Eternal Flame

? POV

How do I start…? Where can I start? The beginning would be best. I can't though. Why not? That's been the one-million-dollar question running around my noggin' these last few weeks. The only answer I can give people is:

"I woke up in a bed I don't recognize, in a house I don't remember. In a stranger's body."

My parents—the people who claim to be my parents—looked freaked when I told them. So freaked the lady with the sandy hair—Mom—had fainted on the spot. The man beside her—Dad—hadn't been quick enough to catch her, so she'd woken up with quite the headache and I seriously thought she would repeat the damn act. I'd been seriously edgy when they'd decided to show me photographs and videos of vacations and parties.

I'd seen myself through the years. It was me: dark sandy hair, changing from size each year, freckles on my nose growing smaller in number, until how they were now, only a couple on my cheeks. My constant shinning jade eyes.

I could see it was me. My body. It wasn't me, though. The person inside this eighteen-year-old body wasn't Coral Hemingway. She wasn't these people's daughter. I couldn't be her. I knew nothing about her, her life… At the same time, I felt so horribly when Mom started crying, hugging herself mid-section in pain, like someone—me—had shot her in the stomach and she was bleeding out. Watching the scene… it was like my heart was being split open, inch by inch, with a diamond scalpel.

That'd been four days ago.

I'd kept my distance from Coral's friends to avoid such reactions and kept myself locked in her room. I'd discovered I liked art: writing, painting, drawing. Coral was—had been—a soccer player at her high school's feminine team. She'd been good, too. Trophies lined one of her bedroom walls. Pictures of Coral with a girl with dark, short hair were scattered on another wall. The girl's name was Penny, Coral's best friend since second grade.

My chest ached, but aside from that, I felt dead. Like I didn't belong.

Tonight, I'd eaten the usual. An apple. Next, I'd ran straight for her bedroom, locking the door behind me. I was sitting on Coral's soft bed, drawing a rose bud, when a song fluttered to my ears. It was pure, sad and… familiar? Yes. Familiar was the word—I'd heard this melody before, in my dreams! Four days ago. And for the first time since waking up four days ago, I knew something. Something was stirring inside my body. It wasn't the heart in my chest. It was something besides that, more complicated. Still I knew what it was.

My soul.

My ears were on high alert, pinpointing where the song was coming from. My legs were on the move as soon as I caught a glimpse of the faintest shimmer behind the undulating curtains. I shouldn't have left the window open… Wait, had I? A sharp pain hit behind my eyes. The weirdest thing happened when it faded, I saw more than a silhouette—I saw a shape. A person.

I took one step. What was I doing? There was someone inside Coral's room! I should turn around and run, reach for her cellphone or… But when I stopped, my soul curled into a tight cement ball. A frown creased my forehead. I took a tentative step forward. The ball was gone, replaced by anxiousness and happiness. O-okay. I kept walking, feeling my blood pressure increase until I couldn't hear anything but blood pounding in my ears. Shaking fingers curled around the curtain, pulling the opaque fabric backward ever so slowly, to keep my soul chanting a little more. It was like feeling for the first time.

I wished this emotion would last forever.

"You finally see me."

He was gorgeous. If it weren't for the arrogant smirk, I might've actually have allowed him to pull me forward, like he wanted. I didn't. Instead, I stepped back, putting distance between us. He wasn't what you'd call angelic. His natural arrogance didn't allow him said privilege. He was more wicked devil with juicy, rosy, lips—lips that could surely sweet-talk the most controlled person into committing the biggest mistake of their lives, a mouth that would simply curl into a smug grin at the corruption he'd cause. A perfect nose sat between sculpted cheekbones. In short, his face made me want to put a pencil to paper, to try achieving the level of perfection in front of me.

He was breathtaking. He was staring straight at me, unblinking. And while his unblinking cerulean eyes stared into my jade ones, I saw recognition in his pupils. Not only that, longing was among the many emotions I couldn't read.

"What are you talking about?" I'd finally found my tongue. "I can see you? Of course I can see you! How the hell did you sneak into this room? That's what I didn't see." I hissed, crossing my arms in an attempt to look intimidating. For some reason.

A quirk of his lip made me frown. Why was he happy with my confusion? With my… anger. Yes, I was angry. But shouldn't I be scared? This guy was a complete stranger.

