1748

~Tove

A loud bang jerks me awake.

Sitting up, I blink my eyes open, trying to recall what has happened.

I'm laying on a couch, an old, threadbare blanket laid over me. Around me, is a small living space packed full of unfamilar belongings that are shoved into boxes. Most tumble out messily, like this place has just been moved into.

Rubbing my temples, I flick the blanket off me, noting a man lying sprawled out on the couch opposite to this one. He's fast asleep, mouth wide open as he snores softly.

He's the man who was polishing his shoes when I fell unconcious. He must have taken me back to his home.

I shiver. The window is blown open, which must have been what woke me.

I could wake him and thank him for taking me off the street, but at the same time, part of me knows I need to get back out to look for a way to get back to Keo as soon as possible.

Giving him one last look, I clamber out the window and to the street outside, gently closing it behind me.

I have no idea how I'm going to get to Keo...

For at least an hour I wander around, asking about where we are and how people get out of the Territory. Most say the train, like I suspected, although there is a chance that if I go back to that cabin in Territory Eight, Keo will have moved on.

As the sun starts to set, I make my way toward the only train station in the vicinity. If I have to sleep on one, fine, as long as I'm not around for when one of those volcanoes eventually explodes.

"Tove."

I yelp, frightened out of thought as I whirl around.

Relief collapses over me. It's Keo, looking the same as he did when I left. He stares right back at me as if he can't believe he's come across me.

I rest my palm against where my heart patters against my ribs. "You scared me."

"I couldn't find you," he tells me, looking around distastefully.

I'm so relieved it's him, I could hug him. I resist that urge though. I'm not sure Keo is someone who is open to a hug, even if it's with his mate. I

"I passed out for a while. Someone took me into their house, but I got-"

Keo frowns, his gaze darkening. "Where?"

"I don't know, back there." I point lazily behind me, knowing I've walked decently far since I escaped his house.

"Did they hurt you?" Keo questions, eyes grazing over my body, checking for any marks or hints I've been in an altercation. Despite this Territory being relatively shady, I've managed to fall unconcious and in the street and not end up dead.

I shake my head, seeing the gathering anger in his expression. "Not that I know of."

"Did they touch you?" He pushes.

"What? No...I'm fine," I insist.

He exhales in a long breath.

"You travelled far further than I could have expected. I almost couldn't track you." He rubs his hand through his hair, not caring how messy it ends up.

He looks genuienly concerned for me, if not a little panicked. Keo always seems in control of everything, so this is a shake up.

I stare down at my hands, wiggling my fingers. "Did the conduit do all that?"

The necklace is in my pocket. Knowing I don't want whatever occured to happen again, I dig into it and draw the chain out, shoving it at Keo.

He takes it tentatively. "It was your magic. You are advancing far quicker than I could have anticipated."

That was my magic? The conduit definitely helped draw it out, but the magic still came from me. That's both amazing and terrifying. I'm not sure what I'm meant to do with that information, but it's exciting to think about.

"Wow..."

Keo examines my face. "How do you feel?"

"Better now, after I slept." I suppress a shudder, thinking about how I fell unconcious from using so much magic. If this is going to work, I'm going to have a find a way to get around that.

Keo holds his hand out to me. "Come, let me take you home."

I reach out to take his hand, but something catches my eye from across the street.

It's a woman, standing in the entrance of a store, talking to someone. The street lights illuminate her long brown hair, and when she turns around, it highlights that painfully familar face.

"Wait...I know that person," I mutter, pointing at her.

Keo turns, examining her. Something shifts in his expression, like he isn't pleased with who he is seeing. That doesn't make sense, if this person is who I think they are.

"I doubt it. Only the worst kind of people live in this Territory," he mutters, turning to look back to me.

I give him a flat look. "That's rich coming from you."

He laughs a little, although there is something else deep in his eyes. I wish I could dig in and question him on what bothers him, but I'm too caught up in what I think I've seen.

