Twisted Blood

The manor was quiet. It was not desolate but it was devoid of an lively signs. The night's events had the headmaster's residence as silent as death. The only sounds were the ticking clocks scattered throughout the place. Clarke sat in parlour, not a sign that he cried at all. He was hunched forward with his head leaning into his hands that were clasped together. He stared lividly at the harpsichord that would have shrivelled in fear from his piercing enraged gaze. The sun behind the thick clouds had turned the sky a mournful grey but the frigid cold stayed.

Dry black blood smears were on his white shirt and his dark red tie. The ranger had untied his his shoulder length hair and only then noticed his daughter's blood on his hands. He closed his eyes as tears started falling for the first time. He could only imagine how his wife was taking the tragedy.

Esmeralda was sitting in the kitchen, staring out the window. Her endless sobbing was unnaturally mute. A box of tissues kept her company, along with many used and discarded tissues. She sat on a round wooden stool at the countertop she found herself baking with Ryan on many occasions.

Despite the aged manor, the kitchen was renovated to modernise it for its first non-ampyra principal. In place of a wood-fired stove, there was a six-plate gas stove next to the gemini ovens. The wine rack remained, along with its bottles gathered throughout history. Many had the dust coats to prove it.

A whole herb garden hung from the ceiling, enhancing the household's cooking to new frontiers of flavour. Ryan helped Clark set up the pivot when they first moved in while Esmeralda was planting the herbs. A sweet twelve year old girl who thought herself a builder.

The two refrigerators was across the sink and dishwasher. One was for food and the other was a blood bank, set up with the necessary blood donation equipment. The lights were four dated brass chandeliers with four light bulbs in each of them. Once they were candles but as soon as electricity became widely available, the manor was redone.

The floor was white tiles set out in a diamond formation with smaller black ones in between. The streak marks from Ridley washing the floor earlier in the week were still visible. Still, the tiles were polished enough to reflect Esmeralda's red face back at her.

Her eyes were swollen into tennis balls and as red as fire engines! Her hands still trembled while she wiped her tears with the soaked tissue. Esmeralda's dark green turtleneck also house some of her tears but hers were a mere puddle compared to the ocean Ridley had cried!

The mutely mourning manor was disturbed by the tremendous sneakers that were walking through the foyer. Dane paused at the archway that led into the kitchen. Esmeralda sighed then snorted her blocked nose before glancing over her shoulder.

Wordlessly she nodded to him and he as equally soundless dared his way towards her. The school secretary stood only to be met by a matching pair of tear-filled eyes. He handed her a bouquet of white lilies with soft pink carnations and Esmeralda's eyebrows crossed weakly before she gathered the Danish hunter in a tight hug.

Dane sighed then patted her shoulder. Esmeralda stepped back at ran her thumbs under his eyes to clear him of his tears while hers ran freely and endlessly. She took in a shaky breath then glanced at the ceiling. She looked back at the young man who understood her gesture. She followed him to the archway and watching him ascend the staircase.

Down the hall, the steps leading to Ridley's room were their unassuming self. The room, however, was trashed in a fit of burning guilt and self-hatred. The desk was flipped over and chipped the brick wall it was flung into. A window was shattered and the table mirror outside proved why. Debris - from wardrobe doors and bed side lamp fragments to posters and pot plants - were brutalised on the carpet.

The huntress laid motionless on her blue and grey camouflage covers. There was no sign that she was actually alive; she didn't blink. Dane settled beside and when he laid down, she buried her drenched face into his shoulder. The dark grey pillow had its own body of tears.

Dane combed through her black hair that was damp. Just like before, Ridley was back to not being alive. Dane couldn't feel her breathing nor her heartbeat. Her warmth and the tears that seeped through his top were sign enough that she was still among the living.

He cupped her hand in hers and saw how much blood was really on her hands. The literal sort. Also in her hand was her karambit, blackened with Ryan's blood. Carefully Dane reached for the curved knife to free it from the unmoving grip. He patted her crown reassuringly when she wouldn't let go before tugging again. This time, she released it and instead took hold of his shirt.

