I was ducked behind the door of my father's office , despite his orders to remain downstairs.
Multiple voices echoed behind the door . They were arguing . I sneaked a look around to see. My father , my aunt , Elijah and Rebekah stood around the war table , each of them wearing a sombre face.
The shadows slithered over my skin turning the space around me darker . I felt invisible, even as the moon shined on me from the huge window above.
- So what's the total count? My father's voice boomed above the others.
- 3 of the ones that attacked her are dead . One critically injured . Elijah replied and just i knew immediately why he asked me to remain downstairs. This was about me.
- And the damage? My father questioned and the silent pause that followed that made my pulse skyrocket.
- She took out the whole street. The entire grid of lights, Windows, doors. Anything within a 100 m radius is in pieces. Remnats of her magic is still everywhere. You can feel it as soon as you walk down. Elijah replied and i felt my breath hitch.
They attacked me.
They attacked me.
I didn't meant to.
- I protected us. The familiar shadow spoke begrudgingly, appearing on the opposite side of the door, it's form hunched down on the ground , exactly the same as me. A mirror image.
- Shh we are hiding. I shushed it in my head placing my fingers above my lips.
- They can't hear me only you can. It protested imitating my movement.
- We got lucky most people already left their workstations otherwise we would have a lot more bodies on our hands Desoleè. Elijah continued and flashes of last night passed through my head.
My guards screaming , me runing.
They were chasing me.
I had to.
My father took a deep breath , that i considered the embodiment of disappointment.
- Deso we can fix this. I've already developed a story to cover up the truth.
Explosion of shinex, stashed illegally in one of the werehouses. I can stage it in no time.
Council will be all over it , you know how they lust after the drugs. Nobody would ever think to look at Carnage. My aunt defended quickly and it made me peek to look at her.
She looked furious , the ever gentle smile gone from her face. It made me feel even worse that she still defended me.
- You didn't saw what i did , my light. The sheer amount of power that child had.
This won't be the last time this happens , i fear it might just be the first. Elijah replied back to my aunt and i believe it's the first time i Witnessed him disagreeing with his wife.
Their unity was something I admired. They never disagreed, ever.
- She is an Abrasax , of course she holds power , we all do, that's our curse. Why are you all acting so surprised?
Deso you first kill was even earlier than hers. You don't get to sit there and contemplate.
She's your daughter.
Family.
We cover this up.
We protect her.
Just like our parents did for me and you.
My aunt yelled above everyone and blinding light bursted from the door beside me .
My shadow hissed dissipating in a blink. Lux's light even chased the night away , the moon in the window , now barely a flicker compared to her.
It was the scariest , but most beautiful thing i ever saw, but i felt lonely without my companion .
A few more moments later , when the light receded back, it appeared again in the same place and i let out a breath of relief.
- Stupid parlour tricks. The shadow hissed making me snort a laugh. It really disliked light, of any kind , but my aunt's light especially.
- Our parents didn't have to cover something of this proportions sister.
She might be my daughter, but she is nothing like us.
Her magic is strong Lux, too strong. I never seen anything like it.
Violent too , unpredictable.Destructive. You can feel it too, i know you can. My father spoke his tone a cold one and i felt my hearth hitch. He wasn't just disappointed, he was angry .
- And yours isn't brother is it? Oh lawd and behold Desolation Abrasax , the decimetre of armies.
She is every bit your daughter, a spitting image i'd say. Defend her as such. Lux yelled and something smashed loudly in the room . My father's growl stuttered the whole mansions still, as it bounced of the walls , me included , making me curl up in the corner. The shadow on the other side recoiling the same way.
- I've made my decision. Go . My father bit out and it wasn't optional.
- You are making a mistake. My aunt simply said before her heels clanked down on the marble tiles and coming towards me.
I closed my eyes and began thinking of a lie that would explain my presence here , but when her heels continued down the hall it made
My eyes snap open . More shadows now circled around me , their tiny wisps swinging in the air , before disolving into nothing, like they were never there. My companion on the other side gone too.
