Faceless Instincts

The Cult

We all exited the house and Dorian walked behind me, "you've changed." He said slowly but loud enough for everyone to listen.

"What do you mean?" I asked and he looked at me.

"You are not the same, you have a different energy, more like Nikolai." He said looking at Nikolai.

Nikolai smiled, "look at you, all growing up, getting my anger, my glow," he pulled me in a half hug but gently placed his hand on my waist, "and my good looks."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Dorian, "it's just the situation that's making me like this."

"I hope it's just the situation," Dorian said and smiled. He took my hand and pulled me a little away from Nikolai, "whatever it is, I like this new you."

I spared a glance at Nikolai and his face was crestfallen, he looked so dejected at the moment that my heart broke.

"Alright, let's get talking about all the things that old man told you." Tanner interrupted, shifting the focus.

Dorian and I filled them in about everything and Tanner's face fell, "so, it was more of a betrayal triangle?" He said, "I am sorry guys I am just speaking this to understand it better, your father proves that your mom was a witch, a man tried to help her but instead of being grateful your mother ruined his life?"

"It's more than that Tanner, now that the cult is active again, they are starting to recruit people, now I understand why that man has a chopped ear and a long cut on his chest, those are all members of the cult." I looked at Tanner, "even Olivia was one of them."

Tanner stared at me and so did Nikolai and Dorian, "remember she had an accident a few months before her ballerina gig?" Tanner nodded, "and she lost her leg?"

"So that's why she limps." Nikolai said in a satisfactory tone, and I stared at him, "what? I always wondered, I just never asked... You know it's not polite."

I shook my head in disbelief and noticed how Tanner's face turned sick, "she... She sacrificed her leg to win that competition?" He exclaimed, "she's a cult member?"

I nodded and he turned to face the car, what the fuck."

"What happened to you?"

He turned to face me and he looked like he was going to throw up, "I had sex with her, do you. oh my god... I had sex with her."

"You WHAT?"

"OH, GOD. I had sex with a cult person who sacrifices humans.. scoop out organs... What. do you ... Do you guys think I need a cleansing or something.. should I go to the church?" He stared at me, "it explains a lot of positions now... It explains the position."

Dorian sputtered a laugh and Nikolai smacked him in the arm, "shh." He looked at  Tanner, "don't worry about it man, but talk does about positions." He pursed his lips to conceal a laugh and I stared at him in disbelief.

"You can't be serious right now." I said and Dorian nodded, "exactly, it's not the time to talk about how cult people have sex." He mocked shaking his head in a no.

"Thank you," I said and turned around to walk towards the car. When I heard none of them walks I swirled to look at them, only to find the three of them huddled together, while Tanner made odd figures from. his fingers, the brother keenly watched. "For the love of God," I yelled and got into the car.

Nikolai cornered me when we got home, "I heard you grew a little violent at Mark's house."

"She took my earrings." I said and Nikolai's eyes darted to my ears, he tucked a lock of hair behind it and traced his finger down my ear and neck, "I am sad I missed it. Also, how come you slapped her but you weren't able to do your hair in the morning?"

I demonstrated "because the hand goes like this," I pulled my hand back and winced, "while doing hair, and the hand goes like this," I slapped him lightly more like brushed my hand on his cheek, "when you slap. See the difference?"

He nodded with his eyes closed, "yes...I see the muscle movement is very different. I just thought you liked it when I did your hair."

I ran my fingers in his curls, "who said I didn't."

He took a deep sigh and touched his forehead to mine, "I didn't quite like it when he pulled you away from me."

"He doesn't know," I whispered and he nodded.

"All the pinning is not for me, it's hard, I thought it wouldn't be but..." He trailed off, "I am going to tell him after all of this is over."

I looked him in the eye, "what?"

He nodded and wrapped an arm around my waist, "I had just come out of my shell, confessed my feelings in the most awkward way and situation and it just gets taken away in an eye blink."

"It's... Uh.. for the first time I feel like doing anything else is better than dealing with these emotions. I now understand how those people might feel when I said that they need to cope with it.

"it's not easy." He said pulling away, "but like you must have told all those people, it's worth the fight."

Soon we were all looking at the map, "that's like the middle of the forest." Dorian said.

"Not any forest," Nikolai looked up, "it's the densest forest, reaching this place would be hard."

"But we have to right?" I said and Dorian looked at me.

"Kiara." He said, "why don't you stay back here, it could get dangerous."

Nikolai smirked, "I'll be concerned about them." He said, and Tanner smiled.

"What do you mean?" Dorian asked in confusion.

"She fights like a tigress brother."

"It's not a joke, Nikolai, I am serious, she could get hurt."

Tanner scoffed, "she could get hurt? Or she will hurt them?"

"It's fine Dorian, I understand you don't know her now, she might have lost her memories of you but you kind of missed her entire transformation, she's not the same girl I first saw on her birthday night, she's brave and bold, and if comes down to it, ask her for help, she'll protect you." Nikolai looked at me for a long moment and then gave Dorian a subtle but sharp look, "like she always has." He winked.

"Alright, if that's the case, then I guess we are all going." Dorian surrendered.

"Exactly, we just need to be as quiet as a cat, we'll have our arms, Kiara, carry the set, I'll have my guns and Dorian?" He looked at him, "you'll have?"

"My trusty." He said and gave a crooked smile.

"It's still in your room." Nikolai said and turned towards tanner, "what about you bro?"

"Going to test all those boxing and wrestling lessons whilst using some of your blades."

"Sweet." Nikolai said and stood up, "I am going to go get ready, we'll leave at ten if we're re to trust any of this scribbled information on this map, then their ritual starts at midnight." Nikolai's voice was extremely determined, "let's see how they like being sacrificed."