Page 31 of The Black Lotus
We stand and watch as the life drains from Kelsey's eyes, hand in hand. The memory of who we were as kids dying right alongside her. A piece of me I will never get back.
“Well, that was anticlimactic.” My hand squeezes around Serena’s as I pull her behind me and turn towards Zephira, making my muscles tense. Her randomly showing up after every kill is starting to not only irritate me but it’s making me nervous knowing she is reporting everything back to our mother.
Zephira jumps down from the broken windowsill she was sitting on.How the hell did she even get up there?Walking towards us, she lightly kicks Kelsey’s side. “I was expecting more of a fight from the Twisted Trickster. Guess her love for you distracted her from Mom’s goal. What a shame.” She walks towards Serena, picking up a section of her hair and inhaling. “How did it feel to kill my brother's first love?”
Gripping Serena’s hand, I drag her behind me and growl at my sister. “The only woman I have ever loved is Serena. This girl,” I look down at Kelsey, “she was my friend, but I never loved her.”
Zephira steps behind us, hands behind her back and whispers across our necks. I spin our bodies around, not liking my sister being out of view for even a second. “But you didfuckher.”
I tense as the truth no one but Kelsey should know washes over me. Serena releases her hand from mine, a million questions swirling behind her eyes. She hugs her arms around her body, and I step into her, placing my hands firmly on her shoulders.
“Yes, it’s true, but that was ages ago. She may have been my first-” Serena lets out a little gasp, her body curling in on itself as my hands move from her shoulders to grip both hands. “But you were the first to truly get my heart. You are the last woman who will ever have any part of me. I love you and only you, Serena.”
Her eyes become glassy as she looks up at me and nods in understanding. It was such a long time ago, a memory long since forgotten, but the thing people say about your first is true. I never forgot, but I never thought about her again after I escaped the orphanage. Seeing as Kelsey has only thought of me, I will have to explain everything to Serena to ease her beautiful mind. To keep her in an alert headspace, and not distracted.I can’t lose her.
“Well, you two are no fun. I at least thought there would be a big fight so I could comfort poor, beautiful Serena.” Zephira pouts as she walks towards the door. Before I can threaten her, again, to keep her eyes and hands off of what’smine,she continues, “Oh well! Have fun cleaning up the mess, and Serena?” Zephira turns to look at her. “Maybe next time I canbe the one to make you scream.” Zephira winks and walks away, leaving my vixen's cheeks turning a shade pink.
I step into her line of sight. “If you don’t close that pretty mouth of yours, I’m going to shove my cock so deep down your throat you’ll be crying for air.” Her mouth clamps shut, her cheeks darkening. “Don’t let my sister’s flirting distract you from what’s in front of you.” I kiss her lips quickly, leaving her wanting more.
“Never. She just startled me.”
“Tell that to your red face.” I whisper.
She places her hands on her cheeks and looks up at me. “You’re right. But I promise I don’t want anyone other than you.”
I spank her ass. “Good girl. Now help me clean this up.”
We rid the place of any evidence that we were here and place Kelsey under her last victim's body on a chair Serena fetched from another room. We place a blue rose and black lotus in Kelsey’s hands and leave.
FOURTEEN
SERENA
Amillion questions swirl around my head like angry hornets with nothing but vague answers to satiate the sting. My legs bounce up and down from the rush of killing Aster's first girlfriend. I know he said she wasn’t that important to him, but I saw the love in her eyes, the pining she felt with her whole body, how she was too distracted by what is mine to feel the knife penetrate her…She thought differently. She thought they could kill me and live happily ever after hunting their victims together.Sorry, Kelsey, her name sours my thoughts, my legs stilling,the spot of being a partner in crime with Aster is already taken, and you found out the hard way.
I smile to myself, the thought of my hand once again wrapping around the handle of the knife as I plunged it into her neck, the look of betrayal crossing her features before her eyes died along with her, eases some of the rage bubbling within me.
“What are you smiling about?” Aster teases, reaching for my hand.
Flinching away, he frowns, his knuckles going white on the wheel “Killing your little clown girlfriend.”
An exasperated sigh leaves his lips. “Serena, she isn’t, and never was, my girlfriend. When we get home, I’ll tell you about my past and why she was so infatuated with me.”
I turn my head, rolling my eyes and ignoring his excuses. Nothing but silence greets him until my stomach betrays me and pierces through my cloud of annoyance, hunger taking over.
Aster chuckles, grating my nerves further. “Let’s get you washed up and fed. Maybe after I feed the beast, you’ll be more inclined to listen.”
Feed the beast?My head whips towards him, wanting to lash out further as I dig my nails into my palms. I’ve been working hard on getting a grip on my emotions. Instead of replying with a threat, which is what I really want to do, I take a calm, steadying breath and look out the window, staring at the top of the trees as they zip past us.
The tranquil scenery has my body relaxing and my eyes reluctantly fluttering closed, the soft music from the radio lulling me to sleep.
“Serena!Where are you my sweet girl?” An unfamiliar angelic voice calls out for me. The sound of her words sets my excited nerves at ease as my rapidly beating heart goes back to its steady pace. I don’t know the woman looking for me, or why I’m hiding from her, but I do know she won’t hurt me.
I love her so much.
I dash across the hall, giggling and find myself stopping at the large mirror hanging on the wall.Where am I?My tiny hand reaches out to touch the glass, staring at my five-year-old reflection. My hair is in pigtails, little red bows wrapped around each one and I’m wearing a velvet green and red checkered dress with black clicky-clack flats and white stockings.
Is this a dream, memory, or both?The actions prove I am looking at child me from the eyes of my present me, but I don’t recall this memory. I watch my head tilt in the mirror. Understanding shining in my eyes. I shouldn’t be surprised; repressed memories seem to be a common thing with me, and dreams are how it starts when a memory resurfaces.What have I forgotten?Or rather,whohave I forgotten?
