ã€ŠStar Benderã€‹


 Before

    *Please note this is an original story. It is in the middle of being edited and the next in there series is being written. I am posting here for feedback until I am able to self-publish.

    The further she ran, the harder the rain fell, and the louder the thunder became. She could no longer hear the music or the laughter of celebration that filled the Valley only moments ago. When Finnula Astrophel reached the shimmering barrier of her territory, her eyes roamed the valley that stretched out behind her. The palace was illuminated in the darkness. She wished she had a choice about stepping past the barrier, but that choice had already been made for her. The danger had called her past the comfort of the walls she had always known. The fear of it had filled her every waking moment until she had sought comfort in it, until it was all she knew. The palace that was meant to keep her safe had harbored her fears, had fed on them since her birth and she was finally going to run from them.

    The ever present dance of starlight was hidden behind the dark clouds that filled the valley. The storm was one of the most magical things she had ever seen grace these lands, and it would soon call the attention of those gathered within the palace. The cracks of lightning across the dark night sky filled the Star Valley with bursts of light the lands had not seen since The Great Break and the rains that fell would leave fear from the trauma of the Great Flood. It would be called an omen for the new ruler''s coronation. A warning from the Gods, the believers would claim. A threat from the Kings of Hel, the villages would whisper. It will cause a panic before anyone even realizes that not one heir to the Astrophel line was missing but two. They would find her father''s rooms covered in the silvery blood that now stained her toes, that had dried into the hems of her skirts. It had smelt of smoke, of sulfur and panic when she had slipped through the passageway and follow the path from her youth. They would find her fathers remains in the room she had fled from. The room that she had spent nearly every evening of her childhood in. The realm that was her fathers legacy would be without a ruler by the time the storm allowed for quiet. Their people would be facing a new dawn. Tonight they would have welcomed in a new generation of the line of Astrophel Guardians, and now they would be met with an empty throne.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Finnula knew none of that mattered now. They would realize what had been done, and they would believe she had been lost to the dagger of an enemy. They would mourn for her sister¡¯s joyful smile, and strong hand. And they would never know of the treason that the sisters had committed in the name of prophecy. In the name of the sleeping Gods and Hel itself.

    She would not miss this place. Despite all that she had done, she would long for the sting of her home. But she would not miss it for long. She would forget, and once she did that the stars would be nothing more than twinkles in the sky, and her life would be simple, and none of this would matter. Not to her, at least.

    The fourth strike of lightning illuminated the valley and when it went dark again, she turned and did not look back. The canopy of the forest did not save her from the harsh rain that threatened to overtake her. She ran then, ran until her feet bled into the soil beneath her. She ran until the prophecy was all she could hear. She ran until the skies darkened, and did not release the starlight. She ran until the crash of waves filled her ears, and the wet wood of the dock was rough against her soles. Finnula knew that her path was written already, she knew that the world¡¯s future was carved with the words of the Gods when the universe was still empty, and she knew that each lifetime she had lived had brought her back to the same place, to the same set of eyes. So she beat her fists against the door of the Star Bender until it creaked open and her bones warmed as the rain fell against her skin once more.

 Chapter 1

    Glitter shimmers against her high cheekbone like she had been sprinkled with stardust. The glitter makes her look like she belongs at this party. The glitter almost convinces herself that she is not just a ghost floating around the bar, and she wonders if the glitter convinces those around her. Does the glitter that decorates her body, and itches slightly convince her peers that she is happy? Does it convince those around her that she is a stranger in her own body?

    She wears the same face, lives the same life, and smiles the same as they tell her she used to, but Finnley does not know herself. She has never met the girl she used to be. That girl doesn¡¯t exist anymore outside the memory of those who knew her. She¡¯s not her and Finnley¡¯s not convinced that she¡¯s ever been her. She wants to believe that the glitter hides the depression. The doctor told her it¡¯s depression. The depression is caused by the accident, and the accident was caused by the storm. Icy roads and pouring rain. In turn its the weather that is to blame  for the memories that have hidden themselves in her mind. She finds it a funny thing, trying to figure out why she''s depressed when she can¡¯t remember her life or her feelings before the accident. When you don¡¯t know if the sadness was born in you or grew there, if you planted it or it planted you but sadness it is. The sadness is accompanied by the anxiety, and the fear of stepping out her loft door. It makes trips to the market nearly impossible let alone her weekly trip to this bar. But the doctors say she needs to have a life outside of work and home, a balance. The problem is that she might not remember herself, but she knows that she¡¯s never had balance. One side of her body feels heavier then the other, and when she tries to bring that heaviness to her center, it gets lost along the journey.

    Sadness, anxiety and fear. Fear of not knowing if she¡¯s always been this way or if it too is the accidents'' fault. She didn¡¯t have a limp before the accident. But she¡¯s told she had the tattoo though; it has some obscure meaning that no one can remember even though they know she had told them. She used to wear glasses, a funny thing seeing as how she woke up with 20/20 vision. When she woke up strangers told her she hadn¡¯t had family in years, all dead in the tragic accident. But it didn¡¯t really matter because she doesn¡¯t remember them anyway.

    Their faces sit on the dresser and haunt her with guilt for not remembering them. At times she finds herself sitting on her bed and staring at them for hours, searching for a resemblance in their smiles or eyes. But she doesn¡¯t find it, and she can¡¯t hear their laughter, or feel their love. She can¡¯t find anything familiar in the photos of her parents, in the same way she can¡¯t see herself in the mirror.

    Every once and awhile she recognizes herself. A ghost, a stranger''s life but there are times when she looks in the mirror and can remember the hatred she carried inside as a child. It¡¯s a deep-rooted hatred for the blue veins that bleed through pale skin, and the bump in her nose. Some day''s she is nothing more than a ghost trapped inside a body she hates.

    The light dances off of the glitter adorning her face, and Finnley sighs as she wonders if the girl who lived in this body before her enjoyed dancing, or if she cried while going on a run. Sometimes she thinks she can feel the memories, limbs tangled in movement, the same eyes seeing the world, the old trails of lovers hands. They sit at the back of her mind in a haze of icy mist, calling her to dive in and never come back. In moments of silence, she wonders why she had come back from the coma, if it had been a mistake. Life might have been easier, life might have done her a kindness if she had never woken up,  if her body had grown cold at the time of the accident. They tell her she was a warrior who fought against death. That the majority of people wouldn¡¯t have made it. That her body had fought against the blood loss, and the frost bite, and the breaking of bones. That when they found her beneath the snow, they believed they were on a recovery mission and not a rescue mission. Why she had been on that damned mountain road in the middle of one of the fiercest storms that had come through the area in decades, they didn¡¯t know, and neither did she. She couldn¡¯t remember why. But the doctors say she was a fighter, a warrior despite her body wanting to give out. That warrior had gripped herself from the edge of death, and pulled through. And then that warrior had abandoned Finnley to a hellish nightmare. That girl, whom she once was, had never left that car accident on the snowy ridge. That girl had found peace that Finnley would never recieve.

    A group of young girl''s crowd around Finnley in the bathroom mirror, all looking for a space to add more glitter to their already dramatically decorated  faces. Finnley doesn''t hesitate before she escapes the small bathroom at the back of the pub making a bee-line for her once warm bar stool.

    Thumping techno music pounds through the normally quiet pub, the sound of drunk patrons singing at the top of their lungs, and the smell of sweat hanging heavy in the air.

    ¡°You look like you could use a drink!¡± Shayla, the heavily tattooed bartender comments as Finnley sits back in her abandoned barstool.

    She nods frantically, ¡°I could use six!¡±

    Her charcoal eyes widen slightly at the woman who has taken Ravi¡¯s previous seat beside her. The blonde woman''s hair is in a bird''s nest atop her head, and mascara runs down her right cheek.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t be with someone who needs to be told how to love me!¡± Her voice is shrill, loud over the music thumping and burns Finnley¡¯s ears the way the amber whiskey burns her throat as she slams it back. Shayla immediately starts to refill the empty glass as it hits the bartop.

    Her perfectly shaped eyebrows raise to her hairline. ¡°The only thing a person can want in life is to have someone who already knows how to love them, who doesn¡¯t need to be taught how to love them the way they need.¡± Shayla proclaims as she gives the young woman a look filled with pity.

    Finnley rolls her eyes, ¡°Where is Ravi?¡±

    The bartender nods towards the crowd of dancing patrons. ¡°You left and he made a bee-line for that tall blond.¡±

    There, right in the middle of the crowd grinding against a tall blond man with glitter covered abs, is Ravi. His tanned skin and dark chest hair blend into the half naked bodies all around him. Both covered in neon paint and sweat, dancing as though they are too familiar with one another.

    Finnley had only been in the restroom for a matter of minutes before Ravi had made his way towards the blond that he had been watching since they walked in. Finnley doesn¡¯t interrupt him from his dancing, he deserves to have a little fun, heavens know she was no source of entertainment.

    ¡°Have you talked to your therapist about the man?¡± Shayla inquires.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The dream man.¡± Shayla says once more.

    Finnley doesn¡¯t know they had decided on that title for him. It made it seem like she was dreaming about the perfect husband rather then some man who has been popping up in her dreams...or maybe it was the perfect name for the dream man seeing as how these days she couldn¡¯t close her eyes without him being there.

    Finnley shrugs, ¡°I stopped seeing the therapist.¡±

    Shayla raises a strong black brow, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t helping.¡± Finnley shrugs but the truth was that she had been helping. A little too much, Finnley had decided. Claudia, her therapist had taken Finnley on as though she was a case that needed to be solved. The longer she tried to help, the more convinced Finnley became that there was nothing to help with. There was nothing to find about her old life that would help her. Some people''s lives are sad and they end up alone, she had decided. Finnley had decided that this was okay with her but Claudia thought she deserved to find out about her past and kept pushing her and pushing her and pushing. So Finnley had pushed send on the email letting Claudia know that she was no longer going to be her patient.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°I wish I had some mysterious man that I couldn¡¯t remember haunting my dreams.¡± the blonde woman says at the same time that Shayla mutters, ¡°So you stopped taking your meds.¡±

    Finnley takes a sip, ¡°Believe me, it¡¯s not fun waking up and not remembering yourself¡­or anyone else.¡± Shayla rolls her eyes, turning towards the couple on the other side of the bar.

    The young girls bloodshot eyes meet hers, ¡°I would give anything to forget who I am.¡±

    Finnley cringes. The young girl has no idea what it¡¯s like to forget yourself on so many levels that you can¡¯t even remember the world but nothing about it thats actually important.

    Sitting on the hard bar stool, she listens to the drunk crying blonde complain about her boyfriend. Apparently, he¡¯s out on the dance floor with her best friend, who she thinks is having an affair with him.

    Shayla, the ever-loving keeper of drunken secrets, talks to the girl like she¡¯s a star in the sky that the man can¡¯t see. Encourages her to find better, to do and be better for herself but as Shayla gives her advice that this girl is going to forget in the morning, Finnley takes a long painful pull of whiskey.

    Finnley¡¯s whole body tenses as leather slides against her bare arm, too close for her liking. Apparently personal space is out of the question in the pub tonight. She¡¯s not looking for another crying drunk that wants to be her friend, so she paints a scowl on her face, and keeps watching the blonde girl cry her eyes out, like they are friends in hopes that whoever slid in next to her looks for another stranger to dump their issues on. But it¡¯s when Shayla¡¯s large blue eyes meet hers in an excited glance that Finnley wonders if she should glance at her new neighbor. She glances to her side discreetly, out of curiosity.

    A full head of dark curls, and a chiseled jaw accompany eyes the same color as Finnley¡¯s whiskey.

    One might say he looks as though he stepped into the wrong bar, that he looks to be destined for the pub around the block where he can drink in peace in a quiet corner, instead of Shayla¡¯s loud pop music playing, glitter filled, pink barstool pub. But the misplaced man also looks as though he could fit in and belong anywhere. His honey eyes find Finnley¡¯s as she looks him over, and out of embarrassment of being caught gazing, she quickly looks back down to her drink.

    ¡°What can I get for you doll?¡± Shayla questions as the shrieking girl has gone quiet, her eyes also ranking over the man in curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take what sparkly over here has.¡± It¡¯s a voice that matches his eyes, deep and as smooth as the whiskey she drinks.

    ¡°There¡¯s a storm brewing.¡±

    There¡¯s a storm brewing and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, it was set in to motion the moment you took your first breath.

    Snapping her head toward him, their eyes meet and Finnley curses herself for looking. Soft melted honey, the kind you get stuck in, that you feel all over your hands no matter how many times you wash them.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The left side of his lip quirks up in a smirk, and he nods towards the television behind Shayla, that displays what she can only assume is a rerun of a football game.  ¡°The weather reports says a storm is headed this way."

    Clearing her throat with an obnoxious gurgling sound, Finnley cringes, "I don''t think anyone in here is paying attention to the news."

    He nods a thanks at Shayla as she sits down a glass in front of him before he remarks, "You sure aren''t."

    Finnley squints her eyes at the strange man, ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    His smirk grows wider. He has a small assortment of freckles that lightly dust the right side of his cheek, and a hoop earring that hugs his left ear.  ¡°I once read that we all know each other in some way. From lives once lived or faceless wars fought.¡±

    ¡°Well I don''t believe in all that stuff." She doesn¡¯t backdown from his hard gaze as her aggressive words meet him.

    ¡°Me either.¡± He holds his smirk, as though there¡¯s something else he wants to say but decides against it.

    She turns back towards her preferred spot of staring, right over Shayla¡¯s left shoulder at the arrangements of old liquor bottles.

    His gaze feels like it¡¯s a tacky, sticky feeling across her face.

    His glass lands back onto the wooden bar empty, and he stands from the seat he had only occupied momentarily, but when he does he leans towards Finnley. Invading her personal space once again, his strong hand lands upon her bare shoulder, and she shivers when his breath meets her ear. ¡°Don''t get caught in the storm."

    There''s something in the way he says it, the tone of voice that makes her want to bite out a quick fuck you random guy but she says nothing as she watches him retreat into the crowd from the bar backs mirrored shelves. He¡¯s easy to identify out of the neon, glitter covered crowd.

    ¡°He was dreamy!¡± The shirking blonde loudly announces that moment he''s sank into the crowd.

    Finnnley knows she should be annoyed, irritated and maybe even a little disgusted because a stranger had just invaded her personal space but the whiskey had gone to her head. That voice echoed as he walked away, sitting in the back of her mind.

    There''s a storm brewing.

    She could hear it so vividly. The words of the face she can''t remember. She had thought over those words again and again. Clearly she had not heeded the warning of whoever had spoken them. The storm had found her, and she had found out that you it''s very difficult to keep all your fingers and toes after laying in the snow for more then twelve hours.

    "Does you dream man happen to look anything like that?" Shayla chuckles.

    "No." Finnley growls out.

    Shayla lifts the almost empty whiskey bottle, and drains the rest of its contents into her glass, "I''ve never seen him around the village before."

    "Me either." Finnley mutters.

    The man seemed¡­familiar in a way but she had never met him. But she felt as though she knew him, the same way she felt as though the man in her dream was familiar. He was but he wasn¡¯t, his eyes were but his words weren¡¯t. Like when you think you recognize someone and say hello but it¡¯s not actually them, just a stranger with a familiar face.

    ¡°That is Leo!¡± Ravi declares as his hip slams into the bar, his ring filled hands grasping onto Finnley¡¯s glass of whiskey and downing it like a small child drinking water, ¡°And we are in love! I have decided, he and I are to grow old in a seaside cottage and live a very glittery life together!¡± He laughs as his deep blue eyes meet my own, ¡°He is a career banker but everyone needs a good flaw, and I love that about him.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am ready to go home Mr. So-in-love.¡± It¡¯s not a request as she pulls her discarded jacket onto her shoulders, glancing back out towards the sea of people to try to catch another glimpse of the strange man.

    He dances his body towards her, almost throwing her off the barstool, ¡°Aye, aye captain let me rescue my lover from the sea of dancing fools!¡± Ravi shimmies all the way back to the blond man.

    She had always admired that about Ravi. That he was able to find something to love in every person, even when he wasn¡¯t piss drunk. Finnley could admit she was the opposite, she always found things to hate about people. Sometimes she seeks them out, drags them out of people and rips them apart. She had never met a person she couldn¡¯t hate if she tried hard enough. Even the people she doesn¡¯t actually hate, like Ravi or this drunken heartbroken girl next to her. She has a great sense at seeing people for their biggest flaws, and sees no redemption in them. But Ravi can see someone for all their flaws and still find the little lights within them. He see¡¯s everyone as being humans with flaws who are worthy of being loved despite them, and accepts them completely. Finnley doesn¡¯t believe she ever will be able to look at another human and not be able to see past all the awful things about them. She doesn¡¯t believe she could ever accept the bad; not in strangers, not in friends, not in herself.

    She doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯s always been this way but she imagines she has been. That before the accident that took her life but not her body that she hated people just as she does now. That hate in her blood has probably always been there. But as she watches Ravi curl himself around this stranger that he¡¯s already found things to love about, she wonders if she¡¯s ever loved someone that way. Had she seen past the bad parts, and loved someone to the point of it becoming a flaw? Had she ever loved herself in that unconditional way? She wonders if she had known that girl she once was, if she would miss her? She wouldn¡¯t ever know, just like she didn¡¯t know if she would ever be able to forgive her for losing her life and still waking up. Glancing at the mirrored bar back one last time, she smudges a hand across the glitter on her cheek before dragging Ravi and his plus one out into the cold winter night.

 Chapter 2

    The village square was bustling with activity, far from asleep even at this late hour. A New Year''s celebration was in full swing, adding to the constant noise and energy that kept Finnley from getting a good night''s sleep in her conveniently located loft above the caf¨¦.

    "Thanks for the ride," Finnley said as she closed the cab door behind her trying not to slip in the leftover slush of melted snow.

    Ravi rolled down the window and poked his dyed platinum blonde head out like an excited dog, "Are you sure you don''t want to join us for a nightcap and watch the fireworks on the wharf?" he asked, looking disappointed when Finnley declined.

