It was noon already and Max had never seen the castle so quiet or calm before. Everyone was in their own little world still trying to grasp everything that had happened. 

Max felt sorry for his family. It was not the time for all this mess to happen. The Relic Moon was tonight and no one knew what to expect. 

"Hey Maxy Pad, where is everyone?" Sebastian asked taking a seat next to him. 

"This world would be so much better if you crawled into a whole and died." Max was not in the mood. 

"Well who pissed in your cheerios this morning?" 

Max rolled his eyes. "It's been a little too quiet since everything went down last night." 

"And Lucian, did he come back?" 

"Yes. Deva must have given him one heck of a talk." 

It went silent and they both watched at Alcide ran out of the castle with their special visitor close behind. Joshua looked shy but Alcide could speak for the both of them. 

It was a good sight to see. At least they were getting along. 

Deva soon came out of the double windowed doors as well. She glanced in the direction the boys where playing in then went to the table Max and Sebastian were seated.

"How are you doing?" Sebastian's concerned voice pierced through her headache. 

"I feel like I'm going crazy." 

They were sure she wasn't the only one who felt that way. 

"Did you sleep any?" 

Deva shook her head. "I had this dream but I think it was a memory, a memory I forgot or was forced to forget."

"Forced to forget? What was it about?" 

Should she tell them? What was the point in telling them. "I was eighteen and very much human. It was the second time I met Adamarius." 

"Why are you remembering this now?" 

"I don't know." Nothing ever made sense anymore. 

"The Relic Moon is out tonight." Izzy approached the table, worry etching her face. 

"What will you do?" Julia and Marcus also came to join the others. 

Deva didn't want to worry any of the ones she loved, or hurt them. That was why she knew she needed to leave. 

"I can't stay here." 

"Deva we're your family. We stick together. You can't leave." Marcus secretly feared something awful would happen to her if she left. 

"I have to. Max's force fields aren't strong enough to hold me down." She turned towards Max. "No offense. I can't predict what I'll do once I'm under the curse." 

Izzy understood. After speaking with Adamarius that night she somewhat knew Deva would be in good hands. 

"I plan on coming back but if I don't you all have to promise me you'll look after Alcide." Deva trusted her family with every fiber in her body. 

"Deva don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. You're strong. You'll get through it." Julia hated talks of good bye. She refused to believe Deva wouldn't come back. 

"And Darius," Deva continued. "Don't let him lose himself." 

She feared it. No one could image what Darius would do without Deva. 

Deva got up and went in search of Lucian. He was on the balcony, a perfect overview of their sons playing in the garden. 

"You're leaving?" 

He must have over heard. "Yes." She knew it was horrible timing but she didn't choose it. 

"This is not good bye Deva. Don't make it one."

But it felt that way. Even if she did come back she knew there was a possibility that she wouldn't be all there, mentally. It could take over completely and leave her with nothing. 

"I have to ask you for a favor." 

Lucian finally forced himself to look at her. He would do anything for her and she knew it. 

"I may not come back as me." Deva willed the tears back. "This curse, this transformation will try and break me. I need you to promise, promise me that if I don't come back as the woman you know you will kill me." 

His blue terrified eyes were disgusted. "No, no. I will not." 

"You are the only one I trust with this task. I may come back as a foreign monster. Darius would never harm me. He would watch me tear him apart before he even thought of killing me. You must promise me." 

Lucian shook his head troubled with the love he possessed for her and the honor of protection he had for his country. 

"I can't Deva. I can't." 

She nodded. "Yes you can. Lucian please." 

Her weak voice was broken with grief. She didn't wish it but knew she needed a backup plan. Adamarius wouldn't kill her either if it came down to it. 

"If it comes to it, I will do as you wish." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. 

"Thank you." She hugged him and he had to force himself to let her go. There was nothing else he could do for her now. 

Deva felt like she was leaving a part of her behind. Everything she loved was being ripped from her hands like a sick joke. 

The dark room Darius was in reflected the state they were in. They both knew this moment was coming. Nothing could stop it from happening. 

"Don't go," his plea was helpless.

