-Ranika night-blade-
The alarm clock was blaring in background as we all sat in the small living room, announcing that a new day had just begun, 'and I still haven't gotten any real sleep, it's just one thing after another.' Blood lined the furniture from taitiana's wounds, creating a grotesque sight, "olivia, do you think you would be capable of closing her wounds, even if only a little bit?" My question seemed to startle olivia, who appeared to be lost in her own thoughts.
"I can try... but sir, I don't know if it will help. She's already lost so much blood.."
'She isn't wrong, tatiana is strong, but I'm not confident she can return from this..' I thought to myself.
"Just give it your best shot, ok?"
"Yes, sir." Her tone was resolute, which was reassuring. Stepping a few feet away from the girls I watched from the corner of the room as olivia began her task, the room was immediately engulfed in a soft green hue. Small vines erupted from olivia's palms, extending to tatiana like snakes slithering toward a meal, moving with purpose, and they pierced her tough skin.
Flowing in and out of her skin with ease, they began to stitch the wound, just as she had done with me not that long ago. 'Olivia definitely needs a reward or something. She's already been such a huge help, and it's only been a couple of days..' As I was lost in my thoughts, I hadn't even noticed that she had finished closing the wounds, with a long exhale olivia slumped to the floor. She was noticeably drained, her hair was beginning to look like it had when I first saw her, and her skin was becoming more pale by the second.
"When was the last time olivia consumed essence?" I asked gwen, seeing as she and olivia were the only ones still somewhat coherent.
"I'm fine...I just need a bit of r-rest," Olivia replied breathlessly.
Shaking my head, I walked into sophies room, when I returned, I held a blue vial in my hand. It was one of the few vials she had stashed away in case of emergency, 'I think this constitutes an emergency, right?' I thought, hoping for someone to reply to my own ill-timed joke.
In truth I hadn't heard my brothers voice since I released the lightning aura, I don't know why he suddenly stopped speaking but besides him going missing nothing else had changed, my appearance remained altered and my own voice still had an electrical charge to it, even without me using an aura. I had gotten some insight into my unique abilities, but I was left with even more questions than before. "You could've at least told me how our family stumbled upon the devourer ability.." I whispered.
"What was that ranika? Did you say something?"
"Oh, no, nothing you need to worry about, gwen."
Kneeling next to olivia, I gently lifted her chin, meeting her eyes it was clear she had expended all of her essence already. Her emerald eye was now a dull green, and she barely seemed to know what was happening. Popping the cork on the vial, I poured its contents into her mouth, and then I picked her up and laid her down in the guest room to rest.
When I returned to the living room I gave it a cursory glance my eyes landing on sophie sleeping form, she had been placed on the floor near the couch, blood had smeared her face and hair, I knew why it was there, which tore me up inside knowing that if I had been there faster she wouldnt have had to suffer like this, but I also knew she wasn't actually asleep.
"Ugh, how long do you plan on pretending to be asleep?" I asked with a hopeless tone. When there wasn't a response, I lifted my hand and conjured a needle thin bolt of lightning, causing gwen to involuntarily step back. Not bothering to explain what I was doing I let the small bolt jump from my fingertip directly at sophies chest, this wouldn't harm her of course but it would give her a hell of a jump start.
As soon as it made contact she sat up as if she was possessed, "Ok, what the fuck!"
"I gave you an opportunity to reply beforehand." I replied with a chuckle.
"You couldn't just let me lay down a bit longer?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? If I did that you'd lay there for who knows how long, also, I'm sure you have your questions. So ask them now because I'm leaving shortly to visit a "friend".
"We both know all your friends are in this apartment, so who are you really going to visit?" Though her words were true, they still stung.
"Gram told me where he was supposed to meet his "benefactor ", so I'm going in his stead. You know, might as well meet the person who wants me dead." I said with a smile twitching at my lips.