    "I''m tired and I have work tomorrow. Someone has to provide caffeine to all the hungover townspeople," she joked.

    Ravi frowned but didn''t push her, instead reaching for her hand and planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Sleep well then. I''ll see you for lunch tomorrow?"

    "Don''t have too much fun without me," Finnley teased with a suggestive wink towards Ravi''s companion in the back of the cab.

    Ravi just chuckled as the window rolled up and the cab drove off towards the wharf on 4th street. Finnley briefly considered suggesting they walk instead since it was only a 10-minute drive, but Ravi insisted they needed to take a cab if they wanted to make it to the wharf before midnight.

    As she walks towards her loft apartment above the caf¨¦, Finnley breathes in the light dew that remained in the air after the week of heavy rainfall. She looked up at the dark and daunting building, filled with furniture she couldn''t remember buying and pictures of strangers on the walls. The stars glimmered above, tempting her to lay down on the cobblestone street and gaze at them until the sky filled with fireworks at midnight.

    But the dull growing ache of a headache reminded her that she needed water and perhaps some food. Finnley made her way up the stairs to her apartment. She couldn''t resist heating up some leftover curry in the fridge to accompany the eight glasses of whiskey she had already consumed that night.

    With one last look towards the bright stars in the night sky, she couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe next year she would finally make it to the wharf to see the fireworks from someplace other than her loft window.

    As she gazes up at the stars twinkling in the dark sky, she begins her journey down the alleyway towards the steep steps leading to her loft. She has no recollection of moving into this place; her name was already on the lease when she woke up in the hospital. Ravi had explained that she had lived here for five years, and kind Miss Gilben, her boss and owner of the cafe and building, had given her a great deal. It was strange waking up to a life she didn''t remember, but it wasn''t until Ravi brought her inside that she truly felt alone. The emptiness of the loft filled her with sadness. Despite living there for five years, it looked like no one inhabited it full-time. Nothing inside held any significance or sparked any memories or emotions. It didn''t feel like her home at all. Not the colorful clothes neatly folded in the drawers or the books displayed on the shelf. She felt as empty as the space around her, with its bare walls and beige color scheme. That night, she cried while staring at a photo of two strangers on her dresser.

    Her goal was to make this loft feel like her home, even though she couldn''t remember anything about it. So she put on clothes that clashed with her hair and snuggled under scratchy blankets, convincing herself that everything would be fine.But it wasn''t fine. Every day felt like an eternity and eventually, even the tears stopped coming. She had become numb to everything, and that was okay with her because feeling nothing was better than feeling everything.

    On the third-to-last step, she pauses and notices that the door is slightly ajar. Maybe she forgot to lock it when she left earlier? No, she definitely locked it - it can only be unlocked from the outside with a key. It took her and Ravi a whole day to figure out how to replace the last door after it was broken in. She still doesn''t have her phone; it''s probably somewhere in the bathroom at the bar, or in the pocket of a stranger who picked it up along the way.

    I should have moved when I had the chance last month, she scolds herself. It would have been the smart thing to do, but she never thought this would happen again. Who would have guessed it would happen twice in less than six months? The whiskey from earlier churns in her stomach as she places her hand on the wooden door.

    Maybe she accidentally left the door unlocked, maybe Ravi was rushing her and she threw some glitter on her face and rushed out the door without a thought.. But that little voice in her head reminds her that she won''t know unless she goes inside. She debates going back down the stairs and dealing with this in the morning, or going back to the celebration and asking to use someone''s phone. She could call the police or take a cab to Ravi''s place and deal with everything in the new year. It would only be a ten-minute walk, but with her limp, it might take twenty minutes. With a sigh, she looks down at her ankle and recalculates - it will definitely take twenty minutes now. Whatever she decides, one thing is for sure- she can¡¯t stand out here all night¡­well, she could but she shouldn¡¯t.

    Furious with herself, she bursts through the door with a forceful shove. The loft is just as chaotic and disheveled as when she left hours ago - dishes piled high in the sink, laundry strewn across the floor. Ravi''s glitter makeup taunts her from its spot on the vanity, while the bed remains unmade with a crumpled, stained white duvet at the foot. Her floral robe lay discarded on the bathroom floor. But what grabs her attention is the open drawer of her bedside table.

    As she cautiously approaches, her footsteps echo loudly against the hardwood floors. She fumbles for the light switch on the lamp and as it flickers on, she drops to her knees to search through the back of the drawer. Bottles of pills, pens, and other unmentionable items fill the space - but nothing else.

    "It seems your dear Ravi forgot his sworn duty to ensure your safety," a deep chuckle echoes through the room. "He must have been distracted by the big blue eyes on that very large male.."

    Her heart races in her chest as she turns towards the source of the voice. It''s him - the man from the bar with curly hair and leather jacket. He sits confidently in her home, as if she was intruding on his territory.

    She knows she should run, call for help, but something holds her back this time. The realization that maybe things could have been different if she hadn''t run before- if she had tried. At the time she didn¡¯t really have anything to try for, and this time she had less.

    Her mind screams at her to flee, but her body refuses to move as she meets his gaze and calmly says, "I always ask my guests to take their shoes off at the door."

    A smirk plays at the corner of his mouth as he stands up from his chair. "Do you know who I am?" he asks in his husky voice. Her legs tremble with fear and pain, begging her to run like she did before. But this time, she stays put, making eye contact with him as if inviting him in.

    She knows she should make a run for the door, down the cobblestone streets to Ravi''s place for help. But she also knows that he could easily catch her with his fit and towering figure. And maybe, just maybe, she''s tired of running. Or perhaps the fear that was deep within her couldn¡¯t be felt, maybe the numbness wouldn''t allow it, and wouldn''t allow any sensible reaction to tear its way to her limbs because she had listened to the voice the last time. She had ran, and if she hadn¡¯t ran maybe her life would be better.

    Maybe she had fallen on her way home, had one too many drinks, hit her head. Maybe she was dead, maybe this was her hell. Coming home to find a stranger in her apartment over and over again. Maybe after it happens once you become numb to it happening again. Maybe there¡¯s no safe place, maybe I¡¯m not meant to be safe, she thinks.

    ¡°How did you get in?¡± The words shoot out of her like bullets, the fear and anger bubbling inside her as she stares at the stranger standing in her apartment. She can''t help but notice that the lock is still intact, making his presence even more unsettling.

    He tilts his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips as he casually admits to picking the lock. Her heart races as she realizes how vulnerable she is and she asks again, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±

    As he takes a step closer, her body instinctively moves back towards the kitchen. She remembers the knife sitting on the counter from breakfast, still coated with dried peanut butter.

    He tracks her movements with his eyes, gun still hanging loosely by his side. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you.¡± His words have no weight behind them, just empty reassurance.

    She can''t help but let out a laugh, but it''s not one of amusement. It''s a hysterical sound that fills the loft, echoing off the walls. ¡°Says the man who broke into my fucking apartment.¡±

    His calm demeanor only infuriates her more, ¡°Why do you have a gun?¡± He lifts it up with disgust, inspecting it before turning those cold eyes back on her.

    ¡°For this exact reason!¡± Her voice reaches an unbearable pitch as she fights back tears. Memories flood her mind of past break-ins and invasions of privacy. ¡°For when psychos like you break into my home! Believe it or not, this isn''t my first time dealing with this!¡±

    But he doesn''t seem fazed by her outburst. In fact, it only seems to fuel him as he takes another step forward. Panic sets in as she considers grabbing for the knife on the counter, but she knows it could very well end up being her own downfall.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Stop! Do not move!¡± She tries to sound confident, but she knows it''s a flimsy threat.

    As if reading her thoughts, he smirks and replies, ¡°I think you and I both know there¡¯s no one who can hear you scream.¡± His words send shivers down her spine.

    He takes another step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. She sees flecks of gold and brown in his irises, a strange familiarity that sends chills through her body. Her fingers graze the blade on the counter, but hesitation stops her from picking it up.

    In that moment, staring into his eyes, she feels like she''s been here before. That sense of deja vu pumaling into her gut.  ¡°How do you know me?¡± she asks, desperate for answers.

    ¡°I''ve been searching for you for a long time, Finnley.¡± His whisper is filled with longing and a sense of familiarity that she can''t quite place. ¡°Try to remember me.¡±

    And just like that, a flood escapes from beneath the door she is trapped behind in her mind. But nothing of consequence spills out. Just those eyes, just his mouth saying her name again. Memories that aren¡¯t hers, but they belong to her. The same way she had tried all of her favorite foods once more, like trying them for the first time but knowing that her body had experienced them before.  She winces as she grabs the knife, cutting her finger in the process.

    ¡°You were in the pub,¡± she lifts her chin knowing it''s not the answer he is looking for.

    He grunts in response, a heavy breath hanging between them. ¡°I was in the pub, but where else?¡±

    Her mind races as she tries to recall more details about him, but everything is still just out of reach. ¡°Get out of my apartment,¡± she demands, raising the knife to his throat.

    But he doesn''t back down. He looks almost amused by her sudden show of strength. ¡°Have you seen me before?¡±

    She knows the answer is yes, and she can feel it in her bones. But before she can say anything, he leans in closer and whispers, ¡°You know I have.¡±

    His eyes do not waiver from her tear-filled ones as he raises the gun, and tosses it onto the bed with a bounce, ¡°Filthy weapons.¡±

    He takes another step forward and she takes one back, towards the counter of dirty dishes. Their movements match one another, step for step.

    When her back bumps into the counter, he¡¯s close enough that she can see the flecks of gold and brown that weave themselves throughout his eyes. Her fingers slide along a blade, and just like she had the time before, she hesitates.

    As she looks into those eyes, she feels that tug once more.  Like those eyes had stared into hers and made a home there before, like those eyes knew her. Like this is not the first or second time they have studied her face, but the millionth, so she asks, ¡°How do you know me?¡±

    He raises a thick brow in return, ¡°Have you seen me before?¡±

    She had. She knew without a doubt that she had taken in his face before, that her eyes had met his.

    He doesn¡¯t flinch as she quickly raises the small kitchen knife to his throat, holding it beneath his chin.¡°Nice blade.¡± The humor in his voice does not escape her, as though he¡¯s expecting her to laugh at his joke. And when he raises a thick brow, she knows she¡¯s missing the punchline, knows whatever joke he is chuckling about is lost somewhere within her own mind. ¡°I happen to love peanut butter.¡±

    She digs the blade deeper into his skin, relishing in the way his skin bends beneath it but no matter how hard she attempts to apply pressure, he simply stares down at her. She wants to prove to him that she is no longer a helpless victim. That she is capable of defending herself, even if it means piercing through his jugular. ¡°I told you to get out of my apart-¡± Her words are cut off as he grabs her hand with intense force, causing the blade to clatter to the ground with a loud noise that echoes through the apartment. Every muscle in her body tenses up as she braces for what comes next. ¡°I am not here to play games with you Finnley!¡± His ferocious growl leaves her frozen, her heart pounding so hard she can barely hear anything else. Is it fear or excitement that consumes her? Is it the threat to her life or something deeper, something primal that recognizes him and responds accordingly? Without hesitation, she uses his momentary anger as an opportunity to dive towards the bed, where the discarded gun lies waiting. Her hand connects with cold metal and she lets out a scream of triumph before turning to face him.

    But her victory is short-lived as her feet tangle beneath her and she crashes onto the bed, pain shooting through her left leg as she gasps for air. ¡°Don''t come near me!¡± She points the gun directly at him, her chest heaving as she struggles to catch her breath. He stands there calmly, unfazed by her trembling hands and shallow breaths.

    ¡°Put it down.¡± He commands, making no move towards her. She feels a surge of embarrassment as he remains composed while she''s a mess of nerves and adrenaline.

    "Get the fuck out!" She screams, desperation and anger lacing every word. He lets out a deep sigh, his entire upper body moving with it.

    "You remember me, don''t you? I saw it when you looked at me." Her fingers tighten around the gun, her knuckles turning white with the pressure. "What was the last thing you remembered before waking up in the hospital?" Her mind races, trying to recall any memories before the blinding light and searing pain that consumed her. But nothing comes to mind except for the hospital. The overwhelming white light. The burning sensation coursing through her body, like flames devouring her from within. She couldn''t escape it no matter how hard she tried, every breath just fueling the inferno within her. And then there was him. The man who stood before her now, calm and collected despite her frantic state. How did he know about the hospital? How did he know about the fire that raged inside of her? She blinks, struggling to process his words as fear and confusion twist inside of her. But she knows one thing for sure ¨C she will do whatever it takes to protect herself, even if it means pulling the trigger on this unknown man who seems to know more about her than she does herself.

    The blood that dripped down her frozen fingertips as the nurses tried to get the screaming to stop, the blood coating her scalp as she tried to claw her own hair out. The tattoo, raised and red and itchy. Fresh. Right on top of where the flames danced beneath her skin. ¡°I won¡¯t say it again, if you don¡¯t get out, I will put a bullet through your head!¡±

    Despite the gun pointed at her, the man advances towards her instead of the door. His black leather boots thud against the hardwood floors as he steps closer, a glint of malice in his honey-colored eyes.

    ¡°It would be difficult to do without bullets.¡± The little silver bullets fall to the ground by his feet. They jump and slide across the hardwoods, and when she squeezes her finger on the trigger, the gun makes a clicking sound.

    Empty.

    ¡°You remember nothing before the hospital?¡± His hand tightens around her wrist, wrenching the gun from her grasp. The metal hits the ground with a deafening clang, sending a shiver down her spine as his large hands grip her arms tightly.

    Shaking her head in response to his question, she can feel her hands trembling even more as his intense gaze scans her face.

    "Absolutely nothing?" His voice is laced with disbelief as he shakes her roughly, leaving bruises in his wake. "Nothing before the hospital?"

    An eerie smile curves across his face, a glimpse of white teeth peaking over his plump lips. ¡°Your plan really did work.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He lets go of her arms, a hand pausing gently at her rib''s barely touching as they return to his side, that smile still across his face.

    ¡°How do you know me?¡± Her question comes out in a tremble.

    Because he does. Without a doubt, he knows Finnley - the girl she used to be - and she doesn''t know if it¡¯s horror or excitement that courses through her at the revelation.

    His honey eyes rank over her body slowly, from head to toe taking in the party dress Ravi forced her to wear, and the glitter that covers the majority of her skin,  the scarring on her leg and the length of her hair. He breathes her in for a long moment before his eyes land on hers, and every hair on her body stands on end. ¡°Well, despite the absent memories, the time has come for me to keep my promise to you.¡± He turns his back to her, glancing around at the items that decorate the apartment. ¡°Now Sparkly,¡± He chuckles at the nickname, ¡°A long time ago I made you a very important oath, and now it''s time for me to fulfill it. I am paying my dues and to collect what is owed. It¡¯s time for you to come home.¡±

    It sounds like the ravings of a madman, but when he turns away from her and starts searching through the items in her apartment, Finnley knows exactly what he''s looking for.

    "The box," he growls, his darkening eyes scanning the room. "I can feel it. I know it''s here."

    Her heart stops as she realizes what box he means - the one she has been keeping hidden in her dresser. Before she can stop herself, her eyes flicker towards the white piece of furniture at the foot of her bed.

    He rips open drawers and finally pauses at a picture of Lydia and Frank on top of the dresser. "Who are they?" He demands, jerking his head towards the photo.

    "My parents." Finnley chokes out, feeling like she''s caught in some kind of fever dream.

    "They don''t even look like you," he scoffs, moving on to the last drawer where he knows he will find the box hidden under a pile of clothes.

    "Did you follow me home?" She asks, trying to make sense of the situation.

    He frowns at her question. "No, Sparkly. I''ve been waiting in that chair for at least a quarter of an hour."

    She swallows hard. "Then how do you know where I live?"

    His gaze hardens as he meets her eyes. "I''ve been keeping an eye on you."

    The small ceramic black box adorned with glittering stars and little blue waves had been sitting in the drawer since she returned home from the hospital. It was one of the few things that survived the accident that almost took her life. She could never understand why it was found next to her broken body, among the scraps of metal from her car.

    The dimly lit rooms fills with a gust of bright light, and both their heads snap towards the window as the first, giant silver fireworks lights the sky.

    She watches the man as he watches out the window, staring up at the fireworks that take over the night sky.

    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± He blinks at her question before running a hand across the box''s smooth surface. Gazing at the box like a long-lost friend, his accent grows thick beneath his words. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±

    She watches him intently as the lid to the box practically pops open at the sound of his voice. She had never been able to get it to open. She had tried more times then she would like to count. She had even contemplated taking a hammer to the thing but no matter how many times she threw it against the loft wall, no scratch ever appeared and she was never able to pry the top off.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± The voice fills the quiet apartment, and Ravi shatters the bubble of emotion Finnley had found herself in, and like an invisible thread pulls her, she lunges towards Ravi seeking the safety of her friend from the stranger in the room. Ravi grabs for her hand as she makes her way across the carpets, her face tear stained but before he can examine her, his attention returns to the uninvited man. Ravi  growls out, "Answer me Abilenne!" Finnley realizes that this man is not a stranger to Ravi, only to her.

    Before Finnley can question either of them the small box starts to rattle on the dresser, and all three hide their faces as a blinding white light fills the darkness, and shines out the windows of the little apartment onto the midnight cobblestones.

 Chapter 3

    Maybe someone had spiked her drink at the bar?  Or perhaps she was ambushed and knocked unconscious on her way back to her apartment.

    These thoughts seem plausible to her as she tries to make sense of her current situation. Maybe she is dreaming and her subconscious is bringing her back to that horrific night months ago. She had wished for death many times since then and maybe now someone was answering her plea. That night, there was plenty of time for her to die after the attack. She remembers lying in the street, feeling the cold rain wash away the warm blood pooling from her wounds. The stars had been so bright that night, sometimes she can still see them when she closes her eyes. She can vividly recall thinking that her leg must have been detached from her body. The pain was overwhelming but the beauty of the stars kept her mesmerized. She had all the time in the world to die as she lay there in the winter storm, alone with her thoughts. If Ravi hadn''t come looking for her, she may have actually died. But instead of being dead, Finnley covers her eyes and ears as a blinding white light fills the loft accompanied by an ear-splitting screech.

