Entropy

I| Chapter XI: Markus vs. Naomi Again

Finally, peace. I can breathe with the library's solitude and focus, away from the coven. Ella's outburst felt like her frustration was being taken out on me. I understand how erratic the situation is, but shouldn't necessarily be pointing the finger. My wings disappear. Well, I cover them with an invisible cloak. I am human again now.

I search and search the occult journals, trying to find banishment rituals or something that can work against what is inside of Ivelisse. Perhaps, I could ask Blathnaid if I can use them and what she used. Much to my convenience, Blathnaid enters the library while pushing Markus.

"Naomi, Markus wants to speak with you," she informs me kindly.

"Alright, Blath, I need to speak with you after chattin' with him," I inform her back.

She smiles and nods. She leaves the library for our privacy. I have a gut feeling to place a sound barrier up; therefore, I do that.

"So what did you need to talk about?" I ask him.

"Why the heck did you throw me under the bus?" He says with exasperation.

"I didn't say anything," I defend, confused, "All I said was "you will see the hell caused years ago." Did I say you? No."

"Your goddamn gestures explain otherwise," he comments dryly.

"What gestures?" I ask, still puzzled.

"Your finger pointed towards me while saying it."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"It's the truth, anyway," I mutter.

"No one needs to know your disastrous uncle," he contempts, "And it pisses me off that you've always brought this up to the public! I never brought up your shit."

"Relax, Markus, they might assume you fell handicapped due to a volcanic eruption," I shrug it off, "Nothing unnatural about that."

His eyes slightly glow red. Multiple books fall onto me. He doesn't hesitate to drop the hardcover ones. I put my hands up to shield my head as I kneel down on the ground. All he is doing is convincing me that he hasn't changed from his angry ways.

"Is that what ya gonna do? Set the books on fire and throw them at me as you did with my mother?" I spat.

"No! Don't ever say that again!" He warns in a holler.

"Don't you know how much you befoul her life?!" I fire back.

His growls within his throat are audible now, "I know."

"Did you also notice how much destruction and deaths you've caused?!" I press.

"I know!" He screams at the top of his lungs. "Stop saying it! I've lost control from the moment I made a deal with the Dark Angel! Don't you know how hard was it for me to keep the sick thoughts at bay? Pretty damn hard. I've ruined lives! They ruined me more! Killing them didn't free me! It trapped me in a sick cycle to the point that I was fighting them inside my head while they were trying to murder Alicia! My sight was solely a dreadful Belipheron sky! My humanity has vanished! I didn't even know who you were until after my powers were sucked out of me! Now retribution! Let me tell you, Naomi, it doesn't fucking end, so give me a break! I regret it! How can I go back?!"

His eyes are red, but not in a supernatural way, more teary-eyed. They are also more puffed up and glossy. He pants sharply.

"I'm sorry," I apologise.

"You have no idea the cost of being inhumane. If you let your emotions and thoughts get the worse of you. you'll lose it. We're human minds inside of supernatural bodies. Those waves you've released minutes ago show the devastating power of what we've possessed. We know that it could be worse. The disaster we can cause if they control you."

I lower my head, thinking about how many times I've lost control. I remember it was the result of the death of my mother.

"Ivelisse was right about me," I admit to him, "And you're right. I've killed my own mother. She died of a heart attack when an energy wave hit her. I was in the hospital recovering from your onslaught." Tears threaten to come out, but I withhold them. "I'm a monster too."

"I've heard it runs in the family. Get used to it," he morose.

"I know..." I croak.

"It's painful to see what I've done," he confesses, "I wish I can find a different way than listening to Terri's suggestion. I felt stuck and alone, so it felt like a good option at the time. Stupid me!"

"Yeah... Terri told me to ramp up to defeat you," I admit, "Like you said, we're messed up." I scratch my shoulder out of guilt, "I apologise for pointing the finger at you earlier...I didn't know I was doing that. Didn't mean that." I think that 'twitch' was me involuntarily pointing the finger at him.

"Apology accepted," he says. He switches the topic, "So why did you go here?"

"I need help from Blathnaid, ...possibly from you too," I begin.

"That is?"

"How to save Ivelisse."