Chapter Song: Cardigan by Taylor Swift (The Tik Tok best part one if you are using Spotify.)

Alps by Novo Amor and Lowswimmer
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I pulled myself up out of bed looking around the room I woke up in. Oren's room, I think. It looked similar to the one I had been given just more lived in. I stood up slowly, stretching out my sore limbs.

I glanced at the door contemplating my options. I could either stay in here and hope Oren doesn't turn out to be a psycho like Evelyn's sister or I could leave and go find her myself.

I walked over to the door hesitantly grabbing ahold of the doorknob and opening it. I walked through and down the long hallway. The marble floor had a long elegant light blue carpet running down the middle. I followed it until I reached the staircase. I took a deep breath before going down. I was just in a large t shirt and loose pants. I could hear hushed voices and the second my feet came in contact with the floor, the voices were gone. I walked towards where they were and saw that the girl was there, her eyes were wide as she stared at me.

I don't know what took over me but in seconds I was across the room, my hands wrapped around her throat as I shoved her against the closest wall. She quickly retaliated shoving me to the ground. I was bracing for her strike, but it never came. Oren stood in front of her grasping her wrists and pinning them at her sides.

"Go to your room, Avery." Evelyn spoke. So that was her name.

She glared at me before storming off.

"Are you alright?" Evelyn rushed over to me; her hands were gloved this time. I hesitantly reached out placing my hand in hers.

I just nodded before glancing up at Oren who was staring down at me, his fists were balled tightly at his sides.

"Mama! Why is the pretty lady on the floor?" I looked over at him and smiled softly, before allowing Evelyn to help pull me up.

"She just tripped, buddy." Axel spoke scooping the boy up and standing next to his wife.

"I trip sometimes too." He giggled before poking his dads face. "Dada tripped too when he saw one of Mama's pretty dresses."

For the first time since I got here, I let a goofy smile take over my face.

"What is your name?" I asked softly.

"Atlas, Mama told me your name is Ellie."

"Buddy, it's Eleia." Evelyn corrected him, bopping him on the nose while shaking her head.

"Ellie better." He giggled, before hiding his face in his dad's neck. I am glad this kid is loved. He is too precious.

"We wanted to show you something, Atlas how about you go look for Uncle Warren?" Axel spoke gently placing the boy back on the ground.

I followed behind them into a different room, off of the main hallway.

"After I looked into your mind that day, I sound things. There was a room in your world, that was filled with artefacts from our world." Evelyn spoke. I had a feeling I was far from home, but not another world, universe maybe.

"We need to know what you know about that room?" Atlas added.

"I-I don't know anything; I wasn't allowed down there." I whispered, my mind running a mile a minute.

"My boss, she wasn't human. But that is all I know." I told them.

"We have reason to believe your boss is here, with several other individuals. They will be killed on sight if we do not get the answers we need." Atlas spoke. "The safety of my family and people will always be my priority."

"S-She had a book." I added trying to remember everything that happened that night. "I was attacked the night I ended up here. I grabbed the book to throw at him but ended up here." I glanced up at Oren who seemed deep in thought.

"The book has to be some sort of portal." Oren spoke glancing down at me. "Is that the only time you saw it?" I just nodded in response.

"I didn't know it would bring me here." I glanced down at my scarred fingertips, from endless years of picking at them.

"Our priority now is finding them, you will go with Oren, to look. I will go with Thea and Milo." Everyone nodded but Evelyn groaned in frustration.

"I can come help." She snapped at him.

"I am not fucking risking that, you are due soon. No risks, remember?" He whispered pulling her against his chest. I turned around quickly and headed for the door, not wanting to be a part of their intimate moment.

"Go change." Oren shooed me towards the staircase. I hurried up the steps, questions swimming through my mind. Miss Dalaris was here? I haven't fully processed any of this and I don't think I ever will.

Once I reached the room, they gave me I saw a set of clothes laid out on the bed. Clothes I had never seen before. Leather pants and a leather top. These looked like fighting leathers. I've seen some of the immortals on patrol back at home in outfits similar to this. There was also a black cloak laid out next to it. I quickly got dressed and pulled on my boots before hurrying downstairs and towards the massive door.

Oren paused glancing up and down my body, before meeting my eyes.

He let out an awkward cough before nodding his head towards the door and turning on his heel.

"Where are we going?" I asked him to pick up my pace to keep up with him.

"We are going to walk through the city." He spoke. This was a city? I thought cities were meant to have large buildings, with endless floors and flooded with busy people. This place felt like it was... I don't know magical and peaceful.

"To find my boss?" I raised a brow.

