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**Aileen POV**

"Aileen? Are you okay?" Devon asked me, closing the journal. There was nothing more I could read today. Like picking the lock to a safe, everything started clicking into place. Amy had killed herself. She had commited suicide! Was all my suffering just some sick test!? Fuck, Shiuku could observe me undetected constantly when I was a kid. Had he somehow controlled the situations leading to my abduction? My emotions were running haywire. I had to punch the table several times before I could calm down. Devon stood behind me, silent but supportive.
With a clearer head I let myself think back to the events leading up to that dreadful day. Alaric pretended to befriend me so I would request him to be my personal guard. His objective was to lure me into a false sense of security then convince me to explore the castle with him. A long game he played to earn the spot, but eventually I had begged Father enough for him to be my guard.
As much as all that broke my trust and I wish I could blame it on someone else; I doubted Shiuku had a hand in his real intentions. Kalum had told me that Alaric had good reason to hate my Father. Kidnapping me, torturing me, and ransoming me back was all revenge to him. In my Father's youth, he had murdered Alaric's wife and child. With a pained heart, I had to admit Alaric had solid motives. Shiuku had just witnessed as it happened from the comfort of his home.
Did Devon watch those filthy men too? Shiuku could have asked for an opinion from him. I stood up and ran out of the library. Letting my feet carry me, I sprinted down hallway after hallway; heading nowhere. Several demons and maids stopped to look at me. At one point I saw a low ranked demon caging a frightened girl with his arms. When I passed them, I shoved the demon back. He opened his mouth probably to tell me that the girl was a reward. His eyes went to the mark on my hand. I guess he realized mine looked different from the green lined mark shooting up his neck. Not that it mattered any to me. I pulled him back to face me and rammed my fist in his face. The demon stumbled back. His eyes turned red; so he wanted to kill me now too. A pity he was too scared to do a damn thing about it.
Since he gave me an open opportunity, I took it. My knee slammed into his little member. Demons were just as sensitive to that area as humans. He crumpled onto the floor glaring at me. I ignored him nodding to the girl. "Get out of here. I don't care if you're a reward or not. Go off and clean or something." The girl needed no second telling. She mouthed a thank you and went on her way. "There are no more rewards. You wanna girl to warm your bed, learn how to seduce, or gain a decent personality. Try this again, well you'll be praying to whatever deity you worship for death." I smirked at the demon on the ground before continuing on my aimless adventure.
This place really was too big, and I hadn't explored much. Pretty quickly, I learned that I had become lost. Not only that, but if Shiuku peeked in on me, he would see Jacob wasn't guarding me. Jacob still had another hour before Devon was supposed to take a shift. Devon was just nice enough to spend the last of his previous shift finding the library with me, then grabbing a snack during his down time. Wonder if Shiuku would kill him for me sneaking away. Since I killed that other demon, Jacob's point of being here was no longer valid. I don't know why I felt mildly guilty about that. Jacob had seen to Kalum's end. His bloody body should fill me with glee.
To my right was a dark room with red streaks smeared on the wood. It was the only thing in this particular hall. I listened for screaming, but heard none. From under the door, there was some water leaking. Strange. I walked over to find the door locked. If I had an elemental power, I would have blown the door open. Frustrated, I just wanted to return to my room; the problem being I was lost. I hadn't the foggiest of ideas where this place was.
"Aileen! Come on, let's get you back to bed. Your face is pale again." Devon panted out from the opposite side of the hall. When he got there, I had no clue.
"Where's Jacob?" I didn't really care, just curious.
Devon offered me a hand. "I have relieved him. It was almost my turn anyway. Unless you wanted him chasing after you?"
"No." I stated simply letting Devon take the lead. "Thanks for coming after me."
A soft laugh and Devon said, "I know you have a horrible sense of direction. I do remember that one. How many times did you get yourself lost at the DSS? Figured here wouldn't be any better."
The half demon really did know me. I was shocked that I could find my way out of a giant grocery store. The ones in this dimension were massive. They were nothing like the markets back home. It still was embarrassing that I could get lost so easily and Devon was clearly poking fun.
