Revelations

13- Is it Madness?

13- Is it Madness?

I pushed the wooden doors with full force running out of this dreaded building. I slipped down the gravelled stairs tumbling down and landing on the damp grass in a heap. I could feel warm liquid on my forehead. I shakily reached up to touch it. Blood. The scarlet fluid trickled down my face onto my dry cracked lips tasting of salt and rust. My stomach turned rejecting the foul substance.

Little droplets fell from the sky dampening my tousled hair. Each drop burned the bloody cut on my head. I lay back on the muddy grass staring up at the misty, grey sky. I took a deep breath in and then it happened. The tears came in a flood flowing down the side of my pale cheeks; the worst part is I don't even know what I am crying for. There is a matter of reasons I could be crying for. For Andrew, for my mother, for Vincent or because of the High Council meeting. For the threat of seeing each of my friends slaughtered brutally before my eyes then my probable, lengthy and torturous death at the hands of a brother I have barely spoken to.

I am going crazy, mad, insane, delirious and the list goes on.

Everything was fine. Everything was fine before we came here, before we came to America for the holidays. Everything was fine before the blaze that stole the most precious thing in my life, the only thing in my life. My father. Andrew. No matter what anybody says I will never be the daughter of Theron. I will never be the sister of Adonis. I will always be daughter of Andrew, forever and always.

I lifted myself up from the soaking wet mush, which once was crisp green stalks of grass. I rested my back against the cold, hard stairs. My head pounded furiously my skull feels like it is going to implode. I look in front of me my vision hazy and blurred without my glasses which I must have lost from the fall. Grey clouds covered the skyline except one area where the full moon shone down providing the only light source on this dark night.

A figure appeared amongst the mist. It began to walk in my direction, towards me. As it got closer it became familiar, it became almost recognisable.

"A-Andie?!" He questioned checking out who it was.

"Vincent! Oh my god, are you okay?! You were missing for like two days. Where have you been?! Are you hurt?!" I rambled.

"Woah! Slow down a little and no I am fine, but you're clearly not. What the hell happened to you?" He asked whilst taking his jacket off and placing it around me.

"I-I don't know honestly, I don't what's going on anymore. He keeps coming into my mind and the high council and he's going to kill everyone. Then he's going to kill me and the world is going to burn. All I see is fire. I see fire." I rambled frantically as it happened again.

"No one is going to kill anyone, especially you. Now why don't we take you inside and get you cleaned up, okay." He said sincerely his eyes full of concern as he passed my glasses to me.

"Y-yeah that sounds like a good idea." I whimpered as he helped me up. I totally forgot about the wound on my leg which is now stinging like hell. "Vincent."

"Yes?" He said pushing open the door for me.

"Is it madness? Am I mad?" I quivered I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.

"Everything is madness and we are all mad, all the best people are." He replied leading me back to the infirmary.

"No! No I will not go in there! Last time they chained me to a bed and restraining me never works, never." I said hiding away from the door.

"Now, Andromeda it's going to be okay, trust me." He said putting out his hand to me.

"O-okay." I said taking his hand as limped after him. We entered the infirmary, it was exactly how I remembered except this time it was empty.

"Right, sit down here and I'll go get some bandages." Vincent said ushering me to one of the beds.

I sat down relieved that this time I wasn't chained. "Vincent, where were you?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter where I went, I am here now and I promise I won't go away again without telling you." He said sitting beside me.

"You promise?"

"Promise." He said smiling as he wrapped the bandage over my wound.

I winced as he dabbed the wet cloth on my forehead wiping away the dry, murky blood. I felt a sudden shiver down my spine. I guess lying down on the grass in the rain is not a good idea. I can feel a cold coming now. The door burst open and Lilah, Joseph, Valentina and some woman I don't recognise entered. Lilah looked relatively normal, Joseph looked angry and Valentina looked relieved.

"Vincent!" Valentina cried embracing in a bone crushing hug.

"Can't... breathe... Tina."

"Where have you been? We were all worried sick especially after the Liontari attack and you weren't to be found. Dammit you should have taken me with you!" Valentina said scolding him.

"It's okay twin, I am here living and breathing."

"Don't ever do that to me again." Valentina said sternly, pulling him into another hug.

"I promise Tina, I promise." He said laughing at her over worrying.

"This is not a laughing matter, Vincent." The woman snapped; she had blonde hair tied into a braided bun resting on the top of her head, with a single wisp of hair falling from each side of her face. Her ash coloured eyes looked tired and stressed, she had her arms folded across her chest. This woman was clearly not amused.

"Come on Mom, what is the matter? I am back safe and sound, unharmed why don't you just relax." Oh so she's the mother, I see where they get the hair from. The eyes must be from their father.

"How can I relax? Do you realise how much damage you have caused after your disappearance? Oh Gods give me strength, we sent out half of the guards out to search for you and what do you do return like nothing's happened. You laugh as if this is some big joke, is it a joke to you? Is it?!" She clamoured.

"Of course I don't, what kind of a person do you think I am?!" Vincent wavered.

"I think you are a reckless, irresponsible boy! Why couldn't you be more like your sister? You ran off and left your friends for us to find and you are very lucky that we did find them in time. They could have died!"

"You see." He paused, his tone was scarily calm. "This is the reason why I don't see you when you visit because all you ever do is criticise me and put me down. You always go on about how Valentina is better than me and how I am disappointment to you. Do you not think I know that she is the better fighter, the better spell caster, the better element wielder? I know you do not like me everyone can see that, the only person who ever saw any value in me was dad but you got rid of him!" He exclaimed storming out of the infirmary slamming the door behind him.

"Vincent!" Valentina cried following after him.

"I apologise for my son's behaviour I don't know what has gotten into him, my name is Dahlia Torrade. I am here to be your advisor while you are here, but for now I have to go I have meeting with the High Council on your behalf. Farewell." She said leaving the room.

"Well that was a tad bit awkward." I said to Joseph who sat opposite me feeling equally as uncomfortable as I did.

"It's Dahlia she has always been like towards Vincent favouring Valentina. But he has never acted out like that before, he normally just ignores her."

"Maybe he had enough, maybe he couldn't take it anymore."

"Maybe."