chapter eleven

The focus of the past few months had been the unexpected murders of teenagers around Forks. Each appeared the exact same way. The bodies would be drained of blood and have a bite mark somewhere. Typically on their neck, right above their collarbone. Then on each arm there would be greek markings. One side, always the right side, would be burned. The left side was always carved with a very sharp knife. Or so Este suspected.

Lauren Mallory had been the latest victim that had surfaced. She was marked by the killer as 'the unholy'. The two previous to her had been marked as 'the condemned' and 'the virgin'. In a way, each killing was very meticulous. And Este didn't think that multiple people were involved, hence why as speculative as she was about the Cullens, she didn't think that they were the ones doing these murders.

And the more Este fell into her mind as she sat in the emergency room, the more she started to pin things together. Almost coming up with the mental image of one of those white boards the officers who worked crime scenes had.

The emergency room reeked of chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium compounds. The smell burned the girl's nostrils as much as her tears burned her eyes. She'd tied her hair back lazily and kept pushing dark pieces out of her face as she watched her seat as Dr. Cullen talked to two of his adoptive children. The two, like clockwork, would glance over in Este's direction with a worried expression. But Este did not want or need their worry.

For now, she was stuck waiting for the arrival of her brother. She was sure that Newt would be far from happy. After all, he was one of the most protective people you could meet. Especially when it came to his twin sister.

Newt Devereaux was not as easy to piss off as his sister. He was the more level-headed twin and had always been the one to calm Este down in times where he thought she was losing her cool. He'd always been the calmer twin and together he and Este balanced each other out. There were a few rare occasions he got upset, sure, but he'd never been as livid as he was when he got the call from the station about his sister.

He threw the glass doors open, almost hitting some poor lady with a cane, before he walked into the emergency room. His brown eyes scanned around before he finally laid eyes on his sister and was immediately at her side. His eyes scanned her to make sure she was okay, before he shook his head as he huffed in anger.

Este's blue eyes scanned over her brother, almost amused by how fast he was moving and how he hadn't allowed his limp to even spare him a second. He was acting as if he didn't have time to waste, and in his mind, he didn't have any time to waste. His main priority and focus was on seeing his sister and making sure she was okay. Este knew that and she always appreciated her brother even if she believed he was a little too overprotective of her.

She tilted her head as he stood beside her, trying not to look amused as his chest rose and fell a little faster than it normally did. Clearly his anger was causing him to breathe a little heavier, or maybe he was just a little out of shape from his jog through the hospital that spared no one.

"I'm going to kill him," Newt knew there was more to the story than the officers had told him, but he knew Este had a good reason to go to the cops.

"That's the first time I've even heard a threat like that come from your lips," Este joked lightly as she wiped her tears off on her hoodie sleeve, "You're supposed to be the calm one."

"Not when someone goes after my sister," Newt retorts as he leaned against the hospital bed, "Kaz is getting your car from the station. He's just as pissed off."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you, my dear twin brother?" Este gave him a small look as she leaned her head against her shoulder.

Newt would've normally cracked a grin at that comment, but he remained stone-faced, "No but I appreciate the sentiment."

"We've got a lot to talk about," Este remarked quietly as she sighed.

"I know."

    A silence fell between the two twins. Newt put a hand on his sister's arm, as he gently rubbed her. Este was typically bothered by people touching her but it was her brother, so she didn't care as much. She also knew it was his way of trying to ground himself before he really did kill someone. Which, unfortunately, was very illegal in Forks, Washington.

    It wasn't much longer before Dr. Cullen returned. His two adoptive kids were still standing in the distance.

"Your sister will be okay. There is no extensive damage that requires any type of surgery or stitching. The bruising is deep, likely in her tissue and muscles as well but she needs to ice and take ibuprofen," Dr. Cullen repeated this to the older twin, "Keep an eye on her. And be careful."

    The way he finished his statement made Este feel concerned. It was like he knew something that the twins didn't, which she did not feel encouraged by.

Newt must've caught it too, because his eyebrows furrowed and his expression changed, "I will," His words were firm and resolute.

Este shared a look with her brother before she glanced back at Dr. Cullen, "Thanks, Doc."

Dr. Cullen nodded as he looked between the twins, "You two are free to go. I'll finish up the paperwork, just have an adult come by and sign it."

"Yes sir," Neither twin showed any sort of discomfort at the statement.

    They didn't have an adult to sign it, but they'd worry about that later.

    Este slipped off of the table as she stood next to her brother, the two glancing at the retreating doctor before they began to walk out of the emergency room together. The girl glanced over her shoulder one last time as she reached the glass doors to meet the gaze of the two adoptive kids, her expression involuntarily softened before she shook it off and went back to being cold. Exiting the glass doors without a second to spare.

