Chapter 16

I was barely myself when Wind arrived. Inside, I was still shivering and quailing and though the Hunter’s warmth hugged me in a tight embrace, my hands were still trembling in my pockets. I wasn’t sure if the cold was hitting at me from the outside, or chewing at me from the inside. Yet, despite the almost-freezing condition, wind gusted, announcing the arrival of my Master.

As opposed to his normally dramatic entrance, Wind out-of-characteristically appeared a good distance away from us, keeping a tight hold on my brother. Anneson seemed fine, though looking slightly disorientated after Wind’s teleportation.

“Dru.” For the first time since I’d known him, he called me simply by the name I’d chosen.

“Wind.” I replied with hostility icing my voice, struggling for my eyes to stay on Wind, instead of straying to Anneson.

The cool, flat green eyes registered the hunter beside me with a sudden, sharp focusing. Then, after assessing Xavier carefully, his gaze moved over to Vin who –plainly said –looked a totally wreck. I still wasn’t sure what exactly Kote had done to this nightstalker, but it was more than obvious that Vin was broken in the worse way. The nightstalker spoke no words, reacted to nothing and shuffled slowly when pulled by his leash. His expression had always been haunted; his eyes as if he was kept entirely in a nightmare he would never be able to escape from.

“When I requested for a deal, seeing him like this was not quite what I had in mind.” Wind pointed out blandly, his eyes going dull dangerously. Had I once been the weak Lorna Reyzon I once was, I would have groveled at his feet for apology immediately.

“This was all Kote’s doing. I have not heard him talk a single word, much less get a response.” I defended myself fiercely, but stopped myself from plain jumping at him.

Anneson was keeping himself thankfully quiet and still, though his eyes were still tinged with intense fear. My poor brother; there was so much that I owed him. For leaving him, for lying to him, only to allow him to get the words of truth from his captive, who used his life for nothing but leverage over me. I knew I had hurt Anneson, but it was all I could do. The least I could do was to save Anneson back from Wind.

“And why exactly is he,” Wind pointed at the Hunter, “here?”

Before my reply was formed, Xavier interrupted my stumbling excuse.

“You called on for your servant Vin to murder my family. Should I not have reason to face you? Furthermore, Anneson is one of the Reyzon. I will not allow another of the Families to die. Mina and Stephan were the last straws.” Xavier declared with a stronger voice that I somehow wasn’t able to vocalize.

For a moment, Wind’s reply was a blank face. Then he laughed; a cold chilling laughter that was even more icing than the Antarctic situation that was around us. I was reminded painfully of the same cold, humorless laughter I’d given today.

“Are you, Xavier Valentino, declaring war against the nightstalker community, in your name as one of the Families?” Wind asked; his voice as if barely repressing laughter.

Slowly, deliberately, Xavier shook his head; his face nothing but a blank slate.

“No. In my name of the Master of Magic Manipulation, I am declaring war against you, Wind.”

There was a distinct hardening in the lynx green eyes and Wind began to glower, a frown pulling at his tight lips.

“You are the Master of Magic Manipulation? The one who is supposed to be the second half of Dru’s power? You?” Wind’s voice was almost disbelieving as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He cocked his head to the side; a move that would have normally been comical, if not for the dangerous glowering glints in his eyes.

Xavier, beside me, nodded stiffly, unaffected by Wind’s incredulous tone. Anneson’s eyes visibly widened, fastening on Xavier, then reverting between Xavier and me. Yes, it was as Anneson thought.

We were the two halves of what created Magic Manipulation in the first place. We were the Master and Mistress. With that thought, though I was still facing Wind, and having Anneson kept in a tight lock, I regained what little confidence I could manage to scrape back.

“And if you declare war, do you simply expect me to accept your extended invitation? I’m sorry, Hunter, but I have many more things to do. Things like take the backseat with a mug of warm blood in my hands while the nightstalkers and wizards end each other’s life.” Wind said, returning to the breezing tone as his eyes moved away from the hunter, back to me.

Forcing my clenched fists to relax, I drew my hands out of my pocket and took a small step forward, keeping a hand on Xavier’s chest to signal for him to stay back. I jerked Vin to my side, and watched as Wind’s frown relax a little.

“We made a deal. Anneson for me and Vin.” I said as evenly as I could manage.

