The Serpent Within

Chapter Twenty-One

Previously...

With a strong belief in making things right, Zuber ran hastily to save his sister, Jeanette.

Jeanette started wiggling uncontrollably in Hiram's grasp. She felt that Zuber, her brother, would come to save her.

"My brother," she sighed internally, the feeling of a family so foreign to her.

An idea came into her mind. She tried her best to free herself from Hiram's hold. But it didn't help since she didn't have much energy. So, she started screaming loudly. Her voice echoed throughout, bouncing between the marbled walls of the dim hall and probably deafening her captor's ears.

"Stop this nonsense," Hiram's voice boomed roughly.

"Leave me alone!" Jeanette rebuked, trying her best to steal some time.

"As if I would listen to you after you tried foiling my plans," he sneered, tightening his hold on her forearm.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Oh, you will see that soon, darling."

"See what?" Zuber's voice cut through from behind. Hiram and Jeanette turned back sharply, the former looked pissed and the latter smiled weakly.

"You and your sister's end." Hiram cackled.

"We'll see about that," Zuber challenged and removed Jeanette's arm from Hiram's death-grip and punched him in the face.

Jeanette rubbed her arm, wincing as she did so. Her eyes were brimmed with tears upon seeing her brother.

"Is that all you have got?" Hiram scoffed, not seeming to be affected a tad bit. He kicked Zuber in the stomach, who fell backward by the blow.

Jeanette came in between in a flash to stop another kick. With a rush of adrenaline, she shifted half way and attacked Hiram in the stomach with her huge black tail. She then wrapped her tail around his waist, squeezing him mercilessly.

Hiram flailed his arms about as he was lifted in mid-air. He couldn't shift as he was held firmly. To shift, they needed space, which he didn't have.

Jeanette's eyes grew further green out of rage, sparkling dangerously without any mercy. She cornered him, making sure his back got hurt by the stone walls as she was reminded the way he had hurled her towards the cell.

"This is for torturing me for all these years." She aimed for his nose, which bled profusely with the impact.

Hiram desperately tried to move. He threw a punch, which she cleverly dodged. But, she made one mistake. She looked behind to see if Zuber was fine. He looked pale and was crouched down due to the pain.

"Emotions will take your life," Hiram sneered. He punched her on the side of the head and her hold loosened. He quickly removed the vial and threw some drops on her. Her tail vanished and she fell down, returning to her human state. She howled as the liquid stung unbearably. She felt as if her whole body was on fire. She felt as if these were her last breaths. 

"I told you before that you cannot do anything until I have this potion. A friend of mine made this for me. Got to say he did a pretty great job," Hiram chuckled, his eyes darting between the vial and Jeanette. "Too bad I didn't let him live long enough to see this."

Zuber limped towards Jeanette and took her head in his lap. She looked so weak and he felt afraid something might happen to her.

Hiram shifted into his half snake form and lunged towards Zuber, clasping him with his tail tightly, rooting him to the spot.