"I'm coming with you and I won't take no for answer ra-ra. He not only targeted you but all of us, so I think I have a right to come with." Noticing the stubborn look on her face I knew I wouldn't be able to convince her out this, "Very well but you aren't allowed to fight sophie, I'm sorry."
"Why the hell not?!"
"Is that a fucking joke? I had to carry you in here because you pushed yourself too damn far, again." I scolded, but I wasn't done yet. "You know better than anyone that you can't use life essence like the rest of our kind, yet you did it again and how did that work out for you? You almost fucking died, if it wasn't for me arriving when I did you and gwen wouldn't be here."
"I just...I wanted to help.." She replied, her face had become crestfallen, appearing like a kid who just got reprimanded by their parents.
"I know you did, to be honest I'm grateful for what you did sophie. If it wasn't for you buying time I don't think things would've ended the way they did, so in that regard you did well but you were still incredibly reckless. Also, gwen, I have an issue to discuss with you as well."
"What did I do?!" She replied, she was visibly panicked by my mention of her.
"Mind telling me why you didn't do shit throughout that entire ordeal?" My voice was cold and judgemental, but it was for good reason. If gwen had helped sophie I'm sure they could've both gotten away with minor injuries rather than sohpie going too far again.
"I, uhm, look ranika. I froze up ok? When I saw that it was gram I just...I couldn't bring myself to hurt one of my own...."
"You had no issue threatening my life just a day ago, so that's bullshit and you know it gwen."
"That was different! You were hiding things from me ranika!" She had gotten more defensive as the conversation progressed, 'I'm not even that mad at her, I just want her to give me an actual reason.' I thought while a large sigh escaped my lips.
"Yes, I was hiding things from you. The difference between that and what gram did is that I didn't threaten those around you gwenavere. So, seriously, why the hell didn't you do anything."
"I was...I was too shocked ranika. He was someone I had trusted for years, so when I saw him hurt tatiana and sophie, I froze..." Her voice had begun to break as she held back her tears, moving closer I pulled her in to a hug and spoke softly.
"Ok gwenavere, thank you for at least telling me the reason, that's all I needed."
Letting go of her I turned to sophie, "If you are coming, let's go. I don't know what time the meeting was supposed to be, but showing up early and surveying the area will give us an upper hand."
Before we left both me and sophie had put on robes of different colors that we had bought awhile ago, not for hiding ourselves but because they were cheap, 'and she said that I was just being a penny pincher, looks like me buying them payed off, huh?' I couldn't help but giggle at my own internal comedy, which made sophie suspicious.
"Seriously? What could be even remotely funny right now?"
"Just thinking about how you said these robes were essentially a waste of money and that i couldn't afford anything that was worthwhile." I shot back with a smirk.
"How do you even remember that?" A small grin was tugging at the corner of her lips as she suppressed her own urge to giggle.
"You should know that my memory is impeccable. After all, it goes back quite a few years." I started to laugh out loud at our ill-timed conversation. It was helpful, though. Our banter continued like this as we made our way through the city, making the time fly by quickly. Before we knew it, we were standing in front of Lutes tavern.
It was definitely not somewhere I would've guessed an evil mastermind would be at. The building was slightly run down but not to the point that it looked dilapidated. The windows had the shutters closed and the heavy wood doors were something of an oddity to see nowadays, 'Well I suppose if I was going to plan shit in secret this would be a good place to do so.'
Sophie was giving me a puzzled look, but before I could ask her why she started speaking, "Are you sure this is the place? I mean...I certainly wouldn't speak about treason and other crimes in a run-down tavern like this."
"Yes, I'm sure. Gram was a total piece of garbage, but I don't think he would've gained anything by lying to me at the time."
"Alright, if you say so. I guess we should get this party started, huh?" She said while putting the hood up on her turquoise colored robe.
"Yeah....it definitely will be a party." I responded, my voice came out sharp and threatening. I was well past being patient, 'Time to pay this benefactor back tenfold.'