    ¡°Gods damn it!¡± A voice fills the air, soft yet strained and frustrated.

    Ravi rushes towards the large empty wall in the loft, standing upright with an alertness that Finnley has never seen before on him. She watched as the countless drinks he had consumed over the past few hours evaporated from his body. She wasn¡¯t sure she had ever seen him as sober as he suddenly was now. Ravi¡¯s gaze is focused on a small ceramic box held by the man he referred to as Abilenne. But it''s not Ravi''s sudden change in demeanor that catches Finnley''s attention, it''s the woman projected onto the wall behind them. It''s as if she is standing there in front of them, every detail clear and real. Her eyes are drawn to a silver substance covering a large portion of her bare neck, contrasting against the light blue corset-like garment on her body. Dark circles surround her gray eyes and a fading bruise is visible around her throat. Her face appears sickly and gaunt, with a fresh scratch running down one side. Her hair, once styled extravagantly, now hangs loosely in front of her face.

    Finnley¡¯s heart races as the woman who shares her face transforms before her as her victorious smile drains from her face and her shoulders tense as her expression turns cold. And just as quickly as she appeared, the look of triumph on the woman''s face fades to dread.

    ¡°If you¡¯re seeing this¡­¡±she lets out a small, humourless chuckle, ¡°It means that our plan worked...just not enough.¡± The woman speaks with Finnley¡¯s voice but the differences between them are stark in the way she moves and holds herself. Her hands flutter up to her neck and her head tilts ever so slightly, searching for her words.

    ¡°In a place much different than where you are now¡­¡± The woman laughs to herself again and somewhere off in the distance a deep chuckle follows her own. For the moment the woman¡¯s gray eyes soften before turning their attention back to the watchers. ¡°There was a Ruler, who had two daughters, both pawns in his games and of whom he seeked to use as weapons against his enemies. The Ruler''s youngest daughter committed a grave sin in the name of her people, and now she needs to return.¡± The woman closes her eyes softly for a moment, seeking some kind of confidence to extrude. ¡°Captain Abilenne job is to provide you with safe travels. To ensure that our path is without worry.¡±

    The woman''s graceful features give nothing away except for the glimmer of tears that slowly begin to fill her eyes. It¡¯s the same expression that looks back at Finley in the mirror when she¡¯s telling herself she¡¯s fine. When she¡¯s telling herself to make it through. It¡¯s the same glimmer within those gray eyes that she saw the first time she looked in the mirror after waking up. The promise to herself that she would not break. That her memories would not break her. Finnley¡¯s eyes flicker to the strange man in her apartment, his eyes still frozen to the woman on the wall.

    Outside somewhere the echo of a firework carries past them and Finnley¡¯s eyes flicker to the digital clock that flickers on her nightstand. Midnight. A New Year. The boom of fire works in the distance ring and light flickers through the windows.

    It¡¯s after minutes of heartbeats that the tears finally slide down the woman''s face that jolt Finnley back to life. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± She growls to the two men but neither grace her with an answer, neither glance her way as they stay stuck in the trance of the crying woman.

    The woman takes a deep inhale again, flicking away the tears and adjusts her shoulders. She wrings out her hands in front of herself, smoothing down the blue corset, her brows furrowing. She takes a step towards the camera, before her eyes look off into the distance once more, and she whispers. ¡°The shadows will come for you soon. I am...I am so sorry that you couldn¡¯t stay, I¡¯m so sorry that you have to go back to that place but you must. I hope you have been able to find peace within yourself. Complete the prophecies Finnula, no matter what happens, it''s the most important thing we''ll ever do. It¡¯s the only thing that will save our home.¡±

    A sad smile graces her face, ¡°And if the Captain is there with you now, then take care in knowing that you were right. Trust in yourself. I fear it''s the only thing you can trust in.¡±

    And just as quickly as she had appeared, the woman is gone.

    The ceramic box¡¯s lid slammed shut, taking the light and woman with it.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± The voice beside her causes Finnley to jump slightly; he had moved at some point while watching the video. When she looks up at him, his gaze is still on the wall, and as his eyes slowly look down at her, they¡¯ve grown dark.

    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Abeliene.¡± He introduces himself, as his large hand grasps her upper arm in a tight hold, when she yanks away he only grasps her tighter.

    ¡°Figured.¡± She growls and in return a large superior grin spreads across his face.

    She glances back to the wall her face had just decorated and then glances down at the ceramic box that Abilenne still holds in his hands.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± She questions again as all three pairs of eyes look at the small ceramic box.

    ¡°That was our commander and now we have a mission to complete.¡± Ravi¡¯s exhausted voice echoes through the apartment but before she can ask and before the full lengths of her panic creep upon her, Abilenne moves fast and a hazy purple film fills her vision.

    As though every obstacle she had run into over the past year had caught up with her, as though the car accident had happened all over again, she loses control of her limbs, and she feels everything she can no longer remember, all at once.

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± Ravi screeches while he dances around Finnley¡¯s vision and she can¡¯t feel her limbs, her face tingles and her eyelids are heavy as she teeters back on her feet.

    ¡°Careful with her!¡± Ravi growls, ¡°We don¡¯t know how her human body will react.¡±

    A scoff tickles her ear, ¡°It¡¯s just valerian root.¡±

    Pins and needles ravage her hands, and the pressure behind her knees from his grip. Soon she feels as though she¡¯s spinning and her eyes are so heavy she¡¯s not sure they will ever open again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Sparkly,¡± She hears him whisper to her, ¡°My oath will not be broken.¡±

    As her eyes flutter, and her body becomes weightless she sees the stars once more. Their dancing and flickering across the night sky in patterns she had never seen before. The glass of the loft window shattered into a million pieces around her as she stared up into the night sky. As though the stars were calling to her, as though they were whispering a lullaby only meant for her ears. Her name echoed again and again but she had never heard it this way. Never heard the pain behind it. She had always known pain but not the kind of pain that filled that voice. The voice of the stars as it sang her name again and again. Perhaps the star''s lullaby had kept her from walking towards death that night. Perhaps it was the same voice she heard now.

    <hr>

    Finnley had been on the cusp of death before, and the tingling livewires that run down her leg are similar now. Just like before her body felt too heavy, as though it was holding her mind down in that place that she could never see. The place deep within her mind that held who she was. Unfortunately, this was far too painful to be death, something far more.... cold.

    Finnley¡¯s fingers fidget in the powdered snow, digging in deep into the thick layer that covers the forest floor. She can barely feel her frozen fingers, she imagines they are turning blue but they grip the thick wet dirt beneath the snow as she imagines hauling herself to her feet, even before she fully opens her eyes. Her heartbeat pounds in her ears, as though she had been swallowed up by her own body. But as she fights with her heavy limbs, her left leg cries out in its upset. It feels as though a million long needles are buried into the side of her hip and down the length of her leg. As she lays there flat on her back, eyes still closed, it''s a close fluttering noise that causes her eyes to spring open.

    The canopy of giant pine trees above her allows for a small peek at the lavender-colored sky. Her eyes drift back and forth between the breaks in the canopy as she traces the stars that twinkle in the daylight. A hazy purple swirl of sun and stars reminds her of the hazy purple film that had covered her vision. Reminds her of the strange man and Ravi in her apartment. Reminds her of herself.

    The fluttering sounds once more. Closer this time than before and her head whips around to follow the sound. Hot exhales make little clouds that flood her vision as she breathes through her clenched teeth. Her leg is in more pain than she can remember feeling in a long time.  She gets her bearings and pulls her body up despite the ache, despite realizing that she feels¡­wrong. Her body feels different and not just the way that her chest feels heavy or her lungs feel chilled. It¡¯s something deeper. Something within her that makes her blood feel too hot for her veins, there¡¯s a tick after every heartbeat, and a buzz that illuminates somewhere within her, grinding against her bones as it floats through her body, singing a song that she cannot remember but it remembers her with each caress of it melody.

    Her warm jacket is gone, replaced with thick tulle and silk runs down her legs and crawls up her arms. Light blue fabric flares out around her waist, ripped in places, a tight corset hugging her upper half, leaving her arms and neck bare. The same dress the woman who looked like her had been wearing in that video, that woman who shared her name and her voice. The hand that runs along her collarbone finds something unfamiliar there, healed ragged scarring runs along the left side of her prominent collarbone, and when she finds her shoulder and smooths a hand down her arm, she finds more. Scars, as white as the snow on the ground, carved into her skin.

    Her hands are shaking almost as much as her legs are and when she¡¯s finally able to win the fight with the tulle and get her feet underneath her, her toes prickle with a chill against the cold snow.  That fluttering noise echoes again through the trees, and as she spins, getting caught in the fabric of the elaborate dress the snow-covered trees turn into giant, blurry monsters. But there, through a small patch of broken branches Finnley spots where the sound comes from. A tiny, bird-sized figure with wings fluttering so fast she looks like a hummingbird, except she is a woman. Finnley blinks, desperate to clear her vision. The small creature with purple hair that matches the tiny dress she wears, and translucent fluttering wings watches her from a distance. Her little legs swayed back and forth beneath her hovering body.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Finnley calls out to the creature with hesitation and confusion.

    But before she can get the full word out of her mouth the little creature flutters faster than Finnley¡¯s eyes can detect and she¡¯s suddenly floating like something from a fairytale beside her head.

    ¡°I told him you would wake faster than anticipated!¡± Her voice is high pitched, like something Finnley would imagine dogs for miles can hear. ¡°He went to collect his things. Perhaps he will have a cloak. I can¡¯t imagine why you would wear this into the Orion mountains.¡± She flicks a tiny hand over her long narrow nose, her glowing purple orbs blinking at Finnley¡¯s confused expression, waiting for some type of response from the girl. But instead, Finnley stares at her, at the fluttering wings behind her back. Mesmerized by the rainbow colors that illuminate them.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to stare!¡± The tiny lady snaps at her a few moments later, her wings tucking in close to her body and she is suddenly just levitating in the air.

    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Finnley stutters. ¡°Am I still dreaming?¡±

    The tiny creature crosses her arms and raises her chin. ¡°I might be someone that people dream about but you most certainly are not dreaming.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what someone in my dreams would say.¡±

    The tiny woman scowls, her large eyes ranking over Finnley¡¯s person. ¡°He wasn¡¯t kidding, was he?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Finnley questions, her eyes shifting back to the fluttering wings.

    She scoffs, frowning and waving a hand at Finnley. ¡°I am Classisa, of the protectors of the Orion forest.¡±

    ¡°Orion?¡±

    A soft look covers Classisa''s face as she flutters closer, and Finnley flinches as the tiny female reaches her warm hands forward, cupping her cheeks. ¡°You have returned to the Equator, Finnula.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Classia¡¯s small hand falls away, and she flutters around Finnley¡¯s body once, and then thrice, as though she¡¯s looking for something. ¡°I thought that he was simply telling a fib. Trying to get me to not be so invasive, but you truly have lost all memory of us. That¡¯s not supposed to happen.¡± She tusks as she meets Finnley¡¯s eyes again. ¡°How will you save us if you can¡¯t remember who you are?¡±

    ¡°Who am I?¡± It sounds like a ridiculous question coming out of her mouth but it slips out.  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The little fairy, Classisa looks at her with a face of pity. Haunting and scared, like she¡¯s just been told a friend has been sentenced to death. ¡°Finnula-¡±

    ¡°Classisa!¡± The tiny female''s name echoes through the thick woods, ¡° I told you to leave her alone!¡±

    Captain Abilenne emerges from the thick treeline, and Finnley blinks twice to make sure she¡¯s seeing correctly. The man from her loft looked every bit as confident as he had in the pub but the man that now marched towards them was not the same as the one that sat comfortably in her arm chair. Not in the obvious ways she was, but enough that as he approached she could pinpoint it. The sharp angles on his face that hadn¡¯t been as prominent in her apartment. The pointed ear keeping a strand of hair out of his face. The glow that washed through his skin against the harsh white light of snow that surrounded them. The way he felt more dangerous then he had when he stood with a gun across from her. There was something that radiated from him now, something she hadn¡¯t been able to see before. Something she could feel gravitate towards her as she looked upon him.

    Clad in thick leather pants, and a white flowing tunic tucked beneath a thick, long fur winters jacket, a glimmering golden handle sits at his hip. His curly hair falling across his forehead, carrying a small bag slung across his back.

    Finnley couldn¡¯t help but think about how truly out of place he had looked when she had seen him before opposed to how he looked now. Emerging from the thick trees surrounded by snow, the Captain looked as though he belonged to this place, as elegant and otherworldly as the forest surrounding them.

    Striding towards them, his dark glare set on Classisa who had fallen silent at his shouting.

    ¡°Did you drug me?¡± Finnley demands as he stops before them.  ¡°Am I hallucinating?¡± The darkness of his glare finds her then.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m a hallucination to you? Because I refuse to be called fairy?¡± Classisa squeals, ¡°Let me tell you, I was so excited that you had been found! I have heard great things, I couldn¡¯t believe I would be on shift when the-¡± The Captain reaches out and grabs the small being by her wing, causing a small yelp to escape her sending a jolt through Finnley.

    ¡°I told you if you were going to be here you needed to keep your mouth shut, Classisa.¡± He grumbles as he places her on his shoulder, where she perches herself like a bird. She purses her lips out, pouting in a way, but says nothing. ¡°And I didn¡¯t drug you.¡± He spits in Finnley''s direction.

    Classia nods in confirmation from her place on his shoulder.

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡±

    Clarissia lets out a loud, melodic laugh but the Captain¡¯s serious eyes stay glued to her own.

    His voice is low, and she can practically feel the heat of his breath from where she stands, ¡°No.¡± The tone of his voice chills her to the bone, fill her veins with dread when he chuckles, and lowly mumbles, ¡°Not today.¡±

    ¡°Where is Ravi?¡± She demands, for the first time since waking up realizing he had also been present in the apartment.

    ¡°Probably sleeping soundly in his bed with that large blond man he is so fond of.¡±

    ¡°Did you hurt him?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hurt one of my own men.¡±

    One of his own men? Ravi had known him, and had only seemed surprised by the stranger in her apartment for moments before a smile had taken over his face.

    ¡°How did I get here?¡±

    His thick brows furrow, ¡°I brought you here.¡±

    Finnley frowns and opens her mouth but not before Classisa snaps out, ¡°Under a sleep spell.¡±

    "Excuse me?¡±

    Slamming the duffle bag into the snow, he crouches down as he starts to search through it. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the logistics. I did my job; you are safe and have returned through the portal.¡±

    ¡°So, you did drug me.¡±

    ¡°No, I did not. I don¡¯t drug people.¡± He spits the denial.

    ¡°A sleep spell sounds like a drugging to me.¡± She barks back.

    He grunts, tossing her a piece of thick brown fabric. ¡°Yes, I suppose I did. There was no reason to fight you the whole way here.¡±

    ¡°Where is here?¡± She demands as she unrolls the thick brown coat. Finnley practically purrs at the newfound warmth that wraps around her as she pulls on the wool coat.

    Classisa¡¯s wings flutter as she gives Finnley a point look, ¡°I already told you, Finnula, you are in the Orion mountains.¡±

    The little creature¡¯s wide eyes watch her as though she is searching for any kind of recognition for her words. ¡°My name is Finnley. What does that mean exactly?¡±

    Classisa looks towards the Captain, who keeps searching through the duffle but he makes no move to interrupt her despite his earlier disputes. The little creature takes another deep breath in as her wings start to flutter faster. ¡°Elek brought you through the Mandr Portal from Midguard, to your true home.¡± The creature does a little spin, before her purple eyes meet Finnley¡¯s again. ¡°We are in the Orion Mountains of the Celestial Equator.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? Portal? Orion?¡± The laugh that escapes her holds no humor, ¡°Those are just words.¡±

    ¡°I brought you through a portal from the Earth realm, to this one, the Celestial Equator.¡± He stands, the long jacket flowing out around his legs. ¡°You were not meant to be on Earth. I made a blood oath to return you home and your home is on the Celestial Equator in Noctarae.¡±

    Finnley stares at him, blinking once, and then twice. Her mind sorting through all of the different ways she knows to wake herself up from sleep.  Blinking, focusing on the freezing feeling of her toes, pinching the skin on her wrist but no matter how many times she blinked the male and the tiny female were still in front of her.

    ¡°What does the Celestial Equator mean?¡±

    Classisa gives a small melodic giggle. ¡°We don¡¯t typically have visitors who don¡¯t understand. When a being travels through the celestial realm it''s typically someone who has knowledge of it.¡±

    Captain Ablieene rolls his eyes so harshly that Finnley wonders if it hurts to do so, ¡°We are in the Celestial Realm. A plane of existence outside the realm that Earth is on. Instead we are in the Celestial dimension, and the Celestial Equator is the realm that encompasses that of the Celestial World.¡±

    A lump has found its home in her throat and it hurts as she tries to breath around it. ¡°Are you saying we are in the stars?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying you are no longer on Earth; to be in the stars we would have to be on what Earth refers to as their galaxy. Which we are not.¡± The tone of his voice gives the impression the conversation was over but Finnley is flooded with questions. She has the feeling she won¡¯t get any answers quickly from these two.

    ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, we have a long haul to get you back home.¡± The captain flings a pair of thick wool socks and worn leather boots at her, ¡°Put these on, I don¡¯t want you catching your death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going insane¡­¡± She whispers to herself, gazing around the meadow.

    A thick huff escapes the Captain, ¡°Don¡¯t consider yourself so lucky.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Elek!¡± Classisa snaps.

    Finnley¡¯s glare only meets the Captain¡¯s rolling eyes. ¡°Well what should I consider myself other than confused, cold and abducted?¡±

    ¡°You can consider yourself on your way home!¡± Classisa triumphantly smiles, ¡°We are in the Orion mountains; your home is towards the south of the realm.¡± She throws her tiny hand out, pointing towards the sprawling forest. ¡°The Star Valley is the great stretch before the end of the equator. Your home is there, in Noctarae.¡±

    ¡°And at this rate it will take us four cycles to get there.¡± Without a look at either of them the Captain throws the large bag across his back and starts towards the trees.

