And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 171: Making New Friends

As the sun filtered through the open window of the room I was staying in, I stretched my arms above

my head and realized I was lying in bed alone. Glancing around with groggy vision, I realized I was no

longer at my parent's home but back in a room in Asgard where I had been before.

Bolting from the bed with panic setting in my heart, I looked around, trying to understand how it was. I

was back. I shouldn't have been back. I still had more time with them, and though I had more time, my

body, for some reason, had been cast back into Asgard without notice.

Without me even getting to say goodbye.

Quickly jumping from the bed, I ran towards the door, throwing it open as I made my way down to

Odin's hall. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I knew one thing. I wasn't going to tolerate this. He

couldn't just give me time and then suddenly take it away from me.

The moment I stepped foot into the hall, slamming the doors open, all eyes turned to me, my

grandfather sitting ahead of me in his large chair, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Cassie, what are you doing back so soon? You still had a few hours."

He looked just as confused as I was, and as a glanced at the others, I realized I had made an entrance

and a spectacle of myself when I probably shouldn't have.""I don't know how I got back here. I still had

time with them. I need to go back. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Opening and closing his mouth, he gave me a sorrowful look and shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I can't send you back. You must have projected yourself back here for some reason. We

only get to visit Earth once a year, Cassie. At least until you're stronger and you can take yourself."

I wasn't sure what to make of all of it, but as I turned, making my way out of the hall and back towards

my room, a voice called behind me that I hadn't been expecting. "Cassie, please wait."

Turning and looking over my shoulder, I saw Freya standing there, staring at me with concern. "I know

that all of this is a lot for you, and I'm so sorry that you ended up back here so soon. There's still a lot

that we don't know about your condition. There's never been anything like it before. Give us some time,

and we'll see if we can fix this for you."

If Odin couldn't send me back, then there was no fixing anything for me. Perhaps I was different, but

now I was supposed to be like them. And if they didn't know what to make of me, then what was I,

honestly? Was I like them, or was it something else?

Refusing to listen to what she had to say, I remained silent and made my way back to my room. One

day, I would be able to be reunited with my family. Until then, I would simply have to play my part here

and figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

My mother's words rattled through my mind, and the moment I reached my room, I found a small

brown-haired, blue-eyed girl standing there before me in a servant's outfit, her eyes cast to the floor as

if she was unsure of what to say. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ansley. I will be your servant through the trials."

"What trials? What are you talking about?" I asked, slightly confused as to what she was referring to.

There were no trials that I knew of, but according to her, as her eyes looked up at me, she was almost

perplexed as to why I wasn't aware of them.

Hesitating for a moment, she stared at me as if unsure of what to say. I didn't mean to make her feel

uncomfortable, but with the way she fidgeted with her hands as she kept staring at the floor, I knew that

I had. "The Solstice Games, ma'am.”

The girl stuttered over her words. I felt bad about what I had done until I realized she was in the same

situation I was at the moment. She had to do things she didn't really want to do in order to get by with

no way to leave this place.

Or at least that's what I imagined when I thought of what this girl was going through.

"Oh, I understand. It's okay. I'm just a little flustered this morning."

"Would you like something to eat for breakfast before your meeting this afternoon?" Again, she was

giving me information about stuff that I had no idea what she was talking about. Yes, I was hungry, but

now I didn't know I had a meeting.

"Let's just say I'm unaware of whatever meeting it is that I have supposedly going on. Do you think you

might be able to fill me in on this?"

Ansley hesitated for a moment, and slowly, her head lifted, her eyes locking with mine as she furrowed

her brows with confusion, opening her mouth before slowly closing it. "Uhhh -you're supposed to be

meeting with Odin in an hour to meet a few people. I don't really know anything else. I'm not privy to

that information."

Running my hand over my face, I closed my eyes in frustration as I let out a groan of irritation. "I see.

Some breakfast actually does sound good. Just something light and refreshing, maybe. I don't know.

Oh-and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee."

I felt guilty having this girl wait on me hand and foot as if I was incapable of doing so myself. But as

soon as I gave her a command, a smile crossed her face, and she quickly exited my room, obviously in

search of the coffee that I desperately needed.

With Ansley gone, I was left to my own devices once more, and with the realization I had to get ready

for a meeting with people I had no knowledge of, I made my way toward the bathroom to get ready.