Azura
My Father gripped my hair throwing my body to the floor. "What have I told you about speaking up?" His voice, full of disgust as he looked down at me like I was trash and not his daughter.
His dark brown almost black matted hair dragged over his brows. His dark brown eyes, full of hate. Body taunt like stone.
No no no.
I couldn't speak.
I couldn't plea for my life.
All I did was take the hits as my mind screamed and pleaded but no sound left my body. My mind and soul breaking over and over again as someone who I'm meant to look up to beat me half to death.
It can't be real cause this nightmare kept fading then coming back. The real kicker is that as soon as I enter that hell hole of an office it feels like the first time I walked in like I haven't witnessed my father abuse me a thousand times over already.
All I know is one minute I'm being carried out from where I was tortured for weeks on end to being trapped in this place of torture.
As I kept screaming I heard a muffled voice trying to talk to me, to sooth me?
I felt a ghost of a hand drifting over my face, then a small beeping sound flooded my ears and the voice got louder.
It must have been my brain playing tricks on me again when my father would soothe me through the nightmares when I was young. But the voice was too light to be my fathers, too warm and safe.
I knew that voice. A voice from the past.
I'm definitely still dreaming.
"Azura, please wake up." The voice whispered. "You are safe. That psychopath of a father that raised us can't hurt you here."
That voice belonged to my brother.
Yep I'm dreaming. My brother died alongside my mother.
I try to open my eyes again and it works a bit. So I try again and again till the room comes into focus.
The walls were a light grey colour, there was a chest of draws near an open door where I can see a man with his hands braced on the sink.
His features were a bit blurry from where I was but familiar. The dark chestnut hair, the olive colour skin, and the frame a bit bigger than what I remembered but, no it can't be. I'm seeing things.
Mikel Harper, my older brother, is dead. He's not here. I saw the wreckage, there was no way he could have survived it.
I scanned the rest of the room. All the things any rich person would fill their bedrooms with there was. Tv, a couch in the corner, a desk with a rollie chair, and a chandelier type light in the middle of the ceiling.
I groaned as the pain hit me, my head throbbed in pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, the memory flashed of what Franco did to me.
They sliced my skin open, used me as their personal punching bag. I shivered at the memory of them using me for their personal pleasure.
"Azura?" The voice was beside me startling me, I whipped my head around then regretted it as the pain radiated in my head.
I looked at the person beside me, worry etched on their face.
No fucking way.
"No." I croaked "You're dead."
Mikel was sitting on the edge of the bed with a worried expression on his face.
He slowly passed me some water which I was grateful for cause my throat was like a desert even though he is a ghost. He quickly got his phone out and tapped something in then put it away.
After I finished the water I realised. If I'm awake that means he's alive but it could be a figment of my imagination.
"How?" I murmured, not expecting an answer.
That's when the story of what happened that day started to leave his mouth.
"Teo didn't realise that mum had taken me out that day," he stated. His voice was a bit deeper than I remembered. "But I wasn't in the car with her when it exploded." his throat bobbed. "I was with Aunt Violet. Mum was going home to pack a bag for me, you and herself so we could run away." A single tear slid down his face. "He had rigged the car and when I wasn't at home he assumed I was in the car as the accident report said the remains had turned to ash, that much explosive was used." Anger showed one his face was lethal.
His eyes meet mine the same heterochromia eyes, unshed tears hung at the bottom. "We were going to get out. Leave the yelling and the abuse behind. I should have been the one to drive back to grab you and the bags." He blinked and the dam broke. The tears flowed freely on his face.
A gentle hand wiped away tears I didn't even know about.
He was real. He sits in front of me telling me what had happened that day my life got turned upside down.
A choked sob left my body and more followed till I was shaking. One moment he's beside me next he's laid down beside me head between my neck and collarbone letting his own sobs let loose.
"I can't believe you're alive." I got out between sobs.
One of my hands landed carefully in his hair, the other on his back moving cautiously to not hurt myself anymore. We sat like this for what felt like eternity and I didn't want to ever leave.
He shifted his head a bit before speaking up again. "I'm sorry." He whimpered. "I'm so sorry I didn't get to you sooner." More tears soaked my neck.
"You're here now and I don't care that it's taken so long. I'm just glad to have my big brother back with me." I Whispered. "And that I'm away from that father of ours." He clung to me though my ribs protested but I didn't care.
Light flooded the room. I squinted a little to see the figures approach us. Mikel sat up again nodding to the younger one of the two which looked familiar but didn't know how.
"Good to see you wake Miss Harper." the older man said with a relieved smile on his face. "Now let's have a look at how you're healing." he chirped, fiddling around checking the monitor beside the bed and a few other things before the bandages on my body. Before tell me he had pushed pain killers into me 3 hours before that he would be back soon to push more.