"It's the only way." It was the only way she knew her family was safe from what she could become. 

"You know that's not true." Darius crossed the room. He wanted to hold her but was afraid to touch her. 

Deva wrapped her arms around his neck and he immediately embraced her. No matter what kind of tragedy was going on around them, in Darius' arms everything disappeared. 

"I can't take the chance. If I hurt you, it would be the death of me." If she hurt anyone. 

"You already are." 

Deva pulled away and cupped his face. "I'm sorry but this is the only way I can protect you." 

"Protect me? Protect me?" Darius was offended by the word. "What about you? I vowed to always protect you. I can't do that now. You won't let me." 

Deva pressed her quivering lips to his. She hated it. She hated making him feel this was. 

"It's my turn to protect you."

"No, no," his fingers clawed through her hair like a cage. "Deva don't do this." 

"I love you." 

Darius slammed his lips against hers. It was burning. They were both burning inside. The future was inevitable and unknown and all they could do was savor the moment. 

Darius knew there was nothing he could say or do to change her mind. But a part of him couldn't help but feel like she was slipping there his fingers...for good. 

"Till the sun stops bringing warmth or the wind-" Darius began.

"Stops flowing through the trees...until the last rose blooms red-" Deva's voice broke and Darius finished. 

"I will always love you." Darius captured her tears through a kiss. 

"You still remember that night I said it to you?" 

How could he forget? "The night you saved me." 

"The night you risked your life for mine." She could remember it like yesterday. 

"I would do it all over again. The love I have for you is greater than life itself." 

Deva smiled. "And I cherish that life. I cherish your life." 

She rested her forehead against his. How do you leave the one you love? How do you say good bye? Nothing was for certain after this point. 

"You're going to him." 

Adamarius was her only answer. "I will come back to you." 

Silence was he reply. Deva leaned in and gave him one final kiss. The sweet sorrow mix of their emotions made it ten times harder to pull away. 

"You're leaving momma? Why?" Alcide panicked, rushing into the room. 

Deva pulled him into her arms, holding him as tight as she could. "I'll be gone for only a little while. I promise." 

"No momma don't go. Don't go." He cried. The fears and nightmares were replaying in his head. 

"I have to. Baby listen to me." She tried her best to wipe his tears. "Something bad is going to happen to me but I'm going to get help. I'm going to a safe place where I can get better." 

"Nooooooo," he squeezed her tighter. "You said everything was going to be ok. No, momma you can't go. You can't die." 

Darius watched in confusion as his son confessed something he had never heard before. 

"What is he talking about?" 

Deva swallowed. She wished to avoid this conversation completely. 

Darius knew his son was beyond gifted with visions of the future. He just didn't know why he was keeping them from him. 

"He's been having nightmares...about me." 

Darius then remembered the other night when Alcide yelled for his mother. Darius felt stupid for not putting the pieces together sooner. 

"What about you?" Darius was a bit furious. How could she hide this from him? 

"His visions were of me dying." 

"Why would you not tell me?" He tried not to shout. He didn't want to scare Alcide. 

"What would you have done? To worry about it on top of everything else going on would have done you no good." 

He was upset. Nothing could erase the anxiety and fear. 

"Have I been that blind not to notice? Or too absorbed in other things for you to feel like you couldn't come to me?"  

"I'm sorry." That was all she could say. He had the right to be mad. Deva would have been pissed to the extreme if Darius kept something like this from her. 

"Momma where are you going? I want to go too." 

She gave him one last hug. "No baby you can't come. I'm going to see your uncle Marius. He's going to help momma. I promise I'll come back." 

Alcide didn't protest anymore. Deva handed him to Darius. A part of her was yearning to stay but she couldn't listen. 

"I'll be back after the second night." 

Darius looked torn as he nodded. It took everything in his body, not to stop her. But once she made it to the door he reconsidered.  

"Deva...stay please." 

If only she could. "I love you." 

Deva disappeared making Darius hold on tighter to their son. Having his wife seek help, refuge from the one man he despised the most was messing with his mind. He wanted to be the one she could go to, for all her problem. Why was it always more in their case? Why couldn't he be enough for her?  

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