    For a long moment she stares after him suddenly all too aware of how cold her feet are now that her upper half is tucked within the warm coat. Tugging on each sock and the oversized boots after another she lifts out a huff and despite herself, follows after him.

    Finnley quickly follows along, Classisa fluttering beside her.

    ¡°Four cycles?¡±  She glances up at the small woman fluttering at her side.

    ¡°Of the moon!¡± Classisa explains with a kind smile. ¡°Time does not pass here the way it does in the Earth realm.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±  Classisa looks as though she has something to say but keeps her lips tightly together with a small smile.

    As they rush forward, at his heels she questions,¡°Your name is Elek?¡±

    He side-eyes her as she falls into an even pace beside him, her oversized boots crunching into the icy ground. ¡°My name is Captain Abilenne.¡± He growls but Classisa¡¯s musical giggle follows his harsh words.

    ¡°Captain Elek Abilenne.¡± She confirms tapping Finnley on her shoulder, wiggling her brows in a crude gesture as Elek growls her name in upset.  ¡°Some might say he is a man of many titles.¡±

    ¡°Did I invite you on this trek?¡± Elek snaps at the little fairy.

    ¡°I am a forest fairy¡­¡± Cocking her head to the side, Classisa grins before doing a little spin and raising a brow at him, ¡°and this is my forest. Technically you are the intruder.¡±

    ¡°And yet you let me through.¡±

    Classisa looks towards her with an explanation, ¡°Who am I to deny someone who holds an oath to the heir of the Astrophel throne?¡±

    Finnley follows the two of them as they banter back and forth about lines of rule, forest patrols and a dozen other things that Finnley cannot make sense of. Dragging her feet through the snow, her chest aches with the freeze in the air.

    ¡°So you just expect me to believe that I need to follow you,¡± How was she already so out of breath, ¡°a strange man who broke into my home, kidnapped me, brought me into an unknown forest, feeding me a bunch of bullshit about a destined, secret, magical oath?¡±

    Elek barks out a harsh laugh, and whips around to face her. ¡°Did you not see a recording of yourself giving you those exact instructions?¡± His hot breaths send puffs of clouds into her face. ¡°Did you not listen to a thing you¡¯ve been told? Did you not wake up in a different dimension? Do you not see a flying fairy before you? Or notice the way your body has responded to this place? Or the way your guide is suddenly not as human-looking as I was before?¡±

    Quirking her chin up, she stares him right in the eyes. ¡°None of this is real.¡±

    With no warning Elek harshly grasps her right arm, pulling the sleeve of her coat down and grips her forearm, so hard she cringes. ¡°You are being called home.¡±

    She follows his eyes to her arm where her once clean skin is now adorned with a brand of sorts. ¡°What is this?¡±

    His grip does not release from her arm. ¡°Guardian¡¯s are marked with their bonded land. You are being called to the land that is your destiny...¡±

    Her opposite hand traces over the glowing symbol branded into her upper arm. Like some kind of tattoo, she analyses the glowing crimson tracing of a starburst that pulses against her pale skin. She would have been less worried if it looked raw, pulsing with the newness of pain but instead there on her arm was a mark that looked at home blended into her freckled and scarred skin. ¡°You want to tell me how this isn¡¯t real?¡± He huffs, shoving her sleeve back down arm, ¡°Then do it while we walk, because you have a lot of work to do, Sparkles.¡±

    He leaves little to no room for complaints as he grabs her by the front of her coat, and she¡¯s suddenly warm once again. As though the coat had just been pulled from a warm dryer, like it had sat beside an open fire for hours. As though her body heat had never left her.

    ¡°And keep this tight, I don¡¯t need to be returning you to death''s door because you can¡¯t properly find your way through some snow.¡± He doesn¡¯t wait for her response as he starts to button the large wooden knobs down the front of her body, tucking all of the mysterious heat around her, his eyes keeping her gaze as he grumbles. ¡°Listen to me, and we might get you there before it''s too late.¡±

    ¡°Too late for what?¡±

    ¡°For the Fall of the Stars.¡± Classisa pipes in from her place behind Elek.

    Elek¡¯s eyes snap up to her, waiting for her reaction. ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°She truly remembers nothing.¡± Elek signs to Classisa, turning his back from Finnley again. ¡°The sooner she returns, the better chance she has.¡±

    Just like that he continues on his way, without another look towards either of them.

    Classisa starts after him again, and Finnley takes one glance around her at the thick forest and starts after them. Dragging her numb left leg behind her as she tries to carefully step in the outlines of Elek¡¯s boot prints in the snow. Stepping carefully in each spot he does, she trails after them in silence. They walk through the deep snow until Finnley¡¯s lungs feel as though they are on fire from the cold air, like she can¡¯t catch her breath. When she finally stops, gasping loudly Classisa stops and flutters over to her as she grasps her chest. Elek shows no signs of concern and doesn¡¯t slow down, quickly disappears from her view.

    ¡°I told him this pass was not made for human bodies.¡± Classisa worries around her, ¡°But he was adamant that your body would adapt back to its old ways but with that leg of yours, I knew it would take time. Just take deep breaths.¡±

    Classisa doesn¡¯t leave or rush her to continue on, she simply flutters in place beside her, reassuring her that once she catches her breath it will be easier.

    Once Finney¡¯s gaze meets Classisa¡¯s once more, and her breathing has evened they start again, following Elek¡¯s tracks. ¡°The Fall of the Stars is spoken of in the prophecies given by the Gods to the Guardians.¡± Classist¡¯s voice fills the quiet air around the crunching noises of snow beneath Finnley¡¯s feet. ¡°It is a predestined event in our time. We do not know when it will occur, only that it will and it will change every life on our world.¡±

    ¡°What is the Fall of the Stars?¡±

    ¡°It is the prophecy of our people.¡± Classisa begins, ¡°The Gods told the original rulers that one day a child will descend upon our lands and bring with it power from the sky. The very magic that holds together our world will fall from the skies and the stars will flicker out. Bringing an unknown darkness to our world. An heir believed to be lost will take rule over the equator, and the King Destroyer will yield a blade lost in time. And in their time of peril the Gods will not hear the cries of the Guardians, and they will pay for their sins. It is then that those born in the heart of the realm will come to call¡­¡±

    ¡°And we will watch the stars, as old as the Gods blink out, making way for new life.¡± Elek finishes for her, his eyes locked on Finnley from where he had paused to listen to Classisa.

    ¡°The prophecies claim that the fall of the stars will be the beginning of the return to the order that was here before your people came.¡± He tells her.

    ¡°And what does that have to do with me?¡±

    Classisa¡¯ s wide eyes ahead to where The Captain treks on a few hundred feet ahead of them, ignoring her completely.

    Classisa reaches out for her, ¡°Finnula¡­¡±

    Before Finnley realizes what she¡¯s doing she snaps out, ¡°My name is Finnley!¡±

    A soft look passes over the fairies face, pity. ¡°He has not told me everything. Very little actually. But I do know that his oath was to move into motion when it was believed that the time would come. For certain. I do not know how he knows, or how anyone could possibly know he would be able to do this but you did.¡± The tiny female''s words pour out of her then, as though she¡¯s unable to stop them, ¡°You knew your fathers death marked the beginning of the prophecy. You knew that the attempted destruction of the Guardians was the start. But something has happened, a tide has turned somewhere in our world and Elek is certain that the stars will fall sooner than later, and war will be at our doorsteps once again.¡±

    Beneath her, Finnley''s feet crunched in the snow with each word. Like a clock ticking, and her heart began to beat faster with each tick.

    ¡°My father¡­?¡± She starts but looks up to see the fairy is no longer beside her.

    Finnley glances towards the small fairy who suddenly halted in her flying. ¡°I can no longer go any farther.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Classisa¡¯s large glowing purple eyes meet Finnley¡¯s. ¡°My forest ends just ahead..¡± She glances ahead, where Elek stands at the base of the large mountain. ¡°My boundary stops here but Finnley.¡± The female warns, ¡°This war will force all of us to take a side. And hopefully you will be able to find your memories before you are forced to choose.¡±

    ¡°And what if I can¡¯t find my memories?¡±

    Classisa simply shrugs, ¡°Only the Gods know, but I suspect whatever you knew was important enough that you made sure it could not be used against you in this war.¡±

    ¡°We will meet again Finnula,¡± Classisa declares, ¡° I am sure of this, as sure as I am that you will protect our lands from what¡¯s to come.¡±

    ¡°And how can you be so sure of that?¡±

    For the first time since she had appeared, Classisa lost the animated expression, and her brow furrowed for a long moment before she took a deep breath, glancing behind Finnley once. ¡°Elek believes you are meant to right our world again and as long as he believes this, so will I.¡±

    Before Finnley could respond or even blink, Classisa was gone. Zipping through the treeline eventually blending in with the snow that had started to fall.

 Chapter 4

    As they finally reach a snowy peak that she could have sworn they had stumbled upon at least five times, Finnley finally asks, ¡°What exactly are you the Captain of?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> grunts over the loud whipping winds that toss his wild curly hair around his head.

    Reaching a hand out, Finnley grasps his out reached hand as she reaches the end of the treacherous incline that they had ventured up. It doesn¡¯t pass her mind that his hand is extremely warm compared to her own numb hand or the freezing air around them. Her hand practically burned as it met his warmth.

    ¡°You¡¯re called Captain Abilenne¡± She shrugs, ¡°so what are you actually a Captain of? Or is it a weird nickname?¡±

    He lets go of her hand once she¡¯s steadily standing beside him. ¡°I¡¯m the Captain of the Star Bender.¡±

    ¡°Star Bender?¡± She echoes back in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a ship.¡± He quips back before looking out towards the large cliff side ahead of them.

    ¡°What kind of ship?¡± She can¡¯t help but wonder if its a spaceship, at this point she wouldn¡¯t be surprised.

    ¡°The kind that floats.¡± He quips back with a raised brow.

    She rolls her eyes and tucks her hands into her coat pocket again. ¡°And how do you and I know one another?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± He says gruffly.

    She mirrors his annoyed tone, ¡°But we clearly do.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t really know one another.¡± He clarifies, ¡°You found me before you disappeared and we spent all of a hand full of hours together.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Finnley pushes for an explanation.

    <mark>Elek</mark> takes a deep inhale, his chest rising and falling beneath the thick black furs. ¡°You needed someone to take a blood oath, and you found me and bound me to the oath, so that when your Kingdom needed you someone would bring you back.¡±

    ¡°But why¡­you?¡± She squints at him against the cold wind, ¡°No offense. I just mean why would I choose someone I¡¯d never met to swear an oath that could change the projection of whatever it was that I was doing?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡± He quickly stops himself, but she stares at him waiting for her answer so he continues, ¡°Because you knew I would do what needed to be done.¡±

    ¡°How would I know that if I didn¡¯t know you?¡±

    His amber eyes flicker darkly. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll have to remember that for yourself. You only told me what you thought I needed to know, and that wasn¡¯t very much.¡±

    ¡°We had never met before?¡± She pushes. ¡°I was just some crazy person binding you to me with a blood oath?¡±

    He catches her arm when her feet slip beneath her on a thick patch of ice. ¡°Thank you,¡± She mutters gratefully.

    He nods absentmindedly, ¡°You showed up at the Star Bender and told me that come sunrise <mark>Noctarae</mark> would announce your sisters death to the Equator but that it would be a lie. You convinced me that this oath was what you needed to ensure your return.¡±

    ¡°So how did you know when to bring me back?¡±

    He purses his lips, ¡°The last village of the Northern lands have been taken.¡±

    ¡°Taken by who?¡± she prods. When he doesn¡¯t answer her question, she tries again, ¡°And so you just waited?¡±

    ¡°By a false ruler.¡± His jaw tightens. ¡°I waited, yes.¡±

    What an odd thing, she thinks. To have some stranger bind you by some magical law to only have to be forced to wait for who knows how long to actually have to fulfill your oath. ¡°Why would you wait? Why go along with any of it if you didn¡¯t know me?¡±

    ¡°Because I believed you.¡± He reveals with a deep exhale.

    But still she questions, ¡°How could you believe something from someone you didn¡¯t know?¡±

    His eyes are warm when he turns to look at her, ¡°I suppose you convinced me to believe in you.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know what to say to that, and it turns out he didn¡¯t want to hear whatever it was she had to say as he treks ahead. Each step he takes leaving a soft footprint in the icy ground, and she follows.

    Step for step.

    She can¡¯t see how much of an incline they have climbed, because as she glimpse behind her all that¡¯s in her path is a thick sheet of fog and snow, but they are high enough that the snow has stopped falling and they now stand in the thick mist. On the opposite side of the mountain range down a steep, snow filled cliff side looks to be the tops of more trees, all the way down until the point that she can no longer make anything out.

    ¡°Is the oath how we have matching markings?¡± She asks as she follows his zig-zagged path through the snow covered trees.

    He huffs loudly, ¡°You could say that.¡±

    She makes note that he seems to have issues with giving straight answers.

    ¡°What can you tell me?¡± She doesn¡¯t mean for the rumble of her voice to come out so loud or aggressive but her frustration gets the better of her.

    After a long moment of silence he lets out a sigh, ¡°I can tell you that the Guardians were only gifted with one offspring.¡±

    She thinks nothing of it as she presses her heels deep into the icy snow. With each step she takes and each intake of breath becomes more and more difficult the further they walk and gradually a ringing starts to form in her head. The air is thin, and dry up here despite the falling snow.

    ¡°So they only have one offspring. What does that¡­¡± She thinks back to the words of the video before her eyes flick to him, ¡°I have a sister.¡±

    ¡°You do,¡± He nods. ¡°And you need to find her. She is the rightful ruler Noctarae.¡±

    ¡°And how do you purpose I do that?¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> raises a brow but smirks, ¡°First you need to make it off this mountain.¡± He motions for her to continue walking, ¡°She¡¯s trapped inside that mind of yours with whatever information you had. Once you can remember, you¡¯ll have a better shot of figuring out where she is.¡±

    The hike had given her plenty of time to think of anything but how cold her nose and hands are, and how much pain was shooting through her leg. It had given her plenty of time to stop dwelling on her physical pain, and to dwell on all the painful memories she was missing. To try to link together the small pieces she had been given but it had been no use because every time she started to think about it, her chest would tighten and she thought she might pass out from not getting enough air, and they would have to stop and <mark>Elek</mark> would become frustrated and so she stopped thinking about it. Stopped thinking about any of it, and just kept her mind on what was happening right in front of her. The snow, the wind, the sounds of whatever wildlife could survive in this horrible terrain. She counted the amount of seconds it took for <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark>footprints to disappear into the snow, and how many times he glanced back at her. She thought about how there was no way the leather pants he wore were comfortable, and about how if his fur coat wasn¡¯t so long she would be able to rake her eyes over the rest of his muscular legs.

    Until finally she couldn¡¯t not think anymore, ¡°Why do you think she was claimed to be dead?¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> shrugs, ¡°There could be many reasons.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°She could be dead¡­like your father. Perhaps you thought you knew something but they knew more.¡± He shrugs, ¡°But the coincidence of your sister being murdered on the night of her coronation and the night your father was also murdered under mysterious circumstance right before the Realm went to war¡­¡± He shrugs, ¡°Perhaps she ran away herself. But¡­it could also be that to keep her quiet, those in power took the opportunity to make her disappear.¡±

    She knows she should feel something. Be more emotional for her stranger of a sister, but there¡¯s nothing there. Not even a slight ache of grief in her chest. Nothing but the sting of the chilly air. <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> intense stare meets hers.

    ¡°Do you think she knew what I knew? Would someone be trying to keep her quiet because she knew the information I made myself forget?¡±

    He huffs out a chuckle, but he never denies it. Instead he says, ¡°When <mark>Alora</mark> was birthed from her star, along with all the other children blessed by the Gods, a choir went out across the realm of the new heir of <mark>Noctarae</mark>, a new protector of stars would bring safety to us all.¡± She nods to pretend that she understands what he means, ¡°I was on an isolated ship in the middle of the Star Sea with my father and I still heard it. It was all that was talked about in every corner of the world. Every celestial being heard the news. A female ruler in a world of Guardians. There had not been a female Guardian since the Original rulers and she was here to bring peace back to the lands.¡±

    Something within her sparked at that.

    This sister whom she didn¡¯t know, who had the pressures of being the first female ruler since her line was to bring peace back to lands that had not known peace since her bloods reign had began.

    ¡°We all heard of <mark>Alora¡¯s</mark> birth.¡± He glances down at her, now having slowed his pace to walk beside her, ¡°But I felt it when you were born.¡±

    ¡°What does-¡°

    ¡°The entire realm felt it. The realm shook. The entire realm was flooded with water from the skies that don¡¯t produce rain, and the Realm broke into parts. I remember how terrifying it was as a child, and I wasn¡¯t even at the heart of it. They call it The Great Break, the original battle for this land. The equator was broken into six pieces with no rhyme or reason. Many died and not nearly enough survived and it was¡­ a good thing for the Guardians who came to take control of the land. While the Guardians were at war, you simply appeared one day from nothing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean just appeared?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t here, and then suddenly Guardian Astrophel won the battle, you were created out of his power.¡± He glances down, watching as the snow melts beneath his feet. ¡°So I imagine there¡¯s always been things in your mind that you were trying to hide.¡±

    Abruptly, he turns and walks ahead with no other glance towards her.

    She struggles keeping up, bulldozing after him as she sinks down into the snow. ¡°Wait!¡± He continues on. ¡°You can¡¯t just say that and not explain to me what you mean.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t look at her when she finally reaches his side instead he looks out at the gray clouds around them on the cliff side. For her, its all blurry shapes and thick coverage but she can see in the way his eyes flicker that he can see what she cannot.

