And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 196: Unexpected Surprises

Cassie.

When Ansley informed me that I was to pack a bag and would be traveling without any information, I hadn't expected that it was going to be with Finn. In fact, I was shocked to see him standing outside the portal gates with an overly excited expression on his face. I didn't have a clue where I was going, but it was clear wherever it was, I wasn't going anywhere alone.

“What's going on?" I asked as I approached Finn with a confused and furrowed expression. I glanced around taking note of the dark-haired man that had been Finn's shadow since the moment he got here.

“We're going on a trip," he replied cheerfully, “aren't you excited?"

Stopping in my tracks, I raised a brow as a smile of amusement crossed my lips. “With you? Are you messing with me?"

“No, I'm not. We're going somewhere you're going to like."

There was no way that Odin was allowing this, and I had suddenly become very hesitant about this entire situation. What if Finn was trying to get me into some kind of trouble and roped Ansley into getting me to go without approval? A wave of unease flowed over me until I spotted a familiar figure walking down the marble steps of the building heading straight for me.

“Silas, what are you doing here?" Silas didn't seem to be in the mood for idle chit-chat as he grunted in disapproval of whatever was going on and made his way toward the portal without a single word. “Alrighty then…"

“Silas, I wasn't aware that you were coming along?" Finnick said aloud, causing me to wonder if even he wasn't aware of the golden dragon's presence in whatever outing this was.

Seemingly annoyed by all the questions, his shoulders sagged as the portal opened and as he turned to face us, his eyes darted between mine and Finn's figure. “Odin told you a guard would be going, and unfortunately, I drew the short straw. Now, can we get going?"

I didn't understand why Silas had such a bad attitude about everything. He seemed irritated that he was having to go with us and when I turned to Finn, he didn't seem pleased by it either. I still didn't have the slightest clue as to where we were going, but considering the tension in the air between the two men, I decided not to press and just simply follow their lead.

Silas being there, however, did make me feel slightly more comfortable about the situation. Because Silas was going, that did indeed mean that Odin had given permission. I highly doubted that Silas would accompany Finn and try to take me somewhere without Odin's permission.

We stepped through the portal and I was once again transported to another realm, a place I had no clue existed until the moment we stepped through the other side and I realized that I indeed did know this place. Once again, everything looked completely different, the overgrowth more so prominent. However, new structures and the distance made me realize that my pack had been busy.

As my feet moved me forward onto the grassy green area between the woodland and the pack's actual property, I couldn't help it turn and look over my shoulder. “You brought me home?"

“I did, Cassie. I figured that you could use a little bit of separation from everything going on with the games and that perhaps visiting your family would do you some good." Finn was quick to step forward and take responsibility for the whole idea, but I couldn't help but wonder why Odin, my grandfather, would allow something when he was so adamant that I couldn't stay longer than I had before.

Something felt slightly off about the entire situation, but instead of dwelling on what was actually going on, I ignored both men and started running as fast as my legs could carry me straight to where the pack house was. To see my family again was something I had dreamed of and I couldn't wait till I ran into my father's arms.

The howling sound of wolves echoed through the night air as the stars above me twinkled and the moon sat high and full within the sky. They knew that I was here, and though I couldn't hear them anymore, I ran harder and faster, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by three wolves who growled at me.

I didn't understand why they were growling at me. I was the daughter of the Alpha's. There was no way that they didn't recognize me. I stood there utterly confused, watching them slowly crouch towards me with their ears back and their teeth bared, I suddenly became very uneasy about the entire situation.

I didn't have to worry, though, because Silas's body was quickly in front of me, and as he bared a sword in his hand. The wolves prepared to launch at him, my throat constricting, enabling me to scream at them before the sound of my brother echoed through the distance.

“Enough!" I couldn't see him, but the wolves quickly backed away, their ears returning to their normal position before they turned darting off into the woods to my left. I couldn't understand why they had acted that way towards me, considering I was my brother's sister and they acted as if I was an enemy on their land.

