Trusting the Devil

Chapter 2: Sage

Sage

After the dance, I immediately excused myself and went back home. I couldn't handle Logan's burning gaze and intimidating presence any longer. Once back at my parents' mansion–imprinted with grey rocks cultivated near the Death Tree with vines squeezing them– I made my way through the grey halls decorated with all kinds of plants and floor-to-ceiling windows. When I reached my sister's bedroom door, I knocked and waited for a response.

"Come in!"

She knew it was me. It was way past midnight and my parents didn't even wait for my return. Only did my twin ever care about me.

I entered her room. It was all blue with details in cream all around it. She loved this color. It made her feel free in our beautiful prison. Like a bird flying in the small blue cage it had. One look at me from her bed and she immediately straightened up, put the book she was reading aside, and opened her arms. I ran and crashed into her. I didn't have any more tears. I was tired. Tired of my parents and the way they treated us. Tired of pretending that I liked their illegal business. I was responsible for the legal side, for now, but I wasn't stupid. I saw papers confirming they had been involved in gun trafficking. I was going to get these handed to me one day. A shudder ran through me, threatening to constrict around my neck with all the memories of all the things my parents did to me throughout the years.

And then there was Logan and how he made me feel.

I hugged my sister tighter. We were opposites. While her skin was as white as the snow in Icyln, mine was a contrast next to hers, sunkissed and tanned. I took that from my mother. She, on the other hand, looked like father with her skin and eye color.

"Hey, tell me what happened. I'm here for you." She said as she rubbed my back.

She was older than me by five minutes, but my parents wanted me to be the heir since I had psychic abilities. It never bothered Nina and I was grateful it didn't rattle our bond. They said it was good for the business, to have a high sense of intuition.

Bullshit.

I gave her a detailed rundown of the evening. With each added word, Nina tensed more until she became a brick.

"Remember when I told you your psychic abilities have never failed you?"

All I could do was nod and she continued. "Well, I think I was wrong. This night only made you stronger and I'm happy you probably just found your soulmate. I think because all of this is new, your intuition doesn't know what to make of it. Our parents have put us through so much. We became emotionless when it came down to the outside world." She sighed and broke our hug so that I was sitting in front of her. Her big light blue eyes were painted with concern as she continued, "I'm happy for you. What you're feeling is normal. It's love at first sight. Just, don't let our parents know, or else–" She trailed off, and I knew exactly how this sentence ended.

After getting cleaned up, I decided to join my sister and sleep in her bed. Somehow, everything was okay when I was with her.

Logan

"So, how's your plan coming along, brother?" I heard Thomas say from behind me as I looked out the window from my black and purple bedroom and into the night.

"It isn't my plan to begin with. It's the plan that is going to save our kind. Vampires have been tortured for long enough," my tone was rougher than I had intended to.

I couldn't see his expression but I was sure that my brother's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Are you trying to convince yourself that playing with a girl and changing her life is understandable?"

"It's not that, Thomas." I turned to face my brother. He was younger than me by five years, but I guess there was no difference between being 200 years old and 195 years old. His hair was a sandy kind of blond, his eyes a shade paler than my dark blue eyes. He stared at me with an I'm-waiting-for-further-explication look and I proceeded. "She feels... different."