The Mirrored Souls

3.

Neriah, in the middle of reading the note I left, comes running out and helping me inside. Being this close to him I realized he isn't like the others and before I could mention it, I passed out from traveling without practicing as much. He tucks me into bed and leaves water and porridge for me when I wake. The same smell comes into my room with a mixture of rotting meat causing my eyes to open but my body is paralyzed as I notice this soul had to be from the dark side of the Specter. Only being able to move my eyes I spot the soul in the corner of my room getting ready to hover over me.

My bedroom door opens and Neriah places something behind it that cleared out the smell and soul letting me be able to get up breathing heavily. "What'd you put over there?" I say trying to calm my breathing down. Neriah rolls his sleeves up and just sits at the edge of the bed, leaning over and grabs the porridge. "You should regain energy and try sleeping more before traveling between realms." Scooping a spoon full of porridge, he brings it towards my mouth and when I don't open it his nostrils flare. "Oriana," he says strictly. My eyes land on his and he tries again and I eat some then wipe the edges of my mouth. "Did my mom say to be so forceful?" I say mumbling under my breath.

"She said to take care of you and to make sure you're healthy."

He scoops another spoon full and I eat it grabbing the water taking a few sips.

"How old are you exactly? A century old? Decade?" I ask and he looks up from the bowl.
If I didn't know any better I would say he was surprised by my question not knowing I knew he was a vampire. I mean the frozen hands, no pulse and rarely seeing him eat kind of gave it away, plus my mother already told me. He puts the bowl down and leans over feeling for a fever but I'm fine. "Your mother found me in the 1900's," watching me drink more water as he stands getting ready to go. "Do you drink human blood? Or animal's blood?" Re-tying his man bun he leans down, getting the bowl and cup of water, then answers, "Animal," then leaves closing the door slightly offended by my question.

Feeling somewhat back to normal, I bathed then lit some candles around my room sitting with one of my mom's journals in my lap trying to figure out the place I stumbled on.

Reading a few pages the name Moribund stands out and is owned by Neriah's brother Darce. He's gambled souls and human blood for centuries just to keep the place running. A picture of its true form is displayed on the sand like paper as it stands tall like a castle but darkened with cave-like features, almost like the entrance I walked into. Not having an actual sense of time, I stretch and go into the kitchen making myself something to eat. Munching on a piece of carrot, Neriah comes out in only a tank and dusty gray jeans. "I'm going to clean up the garden," closing his bedroom door he picks up the gardening tools left on the counter and heads outside.

Without thinking I blurted out, "Aren't you going to burn?"

Neriah tries not to smile and shakes his head saying, "Because I have two different bloods combined, I can walk freely in the sun unlike the others."

Right, he has angel and vampire blood running through his veins...I wonder if it's the same with his brother.

Invading my thoughts by accident he answers, "My brother has two of the same strands of blood making it a little bit harder to stand the sun," walking out completely I finish cooking then look through another journal reading about the Baird's brothers curse. Sitting crisscrossed in the chair eating the vegetable soup I made, I come across a name, then a picture, then the brother's with their actual family. Getting ready to flip to another page I hear a voice calling out to me, luring in this energy I never experienced before. "Oriana..." It calls out and I start to follow it but get stopped by Neriah shirtless in the garden.

Trying not to get caught looking I turn having heat rise to my cheeks making them flush with a light shade of pink.

Counting down from ten, I turn back around and he's nowhere to be found.

Ready to go out there I turn again and end up bumping into his chest.

"I wasn't-" I defensively start to say until he leans in, giving me a sense of anticipation until he just moves the journal close to the ledge of the window.

"Be careful where you place things," moving back he looks at me and I clear my throat embarrassed by the impure assumption that he was leaning in to kiss me.

Hearing my name again I moved from Neriah and followed it to my room and instead of it being a soul it was Darce.

Picking up a picture of me and my mother, I snatched it from his hand, shoving it into my drawer and blocking it with my body.

"How'd you get in here," I say breathy.

"First rule when dealing with a creature like me," he takes his handkerchief out his pocket now that he's dressed in regular clothes and not a suit, laying it on my bed with stains of my blood from the nosebleed I had, "Don't leave blood behind if you want to remain hidden." Stunned from my own stupidity, he just grins. "I've never seen this place before..." walking around my room he touches every curtain, shelf, chair and candle that's there.

"You need to go back to your realm," I mutter out feeling the energy shift drastically showing him being here isn't welcomed.

Nodding he swiftly corners me to the wall and leans down to my neck letting his breath tickle the nape of it.

"Come to Moribund...but actually dress like you belong there."

Knowing he's stronger than me by a couple of centuries I hesitate to nod, but as I do Neriah knocks on my door and Darce is gone.