REDEMPTION

8. IT'S YOU!

Shawn lay somewhat peaceful on her laps. Audrey lifted him and placed him on the sofa. She turned and looked at the unconscious Lucah. He wasn’t injured but just to make sure, she ran her hand behind his head. She felt a little bump. She giggled to herself while tying him up. Little bump. She dragged his body while looking for somewhere or something to tie him to. 

Audrey was not going to make the same mistake as she had before. She was not going to leave anyone with Shawn. Friend or foe, it didn’t matter. Her heart was not prepared to lose her loved one again. As she thought this, she came across a wooden chair, bingo. Dragging it and him, Audrey walked back to the living room. 

She heard a thud and turned to look in the direction of the sound. Lucah’s head had knocked into the wall because her mind was uneasy. They could come here anytime. Audrey had to prepare, but first she had to look after while looking for her brother. Audrey tied Lucah to the chair and confirmed it over and over again. 

She walked to the kitchen and came back with the necessities to clean her brother’s wounds. While she was taking care of Shawn, Millim spread out her energy to search for Ralph. She knew which direction to start her search. This had happened unexpectedly when the possession was close to completion. She saw Ralph who was closer to Audrey than Shawn was. 

They might have been siblings and Audrey loved her brothers equally but because of Ralph’s cheeky nature, she was fond of him. His personality made it easier to confide in and walk up to. Nevertheless, she knew that this built up personality was a façade. A cover up he had been working on for years to erase the pain and agony he had been feeling for years. 

No one, not even his parents ever noticed. All apart from his little sister. Ralph had once thought he was a good for nothing creep and hated himself for it but here came a little girl who smiled to him. Holding up her hands for him to carry her. Bringing him flowers everyday, without fail, to welcome him home. Always made sure he ate even when he did not want to. And also cried in his place. 

These little things did not look like much, but, to him they meant everything. Right when he was about to drown in a pool of despair, a light brighter than the dawn of day walked right up to him and into his arms. She was the only one who did not expect anything from him but himself. 

Audrey, his savior, only wanted him to be himself. His parents expected him to master dark arts and counter attacks to defend from light arts. His brother wanted him to be responsible. His father’s clan expected him to rule them one day. His mother’s clan expected him to form an alliance with his brother who would later rule over them. The clan members expected them to work together to maintain the peace. 

Yet she, just wanted him to smile, and be himself! He would laugh at how ironic it was. He had hated her for no reason and pushed her away out of fear of hurting her but she kept on coming till he could not do without her. Ralph fell in love, a feeling so foreign it scared him. So after a while he decided to send her away for good by telling her the truth. 

Even though he had gain abilities from his parents, these abilities always hurt him when he used them. Hence after a while he would loose control and go on a rampage. Everyone thought this was normal since his father had quite a temper as well. Ralph called her out one night, to watch the moon as they had always done. And he told Audrey about it. 

To his surprise her answer was one he did not prepare for. 

“I know,” 

Her face was certain. He eyes full of determination. She was not lying. Audrey had known all along that he was in pain, that he lost control and would continue to do so until it finally consumed him. She knew but still treated him like a person! Tears ran down his face. Ralph’s brain tried coming up with words but came up blank. 

Audrey shook her head, held his head in place and planted a kiss on his forehead. That was the first time he had cried before anyone. The first, and the last. Not long after they were banished, for reasons only known to Shawn. Ralph had been trying to get him to speak but the guy was a tough nut to c***k. 

Millim held onto this feelings and locked onto his magic source. Not long after, his magic source disappeared. She searched around one more time but no matter how long or hard she did. Millim could not find him. It was as if he had fallen off the face of the earth, literally. Her heart skipped a beat. She did not need to share with Audrey her findings. She already knew. 

No too long now, they would become one and the real danger would begin. It seemed to have already started though. If they had taken Ralph to where she thought they had. Audrey and Shawn had to head back. To a place they had not been for the last twenty or so years. A place she vowed never to step in until they told her the truth. A place she was not sure she wanted to get back to. 

Shawn groaned. A smile crept to her face, her heart felt lighter. She sighed, he was okay. Audrey asked how he was feeling but she never got to finished what she was saying. Her head felt heavy and she collapsed on the floor. Shawn, who had planned to ignore her, jumped in worry. Audrey’s vision grew darker by the second, she could feel Millim fading in her subconscious. 

She called out to her. Tried to reach her before she faded away but could not get to her in time. Millim was gone. She held back her tears. One escaped, she wanted to wipe it but she could not feel her hand. Audrey looked at it. Not only was her hand fading, her whole body was. It made sense since she was the one who died. Her soul was trapped in her body forcefully by Millim so that she could live a little longer. 

Her time was up. Only one soul could exist in her body and she was glad it was Millim. Audrey shut her eyes and she felt herself being completely erased. She had had a good life. Her only regret was that she left without telling Shawn where she thought Ralph was. I wish I had told him earlier. 

Shawn called out to Audrey repeatedly without getting a response. Because he sat up to quick his head was still spinning. His vision became focused. His hearing suddenly became clearer. He knew what was going on and laid back down. He took in deep breathes. After a while the process was complete. 

He slowly sat up and stretched. Shawn felt something heavy stretch behind his back. He slightly tilted his head and meet white. There was something feathery, fluffy and white on his back. His hand reached out to it. It felt warm and sent shivers down his spine. Wings! He had wings!

This meant that his proclamation ceremony was a success. His thoughts shifted to his little sister, she was still on the floor. He reached out to wake her. Audrey’s skin was as cold as ice. She looked like she had stopped breathing. He skin was slowly turning pale blue. Had her ceremony failed or wasn’t it over yet?

Audrey coughed and her eyes flattered open. She turned and stared at the ceiling, thinking. 

“Audrey?” Shawn called out unsure. 

She turned and looked at him. 

“Your eyes… they suite you.” 

“Who am I speaking to.” He interrupted. 

Audrey smiled. 

“Both of us.” 

Shawn looked confused. Both of them? That was impossible. Only one soul could occupy one body. That was the absolute rule… unless. Realization struck him and he looked at her. 

“It’s you.”