The girls came down the stairs and Eliana got shocked. In the middle of a large room was a big table with 13 chairs around. There were other girls running around, chatting and preparing what she could only describe as a feast. The mood of the room hit her instantly, happiness.

"Come on, sit down, it's almost ready." Said a girl with blonde hair and red dress once she noticed that these two entered the room. Eliana looked at her and noticed a big scar on her neck, but she was instantly met with a huge smile above that. At the same time other girls turned their heads towards them and all of them met Eliana with a smile while running straight for her. Eliana started to feel a bit suspicious of this place. So far everything looked perfect, too perfect even. She was ripped straight from those thoughts with questions like "How are you feeling?", "Are you hungry?", "I hope you eat pig?!"

"Come on girls, give Eliana some space." Commanded Catherine the other girls while laughing at the blue haired girl that asked about the pig. "Where is he?" asked Catherine into the crowd.

"Ah, you know him. Always has to get into something more comfortable when he comes home. He will be back in a moment. He brought something special today, you´re gonna love this." Said a girl with brown hair and green dress.

Catherine laughed almost hysterically when she saw a cooked fish on the table and girls started to seat themselves around the table. Catherine sat at the woman of honor seat and Eliana right next to her. Once the girls sat down the chatter started again. All heads turned at Eliana and asked all sorts of stuff. Who she is, how old she is, where she is living. Eliana didn´t know who to answer first and with a confused and bashful expression on her face she jumped from one face to the other. "Ladies let her breathe for heaven's sake. There will be time for that. Eva, can you take a look if he is coming? The food is getting cold." Said Catherine to the girl with black hair and white dress. Eva stood up, once she did Eliana took a look at her. She had noticed something. When she stood up she could see a part of her chest when her dress moved a bit downward. For a second she saw something that would shock her, scarred skin. She gasped but no one noticed. Once Eva stood up the door to the house opened and in came Lailah and Sariel right after her. He was dressed in white shirt and black pants. All the girls moved their heads in their direction and smiled. "Well finally! What took you so long?" Said Catherine.

"I know, I know, sorry." Said Sariel and swiftly in an almost comic move went straight to the head of the table. "I had to clean myself, who do you think gutted all the fish? I had blood and guts everywhere."

"Wait, there is more than this one?!!" Said Catherine with a hope in her voice and smashed her hands on the table like if she was about to jump.

"Of course there is. I had to get more since you almost always eat all of them and the others have none." Laughed Sariel and sat on his chair, Lailah sat down next to him. "We have something really special for you, don´t you worry." Said the girl on the other side right next to Sariel and put down a bowl of meat.

"Now this looks amazing!" Said Sariel once he looked at the feast on the table. "Thank you." All the girls giggled and started to put food into their bowls. Catherine placed some on Eliana´s first before her own. Eliana couldn't take her eyes off Sariel. She finally could take a good look at him. His arms were big and muscular, and he was tall. Probably the tallest person she ever met. His hair is deep black, straight and to the back. She noticed that he was looking at her and looked up to his face. For some reason she could not look into his eyes. Her eyes always moved downwards and fear struck her heart like a javelin. There was something about it that she could not figure out. But why?

"How are you feeling?" Said Sariel to Eliana with a straight face.

"Good. Tired a bit, but good." Eliana replied with a bit of a stutter in her voice. She was nervous, her eyes looked into her food. Sariel looked at her like he was examining and moved his head a bit to the side. Then he looked at Catherine and she just nodded her head in approval.

"Good. I´m sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. I know that you have a lot of questions for sure, but first you have to eat something. You have slept for 3 days, you must be hungry."

"3 days?!!!" Eliana was in shock. 3 whole days! She looked at Catherine and she nodded.

"It´s true. Lailah was there with you the whole time, isn't that right?" Said Catherine and looked over Sariel´s left arm. In a moment a huge head of a white tiger appeared from below and snorted at them. Catherine smiled and for some reason Eliana as well. Sariel placed his hand on the tiger´s head and smiled, as if he was to say thank you.

After a while Eliana finally grabbed something to eat, while she felt like there was a voice in her head. A voice telling her that she needs to eat, she needs to regain her strength, there is so much to heal after all. At first she did not even realize that the voice was of a woman. It was like if it was always there, part of her mind. All of a sudden she felt like she was completely stuffed. She looked around the table and noticed that everyone was looking at her, she ate so fast and hungrily. Sariel was smiling at her.

“Finally found your appetite huh?”

“I´m sorry, I don't know what…” Eliana tried to apologize, she never ate like this, almost like if her life was depending on it.

“Please don´t, I'm glad to see you regaining your strength.” Said Sariel while finishing his meal. Then he got up and bowed in the direction of the girl. “Thank you very much, it was delicious as always. Now if you will excuse me…”

“Leaving the cleaning to us again?!” Said Catherine mockingly.

“What can I say, I´m hunting and you do the rest. No but really, there is something I need to do. I´m sorry.” Said Sariel and Catherine understood right away. She nodded her head and looked if everyone was finished with their meal once Sariel was leaving.

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“What was that all about?” Asked a girl with dark, brown hair and dark red dress.

“You will understand once you will be here as long as I´m Judith.” Said Catherine and smiled at the girl. “Come on, let's clean this place up and show Eliana around. She must be wondering where she is exactly.”

All of the girls got up from their seats and started cleaning the table, everyone knew what to do and it looked like they always had to do the same. It was so fast and yet so smooth. Eliana barely managed to get up and it was all done.

