And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie

"So that makes her a villain?" I laughed.

"No," he smiled, "but her acting the way she was set Anna on edge. I worked closely with Anna, and through all of it, she felt Inanna and her were growing distant. That Inanna was up to something dark, and when she began hanging out with the wrong people, Anna became wary of her."

Glancing down at Anna's portrait, I took in her dark hair, celestial blue eyes and pink plump lips. I was shocked. The first time I saw her photo I realized how much she and I looked alike. The only difference was she seemed to smile all the time where I did not. Anna didn't seem like the kind of person whose smile ever fell, but of course, this was reality, or it was her reality once upon a time.

"So did she ever confront her?" I asked without looking up at Silas. My fingers once again brushed over the purple book he had given me.

"Yep," he replied quickly. "It turned into a huge fight, and the next day... Inanna and a few others were gone."

Letting my eyes dart up to Silas, I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean they were gone? Someone doesn't just vanish."

He shrugged his shoulders and took a seat in the chair across from me. "Back then, the vale between realms wasn't as confined as it is now. It was easier to slip out, but that was because Odin didn't worry about things like he does now I suppose. At least, since everything with Loki."

"Loki?" Hearing the name rang internal bells as I remembered the stories I had heard growing up of the battle my parents went through with him. How they wanted my brother and me but our parents fought to protect us. "Yeah, Loki was dangerous, but thankfully, Odin imprisoned him."

I opened and closed my mouth, considering what Silas had said. As far as I remembered, it was my mother who had thrown Loki back into Asgard, but then again, who was I to correct the history they knew? "Oh, right."

Unsure of what to say or do, I simply rolled back up the portrait and retied the ribbon around it that had once held it closed. I was learning a lot being here but it wasn't helping me like wanted. While I was here doing this. Lucas was out of his mind with partying and fucking with Zia.

He was never that kind of person before, and I was never the person I am now before.

"Are you okay, Cassie?" Silas asked as I moved towards the bookshelves to replace the scroll with Anna's portrait on it.

"Not really, just a lot on my mind."

"You know you can talk to me, Cassie. I can help you through whatever is bothering you," he said as the sound of his footsteps echoing behind me let me know just how close he was to me.

I placed the scroll on the shelf and turned to face him. "As I said before, Silas... how does any of this help me?"

"Because... Inanna acted like this before, Cassie. How she is acting now with Lucas, she did it before."

For a fleeting moment, I thought I had hit a brick wall with what to do. I had found myself lost wondering ift would ever find something to get me closer and then Silas finally lets this bit of information out. "What?"

Taking in Silas with much irritation, I watched as a quizzical glance of amusement danced in his fiery eyes while the corners of his lips turned up into a wide smile as if he thought what he told me was the most insightful thing ever. What he didn't know was I was more than irritated with him because that was information he could have told me long ago.

"Right. I mean, it shocked me at first. Back then, I didn't want to believe-"

Shaking my head, I couldn't believe he thought I was interested in the details. "Stop. You didn't think to tell me about Inanna before?"