"You couldn't see me." He pushed away from the window frame, taking a step to me, putting us at two inches. I snuck a quick glance over his shoulder—the window it… it was shut. "I've been calling out to you for days. You didn't hear me, didn't see me... Until tonight."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "I don't…" I shook my head; nothing tingled in my body now. My soul had gone dormant once more, like it had never awakened in the first place. "Were you playing some song? I heard that."

The guy looked like he could be in college, in his early twenties. I was madly confused and he was smirking again.

"Yes, you heard the flute's tune. I played it for you—I've been playing it for the last four days. You needed to forget in order to remember." That made no sense, complete crazy talk. "To remember me,"

He lifted a hand, set on cupping my cheek or so I thought… because it went right through me and dear Lord, I think I saw him flinching beneath all that tough exterior. Even though I hadn't a single clue about him, I knew—I just did—that this boy standing in front of me wasn't the type to show weakness, at least, not in front of others.

"Damn." He cursed, voice rough, hand dropping to his side. "I thought… You can see me now. Why can't we…?" His fist coiled in shaking anger.

I felt remembrance; my soul came alive again, burning softly, weeping even. All for this unknown man. Cerulean gaze caught up with mine.

"Do you know?" His breath didn't hit me, even though his rose lips were an inch from my nose. "My name, do you know it?"

Yes, I wanted to say, like when Coral's mother had been sobbing for me to jump, smiling, and yelling "I'm joking! April fools!". No name came to mind, really.

"No." I whispered hoarsely. "Are you a… a ghost?"

He leaned back, a tight grin grabbed at his lips.

"Ghost?" He chuckled at the word, as if I'd told a joke with a hidden meaning I didn't understand. "I guess to you I am, aren't I?" Had this guy escaped the Looney-bin?

"I don't understand."

"Shame for you and me, spitfire."

I blinked slowly. His luscious lips spread into a taunting grin.

"Spitfire is a hot-headed person when it comes to emotions—"

"I know what it is!"

I clamped my mouth shut the next second. Maybe that outburst answered why he'd called me spitfire. Still a doubt remained. How did he know I was hot-headed? If even I hadn't known until… Well, right now.

"What's your name?" He turned silently to the window, leaving me to face his ample shoulder blades, firmly outlined thanks to the tight T-shirt he was wearing. "See something you like?" It came after a minute of long silence, and yeah, I did see something I liked, but his cockiness ruined it. "If you remembered my name it would be all yours."

It would be all mine? Was he… Was he talking about his body? My mind worked out the cobwebs, focusing on what was really important or, at least, what I deemed important.

"You keep talking about remembering… What's up with that?" because as far as I knew, all I'd done this week was forget.

"Answer me." He muttered lowly as if losing patience. "Your name?"

My name.

All I had to give was Coral Hemingway and it was not my name. Not my true one.

"I'm…" I didn't want to lie, I couldn't. A stab was delivered to my soul when I considered lying to this guy. "I don't know. It's supposed to be Coral Hemingway, I'm supposed to be her. But… I'm not."

Saying it out loud sounded insane. I wasn't sure how "my" parents hadn't called a shrink to take a crack at me. I thought my explanation sounded crazy, but what I got in response was worse: a satisfied look. I wanted to hit him. He was enjoying the fact I knew nothing about who I was? Why I'd woken up with no memory? I had the creeping suspicion he'd had something to do with my blank memory.

"That's progress, I guess. You don't think you're her anymore."

"You make no sense." I whispered taking a few steps backwards, sitting on Coral's desk chair. "I don't even get how you got in…" the window was locked.

"All in due time, that's what I'm always told."

He was coming towards me, advancing in a prideful manner with the snarky, arrogant mask fastened on his face—he halted in front of a mirror. He gazed into it. Guess vanity could be added to the list of adjectives to describe him. He stared for so long, I finally drove my eyes to the mirror… Nothing could prepare me for what I saw. If I thought he'd been gorgeous before—I certainly didn't doubt it now. In the wall mirror, his image was a bit different. His skin was completely fair, pitch-black hair brushed his forehead. His cerulean eyes kept their intensity, but they were icier, emitting a freezing glare. I wondered if people would turn into popsicles if those eyes stared at them too long.

The reflection was one of a complete Ice-Prince. Everything about it was gelid, but beautiful… and dangerous.

"Don't stare for too long, darling," He came alive, face turning from the mirror to me. "I've been known to captivate mortals with just my reflection. Who knows what could happen to you in your current state?"

"Why is your reflection different?" Ah, wait. Did he say mortals? As in, he wasn't mortal? Like, he was the reverse… Immortal? Huh. Should I be more shocked that he'd said it or that I wasn't retreating into a dark corner to rock?

