As Alex made his way over the top of the driveway in Mira’s car, Harper asked him from the backseat to stop for a moment. Mira snorted from the passenger’s seat in the front.
Taking her moment, Harper looked at the scene before her through the car window. Her eyes immediately glistened at the view of the house her parents had bought and raised her in. What used to be her happy place, the home felt nothing more than just a house to her now. And after a heated discussion with her father, they both came to an agreement to sell the house. Neither of them wanted to live there. Especially her dad. Mr. Fritz’s last memory of his wife was simply too painful for him. He was also against Harper’s choice to leave with Alex and Mira, but Harper had to see Lucas and put an end to this whole ordeal so she could focus on seeking justice for her mom’s death.
*I’ll be back, mom.*
She breathed in the view of the house from a distance and surveyed its emptiness one last time. None of the lights were on. Then she saw her dad walked out of the house, got into his car, and quickly drove off.
“Enough with the drama already. Let’s go,” Mira’s voice suddenly broke into her thoughts.
She sighed and silently told Alex to start the car.
“Are you sure you’re okay back there?” Alex asked, looking at her in the rearview mirror.
She nodded.
When Alex said he was driving, Mira insisted on sitting with him in the front of her car, and with a bit of threat after their brief conversation before the funeral, Harper made no further fuss about it.
*“I’m a little curious, Harper.”
“Curious about what?”
Mira’s smile stretched into a full menacing grin. “You told Alex a little lie, didn’t you?”
Harper sighed in annoyance and briefly glanced up to the sky outside their house. “I’m really in no mood to play guessing game with you, Mira. Get to the point.”
“You told Alex you’re his fiancée.”
Her mouth twitched. “It was Lucas…”
“Boo-hoo! Own up to your lies, girl.” Suddenly, Mira’s eyes blazed with jealousy. “Is that why I could smell you all over him? Have you been fucking him mindless?”
Harper’s brows snapped together. “Be careful with your mouth, Mira. I don’t care what you are.”
“Feisty little bitch, aren’t you? I could have just let you die.”
“I didn’t ask you to save me,” she snapped at her, knuckles clenched.
“You didn’t. But Alex did. He begged me to save your life. My Alex.” Mira gave her a once-over, face flushed with anger. “I thought he must have gone mad. But when he pushed me away, I knew something was up. Then that’s when he told me you two are engaged.”
“I didn’t mean to―”
“I don’t fucking care.” She shook her head in disgust. “Look at you. From being Lucas’ assistant to Alex’s fiancée. That’s quite an upgrade, don’t you think? You took advantage of his situation.”
“That’s not true. I didn’t have any intention at all,” Harper snarled.
Mira’s mouth curved into a smile. “Well, do you really think Alex would care whatever reason you have for lying to him? You know him. He’s an unforgiving man. He’s an asshole. But he’s my asshole.”
“Why are you telling me this? What do you want, Mira?”
“Simple. Get out of my fucking way.”*
“Are we anywhere near to where we should go?” Alex asked when it was already near midnight.
Mira pointed down the road. “Pull over…right there.”
“Why? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Harper looked around and had to agree with Alex. There was not a single house nearby. Not even trees. It seemed as if they had driven somewhere far out into a deserted place.
“Just pull over,” Mira repeated.
Alex pulled off to what looked like the side of a road. When the engine was off, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at Harper. “Tired?”
Harper nodded. “A bit.”
“Do you want to switch places with Mira and sit next to me?”
“I―”
Mira rolled her eyes. “She’s fine.”
“She’s right. I’m fine back here.” She assured him with a quick tight-lipped smile.
Alex heaved a resigned sigh then turned to Mira with a stern look on his face. “Why did you ask me to stop?”
“Because, as exhausting as it would be for me, we need to take a shortcut.”
“There is a shortcut? Why didn’t you say so?”
“It’s a different shortcut. One that would require a lot of my energy,” Mira answered, her voice echoing a wearying move. “But it’ll take us days before we get to the castle if I don’t do this.”
“Why didn’t we just take the shortcut back in Black Hallows.”
“Simply because the farther we are from our destination, the more energy I would need to use.” She smiled. “Let me take the wheel from you. I’ll *drive* us there,” she gently said to Alex.
Without hesitation, Alex got out of the driver’s seat, opened the door at the back, and slid next to Harper.
She turned to the backseat. “Hey! I didn’t say―”
“Shut the fuck up!” Alex bellowed. His voice was suddenly deep and guttural.
Instantly, Mira and Harper gasped at his glowing blue eyes. Fear crawled into their minds.
“Alex…your eyes,” Harper carefully whispered.
Alex took her hand and held it in his. “Don’t worry. As long as you’re close to me, nothing’s going to happen.” He then glared at Mira. “Go ahead and fucking do what you need to do, mage.”
Mira’s nostrils flared. “Harper?”
At once, Harper pulled away from Alex and bolted out of the backseat. Quickly, she made her way to the front seat and hopped in next to Mira.
“What the hell are you doing?” Alex asked in disbelief and slight annoyance.
