Chapter 21: Chapter TWENTY ONE

The two couples had returned after reading the message. Ellana had decided to let things settle for the rest of the day before making any decision on their response to this barbaric act. For the moment, they had loved ones to mourn and a shock to bear. A calm mind was needed to reflect on what would happen next.

It was all the more true for Mia who really needed to breathe a little after this surge of information. Impervia had just declared war on them, and she had included Ethan in her declaration by trapping the message, which also included Mia by extension. Already she had difficulty imagining her future in a world that was not hers, now that it was clear that she had enemies who wanted her dead, her future seemed even less enviable to her.

"How about we hide here until the war is over?" she asked.

It had been thirty minutes since the young couple had been back in their room and they had lain on the bed huddled against each other. Irina had told them as they passed through the front door that they could go and rest for an hour until lunch was ready. Mia first offered a short nap, but neither of them managed to sleep a wink. Mia had been staring blankly at the ceiling for half an hour, caressing the Vila's forearm absent-mindedly. They hadn't said a word so far, enjoying the silence they knew was temporary.

"I don't know," Ethan replied, opening his eyes. "That's assuming the Resistance doesn't get crushed and Callis doesn't get assaulted or besieged. I don't think it's viable in the long term."

"Do you think the Resistance will lose?" she said with surprise. "The city looks safe and... they had many years to plan everything."

"I have no idea, but it's still a possibility."

Mia sighed, raising her chest and positioning herself on her elbows to better observe Ethan. She already knew that there were only two possible outcomes. The Vila's mother would hunt them down until her death or theirs. Or..."

"If we could find a portal and take refuge on Earth... Your mother thought it was possible that it didn't necessarily appear by chance."

"My mother is crazy, I don't think that's a good reference."

"Yeah you're right," she concluded, defeated, before thinking for a few seconds. "Would you keep your Vila attributes if you walked through the portal? If the creatures here are legends to me, they brought their magic back with them, right?"

"Likely. The presumed absence of magic in your world does not necessarily mean that it does not exist. It may just be very rare or invisible to you. I have a few books on the subject at home, but... Suffice it to say that I won't see them again until my mother is dead."

A glimmer of clarity crossed Mia's mind. She was so obsessed with her own situation that she completely ignored how much worse Ethan was than hers. Yes, she had found herself in an unknown world with this story of a soul mate and then of war, but the Vila was hunted down by his own mother who wanted him dead and who had made him understand this quite explicitly with the episode of the diplomatic convoy. He had lost his home. He had also just discovered that his brother was still alive, and he now had the protection of the blonde as a new responsibility. It wasn't a contest of suffering, of course, but she hadn't shown herself to be particularly empathetic towards the young man.

"Say..." she began timidly. "How are you?"

The Vila's surprised gaze settled on her hesitant pout and he burst out laughing when he saw her look away, embarrassed. His astonishment was further evidence regarding her lack of interest in her soul mate's state of mind these past few days. He often asked her if she was okay, but she didn't remember ever throwing the question back at him.

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Have I always been so self-centered? she wondered inwardly. I've never been good at consoling people, but I've always listened to them, right?

"It's okay, don't worry about me."

"I worry even more when you tell me you're supposedly fine, you know. Either you're a sociopath or you're hiding your emotions completely."

Self-centered, but not devoid of common sense.

"It's a lot to manage," he finally admitted after a minute's silence. "My mother... I don't have much affection for her, even less now that she's trying to kill us, but she raised me anyway. She's a psychopath, and she's always been very cold, but she wasn't such a bad mother. She never hit me, I never lacked for anything, and she made sure I got the best education possible...I didn't hate her so much that I wanted her dead before all this happened. And even less that of my father who is simply under his influence. She will end up dragging him down with her."

Mia placed her body next to the Vila in the crook of his arm, her chest pressed against his ribs and her free arm wrapping around his torso in a futile attempt to bring him comfort. Ethan took the opportunity to slide his fingers through his soul mate's hair and caress her sensitive scalp. Hearing him talk about the weight crushing his shoulders pained her, especially since she knew full well that she was of no help.

"If I hadn't fallen through the portal, what would have happened with the bond?"

"My vila would have eventually found another soul mate. Nothing is written, it is only a combination of circumstances."

"That means if I hadn't dropped my goddamn phone, we wouldn't be in this shitty situation."

Damn alcohol. It's crazy how one night of drinking can completely ruin a life.

"Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter, you are here now and I don't regret that my Vila chose you."

As long as you're here, the situation seems to me just as bearable despite everything, she said to herself inwardly, without expressing it aloud. She had wanted to console him, and he ended up once again reassuring her with his confident and tender words. There was not the slightest hesitation in his words, not the slightest doubt in his voice. Just sincerity that warmed the blonde's heart for a moment.

Mia's mind had finally slipped into a sleep without her even realizing it after their discussion. She didn't know if it was due to the bond or the growing affection she had for the Vila, but his presence had an increasingly reassuring effect on her raw nerves. She knew he couldn't hurt her, but that didn't mean he cared about her being happy. Still, she was slowly learning to trust him and to believe that he was. Ethan wasn't a bad person, compared to the impression he left on her when they first met.

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