    ¡°I had never seen a storm before.¡± He starts, ¡°I had never seen cracks of lightening or felt the drip of rain, or heard the clash of thunder. My father had never seen it, my mother had never seen it, my <mark>grandsire</mark> had been born to dry land.. The Star Sea was stagnate, it had never produced a currant or had a tide, these mountains were simply rock, dirt, inhabited for lifetimes. Our people had never had water fall from the sky. Our sky had been that of the stars, home to only them and we new nothing of the Darkest Hour as we do now. Our land was stable, allowing the Equator to thrive. These lands¡­this realm had always provided for our kind. We worshiped it and in turn it gave us peace until suddenly one day, it changed.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°And your saying that was my fault.¡±

    His look is as cold as the harsh wind that rips through her hair, ¡°Yes.¡±

    And then he continues on.

    The thick snow cover nothing to him as he plows through it. He takes no mind of the wind that chapped her cheeks or the flakes that clung to her eyelashes. She barley notices them either as her hands warmed in her coat pockets and her toes stayed toasty despite the snow that had fallen into her boots.

    Her limbs beg her to stop.

    Her bones beg her to give up. To lie on the freezing ground and close her eyes one last time but for the first time since waking up in that hard hospital bed, the ache for answers is stronger than the call to give up. And the words that drift past the cloudy sky are too good to not meet the Captain for each step.

    ¡°The realm had never known weather, or anything that wasn¡¯t in a stagnate state until that day. Most said it was because the Guardians killed the original King and Queen¡¯s of the realm, the war had ended and therefore the peace the realm had once known was gone. That the great Mother of the lands was crying for her children and the Gods were scheming.¡±

    ¡°But the creatures of this land all believe that there is only light and darkness. There are the light of the stars above us and the darkness below us. And they all believe each is correct yet they forget that its our world in between. Our world in the gray.¡±

    The longer they walk the more painful it is for her to take deep breaths, and the pressure on her chest becomes greater, and she¡¯s reminded with every powerful step that he takes that the man before her is not human. He¡¯s nothing like she is.

    ¡°Your birth was never announced, never celebrated by the people. You simply just appeared out of war.¡± His husky voice raises over the howling winds, ¡°It wasn¡¯t for many years that I put two and two together. That the great break was not because of the fall of the original rulers but because of your birth.¡±

    He give her a quick glance before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re the first child in this realm to not be blessed by the Gods.¡±

    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I blessed?¡± she asks.

    He assists her up onto another level of the terrain, grasping her at the hips and lifting her so she doesn¡¯t have to place extra strain on her leg. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But Finnley,¡± He starts up a steep path then, and she follows his steps precisely, stepping in each spot he does, grasping onto the tree branches in the way that he does, the bark thick and moist beneath her palms. ¡°I know that you were not born the way the other guardian children in the realm were. I believe Astrophel used something dark to produce another heir, something unacceptable in the eyes of the Gods.¡±

    Something unacceptable in the eyes of the Gods.

    She was unacceptable in the eyes of the Gods.

    ¡°What does the storm or the break have to do with me?¡±

    ¡° You were born moments before an entire realm broke itself apart, and two of the oldest living beings in the realm died, resulting in the takeover of said realm. You were born out of the death of what our world used to be.¡±

    When he starts to climb faster she realizes its the end of the conversation. He has ended it.

    It¡¯s impossible for her to calculate how long it had taken for them to reach the opposite side of the mountain range when it seemed like the sun¡¯s place in the sky never drifted and the moon that seemed impossibly large never shifted from its high set position beside its opposite. They had gone long enough that they had stopped for water multiple times, none of which <mark>Elek</mark> drank, and Finnley¡¯s legs felt as if they had disappeared from her body miles ago. She had stopped asking hours ago how much further they had left when <mark>Elek</mark> had responded with a calculation of the moon she had not understood and when she asked him about it, he continued to recite the same thing again and again and yet no matter how many times he did, it still did not trigger anything in her mind.

    When <mark>Elek</mark> finally stops and helps her drop down into a small alcove in the side of the mountain, she wants to cry out with joy but instead she flops her body down on the large rocks and cradles the canteen of warm water he hands her but to her dismay, her legs begin to tingle back to life and a groan escapes her as she flexes her ankles.

    The alcove covers them from the intense winds and ice that accompanies the high elevation and for the first time since she disappeared out of her apartment she feels as though she can actually breathe easily.

    ¡°What did <mark>Classisa</mark> mean when she said my human body?¡±

    Leaning against the cave wall, looking out towards whatever lay at the base of the mountain, <mark>Elek</mark> tracks some unseen movement with his dark eyes. ¡°I fear your body grew accustomed to Earth, and to protect you, adapted into a human body.¡±

    She hesitates before asking. ¡°How¡­how would it adapt? Was my body not human before?¡±

    ¡°Listen Sparkly, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone in your Kingdom who can explain all of this to you.¡± He lets out a small chuckle, his eyes never moving from whatever target he had found over the edge of the cliff. ¡°Hell, maybe you¡¯ll get your memories back by then.¡±

    ¡°What if I never get them back?¡±

    ¡°Then you will thank the stars,¡± He doesn¡¯t look at her, but the intense staring in his eyes changes slightly as he frowns. ¡°and we¡¯ll send you back to Earth to live a full human life, and you¡¯ll forget this ever happened.¡±

    ¡°And if I remember?¡± Instead of an answer, he turns and for the first time since they had arrived to this strange place that shes still not quiet sure is not all a ploy to get her off into the middle of nowhere to kill her and hide the body, he looks at her. Actually looks at her. Takes her all in, and even when she looks away out of the embarrassment that runs through her at his engrossed gaze, she can feel his eyes travel across her.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asks with intrigue, the first expression aside from overall irritation that he¡¯s allowed to show.

    She follows his gaze, down to her left ankle where it¡¯s sticking out of her skirts, pale and thin, shaking with anger and pain. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±

    His eyes move back to whatever he¡¯s watching, ¡°Well, we happen to have a lot of time.¡±

    She groans, sliding her long skirts and coat back over her leg to keep in the heat and to tuck away from his prying eyes. ¡°I was thrown from a window.¡±

    His eyes whip up to her, his eyes finding hers. ¡°What?¡±

    She nods, ¡°You aren¡¯t the first person to break into my apartment.¡±

    A scowl paints his face, ¡°When did this happen?¡±

    ¡°About six months ago.¡± She explains, ¡°Chances are I¡¯ll always have the limp, but the doctors said I was lucky to be alive. Which is odd seeing as how they¡¯ve told me that twice in the past two years when waking up in the hospital.¡±

    He looks away, deep in thought before a deafening noise from below distracts him and suddenly the world around them is shaking. Packed snow falls in sheets from above the cave opening as the entire cave shakes violently, like some kind of earthquake. When she glances back at him, <mark>Elek</mark> has steadied himself against the cave wall looking over the edge of the cave, fresh snow decorating his curls. With no words he gestures for her to go over to him, and places a finger against his lips, signaling her to be silent.

    Pulling her body up she attempts to keep her feet under her and the cave shakes once again. Attempting to take careful, powerful steps she reaches the the edge of the cave. <mark>Elek</mark> pulls her towards him, placing them right on the edge of the mountain side, his lips against her ear. ¡°Look, just there,¡± He points down the snowy mountain side below them, ¡°Do you see it?¡±

    A large creature, so large it practically towers over the mountaintop. Elegantly camouflaged in with the snow, it¡¯s long talons raking against the mountain-side, climbing its way onto the peak opposite them, where they had been just hours before. The mountain trembles again as the creature continues its climb, paying them no mind.

    ¡°The winter whites are native to the Orion mountains.¡± His hot breath whispers against her ear, ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Beautiful was an understatement in her mind. The creature was the most magnificent thing she had ever laid her eyes on.

    The winter white¡¯s spiked tail whips back and forth with the wind as it crawls up and over the mountain¡¯s peak before disappearing over the other side, the mountain shaking gently once more before stopping completely. ¡°That must be where it beds for the night.¡±

    She whirls toward him, his chin just above her brow. ¡°That was a dragon!¡±

    His warm eyes meet hers finally, ¡°Indeed.¡± He confirms, ¡°You¡¯ve just seen the first Winter White of the season. Looks to be a babe.¡±

    ¡°A babe?¡± She gasps, ¡°That thing was massive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no that was small for a winter white.¡± She laughs breathlessly in excitement and disbelief.

    ¡°That was the most amazing thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t realized the warmth that had flooded her body until she had parted from him, and he had stepped back. The crisp coldness covered her body instantly. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s the amazing thing you¡¯ve ever seen.¡± He walks towards the back of the cave where he had abandoned his bag, ¡°Just the most amazing thing you remember seeing.¡±

    He could be right, she could have seen dragons everyday of her life but that didn¡¯t matter because she can¡¯t even remember what her favorite color was let alone dragons.

    ¡°If that¡¯s a baby,¡± She starts, ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s a mommy somewhere?¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> rustles around in his endless magic bag and pulls out a long wool blanket, similar to her coat.

    ¡°Somewhere, yes but probably not here.¡± She watches as he digs into the bag again, elbow deep when the bag should go no further then his mid-arm. ¡°Typically they are on their own by the harvest moon. Take off you¡¯re wet clothes,¡± He casual adds.

    Finnley blinks at him, ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    He dramatically rolls his eyes, and his hand emerges from the bag with what appears to be a thick, <mark>grey</mark> wool tunic and thick pants similar to the ones he has on. ¡°You need to get out of those wet clothes.¡±

    He tosses her the new set, turning his back to her, looking back over the edge of the mountain side.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had these the whole time? I just walked that whole way in a ballgown?¡±

    He lets out a soft chuckle, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have had warm clothes if you had walked that whole way in them.¡±

    The tunic is impossibly soft¡­and warm, almost too warm for her bare hands. As she strips away her coat she takes a moment to finally look at her arms, at the marks that had not been there yesterday. Scars of faded angry red, and bright white line her arms with no rhyme or reason, and right in the middle of all of that is the star. Glowing an almost orange color from beneath her skin, as though a flashlight was shining beneath her skin. An illuminated brand on her skin, right where all can see.

    ¡°Finished?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> questions causing her to reach for the zipper on her dress but it¡¯s not a zipper her hands find but rather ties.

    ¡°I think I might need some help?¡± She sheepishly informs him.

    His eyes imminently land on her when he turns, ¡°You forget how to dress yourself too?¡±

    She shoots him a dirty look, ¡°No, it¡¯s laced.¡±

    She catches the way his eyes look towards her star brand as he walks over to assist her, ¡°Pretty ridiculous of you to have worn this out here anyway.¡±

    He grabs her bare shoulders, turning her to face the back cave wall. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t make the choice.¡±

    His warm hands slide down her shoulder blades, causing her to sigh a little too loudly at the warmth. ¡°Once upon a time, you ventured out here in the middle of winter in that dress, hiked the mountain and went through a portal before anyone even realized you¡¯d left the party.¡±

    ¡°What party?¡±

    His hands stilled for a quick moment before he continues pulling the laces, ¡°Your sister¡¯s coronation.¡±

    She grabs for the front of her dress as more laces loosen. ¡°Oh.¡±

    He pulls the last lace, releasing her from the incredibly uncomfortable dress.

    She slides the tunic over her head and her body feels as though it can relax for the first time in hours, the warmth cradling her. ¡°What can you tell me?¡±

    Chiming into the pants, she pulls them around her waist and reaches for the warm socks, sighing as her feet are finally warm for the first time all day.

    ¡°I can tell you we will sleep here, and then start again in the morning.¡±

    She glances around at his chosen accommodations for the night. Her eyes pausing on the small lantern that now held a simple flickering flame. She hadn¡¯t seen him light it, hadn¡¯t seen where he could have possibly been carrying a lantern this whole time but still it sat poised beside his feet as though it had been by his side their entire journey. ¡°We could have kept going. It¡¯s still light out, perhaps we could have made it to a place with actual walls.¡±

    He raises a brow, ¡°I would say this is an upgrade to those accommodations you had on the mortal realm.¡±

    She shoots him a look, ¡°At least I had a real bed there¡­and a door.¡± She gestures towards the cave mouth.

    He hums at that, ¡°Your door didn¡¯t do you much good though, did it?¡±

    ¡°It did against the cold.¡± She shot back with a raised brow.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be light out for much longer, and you do not want to be out there when darkest night falls.¡±

    ¡°Darkest night?¡±

    ¡°On the equator there is a time of night when the stars and the darkness meet. It¡¯s in this time that the celestial equator is at its most dangerous. The creatures that sleep during the day wake, and the veil between the dark and light is opened. You never know what you¡¯ll run into in the darkest night. All of the land is alive.¡±

    She takes a seat beside him, her back scraping lightly against the rough cave wall. Her gaze follows his out past the cave mouth, ¡°What roams during the darkest night? Goblins?¡± She smiles softly to herself, ¡°Dragons? Great beasts with sharp teeth?¡±

    ¡°If only.¡± He mutters.

    Where she once could not see past the misty clouds, she was now taken with the twinkling of the sky in the distance. Bright blinking filled her vision but just as quickly as they had appeared the stars flickered out as though they had been eradicated completely. There was no light beyond that of the small lantern that still sat at <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> feet. The world around them had gone truly dark, nothing like she had ever seen on Earth. This darkness was not just the absence of light but something thick, something alive as it ate its way through the light.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± She mutters, glancing over to see his face hardened, his eyes still gazing out into the darkness.

    ¡°Some say its a punishment from the Gods.¡± He starts, ¡°A punishment for the Guardians having failed at protecting the equator. Others say the darkest night is a warning from the Kings of <mark>Hel</mark>. A reminder that no matter how safe we believe our world, they still dwell beneath us and despite the Gods, despite the Guardians, are still able to lift the veil as though it¡¯s cheap cloth.¡±

    ¡°What do you believe?¡¯

    He quickly stands, marches over to the blanket, ¡°We are done with questions. No more, I won¡¯t answer any more. Get some sleep. You need it.¡± Chucking the warm blanket at her, he starts for the caves opening, ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch, so you don¡¯t worry about dragons or beasts with great teeth all night.¡±

    A breathe of a smile slides along her face as she tucks herself into the soft and warm blanket, for the floor of a cave, it was somehow the most comfortable she could remember herself being in some time.

    ¡°<mark>Elek</mark>?¡± She finally asks after a long silence, ¡°What do you think is in my head?¡±

    The darkness does not respond for a long time but before her eyes drift close, heavy from the day and her body allows itself to find sleep, he softly responds, ¡°Something that is going to change the tides of our world.¡±

    She lets out a sleepy hum at that, ¡°I was thinking it was a really good pie recipe.¡± She hears the soft breath of a chuckle come from his direction, ¡°Wake me up if you catch sight of him again.¡± She mutters, tucking her head beneath the warm blanket.

 Chapter 5

    Finnley¡¯s breath caught in her throat as she opened her eyes to the jagged ceiling of the cave. Her hand flew to her throat as she fought to catch her breath, the cold air stabbing at her lungs with each inhale and the bright light of the new morning burning her eyes. She had been warm all through the night but the warmth had long since left her body, leaving her fingers numb and stiff as she pulled her fur coat tighter around herself. Shivering, she slid her long pants into the borrowed boots, still unable to shake off the lingering erratic beat of her heart.

    Squinting against the brightness, Finnley¡¯s eyes locked onto <mark>Elek</mark> as he stood near the edge of a cliff beyond the cave mouth. As she made her way towards him, braving an onslaught of frigid wind and blinding sunlight, a sharp gasp escaped her lips. But it wasn¡¯t because of the biting cold - it was because of what lay before her.

    The misty veil of clouds had shrouded their surroundings the previous day, hiding the true height of the towering peaks that rose above them and the great depth that lay below them. She had believed they had reached the summit, only to realize that they were still a mere fraction of the way up the colossal mountain range.

    She strained her eyes and followed <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> gaze to the other side, where a group of dim figures materialized midst the snow-covered landscape. If they had been any further away, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to discern them at all. Even now, they were barely visible against the dazzling white backdrop, their dark clothing providing the only contrast. She counted at least a dozen figures trudging through the freshly fallen snow.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± she whispered, her curiosity piqued.

    <mark>Elek</mark> didn¡¯t seem surprised by her sudden appearance beside him at the entrance of the cave, nor did he look at her as he grumbled in response, ¡°Hunters.¡±

    Her gaze flickered back to the distant figures, trying to make out any details about them. ¡°What are they hunting?¡±

    <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> lips tightened into a thin line as he adjusted his bag on his shoulders and made his way up the small incline towards her. He glanced at her unruly hair, tousled from sleep, before pulling her coat tighter around her as he had done yesterday. His fingers graze her collarbone slightly and before she can comprehend it, she is warming up through his touch. But his tone is cold as he answers, ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, Dragon eggs and not us.¡±

    ***

    With careful steps, she descends the snowy incline, her feet sinking into the mud and melting snow. Despite the weight of her boots, she slips occasionally on the slick ice beneath. <mark>Elek</mark> walks beside her, his movements sure and steady as he guides them through the wintry terrain.

    ¡°If Ravi works for you, why was he with me on Earth?¡± she asks, struggling to keep up with him.

    ¡°Ravi has been stationed on <mark>Midgard</mark> for many years,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> explains in a tense tone. ¡°He was there before you arrived, and since you needed someone close to watch over you, he was the obvious choice.¡±

    ¡°Why was Ravi on Earth in the first place?¡±

    ¡°He was on <mark>Midgard</mark>-¡± He gives her a pointed look, ¡°because he suffers from burnt vein.¡±

    ¡°Burnt vein?¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> ignores how tightly she grips onto him as they move forward. Her hands cling to his coat or arm for stability as they navigate the thick snow and treacherous ice together. ¡°Burnt vein is what happens to us when our star begins to die out. We don¡¯t fully understand it, but it¡¯s a result of living more lifetimes than we are granted.¡±

    The wind picks up around them, sending flurries of snow swirling in every direction. Her hair whips around her face, stinging against her skin.