Our trip back to Shiuku and I's room took nearly thirty minutes. In that time I had recapped all the information from the library. I slipped my hand out of Devon's when he opened the bedroom door. No matter my mixed feelings for Devon, if he had sat by and watched those men put their dirty hands on me, I don't think I could forgive him.
On the stand beside the bed, fresh lilacs had been placed, just like my first time here. I had believed Shiuku really understood me, because of those pretty flowers. I didn't want to grow to hate them. Yet, seeing them filled me with despair. Completely misreading a situation is something I swore to never do again. To think my first time having consenual sex would be from a poor judgement. I should have asked him more questions, but back on that day I had felt protected and safe for some reason.
I straightened up my dress looking at Devon. I held out my hand. He had a blank expression, confused about what I wanted. He bent over for a waste basket. "I'm not going to upchuck right now. I want my Father's letter back. Gotta know what to write next time. It's harder if I'm missing half the conversation." That's not what I wanted. I wanted to know if he had observed the proceedings of my abduction when I was a child.
He gave me the paper and I went to reading.
*My Dearest and only child*,
*I'm glad that you're alive. From your note I would wager heavily on Devon taking good care of you. That is a good thing, had you reported he was abusive, or hurting you; well you wouldn't be seeing this letter. As much as I know you must hate Jacob still being alive, I'm glad he is. We all want a piece of that bastard. It wouldn't be fair for you to hog it*.
*Your squad leaders are trying to find a way to rescue you. Shiuku has already destroyed several DSS bases, so they are due for a fight anyway. Lena may act tough, but she is scared. Something about being the final guardian after the original was killed a thousand years ago or something. I didn't really care. The reason matters not. She will have to kill him and stop his plans for this dimension. Or others for that matter. Lena is concerned that he may try to take over more than here. I was only half listening in all honesty. Whatever Shiuku's motives, they are not good. Any intel you can give them would be appreciated, but do NOT let yourself be caught. I am not burying my own child Aileen.*
*I know you must be befuddled and I wish I could tell you some revelations made here today........ Just trust Devon. Somehow that boy has gained a bit of my faith. He is the only one there I know will not hurt you*.
*And Aileen... I am very proud of you. Don't let some overpowered demon control you. You are the Princess of Lutz! My beloved daughter.*
*Your Father*,
*King Ulrich*
Father really does trust Devon; what piece was I missing? Yeah, he's kind of going against orders now, but he still is Shiuku's right hand man isn't he?
"If you agree with the DSS so much, why do you work for Shiuku?" I had to know more than the stalker question that popped into my head earlier.
For a long moment, I thought he would not answer. The skin on Devon's neck was dripping sweat. A few blonde curls were getting wet as well. I was close to taking back my question when he started taking his shirt off.
I couldn't help it, my face flushed. It took a lot of willpower not to start drooling. He had an amazingly toned body scattered with a few brown blemishes. He had many scars in random places all over his chest and hard stomach. Devon had seen his fair share of combat before becoming a glorified babysitter. None of that was what really attracted my attention though.
Starting near Devon's elbow was a black ring surrounded by little triangles much like the ones on my hand. Most demons and humans here did wear Shiuku's mark, but the lines went to their necks in most cases. This was not true for Devon. Just like mine, the line wrapped around his heart. The main difference, where mine just kind of circled around my heart; Devon's was shaped like a knife ready to stab at his beating heart. Why was his different too? I didn't think Shiuku swung that way.
Devon coughed in a poor attempt to clear his throat. I put my fingers on the knife shape and waited for Devon to speak. Devon closed his eyes, unable to look at me much like when I first got here.
I could see his throat at work as he quietly counted down in his head.
"I didn't have a choice. You see my parents weren't there for me like yours were. I'm honestly jealous of your Father and how much you loved your Mother. Mine hated me apparently even as a six year old kid. That was last time I saw them. To think I was so unwanted as a child. I never forget their loathful eyes anytime they looked at me though."
Devon's lips were trembling. I shouldn't have asked. "Dev..."
He put his hand on top of mine over his heart. "My parents sold me to Demon Lord Shiuku."