She couldn't see me?
- Not unless we want to be seen. The voice of the shadow echoed somewhere within my head confirming my suspicions.
- I agree with your sister Desole. This is wrong. Compulsion is never the way. Elijah please speak reason to him. Rebekah finally spoke out .
- I've made up my decision and Elijah agrees with me completely . My father defended and i found myself shrinking in place .
What idea? What compulsion?
The shadow had grown silent too, like it disappeared.
- So you already summoned him here and this discussion is just for show? What the hell is wrong with both of you ? Rebekah questioned just as a loud zap of strange power appeared in the air and the room behind the door went really quiet.
- Well , don't lose all word on my account , house of Abrasax .
A strange , but melodic voice cut through the air. Unknown voice, but something about it echoed power. More than my father's .
- I'm glad you made it Cadavier. We have much to discuss. My father replied the strange name running through my head. I never met no Cadavier and yet my father spoke with respect. Unusual.
- I-refuse to be part of this. Rebekah denial cut through the room and she zapped passed me in a blur of a movement , dissapearing down the staircase. For a moment i wanted to follow and avoid whatever knowledge lay behind the door , but curiosity prevailed and froze me still in my place.
- Can't say i remember the last time i saw young Rebekah furious. You should be concerned . The strange voice said with amusement and i sneaked a look around the door. A tall, but skinny blond man now stood in the middle of the room. I couldn't see his face , but his power felt like it was drowning out the room .
My shadows too recoiled back, their black wisps disappearing under my skin.
- My sister is non of your business ancient one. You were here summoned for a reason. Elijah spoke with unnusual anger in his otherwise calm and collected manner.
The man just laughed, the sound of it strange and hollow.
- Indeed.
Tell me Desolation Abrasax what is so threatening to you , that you would call on our little deal. I must admit i am surprised , i thought you refused my offer of gratitude all those years ago.
Swore against it , if memory serves correct. The man said and i watched my father's face blank when he looked at him. If i didn't knew better i'd say he is afraid, i thought father feared nothing.
- My daughter. He almost whispered out and it made me want to dissapear into the floor in shame.
-Your skills in mind magic are well known Cadavier , amongst your other more macabre talents. I need you to make my daughter her forget... certain things.
My father spoke out and ducked lower to the floor , the shadows recoiling further under my skin, as if though they too were trying to hide.
My companion lost somewhere within.
The man's laugh echoed in the office so loudly and continuously it made me feel even worse.
- You must excuse me . It's been centuries since i have been asked to take someone's memories away . Usually people are looking to take them back.
What i fail to understand is why would you summon me for such a trivial ordeal, when your house is full of vampires , capable of doing that all the same. The man questioned still amused.
- Our compulsion doesn't work on her, neither does wizarding spells, we've tried. Nothing gets through. Elijah spoke up and it seemed to stir a silence.
- Interesting. Well consider me intrigued. I do have one condition however . The man replied and the sound of a chair scrapping the floor echoed loudly.
- What condition? My father asked his tone an angry one.
- I want to meet her , alone, before i agree to your demand , Desolation Abrasax. The man said.
- No! That is not part of the deal ! You do what you do and leave. She doesn't need to speak to you and she would never see or remember you again. Elijah quickly rushed out his tone changing, but the silence from my father was palpable and i risked a look around the door to see him contemplating.
- Tell him Desolee. Elijah urged , but i knew just by looking at my father , he wasn't even listening to him.
- You can't be seriously considering this. Elijah mumbled out in disbelief and i barely managed to hide again , before my father looked towards the door. I could have sworn his gaze burned through the wood and he could see me. When he didn't call me out i allowed myself to breathe, the information running rapidly in my mind.
- He owes me , the deal binds us together, he won't harm her. He can't Elijah. He follows my orders. My father defended and i felt betrayed. Like i was just being given away.
- You don't know that!
