Isadora frowned,"Halo, where the hell are we?"

Halo's eyebrows were furrowed and confusion was written plainly on her face,"I don't know how we got here, Isadora. I swear."

Isadora surveyed their surroundings.

She had never seen so many castles.

It was beautiful with tall trees and clear rivers; It was just like a fairytale. However, it was not the Guardian realm, where they were all supposed to be meeting back.

Isadora hoped Halo didn't take it upon herself to alter their drop point because no one clarified the Outpost was the drop point.

"Halo," Isadora repeated, firmly.

Halo shook her head in disbelief, "This is the witch and warlock realm. My home."

Isadora glowered,"How did we get here? You were thinking of the Outpost, right?"

Halo scowled,"Yes, Isadora. I'm not stupid."

Isadora threw her hands up in exasperation,"Then why are we here? We have to get back to Adri and debrief."

Isadora frowned as she fumbled with the ring on her finger.

The stone was busted.

Halo sighed,"I don't know. The Unseelie King is not to be trusted. Message your friends, see if they made it back."

Isadora concentrated but was unable to make a connection,"What the hell. I think my receptors are fried."

Halo groaned,"I think this was the plan. Portals are old technology, their energy and frequency are enough to burn out a lot of things. That was the reason Guardian rings were created
So-"

"The Unseelie King's plan was to divide and conquer because he was pissed off about having to do a Guardian's bidding," Isadora finished.

Halo nodded an affirmative.

"So, where does that leave us? Do you have some type of magic to transport us throughout the realms?"

Halo raised an eyebrow,"Nothing that is legal."

Isadora lips turned into a smile,"I'm a Guardian. By the order of Inferno, I command you to take me home, at once."

Halo smirked,"You laid that on a little thick, don't you think?"

Isadora shrugged.

"Well, we have to go to my place," Halo sighed,"Follow me."

Of course, Halo would be the one harboring illegal magic, Isadora thought.

Isadora laughed,"What's with the long face? Don't have too many Guardians in your home?"

Her voice was light and her tone was teasing. She cringed at the sound of it.

"That's not it,"Halo added,"but you will see."

She was tempted to ask Halo if that meant she did have Guardians in her home before, but she didn't fully understand why she cared. It wasn't her business so she bit her tongue.

They walked along the glimmering paths that Halo assured her was simply paint and the roads were not paved in gold in silence.

Isadora was practically brimming with questions, but kept them to herself. She didn't want to annoy Halo any further.

Finally, Halo stopped in front of a large house. It wasn't like the castles she had seen everywhere else in this realm.

Halo murmured something she couldn't understand and the gate opened.

"Home sweet home."

Halo's steps were a little lighter and it put Isadora on edge, immediately.

Isadora didn't expect what she saw as they walked through the entrance.

The front room was a party.

Party was probably an understatement.

It was a full, blown out rave.

Fog machine, laser lights, strippers, loud music, and lots of people.

The scent of alcohol and puke was strong enough to make Isadora gag.

The counters were cluttered with plastic cups and the floor was covered in cigarette butts and lingerie.

Isadora's mouth gaped open,"I guess the party never ends?"

She tried to sound nonchalant, but she was almost sure Halo could see through it.

Halo's lips turned into a smile as she grabbed a drink from one of the serving trays,"As the Head Witch and the representative, why should it?"

Halo's eyes shone brightly with the gold eyeliner she wore and she pulled her long hair into a bun.

Isadora's lips turned into a smirk. Halo didn't look bad, to say the least.

It was as if Halo could read her thoughts because in that moment, she started to unbutton the top piece of her pink pantsuit.

Isadora's eyes got wide and she started to object but Halo winked and made her her heart stop beating for a moment while she undid the buttons.

At that point, the top had become a coat and Halo's white bralette was fully exposed.

Isadora's eyes lingered, somewhat awestruck.

She forced her eyes away and smiled tightly,"We need to get back, Halo."

Halo pouted, slightly.

Isadora bit her lip.

"I'm sure Chancellor wouldn't approve of me hanging out in a strip club," Isadora said carefully, eyes searching Halo's face meticulously.

Halo's smile dropped and walked briskly towards the door. Her change in reaction was fluid, as if disappointment was her default.

Isadora followed her, feeling slightly guilty and then hating herself for feeling guilty.

It is the right thing to do, Isadora thought. She was in a committed relationship, after all. And she was into men, not random seductive witches.

Once inside the room, it was clear that this was Halo's bedroom. It was cluttered with empty beer cans, liquor bottles, and clothes.

Halo didn't seem to mind, as she trudged through the piles of clutter. She ripped open a beaded curtain and exposed a portal. It was similar to the one they took into this realm, but it didn't appear to be in working condition.

"What's wrong with it?" Isadora asked, walking up closer.

"Portals are illegal, Isadora. I can't exactly keep it running. The magic is too strong and attracts too many of the wrong kinds of folk."

Halo avoided eye contact and her voice was clipped.

Isadora wanted to smack herself in the face. She should have never led Halo on.

"So, how long is it going to be? Not that I am rushing you or anything," Isadora said, trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere.

Halo spun around and met Isadora's eyes. Isadora flushed a deep red.

"Grab a drink, take a nap, I don't care. But it is going to be awhile. I haven't used this for decades."

Isadora grinned,"So, a week?"

Isadora had been told that her smile was infectious before, but she never believed until that moment because Halo shook her head slightly and smiled right back at her.

"If we are lucky."

Isadora plopped on the bed, picking up a bottle of   vodka off the ground,"Say no more."

The bottle was a little less then half-filled and the smell was strong to her unaccustomed nose.

Isadora unscrewed the lid and gulped it like a pro, but she had never actually drank alcohol in her life.