This time, my brother seemed to find his voice, and I struggled not to scream for him to shut up. For years and years; I thought I would never see my brother ever again; I thought that he would grow up and spend the rest of his life unknown to my existence. Then, fate proved me wrong and showed me my desperate brother, out in the open, looking for me.

Yet, now that Anneson had acknowledged that I was his sister, there was nothing I could do, except ensure his safety, and never be sane enough to know that he still cared for me.

“No, Sister! I’m nothing as compared to you! You are the Mistress! You have Xavier now! I’m just a simple Reyzon! Please, don’t waste your life over for me!” Anneson cried out, but his exclamation was cut off when Wind jerked, and Anneson’s mouth clamped shut.

Though I could see nothing in sight, I knew Wind enough to know that he was keeping Anneson at knifepoint at his back, just behind the heart. With Wind’s perfect experience, my Master could simply jerk once, and my brother wouldn’t even have the time to breathe his next breath before his lifeless body touched the floor.

“A little touching drama, eh? I can say; I didn’t expect little Anneson here to think so much of you, Lorna. After all that you did to him; I hardly think I would forgive you even the slightest bit, if I were you.” Wind said as he bared his teeth, and I bit my lips to force back a shouting reply. I did not need reminders of what I’d done to Anneson. I’d failed him as a sister. After all those that I swore to myself, I’d failed myself when it came to Anneson.

I’d failed everyone: Cole, Faith, Jin, everyone.

“This is the least I can do to make up for my failure.” My whisper, though intended to be soft, was caught in the wind, and blew all around the place.

Xavier snatched my hand immediately, and pulled me back. Nightstalker I was; I allowed myself to stumble backwards, and his arms pulled me into his embrace, keeping me there.

There was no warning; nothing.

His power channeled through us, dragging on my own power, even though I didn’t even reach for it. My power reacted to his, for mine was his other half and they started to mix again, forming into one. In a span of a second that had me hyperventilating, our power touched to our fingertips.

Wind blew around us, as if a typhoon had crashed through the surrounding. It was of a hurricane, with the wind gusting and billowing more powerful than anything I’d ever felt. I had no idea what Xavier wanted, but I could not stop him, for our power was one, and he was using it. I had no idea how he’d learnt this; but there was nothing I could do.

“Let Anneson go!” Xavier’s voice was strong, fierce and commanding.

Wind’s face grew dangerously blank, but he did not obey, despite the wind that was billowing, almost threatening to tip him off his feet. Instead, he held Anneson even tighter, as if treating my brother like a human shield.

“You’d think I came here unarmed?” Wind mocked, and, with the same dramatic flair, he clicked his fingers together. Other than the wind roaring in our ears, he waited in silence for a few seconds, and then clicked again.

A deep gnawing started in my stomach when he waited for the same span of time, then clicked again. My heart struck when he put his fingers to his mouth, and whistled loud.

I knew that call. Each Ancient had their own calling, had their own tapping. Jin had his own, Valerio had his own. Though I didn’t know her well, I knew Roz had her own calling. Kote, without a doubt, too. Wind’s call was simple. Three clicks and a whistle. I knew that call. I’d once reacted to that call, before the other Ancients. He’d used the same call as an order for me to render one of Roz’s impolite servants to bits.

The call to kill.

Something jerked in my hand, and it took me a second to realize that Vin’s leash was out of my hands. There was a slight change of air beside me, and my reflex kicked in as I ducked, kicking Xavier out of the way just in time before the rusty edge of a torn railing hit us in the face. I hadn’t even heard Vin tear the railing out, hadn’t even felt anything.

Rolling to avoid the next strike that lashed down from the torn piece of metal railing, I took in the fact that the wind had died out, since Xavier and I had ceased contact. Our powers were back separate in each other.

“Sister! Look out!” I barely heard Anneson’s warning in time, but managed to see the blade of a familiar dagger flying towards my face. The green eyes that came with the blade were striking green; the ferocity in the sadistic grin gave a chill in my spine.

Wind, as an Ancient, naturally had speed faster than me, but it didn’t stop my instincts from reacting and forcing my body to roll away from the strike that was coming towards me. Still, the side of the blade made a slice across my cheek, causing a line of fire to burn across my cheek.

Gritting my teeth, I blinked to see the hilt of my family dagger plain staring back at me, then realizing what was happening.

I began to reach for my daggers, only to realize I hadn’t brought them along. Crap.

