Sorry for the slow updates and short chapters. I've been doing nanowrimo on another book, so I've been busy with that and really just life. Here's a lengthy chapter to make up for it. I know December will be a busy month for me, but hopefully by January I'll be updating every week rather than every two weeks.

Also, thanks for the recent review! It pushed me to finish this chapter. It means the world to me to know you're enjoying my story!

The concept of time was forgotten by Benjamin. All he knew was the sun appeared in the sky in the morning and from there he spent the day doing whatever he like and with his beloved, his Goddess, Vivianna. He couldn't have imagined ever wanting more.

Vivianna was his everything. Every day he found himself all the more captivated by her golden beauty, her honey voice, and her scent that seemed to be made up of all things amber; caramel, vanilla, spices, and honey. He decided he couldn't remember his past because before her nothing must have mattered.

Not only was she beautiful, but Vivianna was also so giving. She caressed him and soothed him to sleep and in the morning she was always there with his breakfast. He knew she enjoyed his company, but she never hovered. In fact, she often suggested he take advantage of their surroundings and explore the lands on his own. However, she always cautioned him:

"Stay away from the roads. There are women just beyond our forest that would hunt you and take you away from me. If you see one don't speak to her. Just come straight home."

He had come to the conclusion that the world outside the forest must have been a peculiar one with a complete lack of men where women hunted and fought for them, or at least that's how Vivianna made it sound. Sometimes he would try to remember that world, but as soon as a hint of his memory would return his head would throb.

It's probably for the best that I don't remember, he told himself.

Other than the maid he never saw another soul and after what Vivianna had told him he was content with that. They didn't need anyone else invading their world and he had no desire for any other companionship. Little happened and he liked it that way, but on that day he felt something was about to change.

The surroundings of the cabin almost seemed tempered at times. The skies were always clear and blue, what winds came through were light and warm, and other than the soft songs of bird, chirps of crickets, and the rustle of leaves it was relatively silent. However, that day the skies grew dark and were adorned in a string of pearl-like clouds. The winds blew in cold and strong and the birds in the trees flapped their wings in an unsettled manner. It should have been enough to make him return to the cabin and evade the woods, but instead he found himself drawn further into the thick of the trees—further than he'd explored before.

He continued on aimlessly until he heard voices in a distant clearing. He moved in closer and through the trees saw a parked car and a girl.

"Shit," he whispered to himself. Someone had found their way in.

Hiding behind a tree, he observed this girl at a distance. She was speaking with the maid, Alaina, but he couldn't make out what was being said. There was anger in the girl's eyes as she spouted off to Alaina and Alaina said very little in return, but there was a look of guilt in the maid's eyes.

She must be one of those women Vivianna warned me about, he thought at first, but as he studied her his head throbbed, as though the sight of her had awakened a painful memory.

There was something oddly familiar about this stranger. She had long wavy hair that started out as ash blonde and turned into faded purple curls that reached down to her waist. She was young, petite, and pretty, but she was nothing compared to Vivianna. Even so, he couldn't look away from her.

It was as he focussed on her eyes that he felt he could almost recall who she was. They were an intense green and seemed to stand out compared to her other soft features. A memory flashed in his mind of the same girl sitting on a rock and looking out at a gray sea, those same eyes full of tears. The wind blew her long colorful tresses around her and she looked at him speaking, but he couldn't hear her voice. Instead, the pain in his head only grew sharper.

Quietly, he backed away from hiding and made his way back to the cabin, but the vision of the girl wouldn't leave him.

"I know those eyes," he muttered to himself. "But how?"

Have you ever felt warnings were all around you? That's how I felt in that moment. A strong cold wind whirled through the forest, sending leaves and pine needles into the summer sky. As my gaze lifted to follow it I observed that the clear blue sky had darkened and was now covered in rows of clouds that looked like strings of pearls. It cast perplexing shoots of light between the trees making the forest look both dreamy and eerie.

"Is that normal?" I asked Alaina pointing up to the sky before getting into the truck.

"No, but nothing is normal here," she muttered bitterly as she slid into the driver's side seat.

"I should be used to it. Nothing's been normal since I've married Ben," I said under my breath.

"Ben would want me to take you away from here," she said before starting up the truck. "How in the hell did you end up here, anyway?"

"Would you believe me if I told you the wind told me where to find him?" I asked.

She let out a rueful laugh. "At one time, no, but now… I'm not sure what there is I don't believe. Would you believe me if I told you my stepmother was a demon?"

"A demon... like an actual demon?" Like Alaina believed, I too was coming to believe nothing was impossible, but a demon? The rational part of me wasn't ready to accept that idea.

"Well, at least that's what I think she is," Alaina said driving down the road. "Maybe a witch. I don't know, but I'm telling you, you can't win against her. Please let me take you back to town."

I shook my head. "No."

"This is suicide. She's evil and seems particularly fond of using her magic to play with other's lives."

"Then I'll just have to play back."