"Come on, let's follow them," I insist, moving to cross the street.

Keo grabs my arm, pulling me back. I frown, going to tug away, but he doesn't let me. I breathe in deeply, reigning back my frustration. I just want to make sure I'm right about who that is.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Tove," Keo murmurs lowly, frown deepening as he draws me closer.

"Why not?" I ask apprehensively.

"Following strangers through streets in one of the most dangerous cities in the world is not ideal," he hisses, glancing around at those who pass us by. There aren't many people around, but every one I see gives us a strange look.

I don't blame them. Even if they don't know who Keo is, he doesn't exactly fit in with the common person.

"That explains why you were so scared for me," I breathe.

His explanation of this place startles me. I don't know much about Thirteen, and although I'm aware that it's dangerous to fall unconcious on any street, knowing I could have truly ended up in a far worse position shakes me right to the core.

"I was scared, Tove, because I was convinced you had transported yourself into the ocean and couldn't get yourself out again," he admits lowly, his grip on me tightening.

Staring down at his hand, I try not to acknowledge the tug in my heart.

"Follow me." If he is here with me, there is no chance any harm could come to me anyways.

Keo sighs, tipping his head back. He looks as though he is going to deny me again, but he let's me go, allowing me to lead him across the street where the woman has entered the store.

"Who do you think it is anyway?" Keo grumbles, examining the place distastefully as we step inside.

It's some kind of clothing store, with everything looking home-made.

"I could be seeing things...I mean, I don't know why she would be here. I haven't seen her in years," I mutter, more to myself than him.

Keo scans the shop, looking for her. "Who?"

Suddenly she comes into view, shifting around a rack of clothing. She is entirely unaware to us standing there. It makes me wonder that if she did turn her head a little, whether she would recognise me.

"There she is," I point out.

"Who is she?"

I draw in a breath. "My mother?"

Keo's eyes widen as he looks between her and me, trying to make sense of the resemblance. It's a shock, especially considering her and I don't exactly have the most conventional relationship.

"Your mother is here?" He looks uncomfortable.

"It doesn't surprise me. She's not exactly a good person." I laugh a little. This place suits her.

Luckily for me, I wasn't raised by her. My father did the most until he died soon after I moved out. For a while I was lost, and not once did I ever consider reaching out to her.

"Yeah...you can say that again," Keo mutters, brows drawing together.

I look up at him. "You know her?"

"I know of her." He doesn't exactly sound happy about that.

"Now I'm scared..." If Keo has come across her before, it probably means she has been involved in something unsavoury over the years.

Keo rubs the back of his neck, considering whether to tell me what he knows or not. "She's a Demon Hunter. She's been tracking me down for years."

"You can't be serious."

It makes both perfect sense and no sense at all.

I didn't know my mother well considering she left when I was just coming into my teenage years. She never talked about her hatred for Demon's, so her dedicating her life to killing them doesn't make much sense to me.

Then again, nothing of what goes on in my mothers head makes any sense to me.

"I kept her a healthy distance. Lay fake clues, lure her in the wrong direction," Keo muses, falling back a step out of her view. I don't think she would be able to kill him, but he's clearly wary of her.

"You haven't killed her? She's an Angel-blood."

"The moment she turned on any other Demon, she would be dead. She can pursue me however long she wants," he says, looking down at me.

I'm glad he's honest about that, even if it's my mother. Not that I care. In fact, I welcome her to kill him if she ever tries to harm Demon's.

I just wonder if other Angel-bloods like my mother know Keo isn't killing those who pursue him, only those who are a threat to other Demon's.

"Alright, let's get out of here before she sees you," I exclaim, stepping out of the store.

Keo follows me. "You don't want to speak to her?"

I almost laugh. What could I possibly have to say to her after all these years?

I slip my hand into his, smiling up at him. "No. Take me home."

❤️••❤️

~Midika 💜🐼