When Kilian returned he had two red mugs of something hot in his hands, and a bag of croissants wrapped around his wrist. I raise an eyebrow at his leather boots and hooded attire as he gave me a sneaky grin, showing his true devious nature.

"You haven't mugged an old lady for those, have you?" I call out as he chuckles at my curious expression. The snow was still falling, casting a winter glow around the woods. My magic was still working itself out but atleast I have somewhat full control of myself, and I was finally going to fetch my father. All we had to do was go to Settrinos and bring him back— that should be quick and easy, right?

When Kilian finally reached me I noticed something gleaming at his side— a glittering silver sword lined with crystals up and down its hilt. It was contained in a black leather scabbard— but the silver was still peaking up at me. My eyes twinkled in glee as he held out a mug of what I now recognized as hot chocolate, biting his lip at my pleased expression.

"I figured you might be famished after turning the campsite into a winter in Narnia." Kilian says, voice rasping as he observed my face— trying to add some humor into his otherwise timid tone. What was he thinking about?

I grin along with him and grab onto the heated mug, thanking him quietly. As we start to walk along the snow tree lined woods and sip on our beverages, he opens up the clear bag of croissants and hands me one. My stomach growls out in appreciation as I devour everything that he hands me— manners who?

"So what's the sword for?" I ask, mouth full of croissant. He raises an eyebrow at my barbaric eating, corner of his lips twitching into a small smile. I glance over at the shiny thing and furrow my eyebrows.

"Don't you have powers? Can't you just use them?" I inquire, in a pretty nosy way if you ask me. Kilian didn't judge, he just sighed and bit his lip.

"Well— I do. They aren't as powerful as they were before." His eyes glance around the woods, choosing his words very carefully.

"When your father imprisoned me in that grimoire, some of my power drained as the years went on. This sword is just Incase I need an extra boost." He glances at me, scanning over my guilty face.

I know it wasn't my fault, but being trapped for all those years because of my dad gives me a bad taste in my mouth. What had Kilian done that was so bad? Had he killed someone? My dad wasn't the type to go against people. But than again, Kilian wasn't a person; he was a thing.

"You never really told me what caused my father to lock you up." I say, treading carefully on my curiosity. He grunts, glancing at me from under his lashes as I continue on.

"Did you kill someone or?" I trail off as i prepare for a 'mind your own business' answer.

Instead, he just clears his throat and wipes croissant crumbs off of him.

"Your dad hasn't ever mentioned it to you?" He asks, intrigued by me being so ignorant to what goes on behind the scenes of the human world. I shake my head and wait for him to continue speaking. He blinks.

"Well- ah-" he scratches the back of his head with his leather gloves in a boyish way. "I was on a quest from my— maker." He growls the word out. He's talking about his father with such disdain— but I would be too if I had to go through that.

"To capture this, prophecy baby. A supposed rare thing—" he continues as I blink up at him in surprise.

"Me?" I ask in shock. "As in you were sent to cradle snatch me?!" I stop in my tracks as he cringes almost immediately.

"You were gonna steal me and then what? Give me a new daddy?!" I ask as he holds in a chuckle at my reaction.

"I don't mean to laugh—" his lips tilt up as I glare.

"Then don't." I snap at him as he bites his lips, an attempt to stop the growing grin.

"I was sent to abduct you— what went on after that I wouldn't know. I was never told much about you, just that you'd end the war from happening if you and your sister grew old enough to do so." He scrunches up his face in confusion.

"Actually— there was one thing I remember him mentioning." Kilian says in thought as my ears perk up.

"Well? Out with it then." I say impatiently as he taps a finger on his chin covered in stubble.

"He made deals all the time— but there was this one deal that really struck out to me. I'd never given it anymore thought until I saw Atticus and Claire together the other day— he isn't even supposed to be with her." He says with a sinister grin as my heart drops.

"What's that supposed to mean? Is he going to kill her?" I start to panic, pulse accelerating as Kilian groans.

"What's with you and people killing things? Nobody is going to die. The deal was made to be—" Kilian starts to try explaining who made the deal and why Atticus and Claire weren't supposed to be together, but he's cut off by a horn.

A sound that I thought could only be loud in human ears is thunderous in this dimension. They weren't little horns like in the movies— they were voice waves coming from a woman's throat. Me and Kilian's neck snaps in her direction as she finishes releasing her sound, grinning at us maliciously.

"Hello Kilian— your father sends his best regards." She blows him a kiss as his face immediately breaks out in a rage I'd never knew him to be capable of. Sinister and calm is more his style— Rage was something uncontrollable, and Kilian was always in control.

"I'm sorry to say—" she lets out a melodic laugh at us. "But someone is going to die, indeed."

Kilian nods at her, pulling himself together for a couple of seconds as he glances at me— eyes shouting for me to get away from this.

"Indeed." He agrees, acknowledging that he'd put up a fight.

"But it isn't going to be us." I shove into the interaction, taking control and putting matters into my own hands. Tired of being left out, and tired of being treated as someone weak. Kilian's eyes flicker at me in concern, but before he can say a thing— the woman charges.

And she's charging directly at me.

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