He is ancient and you are naive to think you know the rules of magic better than he does. Many have fallen before you to his games, men who too thought they had the upper hand . Elijah yelled out for the first time. I had never seen him loose his cool. Ever.
The strange man laughed , the sound of it changing strangely, like it was mixed with different laughs. Just strange.
- Your advisor speaks true Desolation Abrasax , but you won't listen .
I can see it in your eyes . The man mused and i felt the shadows pull on me , like they urged me to move.
I panicked. There was no way i can make it in my room in time , without being heard . Not in the silence that now stretched from the room. They could hear a pin dropping.
They are going to know i was listening.
Then my father will be even more furious.
I should have stayed in my room.
My heart was spiraling out of my chest as i scanned the staircase . Too open.
Corridor beside me too open too and too long off.
What do i do?????
- Close your eyes and see where you want to go. The familiar voice said in my head. It sounded like my own, but different.
It has always been there , like a guardian , appearing at the strangest of times. Telling me things , useful things . Sometimes that voice was my only companion , when they send me off to camp or left me alone in here. The voice of the shadows within i reasoned. A friend.
So i listened and closed my eyes, imagining the living room downstairs.
I felt the shadows slither up my arms then it felt like i was pulled into nothingness, like i was weightless.
My body dropped hitting something soft.
When i opened my eyes i was on the couch by the window , in the living room.
Safe and away.
Looking down to my hands i found the shadows happily twirling around my fingers .
- Thank you. I mumbled out loud and looked to the dark shadow , now visible on the wall beside me. My shadow and yet not really.
It was more like a mimic of myself . It imitated the same movements i did, but it was not me i knew that.
It was my magic i think.
I don't know, nobody else seemed to see it.
- You are welcome. It replied.
- Who you talking to miss Abrasax? The maid Cristina asked ,walking i to the room with a tray on her hands. She was new. I looked at her then back to the shadow , only to find the wall empty.
- Just myself. I lied quickly.
- Well talking to one self is not considered an appropriate etiquette young lady. She chastised making me roll my eyes.
- I'll keep it in mind. I replied , knowing well i would do no such thing.
A knock on the door frame pulled my attention and i have never stilled myself in place faster, my father's gray eyes piercing through me.
He knows. He knows i was eavesdropping.
He knows. My panic rattled on.
- He doesn't know relax. The shadow spoke in my head .
- What are you doing Carnage? He asked arching an eyebrow. I tugged my hands in my lap to hide their shaking.
- Nothing. I blurred out way too fast and he narrowed his eyes at me.
- How are you feeling? He questioned and slowly strode in. His concern was unsettling now considering what i just eavesdropped.
- I feel fine just tired. I replied keeping my tone calm and my spine straight.
- Those men that attacked your convoy I... i am sorry my daughter. You were supposed to be protected. Safe. This should have never happened. I don't know what i would do if something were to happen to you. My father said and took a seat beside me , his gray eyes sad when he looked at me.
It was rare to read emotions in his eyes . Sadness especially, he saved that for my mom, on the very few occasions he mentioned her.
- Don't be sorry . They are dead. I used my magic dad. I had to. I didn't mean for them to die , but they were going to kill me. They told me so. I rushed out and watched his reactions closely. He took a big breath and but much to my surprise there was no anger in his eyes, just more of the same - sadness.
- It's my fault . You should have never been in a position to make that choice . You are too young to understand, but power like yours breeds conflict , envy . People will seek to destroy what they fear or can not control. I wish it weren't so but it is Carnage. He said and looked away from me , his eyes changing to anger.
- But you are powerfull too. You survived . Why can't i be like you? I want to be like you. I blurred out and watched his eyes return back to me with a unusual softness to them.
- We are not the same my daughter. You are stronger than i am and one day you will be stronger than anyone. It's in your blood. He replied his hand coming to rest on top of my head. It confused me . I wasn't strong, not like he was , neither could i imagine myself to be stronger than him.
