Dark Angels

"Eren. Wake up." Eren felt his body shake. "We have to get home before sundown." Eren's eyes fluttered open. His brother was kneeling in front of him. He snorted, "Eren, you idiot. Every time we're sent out to collect firewood you doze off and leave me to do all of the work." His brother stood up, firewood piled high next to him. "I gathered more wood than I could carry, so just take some to seem like you actually did something." Eren watched as his brother picked up ten logs of firewood and left the rest, four logs, for him. Slowly but surely, Eren picked up the rest of the firewood and followed his brother on the way back to their home.
The silence surrounding them seemed almost unearthly, and Eren couldn't stand it. "Um, thanks, Levi." he stammered.
"No problem, little brother." Levi casually answered back. Eren waited for a smile, which was unlikely, since Levi never did smile. Eren had always wondered why, the brothers always had what most people considered a good life.
Eren and Levi turned a corner and saw their mother standing on the porch of their home. Levi dropped his pile of firewood on the ground and walked inside the house, nodding a greeting to his mother. Eren dropped his pile next to Levi's, and smiled and waved at his mother as he ran inside after Levi.
"That was rude," Eren commented as he caught up with his brother.
"What was?"
"The way you greeted mom." Eren suddenly became concerned, "Did something happen between you and her?"
"No. That's a stupid question. Why would you think that?"
Now that he thought about it, Eren realized it actually was a stupid question. Levi never looked like he actually took a liking to their mother. In fact, it seemed like Levi despised her.
"Eren! Levi! Come here, please!" Their father called them to the front door.
Eren ran to his father, but slowed down when he saw his packed bags. "You're leaving? Again?" Eren asked sadly.
Their father kneeled down and placed a hand on Eren's cheek. "Yes, Eren. There's been a big virus in the next town over and I have been called in to stop it. Levi, take care of your little brother, just as always." Their father looked at their mother. "Carla, you're a good mother. Do as you always would."
Carla nodded, acknowledging him. She placed her right hand over her heart and slightly bowed. "As you wish. I shall." Eren eyed his mother. For the first time, Eren realized that she had always been that way with their father, ever since they were kids. Now I know why Levi is always so suspicious about her. Why does she act like she's a slave for dad? He wondered. He decided to consult his brother about it privately.
Eren's father looked back at him, "Here, Eren. I want you to have this." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a key attached to a thin leather strap, making it a necklace. He laced it around Eren's neck. "This is a key to the basement in this house. When I return, we'll take a look at the place, okay?"
For a split second, Eren saw his mother's eyes become wide and her mouth open slightly in surprise. Then her face became unreadable once more.
"O...okay." Eren responded. His father stood up and kissed his family goodbye.
Levi stood staring at the front door for a few seconds before he grasped Eren's arm and tugging him into the room that they shared. When they entered, Levi closed and locked the door. "Did you see that?" he questioned his younger brother. Although his face didn't show a trace of it, his voice did. His voice was on edge. He was afraid.
"See what?"
"Carla's actions. A regular 'mother' doesn't respond to her husband like that." Levi air quoted the word, "mother".
"Oh yeah, I meant to ask you about that. But you don't call mom by her first name. That's rude. And I'm pretty sure it's against the law."
Levi placed one hand on his hip and waved the other in the air, "Oi, what do know? You're only eleven."
"Just because you're one year older than me doesn't mean you know everything!"
"True. But I'm stronger than you. Faster than you. More skilled than you." Levi's eyes turned from dull gray to red. He narrowed his eyes and smiled in defiance. "You can't compare, let alone compete. You're worthless."
Eren backed away, terrified by his brother's new look. His eyes watered, he wanted the old, emotionless Levi back.
Levi's eyes widened as he saw his little brother start to cry. He turned to the mirror in time to see his eye color change back to a dull gray. "W-what just happened?" He stammered. When Eren didn't answer Levi ran to him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Eren. I-I don't know what happened. Please don't be afraid of me...please don't be...."
Eren hugged him back. He was afraid. But not of his brother. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of your power...what that was. I-I don't like you like that. Please, don't do that again. Don't ever do that again."
"I won't." Levi promised. He stayed in the hug for a while longer before pulling away. Eren wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his mint green shirt. Levi's sorrow became rage. "This is all Carla's fault!" he yelled. "I'm not normal because of her!!"
"Shut up!" Eren whispered. "She might hear you!" Eren looked down, and saw the key hanging from his neck. He took it off his neck and studied it. It was about four inches long and the top of the key was in the shape of a diamond, with a ball on each corner. "The basement..." he mumbled.
"The what?"
Eren looked up happily, "The basement! Maybe if we can see what's in it, it will explain your powers!" A flicker of hope flashed in Levi's heart. He looked straight into his brother's blue-green eyes and, for the very first time, Eren saw him smile.
Levi placed the necklace back around Eren's neck. "It sounds like a good idea. But we have to wait until Car-" Levi broke off. He heard footsteps heading in their direction. Levi grabbed two random books from the shelves on his right side, tossed one to Eren and pretended to read his book.
Carla knocked on their bedroom door. Without looking away from what he was drawing, Eren responded, "Come in!"
Carla walked into the room. She smiled, "Hello, boys! Do you need anything?"
"N-no," Eren stammered. Dammit, I stuttered. I can't let her catch onto us! He thought. At this response, her expression changed. Her expression turned stone cold and unloving. Eren thought to himself as moments of silence passed between the three of them. This isn't how a mother's face should look when she's around her children, he thought. It should be the exact opposite!
