The Sinister blade

T W E N T Y E I G H T : K A T A R I N A

Talon lifts me between his arms. At this moment I don't know what I should feel. In one day, a lot of things changed; Cassiopeia became my sister, Hammunculus became a murderer, and Talon not my brother! Talon, the man I always looked up to as my older brother, my protector, my guardian angel. The boy I spent sleepless nights with training in the forest, sneaking into platforms, is a stranger who came to our family.

'' Put me down. '' I request from Talon. I speak so low; I lookout for my voice but I cannot find it.

'' I can't. I won't. '' Talon murmurs. My mother is still there watching us. I avoid any eye contact with her, because she's responsible on everything that's happening now. She had no excuse to hide such realities from me.

'' Talon, please. '' I beg him to put me down. I just want to leave this room and this place like I have never been here before.

'' You're injured Kat. '' Talon takes me back to my bed. '' You cannot go anywhere in this condition. '' He forces me to stay in place.

'' It's fine. Just let me go and I will find healers. '' I hit on his chest insisting to leave.

'' You don't find healers Kat. They find you. '' Talon gently moves a side and my mother comes closer to me. She wraps her hands around my injury and I get flashbacks of the healer who helped Talon recover. The same technique. The same softness.

'' You are... '' Before I finish my words Talon puts his finger over his mouth indicating for me to stop speaking.

I sit there watching my mother repeating the songs I heard from the healer. I cannot stop panting. My blood runs so fast in my veins. I can hear my heartbeats in my ears. My mother removes her hands from my injured leg and it's in perfect condition. All the pain and the stitches are gone. She's a healer.

'' Who are you guys? I don't even recognize you anymore! '' I say the words with anger and fear. I immediately leave the room.

'' Kat! '' Talon comes from behind, following me, trying to stop me from leaving the house. But I don't stop. I don't listen to him.

Talon, mother, Cassiopeia, none of them would know how I feel right now. None of them would understand the pain I feel in my chest. Everything suddenly happened in 24 hours, I lost everything I had in a day which felt like ages. I have no family now, no friend, and I just figured I just figured that I've been living in a lie with a group of professional actors.

'' Stop! '' Talon grabs my arm and faces me. '' Where do you think you're going? '' He shouts at me. His hands are shaking.

'' You knew Talon? '' I ask him hoping he'll deny this. Hoping he'll shake his head, but he doesn't.

I try to ignore how I feel, but I hardly manage. The minute Cassiopeia killed the commandant Hammunculus she ruined my life. She put me inside of a swamp and it's dragging me down.

'' Why you didn't tell me? '' He doesn't say anything when I ask him. He silently moves his eyes and doesn't look at my face.

'' I was told not to. '' He says. And I don't accept his excuses.

'' That simple? '' I question him.

'' What would I say Kat? Albert gave me a family. Your mother gave me the love and protection which I needed. '' Talon tries to explain why he listened to them and never questioned their decisions, but he doesn't convince me. I don't think any of his words will stop the pain I feel in my heart.

'' Kat, '' Talon sees that I don't believe him. I don't want to listen to him even. '' You remember how much you wanted to be believed? '' Talon explains. I can tell where his sentence is going, he'll ask for a second chance for them. The chance which I didn't get.