24

"Now that Scarlett has excused herself from the Swan family, what do you intend we do to get Scarlett to Devaria Gallus? Nathan's plan ended at the attack," Nicholas asked.

"That was you?" Gallus asked. Nathan Quinn, the man he thought to be less scheming than his father actually planned an attack with rogues.

"That's less the number of rogues we have in Devaria," Nathan said with a smirk.

"If she came here with them, she would most likely go back with them even if she meets you guys, she's starting to think of reasons why she made herself lose her memories and if she eventually figures out why she did so, she won't come back here so…this is what I thought of," Gallus explained. Nathan wasn't too keen on his risk taking ideas and plans but he couldn't deny that it was working.

"What do I do now brother?" David materialized in front of them. He wore a black shirt and a pair of black jeans with a black leather jacket over his shirt and black boots.

"You'll be the one to bring her to Devaria," Gallus said.

"And how exactly do you want me to do that?" David asked.

"Convince her to come with you, make her understand that without you, she'll never see her family again…just do whatever it takes to get Scarlett Quinn back to Devaria," David sighed as he stared daggers at Gallus before he vanished. He missed his mother and sister so much, if they were here right now, Gallus wouldn't give him such tasks.

He found Scarlett sitting on the roof top of Seth's penthouse; she was sitting next to the air vent with her earphones on quietly working on something that looked like a ring. She sighed exasperated after it didn't work. He smiled as to how she was behaving as though she didn't care about what had just happened. She took off her earphones before he spoke which meant she knew he was there already.

"Nice piece…"

"It's a Smartring, it's like a phone but a ring, I've been working on it for the past six months now and it's still…not working,"

"You don't look at all bothered by what happened a while ago?"

"I…to be honest, I never wanted to go with Ryan that night, I was happy at the cliff top, it was as though I had nothing to worry about but Ryan made me come home with him, it was only Eliza who actually had a genuine smile, the rest of them were fake," Scarlett said. "She reminds me of someone I can't exactly remember" she scoffed at herself.

"You are a very amusing character Ms. Quinn," David said. Scarlett turned to him. It triggered a ton of memories in her head. She'd been called that by many people, the names and faces of the people who'd called her that were becoming clear in her head, there was a maid, a woman called Julia, Gal, this man and then there was a dirty blond man…Luis.

"Why are you here and how did you find me? Are you even a real officer?"

"I just thought of this place and then I found you here, no I am not and…I need you to come with me," he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Come with you? Look Officer David…you may have saved me from Lionel but I can't just come with you,"

"Ms. Quinn I am very sure you have questions that you need answers to, let me take you back to your family,"

"You know them?"

"I remember telling you I'm a friend of Mr. Quinn," he said. Scarlett whispered a small 'oh' and turned away from him. "Let me take you back to Devaria,"

"That's the place where my family is meant rule right?"

"You remember that?"

 "Not really, Ryan told me rumors are spreading amongst the rich that the Quinn family is the true monarch,"

"They're not just rumors, did you know that when you gave the girl your blood?"

"No…is there anything special about being a royal?"

"The true dempire royal blood is the only known antidote for the poison that was used on the girl…"

"She was poisoned?"

"That black blood you saw was the effect of Black's bane on her, she would've died in less than two hours had you not given her your blood,"

"I…it was out of instinct; I just bit hard into my wrists and gave her my blood but…I feel parched no matter how much water I get into my system and my gums start to itch sometimes when I think about the hunger,"

"When was the last time you drank blood?"

"At the party, I took a glass full but that's probably gone now, isn't it?"

"I'll take you to hunt later or would you rather drink from a human?" David asked. Scarlett stared at him blankly. "I'll extract, I'm sure you don't want to end up killing anyone," he said waiting for her to say something. Another scene became clear in Scarlett's head; she could see someone holding a credit card in front of a woman that David was holding. She knew it was herself but she wasn't clear. She had told him to extract the woman's blood because she didn't want to kill anyone. "That happened on your private jet on your birthday…don't worry you'll regain your memories soon, we leave for Devaria in two weeks,"

David turned to leave but he stopped when he saw a man and a woman who looked like they were in an argument. The woman had bright blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes and her face was stained with tears. Scarlett couldn't believe who she was seeing at that moment, she'd seen this woman just last night and now here she was, tear stained face and crying. The Kara Swan she'd seen last night was nothing like the one she was seeing now, Kara was a beauty queen and carried herself like one but now she looked like nothing but a woman begging for a man's mercy. David had a smirk on his face that didn't fail to escape Scarlett's notice.

