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As if remembering the ways around the forest, Regan tried to sneak to the garden behind the palace. She remembered the portal in which she had teleported to the City of Lights.Taking a deep breath, she put on the hood of her robe and gripped it tightly. The wind was howling and swirling, making the snow fly everywhere. It was difficult to see, since everything was white and grey, and perhaps the tall fortress, she couldn't see much better.However, she kept walking, trying to hide under the shelters of the fortress. The strong wind threatened to take her breath away, but she kept going.The fortress shelters stretched far and soon they turned to a corridor with columns on it's side. She feared where she'd lead herself. She feared if she'd see Agnar again. Or if Artemis. She was her sister, and she couldn't believe how things had turned to.Suddenly, she felt something uneasy and uncertain. She had felt this too many times before. But it was uncertain. Undecipherable. She slowed down her pace and continued to walk. When she was going to turn to a corner, she heard a voice from far.The voice was mostly a low ramble, and she didn't understand if it was the wind itself talking. She slowly peaked her head out of the wall and saw a man dressed in a military attire.Regan's eyebrows furrowed, her mind swirling with thoughts, "I know this.... He is, he's his commander?"She continued to stare at the man. His posture was stiff and guarded. He didn't move, but she knew she was going to be seen if she continued to walk, "Isn't that....Vlad?" She said after remembering his name, "Oh God."Regan hid behind the wall, shutting her eyes closed, "Sirius is here?" She questioned herself, holding her breath. She remembered Agnar's words about how he was going to tell Sirius. She wondered what he had probably told. What a sick creature of him had told. She felt embarrassed to the core and wanted to just vanish into thin air.Then, she heard a voice, a well familiar voice. She peeked her head out slowly, seeing it was Sirius, of course. He was wearing a black cloak, and it was covered in snow. The wind blew it strongly, making him look like some sort of angel. Regan hoped that they both would leave.However, they were stubborn enough to leave. Regan cursed under her breath, getting irritated second by second. What was it to Sirius? Was he looking to capture her again?A shiver ran down Regan's spine, accompanied with the coldness of the environment. She didn't have where to go, didn't have where to hide. If someone of them decided to look into that area, she'd be seen in an instant, and who knows? Captured again."What an idiot I am. I should've minded my business since the start of this," she mumbled to herself in frustration, clenching her sleeves.Suddenly, Sirius shifted from his place, his direction to the area where Regan was hiding."Damnit!" she mumbled, "Trouble after trouble! Why can't I catch a breath?"She glanced back but it was no use to ran back on the corridor. That way, she'd be seen as well. She couldn't go anywhere else. She prayed for this to end and to just disappear.She peaked her head out, watching Sirius draw nearer, his eyes scanning the area. She pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible, praying that he wouldn't see her.But Sirius's gaze seemed to linger on the spot where she was hiding, he could sense her presence."I know you're there, Regan," Sirius's voice echoed through the corridor, sending a chill down her spine. "There's no use hiding."His footsteps drew nearer and he finally locked eyes with her."Well, well, well, I see a little kitten hiding here," he scoffed, his voice low and husky.Regan's cheeks blazed from embarrassment, her heart racing rapidly. She hated being called names. In fact, she had always been called, from bullies."I'm not a kitten," she hissed, her irritation palpable."Aww, the kitten's angry," he scoffed. "But, you're going to freeze if you stay here any longer.""And?" Regan snapped, furrowing her eyebrows."And I'm going to get you back on my castle. You're nothing but trouble, little girl. Wherever you go, you cause problems. I should've never let you go in the first place. And you're lonely. The one who you call sister, doesn't care. No one else cares about you. So, I'm bringing you back there. At least, you won't cause any problems." Sirius said, his voice as cold as ice.His words stung her and she felt overwhelmed. But it wasn't the right time to show, "Never! I'm never going back there. Now, fuck off and leave me alone. I'll never be a captive of yours again."Sirius chuckled, "I don't really care. You know, I didn't have to visit this dead land because you decided to say you were my spy. I could have just left you here and let you freeze to death. But... I'm feeling generous today.""I never said I was your spy! I never said any of this hell!" Regan spat, anger boiling inside her. She hated him and Agnar as well."Oh, come on now. You could have thought to get away with blaming me, I know." Sirius teased, a smirk playing on his lips.It only infuriated her more. "I hate it! I hate you! I hate this whole damn place!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the empty corridor, "I hate all this!"Sirius raised an eyebrow, amused by her outburst. "Oh, you hate all this? That's too bad. I thought you might have had some feelings for me. This really wounded me, you know." He chuckled, clearly not taking her seriously.Regan felt a mix of anger and embarrassment course through her veins. She wanted to shove him away, but she knew that wouldn't accomplish anything."Listen here, kitten. You'll come with me one way or another. Now, you either follow my lead or I'll carry you. Or..." he trailed off, his eyes darting to look at their surroundings, "But I can also make you faint and then pick you up, so you won't feel anything at all. It's your choice," Sirius said, sending a chill down her spine.Regan hated him, but she hated the thought of being picked up even more. She bit her cheek, trying to decide what to do. Her body was already shaking from the cold and exhaustion. "Fine," she muttered, "I'll follow you." She lied. Of course she lied. She was going to outsmart him. Somehow.Sirius smirked, "Good girl."He then turned around and walked back down the open corridor, leaving Regan to follow him reluctantly. She couldn't see anything through the snow mist but she knew that she'd rather die than step inside his castle. She had to just leave and disappear.They walked through the harsh and freezing snow, her whole body trembling from cold and from hating what she was doing.You're a fool, you're an idiot, she told herself. She couldn't even breathe properly, the cold air had frozen her nose. The mist was so dense that she couldn't see more than a few inches in front of her face. She tried to remember the way to the secret garden while Sirius seemed to know where he was going. