NEPHALEM : DAUGHTER OF HEAVEN AND HELL

TEN

Waking up groggily,Laila looked around the room and as soon as her eye sight adjusted,she saw Karrone sitting over her with Nika in her laps.

"You're awake"

"What happened?" Laila pretended,sitting up for a minute before stiffening at the memory of her transformation.

"I found you almost dead outside the back win..."

"They were here!" Laila's eyes filled with tears at the prospect of her changed life rather than what was really happening

She now had powers!

Reverting back to her thoughts with the feel of Karrone's touch,she sniffed and explained in a low tone.

"I was upstairs when something birdlike flew in through the window and knocked me down the stairs. It broke the door and I heard some thrashing around in there. They came to me,slashed my palms open and I thought they were gonna take me when they tried to fly out the broken window with me."

She stopped for a minute to look at Nika's solemn gaze at her.

Little bitch,she knows I'm lying

Shifting her attention away from the child,Laila forced more tears out of her eyes and cried into her palms.

"You're right Karrone. You've all been right all along. I'm a demon of nothingness. I couldn't even fight back again lowly bird demons"

Expecting Karrone  to counter her self loathing declarations,she paused when she heard Karrone say nothing.

"So they took the vial..."

"Yes" Laila cooed.

"Useless" Karrone heaved,getting up.

The doorbell rang and she dropped Nika onto the bed before flouncing out of the room.

"What?" Laila snided,looking at Nika's small frame turned towards her.

"What?" Nika unexpectedly babbled back and Laila flinched.

"You can talk?"

Nika beamed a cheeky smile,her eyes flashing crimson before getting down from the bed and padding towards the door!

Laila hissed out of slight frustration and got out the sheets.

Heavy footsteps came upstairs and the door to the room flung open,missing Nika by a few inches.

"Get the child out of my way" Mina growled,looking fixedly at Laila.

"Describe the bird creature to me,will you?"

"They were bird like" she simply replied and Karrone stifled an urge to strangle her.

"Are you insane? Do you know what's at stake here?"

"None of you are even concerned that I almost died?" Laila yelled and Karrone rolled her eyes.

"But you're not,are you?"

"If they threw you out of that window,how come you don't have any broken bones?"

"I don't know ok?"

Mina waited for a millisecond,her eyes eating up Laila's form.

"You sold us out,didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Karrone,your sister will answer to Minos"

Minos

"If you deem it fit" Karrone accepted and Laila arched an eye brow.

"Who's Minos?"

"The leader of the Minotaurs...mind you,his form of extracting information might leave you with less than a few fingers" Karrone answered with venom in her voice,her eyes holding contempt for her little sister.

"Are you insane? You'll let them take me?
I've chosen to endanger myself for you Karrone and this how you pay me back?"

"Endanger yourself for me? You've been endangered since you were born,you fool. I'm seriously the only reason you're still alive"

Impulsively,Laila rushed at Karrone in anger and she shoved her to the floor.

Mina looked on,amused as she watched the sisters grapple on the floor.

In a short while,Karrone got tired of the silly tirade and hit Laila quite hard,making her nose bleed.

Laila staggered to her feet and looked at her sister.

"You really don't like me,do you?"

"Nobody does!" Karrone screams at her.

"You ruin everything,everything around you crumbles! Not only are you useless,you're cursed to not be able to do anything about it!"

Karrone went on and Mina started dragging her downstairs to stop Laila from hearing anymore hurtful words.

Laila looked at Nika's small frame and gave her a little smile.

"Don't feel sorry for me,little one"

She cracked her neck and picked up Nika before proceeding downstairs with only one thing on her mind.

Revenge

                                         * * * *
Anakia stared at Khaos whose focus was on Florence packing her bags for the trip ahead.

Her sack jiggled with the sound of numerous tiny bottles of  different potions in it.

"When do you think we'd arrive?"He asked.

"There or back here" Anakia inquired,just for the want of speaking to Khaos and having his attention on her even if it was but for a fleeting moment.

"Both please" His gaze stayed on her and she got nervous

"I think the journey there would take days..."she trailed off,looking to Florence for back up.

"Maybe a few days ...maybe a few weeks...it all depends"

Khaos was going to say something when the sound of clattering filled the room from outside.

They all rushed outside to see what it was and the sight had them shocked out of their wits.

Khaos looked on disbelief at who stood before him in all her pearly beauty and prominence. He attempted to speak but his voice came out as a raspy squeak.

"Inka?!"