Between Four Worlds: Book 1

Chapter One

A pair of bright silver-blue eyes fluttered open, staring wistfully at a beautiful white ceiling. Nearby, Leora could hear the gentle whir of machinery, and lifted herself onto her knees.

'You awake?'

Leora scrambled to her feet, gripping her belt defensively, but this didn't seem like anyone she needed to worry about. If anything, they seemed like a perfectly normal human being. They had an extremely unkempt hairstyle, sticking out in awkward places. Their hair was a deep shade of maroon, almost fading entirely into black at the roots, and their amber eyes were wide and questioning. The most intriguing part about them was their many freckles, scattered across their face like tiny stars. But Leora had been fooled before, and she refused to let it happen again.

'S-Sir! Have you chosen a model you like?' Another voice, high-pitched and squawky, reached Leora's ears like an unwelcome visitor. 'Ah. I see your sister has woken up.'

Around her, all Leora could see for miles were piles upon piles of polished boxes. Each one seemed to have a single eye, staring at her unblinkingly, and she recoiled slightly. No matter how long she'd been unconscious for, she had to keep her wits about her.

She stared at her apparent saviour, and he furiously stared right back.

The last thing the angel could remember was tumbling down to Earth like a wounded bird, fearing the worst, and eventually being caught by someone or something.

It seemed as though she was almost unharmed and had made the journey surprisingly safely.

'I'll leave you to browse,' the squeaky-voiced human announced cheerfully, backing briskly away from their heated exchange of glances. Siblings fought all the time on every world, but Leora knew for a fact she didn't have a brother. This dispute was for another reason entirely.

The boy grunted several times, his tone almost as scornful as Leora had imagined. It seemed he, too, wasn't very pleased about being sent to an alien universe.

Leora, fully aware that they were in public, brushed a hand down her shoulder-blades. To her relief, she felt nothing but human skin and bone. Her wings had dissipated, and it seemed like her body had already adapted to this strange environment.

Could Prince Amos be experiencing something similar?

The boy in question didn't even shift his gaze, still glaring at her with an icy expression. At this point, Leora was beyond surprised that he hadn't let her fall to her death.

'I guess you are him, then?' she pressed curiously, edging towards the flinching boy. 'Even though you look human, you're still his son?'

Prince Amos knitted his brows, seemingly overwhelmed, before coughing sharply. 'Who the hell are you?'

'The daughter of a noble family,' Leora responded, raising her head proudly. She felt a wave of excitement as she caught yet another glance of the massive superstore, and a slight whiff of drying paint.

Prince Amos rolled his eyes, apparently refusing to speak unless absolutely necessary. He then stood up, tossed her an overripe apple, and began simply walking away.

Leora blinked, her mission coming back in a flash of realisation. 'H-Hey, wait! I have to monitor you for my family! Hey, Prince Amos! Wait! Don't just...'

The prince had already disappeared through the automatic doors and was probably halfway across the car park.

'...Leave.'

The young angel was at a complete loss. The dilemma was that she could either figure things out and temporarily abandon her mission or sprint after him, keeping the promise she'd faithfully made her parents.