While we ate, he talked to Basin. Our daytime assignments would be easier if Rose understood the symbols. Damien requested I be allowed to teach Rose. After watching Rose for a moment, Basin agreed.

After lunch Damien pulled me into the closet with our clothes. He stripped off my night dress and picked out simple pieces of ornamentation for me. As he hooked the delicate metal clasps to my collar and around my waist, I looked at the locked weapons cupboard.

There was no way I was getting to the weapons in the apartment. The door was closed and appeared to be secured with a solid piece of metal. Damien noticed my attention and frowned.

“I was curious what the men did last night," I said honestly. "There were things on my world you would have used, but I've never seen anything like that here.”

Damien watched my eyes and I saw his features soften slightly. He showed me how the Lock worked by pressing on either side of it. His fingers somehow indented the solid looking metal. When he removed his hand the metal snapped back into place. I never would have seen the mechanism if he had not pointed it out. The door swung open before he latched it closed again.

“Your collar and cuffs work the same way," he said watching me intently. "Your fingers will not be strong enough to open this door."

“Thank you," I said softly looking down at my wrist.

I'd wondered how they removed the solid Looking metal. Evidently that was how they did it.

Fingers under my chin nudged my face up, until I was looking into Damien's steel grey eyes. I had seen his eyes blaze in anger and passion. Once, I'd seen defeat reflected in them. Now, I saw grave concern.

Ages ago I'd seen this worry. When Christof refused to join their minds and held himself separate, it had upset them. The family and its health were more important than anything. Damien again carried the look of a man with the world on his shoulders, all because of me.

“My love," I said stroking down his face, "please don't worry." Damien brought his face within inches of mine. His hands cupped the back of my head so I couldn't move away from his scrutinizing stare.

“Prove to me," he ordered harshly, “that this is all unnecessary. Be a strong member of this family and bear our burden with grace. We would not survive without our Sister. You must understand this."

I was too stunned to speak. A moment later Damien led me out of the closet.

I was tied in the main room this time. My Leash was long enough I could sit on the furniture or dance with my friends, which I was instructed to do.

"You will not be able to touch the fire," Damien informed me coldly. For a moment I was confused and looked at the low burning fire. I'd never burned myself since I'd been here. As a matter a fact I hated burns, the stinging drove me nuts.

I'd expressed a foolish desire to harm myself, though. They weren't sure how I was going to do it. Of course they'd prevent me from getting too close to the fire.

Sighing, I wished Damien a good afternoon and he left.

Rose, Fuji, and I did as our Masters had ordered. We played instruments and danced with one another for the afternoon. When we were tired we sat and I taught Rose symbols.

My family came home and didn't seem to listen to me again. They were furious or just fed up, I couldn't tell which. Either way, I felt Like isolated and Lonely. I missed the closeness they usually invited me to share with them.

It would be wrong to say they didn't touch me. One of them had a hand on me at all times. Every move I made was monitored and contained.

As we walked to the bathhouse Bane held my upper arm. They must think I would jump off the balcony, I mused. There wasn't a chance of that happening. I abhorred the feeling of falling. It would not be my preferred method of suicide, not like I could tell them that. They didn't want to hear me speak.

Damien allowed me to wash him, although Kein watched me closely. I sighed and ran my hands over the defined muscles in Damien's torso. I traced his faint scars and rubbed his muscular physique.