S43. Justice Awaits
Recap:
My heart beat stopped. My head spun and I feel like I was in a nightmare again.
How?
Why?
Questions bombarded my mind as his blue eyes flickered to me. He smiled. His smile was gentle and yet so sinister and dark.
This man was supposed to be dead.
The man standing in front of us, claiming he was Roarke's brother was no other than...
Tristan Evans, my first love.
"Were you surprised?" He asked, a smirk forming on his lips. There were no signs that he was in an accident. He looked just the same and my wretched heart squeezed painfully at the sight of him. Emotions swirled inside me, toppling one another.
"B-but you died..." I trailed off as he snickered.
"It was part of the theatrics to get you. To infuse you with guilt." He explained nonchalantly. The coldness in his voice pierced through my heart. I could still picture his bloody form after the car crash so vividly it brought pain to my head.
"But you...you were-" My head spun at the anomaly of what's happening.
He was Tristan Evans. A police officer who had been there for me ever since the Collin's accident and my mom went to coma. That picture started to crack and eventually shatter in my mind.
A different person stood in front of me. A person who had been behind all the pain that I suffered, all the psychological chaos I had to endure.
I wanted to feel anger and yet as I mustered that emotion I came up with nothing. Was it because I was too tired to even feel that sliver of emotion?
How could I miss the underlying coldness in his blue eyes?
A small voice in my head whispered that I already saw the sign back at the hospital and chose to ignore it.
"I am Tristan Haven. Your master's little brother. " he announced and glance back at Roarke. I couldn't see his expression as his back was still turned to me.
"Did you think I was dead?" he asked and grin, spreading his arms as if presenting himself.
"Did you miss me big brother?"
"You're not my brother. My brother was long dead." He answered stiffly.
Tristan chuckled. "But I survived. I became like you. "
Roarke breathed in harshly. "Who turned you?"
I didn't like the way his eyes lit up with malice at the question. As if he was entertained by an internal joke the words invoke.
"I am told not to tell you. Let's just say you have already met him."
"You...Why the hell are you doing this? You should've come to me. "
Tristan's laugh was cold and daunting. "Why the hell would I do that? You will kill me like you did our mother and father. "
Roarke clenched his jaw at the mention of his past again.
"I did what I have to do."
Tristan smiled sadly. "And I am doing what I have to." His eyes flickered to me as he added. "You took everything away from me."
My vision blurred as the exhaustion finally consumed my ample strength. My legs trembled and finally give away under me. I forced my eyes open, trying to look at Tristan and Roarke one more time but the darkness beckoned me back to the void of nothingness and I receded, too weak to resist.
*~*~*
The first thing I felt the moment I returned to consciousness was the warm breeze caressing my arms. The softness of the mattress gave me comfort, the plush blanket draped over me gave me a sense of protection.
I was safe.
My eyes fluttered opened. The bright light made me blink several times to adjust to my surroundings. I glanced at the familiar crimson ceiling and felt relief washed over me as soon as I realized where I am.
Home.
I am finally home.
My eyes burned as I glanced around my room. Greedily, I took the familiar sight of my very own safe haven, taking my fill until it felt like my heart was going to burst with happiness.
I was saved.
"Welcome back dear." A disembodied voice said from my right. I glanced at the person who spoke and found a middle age woman smiling at me from where she sat in a chair in the far corner of the room.
I knew her. I strained to recall who she was as she walked over to sit on a chair near my bed.
"Elijah?"
I abruptly sat up in bed. She was the seer who talk with Roarke and I on the day of Ella's wedding. On the day when I was -
My train of thought ended abruptly, as if there was an invisible wall in my head that was suppressing my memory from that moment on. My head hurt as I tried to recall more. I stiffened as I felt warm hands enclosed mine. I looked at Elijah in wonder as the pain in my head eased and I was rewarded with a relaxing feeling emanating from her.
"Don't try to remember. Roarke locked them all away for you." She explained gently. I faintly remembered Roarke telling me the same after he bit me when the memories threatened to consume me to oblivion.
I felt myself relaxing more as I stared to her eyes.
"But, there is one memory I wanted you to remember." She started, her eyes seemingly turning sharper in color until it glowed golden. I was pulled into her more until I was swirling in darkness.
I blinked as we were seemingly transported in a dark void of nothingness.
"Remember her Honey." Elijah's voice seemed distant even though she was just in front of me. I frowned and concentrate more on her words.
"Remember the woman. That crimson pool of hate and pain. Remember her."
A bright light engulfed us and when I opened my eyes again, we were standing in a vast field. I glanced around. The field seemed to stretched as far as I could see.
"W-where are we?" I asked, feeling lost and yet the place felt so familiar.
Elijah didn't say a word and looked on. I followed where she was looking and gasped. Not far away from us, there was a person standing there. The area around her was covered with dead grass and wilted flowers as if life near her was non-existent. Her white dress was dripping with blood and her legs where shackled by dark chains that dug deep underground. Slowly her head turned to me.
I froze.
That person was me.
It felt like being attack with a mirage of rocks. Memories after memories of me floating in the dark oblivion and the insanity I wallowed before threatened to consume me. It was Elijah's voice and presence that anchored me to reality.
