Seen

Otherworld (Octavia)

"I am guessing by the look on your face they aren't your friends," I say rising to my feet. "No, they are not." Sloane steps out of the doorway, placing their hand against the railing. I blink as the wood wavers for the briefest moment, as a veil slipped over reality. "What are you doing?" I ask, but their heads snap to me. "Protecting your house. Let's get you inside." Atlas says gesturing to the door, but not before reaching for my hand and then retreating. A different sort of disappointment runs through me. "Fine, but I want a better explanation." I walk inside, heading to the kitchen, pulling down a glass and pouring myself a drink. As I do I place the vodka on the island and a shot glass for Sloane who quickly takes them. "Help yourself." I gesture to the liquor cabinet behind me. But instead, Atlas helps himself to the glass I just poured for myself. Rolling my eyes I sip straight from the bottle."Alright, talk." "When we first met I had my adviser look into you, attempting to figure out why you could see me when I was meant to be invisible to humans.""And?" I ask knowing I had forgotten about that little tidbit of our history."We couldn't find anything. You are still a mystery." For a split second the grin I always knew sweeps over his lips. "Until now, it wasn't really a problem.""Why now?" I ask after another sip."It seems you have drawn some more unfavorable attention," Sloane says throwing back a shot. "Familiars have been tracking you for some time, but we aren't sure why.""Aren't you a familiar? Maybe they're attracted to you."Sloane shakes their head, "It doesn't work like that. Familiars kind of, claim, their person. It's a respected thing amongst my kind. But the familiars coming to you aren't ones I am used to. They are focused and serious." Sloane is staring into the vodka bottle with a grimace on their face. "Almost like they're possessed." They seem to shiver. "It isn't natural." "Why do they care about me?" I ask"We aren't sure, but a familiar is capable of doing quite a bit of damage," Atlas explains."Why haven't I noticed them?" "You did. The guy outside of the club last night? He was a familiar." I gape at Sloane. "What guy?" Atlas asks, his fist flexing around my glass so hard I am afraid it'll shatter."Just some drunk, but I took care of it," I say waving a dismissive hand. "Why didn't you take care of it, Sloane?"Atlas turns to Sloane who raises their hands defensively."Octavia had it handled. I was close by.""You had it handled?" Atlas asks me."Of course. I saw you in the alley, I know you were there. Besides, I can take care of myself quite well. Sloane taught me well." I raise the bottle of wine up to meet Sloane's shot glass. "Damn right I did." Sloane throws back the shot."I must have arrived shortly after, but I am intrigued to see these skills you have developed." His grin is unmistakable now. I attempt to wash away the butterflies low in my stomach with another sip of wine. "So what do we do about the familiars? Can we just ignore them? Surely they will get bored soon.""They seem to become more interested in you, I wouldn't recommend ignoring a familiar anyways, they can become obsessive," Sloane explains."I agree, which is why I am here. Octavia, I want you to come with me to the otherworld."The bottle of wine stills halfway to my mouth. "What did you say?" I ask sure I heard him wrong. "I want you to come home with me. You'll be safe until we figure out why the familiars are watching you." Atlas says"To the otherworld? That's your home?" "It is." Atlas looks as confused as Sloane, but I ignore them turning to head back into the living room. Frantically running my eyes over the bookshelves, turning in a circle to trace over the other wall."Look, Octavia, this really is the best option for keeping you safe." Sloane's voice trails in behind me. "I know you don't trust me Octavia, but this was what I meant by I need you to trust me one more time." Atlas is leaning against the doorway as I continue my search.I wave my hand. "It isn't that." Actually, the thought of seeing the otherworld is more than exciting. Finally, I find what I am looking for and reach for the ladder hooked to the wall with wheels. Pulling it over, I begin to climb, seeing Atlas quickly reach for the bottom. "What are you doing? You are going to break your neck." I can't help it, maybe it's the wine or how natural it feels to have him back in my life. "No, I won't. You'll catch me if I fall."He doesn't miss a bit. "You can fall for me anytime." I expect his signature smirk, but he looks serious. Even thoughtful. I finally pull myself away from his gaze, feeling the warmth of his eyes surpass the warmth of the wine. Pulling the book I need from the shelf I climb back down."How is it that we were together for months, but you never mentioned the otherworld?" I ask. "Human's don't call it that. I didn't think you would know the name." He looks at the book in my hand. "Where did you get that?""My mother. It was one of her favorite books. I read it when I was young, actually, I was quite obsessed with it. We used to talk about it for hours.""How did your mother have it?" Sloane asks taking a seat on the couch.I shrug. "I'm not sure. She told me it was her favorite fantasy book. I doubt she knew that it was based on anything real."Atlas is flipping through the book, the muscles in his forearm flexing under his tattoos. Tattoos I dreamed about hundreds of times over the years. They run down his arms and stop at his wrists, I follow a single small vein to his hand, a phantom feeling of his hands bracing my waist follows. My cheeks begin to burn, but it's too late because when I look up Atlas is staring right at me. His eyes are molten like gold in a furnace. Sloane clears their throat making me jump slightly, Atlas smiles arrogantly looking back to the book. My frustration aside, I try to continue our discussion. "Is the book accurate? Is the Otherworld really like that?" Atlas bobs his head, "Some things are outdated, but most of it is correct.""Really?" I say a bit too