Mihnea whisked Visena away without a word on what went on in the Council room. She kept apologising for hurting Thana, but the Vampire wouldn't hear it.

"Come with me," he kept saying. "Don't fall behind."

They went down unfamiliar passageways to an elevator. Visena noticed they didn't pass the central garden again and assumed it was so the other species couldn't spot them. She realised it was the one instance where wandering off with a determined, potentially angry stranger may actually lead to her death. "Is she okay, Mihnea? What happened?"

He remained silent for the painfully long elevator ride. Then, finally, the door opened to a large open-plan penthouse. The walls were dark and lined with haunting imagery—paintings of screaming faces and burning flames. Antique furniture framed the walls and gave off an interesting aura. Do not sit on me, perhaps.

"This is my residence while I run Council meetings. You are welcome to use the showers and eat any food you find in the fridge. It's always fully stocked by my housekeeper."

"What? Really? I-"

"I will be in a meeting with the Council," Mihnea interrupted Visena's rambling and searched her fearful eyes. "The whole Council. Do you understand, pet?"

Visena recoiled slightly from the endearment or possibly a new title. She wasn't sure. "I don't have any clothes."

"I will get someone to bring some up."

"What are you going to tell them? I need to get out of here!" Panic set in, and Visena felt like her snack dinner was about to come back up. If they knew she hurt the Vampire Alderman, they might kill her right then!

"I will not let anyone hurt you, child. You are too important." Mihnea paused, inhaling deeply in the Fae's direction. His hard swallow made her shuffle back. He looked like he wanted to eat her.

"We still need proof of the Wolf Council's treachery, remember? So make use of your time here. You may end up back in that cell for a few more days." With that, Mihnea spun on his heel and entered the elevator once more. He offered a tight-lipped smile as the doors closed, and Visena stood numbly on the tiled floors.

She wished she had wings. Then throwing herself from the penthouse window wouldn't be a death sentence.

"Why do I keep getting myself in these situations?" Visena spoke aloud. She took in the room again with a half-turn and without Mihnea's watchful eye. It was truly breathtaking. The lounging area featured a huge crimson chaise lounge in its centre: probably hiding the bloodstains. The other side of the room held the dining and kitchen—the only modern aspect of the penthouse. The black marble countertops were flecked with greys and whites reminiscent of the night sky.

With a deep breath, Visena drew out some courage. "Okay... It's okay." She walked deeper into the space and saw two rooms adjacent to the kitchen. "Bedroom and bathroom. Let's go."

Her feet slapped uncomfortably on the ceramic flooring. It wasn't cold, but the warmth seemed odder. She dropped to a knee and rubbed her hands on the tile. "Heated? How the hell?" She stood and turned her nose up at the magical floors. She didn't want to get used to the strange comforts of the human world, especially when she would likely end up sleeping on cold concrete again soon.

With a sweeping gaze, Visena's eyes honed in on a small device sitting atop the nightstand through the bedroom door. Her mind began to race as she stepped one foot into the room. It looked familiar. She wracked her brain, and a memory of her mother yelling through a similar-looking metal block had her gasping. "It's a phone!"

The elevator dinged, and her heart nearly burst from her chest. Visena turned, clutching her stomach, when a small woman walked in with a pile of folded laundry. "Are you alright, dear? I'm just here to give you your clothes and towel. There's also some fresh fruit in the fridge and a pre-cooked vegetable lasagne. Will that be all you need?" Visena watched dumbly as the woman walked towards her and placed the folded items in her hands. "Dear?"

She finally found her voice again. "Uh, yes, that's great. Thanks. Do you know if the wolf Council has a phone book or something? Like with the numbers of different packs?" Visena kicked herself internally for being so obvious, especially when the woman's face scrunched.

"Um. Well, I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but as you are Master Rău's guest." She paused. "You go shower, and I'll leave it on the bench for you, alright?"

The excitement was evident on her face. It was a long shot, but she wanted to hear her family's voices again. Her friends. Her mother. Gideon.

Visena darted off into the bathroom and was horrified by her appearance. Her skin was dull, hair matted, and her silver eyes had blue circles beneath them. The wounds around her neck looked much better. Most of the blisters were gone, and the worst ones had already scabbed. She snatched a comb from the countertop and got to work. The nest she left on the floor could very well be the new home for a large bird.

After the most luxurious shower treatment of her' post-memory loss' life, Visena stood before the mirror again. After one swipe of her hand across the fogged glass, she smiled at her reflection and realised her teeth needed brushing. It was dire. Luckily, there were many oral hygiene items in a side drawer. She used every single one. She probably should have eaten first.

She dressed happily in the cotton tracksuit, grey socks and plimsolls. Warmth spread through her body as she headed for the door. The penthouse was empty, much to her relief, and she nearly squealed after spotting a thick leather-bound book. Her hands eagerly explored the seams and flipped open the cover. Inside there were names. So many names it made Visena's head hurt. She turned to the letter 'I', quickly spotting the Invictus pack. Most of the names she recognised, and she scoffed. Everyone had a personal number! Not once did she see anyone using a phone or offer her one the whole time she was there. Yes, they may have been too busy for phones, she conceded, but the thought would have been nice.

Running back into Mihnea's bedroom, she snatched up the phone. It had a full battery and plenty of service. Amazing. Her heart then sunk at the realisation. "What if they have no service. Fuck." Visena wasn't one to give up. She dialled the first number on the list. Gideon.

It rang for eternity and went to voicemail. "Fuck, come on."

She tried again and again. After the seventh ring, she was about to give up when the ringing clicked off. No answer message sounded—just silence.

"Hello?"

~~~

A/N

How's that for a cliffhanger?!

Don't worry, though; I'll upload again soon hehehe. I wouldn't want to leave you waiting too long for a reunion...

Also, the phone thing- I was reading this aloud to my partner, and he was like, "how would she know what a phone is?" -Like FML- how does he pick that up and not me. He hasn't even read this book!

I hope the way I've rewritten it doesn't seem like bullshit but let me know! In the earliest chapters, she had some random, often useful memories pop into her head, so it's not an entirely new phenomenon.

BTW, she has a type of dissociative amnesia, so it isn't actually that far fetched. (I did some research guys okay, don't roast me)

Love you all,

Until next time xxx