Axel came down stairs to see Angalo sitting in his recliner, sipping on wine and reading a book. Atoli was sitting on the floor, resting her head on his knee while knitting.
The two looked content, like a hallmark picture. Axel felt the mischievous child in him raise its naughty head, grinning evilly at the perfect moment to ruin and just his frustrations. Looking at his brother and sister in law, Axel shrugged and decided to join them instead. When Angalo spoke:
"It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee; —
And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;"
***
Alexander sat at his wife's bedside, glaring at the beeping monitor. 'How did she escape' he thought, eyes widening, 'I remember the video feed, I know that I had copies…' he blindly allowed his mind to become lost to the many theories that wondered further and further from reality.
***
"But we loved with a love
that was more than love —
I and my Annabel Lee —
With a love that the wingéd seraphs in Heaven Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud,
chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee;
***
Axel leaned on the arm of the loveseat as he listened to his brother recite Atolis favorite poem: 'Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe.' Listening to the silken honied tone his brothers voice took made his mind drift to Myriah… and his concerning feelings about her.
***
"So that her high-born kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre,
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me —
Yes! — that was the reason
(as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea)"
***
Alexander numbly angled his body from his wife to take in the two beds across from her. One held his daughter… the other his son.
Wide eyes widened further… to where even he would guess they were bugging out of his head. Jason's head was just bandaged, and the blood seamed to seep through. 'Why is it the left side…'
***
"That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we —
Of many far wiser than we —
And neither the angels in Heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee: "
***
'Why do I always see that baby!?' Alexander pondered as he slowly walked toward his sons prone body. 'I don't understand it…' he willed his son to wake. Alexander looked toward Samantha who lay, hooked to machines… lost in a world of dreams. 'This is your fault.' He thought as anger burned and consumed his heart.
'If you would have just listened to me, none of this would have happened. You will pay for this.' Whitman thought darkly.
***
"For the moon never beams,
without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise,
but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee: —
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea —
In her tomb by the sounding sea."
***
'Annabel Lee…' Myriah thought as she crept down the stairs and toward the kitchen. 'Mom used to read this to me…' she thought with tears in her eyes. 'This is all his fault.' She thought bitterly. Angalos enchanting voice lulled her from her thoughts of vengeance.
***
Alexander gripped his phone as he re read the news. A guard from his facility… dead.
'Mauled by an animal…' Alexander shook his head. 'There's no way…' he searched for the feed with Myriah, there was none. All of the feed even from back in September… there was no trace of Myriah ever being in the facility.
'Someone had to have gotten her… but who? Why?'
***
Axel stood in a daze, completely hypnotized by Angalos voice. It took him to their childhood. Their mother would be knitting, and she would have asked Angalo to read to her… before he registered his body movement, he was clapping. Axels eyes widened when he heard a second set of hands clapping along with him.
"Myriah!" Atoli exclaimed as she shoved her knitting aside and climbed to her feet, "Are you unable to sleep?" Atoli rushed over to the lavender eyed beauty who quietly squealed as she was pulled past Axels shocked form and into a generous bosom.
'I didn't even sense her…' Axel thought, staring at Myriah who did her best not to meet his gaze. 'Did she have the dream too?' Axels cheeks flamed red,
"Little brother, you're looking vexed." Angalo came between the women and Axel. "You never listen to me woo my Atoli with poetry…" Axel shifted his gaze to avoid Angalos piercing eyes.
"What's vexing you?" Axels gaze shifted to Myriah, then to his brother then to his feet. "I see." Angalo hummed.
"We will talk when the girls go to sleep. Since we're up, let's talk missions!" Angalo said in a talkshow host pitch. Axel sighed, Myriah applauded and Atoli offered a thumbs up, "I'll put on some coffee…" the brown eyed woman offered, "I-I'll help!" Myriah offered as she followed Atoli.
****
"Myriah, can you tell me about earlier?" Myriahs cheeks flamed red and she choked on her cookie.
"Your confrontation with Jasmine…" Axel clarified with equally red cheeks.
"Ah…" Myriah murmured, "I want to end my fathers existence…and everything and everyone that reminds me of him." Myriah murmured darkly. "Jasmine… reminds me of him."