Ridley sniffled then felt Dane's hand encapsulate her comfortingly. While the other moon students were sound asleep, Dane and Ridley were wake and mourning the whole day. When the sun went down, Clarke finally faced his daughter. His knock was low and slow before he came in.

Carefully Dane combed Ridley's hair out of her face before she sat up to meet her father's face. The Danish young man cleared his throat before mutely taking his leave. Clarke took his place beside Ridley's beaten body. He sighed then combed his own hair out of his face.

Neither could look at the other and an awkward silence filled the demolished bedroom. Ridley shifted to sit straight and crossed her legs began playing with the fur on her boots. Clarke nodded reassuringly to himself then cupper his daughter's bent knee. He found it in him to face her.

"This wasn't your fault," he stated but obviously she didn't believe him. "This was mine." Ridley's lips parted and she finally looked to him in confusion. "I was so determined to not follow my parents' method that I didn't see what I was doing to my own daughters. Teaching you that it was alright to take another person's life. That you had to take a life. No half decent parent would ever do that to their child."

Ridley laced her fingers together then let more tears go. "How did you do it?" Clarke combed her messy hair down while listening. "Live with yourself after uncle Ridley?"

He shrugged. "I had a lot to look forward to; I just found out I was going to be a father and I was on my way to university." Ridley looked back at her blood-painted hands. "Take it one day at a time. I know it's easier said than done but there's a lot you have to look forward to: graduation; university; your whole, in fact."

"But she doesn't," Ridley replied. "So what's the point?" Before Clarke could think of a reply, Ridley went on, "I didn't just watch her die, Axel. A piece of me died with her. Maybe it was our link, maybe it wasn't but..." she shook her head lightly "... I felt myself die."

"I know the feeling. My brother, my mother. There's no way doing that to someone you love won't effect you. The difference is that I was trained not to feel it but seeing you with Ryan like that, last night, I never felt the true extent of my actions until that moment." He leaned her face into his to kiss her temple. "You don't have to be a hunter, you know. At the end of the day, you have the entire Nonentity series so now the decision is yours entirely."

"I don't want to do this," Ridley admitted. "I don't want to be designed for this lifestyle."

Clarke nodded then gathered her for a hug. "I hate to do this to you but," he began ruefully then straightened up, "you're going to be late for school."

"School," Ridley sighed then checked the time on her phone. "I don't want that lifestyle either."

"Ryan's cover story is that, she was manipulated into fleeing the infirmary and she is now in hiding," Clarke stated ruefully. "Over 70% of the moon students and about 20% of the sun students saw the infirmary incident. That means the whole school knows." Ridley nodded wordlessly. "You know I wouldn't send you to class if I didn't have to. With Renee still on the loose, I need every man I can spare on student watch. The Guardian Unit just happens to be in an optimal position."

"I know, Axel. I just don't want people asking questions even if they know we're obligated to tell them nothing," she replied. She looked back down at her hands. "Especially Ryan's friends. They were all she had and they really-"

"We have a problem," Esmeralda sobbed while juggling up Ridley's steps. In her hand was her cellhone. "There's a video of last night. It's circulating around the school!"

"What," Clarke roared then grabbed Esmeralda's phone.

The video was the entire fight between his twins. From Ridley's arrive, to Clarke and Dane carrying them out of the hall. The angle was too far away to get any audio, leaving it solely up to interpretation. "There's more." Clarke groaned while Ridley bolted out of her room. "The video was sent from Ryan's phone." Ridley froze on her stairs. "It was sent just after two, this morning. It couldn't have been Ryan, she was already..." Esmeralda stopped herself then turned to Ridley. "Think it could be Renee," Esmeralda directed to her husband.

"I don't see why not," Clarke sighed. "Get sniffers down to the country club, have them sniff out the area the photographer stood. I want a full report on my desk before midnight.

