1806

¬Amolet

I nearly topple over in shock.

Not only is the fact that Cian is gone, nowhere to be seen, and I'm standing in a snowy labrinth absolutely terrifying, but I'm standing before Stace, who last time I checked, wants to lock me away from Cian for my own 'safety'. And now he stands before me, looking like he is going to eat me alive.

"You need to send me back," I say immediately. I'm not sure how he got me here, away from Cian, but I need to go back. What if Cian is looking for me? As I turn to look over my shoulder, realising with horror that I'm atop a mountain, similar to Sinful's, but everything below this cliff is made of ragged rocks, which I assume contributed to why Stace wanted to bring me here to talk.

The snow falls around Stace gently, so silent and beautiful it's in stark contrast to the fear thundering inside my chest. "Is everything okay?"

I gape at him. "No, you...I don't know how you did that but I was meant to be going somewhere else, with Cian."

"I used my powers to bring you here the moment I felt you being transported," he informs me, looking at me as if he is wary of me, or maybe if he is worried. Either way I'm beyond angry...And cold. It's freezing out here, the brittle air whipping straight through my thin jacket.

"You need to take me back, Stace," I say steadily, ready to lurch away if he tries reaching for me to transport me away. Even so, behind me, if I walk back a few steps, I will topple off the side of the cliff to my death below, so he has successfully trapped me. I'm not sure why he chose here instead of just taking me straight to Noah, where I'm inevitably going to end up.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe," he exclaims, as if it should be obvious.

"You may hate Cian, but I trust him," I tell him, each breath I'm drawing in so bitterly cold it's hurting my lungs. "Please don't take me back to Noah."

Stace doesn't seem to mind the cold at all compared to me, wearing his usually black tunic and jacket, his black tattoos in beautiful contrast to the stark white snow around him. He's so pretty to look at, it's no surprise he's not from this realm. It makes me wonder if everyone where he is from looks the way he does, or if they have similar powers. If so, I never want to get anywhere near it.

"But I felt you use your powers," he says, narrowing his eyes.

"How do you know I have powers?" I ask apprehensively. He sounds suspicious, like I've done something I shouldn't have. I suppose I have, but yet some dark part of me doesn't feel bad about choking Sinful. He deserved it, at the very least, and I didn't kill him.

"I can sense that about you too. I could from the moment I met you," he admits, shoving his hands in his pockets. Sense? What does that even mean? I can sense that Stace is terrifying, and that he has powers, but nothing specific.

Either way, I'm going to use the fact that he knows more than me or anyone else to my advantage, as I'm so lost about my powers. "Can you tell me why I have power's, because I have no idea what is going on."

"I assume it has something to do with you being Cian's mate," Stace says with a shrug, tilting his head from side to side. So he doesn't know completely either.

"You know?"

He shrugs again, as if it's not a big deal. "I sensed that too."

"Is there anything you can't sense?" I ask nervously, wondering what else he knows that he hasn't told me. If he knew the entire time since meeting me that I had powers, I would have assumed he would have told me right away. It doesn't benefit him, though. Now that I know what I'm capable of, I can take him down. But if I did that right now, I would be left on the edge of this mountain to freeze to death, so I'm going to have to rely on him to get me out of here.

"I feel everything, Amolet, and it gets awfully tiring," he says darkly, the snow crunching beneath his boots as he steps toward me. "I felt you use your powers, and I wanted to make sure you weren't in danger."

"It was the first time I've ever experienced anything like that," I admit, knowing I sound exasperated, but there is little point in sounding like I have everything together. Stace can probably sense that too, that my life is devolving into a confusing mess.

"Keep it to yourself, alright? Your powers may overcome you if you don't keep a level-head," he says firmly. I frown, realising it's more of a demand than advice. I'm not sure why Stace cares. I'm still deciding whether I believe his claim that he cares about me enough to bring me here just to check on me...He most likely wants to convince me back onto his and Noah's side.

I cross my arms over my chest, still shivering. "Why do you care about me anyway?"

