The sun started to set. Just as I saw that, I realized that we would have to find a place to sleep. I found a place called a hotel, off one of the main streets, and I led Marella in with confidence.

   The woman at the desk had green eyes, and a bright smile, as she asked me, "How can I help you?"

   "I'd like to get a place to sleep for the night," I told her, trying to look older. Sophie had told me before, that humans sometimes judged people by their ages. In the Lost Cities, you could buy anything, without having to be a certain age.

   "Aren't you a little young to be out on your own?" the woman asked with some uncertainty.

   "I can pay for the night, if that is what you are wondering." I avoided the subject of age, with ease, because I was used to ignoring it, anyway.

   She shrugged, and I silently hoped that she wouldn't ask my age. I was almost sixteen, so I was technically a young man, to human standards.

   She asked a few questions about the requirements for room, then gave us a key, after charging me the money. I took out a fistful of bills, and said to her, "I don't know this currency, so you will have to help me." That was sort of true, but also sort of a lie, as I didn't know any human currencies. The woman didn't seem to mind, and she gave me some different coloured paper back.

   "Room 418, on the second floor. There is a restaurant across the street. Breakfast starts at seven, and ends at ten. Checkout is eleven. And please try to keep quiet." She pulled another smile, and waved us away.

   We first went up to the room, and checked it out. It was all very clean, with two well made white beds. It also had a small, but fancy bathroom, and closet.

   After looking in the room, we headed over to the restaurant the woman had told us about. We had a bit of confusion finding a vegetarian menu, but we soon ordered, and ate. We talked very little over the meal, mostly just commenting on the human food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best type of food I had ever tasted.

   Afterwards, we went back to the hotel. It was quiet, and my watch read 12:45. Happy, and full of our exotic dinner, we headed back to the room. Since we had no sleeping clothes, we just laid down on the beds, fully dressed. Marella found a way underneath the tightly pulled blankets, and I tried too. After curling up underneath the soft blankets victoriously, we both laid awake.

   Finally, Marella spoke. "How do you feel?"

   I almost laughed. She was asking me this, when we were in this crazy kidnapping business, after she had nearly been killed, and had still had healing scars.

   "I'm doing okay. I just feel really... Exhausted. I know that's weird, after we've been sedated constantly, and have been asleep for hours, possibly days. I guess I'm just really mentally exhausted."

   "I get it." Her voice was soft, and she seemed to be speaking carefully. This gave me a little courage.

   "Marella, when we were in the first cell, and—"

   "I was excited, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have stood up so quickly." I looked over to where she was laying, and I could have sworn a look of amusement twinkled in her blue eyes.

   "No, I mean—" she cut me off again.

   "I know what you mean. And I told you, I was excited."

   "Oh." For one second, I had wondered if she had kissed my cheek because she liked me.

   "Don't sound so depressed, I'm not that weird." Now I was just confused.

   "What do you—"

   "Dex, I kissed you, because I was happy, and because I felt passionate towards you, when you saved our lives. I really like you." And just like that, I knew she was asleep. The sound of her soft breathing filled the small room, and I found myself falling into my dreams too. Except all that met me in my dreams, was Marella's beautiful face.