Word Count: 1628

~Millicent

Sound buzzes persistently in my ear.

My head is spinning, a sour taste on my tongue. All I can register is heat, beating down relentlessly upon my back, right through whatever sheer outfit I must be wearing. My face is pressed against dirt...or maybe that's sand. It's burning hot, whatever it is, it coats the inside of my mouth, turning it uncomfortably dry, only accelerating my thirst.

Memories flood into my mind all at once, making me wince. I'm not exactly sure where I am, as that was never a part of the plan. All I know is I'm not longer with the Moon, but on immortal soil.

We executed the plan what feels like days ago, but clearly was only seconds. We got everyone together, they harnessed their magic, and here I am, Lucy having taken my place. The magic still vibrates through me, my own having been stilled to the point I doubt it works anymore.

I force myself to look up.

I'm in a desert. Red sand slopes up and down for miles to see, glimmering with golden specks under the relentless sunlight. Heaving myself up onto my knees, I notice a body lying on its back beside me. It's Kyser, half his face practically buried in the sand. Crawling over to him, I grab his bare arm, feeling how hot his skin is under my touch. How long have we been here?

"Kyser, wake up," I say, but my voice is hoarse, my tongue heavy in my mouth. He shakes his head a few times, red sand spraying from his hair and onto my lap. If even frames his eyelashes, which flutter open as he looks up at me.

I gasp at the sight.

"Your eyes, the aren't white anymore...I mean they are, but you have pupils again," I mutter in disbelief, helping him into a sitting position. His eyes, once fully glazed over with milky irses are now pierced with darkness. As he forces himself into a sitting position, I realise he looks completely different. Not completely, but his hair is now faded from a brilliant white to a cloudy grey.

He reaches up, touching his eyelids. "My power is gone."

I wanted to ask more questions about how his magic manifests, but I stop myself. His voice is as hoarse as mine, suggesting we both need water desperately. We are both hardly even immortal now, with our powers limited, so we need to act as soon as we can before we die in this desert.

"There's a city in this distance. I think we should head that way," I mutter, wishing some moisture onto my tongue, but there is none. Why couldn't Sinful have brought us somewhere more civilized?

Kyser and I help each other to our feet, our ankles sinking below the line of sand. I watch him look around, holding his hand up to shield his eyes. I can hardly believe I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with him, and not my mate. Where Sinful is, I have no idea, but thoughts creep into my mind pertaining to Sinful doing this and then abandoning me. I know it's not likely, but I can't help as it runs rampantly through my head.

"We are in Karma's territory. That city over there is the only one in this place. The people that live there are less than admirable," Kyser says sourly, but the tone is practically lost on his dry tongue.

Karma. I've heard little about the immortal, other than that she is a little crazy.

We start our walk towards the city at a slow trudge, the sand dragging around our ankles, the heat weakening our muscles, but Kyser still speaks. "The people in the city aren't the most civilized, so hopefully won't see us any differently from the crowd. I know of a place we could go here that will keep us safe until we decide what to do."

I glance at him uneasily. He seems to know so much about this realm already, which is especially surprising considering I had the impression that he spent his whole life up in with the Moon, doing whatever his job is...it makes anxious not knowing what his intentions were, or are.

But I suppose it's too late to turn back now. I'm here with him and I have to trust him. I have to trust that his knowledge comes from the extensive library on both sides of the wall.

And not because he has more power than he is letting on.

"Are you excited?" Kyser says suddenly, pulling me from my train of thought. I look at him, wondering why I would possibly be excited about walking around in a desert with the sun beating on my back and the sand sticking to my skin.

He seems to notice my hesitant expression. "Are you excited about being free, I mean? It's been millions of years since you've stepped on real soil. What does it feel like?"

As much as he knows I've recently come back to the immortal realm with Sinful, he doesn't mention it. I'm not exactly sure what his and Sinful's relationship is like, but I have a feeling that if they didn't benefit each other, they wouldn't like each other at all. As long as our first priority is getting in contact with Sinful again, then Kyser and I shouldn't have a problem.

"I'm excited for freedom, and to get back to my mate," I comment, hoping it's enough for him to get the hint, despite our conversation right before we left.

"You have to remember you are powerless now. If Sinful wants to manipulate you into anything, he can with no issue," Kyser reminds me. I don't say anything, instead concentrating on the approaching city through the sweltering waves of heat.

We make it to the city by dusk.

Clambering through the dark alleyways, concealing ourselves within the shadows, we make our way alone the outside of the city. The goal is not to have anyone see us; not because we are well-known, but because we are outsiders, and Kyser described the people here as feral. So I blindly follow Kyser, trusting he will bring me to any kind of refuge.

Thankfully, he pulled through, finding the door to the apartment he claimed was owned by someone he knows. I'm skeptical about that, but I'm not going to ask questions right now. Not when I'm so desperate to get out of the cold, which has fallen upon the city dramatically now that the sun has slipped below the horizon.

My tired legs drag my up the stairs, as Kyser unlocks a green wooden door. We haven't come across anyone so far, but in the distance during our walk through the city, I could hear chanting and screaming, like some kind of ritual was going on.

I don't want to know what is happening around here.

Kyser leads me into the apartment, flicking a light on. The rest of the city is unkempt and practically falling apart, so seeing the apartment in decent condition is a surprise. Aside from the lack of furnishings, and the slight layer of dust covering everything, it's a neat and tidy space that will do until we figure something else out.

"This will do for now," I hear myself saying, dragging a finger along the line of the dining table. Everything is squeezed into one room, aside from the bedrooms, bathroom and the kitchen around the corner. Still, despite the way it looks, I would much rather be here then up on the Moon.

Kyser pops a window. "I'm sure Sinful will get in contact with us as soon as possible. No doubt he is tearing the world apart trying to find you. With his power so low from the spell, I suspect he's being driven crazy."

I frown at the tone of his voice. Is that anger, or am I not hearing something right?

"He will find us, or we will find him. Karma's territory can't be that far from his," I comment, trying to fight through the haze that is my memory. I swear at some point I studied a map of the immortal realm, but it's almost completely slipped my mind. Maybe I'm just tired, so it's harder for me to grasp onto everything that went on up there.

Kyser doesn't reply, dusting off the couch before motioning for me to sit. With my wary legs threatening to give out on me, I make no compliant, even if a spring beneath the cushion protests at my weight. Kyser doesn't join me, instead disappearing into the kitchen before returning with glasses of water.

"What is it about Sinful that gets you..." he starts, as I throw back the entire glass with no issue. I raise my eyebrow at him, prompting him to continue. "so riled up"

My eyes widen. "He's my mate, Kyser."

"I get it, he's Lust, but personally I don't think he should elicit the reaction he did out of you," he says, his voice surprisingly flat considering the ridiculous words coming out of his mouth. I know exactly what incident he is mentioning, and just recalling it brings colour right back to my seat. The way Kyser is looking at me right now doesn't assist the situation. It's a dark, persistent stare.

"Are you jealous or something?" I question. Kyser doesn't react. Instead, he turns around, and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

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KING'S POSSESSION

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