Chapter 2

    There, in a corner, is a small trembling figure. She is so skinny and pale, with some fading bruises on the heart-shaped face, her long, honey-blonde hair is a complete mess. I walk in with glamour on me to appear as inoffensive as possible but still, she was terrified upon seeing us. I know it is Jade who mostly scares her so I shut the door in his face. Then I try to come closer but when she pushes herself even more against the wall, I stop, taking a seat on the floor almost ten feet away. I sit there for a while thinking about where to start.

“Uhm, so, what’s your name, little human?” I asked, and obviously, that was the wrong way to call her because she became even paler. I sigh, “look I won’t harm you, I just want to talk to you about your future and I need to know how to address you.”

    She looks at me with her big brown and teary eyes, pondering if she should trust me, after a few minutes she gains enough courage to stutter:

“Jo-Jocelyn.”

“Okay Jocelyn, my name is Sky, I want to tell you what is happening and you’ll listen like a big girl what I have to say, understand?” 

    She nods at that. Now, I didn’t know how to start this talk, I’ll kill Jade for placing me in this situation. We should've waited for Ro to come back. How in the world was I supposed to explain this without frightening her even more?

“So, you are not in the human realm anymore” I just through the bomb on her, taking off my glamour, and she faints. Great, that was a really soft way to tell her. You are a fucking genius Sky, I mentally facepalm myself. 

    After a while when she regained her senses, Jocelyn glared at me like she is doubting her or my sanity. Laughing and crying at the same time. Frantically moving her head back and forth. When I opened my mouth to tell something she just froze staring at my fangs, like expecting to be my dinner. Her heart was beating so fast that it could explode. And the smell of her fear which I could sense even in the hall was intoxicating. I decide to do it faster.

“I don’t know how to explain it easier for you to take so I’ll go straight to the point” I continued but she didn’t make a move as if her brain was paralyzed by fear, “this is really happening. You are not dreaming, nor you're dead. From what we know you made a contract with a fairy, a gnome to be exact. It said you’ll have to live your life in our realm. My friend Jade, the one that brought you here, killed your former master. He was enslaving and selling creatures. But unfortunately, your contract didn’t tie your existence to him. It’s like a contract with a demon in your world, you can’t take it back. Now you are stuck in here and you have to adapt or you’ll die soon enough because this place is not even like Lewis Carroll's wonderland. Got it?” I finished, she was shaking so bad tears streaming down her face. I let her calm down for a while. Meanwhile, a servant brought her food, I gave it to her but before she could dig in I stopped her.

“Before you eat or drink anything here, put a little amount of salt. Without it, our food will have a euphoric drug effect on you. Also, you need to apply this ointment over your eyes, it’ll help you see everything you can’t”, “I’ll come back tomorrow with Jade”, she visibly cringed at that, “don’t be scared, he won’t touch you, if you wish I’ll snap his neck, he may look scary at first but I assure you he is a cute little pup .” After that, I left her alone with her thoughts.

    When I turned from the girl’s door I bump into a hard chest, lifting my gaze to his 6,5 ft, I see a very worried Jade. His usually arranged blueish-green hair is disheveled. Over his chiseled face were are marks from the exhaust and lack of sleep that I didn't spot earlier. His tan skin is also somehow paler, and the furry wolf-like ears were stiff on top of his head to don’t miss a word. That is quite interesting, he isn’t the type to be concerned about some girl. I grinned for myself. I can’t lose such an opportunity to mock him.

“Can’t you step away, your fatty ass is blocking my way to kitchen” I said trying to get around him. He growled lowly grabbing my hand.

"Tell me." 

“What is it? You want to know something?” I teased, throwing him an innocent look. He just stares at me silently demanding answers and waving his tail nervously. Oh my, if only looks could kill.

“I see you are not in the mood, so I’ll just go where I was planning” I smirked at him while running away.

