The Mirrored Souls

14.

Back at Oriana's

"Could you actually try to be helpful?" Neriah scolds Marv as he looks for something to drink in the fridge.

"How am I supposed to work on an empty tank my friend?" He pats his back as he turns away from the fridge looking at the map he had Neriah draw out.

Darce is leaning back in a chair with shades on from being hungover from all the drinks he downed hours earlier. "Keep your voices down." He grumbles while having his arms crossed against his chest. Marv and Neriah scoff and keep looking at the handmade map laid out hoping to pinpoint where Edur might be keeping Oriana. Being too quiet, Darce sits up putting his shades on the table looking at both of them, "Ready to fill me in anytime today?" Neriah ignores him, still pissed he lied about knowing Edur and the forest.

"Riah!" He yells to make his brother look at him but just has him flip him off.

Marv smirks, eating up the two of them bickering while still marking up the map.

"Alright you two," he chuckles low, hitting Neriah's shoulder playfully.

****

Running through different realms and hiding from a man that can literally kill me with just another touch, has me really trippy as the wound in my shoulder festers.

"I don't think I'll make it through another realm jump," I slide down the worn down castle wall that we found for the twelfth jump we did.

Leon sees the black veins spread up to my neck, pacing back and forth with his hands on his head.

I start to cough up charred induced blood while slouching to the side.

"Leon..." I panted out.

Helping me up he takes me up the long spiral stairs, trying to find a room with a bed in it. Pushing every door open and finally finding somewhere to lay me down, he rips my shirt sleeve seeing the mark grow deeper, gulping in guilt. "I have to put you to sleep for a while–I just need to–I mean I have to figure out how to slow it down." Being too weak to answer I just nodded slowly then closed my eyes. Putting his hand over the wound he closed his eyes saying something in his language, then I was out like a light.

Pitter patter...pitter patter...pitter patter.

Rain hits and falls down the big bulky windows with the dust covered curtains hanging to the side.

A tall shadow enters with a small one and stands behind Leon as he goes over every spell he knows to stop poison from spreading.

"We tried to warn her," a small voice says, "He's stronger than you think," the tall shadow says, holding onto the small one.

"I don't need a reminder of how screwed up all this is, alright? It's bad enough you two stick around."

The shadows take the form of what they really are and sit at the edge of the bed watching a worried Leon and barely breathing me.

"How long until she's...you know?"

Leon bites his knuckles then grunting in frustration kicking the chair, "Hours...hours, okay?"

Clenching his jaw, his eyes wandered outside to the rain falling, "I need your guys help," he didn't turn back, unsure how they'll take what he said.

The boy holds my hand as I'm still asleep, "If we do, she'll save us right?"

Leon turns to the side, "Yes, I'll make sure of it."

Both the girl and boy lay their unearthly hands on both sides of my shoulder, closing their eyes, whispering words I recognized as my eyes fluttered open.

Before I could see them they both vanished leaving Leon hovering over me worried holding my hand, "Your okay," he scoffs out relieved with his ocean eyes staring into mine. I take my hand back getting chills automatically, not used to being shown affection or worry from someone other than my mom and Neriah.

"Does the water work?" I ask, having my throat itchy with what I coughed up.

Leon shakes his head, "No I don't think there is but I can use my abilities to have this place functioning in an hour or so," he moves away getting a hold of himself.

Hearing the rain, I get up from the bed and walk to the windows opening it feeling the droplets pelt my hand.

Leon watches from behind tilting his head, only looking at me he realizes things might get a little bit more complicated.

****

Darce is sitting in his room at Moribund while holding his head with one hand while the other is swirling ice in his drink.

Marv walks in with a bottle of bourbon he requested, already raising his eyebrow at him.

"You seem deep in thought," handing him the bottle he stands with his arms crossed.

Opening the bottle, Darce laughs, "Go on, say it." He commands Marv as he pours the brown liquid into his ice full cup. A minute of silence passes before Marv says, "I think history tends to repeat itself," clearing his throat he continues, already seeing Darce getting aggravated, "Neriah and you seem to care deeply about this Oriana." Waving his hand at Marv while sipping his drink he says, "There's nothing to worry about. Besides, Neriah is only frazzled because of who her mother was to him and what he promised." Marv shrugs, "Sure," bowing midway he leaves Darce to himself.

When he is he drops the act of having things together throwing his cup at the wall having it break against the wall.

Having his head in his hands, he shakes it not understanding the emotions he's feeling with Oriana being gone. He thinks of how he's actually having his brother back after centuries of icing each other out and still being on the fence of what comes with it...the truth and being the vulnerability it comes with.

Needing time for himself entirely, he grabs his bottle of liquor going downstairs then grabbing any girl that's there and immediately starts making out with them out of distraction to his thoughts.

The girl kisses back with no hesitation making it easier for him to just let loose until he reopened his eyes seeing Odette...Oriana.