    ¡°It¡¯s a slow and excruciating process on our plane. A punishment for taking more than we are given.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not painful on Earth?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°Less so then here.¡±

    As she follows closely in his boot prints in the snow, she watches each one melt away under his feet. ¡°Ravi had the choice to stay here and live out his last life, or start anew on <mark>Midgard</mark> where hopefully his human body would not be affected by the death of his star. At least not in the way it would be here.¡±

    A heavy weight settles in her chest as she already knows the answer to her question: ¡°What will happen when his star dies?¡±

    <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> strides seem to lengthen, his steps growing heavier and more deliberate, as he responds with a quiet sadness, ¡°Then he will die, like any other human. That will be the end for him.¡± She stops in her tracks, overwhelmed by the pain in her heart. This man, her dear friend and constant companion for the past few months, was slowly dying before her eyes. She hadn¡¯t even noticed it happening. Instead of cherishing their time together, she had been consumed by her own pain and struggles. Maybe he never would have revealed the truth to her, never would have shared his burden. And that realization fills her with a fiery anger. Despite being her closest confidant and only ally, she was not his. He had been deceiving her all along; every smile and conversation they shared was nothing but a facade. From the moment she woke up in that hospital room and saw him there, wrapped in an uncomfortable blanket on an uncomfortable chair. He had been the only one who showed up for her, according to the nurses. The only one who seemed to care. But it wasn¡¯t true. Their friendship was a lie, a carefully constructed illusion meant to keep watch over her and ensure that her memories remained buried as he slowly approached his final death.

    Sensing the direction of her thoughts, <mark>Elek</mark> interjects, his voice soft yet commanding. ¡°Don¡¯t feel sad for him,¡± he says, nodding towards the individual they had just discussed. ¡°It¡¯s an uncommon occurrence and a great gift that the Gods bestowed upon him. He knew the risk and he took it, and was glad to do so. But he also new what the consequences would be. ¡± His words were heavy with knowledge and wisdom, but also tinged with a hint of sadness. ¡°Ravi has lived many meaningful lives, and has lived on many planes in a way that most could only dream about. He knew his time would come when he had to pay the Gods back for that, and he gladly took it. It will be the last time he is reborn by his star, and at some point he accepted that.¡± The weight of these revelations only added to her sorrow, knowing that she had missed out on so many of his lives and the chance to truly know him.

    ¡°Was this meant to happen to me on Earth?¡± she asks, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°<mark>Midgard</mark>,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> corrects her once again, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. She rolls her eyes playfully and glances at his unruly curls dancing in the wind.

    ¡°Was I supposed to die and then be reborn from my star? To start over?¡± Her voice was filled with curiosity and a hint of desperation. His shoulders tense slightly as he answers, choosing his words carefully. ¡°You were always meant to return,¡± he says. ¡°Whether it would take days or years, I did not know but you were not meant to reborn by your star the way Ravi was.¡±

    Feeling emboldened by her own curiosity, she pushes further. ¡°And if I didn¡¯t come back like this, what would have happened?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> responds with a grim tone, ¡°You would have died a mortal death. Just like Ravi will eventually.¡± She continues with another question, her mind racing with the possibilities. ¡°Would I have gone back to my star?¡± To which <mark>Elek</mark> replies, his voice serious and unyielding, ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain. Our world, the people of this world believe different things, just as they do in any world. You could ask six different males and they would all give you a different answer.¡±

    Frustrated by the lack of concrete answers, she huffs. As they continue their journey through the snow-covered terrain, she stops herself from asking any more questions when a sharp pain takes hold of her chest at inhaling too deeply. <mark>Elek</mark>notices her struggling and reaches for her hand to help her over a fallen tree covered in snow. She notices how quickly he drops her hand as if it burned him, and how confidently he navigates through the treacherous landscape.

    ¡°When I said I was right¡­what did that mean? That I was right about you showing up?¡± she asks, her curiosity getting the best of her once again. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> replies, hesitating before continuing. ¡°It could have referred to The Fall. You were certain that <mark>Astophel¡¯s</mark> death signaled the beginning of it and you were right.¡± Confused, she questions, ¡°How did I know about this event¡­this prophecy?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> answers with a calm yet guarded tone, ¡°As I told you before, you specifically instructed me to find you again once the Northern Lands had been taken. You believed this was the last territory that needed to be taken before the war shifted.¡±

    ¡°And how did the war shift?¡± she questions.

    ¡°Further away from the original bones of our land.¡±

    Frustrated by his elusive answers, she remarks sardonically, ¡°You seem to know more than you¡¯re willing to share.¡± To which <mark>Elek</mark> responds calmly, ¡°You would be surprised at how little I actually know about your plan.¡± She sighs in exasperation and asks one final question, her voice tinged with desperation. ¡°Then who does have the answers?¡±

    He turns around with a cold glare, his expression mirroring the icy landscape surrounding them. ¡°You,¡± he snaps, ¡°were supposed to have all the answers. You did have them, but you chose not to share them with me.¡±

    ¡°And you were only supposed to provide safe passage,¡± she finishes his sentence.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± His shoulders drooped slightly and his breaths came out in puffs of steam, ¡°You got yourself into this mess and it¡¯s not my job to get you out of it.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow ¡°And your job is just to put me back into whatever hell I was in before?¡±

    He chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in it. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you ended up here.¡± His pace quickened and Finnley struggled to keep up with his long strides.

    ¡°Well, at least you know that,¡± she retorts.

    He says nothing as he quickened his pace, and Finnley scrambles to keep up with his long strides.

    ¡°What about-¡±

    ¡°How about we walk in silence and you can search through your scrambled mind for answers?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> interrupts after Finnley begins speaking again. ¡°I clearly don¡¯t have the answers you¡¯re seeking.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°If we have to travel together, let¡¯s try not to kill each other,¡± he grunts, glancing back at her. ¡°Your constant barrage of questions makes that difficult.¡±

    Finnley huffs as they turn another sharp corner in the snow, following him closely along the narrow path carved into the wall of the cave.

    ¡°I only asked one question,¡± she protested, ¡°And it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve been the most upfront about what is going on!¡±

    ¡°I already told you I don¡¯t have the answers,¡± he growls, maneuvering through the twists and turns with ease.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you use some kind of magic to take us there? Like you did with the portal or the sleeping powder?¡±

    His deep laugh echoes around them. ¡°Magic is different from Gods given power, Sparkly.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between bringing us from Earth to wherever this Celestial Belt is, in the middle of nowhere, and going to this <mark>Noctarae</mark>?¡± He let her question hang in the air, refusing to give her a satisfactory answer. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re one of these guardians, right?¡± Finnley grips onto the snowy wall as she shuffles along the narrow ledge. ¡°But you do have powers, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s how you¡¯ve been keeping us warm?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Sure, you do.¡± She argues. ¡°Everything you touch is warm, and you always have hot water magically at your disposal. And since last night, I haven¡¯t felt cold despite being surrounded by snow and ice- except for when you let me freeze this morning.¡± When he doesn¡¯t respond, she adds, ¡°You could at least tell me something about yourself since you basically kidnapped me. I think I deserve that much.¡±

    She nearly crashes into him as he suddenly comes to a stop and turns to face her. ¡°Listen Sparkly,¡± he growls with clear annoyance, glaring down at her as his eyebrows furrow, ¡°I am here under oath but if you ask me another question, I might have to leave you on this mountain and let my soul rip from my body. Do you understand?¡±

    Her head tilted in understanding, and he turned to leave. But a flicker of hesitation made him stop in his tracks and turn back to face her. His eyes bore into hers with a mix of warmth and frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget the oath that binds us together,¡± he reminded her. ¡°You are solely responsible for our current situation and all the anger you feel is a result of your own actions. I owe you nothing, yet you owe me so much more than you can even remember. So yes, you could say I¡¯m getting the raw end of this deal.¡± He pointed to her ribs, where a black tattoo marked her as his responsibility. ¡°You forced me into this deadly oath and then abandoned me, forgetting everything that could have saved both our people.¡± Finnley¡¯s gaze followed his finger, studying the swirling ink symbol on his hand. ¡°You¡¯re not cold because I¡¯ll be held accountable if anything happens to you.¡± he explained, finally answering an unspoken question.

    For the first time since they met, she believed every word he said and nodded in agreement, biting her lip anxiously. And just like that, they fell back into their tense silence from yesterday. Despite wanting answers, Finnley knew she couldn¡¯t survive out here without him, and it seemed like something terrible would happen if he chose to leave.

    ***

    The Orion mountains were a majestic sight, unlike anything she had ever seen. Their towering peaks and sharp edges rose above the dense layer of fog that had rolled in like waves over the summits. She knew it was one of the most beautiful places her eyes had ever beheld, even if she couldn¡¯t recall every detail. But as the gentle snowfall turned into a heavy storm, and the ground shook beneath her feet once again, she was reminded of the danger that lurked within this beauty.

    <mark>Elek</mark> had barely spared her a glance in the hours they had been trekking across the mountain side, and she knew he only allowed her to keep up with him out of courtesy. But now, his hand shot back towards her as he looked towards the heavily swaying treetops above their path. The snow came down hard, causing branches to shake violently and sheets of snow to fall from the canopy.

    ¡°Another Winter White?¡± she finally asked as they waited for the snow to settle around them. His amber eyes met hers as he looked behind her, but there was nothing visible in the whiteout over the ridge.

    ¡°Fresh snow weakens the ground¡­and dragons melt it,¡± he explains before glancing back at her. ¡°An avalanche is more likely.¡± He jerks his head towards their intended path. ¡°The faster we make our way down this mountain, the safer we¡¯ll be.¡±

    ¡°You seem perfectly fine on this mountain,¡± she comments as she starts walking towards the dense tree line.

    She hears the crunch of snow under <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> boots as he follows closely behind her. ¡°I am fine on this mountain. It¡¯s you who would be in trouble without a way to stay warm.¡±

    A ghost of a smile tugs at her lips when she looks at him. ¡°So I was right,¡± she teases.

    He raises an eyebrow at her in question. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°The warmth.¡± she replies, a smirk forming on her face, ¡°That¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°I never said you were wrong,¡± he retorts, but a small smile appears on his face at her playful tone. ¡°But I also never said you were right.¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> simply shrugs, the furs around his shoulders tickling his ears. Finnley¡¯s eyes roll and grin widens despite his refusal but he says nothing further as they trek on through the tree line, much less deep under the canopy, and for the first time in hours Finnley can pick up her feet completely venturing so deep into the forest that nothing can be seen above them but the dense canopy with their feet, and somewhere overhead the echo of wings flutters and Finnley¡¯s gaze rises far above her. The trees are larger than any she can ever remember seeing. Their trunks so large her arms could not encompass them, and the canopy so full that barely any light peaks through. Every few seconds a new creature scuffles through the foliage, leaves fluttering and snow lightly falling from above. The tail of something small and furry hides beneath a trunk and her mind connects its tail to that of a squirrel but she has the heavy suspicion that it¡¯s something much more exciting.

    Taking a step towards the bush, her fingertips tickle where the fuzzy leaves touch her skin and as she pulls back the leaves to reveal the creature in its hiding spot, she realizes for the first time that her fingers are truly cold. So cold that perhaps she cannot feel them to know how cold they are. Numb. They are going numb.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Whatever was beneath the bush, scurries away so quickly that Finnley¡¯s eyes cannot track it, and all she¡¯s left to follow are the smallest of footprints along the packed snow.

    Turning to call after <mark>Elek</mark>, who had trekked ahead, she freezes.

    <mark>Elek</mark> shrugged his fur-lined shoulders, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he brushed the furs against his long, pointed ears. Finnley shook her head at his nonchalant response, knowing she was right about their location. They trudged through the dense forest, the thick canopy above obstructing their view of the sky. The ground beneath their feet was soft with snow, and Finnley could hear the flapping of wings in the distance. As they walked, she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the towering trees surrounding them. Their trunks seemed to stretch endlessly upward, and the thick canopy blocked out most of the sunlight. Every few seconds, creatures rustled through the leaves and caused snow to fall from above. A small furry tail disappeared behind a tree trunk, and Finnley instinctively thought of a squirrel, but something told her it was more exciting than that. She reached out to touch a nearby bush, only to realize her fingers were numb from the cold. As she pulled back the fuzzy leaves, she noticed she hadn¡¯t felt anything for hours. Suddenly, a creature darted out from under the bush and scurried away so quickly that she couldn¡¯t keep track of it with her eyes. All she could see were tiny footprints left behind in the packed snow. She turned to call after <mark>Elek</mark>, who had moved ahead on their journey, but froze when she saw something else in the distance.

    There was just one at first, then another appeared over his shoulder, and another on her left came into view. The sound of heavy boots crunching through the snow behind her alerted her to even more creatures approaching. Her chest tightened at the sight, memories flooding back to her mind. The male in front of her has broad shoulders and a scar along his chin, similar to the one on her neck. In that moment, her mind <mark>numbingly</mark> wonders if they were both inflicted by the same weapon. She can still hear his voice and feel his grip on her as he caused incredible pain. His laughter echoes in her mind as she screamed. This male before her reminds her of him with his broad shoulders and square chin, but he has a rougher appearance. He is adorned in thick leather with scales of various colors running down his abdomen and legs. Dragon scales.

    His intense gaze never left her as he took a step towards her, a blade tightly gripped in his hand. Finnley¡¯s eyes flickered to the male on her right, who held no weapon but instead had glowing fists like they were gripping onto something invisible.

    ¡°Where did your Captain wander off to, Princess?¡± The first male sneered, taking another crunching step towards her through the icy snow.

    Her heart rate quickens as she debates her next move. Should she play dumb and hope they believe her? Or should she reveal the truth and risk their wrath? Before she can decide, a booming laughter fills the air around her, sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes dart around, searching for <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> reassuring presence but he is nowhere to be seen. She forces herself to maintain a steady gaze, refusing to show any signs of vulnerability or fear.

    But then the tall male who approached her pauses, his twisted grin spreading wider across his weathered face. Deep wrinkles pull at his hollow cheeks as he speaks in a low voice, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re fooling?¡± A chill runs down Finnley¡¯s spine as he glances towards someone standing behind her. ¡°Out here like no one would know who you are.¡± Panic sets in as she realizes she is completely alone and defenseless against these powerful males.

    She tries to step back, but suddenly her legs give out and she feels a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. It¡¯s like an invisible force is holding her in place, making it impossible for her to move despite all of her efforts. Her limbs refuse to obey her commands as she frantically looks down to make sure they are still attached.

    But then she sees the silver-haired man holding her in place with ease, a sharp blade just inches away from her face. The cold metal grazes against her cheek as he speaks with a hint of amusement in his voice, ¡°It seems we have stumbled upon quite the intriguing find today.¡± He traces the edge of the blade down the side of her face before continuing in a dangerously low tone, ¡°A human bearing an uncanny resemblance to a female that was supposed to be long dead.¡±

    Another man joins in with a smirk on his face, ¡°She will fetch a much higher price than that Winter White ever could.¡±

    Fear grips Finnley¡¯s chest.

    The cold laugh behind her sent shivers down her spine as she stood helpless, trapped in the grip of unknown men. Their vise-like hands clamped down on her arms, bruising and restraining her with ease. She could feel their rancid breath tickling her skin as they spoke.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t find the Princess everyone wanted,¡± one of them sneered, his words laced with greed. ¡°But you¡¯ll do just fine.¡±

    A wave of revulsion washed over her as the silver-haired male¡¯s icy touch held her in place, his piercing gaze like daggers through her soul. She could sense his hunger for power, a chilling force that overwhelmed her own.

    ¡°Your sister was such a beautiful thing,¡± he spat, disgust evident in his tone. ¡°A shame she went to waste.¡±

    His words were like poison in her ears, but before she could react, another voice joined in from somewhere unseen. She strained against the invisible hold on her chin, desperate to see who was speaking.

    ¡°Our long-lost Queen,¡± the male mused, his tone dripping with malice. ¡°Now that would truly be worth something.¡±

    ¡°The sister will suffice,¡± replied the other male with a dismissive wave of his hand. His eyes roamed over her body, sizing her up like a piece of meat. ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The dragon-scaled males turned their attention back to their conversation in a language she couldn¡¯t understand, while the silver-haired one remained fixated on her every move.

    ¡°That must be the Captain!¡± exclaimed their leader with a smirk. ¡°Took you long enough to get here! Must have put up quite a fight, Kern.¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Cain,¡± growled another voice from a different direction. ¡°Looks like the Captain likes to play with fire.¡±

    As the man named Kern came into view, she couldn¡¯t help glancing back at the silver-haired one to see if he was still watching her. Kern was a mirror image of his brother, except for the red strands in his braid and his fierce gaze that seemed to challenge the others. They were all alike, from the intricate tattoos on their necks to the dark blue armor made of dragon scales.

    Behind Kern and <mark>Elek</mark>, she could see seven new figures approaching ¨C all bearing the scent of smoke as if they had just escaped a burning inferno. Cain¡¯s eyes swept over them before settling back on <mark>Elek</mark> with disdain, and the tension between him and Kern was palpable.

    ¡°He lit <mark>Conor</mark> and <mark>Dom</mark> up right away. They never saw it coming.¡± Kern grunted, his teeth clenched in anger before striking <mark>Elek</mark> in the gut.

    Upon seeing the fierce swing of Kern¡¯s fist into <mark>Elek</mark>, she knows immediately that these males possess an otherworldly strength, something not human. Similar to <mark>Elek</mark> himself, they hold a power that is distinctly of this world. But the only change in <mark>Elek</mark> is his expression; he remains motionless as he absorbs the hit with a grunt, his feet staggering below <mark>himt</mark>. ¡°Seems your men aren¡¯t as skilled as their Dragon Scales would suggest.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> snarls at Cain.

    Without even glancing at <mark>Elek</mark>, Cain raises an eyebrow in response. His dark eyes holding her gaze, he speaks once more, ¡°It¡¯s quite an odd combination, isn¡¯t it? A pirate with the ability to control fire. An unheard-of phenomenon, I¡¯d say. And perhaps even more unheard of is that same Pirate jumping between worlds and bringing back a human¡­ who was once a Guardian¡­.A Princess nonetheless.¡± Kern mumbles something about suspicion and the King¡¯s thoughts.