Angalos eyes widened. "Myriah… " Atoli started but was stopped when Axel shook his head, "Even your mother and siblings?" Axel murmured. Myriahs eyes widened, "Your mother who risked her life to keep you safe… your younger sister and baby brother who you love more than anything…" Tears filled Myriahs eyes at Axels gentle words, "They are part of him and he of them… can you kill your own family?" Myriah glared at her coffee.
"It's possible I already have…"
"I can find out." Atoli whispered. Myriah gasped, "If they are alive, I can find them…" Myriah felt her body slump as tears slid down her cheeks.
"He said I hurt them… H-he told me…" Myriah whispered as she tried and to wipe at her tears.
"People say cruel things when they are hurt." Axel whispered as he brought a tissue and wiped Myriahs tears. "And cruel people deal with their guilt by hurting others… Alexander Whitman is cruel, Myriah." He held her face in his hands and stared into her teary eyes.
"He is a monster, and a coward. Who comes from a line of monsters and cowards…" Myriah whimpered, "But you are not." Axel declared, "You've had monstrous and cruel things done to you, Myriah… but you are not a monstrous and cruel person." Axel assured as he kissed her forehead and pulled her into his embrace.
Atoli leaned into Angalo with tears in her eyes as Angalo watched Axel literally hold Myriah together.
"H-how do you know?" Myriah whispered, "All I feel is anger and disdain…I actually want to kill someone…"
"I've been with you since I got you out of that cage, Myriah. Lashing out at one person doesn't make you monstrous or cruel." Myriah sniffled and rested against Axel who took to stroking her hair.
Anglao tilted his head,
'What did you see when you walked in her dreams, brother?'
***
"I don't completely disagree with Jasmines assessment." Angalo murmured as he handed Myriah a fixed coffee after handing Atoli hers. "To be honest, I can't say that it's awe inspiring like the movies..." the elder vampire sighed, "there is nothing heroic about attempting to rescue innocent children who are wrongfully being condemned to death." He shrugged, "It's just the right thing to do."
Axel watched Myriah lean toward Angalo as he spoke to her. He was calm, collected, and welcoming to Myriahs questions, comments and concerns. Axel couldn't tell if the weight of the situation was dawning in her or if her mood was shifting again, but he could guess that this was helping if only for a moment...
"We try to get to children who are coming unto themselves as well as families who are on the verge of being taken. The goal is to get them underground to safety." Axel murmured after a moment of content silence. He watched Myriahs child like curiosity go back into her shell as her eyes became distant once more. The shift in her mood affected him, but not nearly as much as the ice in her voice when she spoke again: "Only God knows what my father would or could do to you.... Why would you do this?"
Angalo tilted his head, "Whole clans and species have been wiped out by Alexander." Axel murmured, "We can't sit by and let it happen without at least trying to save them." Myriah stared into Axels eyes and he cleared his throat, as a different urge came over him. "That knowing is part of what separates us from the average human..." Myriah held his gaze as if it were her life line. Axel felt his throat to dry as he became painfully aware of how close she was to him, "I'm only speaking for myself when I say this, Princess. In all of the centuries that I've been alive... I've never seen a genocide of this magnitude… even Genghis Khans cruel tyranny wasn't this bad.." Angalo murmured in gentle tones, Myriahs eyes snapped to Axels older brother who didn't miss the quiet sigh of relief that Axel released. "I've been alive for a very long time and my people have never been in danger of extinction." Angalo murmured, holding Myriahs eye. "I remember seeing massive industrial towns built by elves and vampires. Quiet villages with generations of tradition held steady by the nymphs and shifters..." "oh my.." Myriah gushed as she wondered what it could have been like for them.
"Why won't you all just kill him? M-my father I mean." Myriah asked bluntly. Axel and Angalo looked at one another before looking at Myriah.
"For some reason… we can't." Axel murmured, "Why-"
"I've tried to end the Whitman line for centuries…" Axel held Myriahs shocked gaze, "and I can never deliver the final blow."
Myriah felt her jaw drop.
"Is he like us somehow?"
Angalo shook his head, "He isn't."
"So…why?"
Angalo and Axel shared a long gaze before looking at Myriah with solemn eyes. "We don't know either."