Sides of a Mirror

38- Anything But Numb

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Leo's mouth dropped open in shock. Taurus giggled, clearly amused by her outburst of a response.
"She told you, Leo! She's engaged. To Scorpio, no less." Gemini rolled her eyes. She flicked the blonde's shoulder, now laughing. Leo glared at her, teeth slightly bared in a growl.
"I know, Gemini, I'm just surprised!" She growled, "It's not everyday your best friend gets engaged, okay!" Gemini backed away with her hands in the air, a smirk on her face.
"Guys!" Taurus sighed, "Don't start fighting over this!" The two girls stopped, Leo huffing indignantly. Tauran snorted, arms crossed over his chest.
"Leo's got every right to be surprised, sis." He mused, "Getting engaged is a big thing!" Tauran grinned. He sprung off the wall he'd been leaning against and ruffled her hair gently, "Glad to see you're happy now. Scorpio's a good person, I trust him." Taurus smiled, pushing away her brother's hand. She was glad he approved. She did wonder what Scorpio's sister thought though...
"She likes you." Taurus jumped, squeaking, as the sentence rolled off her older cousin's tongue. Capricorn stood behind her, Cancer smiling next to him, knowing expression on his face as he looked at her with laughing eyes.
"Really?" Taurus didn't have to ask how. It was already common knowledge to everyone who lived in the castle he and Caprice were mind readers. She also knew he wouldn't lie to her, but she wanted to know for sure...
"Really. Trust me, Taur. I talked to her about it, well, really, Scorpio did. I just happened to overhear their conversation." When he said overhear, Capricorn winked with the corner of his mouth curling into a smile. Taurus rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly.
"You mean eavesdrop, right?" Capricorn laughed at the pointed glance Taurus gave him.
"Who knows? Maybe I actually did, then again maybe not!" Taurus just sighed. He acted all innocent, but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes said otherwise.
A crash from down the hall. Then shouts, screams, yelling!
Silence.
Taurus turned to look at the others around her. One thought crossed her mind;
What just happened?

Scorpio awoke to find himself tied up and gagged. Struggling against his binds, he could almost taste the fear and panic that rise from the others with him. Aries was growling through her gag, Aren was wide eyed and silent, Sagittarius was looking around for their attacker, Sagi was quiet but her gaze scanned the room as well, Libri was curled up and shivering in a ball, and Libra looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack.
Wait, he is on the verge of a panic attack. Libra's eye were wide and he was stiff as a board, the rising and falling of his chest was ragged and shaky. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes and panic, fear, and desperation rolled off him in tidal waves. Scorpio had to look away from him as to not be overwhelmed and start having a panic attack himself.
The door swung open forcefully, making a loud bang as it crashed against the wall. The terror from Libra heightened and he gave a muffled shriek. The figure in the doorway laughed, but it was raspy and hoarse.
"Pleased to see you again, Zodiacs. Though I think you can't say the same." Serpens glowered at them, the scars on his neck white and his once silver eyes tinged with red. When Scorpio looked at him, he felt a sickening dread in his gut. Something had happened to Serpens after he'd vanished in that cloud of black vapor. Something that kept him alive... But at a cost.
What cost, though? What did he have to give up?
Then it hit him. Oh god...
Serpens grinned at him coldly, seeming almost robotic. Scorpio stared at him in horror as he felt nothing stemming from the dark clothed man. No emotion, not even the slightest twinge. Just cold, dark emptiness. Scorpio hated it. He hated the feeling that Serpens gave him, empty dread that crawled up his spine and sank into his skin, making him shiver. He almost screamed when Serpens unsheathed a long knife, blade narrow and thin like a needle. The silver blade glinted in the dim light from the doorway, the edge speckled with small dark spots. Black chains slithered from out of the shadows, tethering all the kidnapped Zodiacs to the walls.
Except one.
Sagittarius glared at Serpens with fiery eyes, his gaze shooting daggers at the man. He flinched when the Serpens ripped off his gag, and gasped for air. Still bound, he tried to twist his head and bite off his binds, but to no avail. A cold blade slid to his throat and Serpens grinned again. Scorpio kicked and screamed through his gag, knowing exactly what Serpens intended to do. Waves of malevolent glee smacked into Scorpio like sprays of ice water, leaving him shivering and exhausted. Images flashed in his mind as Serpens gripped Sagittarius by the throat and pressed the life to his chest. Blood began to leak from the newly formed cut, a sharp pain echoing in Scorpio's own chest. One by one, Serpens formed new cuts on Sag's skin, each time pain shooting through Scorpio. Sagittarius became weaker, each time his screams getting louder and louder, echoing around the room and pounding in Scorpio's head.
The pain got worse and worse, the screams echoing to a million shrieks, until Scorpio just wanted to snap.
"Stop it..." He croaked. No stopping, the pain got worse.
"Stop it..." Still no end. Still, the pain was worse and the screams louder and louder and louder...
Scorpio reached his breaking point.
"STOP IT!" Scorpio screamed, the noise ripping across the room. Serpens froze, knife poised over Sag's throat. The chains around Scorpio melted, and his head rose up a few moments later.
Serpens glared into the piercing sea blue eyes that locked onto him, their pupils the shape of teardrops. A flash of light, and the same murky sea blue serpent loomed over him from before. It roared, fangs bared and glinting pearly white.
Serpens scowled but rushed out the door, locking it behind him. Scorpio had shape shifted back to human, but his eyes remained the same intense blue. Libra had recovered from his panic, the shock of what'd just happened jolting it from him.
Scorpio turned to them and smiled with his fangs still glinting.
"Think he can keep us in here, does he?" His laughed was high pitched and sing song, "Well, he's dead wrong!"

So sorry for the three day absence! I have state testing this week, and finals next week, so I'm kinda burned out. Still, summer vacation is soon and I'll be updating a lot more when it begins!
Gotta scram! Adieu!
P.S. This book is (as told by my friend) ranked #94 in Zodiac books. I AM FREAKING OUT! Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this book! Special thanks to those who've inspired, help with, and spoken with me about this book;
pasteloverdose
Musiccakez
taechic
LexieSinger27
Cutemermaidauthor17
Winter_Gumdrops
cosmicwarrflx

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The issue was fixed, so nevermind...