"That is enough."
I blinked and we were back in my room. I gasped for breath and look wide-eyed at her. Elijah looked grim and serious.
"I told you not to let her in."
I felt a lump form in my throat. I said yes to that woman and after that I- I attacked a man. I-the memory swiftly ended there, the barrier once again back.
"E-Elijah, what's the meaning of this? I don't understand. She told me she would help me. I-I just want to get stronger." I trailed off as pity clouded her eyes and she gave my hand a light squeeze.
"I know. You have been through so much, she took advantage of you when you were weaker and with your permission, she can now control you. Be careful. I don't know why she can't do anything right now but anytime, she will once again overpower you."
I tried to grasp what she was trying to say, my mind in complete turmoil.
"Who is she? Why does she look like me?" I asked fearing her answer.
She shook her head and I felt a bit of relief. It felt like I didn't want to know anymore, like it was best to not know.
"I am going to visit a friend that could help me gain answers. In the meantime, be careful. Hold on to yourself Honey. " she said with an encouraging smile and left the room.
I blew out a sigh and slip out of bed. The plush carpet underneath my bare feet made me feel comfort. I whirled around as the door opened once again. My heart thudded, expecting it to be a certain someone but Henry walked in, wearing his white doctor robe and his easy smile. I could still faintly remember how serious he looked back as when Roarke and..Tristan.
I swayed on my feet and Henry helped me sit back down as the bouts of dizziness pass.
Memories resurfaced once again. I closed my eyes tightly at the throbbing in my head. I drew in a deep breath and opened my eyes.
Tristan was alive. He was Roarke's brother and Roarke was..not a true royal.
"You should stay in bed." Henry lightly advised but I shook my head. He looked warily at me and I frowned at him.
"Is something wrong?"
"You're not going to attack me right?" he asked, his eyes cautious all of a sudden. I glared at him. What the heck was he saying?
A faint memory of his shock expression as he was flung across the room resurfaced briefly in my mind and faded. I shook my head.
"I am considering it now. How long was I out?" I asked instead as my gut tells me, that what he was saying is connected with the memories that Roarke locked away.
He sighed in defeat and occupied the chair beside the bed.
"One week. You have a lot of injuries. It was a wonder you even kept conscious after we rescued you."
I nodded solemnly. I fainted after hearing Tristan's revelations.
"What happened after I lost consciousness?" I asked. Henry looked torn between telling me and avoiding the conversation entirely. He sighed deeply and his expression turned serious.
"After you fainted, Tristan declared war."
I stiffened. I though his image as the person I trusted had already vanished but it was still there and it was hard to believe he was behind all of this.
"They let us go after Roarke accepted a short truce. " He rubbed a hand over his face, seemingly weary all of a sudden.
"Everything is turning to shit!" he cursed under his breath and murmured a sorry before re-arranging his expression to one of his calm and easy going exterior.
"On the bright side, I get to cut something and use my sword again."
I blanched at the mental image his words provoked to which Henry merely chuckled and then turned serious again.
"This war might not be as big as the wars I've fought before but it's still going to be bloody." He said.
"Does this mean there will be tanks, bombs and everything else?" I asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. Henry shook his head.
"I hope that's the case but wars like this, we don't use human weapons aside from a sword and a bow. We prefer fighting classically." He winked and stood up from his seat.
"I think a few days more and you should be back in training."
I forced out a smile.
"How's Roarke dealing with all of this?"
Henry smirked. "The usual. You wouldn't think he'd got his past blast in his face with how cool he handle things. He is busy preparing for the war." He started to turn away.
"But he is hurting isn't he? Tristan is..his brother." I murmured, still not believing everything.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. I've known his secret for too long. What about you? Tristan is the guy you like right?"
I flinched at his straightforward words.
"I-"
Henry cut me off by waving his hand and head to the door once again.
"It won't hurt to tell him now. Fate sure is cruel." He said meaningfully before the door closed behind him.
My fist balled the sheets and I closed my eyes tightly, willing the odd feeling in my chest to disappear. It was too painful to think about how Tristan could do everything to me.
Tristan's voice rang in my head. 'You took everything away from me.'
Roarke killed his and Tristan's parents. I didn't know how to react to it.
After everything, I feel too anxious to trust anybody's words.
I need to hear it from Roarke himself.
Why he did it.
Why he killed his parents and why Tristan hates him so much.
*~*~*
Hello! See that beautiful sticker above? Yep. I am trying to enter Defying Roarke to the Literary Awards 2017. I hope you can help me be a part of the 25 finalists for the category Best Hidden Gem.All you need to do is go to the Book: The 2017 Literary Awards ---> (Chapter) Nominations are Now Officially Open------> comment in line Best Hidden Gem: Defying Roarke by @Fadeinblue . Don't forget that it should be an in line comment beside the words Best Hidden Gem.
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Sorry I just updated now. I'm feeling a bit better but not entirely out of the depression stage yet. But, I'm going to update on,
March 13, 2017
This week might be a double update week if I can acquire a decent internet connection on Friday, March 17, 2017