“Are you kidding me?” he roared, trying to catch me. But I was faster and made it to the kitchen first. Eventually, he grabbed me by the throat and pinned me to the wall.

“Easy boy, I may decide that you don’t like me, and then I’ll maybe so upset that I won’t tell you anything” that works and he let me free, “you know, I’m starving, make me one of your famous sandwiches” I murmured with puppy eyes, “please?” I added.

He did as told even if grumbling all the way, knowing better than to argue with me now that I have something he wants. Then he stared at me while I was eating. 

“Um, you know I may choke like this” I mumbled with a full mouth.

“Good for you, because I was going to do it myself” he grumped. I pout at that and he let out a sigh.

“What is so special about her anyway?” I asked seriously. He runs his hand through his hair nth time now.

“I don’t know. It’s just, I can’t take it to see her hurt. I freaked out when I saw her in that mansion. In chains, naked and bleeding." he spits through gritted teeth, "I killed not just Birk but all his servants and guards as well. I just couldn't stop."  

Jade's eyes were void as if he was reliving that day inside his head. 

"I broke her chains and got her out, I left there a complete mess. Tamor had to clean after me." his sorrowful expression telling enough. Neither of us wanted Tamor to deal with our mistakes.

"Did they rape her?" I needed to know.

"No. She was verified upon arrival. I guess he wanted to sell her for a bigger price." although he appeared calm now, his clenched jaw and contracting muscles were revealing his state. "We tried to talk to her but she was terrified and no female we trusted enough to approach her, that could raise questions. Nor could we do this ourselves. I almost punched Tamor when he scared her." guilt was eating at him for this, that's why they were uncomfortable in Tamor's office. 

"You know- it’s like I can feel it-“he explained, but I stared confused at him “her pain I mean”, “I can’t stop thinking about this human, it is so weird, I don’t know what to do. And with Tamor? I can’t believe I could’ve hit him.”

He buried his face in his hands, the first time I’m seeing my friend so lost and vulnerable. Suddenly something popped into my mind,

“Jade?” I called, he lifts his gaze to meet mine, “you are half-werewolf, what if hypothetically she is your mate?” he had gone still at my words and I could see his brain swirling with thoughts and questions. 

“Do you really think so?” he asked in disbelief. 

“Well we can’t know for sure, but that’s a possibility. We should ask Ro. Her witch genes are useful in these cases.”

His face was now a rainbow of emotions, and that made me laugh, I had never, like never ever imagined to see him in this state. Then I retold everything about our mostly monologue with Jocelyn. He hardly could stay still after learning that he’ll come along tomorrow and was amazed by her name. I was sure that his constantly waving tail made a hole in the floor.

    We talked for a few hours then. Jade told me what I missed in two weeks, and about Carmila’s work, she was half mermaid so all undersea missions were on her, now she was searching for any possible allies in the war, which was quite hard because water and earth try to not mess up together. I let him in detail about my task. It turned out that I needed to hunt down a redcap, a fairy that killed her victims, and soaked its cap in their blood afterward. They are pretty skilled in battle so it was hard enough to deal with.

    

     When I was finally back in my room at dawn I just collapsed on my bed, drifting immediately to a dream-less sleep.

     I am awakened pretty rough, by someone banging loudly at my door. Not surprised at all I found Jade on the other side. For everything that was sacred sake, it was just sunset. We were named as twilight creatures for a reason.

“I hate you sometimes” I grumbled smacking his head. 

“Oh, come on, we must hurry,” he said passing by into my room and into my dresser to get me something. He throws me a large off-shoulder green dress. 

“You know I may think you were standing by my door all day.” I let out a chuckle but when I saw him looking away and quite uncomfortable, “no way, seriously?”

“Just hurry, okay?!” he scoffed slamming the door shut. 

    He literally dragged me all the way to the girl’s room. When I open the door we spotted her by the window, looking with wide eyes at the city below. She hasn’t even noticed us, but then this bastard cleared his throat startling her.