Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Thank you for talking to me. I can't imagine what you went through and I’m so sorry I had no way to get over there to you. Katrina is the one who figured out that the amulet transported you. That’s when we got The Shadows to deliver a message to you, but it had already been three weeks by that time. We found out where The Others were operating and where a few of their bases were. We infiltrated them, killed a bunch of them, but never found you. Had I known the amulet could even possess that type of power, I would have said something about it being around your neck immediately. But I had no idea. Had I just said something sooner…” I said, and trailed off. 

“Don’t you dare think like that, don’t even bear that guilt.” She said, as she stood up and put her hand out to me, helping me up as she turned off the water. We had been sitting in there for a while, and I was sure it was getting close to the hour mark when everyone would be coming back over for a debrief. 

Once I stood up, I looked at Ambrosia in that tiny bikini, and I couldn’t help but realize that I had never actually seen her this exposed before. I mean, I had seen her in a bikini when I bought her, but I wasn’t paying attention to her body, just her wounds. 

ve seen her in a tank top and shorts after quite a bit, but not really with this much skin showing. She was curvy in all the perfect places, and it was like I was just noticing her for the first time. Like I was really seeing her, everything about her. 

Even with her hair soaking wet, and dripping water down her back, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. She definitely noticed me staring at her. 

“Rowen?” She questioned. I snapped out of it, bringing my eyes to hers. “Yes, doll.” I said. “It’s nothing, never mind.” She said, and turned to walk out. I grabbed her arm and spun her back around, pulling her into my arms. 

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” I said, and then gently pressed my lips to hers. “I missed you so much!” She whispered against my lips. My heart melted at her words. 

“I missed you too, doll. More than you could ever know.” I just held her tightly before reluctantly letting go. We had to get dressed, everyone would be here soon and we had things to discuss. 

Once she was dressed back in normal clothes, none of that neon 90’s bullshit that I swore I would definitely ask her about later, we headed downstairs. Rosa practically barreled me over to get to Ambrosia. 

“Oh, honey, you’re back! I have missed you so much” Rosa cried, throwing her arms around Ambrosia. I smiled and thought back, realizing that Rosa never spoke to Ivy like that. In fact, I don’t think Rosa ever really liked Ivy from the start. She may have a sixth sense, that woman. 

“I missed you too!” Ambrosia replied. “I’m making dinner for all of you as we speak! It’s so good to have you home!” Rosa said while she wandered off to the kitchen. “It’s really good to be home.” Ambrosia said, softly. 

It wasn’t long before everyone started showing up. Nico was first with Amethyst, then Ramses, Katrina and Jade. Raziel came next with Rayne, and then Raphael came with a woman none of us had ever met. 

She was beautiful though, of course. She was built much like Ambrosia, but her hair was black and flowing down her back. She had seafoam eyes and a shiny silver collar on. 

I laughed inside because I knew he was going to cave and buy a pet. I figured we could do introductions later. Everyone took a seat in my sitting room while we waited for Rosa to finish with dinner prep. 

Ambrosia took the stage, choosing to stand while she spoke. She explained to everyone the same thing she explained to me, and more. She spoke about her time in Pandora’s Box. 

She spoke about how the trans-dimensional travel sickness almost killed her when she arrived there, but how strange it was that when she came home she wasn’t sick at all. She spoke about the creatures that existed there, the monsters that she had risked her life night after night avoiding. 

She spoke of Hilda, and her home there. She spoke of Dominik and Andres, their powers and their weaknesses. She spoke of the landscape, the colors, the clothes. She didn’t leave any detail out. 

Come to find out, she did get pretty close with Dominik which made my insides burn. I hated that he had his filthy hands on her, even if just for a moment. She said she couldn't ever seem to break through to Andres, but Dominik had a soft spot for her. 

Not that they had really done anything, but he definitely was not 100% with his brother, when it came to her. I vaguely remembered him cursing under his breath about his brother stabbing her during all the commotion, and it made me wonder what would have happened had he not stabbed her. 

We may still have the amulet, but Dominik would have had Ambrosia. That was not a fate I wished upon her, or anyone really. He may be the good side of the Archangel… But he was still an Archangel, and he still was banished to the box.

Rosa had just called us to come eat when Ambrosia stopped suddenly. “Did you feel that?” She asked. Everyone went dead silent and stopped in their tracks. “Feel what?” Raphael said. And then it happened, a low rumble from below our feet. 

It seemed to go on for a few minutes, rumbling and shaking but not enough to knock anything off the walls or shelves. It was more like the earth was groaning, or shifting. It made an eerie sound that echoed through our home, infiltrating the ears of everyone present. Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone. 

“That!” She cried. Everyone started murmuring but no one knew what it was. “What is it?” I asked her. “It’s trans-dimensional travel. The twins, they must have opened the box!” She cried. 

“Are you sure that’s what it does?” I asked her. “I’m positive… 100% positive.” She said, and she walked towards the door, opening it slowly. Everyone followed, unsure of what we were about to see. 

Gasps escaped everyone's lips as they followed her outside into what seemed like an entire new world. The nighttime we had known and been familiar with for multiple millennia’s now reflected something new. 

Neon colored planets floating in the sky. The lack of a moon, and the bioluminescence covered plants and trees that were not there prior flooded the land. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life, and the most terrifying. Ambrosia turned and looked at me with fear in her eyes. “They didn’t just open the box, they transported their realm into ours.” She said, as a single tear fell from her eye. 

I pulled her into my arms and just stared at the scenery in front of me. “This is only the beginning.” Ambrosia said, turning to look out at the scenery unfolding around us. 

Just then I realized that the woman that came with Raphael had stepped off my front porch and wandered clear out into my yard. She was admiring all of the bioluminescence in the plants and trees around when Ambrosia pushed out of my arms and took off on a dead run towards her. 

Everything that happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. I heard a screech that was so loud it hurt my ears. I instinctively pressed my hands to my ears and watched as everyone else did the same. 

I looked up just in time to see Ambrosia slam into the small woman, wrapping her arms around her and tumbling off to the side just as a huge clawed talon broke through the trees and snatched a huge section of the ground where she just stood in its grasp.  

Panicked, I attempted to materialize to them when I realized that Ambrosia and the girl were back in my sitting room. They tumbled in as if they were still tumbling from outside and slammed into the wall next to the entryway for the kitchen.

Ambrosia ignored all of us that had run back inside, wide eyed, and she crawled over to the girl who seemed to be unconscious. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, wake up. You didn’t hit your head that hard, c’mon.” She said to the girl. 

But I could see the blood running from her temple down her face. Just then Raphael broke through the crowd and grabbed the girl in his arms, placing his hand on her head, healing her. 

She started to come to, and she scrambled out of Raphael's arms. “I’m sorry, master, I-I didn’t know what was out there.” She stammered. She was definitely a new pet. Raphael stood, holding his hand out for her. 

“It’s ok, Topaz.” He said softly, and helped her up, adjusting her collar and wiping the blood from her temple. 

Then he turned to Ambrosia who’s heartbeat still hadn’t returned to normal. 

“Thank you for saving her.” He said. “Of course.” She replied. Raziel was the next to speak. 

“Ambrosia, do you mind telling us just how in the fuck you knew that was there… And then explaining how you materialized both yourself and Topaz here, back to safety with no amulet?” 

His eyebrow was raised and I could tell he was completely confused. 

But he wasn’t the only one confused.