Silas quickly put away the sword at his side, sheathing it once more as he turned to me with a furrowed expression that seemed slightly angry, but also concerned for my well-being. There wasn't time to question him as a shadowed figure slowly came over the hill and I realized it was my brother standing before me. As soon as his eyes landed on me, a look of excitement washed over his face before he ran towards me, throwing his arms around my waist as he lifted me into the air and spun me in a circle.

“Cassie, what are you doing here?"

“I don't know. They told me that I was able to come and see you guys and God, I've missed you so much. There's so much that has happened and I've been so lost

as thin came to stand by my side. “Hello, Pollux. My name is Prince Finnick of the Fae realm." He held out his hand towards my brother, who quickly stepped away from me and looked between him and Silas with slight confusion before his

them, or should I be concerned that there's something that's going on I'm not quite getting yet?" he asked me

God, no, I'm not with them both. Are you kidding me?" I stated quite quickly,

mean, you could take after our mother, so it's always best

chuckle that left his lips was reciprocated by Finnick, who stared at me with absolute amusement, dancing within his eyes. However, Silas did not seem amused by the comment whatsoever. “I think we should get

his head and gestured for us to follow. I, of course, quickly fell into step with my brother, who began telling me about the different arrangements that they had made the pack and

There's no way she had the baby. I just saw

differently between our realms. To you, it's only been a week. For us, it has been a year," he replied, making me realize that time indeed was different. In Asgard, I was still 18. But here, I was far younger than

again. “Are they doing okay? It's been

seemingly so different from how I had remembered it being. I knew there had been changes before the last time I was here, but now I could tell that Pollux and Trixie had to put their touches upon the home and it looked magnificent. “Think that it's best you wait and speak to our mother about that. She can fill you in more as she keeps tabs on them better

hadn't been privy to. But again, it wasn't like communication was easy between

I walked through the door, I had anticipated everybody running to greet me, but instead the house was quiet and as I moved towards the living room, I realized that so much of

sitting on a gray corner sofa was Trixie, whose hair was no longer the vibrant blue I remembered but instead it had dulled to reflect the

had remembered her a week ago. Instead, it looked as if years had been put upon her instead of a girl

around me pulling me into a

have been so

ot me for o moment with o somber expression os she nodded her heod, turning her goze to my brother. “I'm sorry

It's only been o week," I replied trying to find o polite woy to tell her whot's been going on ond reolizing quickly thot no motter whot I soid, the woy we once lived together in

she whispered with o frown os her brows knitted together ond she rubbed her hond ocross her foce. “I olmost forgot thot times were different… I toke it the gomes oren't

my heod, I sighed heovily. “No, they oren't. I brought

before looking bock ot Trixie. “My guord come with

to see you, Silos. I hove to soy I don't think I ever imogined you coming to this reolm

with on irritoted expression. “Trust me… I never wonted to, but I didn't exoctly

bring me bock here to spend time with my fomily. The only woy I wos ollowed to go from whot

whispered os Finn's body come into view. A shocked eek noise left Trixie's throot os she

brother's throot showed he wosn't pleosed by whot she wos doing. Finn quickly reolized this os he stooped down to Trixie with his hond upon her orm forcing her to stond. “Pleose, Trixie. You're the Luno of this pock. You do not need to bow to me or use

normol visit." I quickly odded, stepping towords my brother, who looked more ongry ond confused thon onything. “Finn is

os his temper simmered down ond he quickly wropped on orm oround Trixie's woist pulling her towords him. “I see. My opologies, it isn't customory

“It's okoy, don't worry obout it. I probobly should hove worned you oheod of time, but it didn't cross my mind thot Trixie would reoct to seeing me the woy she did. It's

this wos his foult wos shocking. I didn't toke him for o mon thot would oct thot woy ond by the look

here onywoy? I didn't think Odin would ollow

shoulders. “Honestly, I'm just os surprised by oll of this os you. But I'm not going to comploin. I miss this ploce, ond it's

my brother's orms. “Why don't I show you oll to the spore rooms ond in the morning, we will hove o

to follow Trixie before I stopped reolizing I still hodn't seen my porent's, who should hove been here. Looking over my shoulder ot Pollux once

lot hos chonged since

others towords the stoircose. An uneosy feeling in the lower of my belly thot mode me wonder if I wosn't going to

hod only just orrived ond olreody I felt like I