He waved my questions away with a shake of his head. Outside of the mirror, his hair wasn't raven black. It reminded me of hot chocolate and I wondered if it smelled like it, too. Was it as creamy as it looked once you touched it?

"I can't give you those answers." He sat on the desk, causing it to creak slightly, his feet barely dangled in the air.

I grunted a curse, he smiled.

"What's your name, can you tell me that?"

I must have touched a sore spot because pain flashed over his face. My hand lashed forward, never making contact. It went through his. My soul tingled. He wasn't transparent, I couldn't see through him, so why couldn't I touch this boy?

"I can't give you my real name. I wish I could, but I can't. You have to remember that on your own." He laughed darkly then. "I still can't believe I found a loophole in all of this. Making you forget in order to remember…" His blue eyes, not nearly as chilling as the ones in the mirror, took in my pinched face. "It will make sense one day." Then he muttered under his breath, something I didn't make out.

"Then what am I going to call you?" I had no idea why I promptly assumed I was going to keep seeing him around, I just had a feeling…

He cocked his head, watching me like a curious bird. At that little gesture, my soul seemed to jump with recognition… and something warm stretched inside me.

"You can choose a name." He declared, fishing me out of my thoughts.

"I can?" He nodded, albeit sourly.

Well, I hadn't expected that. I didn't like the thought of not knowing his true name. Like calling him by any other name seemed like a sacrilege.

"It feels wrong." I admitted. His eyebrows quirked. "Giving you a fake name… Just thinking about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

A turn of his lips made me warmed me.

"It won't be forever, keep that in mind." I nodded, still a little disappointed. "Besides, I'll have to give you a name, too."

I frowned. Had I given him permission to name me? My eyes bulged as I connected the dots, if he'd made me forget who I'd been as Coral so I could remember something—the real me—did that mean…?

"Do you know my real name?" The corners of his mouth didn't form a smile. Instead, it was a grimace. "You do…" I whispered.

I wanted to ask him so badly what it was—my name—but I couldn't. An emotion stirred, a new one. Empathy, I think it was called. It was like I understood his pain, and didn't want to cause him more of it, so I didn't push.

"Alright. What am I going to call you?" I tapped a finger to my chin.

It was so strange to say that, like he was some pet I'd picked out. I didn't know this person… not that I recalled, anyway. Plus, there was the possibility of this guy not being quite normal, in human terms. Which I was still pretty chill about. Maybe this was a dream?

He made a face at first, when I began thinking. Then, he leaned his face closer to mine, like an eager child waiting for their birthday present. I smiled.

"I like Aaron."

"Aaron?" He repeated. "Aaron…" It was like he was testing it out. "I can live with that."

"Not forever." I reminded urgently.

Something close to gentleness graced his arrogant face.

"Not forever." Aaron assured. "Now it's my turn to give you a name."

I couldn't say I wasn't happy with that, because I was sick of not having a name and, even if wasn't my true name, it was something.

"Charis."

"Excuse me…?" I sputtered, eyes a little wide. Where the hell had he'd gone and dug that up?

"Charis. The name 'Carissa' derives from it in modern day, but I've always liked the original names better. I think it holds all their meaning."

"Oh." I was sort of speechless at that. It made me ponder what Aaron meant? Had I picked it out for some hidden reason or simply because I liked how it sounded? "What does it mean?" I placed my head in my palm, looking up into his eyes.

His lips moved upward.

"It means kindness."

I thought I'd blush, since it was clearly an indirect way of calling me kind. I didn't blush, though. My cheeks weren't burning under his gaze. My soul was a whole different story. It was lit up and exploding like fireworks, just hearing the word.

A full smile took up my face.

"You like it?" Aaron asked knowingly.

"I do."

"I knew it." That arrogant smirk returned, but this time, there was no urge to hit him. "I'll be going now." Aaron lifted himself off the desk, my eyes following him. "Can't keep your eyes off of me, huh?"

I blushed this time.

"You can't be modest, can you?"

Aaron looked over his shoulder.

"Modesty is a virtue, darling, I don't have those."

Winking in a mysterious way that made me sigh, he vanished. No trace of him anywhere.

***

Kole's POV

"Aaron?" A voice called from the shadowy territory. "She's calling you Aaron?"

I spun on my heel, flashing Julian a glare.

"What's wrong with 'Aaron'?" I muttered, tension rising in my soul.

He held up his hands knowing not to aggravate me in my current state.

