**Three weeks later**
"How long have we been friends now," Kalandra turned to Michael.
He was lying back against the bed with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed. He glanced over with his usual shrewd appraisal.
"About a month?" he answered at length.
"And you haven't kissed me on the lips even once," Kalandra said flatly.
"What are we, teenagers?" Michael answered irritably.
"I don't know because you won't tell me anything about yourself, "
"You already know everything that's worth knowing," Michael sighed
"What bullshit! I don't even know how old you are,"
"I'm 29," Michael said shortly, "Happy?"
"Aren't you going to ask how old I am?"
"How old are you, Kali?" Michael said mockingly.
"24 in human years," Kali announced proudly.
"Hm," Michael looked her over, "so then why are you so immature?"
"Michael!" Kali threw her arms up, "Can't you find something nice to say?"
"Why do I have to do that?"
"You don't have to," Kalandra pouted, "but it's weird. I'm here every night. We do all kinds of stuff. But you act like you don't want me here and you never kiss me,"
"Are we back to this again?" Michael said flatly. "I don't like kissing, okay?"
"Why not?" Kalandra questioned.
"I just never liked it that much," Michael answered reticently.
"Since when?" Kalandra interrogated.
Michael let out a sigh, "Why are we talking about this?"
"I said since when?" Kalandra said more fiercely, "Didn't you kiss Leila?"
"She kissed me," Michael frowned, "I wouldn't have kissed her first,"
"So you can do it if you wanted to,"
"Did you not just hear a word I said? I said I didn't want to, but.."
"But you didn't say no," Kalandra interrupted, "Because she was a princess,"
"No, because she had something I wanted," Michael snapped. "Just like you were supposed to have something I wanted. Ah, but I don't see that necklace in my hand, do I, Kali? That's was literally the first thing I asked you,"
"You asked me if I knew where it was, I said yes. I never said I'd steal it for you. How can I steal it from Ace when Clover is always beside him anyway?" she hissed, "And in the first place I'm an assassin, not a thief,"
"What's the difference?" Michael scoffed.
Kalandra pounced on him abruptly. Straddling him she stared down with a deadpan expression.
"The difference is I could slit your throat in your sleep," she leant in, regarding Michael with her severe purple eyes.
"Please Kali," Michael laughed, "You don't scare me. You never have."
"I don't?" Kalandra asked softly. "Then why don't you kiss me?" she demanded more adamantly.
"You want me to kiss you that badly?" Michael said coolly, "Then your mouth has to be shut first,"
Kalandra grabbed his face roughly, "You're so fucking rude. Did anyone ever tell you that?"
"Do you think I got to where I am with good manners?" Michael answered apathetically.
"It's a waste of a good-looking face to be as rude as you," Kalandra huffed.
Michael smiled, "I thought that's what you liked about me?"
"It's one thing to be rude," Kalandra exhaled, "but on top of that, you're cold, bad-tempered and you never have anything nice to say. I don't think you're fulfilling your end of the bargain either,"
"I never asked to be 'friends'. You did and you knew who I was before you asked," Michael replied unflinchingly, "If you don't like it, feel free to throw me away,"
"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Kalandra yanked his face towards her roughly.
Michael grinned smugly but didn't answer.
"I could just kiss you. Who cares if you don't like it?" Kalandra provoked.
"You could do that and I wouldn't stop you," Michael stared up with a blank expression.
"But?" Kalandra waited impatiently.
"But then we wouldn't be friends anymore. We'd just be two people who are only using each other,"
"That's exactly what we are already. You said so yourself!" Kalandra frowned.
Michael shrugged and laid back against the wall, "just do what you want Kalandra."
Kalandra's brow furrowed. She watched him close his eyes sleepily as if testing her. He really didn't care at all? Then what was the big deal? It was just a kiss. One measly kiss. Couldn't he give her that much? Kalandra stood up and walked off the bed. Michael opened one eye.
"You're going?" he said indifferently.
Kalandra didn't bother to answer. She just left the room. She kept walking till she reached the courtyard. She never cared how desolate it was, but the cold in the morning sent chills down her spine. The demons in the west knew better to interfere with her.
Kalandra stopped and looked up at the tower that housed Clover's room. They had barely spoken since that day. Though Clover had questioned her relationship, they made no attempt to stop it or even scold her. That's just how Clover was, ever since she was a child. The choice always had to be hers is what they always said. But couldn't they at least pretend to be angry?
Couldn't they at least try to reconcile? How annoying. How very annoying...Kalandra was about to return inside when she had a thought. Neither Clover nor Michael would tell her anything about themselves if she didn't ask. They were similar in that way.
However, on the topic of each other, both had much to say. If Michael didn't want to tell, she could just ask Clover. And perhaps in asking, Clover might come around too. Kalandra smiled. Sometimes she even impressed herself.
She took the staircase up to the tower and reached Clover's door.
"Clover?" she called, opening it.
There was low whispering and rustling. Kalandra entered the room then paused.
"You don't knock?" Ace said flatly, looking up at her from Clover's bed.
Clover gave half a smile but looked somewhat disturbed by the intrusion too. Kalandra stared down at them both coldly. How annoying...How very annoying. She should have just killed Ace the moment she saw him. Now he was in Clover's bed, it would be much more difficult.
"I said you don't knock?" Ace said even more fiercely. He was in a state of undress and his face was red. What did he have to be embarrassed about? Kalandra glared at him. If he was embarrassed then he ought not to be with Clover at all. Humans and their shallow modesty.
