Shattered Line

Chapter 14: An Unforgettable Past

"Isla!" Layla shouted. Her footsteps pitter-pattered against the marble floor. With time favoring the frustrated, Layla trumped Isla's position. "Wait, where are you going?"

She stalled Isla's escape, her lithe body blocking her path. Isla stared at the red-cheeked woman. Her beauty amplified by her quivering lips and shaking fists.

Glancing away, Isla stepped to her left, passing her with an easy stride. She expelled any thought or rebuttal of their potential exoneration. Nothing could fix the past. Even the glittering eyes and shocking reunion balked when faced with cold, hard facts. Nine years old, not a day older, she'd been left to die.

"I'm sorry, Isla. What happened was my fault. I'm to blame, but please hear me out."

"Layla, we both know it was my idea," the younger twin Linda added. "I was the one who forced us to leave her."

Isla gritted her teeth, the force painful but a minor distraction from the scratches that marred her polished armor. Easing her shallow breathing, she retorted, "You blamed me for her death." Her words stung as the past flashed forward, cutting deep, but manageable gashes into her fortifications.

Unlike them, she retold herself this story, framing her mind and instilling stability. Yes, she killed their mother. How could she forget?

"No, Isla. Please, that isn't true. We didn't mean it. We were heated emotionally because of the changes your birth brought. When mother died, father lost himself," Layla pleaded, grabbing her arm.

"Heated emotionally for eight years?" Isla turned her head, cocking her face at the woman. "Monster."

Layla's grasp snapped back, her mouth dropping open. "That's not true. I swear we didn't mean it."

Her insides rattled from Layla's pathetic excuses. How long would she continue to spue niceties? Did Layla think a poor explanation reason enough to dismantle her years of hate and distrust? All those years struggling to survive, what did she understand?

Isla's breathing hitched as questions sprouted and branched forth, expanding upon each old one. How long did she dream of finding the answer to a single woe they caused? But the truth was lost with time.

"We never forgot about you Isla. Both Linda and I searched for you, we knew you had to be alive. Our baby sister, here you are." The color returned to Layla's face accompanied by a content smile.

Isla's gaze narrowed and chilled. The absent look she harnessed as a shield shattered. "Sister?" Isla laughed as the tempered armor she crafted from experience became feeble and impaired. "You aren't my sister, neither of you are. Do you think appearing now will change anything? You should be happy your words and actions created a monster. Be proud. Isn't that what you wanted?" Isla barked at them without delay.

Layla's smile faded, and she shook her head. "Please understand, we left because of father. We know what he's been doing to you."

"Then did you enjoy watching me die?" Isla growled, unfurling the coil of fury she stowed away. With one step, she bridged the distance between Layla and herself. "How did it feel, to watch a small, hateful child curse the world? To see her burn and cry out in pain? Did guilt ever weigh you down?"

Isla's gaze remained fixated on her sister's wide crystal blues frozen by words alone.

"Stop that," Linda intervened, pushing Isla back.

She faltered, but regained her footing and refused to budge further. "Shut up," Isla barked.

"Enough!" the elderly woman commanded.

"Who the hell are you?"

The old woman snapped her fan closed, and with a flick of her wrist, hurled the metal object.

Isla tilted her head, the projectile breezing past her face. "Damn outsider."

"Outsider? Says the rude child that has no manners. I'm your grandmother. Show me respect," she said while lifting her chin and narrowing her eyes.

Isla scrutinized the woman's appearance. She didn't see the resemblance, maybe they were linked through atrocious personalities. "I don't believe you."

She snorted. "Obviously, not by blood. I raised your mother until she fell for your father."

"Then you have no right to order me."

"Blood ties are superficial. However, while you remain in Arcadia, choose your actions wisely. Or you'll make an enemy of its Queen."

Isla's skin cooled, and she swallowed her next words.

Layla cleared her throat, diverting Nirvana's attention. "Why don't we chat in one of the sitting rooms? I'm sure we have much to talk about."  

A/N: Thank you to @Undjee for always voting on my chapters. It means a lot! On a side note, I hope this chapter was interesting. The next few are going to be hectic.