Revenge: Sapphire

Chapter 4: Steven's Anger

Miranda, Tisiphone and I just stared at him, dumbfounded.

" What? " I asked him, exasperated. I put all my defenses down and just stared at him, Tisiphone tensing behind me.

" Stay away from that girl, Nathan. I'm telling you, she's no good! " Steven yelled. Being the fastest among us, he jerked Tisiphone and she struggled helplessly. Tears poured form her eyes, as Steven scratched her. She gave a yell, which broke me out of my trance. I kicked Steven on the stomach. He stumbled and let go of Tisiphone. She ran away from him, trembling.

" WHAT THE HELL, STEVEN?!! " I screamed at him. I looked straight to the eyes and managed to calm him down. He slumped to the ground, confused. Then, he saw Tisiphone and he snarled.

" Stay away from us! " he whispered as he walked away.

---

Steven ignored me or even Miranda for the rest of the day. Surprisingly, he spent time with Father in his chambers. Miranda and I both knew that he hated our Father, for reasons unknown to us. We were twins, yes, but sometimes I feel like he's a stranger to me. He's not that open to me anymore, unlike when we were little.

Miranda has always been close to me and Steven. We were her protectors, we swore that no harm will be done to her, we wouldn't let it. She will never experience pain and hurt, and we fulfilled that promise. Until the day Mother died.

I felt immensely guilty for being so useless, for not stopping her death. I turned until I came face to face with Miranda. I took her hands in mine.

" I'm sorry, lil sis, if I had not protected Mother. That I couldn't do anything while she was killed. I'm sorry... " I said as I looked into her hazel eyes, so much like Mother's. Her eyes softened. She hugged me and I hugged her back.

" It wasn't your fault, Nate. " she whispered.

I fell silent. We just stood there and hugged, comforting each other.

---

 I clenched my fist as I stared at Miranda and Nathan. How I wanted to comfort my sister, too. How I wanted to spend some time with Nathan. But I can't. I need to finish my work first. And I have to move fast before anything happens again.

As he gazed one last time at the two, a single tear escaped his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. 

' You're stupid. You started this, now you must finish it... ' he thought to himself. Then he sighed.

" Why I chose revenge is beyond me... " he whispered as he ran at full speed towards the Deveraux castle.

---

Tisiphone stood by her balcony, staring up at the stars. Unconsciously, tears started to flow as she was drowned with a memory of her sister, Antoinette.

" Isabella? Isabella! Where are you?! " Antoinette called. A few more minutes passed until the sound of footsteps was heard. Isabella giggled as she saw Antoinette's bunny slippers from where she was hiding. Antoinette knelt down and then...

" BOO! " her head appeared from behind the tree, which startled Isabella.

They laughed as Antoinette carried Isabella and twirled her around, her pigtails flying. Then, she yawned. Antoinette smiled and they started to walk back to their house. Isabella protested.

" Why? " Antoinette asked her.

" I don't want to sleep yet. The sky is so beautiful at night that I want to fall asleep staring at the stars. " she whispered.

So, they lay on the grass and just stared at the twinkling stars. 

" Why are they so small? " Isabella asked.

" They're not small. They are enormous, actually. They are just too far. You know something, Isabella? " Antoinette asked suddenly.

" What? " she asked back.

" You see that big cross-shaped bright star over there? "

" Yes. " 

" That's your star. "

" Really?! " Isabella exclaimed, wide- eyed.

Antoinette laughed. " Of course! " she said as she tickled her.

" Can't sleep? " a voice startled her, made her jump.

" What are you doing here?! " she snarled, although she was still slightly scared.

" I'm sorry alright? Hell, I didn't even know what I was doing. " he apologized as he sighed. 

Some of Tisiphone's tense muscles relaxed. Some.

" I don't trust you... " she narrowed her eyes at  him as suspicion crept across her body. Steven smiled at her, a smile that would make girls melt, but not Tisiphone.

" Oh honey, why would you? " he said as he produced a sword and prepared to plunge it through Tisiphone's heart. She stared wide-eyed at his crimson eyes and did the only logical thing to do. She screamed.

But, before she can, Steven's hand covered her mouth in one swift move.

" No need for that. Let's have a walk in the forest, shall we? " he whispered as he led her deep in the forest.

---

" Something's not right. " Nathan said as he stared at Steven's empty seat.

" What do you feel, Nate? " Miranda whispered. She knew that no one's instinct was better than Nathan's.

" I feel someone is being tortured right now... " he answered as he stood up.

" Where are you going? " a deep voice asked.

" I'll just take a walk , Father. I'm not hungry. " he said.

" Be careful... " Miranda and his Father cautioned, but he was already gone.

---

I trudged through the undergrowth. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach grew more painful as I neared the clearing where I saw my mother get killed. Finally, I arrived.

The scene before me knocked the breath out my lungs. Tisiphone was tied to a tree while Steven was in front of her. She was sobbing as she gazed fearfully at him.

" ANSWER ME!!! " Steven suddenly roared.

" I- I don't know w-what y-you're talking a-about!!! " Tisiphone stuttered.

Steven cursed which made Tisiphone flinch. He turned around and unearthed a sword. Suddenly, as if sensing my presence, Tisiphone turned her eyes at me. She screamed.

" Nathan! Please help me! " she pleaded. As I look into her eyes, she wasn't Tisiphone anymore.

She was Isabella.

Angry, I lunged at Steven before he can stab her. 

---

I watched Steven as he took the sword. Then, I felt a sharp change in the air, much like that night when my family was murdered. I looked to my left and there it was, my hope.

" Nathan! Please help me! " a voice pleaded. A voice that was full of fear laced with a spark of hope. I heard that voice somewhere. It was me, although not exactly. It was the voice of my old self. It was the voice of Isabella. For a moment, I was more afraid of them finding out I was Isabella than being killed.

To my surprise, Nathan's eyes turned as crimson as Steven's. ' Anger... ' I thought. Horrified and helpless, I closed my eyes and waited for the impact. Only thing is, it didn't came.

I opened my eyes and gasped. 

Steven was lying on the grass unconscious. Nathan was preparing to plunge the sword through his head.

"NO!" someone yelled.