    Meanwhile, Cain tilts his head toward her. She instinctively tries to pull away, but the silver-haired male still holds her captive. When Cain reaches for her chin with his mud-caked fingers, she flinches. But he manages to grasp it anyway and grins at her. ¡°Does your King-¡± He <mark>snarles</mark> the word, ¡° know you¡¯ve returned to this world?¡± he taunts.

    ¡°The King awaits her return,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> growls in response.

    ¡°Is that so, Finnula?¡± Cain smirks, tightening his grip on her chin. ¡°Your King waits for you at the palace gates? After all this time? I highly doubt he¡¯ll know what to do with himself when he sees you again. The King was heartbroken when he lost your sister¡­when he lost you¡­¡± His fingers slide down her jawline. ¡°but it seems none of that mattered with what he gained.¡± She doesn¡¯t understand his words, but she knows <mark>Elek</mark> does based on the tick of his jaw.

    ¡°The King is aware that she¡¯s been secured. If you harm her, it will be his wrath you face,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> warns.

    Something flickers in Cain¡¯s eyes at this, and he retorts, ¡°The King¡¯s wrath has proven to be of little consequence. It¡¯s the Dark North that poses a true threat. The Dark King would love to get his hands on you.¡±

    ¡°So your plan is to take her to the Dark North?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> chuckles, ¡°You won¡¯t make it past the <mark>firegate</mark> let alone through the fire valley.¡± But Cain pays him no mind as he places a large hand on the base of her throat. ¡°Your father would have paid a hefty sum to keep you out of the hands of the North, but this so-called New King barely sent out a search party when you went missing. Seems he wasn¡¯t as pleased with you as we were lead to believe. I highly doubt his payment will be as generous. You¡¯ll fetch me quite the reward from the Dark North.¡± He glances over her once more before stepping away with disappointment evident on his face. His gaze now shifts to <mark>Elek</mark>, who responds coolly, ¡°The North will pay a handsome price for both of you. The pirate of the Northern Sea who can jump worlds turns out to also wield fire¡­what a pretty coin.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be the one to tell you but The North will pay no price for my head.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> bites out.

    ¡°I have a feeling the Dark King would be very interested to learn the famous <mark>Elek</mark> <mark>Abelieen</mark> wields fire.¡± Cain smirks, the joy of whatever secret he thinks he uncovered seeping onto his face. ¡°An element believed to be dead¡­ I feel he will be very interested indeed.¡±

    ¡°Surely the Dark King has more important things to be concerned about then what power I wield.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> growls.

    The tension in the air was thick as <mark>Elek</mark> and Cain faced off, their words laced with animosity and venom. <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> voice was a low growl, dripping with disdain as he spoke about The North¡¯s inability to harm him. But even as he taunted them, there was a certain edge of fear in his tone - for who could truly stand against the all-powerful Dark King?

    Cain smirked, relishing in whatever secret knowledge he thought he held over <mark>Elek</mark>. His joy was evident on his face as he continued to provoke the pirate. ¡°The Dark King is the sole heir to the elemental fire. You are nothing but a mere pirate who dares to mock his great power and defy the true ruler.¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> grunts once more, ¡°Does the Dark King know you are doing his bidding?¡±

    As they stared one another down, the wind howled around them, drowning out any words they might have exchanged. Finnley knew she should intervene before things turned physical, but she found herself frozen in place by some unknown force.

    ¡°The Dark King may have many servants,¡± Cain spat out, loud and angry ¡°but we are all ultimately servants to the old ways.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you are doing out here¡± <mark>Elek</mark> huffs in response, ¡°Harvesting Dragon Scales to honor the old ways? Selling off innocents?¡±

    ¡°Innocents?¡± Cain <mark>belows</mark>, <mark>graspsing</mark> her chin harshly, ¡°is that what she is now? Are her disgusting sins washed away in this human body?¡±

    When his fist rises she braces herself, she can practically feel the sting of his knuckles but before he lands the blow, Kern¡¯s fist connects with <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> jaw with a sickening crack the moment Cain¡¯s connects with <mark>Finnleys</mark>. She doesn¡¯t drop to the ground even though the punch was enough to knock her on her ass. She barley moves, and the pain ripples through her eyes and nose, blood quickly connecting and dripping down her lips. Moving faster then Finnley¡¯s eyes can register, Cain is then before <mark>Elek</mark>, his knuckles bloody from the impact of her face. Finnley winces, watching helplessly as blood drips from <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> lip, his eyes grazing over her for just a blink before a smirk begins to pull up at the corner of his bloody lip.

    ¡°The Dark King will reward us for our loyalty to the old ways.¡± Cain growls, ¡°And he will burn those like you who have fallen to the temptation to these false Guardians, they celestial who claim our blood is not pure! We will pull apart those who have chosen to serve the winged beasts that have broken our world apart!¡±

    A smirk pulls at <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> split lip, ¡°I serve no one but you would be surprised at how many of the followers of the old ways serve a winged beast.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to divulge to us how you came across the lost Princess?¡± When <mark>Elek</mark> stays mute, a smile creeps along Cairn¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve had her this entire time.¡± Cairn chuckles, and Finnley can see the way his hand drifts from her neck to her waist but she cannot feel him there. Cannot feel the hand that grazes her or the snow that slowly falls. She could not feel the wind that swept past her, shuffling her hair. The numbness was not from the cold but from the powerful magic that held her in place. ¡°Perhaps the pirate took you as his whore and held you on the blasted ghost ship. The Dark King will be glad to put the smear on his name to rest, to finally prove that it was not him that killed your father but rather a pirate thief worth less than the crystal he once harvested.¡±

    ¡°Watch your tongue, Cain.¡± <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> warning hung in the cold air, but Cain only responded with a guttural laugh that echoed through the icy landscape.

    ¡°Perhaps you came in and cleaned up the leftovers after Astrophel was dealt with.¡± Cain taunts him, before whipping his head toward her, ¡°Or maybe it was you who finally rid us of your disgraceful father and sister.¡±

    A sudden intake of breath caused by her shock and anger flooded into her lungs, causing her chest to painfully expand. Before she could catch her breath, the ice beneath her gave way, sending her tumbling down onto the packed snow. The frigid air pierced through her leather clothing, making her muscles shiver and ache. She cried out in agony as a new kind of pain seared through her body - as though her very veins had been electrified. This was a pain only known to this cursed world and its powerful magic that held her captive.

    Struggling to lift her head, she found herself surrounded by smoke, the acrid scent filling her nostrils and adding to the disorienting chaos around her. Flames danced on the snowy ground with no apparent source, licking at the trees above and showering black soot onto the white surface. Despite the cacophony of shouts and cries around her, all she could focus on was the deafening ringing in her ears as waves of heat washed over them and a thick haze obscured her vision.

    In the distance, a tree snapped apart with a resounding crack. Desperate to escape the suffocating inferno, she stumbled blindly through the smoke-filled air, becoming increasingly disoriented with each step.

    Her heart pounds in her chest as she frantically searches for any sign of <mark>Elek</mark> midst the chaos but finds only strangers running for their lives, their screams piercing through the roar of fire

    As <mark>Elek</mark> stood facing away from her, his arm was engulfed in a blazing inferno that threatened to consume him. The bodies of the men who had previously held him were nothing but lifeless husks at his feet, no match for his fiery powers. She called out to him, but before she could even process what was happening, Kern appeared and used an unseen force to knock <mark>Elek</mark> into the snow. Despite this attack, the flames continued to rage around <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> body, casting a red and orange glow against the white snow. She cried out again as a strong grip seized her waist and pulled her towards someone behind her.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running off to?¡±

    Finnley growled in response, struggling against his harsh grip. ¡°Let me go, you son of a bitch!¡±

    When her elbow connected with the male¡¯s ribs, he spun her so quickly that she almost fell over her own feet, and then he struck her across the jaw with a brutal blow that sent shock waves of pain through her head. As if her body wasn¡¯t already burning from within, the impact from the male¡¯s hand was excruciatingly painful.

    ¡°Do not harm the King¡¯s property!¡± A deep voice boomed from somewhere behind her.

    ¡°Property?¡± She chuckled despite the ache that made its way through her jaw and into her forehead. ¡°A little rude, I haven¡¯t even met him.¡±

    Her sarcasm was lost on the male who dragged her along, ¡°Shut it!¡±

    Finnley¡¯s heart raced as the stout male, who had been cackling and sneering at her from beside Cain forcibly shoved her towards the silver haired male, her feet slipping on the snowy ground.Finley stumbled towards the silver-haired man, her feet slipping on the icy ground. As she reached out to regain her balance, she saw the burns that marred his face - angry red blisters covering one side, and singed hair. Her eyes widened in shock and horror at the sight of his missing hand, the stump leaking a trail of black blood onto the snow-covered ground.

    ¡°Can¡¯t keep me in place without that, can you?¡± She sneered, gesturing to his wound with disdain.

    But before she could react, he kicked her down to her knees with surprising force, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and yanking her chin up. Pain shot through her injured leg as it hit the hard ground once again, while the stout man pressed his boot onto her ankle with precision. A cry escaped her as her ankle cracked beneath his weight. The silver-haired man looked down at her with a cruel glint in his eye.

    ¡°Your human form hasn¡¯t served you well,¡± he taunted. ¡°It¡¯s a shame for such a powerful Guardian to have your power leaking out of you.¡±

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Finnley growled, struggling against his grip.

    ¡°Is that what you screamed when you ran away from your family¡¯s killer?¡± The male sneered, ¡°Is that what you begged for before being thrown from that window?¡±

    Memories of her screams echoed in Finnley¡¯s mind, causing her head to snap to the side. But before she could respond, a loud crack filled the air as <mark>Elek</mark> gained the upper hand and slammed Cain into a nearby tree trunk.

    ¡°Do you think her sister begged?¡± The male behind her grotesquely sneered.

    The silver-haired man let out a heavy sigh, sending chills down Finnley¡¯s spine. In the next moment, a freezing blade was pressed against her throat, appearing as if it had been hidden in the snow all along. The stout male pulled her up again, but she kicked and screamed as the blade cut into her neck.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to head back,¡± the silver-haired man said firmly, turning away from Cain as she slumped against a nearby tree and collapsed onto the ground beneath <mark>Elek</mark>. ¡°The pirate isn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    Despite her struggles, the stout man continued to drag Finnley along, his grip unyielding. The blade at her throat only added to her fear and pain. ¡°You¡¯re much easier to manage without all that power and anger that used to simmer inside ya.¡± he grumbled as they walked.

    ¡°I bet you say that to all the ladies,¡± she retorted, trying to free herself from his grasp. But she knew it was futile - these men possessed inhuman strength that she could never match.

    ¡°Only the ones who will fetch me a good price,¡± he chuckled, his breath harsh against her cheek.

    ¡°Now, we just have to decide who to sell her to,¡± the silver-haired man chimed in. But before they could take another step, a wall of fire erupted in front of them. Finnley gasped as the blade pierced her skin and burned, but she managed to elbow the stout man¡¯s ribs and kick his knee before he could react. As the blade, now stained with her blood, fell into the snow, the stout man was suddenly engulfed in flames. A silent scream escaped from his mouth as he burned.

    Finnley watched in shock as the flames surrounded them, growing taller and hotter by the second. She saw the silver-haired male dart towards her, but before she could move again, she felt a jolt strike her hand. And then, as if by some unseen force, thick clouds of smoke appeared around her, encircling her like a protective shield. Flames began to rise up around her in a circle, licking at her skin with an intensity that made her shudder.

    ¡°I am in no mood to play games, <mark>Hilaire</mark>.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> growled, appearing behind Finnley with flames still dancing in his palms.

    <mark>Hilarie</mark>, the silver harried male, lifted his single hand palm up. ¡°I have no meaning to take you with us.¡± He explained, ¡°Cain was the one that wanted you, and he was an idiotic bastard that got what was coming. We will leave with the girl, and you can go on your way.¡±

    ¡°You will not be leaving with her.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> growled, the flames at his hands tuning from a vibrant orange to a terrifying blue.

    <mark>Hilarie</mark> signed,¡°I will be leaving with the girl.¡±

    ¡°Who sent you here to find her?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> asks suddenly, a bloody brow raised.

    Instead of denying it, <mark>Hilarie</mark> smirks, ¡°The highest bidder.¡±

    ¡°And how did the highest bidder know that she was here?¡±

    A deep laugh escapes the male, ¡°The highest bidders often know everything that happens in the realm. Most of it, they often do not care about.¡±

    ¡°And who cares so deeply about her?¡± <mark>Elek</mark> rebuffs. But steps back one step before a chuckle leaves him, ¡°That will not work <mark>Hilarie</mark>, without your hand, you have no way to control it.¡±

    <mark>Hilarie</mark> lets out a deep sigh again, ¡°Listen Captain,¡± He sneers the word, ¡°I wish to bring you no harm, but I will if you do not let me leave with the Heir.¡±

    ¡°Why in the seven <mark>Hel¡¯s</mark> would I allow you to leave with her?¡±

    ¡°Because Captain, from what I¡¯ve heard you and I are on the same side of this war.¡±

    <mark>Elek</mark> spits blood onto the white snow, ¡°I hold to no side.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many different things.¡± <mark>Hilarie</mark> sneers, his eyes gleaming again. The same way they had when he had taunted Finnley, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you have many dealings, that you hold to no side yet you hold to every-side.¡±

    <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> back tensed, ¡°I am done playing this game.¡±

    And just like that without another word, <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> hands exploded with blinding power.

 Chapter 6

    She hadn¡¯t been able to keep her eyes open when it happened. The brightness and heat was too much. The air was so stifling it was hard to breathe, and her skin felt as though it was on fire. She wasn¡¯t, of course. But she had quickly realized that the others were. The smell instantly made her feel nauseous and when she opened her eyes again, she didn¡¯t care to look at the bodies that lay around her, or think of the screams that had barely had time to escape before they had become enveloped with flame. Instead she stared at the wall of fire that had appeared around them. Each tree burning with a fierceness she had never seen before. Despite standing before her on fire, nothing truly burned. As though the fire was simply wrapping itself around the trees, no leaves fell, no bark was singed. Slowly, bit by bit the flames reduced and eventually winked out, and took all of the light with it. The darkness had not crept in on her but rather pounced. Darkness so dark, so void of anything that it sent a chill through her as she stared out at <mark>Elek</mark>, the only thing in the darkness still flickering, still burning. She turned but nothing else around her was illuminated, nothing around her was still here, except it was. She could feel the crunch of snow beneath her feet if she focused enough, and she could smell that rotten smell of burnt human flesh, but when she spun only darkness met her. She imagined this is what it was like to be so far beneath the ocean¡¯s surface that you could no longer tell which way was up or down. Until you drown so deep into the darkness you lose everything, including yourself. But as she turned and turned, her eyes found <mark>Elek</mark> again and again, each time a little dimmer. And when he eventually disappeared into the darkness, the last of his flame burning out, the darkness fell and left her eyes burning with the light once again.

    The flames had left no trace of their power behind to scar the forest, except for the males who laid in the snow, their faces no longer recognizable. Everything was just as it had been before the males had appeared. For a long while <mark>Elek</mark> did not turn to her, he did not move and neither did she. She didn¡¯t know if it was fear of the flame that kept her frozen or fear of the way that <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> chest heaved up and down erratically. It was the first time since meeting him that he looked actually shaken by something, and she was unsure of what to do with that. For just a split second he looked human in the expression that rattled his face, and then just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. His shoulders stayed tense and he had blood dripping from his arm where a dagger had nicked him.

    When he finally went to move she took a step forward but quickly stepped back when her foot met what was left of the body of the silver haired male. When <mark>Elek</mark> stopped just before her, and his eyes met hers, she flinched at the way they stormed with something but all he grumbled was, ¡°Stay close.¡±

    ***

    She had followed after him for hours. The sun had grown a purple hue and the birds had stopped their chirping. He said nothing and she said nothing in return. She was unsure of what to say if she had gotten the courage to speak. The snow had started to fall aggressively about an hour back, and she wrapped her furs around her shoulders, the cold seeping into her bones. A true cold, she had realized rather quickly after they had started on their trek again. Frost clung to her eyelashes and she was overly aware of the shaking in her shoulders when he abruptly stopped and turned to her.

    She shuddered as the cold seeped into her bones, making it hard to keep going. But she refused to let him see weakness, so she wrapped her furs tighter around her shoulders and trudged on, trying to match his pace. When he suddenly stopped and turned to face her, Finnley held her breath, waiting for him to finally break the silence.

    But instead of speaking, he just stared at her with a frown etched on his face. She could see how the cold had affected him as well - his nose and lips were red and chapped, and his hands were shaking like hers.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked, trying to ignore the way her teeth were starting to chatter.

    He grunted something under his breath before turning away again, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow. Finnley reached out a freezing hand towards him but quickly pulled back when he glared at her.

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± She snapped, annoyed at his dismissive attitude.

    He growled back at her, ¡°Oh, I have nothing to say.¡± But as she continued to stare at him with frustration, he finally added with a cock of his head, ¡°But it seems like you have plenty to say.¡±

    Finnley bit back a retort at his words - she did have plenty to say. Too many questions and no answers. But instead of speaking her mind, instead of telling him that she was freaking out internally with each step she took, she simply stated the obvious: ¡°You¡¯re cold.¡±

    His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, a hint of something dangerous in his expression. ¡°Being cold is better than being dead because you think nothing can hurt you.¡±

    She blinked in confusion and shook the snow off her lashes as she tried to understand what he meant. ¡°That was hardly my fault.¡±

    He let out a deep, bitter laugh. ¡°Hardly your fault? If you had just listened and stayed close to me, we wouldn¡¯t be freezing our asses off right now.¡±

    Finnley¡¯s hands flew out of her pockets as she gestured wildly,¡°You heard them, someone sent them to follow us! That is not my fault!¡±

    ¡°You are cold and I am cold because I had to do what was needed to protect you and I wouldn¡¯t have had to have gone that deep into my power.¡± He countered, his voice growing louder with anger, ¡°If you had just listened and stuck by my side, I wouldn¡¯t have had to go that far.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you to burn them alive!¡± She shot back, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any of that back there to happen.¡±

    ¡°I killed them because they would have stopped at nothing to get you off this mountain, and I would have been dead and you would have wished for death at the hands of those willing to give those bastards a payday.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just let them take me?¡± Finnley asked in frustration. ¡°It would have been so much easier for everyone involved!¡±

    His eyes flashed then, ¡°You want that, don¡¯t you? To give up like you did on <mark>Midgard</mark>? To just let death take you without a fight?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± She spit out, but she knew exactly what he was referring to - she didn¡¯t know how he knew or if he was just guessing based on what he had seen of her, but she knew he was right even if she couldn¡¯t admit it. She had given up, she had tried with all of her might to just give up and somehow she was always dragged back and she hadn¡¯t been brave enough to just do it. Instead she had searched for it, wished for it to find her.