excitedly leaning over his shoulder to peer into the book. "I actually can't wait to see it." It takes me a moment to realize Atlas is staring at me, but I can't manage to look at him, instead, I join Sloane on the couch. "Good. I think we can manage one more night, now that Atlas is here. You can rest and we can go in the morning." I nod not sure if I will be able to sleep tonight. My brain is still racing with all that has changed in just a few hours. "What movie did you bring Sloane? No need to sit around staring at each other all night." I say. "Oh, just your favorite flick." Sloane reaches for the DVD on the coffee table and holds it up. I smile. "You're the best. Put it in, I'll go order pizza." I jump up and see Atlas looking at the books around the room. "Get comfortable," I say partially to be a good host, but really because I am worried he is planning on leaving again. He turns to me and he looks like a dream. Standing in my living room is a backdrop of books, his shirt straining on his arms, like a vision from my dreams. Or a very specific vision from my book. "I am going to do a run around the perimeter." "And then you'll come back." It isn't a question, but before he can argue I walk into the kitchen. Right back to my bottle of wine, I finish it off. I quickly call the local pizza place and order Sloane and I's usual, adding Atlas's favorite. When I hang up, I lean down on the counter, resting my forehead on my fist. My chest aches, maybe more so than when I saw Atlas standing outside earlier. He is here, speaking to me, flirting with me, everything feels so...right. But I know it isn't. Not anymore. "You can trust him." I take a few extra breathes before looking up to Sloane. I release a sigh. I know I can trust him. I always could. None of this is his fault, but I am dreading the moment he will eventually leave again. "He isn't the problem Sloane," I say walking past him and up the stairs. Sloane follows me up the steps. "Do you trust me?" Sloane asks and the concern in their tone pulls at my gut. I turn to them as I open my bedroom door. "Of course I do." I head into my closet and begin to change into sweats and a t-shirt, an old college t-shirt I now realize I wear for a very specific reason. Before I can overthink I pull it on. I return to my room, heading for my bed to put on a fresh pair of socks. "I am the one who screwed up. I don't think... or I hope that Atlas wouldn't have left if I hadn't messed up so bad." Sloane brows furrow, they cross their arms. "What do you mean?" "It's kind of complicated," I say straightening, heading to the hallway closet to collect blankets and pillows. "Help yourself to a change of clothes, I'll go set up the couch." I begin to head down the stairs and quickly turn back, "Hey, can you grab clothes for Atlas?" "Sure!" Sloane says as I head downstairs, not watching where I am going I run right into Atlas who is standing in the living room doorway with his arms crossed. "Sorry, I didn't..." when I look up his face is stone cold. "What's the matter?" I ask."What were you doing upstairs with Sloane?" his voice is just as cold as his stare. "Um...changing," I said tugging on my shirt. "We like to be comfortable for a movie marathon," I say not really sure why such a thing would be so agitating for him. "You change in front of Sloane?" he is right behind me, the warmth from his body washing over me. A wave of deja vu washes over me. "No, not usually." I turn to look at him. "But it wouldn't matter if I did." I can't help but put my foot down. I know I screwed up, I pushed him away, but he is the one who actually left. He can't play this jealousy card, especially with his friend. His jaw ticks under the tension. I shove the blankets to him when the doorbell interrupts our locked stares. "Here, get comfortable. Sloane is bringing you a change of clothes." I don't wait for his protest before heading to the front door. As I suspect the pizza guy is waiting on my porch, the dimmed porch light shedding only enough light for me to see it's the usual guy. "It'll be thirty-two, sixty." He says."I paid on the phone. But here is your tip. Thanks, for " Too quickly for me to catch, he wraps his hand around my extended wrist and pulls me forward with unimaginable strength. I yelp, dropping the pizza boxes to the floor and I am being pulled up until I am no longer standing, but...flying. Immediately, everything comes rushing back to me. Memories that I couldn't quite hold on to, from so long ago, memories I didn't even think to write down. The wind is pushing through my hair, I can hear the thumping of feet in the soft ground. The pizza guy or I guess not the pizza guy's hat has fallen off revealing an average-looking blond man. The same blond man who delivers pizza every time I order. His fingers are digging into my hip in the most unpleasant way and it takes me another breath to notice how far from my house we have already gotten. Trees have filled in my vision in almost every direction. Taking a deep breath, the deepest breath my lungs can manage, I scream directly into the man's ear. When he veers away I take the chance to bite his neck as hard as I can, the taste of copper bursting in my mouth. He yells, but I don't release him until he stumbles to a stop and drops me. He continues to stumble, pulling his hand to his bleeding neck, but I don't wait. I pull his hand away, bringing it behind his back, kicking the back of his knee forcing him to kneel, I yank his chin up until he is staring at me standing behind him. "Why are you stalking me?" I ask spitting his own blood onto his face. "You fucking bit me. Why would I tell you anything?" he says through his tight jaw. I lean down, "Because I can do so much worse." I pull back just in time to miss his spit. "You really forced my hand on this one." Resting my weight for a moment, I pull his head up and to the right swiftly enough to hear an audible crack. He falls to the ground, I step back towards the house wiping my arm across my mouth when I see Atlas standing in front of me. His eyes were wide, with panic.