The Mirrored Souls

12.

It was the first time having dinner with my mom's boyfriend and his son as we passed around the oven baked chicken, corn and mashed potatoes around. Next was the pitcher of iced tea with the casserole Edur made, with of course the help of his "amazing" son Leon. Getting ready to have some, the smell makes my stomach churn in queasiness. "So, did your mother get a chance to talk to you?" Edur asks, scooping some of his own food onto his plate. Pushing my plate to the side, I grab some of the salad that's there, shrugging, "We talked but I didn't say I was okay with the idea." This time my mom looks at me hitting my foot underneath the table, "She's coming around to it though, right?" I fake a half smile, "Sure." Edur nods happily while Leon slouches in the dining room chair picking at his food.

Edur looks to the both of us catching Leon and I off guard when he says, "You two should spend more time together, you know get to know one another better?"

Leon laughs, raising his eyebrow at his father.

"You're not serious are you?" He asks low.

Edur nods, "I am."

I get up without excusing myself, going to my room.

My mother apologizes on my behalf trying to be empathetic but I block it out covering my head with my pillow.

****

Darce needed a break from getting paper cuts from all the papers they had to go through by going to Moribund.

While walking in, a few vampires sneer in disgust as they smell all types of creature blood left over from the door hopping him and his brother did earlier.

He sighs sitting at the bar already being handed a drink.

"I take it you finally found Neriah," Marv says, wiping the bar surface down with a black cloth.

Darce sighs more, "Over that girl that came here a few times."

Marv nods now cleaning a glass cup, "The one that looks like your one true love that you pined over for I don't know? Decades?"

Darce slams his cup down gritting his teeth, showing his fangs, "Why must everything be about Odette? I had a life before her, you know?" He then looks up to Marv with his crimson red eyes. "Oriana isn't like her at all anyways," he taps on the cup for Marv to refill it. A small chuckle leaves Marv's lips, having Darce look at him more while putting the cup up to his lips, "What?" He takes a sip waiting for Marv to say something.

"You've been different, that's all."

Neriah pushes through the dancing vampires as he tries to get Darce, determined to get to him, he uses more strength than he meant to.

"Darce," Neriah says, wanting him to face him as he stands behind him watching as he drinks another cup of whiskey.

"Found anything?" He arrogantly says while wiping his lips as whiskey drips down on the side of them.

Neriah slams a picture and a page from the journal highlighting the name of the place and person who lives there.

"She's here. I'm sure of it."

Darce slides it over taking a look then shakes his head, "Do you know what that is? Who he is?" He points to the picture as a man and a snow covered forest is behind him. Marv looks down and sucks his teeth with disapproval, "He's one bad motherfuc-" Darce makes a motion for him to shut up and he does. "No, no please continue Marv because my asshole brother doesn't phase to amuse me when it comes to keeping things to himself," he sits a seat away from Darce as he says that.

"Edur Birch is one immortal we creatures of the night don't get tangled up with."

"So when Oriana asked if we knew you obviously did and lied," Neriah says looking to Darce pissed.

Darce shrugs, "I didn't want her to get hurt," drinking more he asks for something stronger as Neriah breathes heavily, enough for everyone to hear.

"I don't understand...how bad can he really be?" Neriah asks himself while looking back at the photo.

****

Edur walks to the car with his son with his hand on his shoulder pretending to be wishing him safety back to the house as Oriana and her mom watch from the front door but is really saying,"I just need you to keep her occupied as I get the last of her remaining power, alright? I'm already halfway there, I just need a little more time before she realizes this isn't her realm nor reality." He then smiles waving to the made up Aella he made with the manifestation of Oriana's subconscious memories.

Leon looks at Oriana really looking at her wondering how can she not tell this really wasn't her home.

His father reads his mind and chuckles, gripping his shoulder tightly, "Because son," he lowers his eyes to his, "this is a life she deeply wanted deep down minus me and you." Shaking his head he lets go,going into his car opening the passenger door for Leon but he doesn't go. "I think I'm going to take the back way," he points to where the portal Oriana saw, already walking backwards towards it.

"Fine but don't let her see you or what I've done would be for nothing and I can't have that–we can't have that."

Leon waves his father off leaving but really watching as he leaves so he can talk to Oriana.

Once it was obvious he was alone, he threw a rock at Oriana's window.

****

He climbs up falling onto the floor so I help him up confused as to why he's here and not with his dad like I saw him a few minutes ago.

"This was a weird idea right?" He asks slowly.

"You playing Romeo and then climbing up my bedroom window? Yes."

Leon sits on the ledge of the window pushing his blonde curly hair back.

"I stand firmly on when I said our parents are a bad idea," he looks down holding his hands together, "but getting to know each other isn't that bad."

What is he talking about?

"I'm sorry but you just lost me at whatever the hell that was," I sat on my bed getting dizzy, holding my head in my hands then seizing randomly.