Ridley continued to the bathroom to calm herself. She caved against the door and started crying all over again. Her own phone went off with a variety of hate messages and cruel comments from sun and moon students. The hardened 'Scary Axel' shell had been destroyed, leaving behind the soft young woman.

Esmeralda soon came passed the bathroom and heard her stepdaughter's crying. "Ridley, please-"

"Go away!"

"Listen to me. Please." There was no reply. "In 1923, I had-"

"I don't care!"

"What I'm saying is that there will always be something waiting to happen. You can't control how people feel about it or about you but you can control how you react to it. I've never met anyone as resilient as you," she went on. "You just keep moving forward. Now more than ever I need you to move forward. We're always by your side if you need us," Esmeralda concluded. "You know that right?" Esmeralda was met by the sound of the shower turning on. She exhaled heavily but nodded nonetheless.

Dunon Academy was in unrest! Moon students were bewildered and frustrated by what they saw. Debates ensued and opnions were flying unfiltered. That all abruptly paused when Ridley came down the hall. Daggers were stared into her as she passed them. Whispering softly flared up but without her armoured exoskeleton, the guilt registered on Ridley's face.

Ankh snarled her way through groups of ampyras down the hall and crept her way to Ridley. The grey wolf nestled the side of her face into Ridley's ribs. The huntress only looked into her locker. Her books were slightly leaning on the top shelf while a crossbow hung from the single rack, along with a hanger for her blazer in the warmer weather.

It wasn't 20:00 yet but two sun students were outside the dormitory. Carson marched over to Ridley and tapped her on the shoulder, unfazed by the wolf beside her. Ridley slumped her shoulders and braced herself for the ridicule. Instead, when she turned to meet Carson's incensed scowl, the sun student struck her across the face.

Ridley stammered into the lockers and pursed her lips before straightening herself. "Bitch, you had that coming," the Taiwanese senior hissed angrily.

The moon students stopped what they were doing - those who weren't already watching - to take in the new spectacle. Moonbeam was slightly behind her and just as angry. "How deranged must you be to murder your own sister," she roared for the entire hallway to hear.

Carson punched her again, this time tearing Ridley's lip. The halfritch sucked on her bottom lip and didn't fight her beating. Moonbeam put on brass knuckles then took her turn at Ridley. Moon students that weren't spectating were filming.

She punched Ridley to the floor and she spat out her black and gold blood. Exhaling roughly, she looked up at Moonbeam and Carson. They were awed by her face healing. Moonbeam stepped away lightly but Carson stayed put while Ridley stood up.

"Go ahead," was all Ridley said while raising her hands in surrender.

"I think not," Calista bellowed. She was so small among the pool of students that she had to squirm her way to the front. The goldblood pulled out a studded whip threateningly. "Anyone have a problem with that?" The students went dead. "Good. Now go before I have principal Axel hand each of you a one way ticket to suspension."

Ankh exhaled her relief while the students dispersed, grumbling among their numbers. "I didn't know you're a hunter," Ridley replied.

"I'm not," Calista stated then rolled up her left sleeve to show she didn't have any gradus. "Though I do have another life domain that requires fighting skills." Ridley looked back at Moonbeam and Carson who were walking backwards while scowling at her. "This will pass."

"I doubt that," the young huntress replied then went on her way.

Her physics class was silent from her presence with only Dane and Sayeed showing visible sympathy. Mekhi, clicked her pen repeatedly beside Dane then leaned in to whisper to him, "is she going to be okay? Usually she looks ready to kill someone but now..."

Dane sighed before facing Mehki. "Would you believe me if I told you she's my oldest friend and know almost nothing about her, yet I know her better than anyone else?"

"Damn."

Ridley shrivelled into her seat next to Sayeed, who gave a wry smile. Ankh settled in front of their workstation and shook her head lightly at Sayeed. The transfer student pursed his lips then reached for Ridley's hand. She blinked away her tears while Dr Coleman began with his lesson.

"I couldn't have been easy," Sayeed began softly. "You know they're only blame you because they don't understand the circumstances."