"I just thought you'd want something a little more important, like… Your highness?"

He was joking now. I couldn't believe this. This was Talon's turf, the funny part, not Julian's. Although, Talon's humor was dark, thanks to him being a pretty violent dude. Prone to anger outbreaks.

"I could freeze your lazy ass right now…" I began to threat when he lazily shook his blond head.

"Alright! I'll drop it." Julian edged closer to me, corn-blue eyes shadowed by the long bangs falling over them. "I know it didn't work out like you planned, but it's a start, Kole."

My name coming from Julian's lips was something I heard every day, for as long as he'd been born and learned how to put letters into words and words into sentences. Which had taken him quite a while, Julian was what you called a late bloomer. Hearing my name from her lips…? It'd been so long ago.

"The damn flute was supposed to make her forget this mortal life, which it did, but it didn't bring back her memories."

Julian scratched his blond head.

"But her soul's been emptied of her human lives. It's back to its normal wiring—immortal. Which means: she can see and hear you now. It's progress."

He was right. It just wasn't enough. After so long, after so many centuries of looking for a way to break the curse, I'd gotten my hopes so high… Only to watch them crash and burn the minute I'd tried touching her. Her soul had been emptied of mortal memories, all the lives she'd had as a human, which allowed her to see and hear me, like Julian had so kindly pointed out, but her soul still hadn't recognized mine. Still didn't remember what she truly was at her core. Until then, we couldn't touch.

Julian set his back against a tree like the lazy person he was and a flood of anger spread in my veins.

"Why can't you just go back in time and stop the curse? You time travelled to get the flute."

"Exactly, big brother, that's what I did. Isn't it enough?" He stretched himself like a lazy cat. "Besides, you know it's against the rules for me to change events."

Yeah, I knew. But it didn't stop me from trying.

"You have to keep patience." Julian smirked. "It may be hard, I know, it's a virtue…" He shrugged closing his eyes.

"Where's Theo? He called me."

I wanted to grit my teeth at the bastard, calling me like I was his lap dog. He deserved his tongue frozen and broken off. Along the years, I'd thought of worse punishment for my older brother, but that one would be very satisfying. Theo loved to hear himself talk just as much as I loved staring at myself in the mirror.

Julian cracked an eye open, and for the briefest seconds I saw pity for me and despised it, but at the same time, my soul quieted knowing I could always count on my baby brother. He'd always followed me around like a puppy… When he wasn't busy sleeping, that was. Julian's job seemed the easiest, being the Sin of Sloth or Prince of Sloth, all he had to do was go around telling people they should just sit back and relax. Work could wait. And humans loved my brother's philosophy, most of them.

"He wants you in his domain. He's waiting for you there."

I left with a silent nod, walking as prideful as ever, shaking my raven hair away. I couldn't think of her real name. With her name came memories, the pain… the love. I couldn't be overcome by those feelings. Theo would smell them in my soul and take advantage. It was the last thing I needed. Charis—I chanted to myself that for now that was her name—was different this time around.

Completely changed.

Along her soul's reincarnations, her body had been—for the most part—nearly identical to her former one. This one… It hadn't detained any similarity. Her hair was sandy, with curls cascading down her shoulders, no longer straight and moonlight-silver. Her eyes were jade, not the darkest blue. She wasn't my height, like she'd been once, many centuries ago. Her lips were plump, not thin… On the outside there wasn't a shred of the woman I'd loved and still did, but on the inside—a chill ran along my spine—she was in there.

The outside didn't matter to me. I laughed hard at that. To the ones who knew me that would be the biggest joke or lie ever told. I, the Prince of Pride, didn't care about looks. Pft. I was best known for the following traits: arrogance, coldness and vanity. I cared about looks, but not when it came to her. I used to, but that had changed.

Orbiting to my eldest brother's domain, I vanquished thoughts of warmth, care and love, adopting the cold façade I normally wore. It sat well with my icy glare.

Each Sin has its own domain and each was different. The terrain in my Domain was layered with ice and snow. Here, in Theo's domain, the ground was solid rock, all of it, but that wasn't all. Being the Prince of Envy made my brother a complete narcissist. He thought himself to be the highest order—it didn't help that he was oldest out of us seven—Theo's ground was written upon. His name was scribbled in every language, countless times.

It was annoying, really.