"Something like that." He mumbled walking down those elegant steps that we had come up that day. The sound of water was rushing down the sides of the frozen garden. Frost and snow covered everything but the steps and path we walked on.

I followed close behind him, not wanting to get lost in this place as we entered the stone walkways. People were wrapped in cloaks of all kinds of colors, children ran through the streets, probably looking for presents to get. Every shop we passed was lively and emanated a feeling of warmth.

We passed a tavern of sorts where people were stumbling out, holding onto each other.

I glanced behind us, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. I felt like I was being watched.

"What is it?" Oren asked me, glancing down. I just shook my head and kept following next to him. I glanced back at the tavern again, feeling an odd pull telling me we had to go in there.

"Wait." I spoke gently pulling at his arm. He spun quickly, his hands going to his sword. I immediately let go taking a step back.

"Sorry." I muttered. "We--I feel like we need to go there." I pointed at the tavern before looking down at my feet, suddenly finding them very interesting.

"Come on then." He spoke nudging me towards that direction. I lead the way this time and walked past a vomiting...immortal?

I didn't know what to call these people.

Oren pushed the door open, reaching over me to do so. I gave him a small smile before stepping into the tavern.

The musty smell immediately greeted my nose as well as the sound of chatter to my ears. This place was full of people. Many of them had cloaks on nearly identical to mine and Oren's. He gripped my wrist gently and lead me through the crowded place. He brought me to a small table on the side of the room, near one of the few windows in this place.

"What do we do, now?" I asked softly.

"You are the one who wanted to come in here, no?" He asked with a raised brow.

"I-I just had a feeling." I muttered. "But I don't do this stuff like you guys."

"Look around this room Eleia." He whispered. "Does anyone look like someone you recognize from your home world?" I looked around, when I spotted a person with dark blue skin, they had small horns peeking through their tousled dark brown hair. His eyes were an eerie pitch black.

"Didn't anyone tell you its rude to stare." Oren teased, turning my chin with his strong grip to face him again. Thats when I saw something I shouldn't have seen. Someone who appeared to be a cloaked child, reached into the pockets of several people. Oren followed my line of sight, before he shot up. The kid turned to us with wide eyes. Gods. He had to be seven or eight years old.

He took off after the kid through the front door. I stood up unsure of what to do with myself. Was I meant to follow him? I didn't want to be a part of that. In all honesty I hope the kid gets away. I remember the nights we didn't have enough for food at home.

I saw several people turn to me looking at me with confused glances. One man even scrunched up his nose as if he was trying to sniff me. I hesitantly took a step back, crashing into someone who had stepped behind me. I quickly spun on my heel, somehow managing to trip over my own two feet. The floor was approaching fast when arms wrapped around my body.

"She is one of my new pets. Eyes to yourselves." A deep voice rumbled above me. All murmuring stopped for a second before everyone went back to minding their own business.

"I am not your p--" I glanced up and all words went out the window as I stared up at the man, I shared that cell with. The man who helped me escape.

He just raised a brow before wrapping an arm around my waist and dragging me to the other side of the tavern. He sat me down at the furthest table in a shadowed corner.

"Y-You--" I tried again but yet again my brain wasn't letting me form a coherent sentence.

"Me?" He raised an eyebrow again, his lips quirking up at the side slightly. His disheveled hair still falling in front of his face. His piercing silver eyes almost seemed more magical and real in this lighting.

His scarred face only added to... What am I saying? I desperately shoved those thoughts far, far, far away into my mind.

The bell suddenly rung on the door and there stood the kid that had ran out with the goofiest smile I have ever seen.

"I did it, sir! He cheered running over to us.

"Record time, kid." He spoke reaching out a leather gloved hand to ruffle the kid's hair.

Suddenly everyone began chanting. Surely, I am hearing this wrong. Were they all chanting 'Little Shit'?

Someone came over lifting the boy up and propping him up on his shoulder as everyone cheered and waved their drinks in the air. I just stared at the whole scene in front of me with a dumfounded expression. This couldn't be real. I had to be drunk or high or both. Thats when it hit me.

"Who are you?" My attention now back on the man.

His lips quirked up at the sides slightly at this.

"Don't worry about it. What do they want with you, Eleia?" He asked me. My eyes widened impossibly far. How does he know my name? I went to stand up, but his feet pushed me back against the chair.

"N-Nothing." I cursed myself out for letting my nerves show.

"Do not lie to me." He growled out.

"What do they want, Eleia?" Hearing my name come out of his mouth shouldn't have had the effect that it did on me. I froze for entirely too long, just staring at this man.

