Human Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

“I’m glad I’m back too” I smiled, hugging my brother tight. He wiped some dry blood from my cheek and stood up; he was shaky on his legs so I had to help him stand. He didn’t look like my brother, I could see the blood rush behind his eyes that showed me that he was a monster. I sighed.

“What’s wrong, Brix? You don’t really seem like the you I knew before I left” he frowned. “Are you ok?”

“Do I really look ok Zach? I’m going to die young, and I have no control over the fact I’m going to die soon”

“I expected something along the lines of ‘I have boy trouble’” Zach laughed, nudging my shoulder. I turned away from him and rubbed my neck, cringing slightly.

“Sorry to disappoint” I sighed.

“Look into my eyes Brix” he said, tilting my chin up so my eyes met his. “Just watch, and you won’t remember anything”

I felt my memories become a blur, the ones before I became a sacrifice, and my vision became so hazy that I couldn’t see anymore. He held me up as my muscles became relaxed and I felt like I was going to pass out, smiling. “I told you I’d keep you safe”

*****

Phoenix followed the familiar scent through the mansion walls, a place where he’d been banished from. His burnt amber eyes trailed over the wallpaper that he remembered, and how it held so many bad – but also good – memories. He could almost hear the screams in the walls and the cries fluttering around in his ears. He longed for her, but he knew she would’ve moved on.

Maybe he could still try, he was a charmer, and he’d been with numerous girls since her; no matter how hard he tried though, he couldn’t get away. Her scent still intoxicated him and took him to heights he’d never reach with anybody else. He reached the door which kept his memories locked away and knocked on it hard. He hoped that she hadn’t moved.

Katya sighed and opened the door. She didn’t ever expect to see Phoenix again after he left her that night without any warning, just a note. He smirked down at her (being at least one foot taller than her) and picked her up, kissing her overpoweringly. She gave in to his lips as they claimed hers and a slight moan escaped her lips.

Only he could make her feel like this; what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, and she didn’t exactly know that he did this with every girl. She threw her head back as his hands explored her body and made her skin shiver at his touch. She managed to speak through her stifled breaths, “Wait” she whimpered.

He pulled away from her and nodded with a smirk. “What?” he asked, kissing her neck softly.

“You smell of Brix” she growled, pulling him away by his hair. He shrugged.

“Her blood smells so nice, I tried to try some but Zach wouldn’t let me. Nothing more” he reassured her, twirling a curl of her dark brown hair. “Your hair has got lighter since I last saw it”

“No, it’s just you finally notice me” Katya growled, pushing Phoenix off her. He growled back at her; his growl resembled more of a roar that echoed through her body and the whole mansion. It reduced her to the wreck she really was inside, and she remembered every time when he got angry and hit her, causing her to hide behind her arms.

He pulled her up and kissed her again but more forcefully this time as she cried for help. Luckily, Lyle happened to be walking through the mansion and saw the bully hurting his sister, and nobody hurt his sister. He ripped Phoenix away from Katya and punched him straight across his jaw, ignoring the pain that now seared through his knuckles.

Katya ran off, her instinct to survive taking over the dull feelings she may have had for Phoenix. Lyle had promised his father that no matter what he would always protect his sister. He looked up at Phoenix and snarled in his face. “What are you doing here? I thought the King banished you”

“So?” Phoenix shrugged. “I wanted to see Katya again”

“No, you came to hurt my sister again, and I won’t stand by and let that happen” Lyle stated, with a ‘humph’ noise as he placed his hands on his hips. Phoenix simply laughed at him.

“Does Scott like you yet?” he asked, knowing it would break Lyle’s heart again. Every time somebody told him that Scott would never love him, never appreciate him, killed him bit by bit inside. He knew as soon as Scott walked home with us three girls, that his chance was over. He had no opportunity anymore and he had to face it.

“No, he doesn’t. He never will, and I know that now – unlike you with my sister – and I know that I have to move on and be strong” Lyle smiled, hiding his worry and sadness behind a painted and faked smile.

“You don’t though, do you” Phoenix smirked, brushing his hand against Lyle’s cheek.

Lyle shivered and nodded. “I do” he whispered, pulling away from the person who nearly became his brother-in-law. He evoked all of these feelings that Lyle didn’t want to feel, especially not for Phoenix. Lyle ran down the corridor in the direction Katya went. Looks like nobody but Patrique noticed I’d gone.

Janice and Mae were getting desperate for freedom too. The room they were locked in had started to freak them out, as Mae kept claiming that she could see the ghost of the Queen. Janice was getting more nervous about being found as the King had decided to visit this area of the mansion again, maybe to revisit old memories.

“Do you think Brix will come back for us?” Mae asked, shaking like a leaf as she heard the loud footsteps outside of the door. Janice shrugged and looked out of the window. Being as it was still winter, snow had begun to fall and settle over the palace gardens.

“Once you get out of here, you forget about everything you left behind. If she comes back for us then she will probably get sacrificed, and her chances get lower the longer she stays away from the mansion. It’s like prison all over again. We’re worthless to her; her freedom matters more than we do to her now” Janice sighed. “Death will be a nice end to this”