“As Reality Crumbles”
Chapter Four: Ties That Bond
She stepped into the human’s home as her eyes took in her surroundings. This world was…different to say the least and her spirit was still adjusting after all she had made it endure. She was getting by solely on what she was able to pull from Alexius’ mind when she forced a connection to him soon after landing in this reality. An alternate name was necessary, so she had become Nina Jade. A place to stay would be convenient, so she grabbed a bulletin of sorts for this world and looked through until she found possibilities. Of all of the ones she had seen, this one was most intriguing. Why? Because this place, only this one in a reality already dull and boring with the prejudice against other worldly things that were common in her home, seemed to surge with a mystic energy that called to her. So, being curious, she wanted to go there, perhaps draw from the energy that intrigued her so.
She watched the one with the reddish gold hair. He reminded her of someone but she shrugged it off. Possibly just looked like one of the townspeople she used to torture. In the background, the younger one, who had lighter shaggy hair, was dancing to a song that went on about bringing sexy back. Whatever that meant.
“My name is Brian.” The older one had said. “It’s not a palace, but it’s a nice place, roomy even for three people. That goof over there is my little brother, Nick. And the rent isn’t terribly high.” He stepped aside so she could come in.
Money. What they used for trading things here. Well magick could conjurer this world’s money up. She grinned, this place intrigued her still. Also for some reason, the two strangers soothed her dark tumultuous soul that burned for destruction. After being restless so long, it had finally begun to settle. Perhaps these two after she formed some kind of relationship with them, even though it would be false and for her own selfish purposes, would reveal why there was such energy around them. It would keep her busy in her forced quiet moments between messages to her other half she was bound to by fate again and again.
This would do.
This would do nicely.
***************
Alex felt the pain of his twin’s death as it happened, the raw feeling. It brought back memories he hated reliving. He felt her confusion about this world. Her prodding through his mind forcefully as he saw the images of their stepmother after she had done her handiwork. He shuddered. Then he had seen their father, and his rage. And how he had thought Alex was the cause of it all when it was not so. He had not known the blame rested on him for Nickoli’s death, and that Nyxnia had claimed she killed him trying to save Nickoli. He stumbled back on a chair in the living room. Stunned and drained from the drill of images and search through his own mind which had no privacy now. His sister had made that far too clear now. He looked up Orlando who seemed to be holding him up. His head spun as he groaned a bit.
“You passed out.” The older man said softly, a small bit of his Opalius accent coming out, which sounded a bit like a British accent if one listened close enough.
“She made us connect again.”
Kay raised a brow as she helped Alex up and over to the couch in the living room as the three sat. She gestured for a thick leather-bound book and it floated into Orlando’s lap with a soft thud. It was the legends of their mystic land they once called home. “She forced it on you?”
He nodded, “It was intense. I saw some things but she was really forceful this time, I’ve never connected with her like that before.”
Orlando and Kaorinite shared a troubled glance. “She was searching for information I think.” He replied as he opened the book Kay dropped in his lap moments before.
Alex rubbed his head tiredly as he leaned back against the comfort of the chair. His head throbbed with red hot intensity to the beat of a tribal drum. “I got flashes along with the ones in her mind, of what she was looking for. She wanted to know how I survived staying hidden here. How I fit in, how I get on. Customs…” He sighed. “Lucky for me she didn’t care about where I am yet.”
“Yet. That is the key word.”
A solemn nod came from both males in the house. Orlando took the book and opened it with the thud sound echoing with finality around the room. “We have to prepare.”
Kaorinite nodded. “I’ll go talk to Hannah and see if there are any new bloodbaths that might be connected to us.”
Alex looked at her with sadness and fear within his big expressive eyes. “You really think she’d murder random people here to send as messages?”
A stern look comes into the woman’s chocolate orbs. “I don’t doubt any possibility with her now. She’s here when I thought she wouldn’t be right? I wouldn’t put any nightmare past the girl.” She replied with a ferocity that surprised even Orlando and Alexius as she grabbed her purse, and left the house then. All that was heard afterwards was the sound of an engine running as she sped away from the seemingly quiet home.
******
Fury controlled his essence, his very being. His eyes saw nothing but red. Red all over the floors of his beloved daughters’ room. Red is what had flowed from his now mutilated wife. Messages left behind, for him to see. A game it was for the murderer behind this. A game to enrage him, taunt him, play with him as a cat would with a mouse. He took little notice of the fact the body of Nyxnia was gone from the room. He figured one of his menservants removed it from his sights. Smart man, whoever did it. His jade eyes had gone dark, almost pure black with unspeakable emotions. This one he had thought weak once, and he had been wrong. Memories of the one behind this burn his mind he tried to cloud with darkness. But he could not forget. He had been wrong about that boy. Far wrong…
The twins played in the front yard, screams of joy echoed around. The girl heard one of the many typical moans of those in the dungeon below, and began to cry. She was like her mother, far too sensitive for this world. His wife then, Belinite was at his side, about to go to them when he held her back.
“They will not toughen if you baby them Bell.”
“But they’re my babies,” she said with a weak sigh. Her eyes caught their newest guest, a woman by the name of Parisian, in the distance. A guest of Kevinicus. Her eyes burned with suspicion but that was shoved aside when her children caught her attention again.
Their son Alexius, held his sister as she cried for the person she could not see who the one behind the groans of pain was. He cried out, wanting nothing more than for his twin to be happy. “Dad! They’re making Nyxie sad!”
He shook his head and yelled back in frustration. “Do not protect your sister from the world! Meddling with female affairs makes you weak!”
“But dad! Why must we hurt people!?” Nyxnia cried, her eyes filled with childish tears at the tender age of ten years.
