Chapter 6 - Chapter 5

2:00pm, August 6, 2004

Breeze off the water blew Lucrezia's hair back off her face letting the sun play with shadows on her face, blocking out the scar on her cheek with darkness. Her skin was tanned a soft natural looking brown, Luc held a hand above her naked eyes as she looked off over the waves. She wore a soft yellow sun dress made of thin fabric and in the hand limp at her side she held a straw hat. Her feet were bare. She had brought no shoes with her, but walked here this way.

"Lucrezia?"

She blinked as if brought out of a dream and faced me, red brushing lightly across her cheeks. It could have been blush, or the beginning of too much sun.

"Why are you calling me that?"

"It's nice to say sometimes. Come here?"

She walked over, the white sand stirring around her ankles as wind caught it.

I noticed a slim gold anklet on her right.

"Luc, you never told me how you got that scar"

No response and I hoped I hadn't insulted her somehow. Over the months I really had come to care for Luc - I hadn't thought it would be possible again.

Luc had that blank stare, looking over the waves as if a ship was coming for her.

"Remember I told you how my parents died?"

"A... car crash."

She nodded, still not looking in my direction.

"I was in the limo with them. Five years ago... I was 16. I was in so much shock, I couldn't call for help. Someone on the sidewalk--"

She paused

"It's okay. You don't have to --"

"No."

She said it firmly and I closed my mouth.

"Someone, on the sidewalk called the police. When the crash happened, I had been sleeping with my head on my mother's lap, her-- wine glass... it broke right into my face. I couldn't even feel it. I watched them both bleed out. God, that ambulance... it took so long."

A family played in the foam near the sand, children splashing, parents laughing with them, Lucrezia so bright yet so sad in the foreground; I don't think I had felt anything more intimate before that. I gathered her into my arms and didn't care if she would protest. She didn't, but let out a shaky sob before going quiet.

Jess stood on the path near the beach. I saw her over Luc's shoulder. She had gone to get some drinks, but made no move forward until Luc drew away from me, wiping her eyes and smiling.

"I'm sorry; I haven't really talked about that before"

I attempted an understanding smile and brushed away some strands of hair that had plastered themselves to her wet cheek.

"I leave you two alone for one minute..."

Jess made a tutting sound and gave us our drinks. Luc laughed.

As Jess settled herself on Luc's other side, I noticed the clouds darkening rapidly in the distance and felt a great foreboding in the pit of my stomach. When I turned to Luc she was looking at the same thing.

"Is that what you've been staring at all afternoon..?"

I asked her. How could I have not been perceptive to the feeling before this? I had been feeling too many other things.

She nodded and squinted her eyes

"What is it? It just exudes uber bad"

"It does..."

"Well it's not rain. I'd smell it if it were rain"

Jess was so attuned to the elements I was used to statements like this.

"It does smell like something though"

Luc and I looked at her, in her blue sundress and pigtails holding an orange crush

"It smells like Hell."

It was the evening of the sixth, the day when Hell had peeped over the churning waves. Jess had gone out. She insisted she knew someone who could help with divination. With finding out what exactly was about to go down. Somewhere in a distant room in the house, I heard the noises of water draining. I walked towards it. The room was Luc's bathroom, attached to her bedroom which I now walked through.

Her bed was surrounded in deep red velvet drapes, the sheets were silky white. I had never been in here before. William Morris paper decorated the tall walls, leading up to an ivory-painted tin ceiling. The floors were wood. A large oak wardrobe stood near the bathroom door. I inspected the vanity for a moment, and then the door opened.

The scent of warm wet and rose oil left the room with her. She wore a black silk robe. The scene was so elegantly gothic, something I had never seen before in her, that it gripped my heart. She had her wet black hair clipped up into a bun.

We stood silent for a moment and then the worlds slipped out of my mouth. I had meant only to think them quite honestly

"Lucrezia... you've touched what's left of my soul..."

She stood still and statuesque and I went to her. She made no argument and I was so confident when I took her in my arms. Roses.... the old scents of Egyptian musk leaving my mind.

Roses and silk. So cliché. So perfect. We sank into the pure white of the bed.

10:00 am, August 7th, 2004

"Luc! Luc! Luc"

My eyes flew open. Luc? What? No. It was okay. She lay beside me, breathing softly. I sat up.

Jess, standing in the doorway flushed deep red.

"R-Reth!"

"Bit early isn't it?"

I scratched the back of my head and looked at the clock on the bedside table.

"Uhm. I can... talk to you two later"

She made a move to rush out of the room.

"No, tell me now. Is it about the divination? When did you get in last night?"

"I didn't... my friend and I worked on the divinations until late and I slept there. But Reth, I was right... it is Hell. It's rearing its ugly head. Whoever rules over it, we got no name but he's super angry at someone near us."

