The door opened with a groan. It was as if the house was yawning, glad to finally be used again.
"I wonder when this place was last used," Visena commented quietly. There were no light switches or candles, but both new inhabitants' eyes were well equipped to explore in the dark. However, the cottage seemed to have other plans and lit up like a Christmas tree.
The pair blinked as their eyes grew accustomed to light once more. Mihnea peered around curiously. "Enchanting home indeed."
"We must be in some type of Fae realm here," Visena mused quietly.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it healed me. Shifting too often or for too long apparently could kill me... But when you crossed the threshold, I felt something pulling me back."
"From where?" Mihnea had never heard such a thing. However, hybrids of the girl's calibre were also unheard of.
"Maybe death." Visena's voice trembled slightly. "I saw my father, I think. His back was turned. But then I heard someone calling me. Something. I think it was the house."
"Well, that would be quite something, wouldn't it?" Mihnea continued his peruse around the spacious cottage. Outward appearances were deceiving, as he had suspected.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, Mihnea. Trust me."
She didn't need to defend her strange notions, visions or otherwise to the Vampire. Her whole existence was bizarre. And the house... It felt alive. The floorboards seemed to shift imperceptibly as if shallowly breathing.
"Mihnea, do you know where we are exactly?"
The Vampire put down the photo frame he had been investigating and turned to Visena. "Based on my maps, we are somewhere along the Malum- Invictus boundary line."
Visena pushed past him and snatched the photo. "Holy shit." Her breath fogged the glass slightly. "Is that my dad?" The image had a teenage Visena standing between her mother and a familiar, abnormally tall man. His dark eyes held both kindness and sorrow, and Mihnea noticed the Fae girls change in demeanour. She was thinking of her own mate. The thoughts were written plainly across her face.
"Yes, quite the handsome wolf. And that woman must be your mother." Visena turned the frame in her hands anxiously.
"Um... no?" She appeared unsure. As if she had been told to withhold her mother's identity.
From Mihnea's time in the Fae Princess's company, he could imagine why. She liked her privacy. "Was that intended to be a question pet? You are almost a replica of Esmerelda. There is no denying it."
Visena rolled her eyes with an exacerbated sigh. "If you knew who she was, then why did you act all weird?"
"I do not act weird. What a strange thing to say." He reached for the photo, and Visena begrudgingly obliged. "I remember seeing her only once. She came to collect Calypso from my home after we had s-"
"Mihnea!" Visena shouted. "That's enough for one day, I think."
The Vampire only smirked, placing the picture down once more.
"Anyway, the reason I asked where we were was so I could maybe, uh." She sounded uneasy suddenly as if Mihnea were a member of her disapproving family. "Do you think I could go back to Invictus?"
"You mean you want to see your mate," Mihnea stated with a half-smile. Visena stayed quiet while the Vampire collected his thoughts. "I fear if you return to your pack now, we will end up where you started. The Council will come for you again. Your presence could be a danger to them."
Visena clearly didn't want to listen to the Vampire. To be so close to her mate but unable to see him would be painful. Mihnea had seen many Wolf mates succumb to madness in the Council holding cells from their forced distance. She stalked from the house and peered into the darkness with a scrunched nose.
"Why ask my advice if you are just going to do what you want anyway?" Mihnea commented wryly from the porch.
Visena sighed, stepping past the flat stones. She didn't get far before falling to her knees with a gutwrenching scream. Stomach contents emptied from her mouth, and dirt sizzled and scorched from the acrid substance. Mihnea scooped her up and brought her within the circle once more. Immediately the tension melted from her body, and Visena looked like herself again.
"Dammit!" she cried while stamping her foot like a child.
"Seems you are not fully recovered yet."
"You think?" Visena spat. Her flushed cheeks and downcast eyes showed regret at being so curt with the Vampire. "I'm sorry. I just need to-"
"I'll get him." Mihnea placed a reassuring hand on Visena's shoulder. She looked confused. "You must wait here."
Visena nodded wordlessly, looking like a puppet on a string.
"Go inside, child. Eat and rest. He should arrive shortly." Mihnea disappeared as he sped off into the forest without another word.
*
Visena stared at the shadowed trees and darkness with an open mouth. It was as if he teleported, but she believed that was impossible. "I wish I could run that fast...."
The Fae returned inside and explored the kitchen. Everything had a fine layer of dust, yet when she opened the pantry, the food, cutlery and dishware looked shiny and new. There was even fresh produce. Visena had a strange sense that the house seemed pleased with itself. "What a weird place."
She enjoyed as much food as her stomach would allow, showered, changed into a set of sweats she found in one of the bedrooms and brushed her teeth. It felt so good to finally be clean. As Visena sat at the dining table, an unfamiliar sound reached her ears. A repetitive thumping, increasing in volume each second. Like feet hitting the earth. No, too many beats. Paws. An animal. Gideon was on his way in wolf form. Her heart swelled with joy and excitement when a sudden realisation sent a chill right through her bones.
His memories!
Visena shot up and ran through the door in desperation, her head on a swivel, looking for her mate. Through the darkness, she saw a giant shape with glowing eyes. Her wolf. "Gideon, stop!"
He was going too fast.
Visena's eyes shifted to the open path ahead. Without one thought for her own safety, she sprinted out of the ring for the second time that night, instantly stumbling as she was blinded by radiating pain.
A confused growl reached her ears through the agony-laced fog in her mind.
Turn around, Gideon. Turn around.
She could hear the dull sound of an animal screaming, the cry absorbed by coniferous sentinels around her magic cottage. Visena willed her body to crawl as far from the house as possible while coughing fits wracked her frame. Warm, bare arms scooped her into an embrace, and fire licked each point of contact.
A male voice sounded distant to her ears.
Visena's back arched unnaturally as he lifted her in his grip. She realised then the screaming was from her. She tried to speak, but her jaw clenched shut. Pain. So much pain.
Suddenly she was falling; the weight of her body seemed to hover just above the man's naked skin. The moment her body jolted against his, she could finally take a full breath. She gasped desperately—a newborn's first breath.
"Visena! Answer me."
Her eyes focused, and the static spots receded into her peripheral vision. There he was.
"Gideon."
"What's happening, Visena?" Gideon shifted beneath her freeing one hand to brush the matted hair from her face. He was on the ground. He must have fallen. The pain ebbed as she looked up into worried eyes. Terrified eyes.
She asked in a hoarse whisper, "You remember?"
Confused eyes.
"Remember what? What the hell is going on?" Her head rolled to the side and saw the Fae ring encompassing the pair. They were inside the stones, thank fuck.
Visena turned her attention slowly back to her mate and reached for his face with a shaking hand. She traced the lines of his perfect features, reaching his hair with a soft groan. Her fingers ran through his dark hair, snagging on a few knots. "I've missed you."
She let her eyes rest and arm fall.
So very tired.
~~~
A/N
I realised halfway into editing I had switched POV a few times, which was not great, so I edited it slightly to have the first half as Mihnea's POV and the second half as Visena's.
I swear this time it will be Visena's POV again onwards, haha.
Also, here's you're warning--- Next chapter is hot. Fiery, chilli pepper hot. Like at least three chilli's hot.
Thank you, I love yah. Vote, comment, follow, share, Whatever!
<3
Until next time,
K