"So what will you and Erik do, when he gets here?" Drake asked her through a long yawn.

"Everything is so complicated and strange right now. I don't think I can really even be the judge of my feelings," she began, knowing very well that Damien or Amon could be listening, "I mean I might not even be the girl he thinks he knew."

"Right," he said, "then I suppose it's just you and me against the world of Damien."

"Hmm," she smiled, hearing the faintest clicking of heels against the wooden floors behind her.

Before she could turn to see who it was, she spoke, "Oh, so you're back then?"

Drake eyed Blair as if he expected her to spring on him in a fit of anger at any moment. He had almost gotten her fiancé killed after all. "Yes," he said slowly, "how's er-"

"Gone," she said stiffly, looking down her nose at him, "left that very night without so much as a goodbye or even a letter, kind of like you."

"You," Drake began cautiously, "you um, seem to be taking it rather well."

She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, fluttering her long eyelashes at him, "Yes, Damien has apologized at least a hundred times a day. He didn't know what he was doing since he was on the drugs. . ."

"Mmm," Drake murmured, both doubting her story and knowing that she wanted his own apology, but she wouldn't get it. "That isn't very much like him now is it?"

"Well, he wasn't even the one at fault," she said hastily, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, give it a rest," he barked, "I won't beg for your forgiveness and pamper you like a princess like the rest of them. All right?"

She opened her mouth as if to speak, flashing her pearly white teeth, but then closed it again, pressing her lips together and dramatically spun around letting her long black hair whip through the air. Drake rolled his eyes.

"You shouldn't have brought him to Damien-" Jade muttered, watching Blair storm out of sight.

"So," he growled, "I'm not about to tell her that. Darling, it's late. I'm tired now."

He stroked his hand through her hair and then kissed the top of her head gently, before walking away. Sighing, she turned the other way to walk to her room and then realized that she shouldn't be able to find it on her own. She was about to call out, "Wait!" However, another voice came out.

"Need help finding your way?" It was Dane, wearing a grim smile that seemed to brighten his entire face even through the dark circles. He held his arms open and she ran into them as they embraced one another. She leaned into the warmth of his body, feeling safe, despite where she was as he muttered, "I honestly can't believe it."

"We shouldn't be doing this," she muttered taking a step away and slipping her hair behind her ear. "Amon or Damien might-"

"Jade," Dane laughed. "Damien cannot walk without me and Amon is . . . well occupied, believe me."

"We aren't going to tell him yet," she blurted out. She was worried that he would try to convince her to or be angry with her.

"All right," he sighed, "I don't think it's wise, but it isn't up to me and honestly I don't think you can keep it up for much longer."

She nodded, beaming at him and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could reach as he gently stroked her hair, "What really happened to your fingers? Or was it Drake's?"

Biting her lip she looked up at him. Should she tell him about the time traveling? No was the simple thought from Drake. She began to shake her head.

"It's fine," he said, "I don't care. If you don't want me to know there must be a valid reason, but you should know that Damien is very interested in your ring. He wants it."

She nodded with a sigh, "So he won't let it go then."

The right corner of his mouth curved up, "Afraid not, sweetie. The sooner you two come clean the-"

"I know," she said irritably, flashing her eyes at him.

"Come on," he said holding out his hand for her with a sigh, "we're all stressed and tired. Let's not fight."

She nodded with a yawn and taking his hand let him take her to what was called her room. Even though her room was just a small pile of ashes that had been blown away by the wind long ago.