With a low, mocking laughter that haunted my ears, Wind swung the blade again, and this time, I managed to dodge it, flipping quickly to my feet. Power surged into the air, and a barrage of river water came my way. With nightstalker speed, I jumped to the side as it splashed on the floor where Wind had been.

There was no time for me to even look for a weapon before my family dagger sailed through the air again.

Again, I dodged, but Wind had superior speed, as he did a quick turn, slicing the dagger towards my arm.

Someone grabbed me, and jerked me away, which had me stumbling like I had two left feet.

Then I regained my senses and stilled my twirling mind. I summoned a thin long sword from the river water, forming it just in time as the Reyzon dagger sliced down again. At the same time, I called on for electricity, calling for it to come to my fingertips.

Wind danced away at my quick swipe, and disappeared in a blur of speed. The hairs on my neck stood, and I ducked purely on instinct, feeling the soft zephyr as the blade of the Reyzon dagger barely missed slicing off my head clean off. Yet, he didn’t expect my free hand to lash out. Instead of forming a punch, I pressed my palm against his chest.

Then I commanded the electricity to pass through me.

There was a flash of blinding light, and then Wind fell to his fours, smoke rising from his skin. I felt a little raw myself, but I collected my wits enough to snatch up my family dagger from where he’d dropped it on the ground, skipping away quickly. Now that I had a slight breather, I began to take in the surrounding. Vin was facing down with Xavier, and they were evenly matched, with Xavier evening out the odds as the Master of Magic Manipulation. Anneson was free of his captive, but was still staying at the sides, as if trying to find something that he could do to help.

“Run, Anneson! Go!” I cried as I pitched him the family dagger. He had to hold it; as the last Reyzon left. I could no longer be counted as one of the Reyzon; I was nightstalker –nothing but a shame to the family.

As Anneson caught the dagger, his eyes wide with shock, Vin’s attention turned to me. Blocking the last strike from Xavier, he disappeared, and appeared before me with amazing speed. His slice through the air was strong and determined, despite the wounds he had while Kote was dealing with him. I’d seen him limp while he walked, but as I blocked his blows, dodging some, I saw the true hunter and assassin Wind had no doubt trained him to be.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I noted that Wind was climbing slowly –and no doubt painfully –to his feet. His back was to us, but Xavier was standing before him, holding his dagger at Wind.

My water-sword and Vin’s rusty metal clashed loudly as I blocked another fatal blow from him, putting my force behind it as he pushed on, hoping to throw me off with his strength behind his weapon. I saw no real way how Vin could have woken up from his nightmare after Wind’s call, before I realized that Wind had trained Vin more than he had more. Vin was nothing more than a tool now. A broken tool. A broken tool –what I would be if I submitted myself over to Wind. Vin was perfect example.

“Dru!” Xavier’s cry brought my attention away for a short while as I pulled my weight off my sword, ducking quickly to the side as Vin brought down his weapon.

But it was too late. The dagger that I’d seen Xavier carry just a few minute again came plunging through my chest and everything stopped all of a sudden. My heartbeat was loud in my ears.

I became aware of the sticky liquid starting to run down the front of my clothes. I dropped my sword, as my second breath felt like I was breathing under water. Still, I held on fiercely to my consciousness. If I was to die here, at Wind’s hand, so be it. But I would hold on to my consciousness, at least until I saw that Anneson was safe.

“No! Sister!” Anneson’s cry was too soft for my liking as my legs crumpled beneath me. It felt like I was floating on a cloud. No pain. Just shock and understanding of my surrounding.

Someone caught me before I fell to the floor, and I looked up to see Xavier’s utterly dismayed face. He was breathing hard, sporting a few scratches on his face, but there was nothing fatal. His black hair was slightly messed, but still as beautiful.

“Dru!” His cry rang in my ears, but I heard my own slowing heartbeat above it. It was loud; so loud.

And then there was power, so much power. It coursed through me, and pooled at my heart, around the wound. I laughed softly, blinking slowly.

“It’s no use… There’s no way to… heal me.” I coughed a little, feeling an odd, light-headed feeling. I’d been close to death yesterday, but it hadn’t been so comfy. Right now, it felt like I was on a fluffy bed, and I could sleep anytime I wanted. Except that I would never wake up ever again.

