Awakened: Reckoning of the Moon & Sun

More Than Just A Bite Of Resentment

    With his eyes dilated into Apollo’s vision, Jeriko searched the school grounds closely that day, trying to figure out why, yet again, had Darvin returned to Luxeville. This was steadily drawing more concern for Jeriko as he started to wonder what his young friend’s intentions were.

    “What are you up to, Vin?” He muttered.

    It had been two days since their last visit to Luxeville High. Jeriko, somehow, had lost Darvin’s trail, and when he finally picked it up again, he noticed that Darvin’s scent trailed right back to where they had started. Immediately, Jeriko assumed that maybe he was using the school as a feeding ground; it being the only reason that he could fathom why Darvin would be there one moment and then leave the next.

    “There are no signs of any student being taken or even bitten by him,” Marlo said on approach as Jeriko wandered the school grounds. While Jeriko was outside of the school, Marlo went in to track where Darvin’s main spots were when he came around.

    Frustration began to set in along with confusion. “Then what...why does he keep coming here?” He hissed under his breath.

    “I...I don’t know, Rik. I do know that he hasn’t been going to classes. Or at least not the classes that he should be going to during his senior year.”

    “Someone is keeping him here,”  Apollo said in the recesses of Jeriko’s mind.

    “I’m beginning to think the same thing, Apollo,” He said aloud as he looked up into the school.

    “That there’s someone here that he’s coming back for,” Marlo had already figured out what both his friend and his beast were thinking as he too, looked toward the school. “Darvin’s trail has been leading to rooms of the lower classmen,” He told Jeriko.

    “You think it’s a girlfriend or something?” 

    “Hmm, meh,” Marlo shrugged. “Darvin was more about getting a scholarship than any relationship. The only person he’d have thought of giving a chance was Aurora.”

    Jeriko shook his head, thinking about all of the guys that were after his twin, he wasn’t too surprised to know that Darvin was one of the many who harbored a crush. “Doesn’t mean he hadn’t found someone else while we were away.”

    “Maybe…” Marlo returned. “I just don’t think that’s the case though, Rik. Vin wasn’t really into lower-class girls. Said that the idea of an upperclassman dating a freshman would be like him okaying an older guy to date his little sister,” He chuckled. “Guess I see the point.”

    “Freshman?” Jeriko stared at Marlo. “Was...was he going to freshman classes?” 

    “Yeah...and-” Marlo stopped talking and stared at Jeriko with wide-eyed realization. “His sister!” Slamming his palm to his forehead, Marlo shook his head irritatedly. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of this before! Darvin’s younger sister was being transferred to Luxeville high in a few months. She’s probably here!”

    “Then we need to find her,” Jeriko said with urgency. 

    “If Darvin hasn’t harmed her, do we really need to bother her with this?”

    “Vin might be under control now but...it won’t last much longer,” Jeriko stated. “If he is an Arctic hybrid, our cravings can become erratic if left unattended for too long, and knowing Darvin, I’d be surprised if he has fed since his transition.”

    “I wouldn’t be,” Marlo replied. “Not at all,” He looked at Jeriko. “That hunger...Rik..it’s stronger than good intentions,” He said. “It...it can take you over in a second given a desperate enough circumstance. If that happens while he’s around Dawn, he’ll never forgive himself.”

    Marlo was right. “We have to find him. Fast.” 

                                            *****************************************

    Later on in the evening, Jeriko and Marlo found themselves outside the home of the family that had been taking care of Darvin’s younger siblings. It was the only other place that Darvin had been outside of Luxeville High School. 

    “Darvin ever bring you here?” Jeriko asked Marlo as they inconspicuously staked out the house. 

    Marlo shook his head, “No,” He replied, his eyes still steadily surveying the area. “I followed him once,” He confessed. “Darvin...is a dear friend and...probably the most trustworthy person you could ever ask for. But…” With an amused huff, Marlo thought about how hard it was for Darvin to open up. “He was the most secretive guy I’ve ever met...well-at least before I met you that it,” He chuckled, glancing at Jeriko before returning his attention to the subtle glow behind the closed curtains of the window. “So, one day after school...I trailed him,”

    “A little intrusive don’t you think?” Jeriko asked.

    “Of course it was,” Marlo readily admitted. “But I could see that Darvin was going through something that...was too overwhelming to talk about,” He scoffed. “Listening to my troubles and never relieving himself of his own.” Marlo’s tone became a little irritated by the notion. “So, one day I followed him. That’s how I found out about him being homeless...about this place and his siblings.”

    All the while Marlo was talking about this, Jeriko couldn’t help going back to the idea that they-his closest friends had never opened up to him about this. Even in him being the one friend that could have helped them. “Did he ever find out that you knew?” Jeriko asked.

    “I told him,” Marlo shifted his stare to Jeriko, almost as if he was surprised that he’d even asked such a question. “I wanted him to know that I knew because I wanted him to know that I was his friend and that I was willing to listen.” He shrugged and returned his hazel gaze forward. “When we finally talked it out, I offered my place up for him to stay a couple days.”