“Ok, let's go outside. Come on.” Said Catherine and moved to the door. The girls came outside and Eliana was stunned by what she saw. She thought that the walls she saw before were really big, but they were actually massive. Not that high, but the place was huge. Before her was a garden. A true garden with the most beautiful green grass, trees that were blooming with life and fruits and a beautiful pond in the middle. She could feel the touch of cold grass and soil underneath her feet and just the view filled her with more calmness than the deepest sleep. The girls moved forward like nuns on a praying march and she snapped out of her shock. She moved a bit faster to catch up with them right before they approached the wall. She noticed a gap in the wall, big enough to fit a door and one by one the girls went through.

Eliana entered and she noticed a long, big dark path leading straight. The girls were moving forward and all of a sudden there was a straight beam of light shining at them from an opening. When Eliana went though she could not believe what she saw.

On a horizon she could see two cities she knew way too well. But still, she could not believe it. “Is that?”

“Yup. That's Bethlehem and Jerusalem.” Said Catherine and looked at those cities as if she was dreaming. “The centers of everything right now, The God´s cities.”

“I don't believe it. I live there…” Said Eliana with a sadness in her voice.

“Where?” asked Eva and moved closer to her.

“There.” Said Eliana and pointed her finger towards the right corner of Jerusalem. “Beit ha-Kerem…We have a house there. Big one.”

“So that's where you will be returning?” Asked a girl with ashy hair and brown dress. “I´m Sarah by the way.” Said the girl and smiled with the biggest smile Eliana has ever seen.

“I don't know. I don't think I can, after everything that happened. But I don't know where I will go.” Said Eliana and almost bursted into tears. She realized the situation she is in. Now everything nice she saw in the garden and in front of her was gone. The loneliness, desperation grabbed her by the heart and pulled her back to reality.

All of the girls turned to Catherine. “I guess it's decided then.” Said Catherine and grabbed Eliana by the shoulder. “You are staying.” She said with a smile.

“But I remember, Sariel said..” Eliana tried to swallow the sudden need to cry that rushed to her throat.

“That's because he thought you had a family. He is not omniscient, smart, but not omniscient. But there was a reason he took you in and I doubt he will say no. He never says no.” Said Catherine and smiled even more.

“I guess there are finally twelve of us!” Said a girl with ginger hair, gray dress and two big scars on her cheeks.

“I guess there are.” Said Eva.

All of the girls laughed, almost cheered. Eliana felt happy, but also nervous. What if Sariel says no? After all, everything inclines that he is a master of this place, but also, not a patriarch. Eliana noticed that the mood between him and the girls is not like she is used to. She can feel that the girls admire him, can even see it, but at the same time they seem to live in a perfect harmony. Catherine was definitely most like a matriarch, but at the same time, she was not.

“Ok now, time to head back. We have things to do.” Said girl with almost blue hair and gold dress. She was the only one looking back at the entrance they came in.

“You are right Gabrielle, time to head back.” Said Catherine when she looked as well.

Eliana looked back and almost screamed again. In the entrance stood Lailah and her blue eyes were piercing though Eliana´s own eyes. She suddenly knew, it's time to go back, as if she was speaking to her. All of the girls turned back and moved. They went past the white tiger until only Eliana was left. She moved forward, terrified. What if the tiger will stand in her way? Kill her even? She mustered all of her courage and moved forward, the tiger was watching her every step. Eliana was shaking, she looked the tiger straight in the eyes. Suddenly, she felt complete calmness. What was that? She knew, it's all good, go through, everything is fine, no need to be afraid. Eliana went past the tiger, for some reason placed her hand on the tigers head. It felt totally natural to her. The tiger chuffed and moved her head like she was enjoying it. Eliana felt like in heaven.

Suddenly the tiger moved forward, outside the entrance and Eliana looked at her. The tiger turned to the right and disappeared. She thought about following but decided to move forward. When she entered the garden she looked around again. Felt something strange, something she could not describe. She moved to the house and noticed that Catherine, Eva and Gabrielle were standing at the front and talking to Sariel. She rushed to them. Sariel turned around when he heard her.

“So, how do you like our place? I heard that you want to stay?” Asked Sariel.

“If it would be possible, yes.”

“Of course it is. But there are some things we need to talk about first and some things that you need to know. I can´t let you decide something that important without knowing everything that you need to know. So, let's head inside and….” Sariel´s eyes moved and looked behind Eliana´s left shoulder. Eliana turned around to see what he was looking at.

On the side of the lake sat a woman. Her hair, so white it reflected the sun, was floating in the wind. She was completely in white, not a single dirt on her dress. Like if she was made on that spot by God himself. Eliana was shocked, when she passed that lake she could swear she wasn't there. She felt weird when she looked at her. Something she could not describe.

“I´m sorry, our conversation has to wait.” Said Sariel. “Catherine, will you…”

“Of course. Will you say hi to her for me?” Said Catherine and moved to the door.

“Of course I will.” Said Sariel and moved around Eliana to the lake. His movement was slow, like if he was afraid. In pain almost.

“Come on Eliana, let's go inside.” Said Catherine and opened the door.

Eliana looked back at her and from the look of her face she understood that there is no option staying here. She moved to the door. “Who is that woman?” She asked.

“You got that feeling too right? We all had it. I can´t tell you her name, I don´t know it.”

“But you know who she is right?”

Catherine looked at Eliana with a straight face. “She is Death.”