“Well, well, finally, you’re struck down, eh? Just a little blood from me, little flower. Just a little blood from me and you’re good as new. So what do you say? Take my blood and come quietly with me? I might even treat you as I did before.” Wind’s mocking voice sounded heavy in my ears as Anneson reached me, falling to his knees on the other side.

“Go, Anneson… Leave me… Go!” I tried my best to insist, but Anneson’s eyes were glinted with determination as he glared at me fiercely.

“No! I let Father and Mother die once without me trying to stop them! I will not let you die like that too!” Anneson protested as he held my bloody hand tight, the tears in his eyes. It struck me funny that he, a grown up, was crying, but I was touched that he cared enough about me cry. After all I’d done, I deserved none of it.

“But… I won’t let you die either… And you’ll die if you… stay here. Go!” My reply was half-hearted at the best. I wanted to see Anneson the last time before I died. Though it put him in danger; danger that Wind would use him since I was a gone case, I wanted to see Anneson the last time. I know I was selfish, but I just needed to see my brother’s face, to know that he didn’t blame me.

“Out of the way!” I heard Wind shout, and then Anneson’s hand over mine was wrenched away as he was brushed roughly to the side by my Master. With fluidity and the subtle gentleness in his movements, Wind knelt on one knee beside me, brushing my fringe away from my face.

The arms holding me stiffened, and Xavier held his breath, keeping still while he looked only at me. I dragged in another painful breath, forcing the darkness to stay at the edge of my vision.

“You need my blood, little flower. You know you are dying. Make the choice. Surrender yourself over to me now, and I may even let you spend time with your brother when I feel like it. Just give me your consent. Will you come over to my side?” The way Wind spoke it; it was as if he wasn’t the one who had plunged the dagger in my heart, as if he hadn’t been trying to kill me. He spoke as if he hadn’t treated me the way he did, as if he hadn’t been lying to me all this while.

There was only one sort of reply I could manage.

I spat into his face, only realizing that my saliva was bloody.

As he glared at me, resolute and determination gripping my master’s face, my mind clicked. Shock took me at my own stupidity; at how my fear had gripped me. Back then, I’d feared so much of Wind that I hadn’t dared to move against him. Now that I was dying, and had denied my last hope, I understood what I could do, if it was the last thing I did before my soul left my body.

I took Xavier’s power that was following within my body, and fused it with mine. The powers came together easily as one, and for a moment, I understood what Xavier felt when he used my powers. All the while; it had been him using our power, him commanding it. But now, I was commanding it.

“Dru, you can’t do this alone. You’re too weak right now.” Xavier said quickly, watching Wind with cautious eyes as my Master straightened slowly, wiping away my spit from his face. I was pleased that it smudged across his face, creating a blood smear.

“Then… help me.” I said simply, and –to my surprise –the hunter nodded.

The power flowed between us, shared as we both shared the control over us. Xavier brought up my hand to his face before I could react, and it was all I could do to steel myself as I waited to fall into his nightmare. But nothing happened. Nothing. I blinked, feeling my face go a little blank.

“Our powers are one. I cannot see your troubles as I touch your blood now. You cannot see my nightmares. But you can see what I want, and I can see what you want, Dru. We think the same.” Xavier whispered quietly, as Wind went to my brother, wrenching the Reyzon dagger out of Anneson’s hands.

At first, I didn’t understand what it was that he meant. And then, as I looked into the black eyes that stared back into mine, I realized I knew. His black eyes were no longer depthless, but swirling. I saw his intent in those eyes. I saw the fire burning in those eyes. I saw his want.

He wanted to kill Vin and Wind.

And that was exactly what I wanted too.

Our power stirred as we both commanded it with one, focused mind. I heard my heartbeats loud in my ears, slowing down, as my breathing came in shallower and shallower. But I kept my conscious fiercely as I forced my eyes on Xavier’s swirling black eyes. We blinked in unison, and a gust of wind blew over us.

We thought of fire, and it obeyed us, though there was no source of fire around. Our power, though, forced fire to spark, and the element obeyed without a single hesitation. It roared into life, and we thought of the nightstalker we aimed to kill.

There was a scream, then a clattering as the rusty piece of metal railing dropped to the floor. The scream continued, long and dwindling until Vin ran out of air. No one moved a muscle as he drew in his next breath for his next scream. It never made it out, as he dropped on the floor.

The fire drew away, returning the night into darkness, revealing what remains of the nightstalker was still there. Skin was charred and chewed by fire. Clothes were eaten completely. It was nothing but a black, body-sized, burnt remain.

