The Maksymillians

Chapter 2

Life jolted into his body as an electrical spark. Raising life as quickly as it took it. Matthaeus’s eyes burst into the open. The beige wrapping around his eyes, the moonshine consuming his vision. “Gabrielle,” he called out, turning his neck to face her, the pale dress still lay upon the ground unconscious. He frowned. Poor sister. Caught in her brother’s war again. His eyes narrowed to the stake like objected embedded in his chest. Raising both hands he clamped his hands upon the stake. He breathed in slightly. He tore his the stake from his chest, screaming in agony as he did so. Taking to his feet he breathed in the night’s air. The moons light stalking his every presence. He watched Gabi as she burst again into life, gasping the cold air as painfully as he did. “Greetings sister,” he smirked, “Your plan worked perfectly…until, obviously, the part where Tomaz turned against us.”

She muttered something in reply that Matthaeus did not hear. Therefore, he continued with his lips parting more unbiased thoughts as his Beresford shoes pattered back and forth, “Well…in truth, we both should have expected our brother’s trickery. In our many centuries when has he ever stood by your side?”

Gabrielle massaged her neck from her now seated position, slightly annoyed at the bloody patches plaguing her pale dress. “Once,” she replied, her mind now transparent in the present moment, “That time in Rome…”

Matt smiled, memories dancing their way into his heart and singing soulfully into his mind. “Aha, yes…” he paused, the smile growing, “Do you ever think Nikolaus ever forgave him?”

“No. Not a chance.”

“No matter how we think of him, Nik is most certainly redeemable. He was never the cold hearted ruthless man we now know.”

“Marcelian tried to redeem him. Look what he does to our eldest brother…daggered somewhere…”

The second oldest brother stepped forward and helped his sister to her feet. Bowing gracefully as he did. She half laughed at his attempt, pushing his head slightly to the side. “Come now,” Matt stated, “Marcelian’s life depends on us”. They exited their home and walked into the open street. Luna awoke the darkness of the trees, their demons coming to fruition. The pale concrete lost her lust in the moonlight, the shadow triumphing over all. As they began to walk, brother beside sister, Gabrielle put forth a question she had been dreading to ask for months, “Did you ever forgive me for my actions?”

“Which ones?” Matt asked as they walked upon the deathly ground, “Please, be specific.”

“When…” she paused unable to get the words to flow, as she struggled to keep pace.

“When?”                                                                         

“When…when I daggered you”. They stopped suddenly as the words left her subtle lips. Matt paused, his eyes starring off into time. She looked to him studied his regal cheekbones, the slicked back hair, piercing brown eyes…

“Gabi,” he began, a tone of formality, “Although I have spent many of our lifetime closest to Marcelian…Your…failed betrayal…was, is, nothing, compared to Nikolaus and the atrocities he has committed against us.”

“But,” she began eager to learn her fate, “I brought back-”

“Gabrielle. Do not think for a second that you are anything compared to Nik. Your act was justifiable…Now, we must return to the matter at hand. Marcelian.”

“Bu-”

“Stop.”

Silence.

“Do we have a plan?” Gabrielle finally asked.