Luc was stirring now. I furrowed my brow. If I brought Hell upon this household I could never forgive myself.

"Gee, I wonder what they did"

She was genuinely inquisitive. I questionned how she was not pinpointing me right off.

"Hell...?"

Wrapped in blankets, Luc groggily brought herself into the conversation

"Mhm!"

Jess nodded fervently, seemingly excited that she had this information.

"Someone's gone and pissed off the Lord of Hell!"

How I hated the amount of awe "Lord of Hell" inspired when spoken in a room. It was just Alaric.

"His name's Alaric and he's really just a big ponce."

"Touchy"

Luc raised her eyebrow at me.

Jess looked back and forth between us.

"Jess, The Lord of Hell is Reth's brother."

"Wow!! Maybe he's just coming for a visit, hey?"

She grinned

"We hate each other. Utterly."

The room went quiet.

"Reth... do you think that..."

I knew that Luc was catching on. She knew he was coming to take me back.

"I have to leave. Now."

"No! You can't do that. I just- we- Jess and I can help you. We can help ourselves. You don't need to be all heroic and run off!!"

"I'm really lost here..."

Jess still stood in the doorway

"Jess, leave. Please."

I knew I sounded abrupt. It was the old me showing. I didn't give a shoot.

"Fine! Asshole."

She stormed off to another wing of the house.

Luc looked cowed as I stood up and got dressed. I walked over and closed the door.

"You two cannot stand against him. You know resurrection. She knows light and elements. You are both far too much about life to cause him any pain."

"But we're the oposite of him then. We should be able to destroy him entirely if we tried!"

The anger rose up in her now

"NO. It doesn't work like the movies, Luc. You have to have death in you to kill death."

"I knew it. I knew I shouldn't have done this - given in again"

She threw the sheets off her angrily, wearing only underwear, fragile looking, angry body - I felt a pang of regret. I had to be harsh though. I was leaving. She walked into her ensuite and slammed the door. I opened the door of her room and walked out.

Like the draining water of the night before, I heard soft sobs echoing from two locations of the mansion. And I left them.

9:30pm, August 10th, 2004

The appartment was crap. Abandoned. The one I would have up to this current day. But I could live in it, and it was far from Lucrezia and Jess. They must not have been trying to find me, as I was pretty certaint hey'd succeed if they wanted to. I walked by electronics stores, pawn shops nearby and watched the news. It had been heavily dark since that day. Pale haired weathercasters could not hide the look of confusion on their faces as they remarked they had no idea as to why the city was so dark. They merely stated that it would pass.

It would pass if I went to it. But I wasn't planning on giving Alaric that satisfaction.

I lay on my back on the futon I had found in a back lane. This place was so barren and cold. Peeling walls and splintering floors. I closed my eyes and hugged my arms to myself remembering the warm sunlight pouring in on a fresh breakfast in the welcoming kitchen, Luc sitting tired with lank hair, looking so blank in the morning. Jess bright and vivacious, thoroughly enjoying prodding at her friend the non-morning person.

This was for the best. It wouldn't have lasted. I've never belonged with people such as that.

My thoughts began to wander to ones purely of Luc. The corner of my mouth twitched upwards involuntarily and I could feel myself sinking into the warm dark of the night...

When a knock sounded on my door.

My eyes snapped open and Alaric stood over me. How nice of him to give a second's warning.

"Lookee here, it's my lost lamb"

"frack yourself"

I closed my eyes again.

"Now brother, why would you say something as confident as all that"

I heard him stepping around my living space, shined footware making a tapping businessman sound on the hardwood.

"I surely thought you were here because you had found something worth being here -for-"

I opened my eyes again and sat up. He was looking skeptically around the apartment, quite honestly confused.

"Well, I didn't bring me back and this, is far better than your "home"

"Really? I was under the impression that my home was quite exquisite"

"Hmph"

"Come home"

He smiled in a way I assume most mortals would find horriffic. I didn't reply.

"We have a deal. You have your strength, I keep your soul"

I could hear the anger in his voice elevating

"And if you will not return with me of your own accord, I have other ways. I don't have time for this childishness. I am running the underworld; a job our parents didn't view you as fit for."

It still stung after so many years.

"Oh just leave and take your bullshoot with you. Anyone can sit on their @$$ all day doleing out torture"

He stood tall; arms crossed and was silent for a moment, staring at me.

"Right then. I'll be seeing you"

A smile lit his face and he blended into the shadows, disappearing.

Then my mind started racing. Idiot brother or not he was the Lord of Hell and he was fracking insane. This wouldn't be the end of it. I desperately needed to stay a step ahead of him or I could lose my own sanity, my life, or worse yet, the only two people in the world that I cared about.

