Chapter Twenty-seven

♦Neruda's POV♦

Selena just stares at me like I've lost it. "You're obviously overheating." She drawls in a detached voice. "Go take a dip in the ocean and try again."

"Selena I'm dead serious." I quickly follow her when she starts off towards the house in brisk strides. "September is the Imperial."

"My twin is not your soulmate." She says with conviction, looking very irritated.

I push a hand through my hair in frustration. "That's not even important! She needs to know! The entire world is in danger! We need to start training her ASAP!" I exclaim.

Selena stops so quickly that I'm stumbling to steady myself, the beach sand is so loose that I'm seriously wondering how she's able to balance herself and her conked out twin in her arms, effortlessly.

"What did you say?" She asks in a low growl, swivelling her head to look at me. "The world is in danger so they're fine with sacrificing my other half for that petty reason?"

"You don't understand, the Oracle chose her..." I start to say.

"I don't give a damn about any political bullshit! I just got my twin sister back so you will pack up your bags tomorrow and get the fuck out of my house! Because I swear to September that if you drag her into this I will fucking rip your heart out."

I'm too stunned by this outburst to formulate a reply and when I regain my senses she's gone, letting out a colorful string of curses, I flop to the ground.

Why did my own turn have to turn out so complicated? When it was my dad's turn, the Imperials kept turning up at his front door.

Now I finally find mine and I can't even tell her! Damn it! I scoop a handful of sand and hurl it at the raging ocean but it doesn't do anything to douse my anger and frustration.

Yelling, I get up and let my entire body go up in flames, my clothes aren't flame proof and I'll probably regret this later when I trek to my room almost naked but right now I'm too frustrated to care.

I wasn't an unfeeling bastard, there was obviously a lot going on plus Selena scares me so I can do nothing but wait and bide my time. An Imperial manifesting their power is like breaking a damn, once it began it wouldn't stop. 

This is the worst case scenario because truly September is too emotionally fragile at the moment to handle this kind of news, I walk into the ocean and let my flames be put out, the cold water washing over me.

I walk back out and heat up my body without producing fire so that I'll dry up, my clothes aren't that worse for wear.

I knew I needed to burn off a little steam so I wouldn't end up slipping, just because Brenton was peaceful doesn't mean that the world isn't ending.

"I'm not cut out for this strain, honestly." I mutter to myself, trudging to my room. I hope that everyone is at least in their rooms, it wouldn't do well for a guest to flash them just because he lost control for a couple seconds.

Tomorrow would bring in better options, the Imperial is just too important for emotional strings to ruin.

♦Cyril's POV♦

I start to walk, I walk until my shoes are heavy with sand so I kick them off and continue walking.

It's funny how realization hits, it doesn't come like a slab of ice or a huge wall or crashing waves, it just comes.

Like when you blink after waking up and the world becomes clear but I can't get clarity, I don't want to see.

I never did, seeing now wouldn't change anything, it would just make me lose what I've been struggling for, what I've been fighting for.

It's going to make me lose what I'll never get, what I'll never have.

 The beach is really big and the house is too far behind now, I'm far from civilization too because this is the far end of the beach that no one else really comes to and I would definitely combust if other people's thoughts got into my head just now.

I walk until my sore feet are bleeding but I keep walking until there's nowhere else to run to.

I hold my head and crumble to my knees, tears blinding me.

I stare at my shaking hands through blurry eyes.

What have I done?

I'm the big brother.

I'm supposed to protect.

I'm supposed to keep them safe.

But inside I am still the little boy who just wanted his mommy back.

So I sacrificed my baby sisters lives for that, I laugh a little.

It's funny how I didn't even feel guilty so self centered and selfish that I easily convinced myself that it was for the best.

Mother always knows what's best so if she says take Selena's memories away, it has to be for her safety right?

And if she hurls September off a cliff? It's because she loves her, right?

I claw at my face, trails of blood leaking down my wet and sandy face. There's nobody around but it's so loud in my head.

The voices are screaming and roaring.

They want blood.

And I… I just want my mother.

♦Selena's POV ♦

I clean September up and change her into a comfortable hoodie, it wouldn't do for her to catch a cold. She was always delicate like that, I smile bitterly even though human sickness shouldn't affect vampires. I used to know all these until Cyril took them away.

I almost want to take September and run for it but I don't, I can't because that would be accepting Mother's choices.

I tuck her in and place a cold kiss on her head, so much has happened to her that she didn't deserve, so many things she never asked for.

I'm tempted to slide in the bed with her so we would sleep together like we used to do as children, before I lost my memories but I hesitate, not wanting to overwhelm her. I'm pretty sure she would prefer to sleep all alone, especially after all that happened today.

I take all of her dark moods and try to lighten them, her  furrowed expression easing is the best thing I've seen all day and it makes me smile.

I would do right by September, now.

I decide with conviction, dematerializing straight to my room.

I clean up quickly while processing everything I've learnt today at the same time. Which could be easily summarized into a couple sentences.

September is the Imperial.

Mother is a bitch.

Cyril is her pawn.

And Dad is oblivious.

Neruda is not coming anywhere within twenty feet of my twin.

And I… I have a date with Mother.