Edymond sighed as he approached his room. Surely he could use the wisdom of his elder right now… would it be safe to bring Myriah back? Should she stay with the vampire? There are too many questions with no real answer… the elf gasped when he saw Myriah standing at his door with her fingers laced together at her chest.
"I'm here for the box." Myriah greeted. Edymond felt himself instinctively step backwards. "I-" His heart was hammering in his chest. Any words he tried to speak were clogged at this throat. He was almost scared to look into Myriahs eyes but found himself doing it anyways.
"G-G-Goddess..." Edymond stammered as his body started to tremble. "I-"
"Isn't it for me?" Myriah asked innocently.
Edymond felt himself take another step back. "Wasn't it your elders wish that I come back with you?"
"T-The vampire-"
"Should be the least of your worrries, don't you think?" Myriah asked with an innocent tilt of her head. 'Could this girl… really be as innocent as she looks?' It was a loaddd question, Edymond internally reprimanded himself. After all… he was briefly told of the hell she endured at her own fathers hands.
***
"What if she does know what she's doing?" Angalo asked after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Is it possible…that…" "It's not a completely impossible thought." Kain murmured, "She was mapping out her powers every chance she got while we were captured. As her ability to fight was manipulated from her she took to her own experimentations while alone in that cell..."
Kain let the thought drift... his visibly shuddered, "I remember…" he whispered, "I watched all of it happen… right before she destroyed the facility.... her aura was always full of anger more than it was tinged with sadness."
Axel clenched his fists, "She was already broken in their eyes. To them, she was already losing her mind, as most children brought to that place did." Angalo hissed a breath. So much was left from the reports… "And one day five males took her to a different room..." Kain unfolded his hands and let them see the scars on them. Axel felt his heart drop. He knew where this was going and what it meant for Kain, Angalo… even himself… "I held the bars and was electrocuted until after I passed out. I don't know what I was trying to do or... I just knew... I knew that I had to protect her… I needed to get her away from them." Kain sighed as silent tears slid down his cheeks, "…Even unconscious, I heard her screams…" He whispered, Axel growled low in his throat. 'The memory was so distorted in the dream… I'm guessing they heavily sedated her in an attempt to keep her docile…' "I am a student of the great dragon himself. I am personally charged with keeping her safe… and I failed."
***
"G-goddess..." Edymond shakily took a knee, and he bowed his head, too ashamed to look into her eyes. "Please forgive me, I-"
"I am no goddess, Edymond. I just want to know what's in the box." Myriah sang as she fingered the hem of her shirt. "It opened when you saw me so that means it's for me right?" She was more curious than anything. Myriah watched Edymonds shaking form and she dismissed the remorse she felt for indulging in his mind. It was a cruel act, she knew...
However, there was no trust in keeping secrets... Every single person in this house was delusional at best. 'Trust your comerades…' Myriah internally sneered at the thought: 'What comerades?'
"Is that not what your elder said?" Myriah murmured in gentle tones, "To guide me to them?"
***
"I could hear her screaming..." Kain whispered, of the memories to have... those he wished to forget... "And when I came to... the whole facility was destroyed and she was asleep."
Axel growled low in his throat. "She stayed asleep for a month or two, woke up and slept again until you lot came for us." Kain murmured, "I can't say what they did to her before she destroyed the facility... I don't even-"
"It is unkind to speak of a lady outside of her presence." Syrena sang as she made her way to where the boys watched her warily. "You shouldn't walk around like that." Angalo muttered as he tossed a throw that was near him at the mermaid who caught it and looked at the elder vampire confused. Axel has since averted his gaze and allowed his thoughts to plague him.
'She couldn't tell what happened? Perhaps Spryiana blocked the memory for her own well being?' His silver eyes narrowed, 'In her dream she heard screaming and wondered if it was her or if it was the memories of that room…' He felt his heart skip a beat when he allowed his eyes to land on the mermaid.
"You know…" he gasped, Syrena nodded. "Yes. I know. I was there when it happened. I heard her too."
"You were in an entirely different facility." Angalo murmured, at which Syrena tilted her head, "Was I?" She asked ina chilling tone, "You already didn't know of the extent Myriah was hurt… "
Angalo felt his breath hitch. "What are you saying?" Syrena pursed her lips at his tone and she chose to favor Kain rather than answer Angalos question.
***
Edymond helplessly gazed into Myriahs silver eyes. He knew that she was angry. That she felt betrayed… In being forced to give up the boy, Myriah felt what little trust she had in this group vanish. Edymond knew that she wasn't as calm and docile as the others thought her to be... the tantrums that she got to see, were simply mishaps. Moments where the over flowing emotion got the better of her. He just didn't anticipate that he would be on the receiving end of her anger.
"You shouldn't use your powers on your team mate." Jasmine murmured from the top of the stairs where she watched Myriah glare at a kneeling Edymond.
"You really should mind your own business." Myriah snapped. "Unless you want to be next." Jasmine could say that she was scared, but having dealt with Axels threats for far longer than those of a new born, she would not let her fear show.
"This has nothing to do with you, Witch." Edymond murmured. Jasmines eyes widened, the elf's voice was trembling just a moment ago so why was he so calm now?
Before she could register what the elf was saying, she felt Myriah's intimidating aura completely smother her own.
"Or better: I can start with you." Myriah murmured from behind Jasmine whose green eyes widened 'When did she-'. "Why don't you tell us why we were ambushed?" Before the pixie like girl knew what was happening, a slender hand cupped her cheek and she was forced to look into burning lavender eyes.
"Why don't you tell me… that you are fully aware of my fathers… "condition." And that Mika being shot from the sky… was no accident."
***
Atoli appeared and wrapped the throw around Syrenas shoulders. The mermaid blinked as she took note of how the men before her had their gazes averted. She noticed that the sorcerer was clenching his fists so hard, his knuckles were white.
"You are no longer among pigs that call themselves men." Atoli promised as she guided Syrenas hands to hold the throw in place. Angalo sighed, "I remember the green eyed girl." Syrena murmured with clear blue eyes.
Angalo and Axel sighed. 'Naturally she would…' Angalo was about to explain when Syrena spoke first.
"When I opened myself to Myriah, I didn't get a lot from her. There was an imprinted memory but..." Syrena sighed, "She has yet to reach it. As calm as she made me feel..." Angalo tilted his head, completely interested, of them Syrena was the biggest empath. Where Myriah could share feelings and control them, Myriahs healing was solely in her magic. It was beautiful to see. Syrenas healing was through the intimacy of shared feelings. "She is hurting, and she's angry." The mermaid murmured as she curled into Atolis arms. "And I fear... that her pain will consume her. And it will destroy us."
Angalo hummed in thought while Atoli rubbed comforting circles on the blue eyed girls back.
"I felt..." Syrena tried and failed to blink away her tears, "I felt darkness..." she whispered. Axels eyes widened and Angalos narrowed. Before anyone could reply, a series of thumps and bumps sounded from the stairs. A loud crash sounded and Axel rushed to the site. Syrena held Angalos gaze for a long moment and she leaned close to him.
"You've been betrayed… Mr. Ryan's…"