Ridley looked down at his hand holding hers and saw his Nonentity sticking out from under his shirt. She knew, despite not seeing it, that not only did Sayeed have his Hunter before he transferred from Charter House but he also had his Mana.

"How did you do it? Your first hunt."

"Charter House," he replied. "It's an unofficial tradition of all the first years to be locked in the school hall on the first night. Then the seniors and teachers set Class Es free into the hall. Nobody's really died because some of the teachers sneak it to keep an eye out."

"Hunters like you are cheap because they're mass-produced."

"Yeah, we were probably made in China," he replied to humour her but she was having none of it. He pursed his lips while she started making notes haphazardly. "If it's any consolation, homemade hunters are statistically better hunters. Maybe we could have a one-on-one later."

"How you feel if your sister just died," she jeered so loud that the class went silent and even Dr Coleman turned to the scuffle. "By your hand, as a hunter."

Sayeed looked over at Ankh who shrugged at him. "My sister is the whole world to me. I would lose my sanity if anything ever happened to her. But if she left me no choice..." Ridley turned to him and so did the entire class. "That's what we're trained to do." She looked away from him to Dane for support. "I know you feel guilty," Sayeed went on softly, "but Ryan's the one who made her bed."

"And now she's sleeping in a graveyard!"

"Excuse me! This is not Dr Phil," Dr Coleman cut in. "Mr Badr, Ms, Axel. Calculate the magnitude of acceleration of the seven kilogram box." They both turned away from each other. "No? Then be quiet!"

When physics finally ended, Ridley ruefully trudged out of the classroom. Mehki was the one to catch up to her with Dane watching from a short distance. "Hey, Ridley," the dark skinned ampyra called. "Ridley Axel!" The only American in school cupped Ridley by the shoulder and the huntress stopped exasperated. "I know things are topsy turvy for you right now but I'm going shopping for the Christmas ball after school. I'm not going to judge you and I'm not going to talk about it, if you don't want to. It would just be nice if I had someone with me."

Dane smiled wryly at them and Ridley noticed it. He nodded, eagerly egging her on. "Christmas ball is tomorrow and you're only now going shopping?"

"Yeah," Mehki replied as if it were nothing. "Now that all the good dresses for the season are sold out, all the stores in town are stockin' up for farewell dresses." Ridley couldn't deny that she was faintly impressed by the tactic. "How's that for strategy?"

"You seem like a really nice person, Nixon, but..." Ridley shook her head lightly "... shopping isn't for me and I really just want to suffer in silence." Before Mekhi could consider a reply, the huntress brushed passed her for foreign languages. Not that Mehki wasn't also headed that way.

Ms Yi had laid headphones at each of the seats to her auditorium lecturer seats that curved around her chalkboard. The chalkboard was covered by the projector screen. "Tonight, we will be watching a speech by sinologist, Dr Chung Meilie. What I want you to listen to is her word choice and tone. There are subtitles but I want you to listen to how she transitions between Shanghainese and Mandarin," she stated while the last of her students filed in.

On the steps, Marcus and Mehki were talking before Marcus took Mehki's seat next to Ridley. "Ms Axel," the goldblood greeted and she sighed heavily. Suddenly everyone was talking to her when they either feared her or made nothing of her. "I am aware that people have many questions and opnions for you but I wanted to offer some information on that video."

Ridley sighed then put her headphones on and Marcus nodded understandingly before doing the same. Even Ms Yi couldn't hide that she knew about the video. It wasn't all that surprising; when the Axel twins first started at Dunon Academy, Ryan was failing foreign languages. In place of going to the sun teach, Mr Garibaldi, Clarke asked Ms Yi to help Ryan. Mr Garibaldi had his hands full as the field hockey coach.

Since Ms Yi and Ryan both had irregular schedules, they used to communicate over the phone to set up their sessions. Ridley didn't know if they ever spoke after grade nine but evidently Ryan still had the Chinese woman's phone number.

