Chapter Eighteen

“I was seven years old when my father gave me my first kiss goodnight. I was ten years old when my mother gave me my first knife. And I was nineteen years old when I told them both goodbye.”

***

‘We all have different paths we must take head-on in life. All of us suffer the pain of loss, of abandonment when we try to break free from our goals. Many of us fear the light but at the end of the day, it is our only ally when the darkness consumes us all.’

Kaeo read the block of text with a sigh before closing the book once more. She had a busy day full of her aunt’s attempts at training her, preparing for the party, and reading up on familiars. She sat in the corner of her bed with a relaxing but expensive-looking tracksuit on, sweat drenching it from her anxiety. The fifteen-year-old had been worn out by her aunt’s careless words as they both kneeled in her personal training room. The floor had been cold as the teenager withstood the mental lashing the older woman gave her.

She knew if she remained meek as her auntie wanted, she could go back to her room until dinner. Then they would all have to eat together and the verbal beating would start all over again. So for now she felt exhausted hiding the textbook back under her bed with a weak grunt leaving her body. The hiding spot had been working well with none of the maids had found it when she allowed them to clean her room. Knowing this helped lessen the twisting of her stomach.

‘I hope dinner goes by quickly,’ She chewed anxiously on a nail as she grabbed her phone. ‘I really don’t want another argument.’

Her family was getting sick of her strike on eating human meat. The meal Zachary had fed her gave the servants the idea she had gotten over her trauma from the month before. So now they tried to give her salads with slivers of thigh meat and nachos with chunks of arms. If she didn’t accept the offers they’d sick her little cousins on her, who hadn’t gone back to ignoring her, with their hands full of chocolate flavored with human and pig liver.

She felt like a brat rejecting meal after meal but she just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just Lea anymore either, but every human that she ever watched be slaughtered. The past few months had been full of regret for her past refusal to take a stand against her family’s actions. She knew they needed human flesh to survive healthily but the way they did it was inhumane. Her dreams were filled with the dead eyes of every human the cooks slit the throat of. Of every human, she had turned a blind eye to in their final moments.

Being unable to save Lea’s family was her karma. But she would redeem herself by working hard to properly protect the older teen. This desire was something she would have to get used to, years of being a pushover weren’t going to instantly be erased from her mind. ‘My instincts aren’t weak though,’ Kaeo thought of everything she knew about the genes that made her. ‘Deep down I can be as strong and ruthless as even my father. But I don’t want to be a killer. I want to just keep her safe.’

From the lessons she had completed with her aunt, this was what the older woman expected her to be. She never spoke of Lea as a person and it hurt Kaeo so deep it burned. The woman directed her on how she would watch over Lea and keep her out of the wrong hands. But Kaeo wasn’t dumb, she knew that the compassion she had for the seventeen-year-old would be used to manipulate them both. She would have to work on conquering her instincts on her own to use them the way she wanted and not how her auntie commanded.

The teenager stared into space as the feeling of being trapped suffocated her. This newfound spark of rebellion was scary. It could be snuffed out by her family with the exceedingly cruel lessons they had in mind. She had read the textbook Zachary had given her with the dread in her stomach sinking in the further she went. Her aunt would no doubt try some of the old-fashioned training tricks on Lea, the only way she saw to break her spirit. They had no use for someone in their family who wouldn’t comply with their way of life, even if by force.

Kaeo felt as though she miscalculated how easy Lea would be accepted. She would no doubt be welcomed as blood, but she would be regarded as lesser until this all was blown over. Her presence was a burden and blessing wrapped in one bloodstained gift. They could find out who was ruining their territory with her knowledge and deal with them permanently. But they also would have to hide her until she was healed and trained enough to be shown to the other clans.

A shudder went down her spine as the thought dissipated. The other clans had begun to communicate with them more openly. Things were getting heated and people wanted answers. It was clear to her now that the dinner party was meant as a peace offering instead of a distraction. The maids gossiped in the laundry room about how the other clans had gotten into a scuffle. This scuffle had ruffled a few feathers, including some of their family's business partners. Kaeo had no idea who these partners were or that they even had any in the first place. Once they noticed she was near, they stopped talking, leaving her to ponder on who these new people were.

It brought back memories of being a young child and hearing the adults in her life argue behind her back about her parents. About the way she was being raised and how it went against their traditions, how her mother was putting her hatred before her daughter’s wellbeing and how this would hinder Kaeo into adulthood. It made her feel as small as a mouse, watching shadowy figures bicker back and forth before finally her mother stormed out and took her back home.