What did he want? Control is what he wanted. What would I do to control the situation....?

Go straight to the hurting point of course. Did he know about Luc? Jess? Could he? Of course he could. He'd probably been watching my every move once he decided to get me back.

I threw on my boots and hurried out the door. Staring at an empty bus stop, I considered it before shaking it out of my head. I'd have to use the shadows. I stood at the corner, concentrating on my form, my surroundings, and slipped slowly into the dark. I navigated through my memories quickly and found myself outside of Luc's home.

It was blackest here. Blacker than anywhere else in the city. It looked black inside as well, I could not see through the windows.

I grabbed the handle of the door and flung it open. Black. I stepped out and felt no floor beneath me, yet still stood. It was if I stood in the foyer with eyes closed, but my eyes were wide open.

It was purely silent in this darkness and I cursed Alaric for discarding the warmth and beauty that used to sit here. Part of me had been happy to return.

"Our final guest is here!"

His voice echoed and then it was as if someone flicked on a light switch. But we were in Hell.

Alaric stood, in front of his great ornate stone throne, Jess and Luc on piers on either side of him. A sick feeling swam in my stomach.

"Will you bind yourself to me again, brother?"

"No, never."

"Will you send one of them in your place then? Is that your plan?"

Strange little Hell shadows, demons and dead souls leapt about his feet as he walked towards me. Sand around Luc's ankles in the sun... her mouth was bound and she could not move on the pier.

"Brother, do you love one of these mortals??"

I blinked

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean I'm about to come back to this place. Let me be."

"No, we had a deal, a promise, and if I let you get off, well then all the children will want a break too"

He shook his head, laughing at me.

"No no, I'll make it easy for you"

He thumped his hand on to my shoulder.

"Which, is the one you love more?"

"I care for them both. I worry for them both."

He ignored my response.

"Is it... this one?"

Jess floated off the pier, desperation in her eyes

"She knows magicks, not that they're much use down here, she's interesting... the shadows make her weak. I'd love for her to stay with me for awhile, so I could see why..."

I refused to acknowledge him. He wouldn't kill either one yet, he knew they both were a little more than average humans and would want to keep them around. At least I had that on my side.

"Or is it this one..."

His smile sweetened as Luc was illuminated

"She's pretty isn't she. Bit damaged though... nasty scar. Must be a bit of a turn off hm?"

I wouldn't show him the emotion that had just stirred in me

I saw Luc fighting against the magickal retraints.

"But she's also a little interesting, she has so much life in her, it makes me feel as though I can breathe again! It surprises me that the flowers haven't begun to bloom in here."

I sighed and looked up, trying to appear bored with him

"You talk a lot, Alaric. I think that's why Mom and Dad sent you down here - they were sick of hearing you talk."

"Alright then. One in exchange for you, one goes free. With you. I'll leave you be. For awhile anyhow. Do you know what I think?"

"What do you think."

"I think you care for the younger one.... does she remind you of our Ebony?"

"Don't say her name."

"She had a lovely shade of blood"

My fist flew out, towards his head but he caught it

"No no no. Let's have some class now. Come here sweet heart"

Jess, unable to move, floated forward.

"You're going to be my new friend"

He smiled turning to her. The shadows crackling at his fingertips. He had a knife in his belt---

I had not been looking at Luc while he spoke and now I heard her - she had somehow regained the movement in her arms and had torn the gag off.

"Don't hurt her! I brought him back!"

Why?! Why had she said that. I tensed in horrfying anticipation and reached for the knife, but Alaric had disappeared and was now standing beside Luc. Shocked at his sudden appearance she had gone quiet.

"You... are the one who stole him from me?"

"Th-that's right"

I made a move to shadow step to him but found myself unable to. The little Hell goblins were holding my ankles with wierd strength, smiling impishly up at me with the winking white eyes.

"Don't hurt her!"

"But dear brother, she has hurt me."

He looked at Luc and not me as he spoke. Jess struggled wildly with her bonds.

Then he did it. He created an ever lasting image in my mind. A bloody print.

His hand turned to shadows and he plunged it into her chest. Her eyes went wide a moment, sliding to look at me before they closed. He removed his hand and blood seeped through her clothing. He had a crushed her heart. Jess fell to the ground, free, yet un-moving from shock.

"Well that was an easy solution, wasn't it"

"You son of a---"

And Jess and I were standing on the sidewalk, in front of the mansion, in warm morning sunlight. My eyes snapped shut from the sudden brightness.

"No. No no no NO"

I fell to my knees in frustration as Jess got to her feet. I could feel hot tears on my cheeks.

Jess looked down at me coldly.

"This, is all because of you."

I tilted my head up to look her in the eye

"I will NEVER forgive it."

She turned shakily on her heel and went up the walk into the house. I heard the door lock.

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