“Kevin,” The young Belinite said in a soft tone, pushing her dark blond hair away from her delicate face. “They are only children.”
“And they are terribly weak. It is not my genes so the blame rests on you. I am here to undo what nature put upon them with help from your heritage.” he pushed past her and headed downstairs towards the door.
“My heritage is one of power!”
“And is weakened by emotion. My sole son shames me. My daughter has power but is too soft to use it. My heirs are abominations in my eyes. I am to fix what curse you threw upon them.” He finally roared with finality, slamming the door behind him as he went to his children. He snatched them by their arms and pulled them up roughly. As he did, Nyxnia in upset and in rage, accidentally used her power in an unexpected way. Kevin flew to the wall slamming against it in pain. Alexius looked on in shock from where the two fell when he was thrusted back. Nyxnia stared in shock before both twins ran to him begging for forgiveness.
“Dad, please don’t be mad at Nyxnia, it was an accident…please…”
And then, by ironic fate, he, who had protected his sister most, was the one who killed her. It seemed unfathomable, and yet he did. He had killed his younger brother, and Nyxnia had fought him, and had killed him trying to defend Nickoli. So they had thought. Now it turned out he had not died, just hid till the opportune moment.
“Dad, please don’t be mad at Nyxnia, it was an accident…please…” The voice of his son echoed in his mind. Now was the time to finish this. He now had no heir. Nyxnia and Parisian had been his property and his own flesh and blood had them destroyed. His jaw clenched as he began to concoct a spell to cross the realities where his son would be. He was no longer in Dakria, or he would sense him. He gathered what he needed for a tracking spell as well.
It was time for a father/son reunion.
**************
Kaorinite walked along the calm streets of the suburbs of Las Vegas. The sun was gently setting with a various mix of soft hues. The breeze blew softly as the light began to fade, taking the intense heat with it. Her friend was beside her, Hannah Summerton, one of the most respected cops in Las Vegas. She had been the one who helped her adjust to this odd yet interesting world. With Kaorinite’s cover as a private investigator, the two have helped each other in many occasions, helping to capture many psychopaths and land them where they belonged. It interested Kay for it seemed here, there were many like Kevinicus and Nyxnia. Now her eyes had to be sharp for Nyxnia’s trademarks, for surely the girl would lash out soon to reach her twin. Over her time here protecting Alex, she had come to care for him as if he were really her little brother. The two did have ties to each other, but not like that of their bond. But it was something she wished not to think of.
“Usually when you pull me out, it’s because you know of someone trying to kill innocent people.” Hannah said with a small grin, breaking the silence between them as they walked. Both were sufficiently protected if some boy thinking he was a man tried anything. Hannah had lighter brown hair than Kaorinite, shorter as well, only shoulder length. Her eyes were seemingly ever-changing from a brown filled with gold, to a gentle hazel.
“I don’t know for sure, but I do have a hunch. A client came to me for protection and he was so kind, I have more than the typical reason to keep him safe. “The heels of her boots clickety clacked, being the only noise besides the occasional cars that drove by them.
“Anyone I know?”
“Why,” She teased, “To go and make Joely jealous?” Joel was Hannah’s beloved boyfriend, a music reviewer, and it surprised Kay that they hadn’t married. Then again, any who knew the truth about hers and Orlando’s relationship could say the same.
Her friend laughed happily. “He’d be no more jealous than Orlando. But seriously, is he?”
“No, but I have bonded with him. And the one who’s after him is dangerous from what he tells me. Dangerous on a new level.”
“Hannibal level type?”
“Pretty damn close.”
She nodded, her now hazel eyes clouding with worry for what Kay was getting into. She was known for taking risks, letting her emotion decide how to handle cases, and acting as if she believed herself invincible sometimes. “A name behind his pursuer? You might need help on this Kay.”
“I don’t know her real name, only the name she went by once. I could describe her, but…” She shrugged. “It wouldn’t be detailed enough.” That much was true. She hadn’t seen the girl since Nyxnia was but a child…
“Well an old name is better than nothing,” Her hands played with her purse as she searched for a piece of gum. Or even a poptart. Hannah was known for putting poptart packages in her purse for she snacked when she was contemplating or nervous. Never gained a pound. It made some of the more; well she would say bulgy cops jealous.
“She went by Nyxnia Jadis”
“Wow now doesn’t that sound like a wannabe movie serial killer.”
“She was for real though; my client was freaked by even telling me the story.”
“What is she known for?”
“Bloodbaths and weird signs. Just keep an eye for me Hannie.”
“Did we end up in the already bad Blair Witch Project’s sequel?”
“There was a sequel, it was better than original.” Truth be told, Kay had gotten into watching movies hoping to adapt better. It hadn’t worked but she had found a form of amusement at least amidst all the trouble headed towards them.
“Oh lord, glad I don’t watch flicks much.”
“But to be serious, she leaves stuff you would only see in that kind of movie. Let me know if you come on any case like that.” Her dark brown orbs show the worry and concern for her friend, the caring heart she had within behind the tough aura she threw around her.
Hannah nodded, wondering what new dark adventure she was getting into anytime she helped Kaorin out. “Of course, now come on, let’s get some food. This is Vegas, I’m sure some decent place is open.”
As the two headed down towards a Denny’s for brownie sundaes, a sinister gaze hid in the back, dissipating itself into the darkness and back to the essence it belonged. The source chuckled, Kaorinite should have known better. She was never alone enough to speak safely in this world now.
Author's Chapter Notes:
And here is another spankin' new chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and messages I've gotten. I'm surprised at how you guys like it so much, and appreciate it. It keeps my muse alive hehe. Enjoy the chapter.