‘The other clans will be taking any gossip they hear at face value.’ Kaeo swallowed thickly as a lump had formed in her throat. She knew that soon the maids or Zachary would be calling for her to come down for dinner and to talk about the busy week ahead of them. Her younger cousins would be running around asking to help cook and taste test any food she got her hands on. Zachary would watch over all of them like a hawk and give her updates on Lea’s condition.

The fifteen-year-old felt incredibly grateful for the man’s help. Even if his protectiveness had tightened due to the other clans' presence. She was too nervous to ask him about what exactly was going to happen if things went awry so she’d keep her mouth shut for now. For all she knew, he was being overprotective due to a threat one of the clan leaders made. Some were hotheads when it came to issues with the territory and outside interference.

“Might as well go down before they call me,” Kaeo mumbled opening her bedroom door to the thundering footsteps of her cousins running past with a maid chasing after them.

“I told you to stop running!” The maid screeched as Kaeo realized her cousins were in fact naked, most likely from escaping a bath. It was a nice bit of normalcy that helped with her anxiety. A small smile that had started to grow on her face fell as she realized that this was just a distraction.

Soon enough, her cousins would be in her place. And any children or nieces and nephews that she had would also be given the responsibility of throwing their humanity away. They wouldn’t have a normal childhood, she even didn’t and her mother tried her hardest to give her one. It just wasn’t possible for her kind and the way they had to survive. No child should have their childhood taken away to become a killer. Her hands tightened into a small fist briefly as the maid finally got a hold of one of her laughing cousins and carried them right back into the washroom.

“Kaeo!” Her little cousin whined, reaching out towards her in a plea for help. She shook her head, managing to put on a playful smile for the toddler.

The smile on her face remained as her cousin smiled right back at her. It was the sweetest thing she had ever laid her eyes on and made her heart sing. With her entire stay at the house, her cousins and Zachary were the only ones who ever smiled at her. A smile that was real and had genuine, loving emotions behind it when shown to her.

“Go take a bath for your auntie,” It would be better to refer to the woman as such. After all, she was one of her auntie’s lovers and cared for the child as a mother in some ways. “Then we can go play together in your toy room.” The child pouted but stopped trying to escape the inevitable.

Kaeo loved her younger cousins and treated them all equally. They wouldn’t be heirs due to the fact they were so young and their mother would step down in a few years. Along with this, a woman typically took the position of heir and their baby sister was an infant. So, she made sure to distract them from all this interpersonal inheritance drama with games and snacks from Thailand. Some hadn’t recognized her when she arrived but by now they called for her specifically at times.

Their big brother was away and Momo hated children so she was the only one showering them with love. The fifteen-year-old sang nursery rhymes in her mother tongue, helped comb their hair before a nap, and let them sleep in her bed from time to time to escape nightmares. Since Lea, she had stopped a good deal of these things but made sure to tell them it wasn’t their fault. They believed their loving “big sister” was just tired from school work and training with their mommy.

‘If only they knew the truth.’ The thought weighed heavily in her mind as she turned away and went downstairs towards the kitchen. She had promised to help with cooking for the party so she needed to get there soon. The promise was a risky one as she’d have to be near sterilized and packaged human flesh they’d disguise as beef for the guests.

The fifteen-year-old had no idea why they did this, only being told that the smell of human food would repulse her relatives. So as she walked towards the family’s large, restaurant-sized kitchen, the smell hit her full force with its putridness. Deep down she knew if she was in a different mindset that disgust bubbling in her stomach would be replaced with hunger. A primal hunger that was only halted by the teenager’s overwhelming guilt.

When entering the kitchen, the first thing she saw was a maid helping a cook cut slabs of meat. Both were dressed appropriately for the matter with gloves and masks on as they noticed her entrance. The kitchen was empty besides the two as she stood awkwardly by the door leading towards them. It was modern in design with professional-looking equipment hanging about. Slowly the maid handed the cook the knife to continue, disposing of the gloves before walking over.

The maid seemed pleasantly surprised to see the fifteen-year-old willing to help them. The teenager wondered if anyone besides family had been told of her plans to help at all. Kaeo recognized her as one of the few human staff members who happened to live in the house. This surprised her as the humans tended to avoid the kitchen like the plague. Seeing the blood and guts of someone they had could have been hours earlier was unnerving to them.

“Kaeo, I honestly thought you forgot! I’m glad you came early to help out.” The maid was careful not to touch her with her hands. Some meat had managed to get on them, making Kaeo shiver.