“You will regret that!” Wind declared, and we turned our attention back to him, only to realize that he was too close.

There was no time to react. There was a blur, and then pain ricocheted through my frame. Blood spurted, warm and sticky. I began to get more than a little hungry, as the darkness took the chance to chew away more of my fraying vision.

“Let’s see if the second knife kills you, Dru Lorna Reyzon. Years and centuries, I wasted on you. Vin was a success, and you had to come along! You are just a failure, you midget. You are nothing but a failed experiment of mine. You did not deserve my blood in the first place!” Wind declared as he drove the Reyzon knife deep inside me, penetrating straight through my heart for the second time.

My whole body jerked once as the gasp was pummeled out of me, and then everything dimmed.

“Dru!” Xavier’s cry became panicked as his calm expression fell away.

But I could only form one reply in my whirlwind mind.

“Kill him! Kill Wind!” If it was the last thing I did, I would kill Wind. If it was my last breath, I would do all I could do end Wind’s life. Wind ruined my life. I had enough. It was time I ended the misery for both of us.

We called on for the element of air, and it obeyed us. We tried to draw out air from where Wind was standing, but he disappeared once our power touched the air. Again and again, we tried, with my draining strength, but we missed him every single time.

“You cannot touch me with your powers, no matter how powerful you are! I trained myself to face Magic Manipulators the likes of you! I was the one who trained Vin!” Wind declared; his voice booming as he mocked us.

We changed tactic, and barreled wind at my master, but my master did not name himself Wind for nothing. My master drew on his own power, and fought strongly against. Yet, we were the power of the Master and Mistress, and there was no way Wind could do anything in fighting us with his meager powers.

Slowly, he stumbled towards us, till he was only a few centimeters away from us.

I caught Xavier’s eyes, a question in my eyes. He seemed to be thinking the same, as he nodded. Slowly, painfully, I turned my head back to Wind, who was struggling against the billowing wind, fist clenched over the water-sword I’d dropped on the floor.

My hand closed over Wind’s as Xavier took his other hand, and our power pushed into him, channeling with the two elements no other Magic Manipulator could ever hope to use.

His scream was out-of-the-world as my master fell to his knees immediately, trying his best to shake our hands away. With his face contorted with pain, Wind trembled before us, dropping the sword noisily on the floor as he screamed his piercing scream. I struggled not to cringe at the sensory overload, feeling my next breath coming in thick and slow. My heartbeat was slowing and consciousness was slipping painfully from me.

For the first time, I saw Wind’s true life. As a kid, Wind was a natural genius, a cool, handsome kid. His father left him. His mother was his only support. But Wind’s looks and brains had him shunned from the other children. Day after day, he could only go to his mother for comfort, and had to stay in his house to avoid the other children. Then his master came. His master came, and taught him things he didn’t know. His master was the father he never had, and he followed his master faithfully.

And then there was the death of his mother, at the hands of a Magic Manipulator. He was changed into a nightstalker, and his life turned for the better. He became stronger, and better.

Then he became different. He sought revenge, and he tried to hunt for the sorcerers that killed his mother. His master saw the hatred in him. His master tried to bring him in to heel. Then something happened –I wasn’t sure what –but he cut off ties from his master. He sought a place on the Ancients and turned his eyes on me.

The rest; I knew well.

There was a short break in the wind, and then I saw Xavier’s dagger inside Wind’s chest. Green eyes didn’t seem to register the dagger as Wind’s eyes were fixed on me, dilated as if stuck in his horror.

There was a span of silence once the wind died down, and then I removed my hand from his, on instinct. I barely registered that Xavier had done the same. I only saw Wind’s eyes on me. I was his failure. I was his downfall.

In his eyes, I should never have been in his life. He should have known that I would be the one he would die because of. He knew he was going to die. He coughed once, blood coating his lips. Then he smiled, a terrible smile at me, though my vision was down to only a small hole of dime light.

“You’ve finally broken yourself free. Like how I did… It’s a pity… that you shall die… even after my death…” Wind whispered, and he fell on his side. His eyes kept persistently on me, though his blood was still spilling.

Then the light faded from the green eyes.

With a smile on my lips, I closed my eyes and gave my last sigh.

The unison cry from Xavier and Anneson of my name was the last sound I heard.