Blood Flower

Chapter 6A

"There she is!”
Libitina threw her arms around the blonde, curly-haired girl that stood in front of her.
She knew her sister would find a way around Leonid. And she did so in the most unexpected way—faking her own death.
Second time, she thought. Except the first time, she had an accomplice.
“Fortunately, the media won’t be on my tail anymore.” Yuri sat down on the plush velvet sofa. “Unfortunately, I found out that we’re being followed.”
“Oh, we know,” Sayori said, pointing to the tangled electrical mess. “Irina said this is from the Markovs.”
"Also, the policeman in the clip wasn't actually a real cop. He's the guy tracking us," Yuri panted. "I'm exhausted. I landed in a garbage truck, and my Third Eye protected me from the fall. I also have my true appearance back, and guess what? I can switch between this and my old once. Glad I'm part of the Eximinae."

Oh, you've only scratched the surface, Elyssa. There are so, so many hidden downsides to having it that'll make you wish not only to be a normal Inutilia, but also to have never been born.
You don't want this.
Trust me.

"Tina? You alright? Libbs? Libby?"
She looked up. Sayori was staring right back at her.
"Please don't call me any nicknames. It's just Libitina."
"Oh, sorry. You were really zoned out there."
"Anyway, what are we talking about?"
Irina motioned towards a piece of paper, where the letters A-U-Y-I-L were written.
"Our next clue," she said. "AUYIL is an anagram for—wait for it—Yulia."
"That easy?" Libitina gasped in amazement.
"Apparently so. I mean, Yulia is a Russian name. What it means, though, we're not sure."
"Does the name Yulia ring a bell, guys?" Monika asked.
Libitina closed her eyes. Something about the name tugged at her. It was oddly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"No, I don't, sorry," she said.
"That’s a lie."
"What?"

She looked up.
Wait, this isn't my hotel room, she thought.
This was nowhere near her hotel room.
She was several feet underground, in the place where the Romanovs were killed.
"You know very well, Libitina! You know that you scored well in the stimulation test, and what that means you have to do! Stop denying it!” Sayori screamed.
No, this wasn’t Sayori.
Not at all.
It didn’t take long for Libitina’s mind to register whose voice it belonged to.
“Y-Yulia!” she squeaked, but no sound came out. She found herself unable to move at all.
“You know you have to do the test, Libitina. Think about what my son and I can do to the world if we build an army of Eximinae! We shall have them destroy all empires, tear down monarchies, and obliterate every government! The world will realize that they need the Markovs! We shall rule the planet.
“Now, Libitina, it’s time for the activation test.”
Strong hands clamped around her arms, dragging her as they walked along.
“NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!”

“Libitina? Mind if you shut up and stop screaming?”
She opened her eyes.
“Sorry,” she half-heartedly mumbled. “Also, I think I know who Yulia might be.”
“Who is she?” Monika asked.
“She is—”

***
Markov Jr’s grandmother, Markov Sr’s mother.
Leonid sighed, adjusting his blue wig. Oh, if only he were allowed to warn them of the dangers that awaited them if they followed that lead.
Yulia was a loving and sweet woman. Everyone admired her kindness and warmth.
On the outside.
In reality, she was dark, deceptive and ruthless. She never showed mercy to anyone who dared get in her way.
Now, she was almost a hundred years old. Still, she retained her vile traits.
He knew that the moment they stepped foot inside her house, they were doomed. Not necessarily dead, but the fate that awaited them would leave them traumatized for life. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Actually…

Screw Markov. Screw his fear.

He was going to be a hero, like Elyssa’s mother was.
The listening bug he planted also served as a speaker. All he needed to do was use his mic to tell them it was a trap, and everything would be alright.
“Look, another listening bug! This guy came prepared!”
They were faster than he thought. He had to move quickly.
Frantically, he connected his microphone to the bug. His fingers danced over the keypads.
“Wait! It’s a tr-”
The other end crackled before going silent.
Leonid cursed under his breath.
He had to face the third Iron Lady he'd read about.