Everything was calm and happy on our little vacation. Everyone was playing around as usual, and no one was complaining though there was no possible way for me to get my tan.
I pulled the blanket over my head as I rolled over, and in response, Damian grumbled in his sleep while tightening his grip on my waist. The last time I asked him why he insisted he hold me in his sleep, he claimed that he had no idea what I was talking about. But seeing as how he was still wrapping his arms around me, I find it hard to believe.
"Pop!......Tinklinklink!" My eyes popped open at the sound of something metal tinkling onto the floor and I tried to peek out of the covers to see what it was, but I couldn't. "Tick, tick, tick, tick." I heard something scuttling over towards the bed and felt a slight tugging as something began climbing up.
A little black ball of fur with giant eyes peeled over the edge of the bed. It stared at me and decided that I was the object of its mission. It disappeared for a second before returning with a silver ring with a crystal rose perched on top. "My ring? Why did you bring me this?"
The little fuzz ball gave a satisfied look when I took it from him, which I have no clue how it was holding it to begin with as it had no limbs of any kind. It gave a little squeak, jumped down from the bed, and another PoP was heard indicating that it had disappeared.
"Whatever." I mumbled to myself. I examined the ring. Nothing was wrong with it, but for some reason the little sprite wanted me to have it. "Stop talking to yourself and go back to sleep...." Damian grumbled into my back and pulled himself closer tightening the distance between us. After a moment of hesitation, I slipped the ring onto my right ring finger and adjusted into a more comfortable position and fell asleep again.
"You really shouldn't keep secrets from me." I popped up from my sleep to see that I was alone in bed, and Damian was standing over me with a weird smile on his face. "What?" He smirked, "I'm very impressed that you were able to keep things from me for so long. I could care less what Orion thinks of me, Raven. He may be my father, but that doesn't mean that he means anything to me."
I was completely caught off guard by his strange mood and a little surprised that he wasn't angry with me as he normally would've been. "Y-you're not mad?" He laughed, "Why would I be mad? It's a rare skill to be able to keep a secret from any kind of Reaper. Anyways, you do need to be careful. My father never shows any favor to anything unless it's useful to him. If he's throwing a party just for you, then there's probably something he wants from you, and it's probably not anything good at all."
I sat up from the bed, "So you're not upset in the least?" He shook his head, "Not at all. I knew about the invitation as soon as Jack and Sebastian learned of it. Their minds couldn't stand not informing us." He patted my head like a child and sat beside me. "But what intrigues me is that even as I tried to delve into that thick skull of yours, you seemed to have me blocked. Tell me, how do you do it?"
I smirked, "I'm just a skilled liar I guess. Besides, it's rude to read people's minds." He laughed, "Like you actually care. Get dressed, we have a ball to prepare for, and maybe a fight or two to go along with it. My siblings like to rough house." He left and I slipped out of bed beginning my usual routine of showering, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed before leaving for the kitchen.
"So you're the girl everyone's moving mountains for?" I whipped around and saw absolutely nothing but an empty hallway. "Who's there?!" I looked around, but no one appeared. "I don't have to answer to you, girl." I turned circles trying to find the source, and when I decided to ignore it and keep moving, someone grabbed my shoulder.
I stopped and saw that the hand holding my shoulder was deathly pale and the nails were black. I turned my head slowly to meet the gaze of two dull, green eyes that reminded me of a deer in headlights. The girl smiles sadly as she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear with her free hand.
"Who are you?" She shook her head, "I am Licia Castellan, eldest child of Orion Grey." She released my shoulder to step back a pace. She wore a pale blue gown that whipped around her legs as if she were standing in the heart of a hurricane, yet her hair was still.
I held out my hand, "I'm Raven Mat-" "Silence, girl. I know who you are and what you have done. You have caused my brother to follow the same path that led to my death. I give you this one chance to save yourself and my brother before you both perish as I had."
I was still, "What do you mean? You can't be dead." She laughed, "Aren't we all, dear? The children of Orion were forced to become Familiars to their father only to be made servants to him. We are all dead, dear. Some more than others." She closed her eyes, "You need to make your choice now." A blue portal opened beside her and I recognized it as a Gate.
"I can't enter a Gate." She nodded, "This one will take you back to your old life. People will know you exist, Reapers will not remember. Damian will not remember. It is the best way to save his life, and yours." I shook my head, "I can't leave him. I'm sorry."
A small smile stretched at the corner of her lips, "Brave. I like that. Please, ask him my story. You will understand what is ahead of you, for we share the same one."
In a gust, she disappeared, and I was left wondering what had happened to her, and what she thought was going to happen to me. "Why do these things keep happening to me?"
*Orion played by Sir Anthony Hopkins*
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