse to it," I responded. Sebastian didn't respond, but he didn't take his eyes off of mine, either.

"My turn," I said quietly.

"Yes."

"Why did you ask me that?" My voice was a little shaky.

"I've been thinking." He said. He didn't explain any further, and I dropped the subject.

There was a long moment of silence as we both sat there. I was thinking about what he'd asked me, and how he was acting. I wondered if being locked in a room all day every day was negatively affecting him. We watched each other, lost in our own thoughts.

"What's your favorite genre of music?" He asked suddenly.

"Indie," I answered. He nodded.

"What's yours?" I asked.

"I don't have one," He responded.

"How can you not have one?" I argued. He grinned, and humor flashed in his eyes.

"I've lived through many eras of music. None have caught my interest."

"There's no music that you like? At all?" I asked dubiously. He chuckled and shook his head. I rolled my eyes, not believing him for a second.

We played our game for hours. By the end of it, I was tired and my eyelids kept drooping. Sebastian helped me stand and led me to the chair to chain his wrists back up. I did it in a daze, not really sure if I was doing it right.

Suddenly, a sharp, aching pain shot through my body. I winced, and my hand flew up to my neck where the pain originated. I looked at Sebastian, and was only able to see the resolve in his eyes before the world turned black.