Domains were our home, also where our Sinners lived. Sinners were damned souls, in human terms, so I guess you could call our Domains a personal hell. After a human died, their soul was collected by special agents and if they'd followed a life of sin, their soul was dragged to one of our Domains, depending on which sin that soul had been more damned for. If a human followed a life of virtue, well, they'd be taken to one of the Virtue's Domains and in that case, it was heaven and they were called Saints. Why did we want Sinners and Saints? Well, we needed help spreading our Sin or Virtue. They became our personal Santa's little helpers.

Reaching my brother's home, I felt the scent of his soul. The normal jealousy was in place, then came contentment. I'm positive that last one burst when he felt me entering his mansion. I walked the hall to his parlor—it looked more like a throne room if you asked me—walked slowly, dragging my feet. Seconds after I walked inside, beads formed along my hairline. The huge fireplace was going strong; a Sinner had just thrown another log into the hearth. I bet the bastard told them to start a fire to make sweat. Ice was my game, fire, too much heat, weakened me.

One of the sinners came forward, I didn't see through him—souls weren't translucent—but I saw the faint glow radiating around him; the color was different for each Sin. The glow around this one was green.

He bowed, letting me pass. I'd been kind of hoping he didn't. Sinners were pretty mindless, only behaving as their Sin, and doing what we told them.

Theo looked regal sitting on a cushioned mahogany chair, one leg crossed. His wavy hair cropped at ear level, his long nose and mouth curled in deep amusement. I wished I could ruin him.

"You called me?"

I had to do all I could not to spit in his face as he met my gaze with his burning green eyes. A slow grin itched as he cleared his throat. It was enough for my body to succumb like a puppet. I fell to one knee, head forcefully bowed.

"You called for me, my Lord?" My voice was hollow. If I were in control of my body it wouldn't happen; I would've never said those words, but I didn't have control.

It was humiliating for me. I didn't bow to anyone or call someone 'my Lord', it was like I was owned, it felt degrading. My brother loved that, though, making others feel small, so that he'd feel big and full of himself. I swear, he was even worse than me sometimes.

"Indeed, I did." My jaw ticked at the sound of the pompous tone. "Get up, Kole."

Like invisible strings had been pulled, I stood up fast as lighting he cracked a laugh.

"So eager to please," He mocked. "What's with the long face, little brother? You're not happy to be here? Maybe I should hang more mirrors, make you feel more at home." Theo's cooing tone made my soul flare with hot anger.

"What do you want, Theo?" I asked once his hold had faded somewhat.

Theo shifted in his seat, propping his head on a fist.

"Be polite." He ordered with a sly smile.

"What do you wish from me, my Lord?" I cringed with despair; he played with me like a kid did with a toy.

All the present Sinners snickered at my predicament, this only fueled his fun. Theo waved a hand after a while and the room quieted, then he made for me to advance and I did so, like a robot.

"Where were you?"

I waited as long as possible, to piss him off. I knew not to push too far, especially when Theo's index finger was bouncing up and down on his knee. It meant he was bored and concocting some unspeakable evil deed. Mainly out of boredom.

I answered, "With Julian."

He nodded.

"Before that?"

"Earth," I crossed my arms and set my jaw in the cheekiest manner I knew how. "Before you ask, I was doing my job. You know, spreading my seeds of evil like you should be doing, instead of playing with me."

Theo wasn't taller than me, he was two inches—maybe three—shorter. He'd always been ticked off by it, and as we stood now face to face, I had an unnerving desire to grin because he had to look up at me. Don't push it, I chanted, wasn't kneeling once enough for you? I shook off a shiver. Yes, kneeling was something I hated.

"You belong to me, little brother." He sneered. "Don't you remember the deal you made to save—"

"Don't say her name." I growled, drawing my hands into fists.

Theo was visibly laughing at me.

"When you made the deal to save her, you offered yourself to me. I can do whatever I want with you." It was true, but that Contract, like all things…

"It's ending, Theo. Soon our Contract will cease, two more human days and it's over."

Scorn glowed in his green eyes, making every soul back away from the room. I felt it in the air.

"Touché, brother. Now, follow me."

Theo walked around me, bumping into my shoulder as he went. I gritted my teeth, hating that my body obeyed him, but not me. I walked along the carpeted floor, that carpet was a deep green. Shocker. Before I knew it, Theo was leaning against the fireplace's beautiful carvings. I did everything in my power to tighten my leg muscles, to stop advancing, hating how hot it was, how the heat made me dizzy.

How it reminded me of her.

