Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 40

(Anna)

I rounded the corner to find Leolin in By's arms and Talia in front of them, holding a bloody knife.

"Speak of the Devil." Talia said, smiling evilly when she saw me.

My breathing was heavy and I was in a panicked frenzy. I felt a slight weight lift off my shoulders when I saw Leolin was alright. But, then, a dread settled in my heart when I realized that that could change in a matter of seconds.

I had to make sure it didn't.

"Anna, stay back." By said, keeping his eyes on Talia as he backed away from her and towards me.

"Why?" I asked, meeting him halfway, putting my hand lightly on his shoulder. He stopped and glanced at me, saddness in his eyes.

"Go on, By-By! Tell sweet Anna the truth." Talia said, twirling the bloody knife in her hand, flinging small drops of blood.

"Shut up!" I yelled at her. She pursed her lips and her body went hard with anger.

"She's your daughter, Anna." By paused, looking at me. My heart skipped a beat. "Yours and Torren's. The child you lost." He looked at Talia. "She's yours."

I couldn't speak. What the hell was he talking about? There was no way this girl was mine. She was evil and demented. Just look at her eyes! And I had gotten pregnant after Leolin had been born, and this girl was older than him. It didn't add up. And even if I was her mother, why the hell would she want to kill me?

"I am not lying." Talia said, kicking her feet on the cold floor. "Time goes by faster when you are in the In-Between. I aged faster. And I was raised by others who taught me how to survive and succeed in this universe. Something you surely would have failed at. You would have dressed me up in little dresses, taught me proper manners." She curtsied dramaticaly.

"And you want to go on murderous rampage because...?" I asked her. I had had it with this kid. If I had had the chance to raise her, she would not have ended up a physcopath. And I would not have dressed her up like a doll and made her a show. That I was sure of.

"I don't want to go on a rampage, Mother. I just want to make you suffer." She smiled. "I just want to switch places is all."

I cocked my head. "With who?"

"The boy. I kill him, you take me in." She tossed the knife in the air and caught it. "Just like it should be."

By and I slowly backed away, and she took a few steps forward.

"I had no control over what happened to you, Talia. None. And I am very sorry for that. But you said yourself that you have a family. Go back to them. Our family doesn't have to be by blood, it's by those who love us most."

"So, you're just going to throw me out again, then?" She narrowed her eyes. "Am I just a piece of trash to you?"

I didn't know what to say. I understood where she was coming from, but what could I do? She saw me as the mother who threw her away, when in reality, I couldn't live with myself. Somewhere, deep inside me, I knew that I couldn't have children with anyone else besides Loki, not successfully. I had teased this child with a wonderful life as she had laid in my womb, and then she had died. The guilt I had, and still felt, was terrible. She had been thrown into a place filled with good and evil, and the evil reeled her in, turning her into what she was now. The guilt nearly swallowed me whole.

"Mommy, she is my sister. Can I help her?" Leolin suddenly spoke in his soft voice.

Talia's head shot towards him, her eyes wide. "What did he say?"

"Darling, I appreciate your help, but I can handle it, okay?" I told Leolin, touching his cheek. My eyes caught By's.

"Please, Mommy. I can help." He started wriggling out of By's arms. By tried to hold on to him, but Leolin had some sort of secret strength. I tried to help, to calm Leolin down.

"What does he want?" I heard Talia ask.

"Please." Leolin pleaded, looking much too old for my little boy. He turned to Talia, By's hands on his shoulders tightly. "I just want to talk. Talk to my sister." He told Talia.

She suprisingly dropped the knife, letting it loudly crash to the hard floor.

I put my hand on By's shoulder. He looked at me with worried eyes. I nodded at him, telling him it was okay. He removed his hands from Leolin's shoulders. He smiled up at us and then walked towards Talia.

She watched him carefully. She was only a few inches taller than him when he stood in front of her. He slowly reached out to take her hand. She flinched away, afraid he was going to hurt her.

"It's alright." He said softly, and took her hand in his. She continued to watch him warily as he reached his other hand to her temple, touching it lightly with his finger tips. Her eyes closed slowly as a small light came from Leolin's fingertips. I stepped forward, about to intervene, when By wrapped a hand around my waist, holding me back.

The light grew stronger and the veins in Talia's head began to glow. I don't think Leolin was trying to harm her, her face was too relaxed. I continued to watch as my son, my little boy, used his powers, whatever they may be, on his half-sister. I was proud and scared at the same time.

And then Talia's eyes shot wide open.

And they were no longer black. They were normal, beautiful, green eyes. And they were filled with tears.

She dropped into a heap on the ground, Leolin letting go of her, the light disappearing. By and I ran over to the children. I dropped to the ground by Talia and pushed Leolin backwards towards By. I took Talia's head in my hands, tilting her up. Her eyes flickered.

And then she curled up against me and cried into my chest, her body shaking.

"I am so sorry." She sobbed. I hugged her against my body, smoothing out her hair.

"What did you do, Leolin?" I heard By ask behind me.

"I showed her the good in the universe. I showed her love." Leolin whispered.