Stace sighs, seeming to notice my discomfort as he strides forward some more, tugging his jacket off. Staying as still as possible, I allow him to approach, draping the jacket over my shoulders. It's heavier than mine, and with his warmth seeping from it, it gives me some instant relief from the icy wind that whips through the valley of the mountain.

"I don't want you hurt," he murmurs lowly, a fringe of dark hair hanging down around his eyes as he looks down at his hands. "I know you're innocent in all this."

I try not to let the tender gesture shock me too much, but I'm not sure I can.

"If you're such a good guy, why support someone who killed Abella?" I ask gently, holding tightly onto the jacket so it doesn't blow away. If he truly wanted to be merciful, he would have brought me somewhere warm instead, where I wouldn't feel like my fingers are to be numb forever.

"He didn't..."

"So what now, you're going to take me back to Noah?" I question. Would Astro come and save me again? I doubt it, and I'm not sure how many people owe favours to Cian to do it on his behalf...I mean, Sinful won't be coming to save me anytime soon. I doubt Cian even has any idea where I am anyway, as I have no doubt he would come to my rescue immediately.

For once, I see a glimmer in hope with the conflict in his eyes. "You would be safer with him..."

"Cian is my mate," I remind him. I'm not sure there is any point in trying to tell him there is anymore reason for Stace to think Cian can be trusted not to hurt me. Cian has proved to me that I can trust that, but Stace doesn't know any of that.

"I know. But he's a pureblood, and they can do terrible things," he suggests. He probably still thinks Cian is at fault for Abella's death, even though I know within me that he didn't have any part of it. He may not know yet that I'm his mate, but Cian has been nothing but tender and kind to me for no other reason than from him being good. He's even been hospitable to Lev, when the two clearly hate each other.

I decide it's time to resort to begging. "Take me back, Stace."

"I want you to trust me, Abella. I'm not trying to hurt you, but Cian is a bad man who helped kill a lot of people."

I startle. "What do you mean kill?"

"The purebloods killed all my people from my realm. I swore to kill them all after that," he explains. At the same time I understand that he is telling me this because he is trying to make me see why he hates Cian and trusts him so little, but I also can't believe any of it. I have less reason to believe Stace than I do Cian, yet I'm compelled to know more about what he is talking about.

"Why would he do that?" I ask breathlessly.

"I'll take you back," Stace says instead of answering my question. "But please don't trust him."

I don't have a chance to protest, to demand he tells me more before he grabs me, and the world starts to dissolve around me. At some point in the transition, I feel Stace's grasp coming away from me, and then I'm standing in the real world again, right in the centre of Cian's lounge.

I blink a few times, hardly believing what just happened as I turn to look out to the large window over the city I've yet to explore. Sure enough, Stace has put me here without him, but I'm silently grateful he took me back to Cian and not to Noah.

Turning around, I see Cian emerge out of the hallway. His eyes widen as he looks over me. "Amolet, you're okay."

"Stace got me," I exclaim. "He thought I was in danger from using my powers."

I stride forward, the jacket I forgot was on my shoulders suddenly slipping off. I catch it, the fabric soft between my fingers, still dusted with snow. Cian watches the movement, pausing. It's obvious that this jacket doesn't belong to me, or him. It still smells like Stace, even. Despite knowing I shouldn't feel bad about still having his jacket, I can't help it...

"And he brought you back?" he questions warily. He doesn't sound doubtful of my story, just a little suspicious. Last time, Stace held me hostage inside Noah's estate, and suddenly he's having mercy on me. I admit, even I don't fully understand.

I toss the jacket onto the couch, shrugging. "I asked him to and he did."

"Come on," Cian sighs grimly, stepping toward me again. "Let's go meet Hale."

He grabs my arm, and the world begins to dissolve once again, not giving me a chance to demand answers out of Cian, as he takes me to meet yet another Immortal.

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Sophie_Midika

Midikacrane

~Midika 💜🐼