"I don't know how he got into the house. I locked everything down, Newt," Este spoke as the two crossed the parking lot, "I didn't even hear him get in. I only heard him after I walked out, that's when his footsteps creaked."

    Newt fell silent at his sister's words. Almost as if he were pondering different scenarios that would have led to this. It was almost impossible for anyone to get past one of the twins without setting off some sort of alarm. A shift in the shadows, a cold chill, the mere sounds of them moving. Yet, somehow, Finn had set off nothing until it was already too late.

"That doesn't ever happen to us," Newt retorted, frustrated with the entire situation, "We always know. Something always tells us."

"Well, apparently, not anymore," Este retorted back to her brother, a bit of a bitter bite behind her words.

    They had made it halfway across the parking lot before someone called out, catching Este's attention.

"Eurydice!" The voice of Alice Cullen caused both twins to stop and turn.

    Newt was practically glaring down the short girl as she ran across the parking lot while Jasper Hale followed a little slower in tail.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked once she was close enough to the twins, "I didn't expect to see you-"

"No one expects to be in the emergency room let alone seen there," Este simply responded, giving the two an odd look, "I'm fine. Just a little banged up."

    Newt stayed close to his sister. His arm pressed against her shoulder as he stared down the two across from them. Este glanced over at her brother before her gaze fell back onto the two creatures. Both looked worried, but they also looked like they knew. Which wasn't possible.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Alice was quick to say as she held onto Jasper's arm, "Really. Any help, and we'll be there."

The twins almost looked mirrored for a moment as they both gave the two the exact same look before glaring, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Este responded shortly as she ignored the way her chest was pounding.

    Something within Este just felt so odd. It was not just the feeling of death that they gave off, no there was now something seriously just wrong with her. Why the hell did her chest pound as much as it did around them now? And why did her stomach, despite feeling like she swallowed concrete, almost feel fluttery?

"Come on," Newt tugged at his sister after the moment of silence, "We need to get you home." He didn't address the Cullen girl and Hale boy once.

    Este didn't say another word to the two as she let her brother pull her along, but she could feel their eyes following them the entire time.

    Este ran her hands over her face as soon as she got into the car before she buckled herself in. A sigh escaped her lips as she glanced back out the window to see the two getting into their own car. Was it a coincidence that they arrived at the hospital just in time to see her getting checked out by Dr. Cullen? Was it also a coincidence that someone had conveniently also called and reported the break-in? Este wasn't so sure.

"I don't think the Cullens are the ones behind the killings," Este broke the silence with her brother as she glanced over to the side to look at him, "I think there's only one person involved and one person alone."

"What makes you think that?" Newt asked, wanting to hear his sister's reasoning as he backed out of the parking spot.

"Isn't it convenient that Carnehan was always the first person to know when one of the victims were found? And the days prior he always seemed a little too perceptive," Este remarked as she leaned back against the seat, the cushion bringing her little comfort.
There was a brief look of skepticism as Newt continued to stare at the road as he drove, "You think Finn's behind all of this?"

"It's a little convenient that he knows all of this. And has been attached to us, hasn't it?" Este couldn't help but ask, "Too attached to us."

"We would've known sooner."

"You're trying to give us too much credit. We're teenagers and demigods, the last person we'd expect is someone who appears to be a mortal that is close to us," Este retorted back to her brother, "That's an easy way to get by us."

    Newt seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with Este's quips. She knew that he didn't like the point she was making. Yet, the evidence was damn near convincing.

"Look, I didn't want to even think about this at first, Newt. I went to the morgue with him to see the body of Lauren Mallory. He acted sick the entire time. Someone like that, I wouldn't even suspect to be capable of this. But he's too connected. He's inserted himself too far into this and given how he's lashing out at us? I believe it's him," Este remarked.

"Did he give you those bruises?" Newt cut off her conversation about thinking he'd done the killing to address the attack.

"No," Este stated as she pursed her lips, "He did get into the house, I had him pinned against the wall with my dagger. He tried to grab my wrists to disarm me and I disappeared on him. A skeleton kicked him out. I did this to myself to make it more believable so Chief Swan would go after him."

"Damn it," Newt slammed his hands against the steering wheel, "Damn it!"

    Este seemed a little startled by her brother's outburst, she hadn't ever seen him get like this.

"Newt, stop before you crash the car," Este was quick to say as she swallowed thickly, tightening her seatbelt a little more, "Newt."

"He's been our friend. In our home, he knows us and he knows about us," Newt was getting more and more pissed, "This is the last thing we needed."

"Newt," Este's tone became much firmer as she looked at her brother, "Slow down. Now."

