It was almost surreal; to think the cop who had tried to find me since the day I arrived was now sleeping in my bed. A few hours ago, Agent Ethan Kane had found out there was a world similar to his own but relied on magic instead of technology. He was handling it shockingly well, but it was hard to deny after seeing it first hand. Nonetheless, it was impressive, he was impressive. He may of had questions, but he kept them to himself and was completely focused on the problem.

Kane wanted me home just as badly as I wanted to return. This world was no place for a creature like me to be and I had my own problems to deal with. While Kane was worried about demons, I had to worry about my people. I was born into royalty and one day I would be expected to take over; that wasn't something I could do trapped in a world which didn't even know I existed.

People of this world focus on the latest technology, buying things which were more expensive than their neighbours or having material things which made them feel better. My home, however, dwarven pirates now sailed the seas trying to take their riches for themselves. Elves tried to force themselves into positions of power and almost every species was at war with someone else. Thousand year old feuds are remembered vividly by the slowly aging people who fought for one side or another. My home was slowly being destroyed by the people who lived in, by the people who simply wanted to survive.

I had a responsibility to them, not to the people here. I could understand why Kane wanted to get the same answers I sought. It should have been impossible for me to travel here, let alone for a demon to pass through the confines of our worlds. Something was wrong, something which would affect both our worlds. I only hoped we would find the solution before it would be too late.

All these thoughts running through my head left me tossing and turning on the couch. I had given him my bed, knowing there was no way I would have been able to make it up the stairs. The couch was comfortable enough, or as comfortable as anything could be when my entire body felt like one giant bruise.

From upstairs, I heard the creaking of floorboards so I knew Kane was walking around; I guess he was sleeping as well as I was. I listened to the feet shuffling until they finally came down the stairs. There was a pause at the bottom before I heard a whisper, "Leena, are you awake?"

"Ya," I said softly as I turned to look at him and I watched as he jumped back onto the first step. I quickly looked away, "Sorry," I whispered to him.

There was a long pause before he stepped back down, "What was that?" He asked hesitantly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

I kept my eyes forward, knowing that was the problem. "My home, it... it can get dark. Even in my human form, I keep certain traits like my eyes."

"They glow?"

I laughed weakly as I shook my head. "They reflect light, kind of like a cat."

"It's creepy." He said, chuckling as he walked a bit closer. Even though no one else was in the house, he still talked in a whisper. "You know, you never did tell me what you were, just that you weren't from this world."

I turned to face him again, just long enough to watch him tense. I sighed as I found a new interest in the ceiling as I answered him, "Does it matter?"

He paused as he sat down on the loveseat across from me, "No... I guess not. Just figured it would be good to know what to expect when we get there."

Part of me still barely believed that he would come with me. "Speaking from experience, it will be nothing like you imagine. Is that what is keeping you awake?" Silence. I sighed before starting to talk. "Well, you first need to understand that we don't have technology or electricity. Magic and horses run the world." I said, pausing to laugh at my own joke though it hurt. "Witches and Wizards run a lot of the store and medical centers. Dwarves are typically street vendors, miners, and blacksmiths. The Elves are our politicians and they're just as crooked as yours are. We only ever mingle in large cities, outside of them, things are designed for one race or another. The dwarves live in the northern mountains and the areas surrounding them. The Elves are in the south, spending most of their time doing Lord knows what. They're immortal, like me, so they never get things done quickly."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're immortal?" Kane interjected.

I shot a glance his way and nodded, "Technically, no. I can die, but if I was to die of old age, I would be over 2000."

"How old are you now?"

I chuckled again as I shook my head, "Not a nice question to ask, but around 200." Kane nodded as he struggled to wrap his head around the idea. "Demons wander the middle of the land. It is mostly forests which are extremely dangerous for anyone to cross - not that the waters are any safer. The central-coastal areas are where most of the larger cities are." There wasn't much to tell him, it would just be easier to show him.

Kane was hesitant to ask his next question, "So, is it just one giant land mass?"

Shaking my head, I smiled. "No, our world mirrors yours. So if you looked at North America, Canada would belong to the dwarves, America is demons except for the coasts, and Mexico is for the Elves. Few people ever try to leave their continent though, like I said, the waters are dangerous."

"Why?"

I couldn't help but smirk, "Mermaid's."

Kane was the one who was now chuckling as he ran his hand across the rough surface of his chin; he really did need a shave. "Mermaids? Like, laying in the sun, talking to fish-"

"Singing sailors to their death to eat their flesh and steal their property," I added in.

Kane's face instantly made turn white, "Mermaids are cannibals?"

I shrugged, "More like opportunistic hunters; they have no care if something is moss or meat, it is on the menu."

"Remind me not to go swimming," Kane said with a breathy laugh as he leaned back. "It all sounds like something out of a book... You must miss it." I didn't reply to him as I glanced down. I really did my best to just not think about what I was missing while I was here. "How did you adapt to this world, how did you survive?"

That was a long, complicated answer. "I am a survivor, I learned quickly. Ovens are hot, most people avoid bikers, cursing means that you are heard, the world is corrupt, and no one will help anyone."

I could feel Kane's eyes on me as I spoke. "That's a sad way to see the world..."

"It was how it presented itself. I was a girl who knew nothing, who had no name, and no knowledge of how the world worked. I had to keep my head down, eyes open, and take in everything like a sponge. It worked after the first few months, but, I mean I did just learn what a gun was the hard way yesterday."

I laughed, but Kane must not have found it too funny. "The report was you took the bullet in the chest?"

"Ya, that thing hurt, it actually bruised me."

"Bruised? You're worried about a bruise?" He shook his head and I glanced at him and I frowned. "Guns put holes into people, you should be dead."

"Oh..." I guess there was still more I could learn about guns then. "Ya, your weapons are not strong enough to penetrate my skin." The only thing which could hurt my kind was dwarven made weapons.

Kane shook his head at that, "What are you?" He objected again.

"You should try to get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long day," I said, avoiding his question again. Thankfully, Kane didn't argue. Instead, he sighed and mumbled a "goodnight" under his breath before heading back upstairs.