At that Alaina snorted. "You know, all this could have been avoided if you hadn't stabbed my brother in the back. You're the reason why he's here now. Have you thought that even if you break the spell he may not want anything to do with you after that?"

I gaped at her in stunned, not only because of how much she already knew but also because of how her words cut into my heart. However, realizing I deserved her criticism I lowered my wide eyes in guilt.

"No, I haven't," I admitted faintly. "You're right. He gave me a chance to free him and I betrayed him, but even so… I won't leave until he tells me to leave."

She pulled her truck over to the side of the road, parked it, and turned to me with a frosty glare. "I know more than you know and I'm telling you… what's your name?"

"Emilia."

"I'm telling you, Emilia this is something you have to walk away from."

"I can't. I won't," my voice wavered. "I can't have a life without him."

"How can you say that? I know with the curse he couldn't open up to you about who he was. You barely know him!"

I shrugged. "I know I love him and because of that I can't walk away."

She groaned and sat back in her seat folding her arms. "I'm assuming you still know nothing about who he is and… how all this came to be."

"No, he couldn't tell me because-"

"Of the curse," she finished for me. Unfolding her arms, she tapped her fingers on her thighs and muttered to herself, "Where to begin? I'm still confused on some of it. We got separated before she got to him."

"You mean we as in you and your sisters?"

"Yes. Vivianna managed to take us out in one go when we went to question her on our father's whereabouts, but Ben wasn't with us." Her brow furrowed as she glared out the window. "When we saw how she looked at Ben, those golden snake eyes sparkling with interest, we decided not to involve him. We tried to protect him as long as we could, but with us gone Vivianna had no one to stand in her way, yet she still couldn't do to him as she did to us." Her voice had been fading into grief, but she cleared it and went on.

"You see, she married my father so she could take over his life and business, and when anyone tried to get in her way she got rid of them. She can create these enchanted chambers to cage people in, like animals." She snorted. "That's how she sees us, as no more than pets. I was in one for years and I can only assume my sisters too… but she could never put Ben in one until now. I think that's why she cursed him. Ben was too strong for her. She could never get into his mind like she could other peoples… like she could ours."

"Why does she want him so badly?" I asked.

"At first I thought it was because of money. My father had left the company and accounts to Ben. He always wanted Ben to take over the company one day though Ben never had the desire too. Ben was too free spirited like my mom," she said wistfully. "I think the money was Vivianna's initial goal. She's always bragging to me that she's survived as long as she has because of stupid rich men that just wanted to get between her legs. God, she loves to hear herself talk. Horrible woman," she spat. "Anyways, I think she saw something more with Ben. He's a challenge for her and Vivianna loves nothing more than a good challenge."

I was sweating as Alaina told me all this and I tried to stay strong, but feeling my anxiety resurface I finally broke down. "I've got to get him out of there. Take me there now, please!"

"I'm not sure you can," she said. "I've been trying to escape for years, but she's got this invisible chain on us."

"I have to try! If I walk away now I won't be able to live with myself. You have to help me Alaina," I pleaded taking her hands. "At least take me to him, so I can try."

Her eyes searched my own. "You really love him, don't you?"

"He is the only person I want to share a life with. He understands me deeper than anyone has, even in my family… he is my family. I couldn't go on day to day like he never existed," I sobbed. "I don't care if she has powers to lock me up or kill me. I have to try to at least see him."

"Alright. I'll take you to him," Alaina said shaking her hands loose from my grasp and restarting the truck. "Just know what you're up against isn't of this world."

"I made it through the night, so maybe I can make it through another," I said refusing to let go of my purpose while mentally preparing myself for the trials ahead.

The cabin was in a more secluded location than I imagined. I had thought I'd see a campground nearby or other cabins around, but the lone cabin appeared to be the only one for miles. Rolling green hills and forest surrounded it like a barrier and beyond that were imposing jagged mountains. It wasn't a place you could easily find or escape from on foot.

I gulped. "This is…very hidden."

"It always was, but now it's impossible for anyone else to find since she's placed a spell over the whole area. The only good thing about it is that it takes most of her magic to maintain it," Alaina said. "It's made her weak. She's been resorting to potions more and more lately."

"Weak enough that I have a chance of getting Ben out of here unnoticed?" I questioned.

She didn't respond, but I could see by her expression that she doubted it. "Come on," she sighed. "Let's go face the devil."

Walking into the cabin I expected to see the same rustic charms as Ben's house, but the interior was more like that of a penthouse and it's expansive dimensions didn't make sense with the size of the cabin. Everything was uncomfortably bright, white, crisp and nothing like I expected from a witch's lair. Alaina walked off towards the kitchen, dragging a few heavy bags, and I followed behind her cautiously, my eyes wandering as I tried to understand what I was seeing.

"I see our guest finally arrived," I heard a sickeningly sweet and smooth voice behind me.

