Blood Red

For my Auntie Sue, I miss you and I can't believe it's been a year. R.I.P <3 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Twenty Three- A Child’s Revenge

The night air was cool against my skin as the soft breeze ruffled my hair. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax. So much had been said, so much had been learned and yet there was still so much that needed to be asked. I didn’t know how I was coping. I didn’t know how long I would last before I just collapsed from the weight of it all.

Melinda was my mother. Eric Blaze was my father. Jared was my half brother. Michael was my uncle. I’d had a sister named Violet. Violet had been killed when I was just a baby. Ty was working for the hunters. Michael was working for the hunters. I was supposed to die the night of Blood Red. Melinda was trying to kill me.

How could no one have told me any of this before? How could they keep it all a secret? Not only that but what else weren’t they telling me? The tomb, was that the place where Violet had been buried? Was that why Melinda visited every day? I didn’t know, but I was going to find out.

Just then there was a quiet click from behind me and I heard the door to the balcony open. Someone stepped out and a moment later they joined me by the rail. I didn’t look at them in case it was someone I didn’t want to talk to, but I knew they were looking at me because I could feel their eyes on my back.

“Do you want to know what really happened to me when I was younger?” Ty spoke from beside me and I almost jumped. He’d caught me off guard with both his question and his presence. I’d thought that if anyone would have come out to speak to me it would be Jared, but apparently not.

I turned to face him, trying to figure out why he’d ask something so… irrelevant. “You’ve already told me what happened to you when you were younger,” I pointed out.

“No,” he shook his head, “I haven’t and unless you know the truth then you’re not going to be able to decide what to do next.”

I frowned, “What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer, instead shifting his gaze to the view that lie before us. We were facing a large garden lit by moonlight. Hundreds of neatly pruned plants occupied the flower beds. They had been planted so that, when looked at from above, they formed an intricate pattern of delicate swirls and circles. In the centre of it all stood a grand white gazebo with handmade arches and curved posts. From what I could see there was a small fountain located in the middle of its floor and something appeared to be moving beneath the water at its base.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” he said, still not looking at me.

“Ty… What do you mean I won’t be able to decide what to do next?”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I could only assume that he didn’t know where to start since I couldn’t read his mind to find out for sure. When he opened them, he turned to look at me and I shrank away from the fierce look in them.

“Melinda didn’t help me off the streets Scarlett, Michael did. And my little sister never got put into foster care. She was taken away the day my parents died.” He rubbed his forehead and looked away. “My parents were killed when I was eight and I really did get put into care, but Hannah never made it that far. Melinda took her.”

“What?” I sounded disbelieving.

“Scarlett when I told you that the west wing was used for storage, I didn’t lie but I didn’t tell the truth either.”

“What are you talking about Ty? I don’t understand.”

“Melinda’s using the wing as a training facility. She’s been taking kids and teaching them to fight herself.”

“But that’s…”

“Unbelievable? Scarlett if you’ve learned anything about Melinda today it’s that she’s untrustworthy. Why does this seem so farfetched?”

“It’s just…” I trailed off, trying to think of something to say. “How do you know?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, you were there that day, when I broke in.” his expression had turned pleading and yet somehow I still couldn’t bring myself to believe him. “You know what, I’ll show you if you think I’m lying.”

“Wha-“

“Look into my eyes Scarlett, read my mind.”