Looking away from the woman’s hands, she nodded. “I’m really excited to help prepare for the party. I was always at school when my mother had them.” Small talk was the only way she was going to get through this without throwing up.

“Great! Well, we’re going to make the stew right now. Unless you want to help me with the salad instead of as an alternative for any human guests.” Hearing that she had a choice not to work with human flesh was beyond relieving.

Making the salad was more difficult than she had thought. It was a bunch of dressings she had to mix into various types of lettuce. The maid handed her leaves to wash off, then she was instructed to chop each batch of leaves into equal-sized slivers. It was a mixture of green, purple, and somewhat clear lettuce with some broccoli added to certain portions. Kaeo carefully deposited the cut-up lettuce into the bowl of dressing-free lettuce, while the maid worked on those with dressing.

The meat was thankfully not added to the salad, with it being their “vegan” option for the human guests. On the side, they also made some tuna salad sandwiches for an appetizer for them to snack on while dinner was being made. They were extremely careful not to contaminate anything with human flesh, gore, and blood. Another maid came in to take them to serve to those who had arrived early. Apparently, some of the human guests had come hungry, so the sandwiches started going fast. This caused them to start prepping plain sandwiches as an alternative. Everything was running smoothly until there was a knock at the door and Zachary appeared.

“Mistress, it’r\s urgent.” Both the maid and chef looked at the young teenager with worry. The man’s tone was serious and left no room for questions. Quickly, Keo cleaned off her hands and ran over to him, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Zachary wh-” He shushed her with a dark look on his face. Her body became rigid as she froze in place, not knowing whether to run or hide from how he was acting.

“Lea has woken up from her coma. She’s belligerent, screaming and fighting against the restraints holding her down to the bed. You have to get downstairs and make her familiar.” He talked slowly as he grabbed her arm roughly and hurried to take her down to the girl’s confinement.

She struggled to keep up with him, nearly tripping over her own feet as they went down the stairs. Her head was spinning with the knowledge that not only was Lea awake, but she was in immense pain. She probably didn’t even know what was happening or where she was. Hell, Kaeo feared the most that maybe the girl wouldn’t even remember who she was. All she knew was that Lea wasn’t going to be herself and she’d have to make her calm before the party began. The walk to the room made her heart hammer in her chest, her throat tightening as she grew more anxious once they came to a stop.

Hesitantly, she grabbed onto the door's handle but was stopped by Zachary's arm. He blocked her from going any further and lifted her chin so they were looking eye to eye. His gaze was claiming as she sniffled, beginning to openly cry as she heard Lea's agony grow the longer they waited. He began to speak in a comforting tone ignoring the situation they were both in. Everything he said hit her like a slap in the face, her legs wobbling with anxiety. Her hands felt sweaty against the door handle, slippery as she tightened her grip.

"Are you ready? You know there's no going back after this." Zachary sounded worried for her, something she had started to get used to. Even now, when they both stood in front of their last chance to become free of this burden he was asking if she was okay. He wanted to know how she felt about what was happening and moved to put his hand over her own on the door handle. This was a touch she had grown used to over time.

"I'm not," she whispered with a shake of her head. She had figured they'd still have time with the party and Lea's body healing more every day. The fifteen-year-old was unsure how she could explain to the girl what had happened and why she had done what she did. She knew Lea would neer forgive hr for the pain and survivor's guilt she had made her bare. But it was too late to back out now, she had to do this. "but I can't leave her in there. She sounds so scared, Zachary. It hurts to listen to her screaming and sobbing. I have to go in there."

***

In the void of her subconscious mind, Lea was alone. She had given up on trying to figure out where she was, simply resigning to sit on the ground with tears in her eyes. Her body ached from how heavy her earlier sobs had been, her entire being paralyzed with fear. There was nothing out there in the vast darkness beside the sound of her beating heart. No footsteps or the echo of someone else’s voice responding to her own. No one could help her.

All the girl could think of was her final moments with her family. She missed them dearly and craved human contact with any of them if only for a second. The teenager wondered if she had passed and this was purgatory or if the woman possessing her had finally walled her away. That she had taken control of her body and effectively killed the teenager once she took her place. Her family might not even know that she was gone. It wasn’t fair and it was tearing her apart to realize fully that her life had been stolen from her.

So, feeling as if she had lost everything, she cried out to the demon and asked. “What is this? What are you doing to me?” If her throat wasn’t hoarse from crying she would have been screaming at the top of her lungs. All she wanted was answers. “You said you weren’t a demon. You said you weren’t a ghost, but only something monstrous could do this to me. You’ve dragged me to hell.”