I slowly turned and there she stood, looking every bit as beautiful as Alaina described and more. During my time at school I had worked with models and learned that perfection from afar wasn't always the same up close. Designers had ways of taping and spraying women to a certain shape. The fashion industry was a revolting business and that's why my focus was on theatrical design. However, as Vivianna approached I saw no signs of makeup, push-up bras, or controlling undergarments. In fact, it was evident from the bright lights and her white dress that she wasn't wearing undergarments of any kind. I searched, but the statuesque beauty didn't have one flaw. Every feature, every curve, and every length of her was perfection. This was the woman I was up against.

"This is the one that almost took my Benny away?" she questioned in a taunting voice as her golden eyes surveyed me. "You're not as pretty as I thought you'd be."

"Funny, you're exactly how I thought you'd be," I said trying to sound confident, but my voice came out shaky and I realized I was trembling.

At this, she cackled and leaned on the counter across from me so that our gazes were aligned. She then stared into my eyes with an unreadable expression. I found myself staring back, lost in the glistening gold of her eyes, and then her scent; so warm, so sweet. Realizing I was falling under some sort of spell I jerked away from the counter and what was left of her lingering scent caused me to cough. As I gasped for air I realized she had been choking me with it.

"Well, you are quicker than I thought you'd be. I expected you'd be dead after that," she said with a tone of disappointment. "How to deal with you now? I suppose I could just do it the old fashion way, wrap my hands around your neck, but that's so exerting."

"Where is he?" I asked managing to make my voice sound demanding as I took a step back.

"Doing what he loves, exploring. That's what I can give him, freedom to live and do as he wishes." She began walking around the room, running her fingers across every surface as if it provided her some sort of euphoria. "What do you give him again? Oh… that's right. You don't. You've only taken from him."

Her words stung, mostly because I believed them. He had given so much to me and what did I do? I betrayed him. But there was one thing I did give him. Something that I was reluctant to part with, but I never regretted giving away.

"I've given him my heart."

Her nostrils flared at this, but she maintained her smooth smile. "Hearts. Mortal, flighty, weak, little things, but clip here and there... you've cut their wings." Amused by her own disturbing poetry, she fell into hysterics. After clearing her throat, she glared at me with her fiery eyes and added with an eerie calmness, "With me he can be immortal. With me, he can climb every mountain."

My mouth dropped hearing the last of her words. She must have known about the clues that led me here and those beautiful words of love he had once professed to me.

"But you took away his choice," I finally said in a somewhat steady voice though I had to dig my nails into my palm to do so. "What can he really feel without choice?"

"You don't need choice to experience pleasure," she said as her mouth formed into a wolfish grin.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I disagree."

"I like you, Emilia. I've liked you before I met you and you should like me in return. Had it not been for me you would have never met him at all. I placed you in his life. You had no control over this, yet you still gained pleasure from it," she said as she ran her hand over my face. Her skin felt as soft as petals and smelled of honeysuckles. "It was short lived, but you should still thank me for this."

For a moment my nose tickled, my mouth watered, goose bumps covered my skin, and I felt a sudden sense of euphoria like I was sinking into a cloud of warmth. For a moment, it felt like Ben was in front of me, not Vivianna, and as I raised my eyes I expected to meet his sparkling blue gaze, but instead found myself staring at large black pupils with a thin gold ring around them. I flinched and with that her spell broke.

"Never," I choked out.

"What to do with you then," she said backing away from me with a dissecting glare. "I suppose I could lock you up in one of my rooms or take away your memories and drop you in some part of the world, but that would be so dull. What do I get from it? What can I get from you?"

"You'll get nothing…" I cut off my words and cooled my temper knowing I would get nowhere if I challenged her. To Vivianna, it was what she could get out of the situation and I remembered my father had once told me those were the easiest people to bargain with because they only viewed life through a selfish one-sided perception.

"I can sew anything," I said almost without thinking. "I can make you the dress of your dreams in exchange to see him."

"You can sew anything?" she laughed. She then walked around the room with a devious grin. Her eyes lit up as she focussed on a vase of lavender and wheat on the table. "I thought these would be an appropriate setting for your arrival, but they would make a more beautiful gown."

"I need fabric."

She pulled them out from the vase and shoved them in my arms. "You said you can sew anything and so you shall."

"I can't make anything out of this! It's impossible!"

"If it was impossible I could not say it," she hissed and took another step forward as though she was ready to sink her teeth into me. She then straightened her posture and smoothed her face. "And if you love him as you say you do you will at least try."

I clenched my teeth to keep my angery words back. After some consideration my head dropped. "Fine. A dress of lavender and a dress of wheat… that makes it to where I should be able to meet with him twice."

"If you succeed in making the dresses then… yes," she agreed with a smug grin. "Alaina, take our guest to the shed."

"To the shed?" Alaina questioned. "Wouldn't you rather put her in a room so she can't run away?"

"She can run away if she wishes. I could care less," Vivianna said turning to walk away. "I certainly don't want her here. It's her choice."

Alaina shook her head. "You can sleep in the chevy," she whispered leading me to the door. "I'll get you some blankets."