She was trying impress Halo, that much was certain, but she didn't understand why she cared.

She had a loving boyfriend back at home, but she couldn't get her mind off the olive-toned witch in front of her.

Isadora drained the bottle, nearly doubling over and losing her contents. She hadn't expected it to taste so foul. Her stomach hurt and she knew right then her little drinking expedition was a mistake.

She felt like her body was melting like a candle, so she stripped to undergarments.

Isadora heard a voice in the back of her mind, yelling at her, asking her what hell she thought she was doing.

Isadora giggled, she was just having a bit of fun.

Isadora didn't know whether she blacked out or what because the next moment Halo was hovering over her with a look of concern.

"What happened?" Isadora asked, giggling at her predicament.

She was laying on the floor in nothing but her underclothes.

Halo grabbed her hand and half-carried back to the bed,"You did realize I said get a drink. A, meaning one drink, not one bottle. And besides, I couldn've sworn Guardians weren't allowed to drink on duty."

Halo was sort of grumbling and that made Isadora laugh harder.

Isadora made her voice as deep as she could and tried to imitate Halo,"I AM HALO-"

Isadora dissolved into giggles.

Halo looked her incredulously,"I actually can't believe you, right now."

Isadora felt her eyes leak involuntarily,"You're mad at me?"

Halo closed her eyes for moment, as if she was praying,"No, Isadora. I'm not mad at you. I'm just surprised. I didn't expect you to sit here and get wasted."

"Me either,"Isadora tried to whisper, but her voice came out ringing.

Everything felt so warm as if her body was enclosed with thick cotton.

"Halo," Isadora said,"will you lay with me?"

Halo grimaced,"I think you will be a lot happier in the morning if you lay by yourself."

Isadora pouted,"I think I will be sad without you."

"Do you?" Halo murmured," I think your boyfriend would be sad if he found out."

"Chancellor?" Isadora spluttered,"He doesn't like me."

Halo looked at her curiously but didn't say anything.

"Sleep," Isadora said patting the other side of the bed.

Halo grimaced and then muttered something Isadora didn't understand under her breath.

"For a little while."

Isadora grinned,"Tell me about yourself."

Halo cocked her head,"What do you mean?"

Isadora shrugged,"I'm not sure. Just tell me about you."

Isadora didn't know why she asked, she just blurted it out.

And Halo was gorgeous. Even prettier than she remembered.

Halo paused for a moment and smiled,"You won't remember this in the morning anyways, so screw it. I was born in Lebanon in 1638. That's a place in the Tellurian realm-"

"Boring!" Isadora practically sang,"Tell me something interesting."

Halo laughed,"Like what?"

"I don't know! Something exciting. A bed time story, sort of."

Halo smirked,"Ok, I've got a good one. Right after I fled Turkey and the human realm, for obvious reasons, I came here, through a portal. A Guardian patrolling actually helped me get here. I was nine at the time. When I got here-"

Isadora cut her off with a yawn,"This still sounds boring."

Halo shook her head with a laugh,"Patience, Isadora. I am getting to the interesting bits."

Isadora smiled and pushed a lock of Halo's hair behind her ear,"Ok."

Halo moved her hand with a tight smile,"I was nine. All the witches and warlocks were very welcoming and understanding. I got invited to a party."

Isadora was staring at Halo's lips. They were nice and full. They were soft, pink, and perfectly curved. How she would love Halo to just-

Halo snapped her fingers,"Are you paying attention, Isadora?"

Isadora nodded so hard, her head started to ache,"Yes, I am."

"The party was the first time I got drunk."

Isadora gasped,"Whoa. You know what is crazy? This is my first time, too."

"I never would have guessed."

Isadora smiled,"I guess I am just good like that."

Halo smiled,"That's true. You are."

"Back to the story," Isadora demanded,"I want to know what happened!"

"I thought the drinks were just foul tasting juice. I was a kid. Everyone was too wasted to tell me different. So, I kept drinking, telling myself I needed to stay hydrated."

Isadora laughed so hard, she almost rolled out the bed. Halo grabbed her hand, wordlessly, and pulled her back upright before she fell.

It took a moment before Isadora could speak again,"So, what? You got drunk, went home, and called it a night?"

Halo laughed,"Nope. I got drunk, walked back through the portal, and streaked across Boston naked."

"How did you get to Boston?"

Halo shrugged,"I was a kid. I wanted to go to the New World as much as the next guy. It was the Land of Opportunity. Boston was the most heard about city, at the time, so I thought about going there on my way through."

Isadora smiled widely,"What happened?"

Halo laughed,"The bostonians were appalled, to say the least, but I wasn't there too long, because new Ethereals are tracked by the Guardians for the first year and I was escorted back to my realm, very quickly."

Isadora laughed, loudly,"I have had to escort an Ethereal back before, but they were not naked and drunk. That Guardian was probably pissed."

"Probably," Halo agreed,"but what could they do? I was nine."

Isadora yawned,"I'm thirsty."

Halo laughed,"Don't say it like that. It sounds bad."

Isadora grinned, mischievously,"Maybe that's how I meant it."

Isadora leaned over to Halo and planted a kiss on her soft lips,"Got you."

Halo pulled away, immediately, with anger in her eyes,"Go to sleep, Isadora."

Isadora felt the air in lungs dissipate and her heart shatter.

"You're mad at me," Isadora whimpered.

Halo cursed under her breath and sighed,"I'm not mad at you, but I am also not going to allow you to do something you will regret in the morning."

She felt tears burn in her eyes.

Isadora sighed,"I'm going to get some water."

Before Halo could object, Isadora's vision went dark and she hit the floor hard.

She felt something shatter and her head grew warm.

The last thing she saw was a very scared Halo. If only she had the energy to laugh.