The Mirrored Souls

18.

Neriah cleans the house out of stress and anxiety as Darce is re-shelving the books that were there on the massive book shelf.

"She'll be alright Riah," He says as Neriah starts scrubbing the few dishes in the sink aggressively, wiping his forehead with his arm.

"Sure, she's safe with the man's son who is after her."

Darce sighs, "I don't like it either but it was her choice."

Setting something off inside Neriah, he slams the cup he had in his hand back in the sink looking at Darce.

"Is that how you felt about Odette? She chose to go back?"

Darce gets down from the stepping ladder walking to Neriah.

"Here," Darce stands in front of Neriah, "Go into my memories and see I'm telling the truth."

Neriah wanting the truth does it with no second thought.

Centuries ago: The Night Odette died

Kissing on her skin, watching the night sky, Darce holds her close, loving that she's there with him.

Odette looks up holding his chin smiling low saying, "Is it wrong that I feel complete with you?"

Darce holds her waist tracing her arm little by little, "You have to choose soon Odette...my brother is still my brother. You can't just run back and forth as you please, even though I love holding you."

Odette kisses his jaw, "I actually have a present for you for your birthday," she smiles.

"My birthday?"

Odette sits up from laying on Darce, "Stay here," getting up he stops her by her wrist. "You can get it later, stay a little longer."She shakes her head, "I want to see your face when you open it. I'll only be there a few minutes, I promise." Letting go of her wrist, she leaves smiling with that bright smile of hers.

While she makes it to the house, a mob of villagers form outside, screaming for her to burn and to go back to hell. Scared, unsure of how they knew she was a vampire, she tries to leave but fire starts trapping her inside. Covering her mouth, running to the back door, a familiar smell hits her nostrils and burns her from the inside out. Falling to her knees Darce tries to break down the door but it wouldn't budge. "Odette!" He shouts, kicking harder covering his mouth but couldn't step in because of the flames and toxins mixed in to repel vampires. "O-O-Odette!" He chokingly calls out.

Present time

Neriah moves almost falling over overwhelmed by the emotions the memory carried, holding onto the counter's top edge. "Why didn't you tell me you tried saving her?" Neriah whispers out ashamed that he blamed his brother for Odette's death for the way he did. Darce sighs, "I tried Riah," he sits now conflicted whether or not he should tell Neriah about these new feelings Oriana has made blossom.

Clearing his throat he looks to his young brother and says, "How do you truly feel about Oriana?"

Both look at each other at the same time getting the sick feeling that a girl, will, once again, cause an issue between them.

"I'm actually worried about her and Leon," Neriah says going around the question.

"You think they'll actually fall for one another?" Darce asks, getting up almost pacing in fear.

Marv walks in scared shitless as he's beaten up a bit, "We have a problem," he darts his eyes back and forth from both brothers.

****

Leon drags out a heavy realm creature that tries to break through the invisible forcefield while Oriana is asleep in her room. Getting his shirt sleeves rolled up, negative mirrored souls show up surrounding him, "You gotta be kidding me," pushing his hair back he starts getting rid of them but get nicked by one in the leg, already feeling it sizzle from the residue they leave behind to hurt the living or something like it. Hammering sounds coming from the door he built used as the entrance to the realm he made, keeps being drilled into with at least a few hundred Specter creatures smelling Oriana's scent.

"Need our help again?" Charles says appearing with Vega who's already watching over Oriana who is still fast asleep.

"Would be great, yeah."

Charles takes the version Oriana once saw and helps Leon as the creatures get more impatient, wanting to devour Oriana's life source and ability to gain more strength.

"You could've picked somewhere else," Charles huffs out.

Leon shrugs, "Thought it'll keep out my father's mirrored hound dogs out, but more beasts came instead."

Charles lets out a few cramps in his small neck then shakes his head, "Let's just hurry before Vega comes down here and gets mad that I'm mirroring out in a way I shouldn't."

Leon and him keep fighting until there's a hard thud to the upstairs floor with Vega now running down to get Leon and Charles.

"They took her," Vega says with an apprehensive tone and face.

Leon rushes upstairs seeing the bed empty with the floor stained with a red type of substance.

Leaning down wanting to see if it was blood, Oriana's blood, he takes his finger to touch it and feels his heart squeeze when it was.

****

Oriana is strapped to a slab table with restraints keeping her from going anywhere.

Edur turns the light on from the side wall, walking in with such pristineness you would think he was running for presidency.

"You know," He makes a tsk sound wagging his finger, "Leon almost achieved the unachievable but then again he forgot just one thing while dealing with your kind..." Taking a surgical kit out he lays it on the side of Oriana, "Your scent can be found no matter how hard you hide," touching the sharp end of the surgical tool, he presses down on her clavicle bone shoving a cloth in her mouth to muffle her whimpering as he glides the metal razor across her skin.

Shutting her eyes calling to anyone that could hear in her head, she slowly slips unconscious from the loss of blood and pain Edur is causing.

Before Edur can even move onto another body part to mutilate, he goes flying up against the wall as Leon uses his powers on his own father.