Cloe ran away to escape her fate of being sold by her father to strange men that found their isolated property. Running from her miserable fate and conflicted past she was directly faced by an uncertain future. She soon learns that the strange men are actually not what she had perceived them to be. As she unravels her true identity, can she accept the truth with her sanity intact? 

All this is made significantly worst by tossing magic and an arrogant hotshot into the mix.

Generations of family secrets will be explored as she dives into the unknown to find herself and take back what is truly her's. But the most important question is will the key accept her?

Older

Cloe couldn't sleep, the image of her father kept popping up in her thoughts. Her mind was a jumbled mess, memories of times spent with both her parents haunted her. Twisting and turning she eventually rolled out of bed onto the floor. 


Peeling herself off the floor, she went to sit by the glass wall looking out over the oasis. Wrapping her arms around her legs she rested her chin on her knees. 


She could see tiny lights floating around the oasis, one would have thought they were fireflies but Cloe knew exactly what they were. 


She couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't more affected by her father's death. There was no devastating grief, just a haunted hollow feeling in her chest. 


"Is something wrong with me?" she pondered. 


"I should have shed a tear or two already... But I just... can't" fiddling with the key she tried to figure out what she was truly feeling. 


"Maybe I'm just emotionally numb because so much has happened in such a short time." she concluded. 


That's what she wanted to believe but deep down she knew there was something more. 


She watched as the lights went back and forth, weaving among the trees in the oasis. Her thoughts wondered over to Derek. 


"What could he possibly have planned for tomorrow?" 


She didn't completely trust him but she had no choice but to stay put. The police were probably still searching for her, even more so now in light of the fact that her father has been murdered. 


"The police probably think my 'disappearance' is somehow connected to my father's death... Well it is, but never in their wildest dreams will they even come close to figuring out what actually happened" she mused managing a small laugh at the sheer mess of it all. 


"Well I guess I'm safe... for now" she didn't want to face the prolonged questions and worst case scenario, becoming a suspect. 


Slowly she rose to her feet and walked over to her bed, which she promptly flung herself onto and faught her way back under the sheets. 


"I need to be prepared for whatever's going to happen tomorrow..." 


Lying still she tried to will herself to sleep. After awhile she gave up and just lied on her back staring up at the ceiling.


Chapter 13: Numb