"I have never had to knock before," Kalandra answered bitterly.
"Ah, she's right, Ace," Clover let out a laugh, "but Kali, what is it? I'm a bit busy right now,"
"Nothing. Forget it," Kalanadra said with irritation and marched back out.
"Aren't you too soft on her, Clover?" Ace exhaled.
"She's like my little sister. What can I do?" Clover smiled.
"I know that's the way that you think about it. I'm not sure she sees it that way," Ace sighed. "she acts likes she owns you or something. It's weird,"
"She's just like that but, haven't you seen? Michael and her seem to get along well,"
"To be honest, I don't think that's a good thing either. Michael is manipulative and Kalandra is..."
"Ace," Clover said softly, "I want you to get along with her,"
"But she doesn't want to get along with me. She tried to kill..."
"I know it's not easy but I would feel relieved if you two could get on. Maybe in the future, you could look out for her. I think you would be a good influence,"
"When you're gone, you mean?"
"Ah, I'm sorry I brought it up. Let's not talk about this anymore."
Kalandra was leaning against the wall in the hallway listening. She began to step down the staircase slowly. Kalandra had thought a lot about death during the course of her life. From a young age, she had seen people die and be killed. Her parents. The children on the streets. Those that died by her own hand.
Death had become commonplace in her life. It didn't make her sad. It didn't make her feel anything. Yet the thought of not seeing Clover anymore truly scared her. But once Clover had made up their mind, it was impossible to change it.
Kalandra stepped back out into the courtyard. Across the way, she caught sight of Bird anxiously traversing the hallway. He really was like a Bird, Kalandra reflected. He always looked like he was ready to take flight somewhere.
Kalandra trounced up beside him. He nearly keeled over from the sudden sight of her.
"Good morning," Bird said, taken aback.
"Mornin'. Are you going to get breakfast?" Kalandra enquired.
Bird nodded apprehensively and kept walking. Kalandra followed. It was almost cute the way he kept eying her warily from the corner of his eye. That was how people normally reacted. Not like Michael who didn't seem to be bothered by a single thing she did.
Bird, on the other hand, was wondering what she could possibly mean by following him. They hadn't so much as spoken a word to each other before.
They went inside the pantry where they usually ate. It had only been something of a practical joke to eat in the great hall. Clover never cared about such ceremonies and Kalandra agreed. It was only pretension and arrogance that allowed humans to have such extravagant meals without any sense of irony.
Kalandra watched as Bird timidly picked out some bread. None of them didn't seem to realise that demons don't have to eat in the first place. Clover had brought that food just for them. Yet they all ate it without so much as a thank you. Typical humans, Kalandra thought inwardly.
The pantry was a small dark room. It was perhaps the most rustic room in the palace. There was a storage area for food. A pot over the fireplace for cooking though Kalandra had never seen Clover cook. There was also a wooden table at the centre of the room which Bird was hovering in front of.
He was considering how to leave without seeming impolite. However, before he could think of an excuse, Kalandra gestured to the table.
"Sit down," she said with her usual blunt manner.
Bird swayed hesitantly with an uneasy smile and sat down. Kalandra joined him. She leant on one hand as he began to butter the bread.
"You're not going to eat?" Bird asked half-smiling.
"Give me some of that," Kalandra answered.
Bird raised an eyebrow but still handed her a piece of the bread. She took it and proceeded to take a rough bite from it still with her glaring purple eyes on him. Bird glanced up. Was she bored or something? Why were they eating together?
"How long have you been Michael's apprentice?" she asked after a long silence.
"About...nine years I think," Bird said.
"That's a long time to be an apprentice," Kalandra remarked.
"Well I was only a child when I came to the Empire so..." Bird's voice trailed.
"You don't have any family," Kalandra questioned.
"I had a brother but he left," Bird answered reticently.
"I always wanted a sister," Kalandra licked breadcrumbs from her fingers.
Bird gave a nod, he wasn't sure what to say.
"So tell me," Kalandra went on, "How did you meet him?"
Bird gave a small smile. There it was.
"I was introduced to Michael by the sword saint. I met Albaric's sister before the war. She allowed me to come back to the Empire with her. I think she intended for her brother to train me but...Albaric just brought me to Michael,"
"Hmm," Kalandra listened intently, "Yeah, that sword saint is something else. What kind of guy gets a job and makes his friend do it? I'm sure he did the same thing with Ace, passing off his work,"
"I don't know about that," Bird laughed, "but I'm glad he did. Michael taught me everything I know."
"And what was Michael like when you met him?" Kalandra tapped the table.
"I guess he was sort of...well he's always been a pretty private person," Bird said drily, "but my initial impression was that he was intelligent and kind,"
"Kind?" Kalandra scoffed, "What's kind about him?"
"Well, he took me in. He didn't have to do that." Bird reflected on how Michael had also helped to calm after the incident with Yashtara, "Sometimes he still is kind but I think it gets buried under other stuff,"
"Other stuff?" Kalandra interrogated.
"Like I said," Bird replied quickly, "he's a private person."
"A private person, huh?" Kalandra sighed disappointed, "well what about the princess? Was he a private person with her?"
"I didn't even know about that," Bird laughed, "I asked him once after if it was true and his answer was 'It really wasn't worth the trouble'" he added mimicking Michael's deep voice.
Kalandra stared at Bird without a hint of a smile, "That's funny. You sound just like him,"
Bird's eyes widened, "Um...thank you?"
"You're welcome," Kalandra answered categorically, "I have one last question, maybe you can tell me. What kind of things does Michael like?"