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. Regan went immediately alarmed, trying to push away."Get your hands off me!" she growled.Sirius chuckled, only pulling her against his chest more. "Oh, come on now, kitten. You don't want to catch a cold now, do you?"Regan's face was tight with anger and embarrassment, "I'd rather catch a cold than stay near you!" she shoved him away harder this time and he let go. She walked forward, her anger replacing her shivering.Sirius followed her with his gaze, "My, my, my," he drawled, laughing softly. "My dear, it's not a crime to stay close to me.""It is a crime for me!" Regan hissed back, glaring at him. She quickened her pace, trying to be as far as possible.However, Sirius caught up fast with her, leaning closer, "Come on....even the worst loners need someone to talk to.""I don't need anyone to talk to."Sirius smirked, a sly smirk. He stood where he was, letting her go forward. He rolled a snowball, held it tightly and then threw it at her. It hit her back, and she turned behind, growling at him."What the hell was that for?" she demanded."Oh, come on. It's just snow. You can't hate that too," he answered, that smirk still on his face. Regan hated it. She hated the snow, the cold, the heat, the place, the stupid mist, the stupid situation she was in, and most of all, she hated Sirius."Bastard," she cursed under her breath. She looked down, trying to roll a snowball, but her hands were numb from the cold. "I'm going to kill you," she muttered. She managed to roll a snowball, aiming it at him. But he effortlessly dodged it, laughing.Regan felt angry and helpless at the same time. She knew he was just toying with her, but she couldn't help the thought to make him pay for it. It was useless though, she couldn't strike him. She only wanted to escape.So, she turned her back at him and moved forward, not caring if he would hit her with another snowball.He appeared beside her, walking faster. "Follow me," he said.She did, cursing under her breath.As she walked, she could see a garden's fence. It was tall and icy and Regan assumed it guarded the fortress's garden. She had no chance to climb that fence without slipping. She had to do something. Maybe attack Sirius with some spell and then run away. However, he didn't seem affected by the cold or anything else. He was just there, walking like a walking stone.She sighed in frustration."What makes you think I'll follow you like a fool and I won't attack behind your back?" Regan shouted, her anger evident.Sirius turned at her, a smirk on his face, "Maybe because you know you don't stand a chance now. Maybe because you know you are going to faint from overexertion in this cold any moment now, and maybe because you would hate me to pick you up.""Oh, and don't even think about attacking me. I'd see that one coming from miles away." His voice was mocking, but there was a hint of warning in it.Regan felt her anger rise once more, but she knew he was right. She was exhausted and the storm was making it difficult. She had to find a way through the icy gate. Her expression turned thoughtful, she thought to use her magic to melt the ice. She wasn't sure if the fence was made only of ice but she wanted to try. The problem was, how could she do it when he was just there?Sirius seemed to sense her intentions. He chuckled softly, "Ah, I see you're trying to outsmart me again." He shook his head, "But I see through you, Regan. You can't fool me."Anger burned through Regan's veins at his mocking tone. She clenched her fists and took a step towards him, but Sirius merely raised an eyebrow. "That's what I thought," he said with a smirk. "Now, why don't you just calm down? You got the claws, I know, but you're still a little kitten. And if you don't want to suffer harder from the cold, you can come here. I'll carry you.""Just shut your fucking mouth." Regan growled, her anger overwhelming her. Her fists clenched even tighter and she wanted to punch something. She couldn't believe he was saying those things. Did he really mean it, or was he just provoking her?"Ah, such language," he remarked.The anger inside Regan rose to a boiling point. She could feel her heart racing and her breath becoming labored. "I swear," she growled through gritted teeth, "if you don't shut your mouth right now, I'm going to-"Before she could finish her threat, Sirius cut her off with a laugh. "Oh, please, do go on." He mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm terrified."His words only served to fuel her anger further. She attempted to calm herself down. After all, she realized it wouldn't do her any better to continue her tantrums. She had to go to the City of Lights. She had to meet with that girl, Iris."So, where are you going now?" she suddenly asked. Maybe he could pass through the City of Lights. Or maybe she hoped he would."To a portal." Sirius's reply was short and to the point.Regan blinked, taken aback, "A portal?" she repeated, "Where is it?""Oh, you know," he said with a shrug, "just a little portal that'll take us to the City of Lights. I have business there as well." His tone was casual, almost dismissive, "You can come if you want. If you don't, I'll order Vlad to bring you to the castle."The mention of Vlad sent a shiver down Regan's spine. Vlad didn't seem any better than him. No one seemed better. She knew she was alone in her quest, and the fact that he was going to the City of Lights made her a bit hopeful. If she could find that bar, she could meet up with that southern girl. She had no other hope. Her sister, Artemis was nowhere. Her parents were a quest for her to find out. Her aunt was on Earth and didn't know anything. The girl, Iris was her only hope, and if Sirius was going there, it was the best chance she had."I'll come with you," she sharply said. She knew she had no other choice. She couldn't trust him, but she couldn't risk not going either."I knew you would," Sirius smirked, his voice low, "Follow me, then."Regan frowned. She hated making him think as if she was willing to come with him.