When the speech was over, Ms Yi handed her class worksheets to fill out about the speech. Outside, in the moonlight, Ridley saw hunters patrol and she knew Ryan would have been among them had it not been for her demise. Ryan was the real hunter in the family. She made an honest first hunt, unlike Ridley. Her first hunt was invalid because of Clarke's intervention. Then her real first hunt, was her own sister. That's what made it more tragic. The worse part? Nobody except Clarke could ever know that.

It made concentration impossible. Ridley could only stare blankly at the worksheet while twiddling her pen in her hand. Marcus glanced over at her and decided it was the time. "Your sister was controlled by someone else," he whispered and Ridley inhaled sharply. Stabbing him with her pen was tempting. "That confirms an eldritch was involved."

She looked over at him angrily. Only twenty-four hours since Ryan's death and the school-goers are already investigators. "You would know," she spat softly. "You're an eldritch."

"Who ever told you that?" Ridley looked back at her worksheet. "I can assure you, it is an artifice."

"The wind in the library? Your father's journal entry about the night your house burnt down."

"You misunderstand. I am a halfritch," he clarified. Now he had Ridley's attention. "My mother was turned by the Source. My father was centuries younger than she however, he was a common goldblood. That's why I am still here."

"You're older than three hundred, aren't you?"

"I am well into my ninth century," was all Marcus replied. Ridley made sure nobody was watching them before she made a small white flame ignite on her index finger. "I gathered as much," the English nobleman replied. "Nobody else was around to create the white fire in the video. I am truly sorry about that." Ridley extinguished the flame then looked away from him, tearing up. "I know you're obligated not to say anything but you should know that there is only one reason why anyone would be pitted against someone they love. I thought it an old wife's tale until I saw that video. All the attacks around campus, they were to shift you."

"What does that mean?"

"There is supposedly a way to make oneself immortal. It requires one to drink the blood of their own. In which case, I have deduced that this menace is someone you are biologically related to. All the attacks were designed to make you feel different emotions in a confined timeframe. Unfortunately your sister was the last one you needed to feel," he added and Ridley dropped her pen. "Grief is the last emotion. Hereafter this immortality-seeker will drink you dry."

Ridley huffed her disbelief then combed through her hair with her hand trembling more than ever. "Has this ever worked?"

"If it has, I know nothing of it."

"This was her plan," Ridley concluded shakily. "This is what she wanted this?"

"Ms Axel, I don't wish to make you feel worse however, the late Ms Axel did not fight of her own will." Ridley froze as more tears flooded out of her. "I saw it in her eyes; it's not something many people who've encountered eldritches are familiar with. Those who are familiar with it know that when someone's eyes are as... blank is too harsh but when there is no... um, visible thought in one's eyes, it shows that an eldritch has used their mind altering capabilities."

"Ryan was forced to fight me?"

"Unfortunately."

Ridley got up from her seat in an out of body experience and stumbled down the auditorium steps, falling into the wall. Ms Yi was talking to her but her voice fell on deaf ears. The huntress waddled out of the classroom and her vision blurred.

"Ridley," a distorted voice called. The voice echoed in her mind. "Ridley, can you hear me?" The huntress saw the vague figure of a grey wolf trotting towards her. "Talk to me! What's wrong?"

The huntress let out a sirenic shriek that made the lockers rattle. Hunters nearby came swarming in only to be blocked by a wall of white fire. The fire encapsulated some of the classrooms, making teachers lead the flee of students into the hallway. The fire alarms went off throughout the school and students took to the hallway with teachers in tow.

Ridley tore a locker door clean off its hinges! The door flew across the hallway into a pillar. It was wedged deep into the concrete pillar, like a throwing star. She let out a monstrous roar that was met with fire breath! The spectacle made students record what they saw, the elite few who weren't stunned wordless the sight.

Sayeed and Dane shoved their way to the front to contain their halfritch huntress. Pandemonium engulfed Dunon Academy with students running amok from the fire. Hunters tried to gather them to safety while Ridley only made it worsen by her unravelling burst of rage and guilt.