"You done?" He whispered an annoying smirk coming over his face. I rolled my eyes at him and flipped him off. He grabbed my hand faster than I could blink pulling my body flush against the table, his breath hitting against my face as he spoke.

"Don't trust them." I was about to question him when the bell on the front door chimed. I glanced back seeing a furious Oren storm into the tavern and go straight towards the now empty table that we both sat at. I looked back at where the man was sitting across from me, but didn't even realize that he was gone. I looked around startled, as to how he was able to simply disappear like it was nothing.

I looked around trying to find him somewhere.

"Eleia?" I jumped when Oren placed his hand on my shoulder. "What are you doing over here?" I looked up at him with wide eyes trying to figure out how I could even explain what just happened.

Don't trust them.

I needed to know more. I felt like the pieces weren't connecting in this whole mess that is my fucking life. I just wanted to read a book and take a nap. Is that too much to ask for?

I jumped up to my feet looking up at him confused when he just stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What happened?" He asked again, his hand settling on my forearm.

"N-Nothing." I mumbled. "I don't think we are going to find anything here; we should just go." I spoke walking past him and towards the door.

"Why are you acting weird." He asked catching up to me.

"You don't know me." I snapped at him frustrated at this whole situation. "You are all acting like you know who I am just because you clawed your way into my mind. None of you do!" I gripped at the strands of my brown hair that were whipping around in the cold winter wind.

"I know." He whispered. "I know." He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me against his chest before I could react.

"W-What are y-you doing?" I whispered trying to push away only causing him to hold on to me tighter.

"Just try to calm down, okay?" He whispered back.

"This is all too much." I breathed as I let him just hold me against his chest.

"I am sorry for everything we have put you through." He told me pulling away to look into my eyes. His grey eyes contrasting beautifully with his dark skin. He was truly beautiful. All of these people were. "It wasn't E--" He cut me off quickly grabbing onto my body and sprinting with me clutched against his side.

"Put me down!" I snapped, gripping onto his shoulders tightly as he ran at an inhuman pace. "What is happening?!"

"It's Evelyn." He growled out. I could see the floating island ahead. "Fuck." He cursed out. He dropped me once we got to the stairs. I fell with a thud and a searing pain shot through my leg. I winced as I got to my feet and hurried up the stairs. The front door was left wide open. I quickly shut it behind me and rushed after where I heard shouts.

I could hear Evelyn's screams and shouts of countless other people.

I ran into the room, and I unconsciously raised a hand over my chest at the sight.

Evelyn was splayed out on the bed. Blood soaked the sheets of her bed as she screamed out in pain. Oren's hands were splayed out over her body as his magic worked through her. Axel was crouched down next to her as he cupped his wife's face and whispered things I couldn't understand. The other women and men were in here as well, watching everything unfold.

"Mama?" I heard the little boys voice, setting my body into motion before I realized what I was doing. I closed the door behind me and lifted the crying boy up, walking down the hallway.

"You can see her in a few minutes, okay?" I told him, reaching up to wipe his tears. He looked at me confused before mumbling something I didn't understand.

"I heard you have a bunch of toys, want to show me some of them?" I asked him. A big, goofy smile quickly took over his face, accentuating his chubby cheeks.

"Where are they?" I asked softly, still unfamiliar with this whole place.

"That way!" He cheered pointing down the hallway. I brought him in there and shut the door behind us, effectively silencing the screams and shouts of his family.

I placed him on the floor gently and he rushed over to his stack of stuffed animals, pulling out every single one. He named them all and made sure I knew every single one. The sounds of his giggles were all we could hear.

I don't know how much time past but after a little bit the boy crawled into my lap as yawn after yawn left him. I leaned back against the wall, unsure of what to do with myself. I waited a few minutes, and he quickly fell asleep.

A few minutes passed by when the doors slammed open. A frantic Axel's eyes scanned over the room, before his eyes froze on me behind Atlas's tower of stuffed animals. This was the first time I have seen him not look serious and put together.

"Is she okay?" I whispered, noting the blood staining his clothes and hands. He just nodded walking closer to us.

"Thank you." He breathed so quietly I nearly missed it. I just nodded and glanced down at the sleeping boy.

He lifted the boy from my lap taking a deep breath.

"Do you need a minute?" I asked glancing at his bloodied hands. "I don't mind watching him."

He just shook his head before turning on his heel. I got up after a few minutes and decided to go check on Evelyn. I walked back towards where that room was and saw her sleeping, with a baby wrapped in a bundle of blankets tucked into a bassinet next to her bed.

I smiled knowing they had both survived before turning on my heel and heading down the stairs. I don't know why I decided to do this, but I felt like I needed to.

That's what I kept reminding myself when I pushed the tavern door open.