The young guy just stood there staring at me while he talked to Mikel, as a third figure entered the room.
Oh shit.
"Ew you know Eugene Fitzherbert." I scalded as the man who kidnapped me the first time walked in. "How's the life of a common thief?" My brother laughed, while Flynn Rider stood there glaring at me like I killed his favourite animal.
"And let me guess this dude here staring at me is your brother?" I huffed "sounds about right I can already tell you both have the same attitude."
I felt more relaxed for once, maybe it was because my father was not there or because I had my brother beside me. Sarcastic, cheeky and outgoing. All the things I was before I thought my brother died and my father started abusing me.
It's strange that sense of... peace?
I don't know but I loved it at that moment. I was normal for once.
"Fitzherbert?" The guy with the staring problem questioned as he looked in between his brother and I.
I let a mocking gasp out. "Have you ever watched the one and only Tangled? With Rapunzel and the thief Flinn Rider aka Eugene Fitzherbert?" I heard Mikel chuckle.
"Yes. I still have an obsession with Disney, Mikel." I shot at him.
As I went to sit up, pain shot throughout my body causing me to scream. Before I knew it two men were beside me, my brother, and the man with the staring problem.
He turned to his brother and mine. "Out." he commanded in a dark voice.
Mikel refused. "I'm not leaving my sister." He fought back.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before the staring dude spoke up again. "Go and update your aunt on what's happening, your sister will still be here when you get back. And maybe bring Violet. It would be good for your sister to have another familiar face." The man spoke softly but demandingly.
My brother gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving.
I wanted to know more about this man I was trapped in a room with. Who was he?
Was he the boss?
Working up the confidence I asked. "Who are you?"
Where he sat on the edge of the bed I could see him clearer. He had dark brown eyes that had rivers of grey through them, Brown curly hair with a few light brown stripes through it, his skin sun tanned to a golden colour that made him look like a god with his defined cheekbones.
His eyes softened. "Do you remember the conference your father brought you to a few years back." I almost died with his deep voice and accent.
What did he mean at the conference? My father always had them. But I only remember being allowed at a couple of them so Teo Harper could be seen as a loving father and not one that locked his daughter up and abused her.
Then it hit me. The one at the main office. I got in trouble that day for speaking to people and leaving his side and not being the quiet little girl I was supposed to be.
Fuck. He was the boy I smiled at for the first time in a while cause he made me feel safe that night when he tried speaking to me.
My eyes widened. "You're the boy that kept trying to talk to me but my father wouldn't let it happen."
His shoulders sagged like it was a relief that I remembered how he was. "Yes I was." He let a relieved sigh out before he continued. "Your brother mentioned you a few times and your father's temperament. So when I saw you at that conference I knew who you were. You had the same colour hair as your brother and the same facial expressions." his mouth quirked a little that I must have imagined it.
"You still haven't told me who you are and where we are." I put out again that I still don't know this guy's name.
He smiled at me and holy shit that should be illegal. "Right." He mused, before sticking a hand out. "I'm Neonate Ambrosia, but please call me Neo. And we are in Fyli, a town outside of Athens." His name was so different I liked it.
It was way better than his brothers but I could make a joke out of it.
I slowly grabbed his hand to shake. His hand was so big against my small ones. Veins trailed from his knuckles up his arms, Neo had a firm but gentle grip on my hand.
After I let go of his hand there was an awkward silence between us. It wasn't too awkward but it still was until a small knock sounded from the door.
"Neo, I heard the poor girl was awake. How's she doing?" A elderly lady asked from the doorway. I could tell the way she talked to him that she was his mother.
Neo shut his eyes for a few seconds before turning around to greet the women. "Hey ma. Azura, this is my mother, Maria." Maria had the most welcoming smile out there. It was warm and inviting.
"Hi, nice to meet you." I greeted shyly. I didn't go well meeting new people and it was like she knew that by the way she was being so gentle when she spoke to me.
She gave me a gentle smile. "You must be hungry sweetheart, is there any food in particular that you feel like or i could just make you a simple sandwich." At the mention of food I was suddenly hungry.
I carefully sat up a bit while grimacing in pain. "Just a sandwich sounds nice, thank you." I thanked a small smile formed on my lips.
"Alright sweetheart, I'll see what I can whip up for you." She walked to the doorway before turning back around. "And if my son steps out of line. Goes for both of them. Feel free to put them back into their place." She smirked before saying something in Greek then headed out the door.
Neo stood beside the bed scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry about her." he apologised. A shy smile took his lips
I giggled a little. "There's nothing to be sorry about, she is a lovely woman. I wish I had her confidence."
Confidence was the one thing I lacked as well as dignity.