'You did something didn't you?' Scarlett asked through a telepathic link. She'd found out about the telepathic link when she was in her mind with Silva and Black. David turned to her with a devilish smirk that confirmed Scarlett's suspicions. 

'Just a little compulsion, it won't hurt' he replied. Scarlett turned to Kara. What the hell did David compel her to do? Her eyes fell on a glass case that wasn't well covered. There was a book inside and her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to see what it was.

"Leave!" the man's voice echoed. Scarlett's entire being stilled. That voice sounded so sinful and compelling, she'd entered his room by accident without knowing. Was this penthouse his? She turned to David again and now that she thought about it, David and Gallus had the same color of hair and eyes as the man who was talking to Kara right now, could they be related somehow?

"I can't Seth, please, I…I need you to touch me please," Kara begged.

"Ms. Swan, the contract has been terminated, have you forgotten? You have started to want more from me," Seth said, his ice blue eyes burning with an intense flame of anger. "Leave!" his voice echoed again. Everything came crashing down on Kara. No! No!! No!!! How could she have…no there was no way that was possible! She had confessed to him that she loved him. She'd asked him to touch her. She took his gloves off and straddled him forcefully. Why did she…what had gotten into her?

"No! No!! No!!!" she screamed. Two large men walked in and took hold of her. They nodded at Seth and took her out. Seth turned to David and Scarlett's direction, his hardened expression changed to an amused one, his supposed younger brother and the girl who was in his suite last night. Tonight was fun. David had a sly smirk on his face as he stared at Seth, a realization dawned on Seth, David did something to Kara, but…he couldn't care less, the contract was set to end in the next two weeks anyway. That headache he'd gotten the first time when he saw Scarlett hit him hard. David noticed the way his brother's brows creased, he shut his eyes in pain and his heartbeat quickened. David grabbed Scarlett's arm and vanished with her. Seth's headache subsided, what the hell did he just see?! He looked up at where the girl and his brother stood as the last bits of smoke vanished into thin air. David let go off Scarlett as they materialized. He looked pained and angry.

"You're hurting him, did you see the look on his face…you're hurting my brother!" David screamed. He was angry but he wasn't sure if it was at her, himself or Seth.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scarlett asked. David didn't answer her, he teleported away from her leaving her standing in the strange room confused. Seth stood paralyzed in front of the cave's opening in Darkmire forest. He felt the pain the minute it clocked midnight but now it was gone. The last time he saw her, the pain came but it didn't last and now the pain was completely gone but…

"Ah!!!" a high pitched screamed escaped his throat. His headache came at full force. He felt like a poisoned dagger was being pierced deep into his heart. The images were flashing fast in his head and they came with an immeasurable amount of pain. He'd seen these images before but they were all jumbled up but now…they were so clear.

He saw himself with a large silver scaled dragon flying over darkness. He could hear his voice echoing in the dragon's mind telling it not to breathe fire but it didn't listen. It breathed fire upon the monstrosities of different kinds on the ground; they were reduced to ashes by the silver flames. He landed on what seemed to be the ruin of a building. The silver dragon landed a few feet in front of him. Anger and resentment were evident in his eyes as he watched silver mist envelop the dragon and when the mist cleared, a silver haired version of the girl he'd met in his room was there. The only difference between them was that this one had silver hair and eyes while the other had black hair and grey eyes with blue embers. He took the silver haired girl in his arms. He wanted to scream at her for going against his words but he couldn't.

'I'll grant you one wish Seth and that's to get your mother and sister back, take my body to my father, he'll tell you what to do' the silver haired girl managed to say as blood trickled down her lips.

