Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,3

like stabbing me in the heart. Of course I loved him. I finally said, "I don't want to talk about it."

She tilted her head back, examining the overhead storage bin above her as she spoke. "You used to say there was no such thing as love. Remember that?" I nodded. I believed that whole-heartedly until rather recently. "We both said that. True love was the stuff they stuck in fairytales and myths."

"It is," I replied. And I still believed for the most part that it was. True love doesn't have happy endings. Case in point; I'm on a plane and Collin is in Hell.

"Then, why won't you say that you love him?" she asked. "Ivy, he gave his life for you. He took your place in Hell. Even if you don't know how you feel, it's clear that he didn't want to be just friends."

Tears were welling up behind my eyes. She picked the worst thing to possibly talk about. I had to cut her off before I started saying things that I didn't want to share. Our relationship wasn't like it had been before I was turned into the Prophecy One. I couldn't tell her everything anymore. Loving Collin wasn't just a personal issue; it also had deadly ramifications. He was the anchor that was luring me toward the Valefar side of the war, whether I liked it or not. And I knew that Shannon didn't like that at all. Refusing to discuss it, I said, "It doesn't matter now anyway. I'm here. He isn't."

Shannon was quiet for a moment. I could feel her eyes on the side of my face, but I wouldn't look at her. She didn't have to know everything about me. The truth was simple. The idea of loving Collin scared me to death. I'd rather go to Hell, than admit that I loved him. To anyone. Myself included. There's something eternal about love and once it starts, it doesn't stop. There is no controlling it - love does what it wants when it wants. That was dangerous enough without the prophecy.

The flight attendant asked us if we needed anything, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed a blanket and Shannon requested a Coke.

After she cracked open the can, Shannon started telling me about the Martis villa in Rome. "After I testify before the Tribunal, I can help you look through the archives. We can figure something out. And that's the best place to look."

I nodded. We'd gone over this with Al in New York. The Martis had archives dating back to the beginning of time. If I was going to learn anything about Kreturus, it would be there. I just wasn't certain what I was looking for. I didn't expect them to keep documents on how to kill the ancient demon, especially since they didn't kill him themselves.

Why did they trap him, anyway? It would have been better if they killed Kreturus. Then we wouldn't be frantic worrying that he was trying to bust out of his hole in the ground - that's assuming he's still stuck. Al thought that Kreturus was no longer bound in the pit that the Martis trapped him in millennia ago. There were several reasons she was skeptical. And the demon was smart enough not to announce his escape if he was able to roam the Underworld. The rest of the Martis were walking around thinking they just had to handle the Valefar, not even thinking that their master was loose again. They could be in for a rude surprise.

Finally, I turned back towards my friend. Or frienemy. Or whatever she was, and decided to talk about things that were safe. "Tell me about the Tribunal," I said. "Is it a single person, a panel, or what?"

I leaned back in my seat and looked at her. For the first time I noticed the weary appearance of her eyes. Maybe she took all this stuff harder than I thought. There was a burden on her that I didn't notice before. Her normal lighthearted banter and carefree mannerisms were slothified. I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I hadn't noticed.

She smiled, sipped her Coke, and then said, "The Tribunal is a bunch of people. It's kind of like the Supreme Court in that they all get a say. Select Martis of each division are given a vote. They listen to testimony, and consider the words of their fellow Martis - but they are not bound to anyone