Chapter dedicated to Hotchocolaterush.  To the coolest girl with a kick-ass user ID, thanks beautiful, for reading and voting!

And then we were falling, our world black...

Chapter 130 –Not In Kansas Anymore – Raine's POV

I opened my mouth to let out a surprised shout, but Cage had anticipated my reaction and I found his hand clamped over my lips, keeping me silent. He gripped me tighter, curling his body around mine protectively, trying to take as much of the impact of our fall as possible. Well, it was more like a bumpy roll, down a steep decline. For a moment, we were devoid of anything other than the inky blackness that surrounded us. And then just as quickly, our bodies came to an abruptly halt, landing on a hard immovable surface.

Light invaded my senses. I blinked. I was lying on top of Cage. He loosened his hold slightly, his knuckles caressing my cheek. "Are you okay?"

I held his strong gaze, while I took inventory of my body for a moment. It wasn't a pleasant fall, but everything felt in the right places and working. I breathed, "Yes, I think so."

I looked around slowly, my mouth forming a small 'o'. We were in a rundown old mansion. Before I could contemplate further, Cage grabbed my shoulders and thrust our bodies hard to the side. I huffed in surprise, "Oh!"

I looked back to find Echo rolling down the same set of stone steps we had. He landed with a hard thump where we were seated a second ago, a curse falling from his lips, "Fucking hell!"

He reached down and cupped his manhood protectively, making sure it was still intact. I stifled a giggle.  Without warning, several of his men dropped into sight, all stumbling and tripping down the stairs. Echo didn't make it out of the way in time, before they landed right on top of him. His furious growls were muffled by the mass of bodies on top of him, "Get the fuck off of me!"

Everyone scrambled to right themselves, their eyes wide, bodies ready to fight the unknown. Echo leapt away from the landing as soon as his men clambered off of him. And not a moment too soon. Because York came tumbling down with Queen Ileana in his tight grasp. Her teeth were clenched, her face set in a tight grimace. The pain of the fall exacerbating the pain she was already in.

Talon rolled down last. York jumped out the way with Ileana before Talon's muscled body made impact with them. That was everyone. No one had decided to turn back. My heart welled with emotion. I blinked back a tear and whispered, "Thank you."

Echo smirked, "Did you really expect anything else?"

I grinned. "No, not really."

Talon stood to his feet, his large hands dusting himself off. "Where are we?"

I didn't have an answer for him. I twisted my neck to look at our surroundings again. I couldn't turn too far. Cage's arms were still protectively wrapped around me. Actually more like a vice, limiting my movement, but I didn't struggle to get away, instead preferring the comfort that his embrace provided as I took everything in.

It looked like a grand hall of a long forgotten mansion. So forgotten, that the landscape had made its way into the building, and now called the structure home. Trees and all manner of leafy green foliage filled the three story room. While patches of moss crept up the walls, almost reaching the jumbled mess of vines covering the dilapidated ceiling. In its day, the architecture would have been stunning, with regal stone columns and archways, carved by skilled craftsmen.

A shadow moved under one of the nearby archways and Tobias stepped out. It wasn't difficult to see the absolute relief on his face. Unlike our earlier travel through the woods, the moon here shone brightly, lighting up the room, its rays bathing the space with silver highlights.

I pulled away from Cage's embrace and ran to Tobias, hurtling myself into his arms. He stumbled back and grunted, "My Queen." When our bodies stopped moving, he gently settled me away from him at arm's length, his gaze warily cutting to Cage and then back to me.

"You're safe!" I breathed.

"Yes, it appears that way." He ran a hand through his hair, and motioned with his head over his shoulder. "I searched through several of the archways. There are exits, but I felt it prudent not to leave the building just yet."

Cage crossed the room to us, and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Until we figure out where we are, I agree it's best to tread cautiously."

Echo studied his phone. "I'm not sure where we are, but we're definitely not in Kansas anymore."

I grinned at the Wizard of Oz reference.

Cage frowned. "Kansas? Why would we be in Kansas?"

I placed a hand on his chest and whispered, "I'll explain it later."

Echo continued, "I'm not getting any kind of signal. No data. Nothing."

"You wouldn't," a deep voice from behind us interrupted.

Cage spun around and shoved me behind him, braced and ready for a fight.

The strange man looked to be about twenty years old, but appearance really meant nothing when it came to age in this world. He wore black leather from head to toe with a deep v cut into the neckline, revealing his smooth chest. It fit him like a second skin, the muscles in his broad shoulders and abs fully defined beneath its soft surface. He had armored plating on his forearms and one hand was tucked into a black glove with spiked metal tips.

His face was visible beneath the hood he wore. Long black hair swept over his shoulders. The bones in his jaw were chiseled to perfection, his nose straight, and thick eyelashes framed his cool and calculating gaze. His voice had a unique timbre and cadence as he spoke again, "I presume you are here to see Acheron?"

