1669

The feeling of falling disappears as quickly as it comes.

The moment my feet feel like they are touching solid ground, my eyes fly open, looking around frantically. The fact that there is daylight outside is what strikes me first, the rest of me numb as I realise what I'm looking at.

Whatever he has done, we are no longer in the Harmony Pack. I'm now staring out a large window at the sight of snowflakes falling lazily upon thick clumps of it, deep green trees littered about, branches heaving under the weight of the snow. The Harmony Pack never sees snow, so seeing this sight, a foggy white haze blocking the distant view is unnervingly foreign.

"Where are we?" I question, whirling back to Cian, who has pulled away from me, looking as though he is anticipating this explosive reaction.

He shoves his hands into his pockets, looking uneasy. "The immortal realm."

I turn back around, staring out the window. I've only ever read about the immortal realm, and it was never detailed. The last thing I expected was...this. Everything looks vaguely normal, even if the air is quiet, snow slow and fog eerie.

"You live here?"

"I don't really live anywhere," Cian admits as I face him again. Here, his golden roots look brighter, skin more vibrant and eyes darker. For the first time, I take a moment to realise how beautiful he is here, where he is destined to be. "But I own this property, yes."

"There's nothing around here...For miles," I say, words tumbling from my mouth without any control, it seems. I can't see much, but I doubt there are many other places in this area where people would actually want to live.

Then again, I know nothing about the immortal realm.

"That's kind of the point. It's very tranquil here," Cian says, as if there aren't bigger issues to be addressed. The daunting reality of what he has done, of where he has taken me has finally sunk in. I'm in the Immortal Realm...I cannot return home without Cian personally returning me.

"You need to take me back," I tell him, taking a shuddering step toward me. He shakes his head, frowning slightly.

"Do you think I'm going to hurt you?" he asks, looking genuinely curious for my reaction.

I stop to think about that for a moment, knowing that everyone has warned me about how dangerous he is. Clearly he has been able to leave that cell and hurt me if he ever intended to, yet I can't use that as my only reason to trust him. He still brought me here, and by the looks of it, isn't intending to return me any time soon.

"You're completely capable of it," I remind him.

"We are all capable of horrible things. That doesn't mean we are inclined to do anything of that sort," he says smoothly, his eyes darkening for a moment as his intense gaze doesn't lighten. "Unless you want me to."

I brush off that comment, curious about how often he has left his cell back in the mortal realm. "How long have you been coming here?"

"Only recently," he admits, sweeping a hand through his hair, the black ends of his hair raining down over his forehead. When I look around, the place is barely furnished, not looking lived in at all. "Believe it or not, I haven't been able to leave the facility."

I frown. "Why not?"

"Magic, to keep me in, to keep others safe," he admits, something unfamiliar flickering in his gaze. I steady my breath, knowing that magic can't keep me safe here. I have to rely on Cian, to hope he doesn't have bad intentions. "It hasn't worked since you arrived."

My throat dries. My mind can't fathom what I have to do with this, although by Cian's tense expression, he doesn't quite know either.

"So you've been leaving?" I say slowly. Part of me feels responsible for him not being in that cell, even though that's not apart of my job description. Not once does it include wrangling an immortal, although Stace will want to hear about this...Should I tell him, though? I told Cian about his and Noah's plan to save him. Telling Stace this now would only put him in more danger.

But why should I care?

"At times, yes," he says, giving a slight shrug.

"There's a lot to unpack right now," I say, backing up a few steps, my feet sinking into the plush rug beneath me. There's even a blazing fire behind me, although I don't feel comforted. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to ask you to stay away, to quit your job and stop working for Stace. He is a bad man," Cian tells me, looking serious about convincing me into this.

I swallow uncomfortably, knowing I need to know more about Stace. Cian doesn't need to tell me not to trust Stace for that to have already manifested in my mind. The man isn't a mortal, and is very much involved with important people in this Pack. Whoever he is, his odd shifting tattoos and frightfully perfect looks are not natural.

"Why?"

"It's a dirty business, and him and I have a lot between us. It would be wise of you to stop working there as soon as possible...For your safety," he explains. I don't miss the way he studies me, daring me to disagree.

I decide this isn't the topic I want to concentrate on right now. "Why did the magic stop working when I arrived there?"

"I have no idea," he admits after a prolonged moment.

Whether that is true or not, I can't decipher from his expression alone. He is unnervingly good at revealing as little about himself as possible. Instead, I look past him and out the window again, unable to truly believe where I am standing right now. There is so much more to be concerned about, yet I can't get that out of my head.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Cian questions as I turn back to him. With every pass of my gaze over him, it's making less and less sense why I'm here right now.

"I just can't believe I'm here...In another realm, with a Sin," I breathe.

The word Sin rolls of my tongue with more distain than I intended. Cian's dark brows furrow slightly as he turns that word over in his head. Being an Immortal Sin isn't usually associated with anything good.

A muscle in his jaw flutters. "You're safe."

It seems like he means it, but I can't be sure. "I should go back. Lev is going to be wondering where I am."

"Leven cares about you. You should listen to his advice and quit," Cian says, taking a step toward me, the scent of him finally hitting me. It's a spicy scent, hints of something fresh entwined in there also. "There are plenty of jobs out there for you, Amolet."

"Why do you care so much about me?" I ask him.

He takes another step. It takes everything within me not to yield, attempting to match myself to the size of him, although it's no use. I can feel his power in the air here, how it lives a breathes so naturally when it isn't confined in the harsh cell environment. The fire within me still blazes, not wanting to back down from this.

"Why do you care so much about me?" he asks, his tone softer, more taunting than mine.

"You didn't speak, you're powerful...That's what drew me to you in the first place," I admit, knowing there is little point in denying it.

Cian's hands glide into his pockets as he steps closer again, daring me to flinch. "It's more than that, and you know it."

My throat is dry as I remember to swallow. As much as it angers me, he's right. Initially it wasn't anything more than a deep curiosity, but returning there as often as I did was an act of a desperate girl...One drawn to the allure of the enigmatic immortal, the connection that blossomed immediately.

"What are you going to do about Stace and the Alpha wanting to kill you?" I question in an attempt to change the subject.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Cian blinks, touched briefly by confusion. It vanishes in a second, replaced by that cool masks he expertly constructs. This isn't something he wants to share with me, but now that I've been dragged into this, I want to know why this is so worth hiding.

"I want to know."

Cian's eyes narrow upon me, almost as if he is challenging me to continue pressing him, to continue digging into this issue. "What would I matter to you, if you no longer work for Stace?"

I want to argue back, to tell him that I'm not going to quit my job, but I can't. Maybe I should quit, to get away from this all.

"Take me back," I demand, holding my hand out toward him.

Cian eyes it carefully before dragging his gaze back up to me. Instead of my hand, he grabs the fabric of my jacket, nudging me closer to him. I ignore the smell of him, the way his body brushes up against mine, well muscled and toned, despite having been in that cell for so long.

I meet his gaze for a brief moment. It may feel as though I am escaping right now, however I get the feeling this isn't over.

I'm going to be seeing Cian again soon.

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Sophie_Midika

Midikacrane

~Midika 💜🐼