Levi spoke up and broke the silence, "You should be leaving now, Carla." Hostility chimed around the room with just those six words. Eren felt like the two were at having standoff. But Levi was winning.
"Fine." Carla responded bluntly. "However I will be leaving later today to purchase things needed for the house."
"Very well, then. If you must." Levi concluded. Levi never spoke like this, he was usually a lot more casual with his words. He was using her tongue, Eren realized. The way she spoke, he spoke back. Levi glared at her as she left their bedroom. Tears welled up in Eren's eyes.
"I don't wanna see our family like this."
Levi stared at the ground. "I know. She doesn't care like family should. Whatever she is, she obviously didn't want us. But I inherited her powers, which means that I'm only half human. Although it doesn't seem like you've inherited her powers." He sighed, "This sucks. I wish I had more information."
Eren wiped his eyes and regained his optimism. He nudged his brother. "Hey, don't lose hope. The basement, remember? When she leaves we'll see if what's in there can give us answers!"
***
Eren stood outside of the house, waving his mother goodbye. The sun was starting to set and the orange-pink glow illuminated the ground around Carla, leaving her in the shade, the only thing the light did not touch. She waved back to her son, then walked off.
Eren made sure that she was far away enough, then he ran back inside. Levi was waiting for him at the entrance to the basement.
"You ready?" Eren asked excitedly.
"No. Just open it." Levi responded. No I'm not ready, he thought. I don't know what we'll find in there, Eren, but I'll protect you no matter what!
Eren shoved the key in the keyhole and turned it. The door creaked open on its own. Eren trembled in fear as he followed his big brother downstairs into the basement.
It was small and square, only six feet tall on all sides. The room was ten feet wide all around. The floor was covered with black feathers, and in the middle of the room stood a podium with a black book lying on top of it. Levi made his way to the podium and flipped through the pages.
"Incantations." he thought out loud, "This must be some kind of spell book."
"Right you are, my son." A new voice ripped through the silence. Eren turned around and saw his mother behind him, but she looked nothing like the woman he knew and loved. Her eyes were red, her teeth were sharp and jet black wings dropped at her sides. Eren backed away from her and stood in a corner of the room.
"What are you?!" Levi demanded. "Answer me, now!"
"Oh my, feisty aren't we? I thought you would have figured it out on your own, you did get this far." Carla mocked. "I guess I would have to tell you sooner or later," she sighed. "You and I, we're dark angels. Divine beings like ourselves are rare, I doubt that you have ever heard of dark angels before. However, you are only half dark angel, being that your wretched father is a human." She stalked over to the spell book, the trail of her black dress scattering black feathers in her wake. Levi backed away from the spell book. Carla picked up the book and caressed it. "With this, I will make you whole." She shot her left and at Levi and yelled an incantation. The ground around him glowed purple and translucent purple chains shot up from out of the floor and wrapped around him.
"Let me go!!!" He yelled. Carla didn't listen. She flipped to a page in the book and read out a long incantation. Pain shot through Levi and he screamed in agony. Eren covered his ears and sobbed in fear for his brother.
"STOP IT!!" Eren shrieked. That's it, he thought, I'm done with being a little baby! He uncovered his ears and winced as he heard his brother's screams. He wanted to stop her, but he felt glued to the ground and his feet refused to move. This had nothing to do with magic, he was simply terrified.
The screams died down and the chains unravelled around Levi and disappeared back into the floor. He collapsed onto the floor and coughed up blood. He breathed hard, like he was out of breath.
Once he regained his breath, Levi stood up and stared at the ground, his dark hair hanging down. "So, no longer am I half dark angel anymore, but full dark angel?"
"Yes, but you're quite s-strong. Stronger than I had expected.." Carla 's stuttering made it evident that she was terrified of Levi's new power.
"I see you're afraid," Levi slowly lifted his head up, his new red eyes staring into Carla's. "Good." Levi walked over to Eren and whispered in his ear. "Can you go upstairs and count to ten for me?"
Eren was terrified and confused, but he still trusted him, and did as his brother asked. Eren slowly climbed up the stairs, sat on the floor and closed his eyes. He started to count.
"One,"
Levi's teeth became as sharp as knives.
"Two,"
Blue-black wings sprouted out from Levi's back and drooped at his sides.
"Three,"
Levi outspread his new wings and ran at Carla.
"Four,"
One of his wings clotheslined Carla and she slammed to the ground.
"Five,"
Levi placed his foot on her chest and stood over her, staring at her with bored eyes.
"Six,"
Blood splattered out from Carla's mouth as she spoke, "You're a good kid, Levi. Although I thought I have taught you better than to defy your own mother."
"Seven,"
Levi smirked, "Did you now? Tch, for shame, I thought gods and deities couldn't lie."
"Eight,"
Smirk still on his face, Levi bent down and used his sharp teeth to rip out Carla's throat. He spit out the flesh and blood in his mouth. "Tch, disgusting."
"Nine,"
Levi turned around and headed upstairs.
"Ten." Eren opened his eyes and saw his brother, the one he'd known for his whole life. Levi held a hand out to help Eren stand up. Instead, Eren ignored his hand and stood up on his own. Levi's eyes widened in surprise. "Come on, Levi." Eren led Levi outside and the two brothers sat on the steps of their beloved home. "Let's wait for dad to get back."