Cage replied through clenched teeth, "Yes."

The dark mysterious male nodded and turned around, disappearing into one of the archways. Okay, I guess that meant he wanted us to follow him. We made our way behind him carefully, through several passage ways until we reached a door and stepped through into the night.

I inhaled sharply. I had thought the moon was shining brightly. I was wrong. Several moons hung low in the sky. I released the breath slowly. No, we were about as far away from Kansas as we could get. I whispered to Cage, "Where are we?"

He replied shortly, his voice hard, "The Untamed Dimensions."

The Untamed Dimensions?

What did he mean by that?

I looked around. The landscape was comprised of similar elements, but everything was just bigger. The tree trunks were massive, as wide as two cars lined up end to end, and reached hundreds of feet into the air.

We traveled on foot, running for the next two hours. Our unknown guide never said anything else. Clearly he was a man of little words. About an hour into our trip, I noticed we were running along the bank of a thick river that cut right through the forest. Several wooden ships made their way slowly through its waters, pulled along by the wind in their sails.

Finally, he slowed and stopped altogether. We stood at the base of a generous tree. I craned my neck up to find a house perched high in the air, with a staircase that spiraled around the tree's trunk, down to the ground. Abruptly, there was another man standing in front of us. I blinked, unsure where he materialized from. One moment he wasn't there, and the next he was.

Acheron.

I just knew it was him.

His features were similar to Brialle's, auburn hair, chestnut eyes. I couldn't read his expression.

Cage took a purposeful step forward and slightly to the left. Talon naturally shifted to the right, closing the gap, both of their bodies forming a solid barrier in front of me. Tension rolled off of Cage's large frame. His fingers twitched, straining against his overwhelming impulse to curl them into fists. A vein in his neck pulled taut.Both of their chests were thrust out, heads high, defiant. Powerful. "I am Micage, Special Council to King Armand. This is my mate." He nodded over his shoulder in my general direction, his only acknowledgement of my presence.

What?  What was he doing? He spoke the truth but certainly left out his more prominent title. King of my bloodline. Between their shoulders, I saw Acheron's lip curl up slightly, a knowing look in his eyes. He wasn't fooled. He already knew who we were. Shit.

Both Cage and Talon's frames held strong. York, Echo and his men had strategically spread out with Queen Ileana and I safely tucked in the center. An intimidating force to be reckoned with should Acheron decide he wanted a physical confrontation. Cage gestured toward Echo. "This is Echo, Ruler of the Tremidael Empire."

Acheron nodded, his eyes thoughtful and calculating. Cage did not introduce anyone else. There was a beat of silence, Cage waited, the ball in Acheron's court to respond.

Acheron stepped forward. "I am Acheron. You have already met my son, Skoldr."

His son?!

An Immortal!

My uncle!

I drew in a sharp breath, and fisted the back of Cage's shirt to steady my nerves. Brialle had never mentioned having a brother. Did she even know he existed?

Acheron's steely gaze went from Cage and rested on Talon. "And who might this other male be who stands defiantly in front of my granddaughter?"

Shit, shit, shit.

There were no more doubts. He knew my identity. Cage bristled. One of his hands curled into a fist. "He is Talon, the Queen's vassal."

Vassal? I had never heard Cage refer to Talon as my vassal before. Of course, I knew what a vassal was. One who serves another, frequently in military or land ownership. The connotation certainly fit.

"I see," Acheron murmured and then motioned his hand toward the door of the residence. "Please join me for dinner. And then we may speak of your business."

Cage hesitated and then took a reluctant step toward Acheron's dwelling. I followed closely behind him, but couldn't take my eyes off of Skoldr. He noticed my attention and his lips curled into a grin, showing his pearl white teeth. But it wasn't welcoming. His expression was cold and filled with cruel anticipation. It reminded me of the way Vladimir had stared at me. Skoldr would enjoy my pain. I was certain of it. A hard shudder ran down my spine. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Skoldr was an Immortal. We have no idea what gifts he possessed, what powers he could wield at his fingertips.

But it was too late to turn back now. Slowly, our procession made its way up the staircase. The interior of the home was very similar to the chalet I stayed in Romania, wood carved interior and furniture with soft fabrics.

From behind Acheron, a stunning Fae entered the room. She had snow white hair with intricate braids, a round porcelain face, large expressive eyes and full lips. And were those actual butterflies?! Yes, three butterflies gently fluttered their wings, resting in the tendrils of her hair.

Acheron motioned to her. "And this is my wife, Lady Sofielle...".

.

Sooo...thoughts here? (waiting curiously)

See below for pics of Skoldr and Lady Sofielle.

Also, quick thanks to Best4DaysIKnow for your constant support and feedback, and suggestion that Talon makes a wonderful vassal! Indeed, he does. Lol.