FORTITUDINE (COMPLETED)

9) Twin Pulls & Twisted Families

Back to Alexa's POV:

"So, let me get his straight. You live in New Orleans-excuse me-King's Tomb with this...clan...and the oldest twins from a specific family have to battle each other to the death in a set of battles. So the winner becomes the head elder of the clan..."

Stephen looks at me like he just discovered a new species-which I guess he kind of did-and stares deep into my eyes.

"I apologize but your life is messed up."

I chuckle and fold my hands on the table that we were sitting at.

All of a sudden my arm starts to burn like it was set aflame. I look down at my right arm and scream.

Letters were magically appearing on the inside of my forearm. Stephen ran over to my side of the table and caught me just as I was falling out of my chair.

"What's wrong? Are you alright? Obviously you're not or else you wouldn't be screaming." He exclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw the dark red blood dripping down my arm landing on my green dress.

"Oh my goodness! What did you do?" He exclaimed while he tore a strip of cloth from his shirt attempting to tie it around my wounds.

"No!" I gasp as I push his hands away.

I could feel the twin pull. Thanatos was trying to tell me something and I was intent on listening.

"It's not me. I didn't do this! It's the twin pull. Thanatos is trying to tell me something!"

He looked at me like I was insane-which to any person outside my clan would most likely believe as well.

I desperately looked at my arm hoping that the message was worth the pain.

Eventually the pain subsided a little and there were no more scratches forming on my arm. I looked down to read the bleeding marks on my skin.

"So could you start anew-Please forgive-Couldn't kill you."

Stephen and I exchanged shocked looks.

"I thought you said he was evil, that he hated you?" Stephen exclaimed.

I shook my head in confusion. "He was. He had slowly been pushing me away for months. I never thought that it was because of the Trials. It all makes sense now. He doesn't want to kill me! I knew deep down he still loved me!"

Stephen stared at my arm. "Is your arm supposed to do that?"

I glanced down at my arm and back up to him. "Supposed to do what?" I questioned raising an eyebrow.

He scratched the back of his head and plopped down on the chair. "I mean, I get it now that you're impossibly different than other people but is your arm supposed to be healing that fast?"

I put a hand on my scratches and felt that they were hardly as deep as a cat scratch.

"I'm not really sure...we've never used the twin pull like that. I guess it's normal. I'm sorry I scared you with my crazy family problems."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me when I say this love, my family story is just as crazy as yours."

I tilted my head confusedly and slowly nodded in realization. His brother did shackle him to me and shared a few choice words with each other-right before they decided to talk with their fists that is.

"So why did your brother lock you in here with me?"

Stephen leaned back in his chair and ran his hand down his face. "It's a long story...and he's not my brother. If anything, he's my stepbrother. My mum married his dad just a year ago. They are from France obviously and we're from England just to let you know."