Axel came to the top of the stairs to see Myriah holding Jasmine to the wall right in front of him with her hand wrapped around the witches throat. Naturally, Jasmine had a dagger to the lavender eyed girls throat.
Part of him knew Myriah and Jasmines relationship was rocky at best. They simply didn't trust one another...
What had him vexed though was the elf.
Edymond was calmly coming out of his room holding a beautifully decorated box that looked to have been sealed.
He was a powerful creature, but he was motionless while these two girls fought one another.
"Release her." Axel commanded. Myriah spun on him, silver eyes burning. They looked as though they were tainting.
"She's the reason the mission went astray." Myriah ground out in defiance. "You dare to protect her?" Axel narrowed his eyes, instinct taking over at this point. "Release the girl." He ground out again, his own silver eyes tainting to a dangerous black. He wanted her compliance. And he would have it.
However this time Myriah gave nothing. The little groups hypocrisy ran too deep and cost her too much. This time she fought the pull and she deliberately disobeyed his words.
Edymond gently placed the box down and he whispered a spell to protect it before coming between Myriah and the Vampire. This only served to anger Axel more.
"I am over twice your age, elf. Your magic will hold no effect on me." Axel ground out. "And you are weaponless. Don't be a fool."
"You will not stop the Goddess." Edymond murmured, "Even if you kill me, she will get what she seeks." Axel growled low in his throat as he started to pace the tiny distance between the railing and the wall. Of all the times for Edymond to favor his blind loyalty to Myriah, it had to be in the middle of a whole confrontation...
Axel felt his infamous paper thin patience snap. It was a fraction of a second that made him growl low in his throat while he caught Myriahs heated gaze. Her emotions were red hot and chaotic. He couldn't tell which was distortion and which was rational thinking... Axel narrowed his eyes and tore his gaze from Myriahs.
Myriahs eyes snapped back to the struggling witch in her hold and her eyes narrowed as she dissolved Jasmines dagger and proceeded to raid the witches mind. Seeing Axel resembled a caged animal only served to fuel Myriahs own anger.
Her chest felt heavy. Tight. As if someone was gripping her heart in a painful squeeze that didn't let up. She dared to say it was difficult to breathe. Axel dared to come for this tiny girl? He had the nerve to protect her?!
She was a traitor at best... why protect a traitor? Why protect her fathers creation?!
Myriah was not gentle in surfing through the witches memories and thoughts. She was not merciful with her own memories either. The slip of a girl would not get off easy because some were clueless enough to fear Axel... Myriah ground her teeth together, what could be so scary about Axel? His temper? His power? Myriah scoffed at the thought.
She was even angrier that he was trying to stop her from getting the information that she wanted. Axel stood by when she did it to Mika, he watched when she shared with Tyler and took from Edymond.
So why was he stopping her now? Now when she was taking from this witch? Why come to this little traitors rescue?
The questions first answer served to make Myriahs bright eyes darken as she proceeded to torment Jasmine. The pixie like girls whimper made Myriah grin in an arrogant way that had Axel taking a step toward her.
"Myriah-"
Myriah glared at him, her eyes burning. Axel staggered back as her emotions bombarded him. He tried to center himself but when his eyes met hers, he was bombarded again. Myriah was confused, more so she was hurt. And the hurt is what he held onto...
Axel was prepared for the third attack and he was about to reach Myriah when Edymond came between them again.
"You will not stop her, vampire."
Axel growled and held the elf by his throat completely cutting off his oxygen. "You will give your life to ensure she gets what she wants? Are you so blindly devoted?"
"If.." Edymond gasped, "that..." Axel growled, he relaxed his grip enough for the elf to finish his sentence, "is her wish..." the thought only served to upset the vampire. Such blind devotion. It was as admirable as it was foolish.
With a movement of his index finger, Axel knocked the elf out. Myriah watched Edymond fall into a lifeless heap on the floor next to the box that she wanted. The box that she would have had this little pest not intervened.
She pressed into Jasmines throat and she made the witches second dagger appear in her hand.
"I should kill you now for your treachery." Myriah pointed the dagger at the green eyed girls heart. "You almost cost Mika her life." Myriah watched the thin line of blood that slid from where the pointed end of the dagger into Jasmines pale skin. "You nearly had that boy killed." Myriah pressed the dagger further. "A child!" Myriah whispered harshly. Jasmine could only try to hold the lavender eyed girls gaze as she felt herself giving in to the lack of oxygen.
"Myriah-" Myriah growled at the sound of Axels voice, "You want your filthy wench so badly?" The purple eyed girl sneered, "then go ahead and have her."
With a screech, Myriah threw a limp Jasmine into Axels open form. Making them both fly down the stairs, with Axel shielding a now unconscious Jasmine the whole way down.
Myriah glared at them, her chest heaving. She watched Axel slowly get to his feet and hand Jasmine to a confused Tyler.
"Get her out of here. I'll retrieve the elf."
Such tenderness... the thought made Myriah growl and pace as she silently prayed that Tyler would just leave so that she wouldn't unintentionally hurt him.
"Myriah, what-"
"Go." Axel ordered as he shoved Tyler in the direction of the living room.
Part of Myriah knew that she should stop, but everything was too far beyond her control, it felt as though she was watching herself from outside her body. She thrust her hand forward with a screech, releasing the dagger. Axel caught it and put it on top of the bookshelf that was behind him.
"Myriah, we can talk about this..." Axel stated as he held his empty hands out in front of him, "I should have explained the entire situation to you...."
Myriah had to admire how handsome he was. How perfect... "You and me, we can sort it all out and-" -and then the image of him protecting that wench surfaced and her anger came back tenfold... burning tears slid down her cheeks as she gave way to her emotions. Confusion, anger, hurt, were at the forefront of what she was feeling. It was burning her from the inside out...
Axel slowly approached her with his hands held out before him in surrender. Offering. Comfort.
Myriah wanted none of it. Not when he just gave it to that wench. Not with that hands that held that traitor so gently.
Her chest constricted painfully as the objects around her started to lift and swirl about. Axel felt his knees buckle under the immense power she was releasing...
The elder vampire barely had time to duck before a vase came flying toward him. Axel watched it shatter against the wall behind him.
"Why protect her?!" Myriah cried as she hurled another object at him. She was angry. Angry at Axel. Angry at Jasmine. Angry at her situation...Angry that the one thing she craved… she was forced to give up…
Myriah was angry at her lack of knowledge and know how. She was angry for Syrena, Tyler...
She was angry at Jasmine for being a traitor and receiving protection from the ones who were supposed to be against her so called father....
Why was Jasmine here? Why did Axel have to protect her? Why...
Axel didn't register his brother coming to his side or Atoli appearing in front of Myriah who fell into her arms crying.
Mika slowly came into the area and she gently patted Axels shoulder.
"In her defense you should have told her about Jasmine from the get go."
Before Axel could reply, Mika was in Tyler's arms being carried back to her room. "You're still hurt." He muttered by way of explaining.
Angalo held his hands up when Axel looked to him for guidance, "There's no saying what you could have or should have done little bother. Let Atoli tend and calm Myriah. You should cool down as well." They watched Atoli coax Myriah into her arms. It was a small struggle before the magic completely left Myriahs body. Atoli caught Axels gaze and her expression softened.
"Do not fret, I will tend to her while you gather yourself." Axel nodded stiffly and he watch Myriah and Atoli go into Myriahs room.
"Come, little brother."