Addilyn headed straight over to the desk in the corner of her room. It was a fairly large room. With a queen sized bed in the middle, the headboard against the wall. The walls themselves were painted to be the color of the sky at sunset, and with the help of magic clouds appeared and disappeared and the colors seemed alive. Addilyn ignored that though and swiftly picked up a picture on her desk. It was her and her mother, smiling and laughing at Andrés, who was the one taking the picture. Addilyn had been around 8 in the picture. Just beginning to plan their escape. She didn't even realize she was crying till a tear fell onto the frame of the photo. Her body slumped to the floor and she hunched over the photo. Finally, finally mourning the loss of her mother.

Jason slipped into the room, even if he wasn't welcome, and went behind Addilyn, pulling her gently onto his lap, wrapping his big arms around her frame. She seemed so small, then, and Jason wondered how he'd ever forgotten that. He stayed quiet, but lightly kissed her neck and held her close. There was nothing more he could really do. Jason felt useless. This was the only way he knew how to help.

To be honest, just Jason being there helped. She felt so safe with him, like nothing could harm her here in his arms. Although she was still crying, she rested her cheek on Jason's chest. Her hands delicately curled up in front of her face. She felt safe now. So warm and safe and comfortable and loved. That was the word. Loved.

Jason would be there for as long as she needed. There was no other place he was needed more than right here, and no other place he would want to be. No matter what, this right here, this girl right here in his arms, was what his life was. Addi was his whole life, and the love he has for her filled it all.

Addilyn sniffled a few times as she regained herself. The tears slowly began to stop and Addilyn shifted around in Jason's lap. Not planning on moving but to get more comfortable. After a few more minutes of silence, Addilyn's voice broke the calm quietness of the room. "You deserve an explanation. I've never told anyone what happened here, because then they'd be in danger. But, at this point there's no use in trying to keep it a secret." Addilyn didn't look into Jason's eyes, she was still pressed against his chest with her mother's photo in her lap.

"Yeah," Jason agreed quietly, "There is enough danger already, and it might help to know what's going on. I promise I'll be right there beside you, Addi. I can be your rock and bolder - I'm not going anywhere, as long as I can help it."

Addilyn took comfort in Jason's words and took a deep breath before starting. She stayed close to him, her cheek still resting on his chest. "I grew up here, in Texas for the most part. But we often crossed into Mexico to visit my grandfather. My mom wasn't a very powerful witch, sure, she was skilled with potions but she never got anything down other than basic spells. My father, who I never met by the way, is a very powerful warlock by the name of Kalmin García. Now he's um, very powerful. So they created me obviously which wasn't a great idea. I was a mistake to be honest. Kalmin was supposed to get bonded to another girl but he's a free spirit. My grandfather almost killed me, and my mom, he blamed her for my birth and Kalmin's running away. He said that he'd keep me only if I was powerful. By the time I could walk I knew most basic spells and my eyes had unlocked. In the witch world, you're born with black eyes. Completely black, that's why there's no picture of me before 9 months, because my eyes were disgusting. Depending on your abilities, your eyes will change color. Thats why mine are so bright, because I'm powerful. When I was 6 my grandfather threw me out into the arena to fight for my place in the hierarchy. Normally, I'd start from the bottom and eventually make my way to the top but I ended up being in the top 5 by the end of the day. So, when I say I was bred for hurting people I'm not lying. My grandfather was, and still is, mean and cruel. He only loved me for my power and the fact that he could use it as a weapon. While I was here, I fixed up the place, made it less crime riddled and more respectable. Even little me wished for things that were generally impossible unless rules were enforced." Addilyn sighed, gaining the strength to continue by pressing a bit closer to Jason. "When I was 8 I saw my grandfather get angry at my mother and actually kick her out of Mexico till she 'came to her senses' and said the oath that would bind her to this world. When I saw that I knew I had to get my mom out. She was my only family left, Andrés had been sent out to fight another magic coven while I stayed and trained harder. He was the only one who had an idea that I was planning on leaving. Not even my mom knew. 2 years later, my grandfather said I needed to start deciding whether or not I wanted to be bonded to this world. I didn't. I wanted to live free. Of course I couldn't say that to him, although I was already a level 8 to his level 10 at the mere age of 10 but still. I wasn't a match for him just yet, he'd kill me if I said no. So, I told him that I would love to join the coven. It's funny, normally he'd know I was lying but I think a part of me really wanted to be part of this world. I'd already been accepted into it, I was the second in command of this place and many rumors said that I would overpower my tyrant of a grandfather and be the next commander of the coven. But I left, I took my mother and escaped. I got the hell out of here before I could be bonded to the place. My grandfather felt us leaving and cursed my mother since she didn't have magical barriers as strong as mine. That's why my mom wasn't..stable." Her voice cracked at the last word and her breathing labored. It took her a minute to calm and when she did her voice was steady again. "He didn't only steal her sanity though, my mom had me when she was 27 and 9 years later my father came back and she made the mistake of trusting him this time. He promised that he'd bond to her, which is the equivalent of marriage in the witch world except you have a mark wherever your partner first touches after the binding. So, for example, if you and I got bonded with the spells and all that glitter and magic, you'd mark me wherever you wanted to. So, if you held my hand or something like that after the binding there'd be a black design there. It's unique for everyone. Anyways, my father said he'd do that with my mother but he freaked out when she got pregnant the second time. That was exactly 9 months before I got my mother out of here. When my grandfather cursed my mom, he took the baby too. And from all the sources of intel I have here, I found out that no one knew what happened to my brother. My mom was distraught but I kept her moving. I think that the disappearance of her hold sped up the process of the curse and by the time we made it to New York she was gone. I was 10. I didn't know what to do, I tried everything, Everything. Potions, herbal remedies, spells, human things even, nothing worked, nothing. So I just kept going. And now we're here." Addilyn had closed her eyes as she spoke, visualizing and reliving her past. It hurt. Like a physical ache not to have her mom. But that was her grandfather's fault, and that's why she planned on getting revenge as soon as possible.

Jason held Addi close. Close to his heart, where all it was screaming was to fix this. Jason would help as much as he possibly could to help Addi. They would piece back their lives, together. "Soon," Jason promised, "Soon this will be taken care of, we will be safe in Mexico, and we can start over. You and I, together. We can figure this all out, and we will be happy. I promise you Addi. We will be happy together, one day. I promise."

Addilyn nodded against Jason and listened to the steady rhythmic beating of his heart. She was a mess but somehow Jason still loved her. He wasn't afraid of her or what she could do, he just accepted it and loved her. It almost made her want to cry a bit more. But she didn't, instead she sat up a little straighter so she could look him in the eyes and said something she really, really needed to say to him. "I love you Jason, so, so, so much." She smiled at him her arms wrapped around his waist.

Jason was still smiling when he leaned in to kiss Addi. He whispered softly against her lips, "I love you, Addilyn," before closing the last bit of distance.