    You might be wondering why Este was worrying so much, she was a demigod. She could use the shadows to get out of any situation and bring anyone with her. Yes, that was true. That did not mean she wanted to have to teleport the two out of the vehicle because her brother got too emotional. Este hated using her abilities, often trying to hold off on them because they connected her back to her father. Someone she felt severely disconnected from.

    Newt briefly glanced over at his sister before his foot let up on the gas, his expression softening from the stone cold face he had previously been sporting. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, shaking his head as his eyes went back onto the road.

"Sorry."

    The word hung heavy in the air between the twins. Newt continued driving home but never once tried to say another word. Este simply leaned back into her seat and ran her hands over her face for the one hundredth time that day. The stress bubbling within her caused some discomfort, which was a given.

"Newt?" Este broke the silence when they pulled off the road and into the yard of their home.

    The elder twin didn't respond, his head lulling to the side as he looked over at his sister.

"Let's keep this between us for now. About Finn and the murders," She spoke slowly as she watched his expression, "Until we are sure."

"You sounded very sure," Newt remarked quietly as he let his head fall back against the headrest.

"Until we have proof then," Este re-worded her previous statement, "No need to cause unnecessary panic."

    The space between the twins felt heavy. Both were resting back into their seats and staring out the front windshield to look at the house in front of them. Newt's brown eyes held a sense of betrayal that Este wasn't sure she'd ever seen. Este's blue eyes for once just seemed empty. There wasn't a trace of anger or fear lingering within them, they just seemed dull.

"Between us," Newt simply retorted as he grabbed the keys from the ignition before he got out of the car.

    Este looked over to see her brother getting out. She watched as he shut the car door behind him before taking a few steps forward, his limp causing his steps to look a bit more difficult than the average person. He turned back to look at her still in the car as if wondering when she would emerge.

    Este took a deep breath before she pushed the car door open, ducking her head as she slipped out before reaching her full height. She pushed the door shut once she moved out of the way before she took a few steps to reach her brother's side. With a small nod of her head, the two fell into step once more to go into the home.

    Este's eyes were burning, probably from the exhaustion of it all. At times she felt as if her eyes weren't focusing at all, but she didn't let that bother her as she continued up onto the front porch with her brother who then opened the door. Newt moved out of the way to let his sister go through first before he followed suit with her.

    Titus practically tackled the girl, almost causing her to fall backwards as she wrapped her arms around him in return. A soft huff leaving her lips as she rubbed his back.

"Hey," Este mumbled as she then peeled herself back from Titus' grip, "Not so handsy."

"You just can't stay out of trouble for five minutes, can you?" Titus scoffed as he looked over at Newt before back at Este, "It's like you are a magnet."

"Well, we are demigods," Este quipped with a shrug as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her pants, "We'll always attract trouble. Even when we don't want to."

"So, what are we going to do?" Titus turned to Newt, "I mean, we can't let this slide. I'm surprised Este didn't kill him on the spot-"

"-Titus-" Newt tried to interject only to get cut off.

"-He's attacked one of us! That's a big no-no in this household and we can't sit around and do nothing about it-" Titus was running through every thought in his mind and was getting what he wanted to say off of his chest.

"-Titus-" Este this time interjected as she sighed in annoyance, leaning on her hip.

"-I mean what are we going to do when he shows up again? Clearly he has no respect for any of us and our boundaries and Este was only the first target, I mean he won't stop until he gets rid of her and then he's after the rest of us-" Titus was not letting either of the twins interrupt him as he kept going, gesticulating as he kept going.

"-Titus!" Both twins finally got his attention when they yelled at the exact same time.

"You two are freaky when you sync up," Titus sighed as he crossed his arms, "What?"

"We are not letting this slide," Newt was the first to speak, glancing at his sister from the side, "But there's more going on to this than just Finn attacking us. We need to look at the bigger picture."

"And let someone else get hurt by our inaction?" Titus retorted.

    A small silence fell over the three demigods. Newt looked visibly frustrated by Titus' words while Este kept a neutral expression. Her eyes looked down at the floor as she leaned on her hip with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No one will get hurt by our inaction," Este remarked as she broke her gaze from the floor and looked between the two demigods, "But someone will get hurt if we act too fast and cause him to freak. We can't jump in at once. We've got to let it simmer. Attack slowly and painfully as we gather evidence."

Newt sighed as he shook his head, "Meaning we've got to play nice. Act like everything is completely normal. Even if I don't want that around you."

"You guys can't be serious," Titus was a son of Nike, so he'd forever be stuck wanting to dive right into the action for victory, "We can't."

"We can, and we will," Este remarked as the three finalized the decision, "We'll talk to Kaz when he gets back. For now, this is final."