And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 159: A Losing Battle

Cassie.

A few days of going to the secret library Silas had brought me to hadn't brought me any closer to figuring out how to help Lucas. However, I learned a lot about Anna. Including just how close Silas was to her when he came to Asgard to be- gin with.

"So you were her guard?" I asked, staring at Silas, who walked around the library tossing an old brown ball up in the air before catching it.

"Yep, it was my first job here. It wasn't exactly what I had expected... when I came here she had already been here for a long time. I was young and rebellious. I hated the world be- cause of how I was treated, and she saw something in me oth- ers didn't."

"But... that doesn't make sense. She would have been an- cient by then-"

"Around seven hundred years old to be exact," he hummed as his eyes twinkled with amusement.

I was astounded. From the stories, she was supposed to be human or so I thought, but then lived that long. It didn't make any sense. "How, though?"

"How was she that old?"

Nodding my head, his smile widened, "Anna was one of Odin's creations, Cassie. She was a descendant of one of his wolves."

I had heard many things over the years about Odin, and some of the stuff he did but this... I had never heard before.

Odin's wolves were famous, and the entire reason our species was created. In order to protect the wolves hunted by hu- mans, Odin bestowed his wolves to gift them with the ability to turn into to humans to hide amongst the same men that tried to kill them.

"We are all descendants though," I whispered looking back down to the painting of her I have found in a scroll on one of the many bookshelves. "That still doesn't explain how she lived so long."

"Odin bestowed a gift on her when she lost Bjorn and two more of her children. When she came here, three of her chil- dren had died, and she wanted death as well. Her anger con- sumed her, making her hate the life she was given. However, Odin wouldn't let her give up on life. He knew she had more to offer so he made her immortal until she could see that even through the darkest of days life has beauty even in the dark- est of shadows."

Sila's words were always poetic when he wanted to ex- plain something important. Letting a smirk crest the corner of my lips, I rolled my eyes and went back to trying to read the faded writing on the parchment. However, the words were foreign and far more advanced than anything I knew, and I was left wondering what they were instead of actually know- ing.

"So, he made her immortal until she appreciated life?"

Nodding his head, he picked up another book and made his way toward me, laying it down. "This is Anna's journal from her last year here. When you have time, you should read it."

fabric-bound book, I ran my fingers over the spine, admiring the intricate designs. It was beautiful, and my mind was curious to know what she had to

better, I will. For now, we have more important things to figure out, like how to

reminder made his lips part as

I was ever going to fix what was going on. Every single day Lucas was the way he was, I felt the distance grow between us within the little bit of

I didn't like. "So we have been here for days at this. What is actually going to

The two women were friends at one point, but Inanna

her a

with Anna, and through all of it, she felt Inanna and her were growing distant.

The only difference was she seemed to smile all the time where I did not. Anna didn't seem like the kind of person whose

at Silas. My fingers once again

turned into a huge fight, and the next day... Inanna and a

my brows. "What do

shoulders and took a seat in the chair across from me. "Back then, the vale between realms wasn't as confined as it is now. It was easier to slip out, but that was because Odin didn't worry about things like he does now

the stories I had heard growing up of the battle my par- ents went through with him. How they wanted my brother and

thankfully,

mouth, considering what Silas had said. As far as I remembered, it was my mother who had thrown Loki

up the portrait and retied the ribbon around it that had once held it closed. I was learning a lot being here but it wasn't helping me

before, and I was never

towards the bookshelves to replace

really, just a lot on my mind."

Cassie. I can help you through whatever is bothering you," he said as

and turned to face him. "As I said before, Silas... how does any of

before, Cassie. How she is acting now with Lucas, she did it before."

hit a brick wall with what to do. I had found myself lost wondering if I would ever find

glance of amusement danced in his fiery eyes while the corners of his lips turned up into a wide smile as if he thought what he told me was the most insightful thing ever. What he didn't know was I was more than irritated with him because that was information he

first. Back then, I didn't want

my head, I couldn't believe he thought I was in- terested in

with his mouth wide open, Silas gave me a con- fused look before closing his

you?" I asked, trying to understand why he wouldn't. That was something I could have used to steer me closer in