'You…you promised me you'd get them back'

'I am getting them back just not myself…I'm sorry Seth but my kingdom, my father, they're all gone, Dracaena is gone and I have to leave with it' she said. Her eyes closed shut as she took her last breath. Silver lights left Silva's body. He knew it was her soul and then the lights vanished. He carried Silva's body in a protective hold and flew to the castle. A feeling that Seth knew too well burned in his ice blue eyes as he flew toward the castle. The feeling of defeat, he'd felt like this when he remembered what his mother and sister had to do to protect them. Silva's body began to bleed as her skin burned. Rage burned in his eyes as he caught sight of his father's figure in the castle.

'Calm down Seth, this is just a vision of him, your father is still in Ascia' a dark haired man with grey eyes materialized in front of him. The man's body was translucent.

'You're the Dracaenan king…'

'And her father'

'She said you would be waiting…'

'I may have some changes in my daughter's plans for you…her blood is the only thing that can free your mother and sister, take her blood and mix it with the Lethe's water, drink the mixture and stab yourself in the heart' Silva's father said. Silva's soul stood beside her father's confused. This wasn't what she told her father to tell Seth. 'My daughter can make decisions when she's in a difficult situation, but don't worry you'll have your mother and sister in the end…as for your brothers, they'll be safe'

'What are you doing father?' Silva interrupted him. Seth couldn't see nor hear her.

'You have a lot to learn child and I can't let you leave with the rest' her father replied. Seth wondered who he was talking to but he ignored him and took out a piece of metal and tore Silva's wrist with it. He poured her blood into a small phial and nodded at her father before he vanished.

***

The Lethe was surrounded by stones that had dragons carved into it. The water was crystal clear and looked mystical. He made a mixture of the Lethe's water and Silva's blood. The mixture turned bright silver; he gulped it all down and unfolded the piece of metal that turned out to be a sword with a black blade and silver hilt. He was about to stab himself with it when Gallus materialized in front of him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears in them and held the sword's hilt stopping him.

'Please brother, there has to be another way' Gallus begged.

'I trust you'll bring me back brother and don't worry, you and David will be safe'

'What if I can't brother? What about mother and Lia? You said you would bring them back'

'I will but now is not the time; we can't do anything now, we have to wait for Draco'

'Brother please rethink this, I beg you…'

'As long as I have brothers like you and David, you'll do whatever it takes no matter what' Seth said. He plunged the sword in his chest and coughed up blood and after giving Gallus a small smile; he fell to the ground dead. A black crystal enveloped his body and then his brother's. It sparkled with a silver glow. Silva had protected his body and his brothers in crystals.

***

David materialized in Gallus' mansion, he was confused. The only possible way they had of bringing back Seth's memories was causing him pain and he didn't want either of his brothers to go through any more pain. 

"Brother, it won't happen, Scarlett isn't going anywhere near Seth, she's hurting him,"

"Why do you say so?" Gallus asked expressionless. 

"She won't go anywhere near our brother, I'll find another way to bring his memories back,"

"Keep quiet and think David, the first night Seth saw her, he was restless and he had flashbacks, although there weren't clear, he saw something and now as we speak, Seth is seeing his memories flash through his eyes…can't you see she's the only one that can bring our brother back to us,"

"Why are you hell bent on using Scarlett to bring him back Gal?"

"Because she's the only one who has the solutions to all our problems,"

"That's not it," David said. Gallus was a quiet for a moment. "What the hell do you fucking want from her?"

"I want them back! I want Lia and mother back!! I want her back!!! I want her back in my arms where she belongs, in my fucking arms David!" Gallus yelled. David was stunned; he didn't think his brother had all this pent up inside him. All Gallus wanted was their mother, sister and Aerith back. Seth sacrificed himself just for his and Gallus' sake when they were younger and Aerith…Gallus lost Aerith in an attempt to protect her from their father's mistress. He watched Gallus fall back on the couch looking defeated. This was the first time he'd seen his brother like this. Maybe he should just let his brother act out his plans and not stop him in any way.