Flames And Blades

Chapter Seventeen: My Boyfriend's Back

 I wake up to the smell of cheap wine. With anger, I realize that it is because Luce threw a cup full of it in my face. Ruining my outfit- also the only one I've worn for the past unknown mantel of days due to my lack of packing skills. More importantly, I become outraged and suddenly feel very guilty for all the whine that she got all over Warrisons jacket. But before I can do anything involving too much emotion, the back of my right ear burns- snapping me out of it so fast I can't help but to wince at the pain it brings. This makes Connie speak, rusty eyes just peeking through her Barbie-blond hair. Barbie everything is the only thought that comes to describe her. Barbie looks to the narrow core- except for the sneer. That is all Connie.

"I see you've noticed my brilliant idea." Her Russian accent seeping through every syllable.

"I don't see much, other than two brats who put the ass in the lowest class." This gets me a very strong backhanded slap from a very small Luce. The force strong enough to wobble me back and forth in the chair I'm bound to. With its ropes soaked in what smells like gasoline. Luce sinks back into the shadows of the dank, rodent-filled basement we're in. Connie then steps forward, the sneer of twisted joy encrusted on her face when she motions to the ropes.

"You see, the legends of you and your brother, are in Russia too. Only instead of 'blood twain' you're the 'one of flames' and instead of the 'violet twin' your brothers the 'one of blades'." She blinks back as if listening to someone. "Turns out you two are both of those. With these ropes coated in gasoline and that mark on the back of your ear, containing the mark of the Destruction- a symbol that turns the powers of yours into flames within you before exiting you, any attempt of struggling will inevitably just kill you." She smirks, swinging a perfectly curved hip, and evil-Barbie leaves. Luce walks towards me.

"What are you going to do? Reveal your evil ploy or throw me around some more?" I ask, not bothering to hide the distaste in my tone. She grimaces.

"Relax, I'm triple crossing." She states, matter of faculty. "I double-crossed both the Farces and the Ab Antiquo." How trustworthy and comforting of her.

"So this means? Why? Oh and these rope death sentence things? Unnecessary. You two both know you could kick my ass in two seconds flat so take them the bloody hell off." I need to help my friends and find my brother. Not listen to some secret villain plot to take over the world. Luce pulls out the knife- the one that was supposed to be in my boot at the time of my unfair abduction and a plentiful amount of druggings. She cuts through my ropes and sighs, placing the knife in my boot. Once I undo the broken ropes, she hands me a towel and a basin of lukewarm water with a small mirror on the side.

"I'll explain myself while you clean up a little bit."

"Fine." I don't exactly have to believe her, and I really do have to clean up.

"I am an army of one; myself being my only population. That's all I need to fight and live and survive. I do, however, need the Farces to get to you and the Ab Antiquo to get to your brother, Connie was double-crossing the Farces before Warrison even came up with the idea. She was also the one who trained your brother." There was no hope for my hair, so I braided it while she talked. "And the Ab Antiquo want what exactly with me and Ferox?" I move on to rough rinsing my arms, decalage, face and some of Warrisons jacket, the water now being a disgusting shade of brownish red.

"They want your legend to be followed through- but in a more government controlled way." Oh great, now the government is involved with this. Which one?

"And your agenda with this is?" I hang Warrisons jacket on my shoulders, hoping I'll actually be able to get a chance to apologize for ruining it.