Bloodlines: Everything That Glitters (35 page)

Nothing seemed to matter anymore, my mind had completely given up and I was allowing it. A few seconds later, I saw Skylarks silhouette in the doorframe, yet I didn’t turn any of my attention to her.

“She did this, Masaya did this,” she said, stepping deeper into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed.

The room was completely dark except for a little bit of light that peeked through from the living room. “Where is my brother?” I asked again with my face planted deep into my dad’s pillow.

“We flew into a cloud, as we’ve done countless times before, but this time was different. When we came through the cloud, Ash had disappeared. I tried going back through the same cloud but it’d disappeared. I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming,” she replied.

I could tell she was still crying, so was I. I lifted my head from the pillow and looked down at the golden stains. If this had happed when they were alive, my dad would be so upset. I tried to force the thoughts away from me, I didn’t want to think of it, I didn’t want to think of anything.

“Did Masaya do that too?” I asked quietly.

In the living room, I heard the paramedics moving through the room and calling for forensics. It was nothing they could do, I’d find the killer myself and bring her to justice.

“Do you have any idea where she may take him?”

“No,” she laid flat on the bed and cried louder.

Nikko stepped into the room and came to the bed and sat down beside me and rubbed my arm. “The officers need to speak with you,” he said sadly.  

Ash

I’ve woken up in a dark room; the cold musty air burns my senses as I strain to regain sight. The room is completely blurry for now and the last thing I remember, well, I don’t remember anything, including nothing from my day at all. I immediately panic, hoping, but not hoping that Alizarin is here with me.

“Aliza? Skylark? Is anybody in here?” I search the haziness and try to force my perfect vision through the fog. Nothing works, and no one answers.

A dim flash of light peeks through the darkness, seeming to wink at me; as if begging me to come closer. My body shivers to no end, the cold is nearly unbearable and throwing off all of my senses. I decided to gravitate towards the light- against my better judgment. Maybe there’s heat coming from it.

I know very well that I
cannot think anything to Aliza without first being able to see her, I just pray for now that she will miss me enough to pull me from this freezer and save me.

What seems as the chains of a cellar door jingle loudly through the room, echoing off of the stone walls. I scramble backwards as I realize the light id come towards earlier was coming
from the other side of a large door. Utterly revealing what I’d feared most- I’ve been captured.

“Glad you’re awake, young human.”

Her voice is unfamiliar to me. I struggle to stand on my feet and the first attempts fail, I fall with my belly flat against the cold stone. “W-Where am I?” my teeth chatter together as I try to even think straight under these temperatures. Vulnerability washes over me and again, I find myself on the unforgiving floors.

“A place you will stay until you tell us what we want to hear,” the speaker remains unseen, blending with the shadows. She steps in further but does not shut the door completely.

I quickly attempt to make as many versions of myself as possible, in an effort to confuse her while the real me runs out of the door. I soon realize that I no longer have the strength, let alone the power. My body gives out on me mid-way through my first copy, and I once again crash to the ground.

“It’s a strange thing what can happen to
one’s power when exposed to freezing temperatures. I’m afraid you’re stuck with us,” she snickers. Her boots beat against the stone floors and I look up, able to see her for the first time.

“Bethany?” I whisper in confusion.

“So you do still have your memory,” she squats down and lifts my head up by my hair and looks into my eyes. “You’re scared, why?”

I roll my weakened eyes. “What do you want from me?”

“Information,” she answers, letting my head go. “Information is all I need, and you can go home. Though I’m not entirely sure at this point whether or not you have a home to go to.”

I can’t help the shakes as they over take me. “I’ll give you all the information you need to know for a little warmth,” I demand. Though it probably came out less like a demand and more like a plea.

“Good, tell us everything you can about your sister and her power and you can have all the warmth you want,” she steps out onto the other side of the door and comes back with a tiny space heater.

“What do you want to know about Aliza’s power for?”

“Isn’t it obvious by now? Your sister holds a one-of-a-kind power, I have to get it before Masaya does. I’ve already killed your parents.”

My heart threatens to jump from my chest at her words. “You’re lying,” I say, pulling myself up and onto my feet once again, somehow finding a hidden strength.

“Tell me what I want to know, Ash.”

I slid my feet across the cold floors as I make my way closer to her, spit flies from mouth and lands directly under her right eye. “Go to hell.”

“You first,” she smiles, then steps out of the room. This time, two very large beastly men take her place in the room. “Have fun,” she whispers over her shoulder as she disappears around the corner.

The door slams behind them and I find myself outnumbered and out strengthened. My own screams
echo from the cold stone and pierce my ears as the monsters begin to tear into my flesh.

Please, please help me
. I pray to a god I’m not sure exist anymore.