    ¡°Sure you do.¡± He laughs harshly, stepping closer, ¡°The drinking, the pills, the constant longing to finally get the guts to do it. That¡¯s the same longing that followed you here, and even changing everything about you couldn¡¯t make it go away. You let that darkness inside you win, you let it control you without even knowing it.You gave up.¡±

    His words slice through her.

    ¡°I did not give up.¡± She exclaims, ¡°You know nothing about anything! None of this is my fault, you are the one that brought me here!¡±

    ¡°What are you not understanding, Finnley?¡± he growled, his eyes blazing with frustration. ¡°This whole thing-you did this! We are here because of you. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can remember it or not.¡±

    Finnley didn¡¯t have a response to his accusation. She could feel the weight of his words crushing her as he continued. ¡°I brought you back to make a difference, to change something. But if you can barely make it past this mountain range, then I should just leave you here.¡± <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> voice shook, ¡°Because if you can¡¯t face the fact that there are people relying on what you do, that your people have been waiting for your return whether you can remember it or not, then I would be doing us all a favor by taking you back to your miserable existence in the mortal realm.¡±

    ¡°If I die because you are not able to follow instructions so that I am able to get you back safe to your home, then I hope to haunt you for the rest of your long miserable life.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t make it out of this alive, I most certainly won¡¯t.¡± The laugh that escapes her is to cover whatever sound would have escaped from the sob in her chest.

    He stared at her for a long time then and she could see his mind working, analyzing her, scrutinizing her but she said nothing as he did so.

    ¡°Then we better get some rest to ensure we both make it off this mountain.¡±

    Without another word he turns from her.

    The wooden cabin materialized out of nothing but a lone spark that jumped from his palm. Before them had laid nothing but a dense forest so clogged with fog she could barely see 50 feet ahead. Now, the door to the cabin slams loudly behind <mark>Elek</mark>, echoing around her just loud enough to make her jump.

    She stood outside the cabin, her breathing coming heavier and heavier as <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> words sliced through her mind. The sky around her, growing darker and darker. Darkest night, she realizes and with a deep sigh, her borrowed boots heavy against the wooden step of the door.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± The question escapes her before she can think better of it.

    Her face tingles as she closes the door behind her. The fire that rages in the corner casts dark shadows around the room, and a heat sweeps over her so heavenly she lets out a sigh. <mark>Elek</mark> gives her no response as he pulls the wet, cold, ripped shirt from his shoulders. Through the shadows she¡¯s only able to make out the difference between the golden shimmer of his skin and the dark swirls and marks of those tattoos that decorate his upper body. Her eyes linger over the familiar pattern across his ribs but heat rushes to her cheeks when he turns slightly and his side is marred with burns and a large open wound wraps its way around his torso. ¡°What is this place?¡± She asks once more.

    He glances up at her for a split second before his hand casts over the small table and the single thin candle that adorns it, is lit aflame. ¡°Get warm.¡± He commands, jerking his chin to the small bed that appears in the corner. Furs of every color and blankets of every weave imaginable are piled high on the thin mattress. She hesitates for a moment before glancing down at her soaked clothing.

    ¡°Get rid of it.¡± He grumbles, pulling thin daggers from his pockets and laying them out on the table before her.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Finnley looks at him questioningly as he leans over to inspect his injuries. ¡°Why do I need to get undressed?¡±

    ¡°Because I need my strength for other things,¡± he grunts as he prods at the flesh on his torso, gesturing to the bed. ¡°Like making sure you¡¯re protected tonight, not saving you from the edge of death because your human body can¡¯t handle the elements¡­¡±

    Throwing him a glare, because she knows he¡¯s right, she pulls off her coat. Her ankle throbs with a searing pain as she yanks off the borrowed boots, wincing at the dampness that has soaked through her socks. She hastily strips off her pants and catches a glimpse of <mark>Elek</mark> stripping down to his cotton underclothes by the fire. Mimicking his actions, she lays out her wet garments in front of the flames, silently praying for them to dry before they continue on their journey.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°If I had given up, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± She swallows when his eyes glance over to her, ¡°If I had truly given up you wouldn¡¯t have found anything when you came looking for me. But¡­if it was death that I experienced or anything close to it before I woke up, I don¡¯t want to ever go back to that place.¡±

    His amber eyes soften just slightly, and somewhere in that power that stems from inside of him, she sees a flicker of flame pass over his gaze. ¡°You remember it?¡±

    Glancing down at where her hands play with the bottom of her shirt, she shakes her head, ¡°But I remember the feeling and I would do a lot of things to never feel that way again.¡±

    Moving towards her, he reaches for the dagger on the table. Its crimson handle flickering in the firelight. ¡°Take off your shirt.¡±

    She tilts her head slightly, but thinks back to his previous words before pulling the shirt from her shoulders leaving her in the strip of cloth beneath. His eyes flicker over the white ink that is littered across her rib cage. The same as the one that takes on a dark hue on his skin.

    He doesn¡¯t meet her gaze as he presses the tip of the dagger into his wrist. She bites her lip to keep the question from leaking past her lips as he sets down the dagger and slides his fingers through the black tinged blood.

    ¡°When an oath binds two people, it allows for runes to be transferred from one to another.¡± He mutters, meeting her eyes quickly before tracing a finger down the side of her bare arm.

    She jumps at the feel of it, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The power within my blood will allow for my power to protect you without you or anyone else knowing. It will allow the protection runes to activate no matter how far away we are from one another.¡± He explains as he traces the blood around her arm, down the side of her ribs, jumping over the place her tattoo lays, down and around her belly button. The runes a never ending design across her body, covering her scars and freckles. Her eyes track his work, her mouth slightly agape as she watches intently as he paints across her body, as it sinks into her skin, and disappears, leaving nothing in its wake.

    His gaze meets her as his warm finger finally lifts from her skin and she watches as the runes around her ankle shimmers slightly before sinking into her skin. He says nothing as he rises from kneeling before her.

    The gleam of the dagger flickers in the firelight as he flips the hilt to her, ¡°The Dagger of Blood.¡± He palms the blade, placing the hilt in her hand, ¡°For you.¡±

    Grasping the handle, she pulls the small dagger into her line of sight, mesmerized by the way the rubies in the handle glisten and the odd curving foreign lettering across the blade. She had never seen a weapon more beautiful, except for maybe the similar sword of gold and ruby that <mark>Elek</mark> kept at his side.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There will come a time when you¡¯ll need it more than I.¡± He simply states as though it¡¯s a well known fact.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± She mutters, unsure of how to thank someone for a weapon <mark>tthat</mark> comes with a warning you that you¡¯ll need to use it.

    ¡°It¡¯s said to have been the dagger of the original <mark>Fae</mark> queen.¡± He laughs as though his tale is too far fetched to be anything but true. ¡°So don¡¯t loose it, will ya?¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± She vows, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe.¡±

    His gaze hard on the dagger she now grasps. Something flickers in his eyes when he says, ¡°No ruler is innocent, not even the Gods.¡± His eyes flash down to the flames, his eyelashes creating a shadow on his cheeks. ¡°And that Kingdom that your about to walk into is anything but innocent. No one will be on you¡¯re side. They will see you as a threat to what they¡¯ve built since your father died. You¡¯ll be faced with the decision to stand beside them in this war or to contest so that you can lead your people in a different way. You won¡¯t be safe until you do, and even then I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be the end of the realms battles.¡±

    Her guttural instinct is to defend this place she doesn¡¯t know, to convince him he¡¯s wrong, to slay the words that came out of his mouth but she can¡¯t. ¡°And if I decide not to do either?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an option they¡¯ll afford you.¡± She opens her mouth to tell him she will afford herself whatever option she must, but he continues, ¡°You will be asked to stand by the side of the current King or you will be force to stand against them, your other option is not one you can allow to happen. The Astrophel line almost died out once already.¡±

    ¡°And what of the King that rules now?¡±

    ¡°A false King is not the same as a true ruler.¡± He bites his lip slightly as he watches her hold the dagger within both hands. ¡°Our lands long for the true ruler to take the throne. To make the Guardians lands safe and right once more. That is the only way that our world will stand a chance at survival.¡±

    ¡°And will the people accept a coward who ran from the realm in the first place and became a human who can¡¯t remember anything about this place or about them?¡±

    ¡°You will make them accept you.¡± He smirks slightly before turning from her, ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    But before he can take a step her hand darts out to his arm. His eyes question her as she takes a small step forward, her eyes falling to his chest. Her hand followed suit, feeling no discomfort in the way his skin warms beneath her palm, seeing as he had just painted her bare skin. Her fingers dance over the ink that swirls in the same intercity that is pressed into his skin. Like a story she can¡¯t decipher.

    ¡°They really are identical.¡± She mutters, slightly shocked at how cold his skin is.

    His lips are tight but still he says, ¡°They are one oath. Mirrors of one another.¡±

    Like a constellation of stars the pattern weaves its way across his ribs, up into his chest and interlocks with the other tattoo that blends into his neck. His cheeks warm redden slightly when she hesitates right below the tattoo, at a thick white scar that seemed to effortlessly weave into his skin. He had many of them she noted. Some wrapped around his shoulders while others were scattered throughout his chest, much like the stars in the sky. Much like the tattoos that littered his body.

    And she knows that if time had been kinder to her, she knows she would have stood there for hours. Asking over each one, asking for the story that was carved into his skin but time was not kind, life was not kind and she no longer understood the differences between cruel and kind. At this point they all seemed the same and so she lifted her fingertips from his chilled skin.

    He makes his way to the lone chair that sits beside the dwindling fire and she says nothing as she notices the way he limps ever so slightly on his left leg, and she forces herself not to comment on how his wound was still open, and lightly dripping blood. But she did sigh as she placed weight on her left leg and for the first time in a long time, her breath did not catch in pain. She tossed one of the furs towards him as she slid under the blankets on the bed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you getting cold.¡± She smiles slightly at the surprised look that passes across his face before closing her eyes.

    ***

    The wind had picked up overnight, howling outside the small cabin nested in the snow-covered mountains. Finnley had closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lulled to sleep by the sound of the crackling fire and the wind slamming into the side of the cabin, and she had not awoken until the next morning when the rustling of <mark>Elek</mark> dressing had pulled her from her dreamless sleep. No nightmares had plagued her, nothing but the darkness of her sleep had rolled through her mind.

    Her clothes had dried through and for a moment she lingered before the fire, willing herself to absorb more heat before they carried on. They had slept in the warmth of the fire, not as cold as the chill outside by any means but it was nowhere as close to the warmth that she had felt from <mark>Elek</mark> prior. But just as quickly as she had welcomed the warmth, it had left her once again as they both stepped back out into the elements. The warmth had disappeared just as quickly as the cabin behind them did, as though it had never existed, it left nothing in it¡¯s wake. She took note of the slight shake of <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark>hands and his slowed steps as they made their way down the rocky and snow packed terrain. The bitter cold seeped through her clothes, soaking her feet and tangling her hair into knots.

    The sounds of rushing water fills her ears as they approached a wide and fast river. On the opposite side lay a forest line of thick trees with no trace of snow on the ground. <mark>Elek</mark> motions for her to follow as he starts across the narrow wooden bridge. She squints against the bright reflection of sunlight off the snow that covers the bridge. As they reached the middle point, she can feel the ice beneath her feet start to melt, dripping through the wooden slats. Slowly the snow clears from the bridge, as though a line had been drawn through it, and all traces of ice vanish. Taking a deep breath, Finnley steps onto solid wood.

    ¡°This is <mark>Star Vall</mark>ey Forest,¡± <mark>Elek</mark> says with a small grin.

    <mark>Elek</mark> releases her hand and sets off at a brisk pace while Finnley takes a deep inhale. A sense of relief washing over her. Gone is the pain of the elevation and icy wind; instead a warm breeze brushes against her skin and the fresh smell of pine fills the air around her.

    She can¡¯t help but smile as she gazes over the side of the bridge at schools of brightly colored fish swimming under its icy surface. Catching up to <mark>Elek</mark>, she noticed he was already mapping their route in his head while scanning the trees ahead. She giggles to herself as <mark>Elek</mark> starts to take off his fur coat, having overheated quickly in the sunlight, cuffing the sleeves of his white tunic that had repaired itself of holes overnight- she had a suspicion his power was to thank for that in the same way it was to thank for the open wound on his stomach that had practically stitched itself back in his sleep.

    Suddenly, <mark>Elek¡¯s</mark> voice breaks through the calm, the caution in his voice hindered by the fear that laces it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Was all the warning she had before it happened.

    Before wind slammed into her, before she stumbled from the impact. The massive muscular beast landed on all six legs in front of her. As though it had appeared from the ground it appears in the space between <mark>Elek</mark> and Finnley. The ground shaking beneath her. It¡¯s long brown coat sprinkled with forest debris, blending in with the forest around it. It¡¯s long fur with pointed ears resemble a hybrid of a mountain cat and wolf, she <mark>thinkso</mark>. The beast stares down at her with its endless black eyes for so long her lungs ache for air, and when she finally allows herself to inhale, the creature leans its head slowly down to her¡­and sniffs her.

    It¡¯s not the closeness that frightens her but the swiftness of the large beast as it quickly bounds back, its head turning towards <mark>Elek</mark> in some kind of silent question.

    Frozen in place, <mark>Elek</mark> meets its gaze and raises his hand from his sword in a gesture of peace. ¡°I come in the liege of Princess Astrophel, securing her safety to the Kingdom.¡±

    The beast seems unfazed by his words, instead turning its attention back to Finnley. Without warning, it steps towards her once more, causing the ground to shake once more beneath its massive paws. It looms over her as it considers something. Finnley can feel her heart racing as she tries to remain still under its gaze.

    ¡°We come bearing no ill will, Ground Keeper.¡± <mark>Elek</mark> hisses through his teeth to the beast but it¡¯s large endlessly dark eyes simply stare at her and the beastly expression falls from his face, left with what appears to be curiosity.

    <mark>Elek</mark> takes a step forward but the beast senses the movement before he can complete his stride and Finnley is instantly struck with the smell of the beasts breath as it releases a low growl in warning. <mark>Elek</mark> instantly freezes as the sound echoes through the trees.

    The beast doesn¡¯t pay <mark>Elek</mark> a glance, confident in its fierce voice and his eyes stay on Finnley, analyzing her in some way she can¡¯t understand, as though it could see through her, as though it could see the blood pump through her very veins. But it¡¯s not fear that causes her heart to pound so fiercely but something of excitement at the beast that stands before her. Massive and magnificent, unlike anything she had ever seen. Three times the size of her, if not more. Larger then any bear she had ever seen, with an intelligence behind its grand eyes that said everything it could not.

    The beast shifts and leans its body forward and lands on its hunches, Finnley doesn¡¯t know why but she¡¯s sure that whomever this creature is, it knows her. Face to face with the beast, it¡¯s massive face fills her vision, and its head lowers, in a bow of sorts. When she reaches her hand out, <mark>Elek</mark> protests but she ignores his words, and lowers her hand to the beasts great mane, like fresh silk it¡¯s mane is collected with dripping foliage.

    ¡°Hello.¡± She whispers as her hands run through the silk of its jowls, and before her or <mark>Elek</mark> can fully comprehend what had occurred, the beast stands and bounds away leaving nothing in its wake, not a hair, not a clip of the trees, or a soft indent of where it¡¯s paws landed in the soft dirt along the riverbank. Just as the cabin had housed them over night and disappeared, this beast faded into the trees as though it did not exist.

    ¡°What was that?¡± She exhales, looking towards <mark>Elek</mark>.

    He furrowed his brow, studying her face as if seeing her for the first time. Then, he seemed to have a question flicker across his tongue but held it in with a frown, remembering that she wouldn¡¯t be able to remember whatever it was that he was curious about.

    ¡°What?¡± She questions, reaching for her coat and feeling a rush of warmth overwhelming her.

    He clears his throat, his fingers nervously running through his curly hair. ¡°That was a Grounds Keeper. They work with the Star Guard of <mark>Noctarae</mark> in protecting the Kingdom¡¯s borders.¡±

    ¡°A Grounds Keeper,¡± she repeats, her smile fading as she gazes out at where the mysterious beast had disappeared.

    ¡°It probably knew you, once.¡± He frowns, ¡°They¡¯re not usually that friendly,¡± he comments, reaching for her coat and tucking it into his the pack that suddenly appears to his call. Her sarcastic remark about traveling with a Princess falls flat as his warm eyes meet hers. ¡°He¡¯ll report your arrival back to the King. We should get moving. We¡¯ll make it by darkest nightfall.¡±

    The realization hits her like a wave crashing against rocks. This journey, this adventure, is leading her back to this place that <mark>Elek</mark> claims to be her home. Back to the place she ran from, the place she can¡¯t even remember- the place her past self apologized for sending her back to. And for a moment, as she watches <mark>Elek</mark> disappear into the dense forest of her homeland, she feels torn between wanting to continue on and wanting to turn back to the snowy unknown mountainside but she starts after him, parting the thick low hanging branches and she feels a tingle run through her as she passes into the territory, into whatever magic lived in this land and for a long moment she wondered what Ravi was doing, and if she would ever see him again.