The Mirrored Souls

22.

Curtains draped down to the floor with snakes, scorpions and other creatures taking up most of the floor. Somebody chuckles as I'm strapped to the chair in the middle of all of it. A snake slithers across my feet and as I close my eyes I'm somewhere else where the room is being filled with a black substance that smelt like burning tar. "This isn't real," I said to myself, closing my eyes again. Opening them for the third time I'm at a long dinner table with Edur sitting across. He folds his arms smiling at me like he just made his final and last move and won. "You're improving," He smiles amused nodding. Slowing my breathing, I pictured where I wanted to be while being free and when I heard the ocean noise in the background, I knew I ripped myself from his made up trap he put me in. Not wasting time I ran towards the tiny shack nearby, the same shack I would see my mom sketch out telling me the story of when she took on her role of being a Soothsayer.

****

Neriah is laying in the garden watching birds circle the grayish clouds while sulking, tired of feeling the way that he does. Giving what Marv said a thought, he decided to stop chasing after Oriana and focus on him and since it's been awhile since he has seemed entirely lost. Like it was an ill wish of his demise, Darce walks up looking down at him blocking the little bit of sunlight that was hitting his face. "I don't want this to be a continuous thing," fixing his shades he places his hands in his pockets. Neriah scoffs low, "Save it for when Oriana can hear you. Isn't that why you pretended to try and fix our bond in the first place? To score good guy points?" Darce puts his pride and ego aside and shakes his head, "No,"sitting next to Neriah he looks at the birds too, "You're my baby brother Riah." Both brother's sat there quietly while one sought out a little bit more of what the other was giving him. "Why'd you hide what happened with Odette? Was Oriana telling the truth of what she saw?" Darce sighs, taking his shades off, "I did try to get to her but I did falsely the part of when I did," feeling ashamed he looks at his hands. 

Neriah bites the inside of his cheek repressing any bitter words he wanted to say to Darce while nodding.

"Are you starting to feel deeply for Oriana as you did with Odette?"

Darce shrugs, "If I did I won't act on it this time," looking at his brother he makes sure he sees the true sincerity in his eyes and voice.

"Why couldn't you do that back then?" Neriah asks solemnly.

Really soaking up the question, Darce holds his brother's shoulder, owning up to his bad habits and says, "For once I don't want to be the one that always hurts you." Patting his back, he gets up wanting to give his brother space, convincing himself this was the right thing even if it felt strange to him it was to show his little brother he's putting his fangs away metaphorically and giving him room to go after something that might've been his from the very start.

****

Locking, closing and drawing the blinds of the shack I begin to mix some ingredients inside a bowl I found in the cupboard and lit a candle as well. Something told me to ground myself, crossing my legs, repeating the words awaken while visualizing the meaning behind it. What seemed like ten minutes turned into a full three hours as I drained the negativity Edur attached to me. Once I was sturdy enough, I stood up, cleaned up the place and turned the water on to shower. Channel of voices streamed in and out like I was in the Specter but hanging upside down as they became distant every few words that were shoved through. Drying myself off and finding my mother's old clothing, I got dressed and focused on learning new protection spells to keep Edur away as possible as I recharged again.

After countless tries of one spell I started to get ready to lay down but my mind raced with a million thoughts at once.

Tossing from left to right, not being comfortable enough, I sighed out in annoyance while looking at an old painting hanging in the room.

It was painted delicately, baby angels blowing trumpets, two men in the middle reaching for something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Getting up I walk towards it tilting my head to every angle realizing it was a woman's heart.

"Your mom ever tell you how she got that painting?"

Knowing the voice I shake my head not even turning to face them.

"It was a century before she jumped to solve that one mirrored soul, who died from the scarlet fever."

"She told you about this place?" I asked irritated.

Neriah doesn't answer but stands behind me still looking at the painting, "I want to apologize for how I've been acting since Darce came back," Slowly I turned to look at him and see how frail he's gotten and the bags under his eyes.

"Neriah, instead of chasing after me and dealing with everything, why don't you actually rest?"

Shaking his head he smiles low, "I'll let you in on something," he looks into my eyes, "I was close to dropping everything and leaving you to your own death but even with the promise I made to your mom, my feelings overruled any possibility of leaving you in general."

Not knowing if I should be offended I squint my eyes at him then say, "My own death?"

Neriah finally lets his guard down from it being held up for so long and kisses me with endless need, having me pressed against him like we matched as a puzzle piece.

When the kiss started to turn into more I snapped back into reality covering my mouth with pure shock.