Chapter 165

Hannah

“Jack and Amy got married?” I asked in disbelief, still staring at the TV.

“Unfortunately,” Raya muttered. “As I’ve said, you’ve missed a lot.”

“I’m not feeling good…” Wrenley said weakly; now that she mentioned it, she was looking pale. This might have been the first time I had seen her in the last 5 years, but I knew she wasn’t a normal color. I placed my hand over her forehead; she was burning up.

“You should lie down, sweetheart,” I said to her softly, wrapping her into my arms. “I’ll make you some tea as well.”

I went with her down the hallway until we reached a door at the end. She pushed the door open, and I saw that it was a small room, set up for a girl. There were a bunch of dolls and stuffed animals scattered across her pink play rug. The walls were a light pink shade with drawings that she created herself. She went to her bed and crawled under the covers.

“I keep seeing you…” she whispered as she closed her eyes. I frowned, unsure of what she meant. I thought maybe it was just her fever speaking. “You keep appearing in my dreams. I saw you with that bad man… that scary man.”

She must have been talking about Xander. Raya had mentioned that Wren keeps having these nightmares about Xander coming to get me.

“I’m okay,” I breathed to her. “I promise, I’m not going anywhere anymore. I’m so sorry I haven’t been here…”

“I opened the portal,” she breathed in her groggy state. “I opened it and I never saw you again…”

She remembers opening the portal. How was it possible? She was only an infant.

“Get some sleep,” I told her softly. “I love you so much, Wren.”

“I’m glad you’re here, mommy.”

She was out cold after she finished her sentence. I was glad she was finally able to sleep. Raya also mentioned that she tries hard not to sleep because of the nightmares she experiences. I just hoped that now that I was home, she wouldn’t have those nightmares anymore. I stood from her bed, feeling a wave of dread. She’s been without me for 5 long years. My entire heart ached at the very thought of it.

I made my way out of the room and toward the living room where Raya and Arnold were talking. She had her head pressed against his chest and he was holding her tightly.

“I didn’t tell her everything,” Raya whispered to him. “I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it all if I told her everything at once.”

“She needs to know the truth,” Arnold whispered in return. “It’s her daughter.”

“I know,” Raya breathed. “She needs time to adjust first. She knows about the nightmares. That’s enough for right now.”

“We both know they aren’t just nightmares…” Arnold breathed.

I wanted to barge into the living room and ask what they were talking about. Why was my best friend keeping things about my daughter from me? I pushed my way into the living room where they jumped apart and they both looked guilty.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Sebastian’s voice came to my mind.

“Hannah?” Sebastian said, channeling me.

I stared between Raya and Arnold briefly before turning away from them.

“I’m here,” I said to him in return.

“We have a problem; a bigger one than I thought. Remember Caroline’s warning about there being more vessels than we know about?”

That was one of the last things she said to us before we left the underworld.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Jack and Magnolia are his vessels. It’s not Jack that’s in control of the kingdom, it’s Xander. He’s in control.”

My heart stopped at his words; did that mean he had won? That’s what he wanted to begin with, wasn’t it? To be in control?

“I don’t understand,” I began to ask. “Why go through all this trouble if he was just going to use his vessels? Was this his plan all along?”

“I don’t think so,” Sebastian said in return. “I think once we got the moonstone scepter and we were planning to leave, Xander was growing desperate. He figured he’d use his vessels to get what he wanted if he couldn’t be here himself to take control. He can’t leave the underworld without that piece of my wolf. He’s stuck.”

“So, this is a last-minute plan?” I asked.

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “Xander must have frozen time so he can have more time to take over our kingdom.”

“That’s why it’s been 5 years,” I breathed; it wasn’t a question. “When we were traveling back, he must have frozen us.”

“We aren’t going to let him get away with this,” Sebastian said; his voice growing darker. “We will put an end to his rein.”

“Are you coming back?” I asked; I needed to see him.

“Soon,” he answered.

I wanted to tell him about Wrenley and about her nightmares, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it right now. It would have to wait.

“I love you,” I said to him, trying to keep the worry out of my tone.

“I love you too,” he said in return before ending the mindlink.

My heart sat heavily in my chest, weighing me down. Caroline was right, our fight was far from over. She told me to return to my room in the rogue territory to find a letter from her. I could use her guidance.

“I have to go,” I told Raya and Arnold.

Raya looked at me worriedly.

“Where?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

“There’s something I need to see. Can you take care of Liam and Wren while I’m gone? I won’t be long.”

“Of course, but…”

“Thanks, Raya,” I said quickly as I rushed out of the house.

It was nice getting air; the cold air hit my lungs suddenly and I felt like I could finally breathe again. I didn’t waste much time; as soon as I was outside, I was already shifting into my wolf form. I ran quickly through the empty streets; I still found it strange that there was nobody outside. But after seeing the new laws that have been placed, I understood why.

I ran through the forest, enclosing myself in the shadows. The rogue territory came into view, and I ran even quicker. I wasn’t going to stop until I reached my old house. From what I remembered the last time I came here; the house was still vacant. If I kept my head low, nobody would bother me. I just had to be quick and try to keep myself hidden.

Even the rogue territory seemed oddly empty. I wondered if Jack had done something to make them coward away from the borders and stay within their homes. My old house was off in the distance and hidden from the naked eye. That was exactly what my mother liked about that house; she enjoyed staying hidden in the shadows. It was for our protection.

I went through the front door and shifted back into my human form. The house was the same as I remembered it. It was the same old furniture that was covered in dust and torn to shreds from other rogues. There was glass from the lamps and other objects scattered across the broken wooden floors. I could smell the rancid food in the fridge and cabinets, and it nearly made me gag.

As I went to my door, I attempted to open it, but it was locked.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

I kicked my foot and hit the center of the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Whoever locked this door, must have magically enchanted it to keep it locked. Just like the underworld.

I thought about Caroline and how she was able to get into my room from the window. Then, a thought popped into my head. I ran out the front door and went around the perimeter of the house until I reached my window. It was already broken.

I smiled knowing that it was broken because of Caroline in the underworld. I climbed my way through the window and enclosed myself in my dark room. As I looked around, I noticed that it was the same exact look as it was in the underworld. Even the dress I wore to Xander’s dinner party remained scattered on the ground.

As I went to my bed, I noticed something on my pillow.

It was a note.