In certain moments of your life, you would have to let go of something that has been your only anchor in the darkest of time. Moments arise, over which you would have absolutely no control. Moments appear where you would feel your heart ripping apart into two and yet, you would let the tears fall, bidding goodbye to the ones who were but fragments of you.
Lysandra's life had been torn apart multiple times and yet, this turn was the hardest one of her voyage. Life was such a cruel creature, feeding upon the sadness it bestowed to people, she thought grimly. Each time she had convinced herself that everything is over and set herself free, the shackles came back to her, infesting themselves betwixt her fragile heart.
Plain chaos ensued as Seraphine used her arms to petrify Lysandra's siblings when Maevis had disappeared to God knows where. Laurent jumped away whilst Seraphine's quite literal icy blow was directed towards him and stumbled back with wide eyes.
Before any further action could take place, with a pop, Maevis announced everyone of her presence, tagging along a tall man who reflected that he would be anywhere but there. If not for the rather dire situation, Lysandra would've laughed out loud at the instances in which she felt that her whole life was a comical Disney serial. The only difference was that the people did not wear obnoxious costumes, parading around in a goddamn castle.
"Alastair," Seraphine acknowledged the man to which he bowed his head slightly as he gently stroked the iguana resting on his shoulder. A vibrant magenta coated the creature's skin, blending into a dull but, pigmented violet as it moved down its body. Lysandra stared at it with awe-dressed features.
"Alastair, my dear friend," Maevis started, putting her hand atop his upper arm. Alastair stared at her hand with disgust, his straight-lipped mouthed curved into a strange frown, a clear indication of his foul mood.
"Don't, Maevis," he rasped. "I am here just because I owe you a favour."
"Aw, don't be that way."
Maevis pouted, her eyes alight with mischief.
"Don't listen to her, Alastair. Just get done with the work," Seraphine instructed.
"Oh, side with the cognisance and put me aside, why don't you!" Maevis scoffed, raising her arms up for emphasis.
"Don't be dramatic, Mae. Just portal Lysandra and let us take care of this mess."
"Mess? You guys are the ones messing around here, talking about erasing Lysa's existence in toto!" Laurent finally spoke up, his voice raised up an octave as his eyebrows hit his hairline, his eyes wide in panic. Seraphine recalled her clinker of missing her aim whilst attempting to freeze him and prepared for action when Maevis went on with her blabbering, undoubtedly testing her dearest mate's patience which was wearing extremely thin. Trotting in dangerous waters, she was and luckily for her, she held a special place in a certain icy woman's heart. A pint of mercy and soft spot, she would always have.
"Well, we could use other options, pretty boy. We could stage a kidnap and have the whole country searching for sweet Lysa just for it to remain a case unsolved forever. That is quite a tiring process and not to mention, highly impractical considering we are soon going to literally disappear off of the face of the Earth."
"You are free to banter as much as you wish to after I'm gone, Maevis. Unlike your freelancing self, I have a few rather pressing matters to take care of," Alastair spat, paying no heed to Maevis's infuriated scowl. She was shooting daggers at him, probably wondering when she could get her claws on him to snap his neck, just for her trivial pleasure.
She sighed, turning to Lysandra, a sadistic smile gracing her face. Within the fraction of a second, her hand grabbed Lysandra's in a death grip, as she struggled against her.
"Buckle up, sweetum," she whispered.
"Not a chance."
Inquisition could be a dangerous thing. Prying into sublunary things might not always lead us to trouble but, getting neck deep into things which seem far more interesting than the mundane lives which we lead would surely do us more harm than good. Atleast, the ones who are always hesitant to take risks would like to believe so. They would put on the facade of intellectual lawyers as soon as an adventurer denies their claims, deeming them cowards.
Take Alice, for example, they would say. She had gone out of her way to follow a strange rabbit with clothes and a pocket watch rather than indulging in dances with handsome men and discuss in vain about rather obnoxious couture like the other women of her age. Instead, she had made the mistake of giving into her pure curiosity and stepped away, just to wade through the woods and fall into a pit.
Considered that it was nothing but a children's tale composed of her rather queer dream, the whole journey is a mixtape of adventure and delightfully comical scenarios but, in the end, all Alice had to go through was difficult times which could have been easily averted if only she had behaved like she was expected to, ladylike. Thank the heavens, they would dare say, that she ended up back in her sister's lap before she could've been beheaded like she was supposed to or worse, slaughtered for dismissing the Queen and fighting her army.
Alice in the wonderland was one among many novels that Lysandra had read and loved, not for the adventurous voyage but, more so because of the similarities in hers and Alice's persona. She was a coward, as a matter of fact, cleverly escaping from certain things her life had in store for her. But, deep within, she wished that she could escape. In her guts, she felt like she was made for something more, more than the in hiding sort of mundane life that she was leading.