Shakily, her hands clasped together in a form of prayer. Her family wasn’t extremely religious but they did hold a bit of faith in their hearts. They prayed before meals and went to church every few months. She felt the need to ask any god out there for help and guidance in her situation. That somehow they’d be able to swoop in and save her from eternal damnation.

But it was never going to happen. And this thought sunk deeper as she felt someone’s arms wrap around her back and over her waist in a tight hold. It frightened her and she wanted to fight back, but also she was desperate for any form of human contact. However, the knowledge of the person that held her was the one trapping her, filling her mouth with vomit.

“Let go of me!” She tried to fight but she had no energy left in her failing body. It was terrifying how utterly powerless she was in the situation. “Let go!”

“Stop moving or I'll have to put you under again. We don’t have much time.” Lea fought the woman weakly in her confusion. What did she mean by putting her under? Knock her unconscious? And why didn’t they have time when the woman appeared out of thin air? All of these questions made her head spin and her stomach even sicker.

The woman gripped onto the teenager tighter, to the point her nails dug into her skin. It made Lea cry out in pain at how sharp the fingernails felt as they brushed against her arms. Long hair that felt like straw went over her shoulder and scratched her body as the woman moved even closer. From what she could make out, the woman’s clothing smelled like mold, liquid pooling from under her stick-like legs with the same odor. Lea wondered if the woman had turned into some sort of corpse.

“You’ve been here in your mind with me for nearly two months. Slipping in and out of awareness, fighting me before succumbing to my pull. I wanted your body but it appears you’re going to be in control for now.” The woman had a sickly sweet smirk on her face as if she had won some game. “That girl is one of my kind. An infant compared to me, but her bloodlust for you is overpowering. I’ll let you deal with her for now.”

Wide-eyed, Lea tried to kick at the woman. To bite her boney harms, to pull and struggle as much as her body would allow her. What the woman was saying scared her into near hysteria. She had been trapped in her own mind for months, with a gaping hole in her memory. The frantic seventeen-year-old wanted to sob her heart out, but the need to find answers was too powerful.

“Who are you talking about? What the hell even are you?”

The woman chuckled without any emotion. It was just empty, a lifeless noise that filled the emptiness that surrounded them with an echo. “I’m talking about that strange girl you met who just so happened to be at the same bookstore as you that day. She hid rather well when she recognized you. I underestimated the lengths she would go to capture and keep you all for herself.”

To her horror images flashed throughout her mind like a projector before the twp. A girl who she had seen as naive and innocent came into view with large eyes and friendly small. Her hair framed her heart-shaped face as the two spoke to one another. Lea’s eyes watered pitifully as the girl’s soft, child-like voice played over and over again. The girl glowed as they talked about their favorite series, a shared passion that helped the two exchange contact information.

She had given the girl a way to learn about her. Her social media showed images of her family members, of her lacrosse team, of her college campus tours. She had let the girl look into her life and now she was learning she helped snatch it away? Images flashed in a hurry as the girl’s figure stood over her in a strange room, the younger teen’s expression distraught. Soon it went back to that fateful day when they met, how she missed, for a split second, clear recognition in the girl’s eyes.

It was all too sickening to even process. The way this girl introduced herself was so kind. In a time where she was at her mental lowest when no one would listen, this girl appeared. A possible new friend she had thought was lost along with any semblance of her normalcy. And it was all a lie. The girl looked at her with a friendly smile on her face that made Lea’s stomach sink. She wanted to call the woman a liar but memories that terrified her for some reason kept appearing.

Flashes of her bloody house. Of the girl being present one minute and then vanishing into thin air the net. The images melted together into an entirely new scene. One that the girl wasn’t initially present for, but somehow it was connected to her. A gasp left her mouth as she felt her throat tighten and her body freeze. It was the scene when she encountered Momo at therapy when she saw the strange tattoos on her body. How was the girl connected to Momo?

“Her cousin tried to kill you and so will she,” The woman whispered in both of her ears. On the screen, she rewatched her attack from the older teen and tried not to cry. “Don’t you see their resemblance?”

“Momo and Kaeo are sisters?” No, it was too horrible to be true. But it would make complete sense. The younger girl had found her after her confrontation with Momo and tried to enter her life. And now she had strange memories of the girl in her house with blood splatter everywhere. She was scared to find out whose blood the girl was surrounded by.

The woman hummed as the room began to darken into utter blackness. “Maybe, my kind do run together like wolves. You’ll find out soon enough on your own.”