Dane cupped her cheeks and forced her to look him in the eye while continued bawling her eyes out. "Kill me," she ordered him softly. "Please. Make it stop. Please make it stop," she pleaded through her blocked nose.

Sayeed shook his head then teared up with her, drawing his gun. "You're endangering them," he warned. "Don't make us do it." He pressed the gun into the back of her head.

Dane leaned his forehead into hers. "We all lose people, Ridley," he began. "Sometimes by our own hands and sometimes not. Don't let this consume you! It will pass. I promise." Ridley shook her head as she cried on. "Jakob's death was my fault," he confessed. "Had I not given in to temptation, he wouldn't be dead but I can't change that anymore than you can change what happened to Ryan."

"Dane," Sayeed called warningly. He noticed the fire spreading; consuming the school in ice and frost. Steadily Sayeed rested his finger in the trigger.

"Look at me," Dane ordered angrily but Ridley shook her head. "Listen to me. I'm here! Ryan wasn't all you had. You have Clarke, you have Esmeralda and you have us. We're not just a unit." Ridley looked away from him but the fire receded and Sayeed lowered his gun. Dane gathered Ridley in his arms and he felt her knees give in. "I will never leave your side."

Sayeed clapped Dane on the shoulder wordlessly then joined the veterans to do damage control. "She made Ryan do it," Ridley whispered. "She made us both do it." Dane combed through her hair reassuringly. "I want to die."

"Don't say that."

"I should have let her kill me."

"Stop it."

Ridley buried her face in his neck with a snort. "You were right about Sinclair," Ridley began. "He's not an eldritch." Dane exhaled heavily then looked over at Marcus, who was among the rest of their classmates in a safe area.

"Go home," Dane ordered. "We've got the school covered."

Before Ridley could reply, Clarke made his way towards them. "That's a good idea," he voiced. Ridley straightened up then took her father's unchanging demeanor. "There's more excitement than I anticipated. Go home. Cry it off, sleep it off, whatever. I'll check on you in a little while."

"Clarke," Esmeralda called then made their way towards them. "I know there's a lot more serious issues at hand right now but I need an answer on the Christmas ball," she began. "It's tomorrow night and if we cancel it now, we're going to have an ocean of pissed off teenagers."

"No," Ridley replied thoughtfully. "Renee's still after me. The ball's the perfect opportunity to strike; nobody will be on guard. We can use the ball to end this. Permanently."

"You're finally going," Esmeralda asked eagerly.

"I'm not wearing a dress," Ridley replied coldly, shutting down Esmeralda's hopes. "If it means this can be over..." she turned to Clarke for an answer.

The principal nodded lightly in agreement. "We're ending this tomorrow," he concluded. "Or we'll die trying." Ankh flared her ears, sensing what Ridley was really thinking. "Esmeralda and I will convene with intelligence and the other units. In the meantime, you have class," he directed to Dane. "And you, go home," he directed to Ridley.

They both obeyed and Ankh whimpered before she followed the scheming Ridley. Up in the bedroom, the grey wolf watched the huntress dig for her phone. Through the bond, Ankh knew exactly what Ridley was doing! Calling Ryan's phone.

Ridley's heart beat erratic in her chest but her guilt had consumed her already. "Good evening," Renee replied smugly. "Ryan can't come to the phone right now, or ever. She's dead."

"You want me, come get me," Ridley replied heartlessly. "There's nothing left for you take from me. No hunters, no cat armies. Just you and me. Tomorrow night. Mirage Rouge country club. 21:00."

"So dramatic! You're your mother's child," Renee purred. "How do I this isn't a trap?"

"Do you really think Clarke would willing let me do this?"

"Touché, mon chérie," the eldritch replied. "Very well. If you've really had enough of life, we will meet tomorrow night. Oh, and do dress your best. If you're going to go out, go out in style. Can't have my own daughter die, looking like some crusty troll."

"I'll see you tomorrow."