"What's wrong, Kole? You look pale." I squinted at my older brother. Still refusing my body the need to follow his order. "Come on, little brother, don't make me drag you. Come stand next to me, where it's warm. From what I remember, she used to burn very brightly, didn't she? Ha, good boy." He clapped my shoulder roughly. I growled at him defiantly. "You see the irony, don't you? You fell in love with—"

"Shut up, Theo." Yes. She'd been fire. I'd been ice. The irony. "Contrary to your belief, I wish you were a mute."

Theo's malice danced to life as the flames reflected in those emerald eyes, green flames swirling inside him.

"Kneel," the word was frigid. Shit. Here, inches away from the fire, I was too weak to resist for even a few seconds. "Look at it, Kole. At the fire," he ordered, moving somewhere. I couldn't glance over a shoulder, completely in the role of his little toy soldier.

A pair of strong hands clamped on my shoulders, I gave a jolt out of surprise. Theo's fingers dug in, like he was giving me a bone crushing massage. I refused to wince. Crumpling under his touch was enough. The fire it… it couldn't kill me. Only two things could. It weakened me to no end, though, like I was an ice sculpture on a sweltering summer day.

My brother's lips tickled my left earlobe, "It's been five-hundred years, boy, and you still have fight in you. I like that spirit, Kole. It makes ordering you around that much sweeter, but you know what else I feel inside you? Deeply buried, in the confines of your cold soul?" My eyes were starting to water from staring into the flames so long. That wasn't all, my clothes were sticking to my skin everywhere. Itching. "Answer me!" he growled sternly, spittle flying to my cheek.

"What do you feel inside me, my Lord?" I felt like putty now, so unsteady and hot, so dizzy.

"Hope," I felt my eyelids forcing themselves open because Theo said I couldn't look away, that meant no blinking, either. His hold on me was becoming crushing and the heat— "You still have hope. You think that once our Contract is finished you'll find her, even after I ordered you to erase her, what her soul felt like, from yours. You still think that somehow, you'll make a miracle happen. Well, I'm sorry, but you won't." I'd been plainly ignoring any words coming from his mouth, because I'd already accomplished the impossible, but then Theo grabbed my right arm—my elbow. He whispered, "This lesson is easy, Kole. You touched her, you touched fire, and it burns. It'll burn you forever."

He thrust my hand into the flames, causing me to double closer to the on-going fire. It broke the coolness of my skin, burning my flesh unkindly. I wanted to curl my hand back, squirm from my brother's grip, but he didn't allow me. He didn't tell me not to, he was enjoying keeping me in place all by himself. That's how disturbingly weakened I was. This was one of the most humiliating scenarios Theo had put me through, I was disgusted by myself. Still, I wouldn't scream in pain. It hurt. But I wouldn't succumb, I was the embodiment of Pride. If Theo wanted me to scream or beg, he'd have to order it out of me.

"So many years of this game between us... So prideful, still." Theo chuckled quietly, gripping my elbow harder. The flames were melting my skin and my tattered clothes together. It would be a bitch to heal from this, but it would happen. "The pain you're feeling is the labors of your love, Kole." I jerked against him in fury, Theo grabbed me around the neck, pushing a finger into the hollow of my throat. "Easy, little brother. I'm trying to help you let go of that pesky hope. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind." He laughed. It was loud, echoing throughout the parlor.

Finally, Theo released my elbow, throwing me aside like a rag doll. I rolled onto my back, panting out of exhaustion and nerve wrecking pain. To add to the fun, two Sinners crouched and began to tear the glued cloth from my burned, oozing arm, taking what pieces of skin hadn't been completely torched along. I pressed the back of my head against the hard floor, shutting my eyes tightly, focusing on not screaming—on keeping my pride. When I couldn't so much as feel my fingers twitching, the Sinners got up and Theo's voice rung with delight.

"On your feet, boy." Panting, I did as told, wishing to rip out more than his tongue. He grabbed my chin, steadying my face when my head drooped. Locking our eyes steadfast. "Two days in the Human world are two weeks in our realm, Kole." I felt a sting in my legs, like they'd gone numb. "I'll make these two weeks unforgettable for you."

I shoved down the panic, refusing to let him see the wisp of fear in my eyes. I glared down. My legs were being turned to stone, soon it had reached my hips; I hated that he could turn anyone and anything into stone, but I'd made the mistake of staring into his eyes… Myths about Medusa were real, only it wasn't a woman with a head filled with snakes; it was an envious Prince with silky looking hair.

I swallowed before my shoulders turned into stone and, lastly, my head.