The Family Buisness

Chapter 26

There's blood

She feels it on her hands mixing with the bright startling light she feels coiling inside her, like it was cooling down. She feels it fade like another side of her is going into hiding and the horror comes into play as she takes in the carnage around her.

Nana forces herself awake shivering before she goes stock still in terror at what her eyes see in the night. Across the bed is a large stand up window and she cane see bright white wings glowing on her back. Now that she sees them it sets everything into reality and suddenly she can feel them.

She chocked back a muffled scream of grief as everything hits her all at once. The relics, the dreams, the crushing reality of what she is, and then as she tries to calm down she aches.

She grabs her phone messily from the bed stand and immediately messily texts Zane, not wanting anything else. She takes a moment to send wiping the water out of her eyes blurring her vision before she freezes feeling the power still coiling inside of her and the wings, which cast an eerie white glow.

What was Zane going to say?

Her throat tightens as she pulls the blanket around herself staring at her phone hoping to some entity that it doesn't buzz.

I'm coming

She takes deep breath her heart beating wildly at that, emotions crashing into her head and causing her thoughts to race as the door knob to her room suddenly clicks. She jumps looking down hiding not wanting to meet his eyes as his footsteps echo and he reaches for her.

She moves away looking up eyes watering more as Zane freezes in confusion and she can tell he hasn't realized yet what's under the blankets.

"Nana . . . please, what is it . . . " He trails off as his eyes trail up she gulps holding the blankets closer. She can't meet his gaze instead clutching the blanket to her chest squeezing her eyes shut.

There's silence for a few minutes and she almost thinks she could pretend it wasn't happening when she feels Zane gently take her hands in one, his other reaching for her. Nana lets him tilt her head up, more shocked at what he's doing as he slowly begins easing back the blanket.

She doesn't realize he's doing it at first lost in the baby blue that is his eyes as her own waters. There's a loving gentle look to him that she rarely sees and she feels the blanket fall. It hits again and her chest is struck with emotions as she lets everything fall burying her face in his chest sobbing.

Zane slowly eases his hands back rubbing her back avoiding the wings and it's warm against her and one of the best things she's felt in a long time. She lets it all out and Zane just holds her rubbing her back in gentle circles.

It takes what feels like forever but eventually the tears run out and she collapses into him relaxing completely as exhaustion comes back. She can't sleep though, not like this, not with the dream.

"Wanna tell me how this happened" Zane whispers quietly against her ears kissing one gently something that makes her smile tiredly before it fades.

"I-I . . .dream . . ." She whispered "I don't know . . .i-it was a massacre . . .b-blood on my hands"

"Irene's hands" Zane corrected quietly "You aren't Irene"