“Alex, I – I need some space,” she blurted out and then glanced at Mira.
“What? What’s gotten into you?”
She ignored him.
Mira glanced back at her and muttered under her breath, “Good girl.”
“Alright. What’s going to happen now?” she asked, eyes trailing over the dark road ahead of them.
“Remember that moment every time the plane takes off? That feeling of displacement. You will feel something very similar to that. Like the plane, this car will feel like it’s leaving the ground really fast and really high, and the sinking feeling will stretch on for about half an hour or so.”
“Half an hour?!”
“Scared, Harper?”
Harper pursed her lips and shut her eyes for a short moment. “What are you waiting for?”
Mira smirked. She twisted in her seat, popped her back, and then proceeded to pop her knuckles as well before she gripped at the steering wheel and breathed in deeply. “Hold on.”
And in just a matter of seconds, everything around them turned to black, and they soon felt themselves being sucked into a black tube. The air suddenly felt heavy. Then, they felt a push, and the car started to go up higher and faster.
When the engine roared, and the car shook, Harper thought she was going to hyperventilate. She felt her lungs expanded before they suddenly contracted. She was soon having trouble breathing. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. The action of merely opening her mouth was already too much for her to do.
Then, everything started to happen all at once: a surge of adrenaline, a ringing in her ears, the feeling like she was drowning, and above all―panic. And when her body and brain could no longer hold it together, she suddenly saw a light that burned cold against her skin, which was immediately followed by infinite blackness.
* * *
The castle was eerily quiet and oddly familiar, and Alex had noticed it right away as soon as they arrived that early morning―fresh from their *flight*. Mira’s shortcut, as it turned out, was a crevasse between time and space. And it was the worst thing Alex thought to remember ever feeling. But Harper had it worst. Mira briefly explained to him that her human body and mind weren’t just built strongly enough for such a shift in her reality, so she blacked out.
Alex had refused to leave Harper when they had to take her to one of the guestrooms, but Mira told him the truth was already waiting for him at the round table. With this promise, the red mage was able to coax him to leave Harper’s side.
When they reached the saloon, he immediately noticed two people at the round table in the middle while four more men, all dressed in a black suit, stood still in a corner.
“Alexander, come! Join us!” the man in a dark purple velvet cloak called as soon as they saw him with Mira. “So lovely to see you again, Mira.”
Alex walked in and crossed the room with confidence radiating from his every step as he approached one of the seats. And before he could even raise his hand to reach for the chair, one of the men in the corner immediately stepped in and pulled two oak chairs for him and Mira.
Mira smiled. “Alexander, meet Lord Aleister.”
The said lord quickly offered his hand to offer Alex a handshake which he reluctantly accepted.
“And this lovely lady right here is Mistress Viessa.”
When Alex’s blue eyes met Viessa’s, he could see a split second of hostility in her moss green eyes, and it disappeared when the woman let out a soft smile.
“Nice to see you again, Alexander.”
He couldn’t say the same to the woman. Though, just like the castle, she and Lord Aleister felt somehow intriguingly familiar to him.
They all soon took their seats at the round table.
Lord Aleister raised his hand, and promptly, someone stepped in and poured wine into Alex and Mira’s wine glasses. He then gestured to Alex to drink up and said, "You really don’t remember who I am, do you?”
Alex took a small sip of his wine before slowly shaking his head. “No. Unfortunately, I don’t. But Mira said she knows someone who could bring my memories back. Are you that someone?”
“Yes, but unlike Mira, it wouldn’t be through any charm or magic. I know you have questions. I’m here to fill in the blanks.”
Alex briefly glared at Mira for obviously exaggerating what Lord Aleister could do. “Okay, let’s start with…who are you? And what do you know about me?”
“I’m the lord of this castle. I know a lot of things about you, Alexander. To start, I know your parents. I’m a family friend of the Carmichaels. Your father and I, we go way back.
His jaws instantly clenched at the mention of his parents. “Do they know I am here?”
Lord Aleister smiled and nodded. “Yes. As a matter of fact, they’re on their way here.”
At once, he stood up. “Is this why you tricked Harper and me to come with you?” he angrily asked Mira. His blue eyes slowly started to glow.
“Alex, calm down,” Mira hushed. She had seen and felt his rage first back in the car, and fear almost crippled her.
Nevertheless, Lord Aleister’s only looked unbothered. “Alexander, sit down. We are on your side.”
“He’s right. So why don’t you control your wolf and hear us out,” Viessa finally spoke.
For a moment, all Alex wanted was to run back to Harper’s room and run away with her. But he knew he would only be risking her life if he would that. He could sense that these people wanted something from him. He figured that’s why they sent Mira.
“If you’re on my side, tell me then why have you informed my parents that I’m here?” he asked and slowly sat back down.
“Why not? Alexander, your parents have been worried sick about you. Especially your mother and sister. They―we all thought you’re dead.”
“I…I have a sister?”
Lord Aleister nodded. “Yes. Collette. She and your parents are all coming to see you and to plan the ceremony of your union.”
“My fucking what now?”