Curiosity was the same thing that forced Lysandra to open her eyes as soon as she had felt the ground shift beneath her feet. Distorted images rolled in and out like slides in a rapid pace all she could see was a combination of various colours and images, too entwined within each other to be distinguished by her naked eyes.
She floated in the air, continuously shifting as she felt bile rise up her throat. Her head throbbed as if it was being cracked open and not able to withhold it any further, she had shut her eyes close, drifting off and letting the darkness within the closed blinds comfort the unrest erupting into a destructive volcano within her being.
Ohana; Family was what it meant. Family meant that no one got left behind. But, if you want to leave you can, Jeremy used to say. I will be sad, yes. I will remember you though.
She used to laugh, assuring him that she was there to stay. The circumstances dragged her away from the family she had made for herself, not even leaving a string of her existence for them to cherish and remember. Though, a royal pain in the ass, she had considered herself to be, she wished that she could've left something behind. A waft of her presence, perhaps.
Lysandra felt tears sting her eyes even though she realised that they were closed. Darkness hovered around her and the light at the end of her tunnel was non existent.
It was an unworthy effort to defer something which was always meant to be her destiny, she chanted to herself. She was meant to suffer, lose the people she had formed a certain connection with, the people whom she loved with whatever broken ruins she had left of herself.
"Lysandra, I know you're awake," grunted a relatively familiar voice.
The red rimmed hazel eyes fluttered open to seek the comfort of the green ones with nothing but concern and curiosity filled upto the brim.
"Laurent," she gasped, her plump lips popping open, rather delectably for Laurent. Cursing himself for the unethical thoughts wandering in and out of his head, he shook himself clear of the urge to shoot a few of the innuendos her way.
"Your breathing quickened and," he paused to wipe a traitorous tear off her cheekbone and set his lips into a firm line, not wanting to upset her even more by talking further.
Embarrassment coated her features for breaking down in his presence for the third time. She had never let anyone comfort her whilst she cried or at least, allowed them in to share her pain. What pushed her towards accepting Laurent in every way that he could barge into her life was beyond her understanding.
"How- how are you here?"
"Well," he ran a hand through his hair, looking sheepish. "I sort of grabbed the black haired witch's hand as soon as she grabbed yours."
"I am not a witch, you earthen jerk!" Maevis took that opportunity to announce her company by strolling into the room wearing a babydoll dress, pronouncing her sleek curves even more. The black lace accentuated her pale skin and the inky hair, giving her a chic appearance. Lysandra had never found herself so taken by a woman before and Maevis had an extreme attractiveness furthermore emphasised in the light falling into the room through the huge gothic windows.
A charm of a sort surrounded her like a halo, drawing people in and unfortunately, that lasted only until she opened her mouth out of which even the vilest of words did not hesitate to spew out. Seraphine was undoubtedly pretty as well but, the talent of captivating people or putting them into a trance was a lacking capability when it came to her.
"You do behave like one," Laurent spat out, sitting up on the bed beside Lysandra. "I did not say that because of magick coursing through your blood, by the way."
"How dare you!"
"Enough," intruded Seraphine, making Lysandra sigh in relief. She could not take more of the two hotheaded idiots who wouldn't shut up. She needed answers before her head would gladly take the opportunity to consume her alive.
"I know what you need, Lysandra. And I think it is high time that we let you know."
"I will take this idiot out," Maevis announced, walking towards Laurent when he jumped down making the mattress bounce underneath his hands.
"No way. I am staying here, safely, must I insist. Or, I alert my vampyre mates. War is not what you witches desire, is it?"
"For the last time, we are not witches. You dare threaten us, you ratchet earthen?" hissed Maevis, seeming like she was resisting the urge to bare his teeth at him. Lysandra was in no position to speak up or indulge in any of it. She was drained out, having just enough of will to preserve whatever was left of her sanity and keep her eyes open. She wished that Jade would jolt her awake making all of this nothing but a petty dream despite knowing very clearly that her life was far from a fairytale. Foolish, she definitely was.
"Leave him be, Mae. He clearly knows something and we're strong enough to give him hell if he ever dares to make a move against us." Seraphine eyed Laurent as if asking him to mutely promise the time being allegiance that they were asking of him and he nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"Very well. Story time, kiddos," chided in Maevis, clapping her hands with a poorly feigned excitement.
that's it for this chapter. i would like to dedicate this to my sweet friend MidnightGloryyyy who has been very supportive throughout the previous chapters and the dearest idiot in my life, Vee VassuX220927, who is always there whenever i happen to need someone to push me forward.
please comment and follow!
question : would you rather have a tattoo or dyed hair?
(honestly, both. but, if i have to choose between the two, tattoo it is!)
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