    “I imagine that didn’t blow over too well,” Jeriko chuckled, knowing how prideful his friend was. 

    Marlo laughed. “One time...he stayed over one time,” His expression suddenly changed into one a little less upbeat than a moment ago. “Then that bastardo…” He growled, his eyes veining with anger. “Miserable piece of…” Marlo took a deep breath. “Needless to say, Darvin felt it best not to return,” He looked at Jeriko with sorrow in his eyes. “It was also after that, that he found out in detail how miserable my life was,” He shifted his head, and ran his fingers through his short waves. “To be honest, I think him seeing how bad my home life was made it a lot easier for him to open up to me.”

    “Why didn’t either of you tell me?” Jeriko asked. “I could have helped.”

    To this Marlo simply snickered, his head moving from side to side. “One, you were the new kid,” Marlo shrugged. “Why would we open up to you about something like that? We didn’t know how you’d react or whether we could even trust you enough to understand. Even still, after a while, we had become accustomed to using one another as a support system. Why would we want to add someone else to our misery?” He said. “Besides, when it all boils down to it, it’s all toxic masculinity.” He laughed. “I mean, we already opened up to each other about our problems. Takes a lot to do it once-let alone two times and to a completely different person.”

    “I guess, I get that.”

    “It’s like you not trusting us with the secret of you and your sexy sist-”

    “Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Jeriko cut him off.    

    Marlo shrugged. “She may be my maker and she may be taken but doesn’t mean that she ain’t still sexy.”

    “Okay, whatever,” Jeriko muttered when he saw in the distance a hundred feet behind the house in the woods, a nocturnal gaze almost watching him in the distance. “Marlo, you see that?” 

    “I do,” 

    As soon as he said this, those eyes seemed to surface from the woods. There he was, a glower upon his face and his stare ice-cold as he watched Jeriko. As he emerged, his gaze narrowed.

    “He’s angry,” Jeriko muttered, realizing that there was always a chance that this would happen. From where he and Marlo stood, he could hear the guttural growl that escaped him from the distance.

    “Whether he’s angry or not, we cannot let him go.”

    As if hearing this, Darvin’s upper lip quivered as he grimaced and suddenly disappeared into the woods behind him. 

    It was at this moment that Jeriko realized that Darvin did not want to be caught. “I guess this may be a little more complicated than I previously thought.”

    “You really thought it’d be less complicated?” Marlo glanced at his friend, brow raised before he darted into the woods after Darvin to chase.

    Jeriko scoffed. “Guess not,” He muttered to himself and quickly rushed after Marlo, them both following the trail that led to Darvin’s descent into the woods. 

    They pushed through the trees, following Darvin’s scent until they turned up into a closed-off path leading off into a deeper path. Darvin’s essence was strong throughout the area; it was appar3ent that he’d been camping out in this area for a while now.

    “Well one thing’s for sure,” Marlo muttered as he turned in a full circle to try and catch a scent stronger than what had been left of Darvin’s trail. “He’s certainly gotten the speed down.”

    “That’s an understatement,” Jeriko returned and then dared to call out to him. “Darvin!” He yelled but just as he expected there was no answer. “Darvin come out! We need to talk!” 

    “About what...exactly?”

    The voice that answered back was slightly different than the voice of his old friend. Jeriko and Marlo turned around to see those eyes staring back at him.

    “Vin?” Marlo started to approach.

    “Don’t!” Darvin hissed. “Don’t come any closer!”

    “Buddy, you can’t hurt me,” Marlo returned. 

    Darvin’s gaze darted around before his glowing eyes landed on Jeriko. “They got to you too?” He bitterly asked.

    Marlo nodded, all the while, taking another step closer. “Yeah, well-Aurora…” As soon as he said this, Darvin cackled, his laugh harsh and full of underlying resentment. “Accidentally of course,” Marlo added.

    “Of course,” Darvin snarkily replied. “Mistakes are their specialty. Isn’t that right? Jeriko?” 

    Jeriko could practically feel Darvin resisting the impulse to jump at him. He was livid but somehow, Jeriko had a feeling that it was because of more than just being bitten by him.

    “Darvin I-”

    “Don’t!” He barked in anger. “Don’t! I don’t want to hear your excuses! Your lies!”

    “Vin, I never intended to lie to you about anything,” Jeriko attempted at reason. “I was only trying to protect you-”

    “You left! You took my only true friend away from me...then you left!” Darvin’s full form emerged, his eyes suddenly dilated in an icy manner. “Took my memories with you! The only thing bringing them back was me seeing your sister! Only to find that you...had left her as well!” He growled. 

    “Darvin, man, calm down!” 

    “Why?!” He snapped at Marlo. Steadily the air around them began to mist with a cold fog. “They took everything from me! You! Why?! Why are you so...so forgiving?”

    “Because I didn’t have much of a life before this anyway, Vin.” Marlo returned. “You know that.”

    “You had your mother! Did she not mean anything to you?! You left her with that sack of nothing! Are you seriously alright with that?”

    “Henry is dead, Vin,” Marlo told him. 

    There was a lull in the conversation a moment before Darvin dropped his gaze. “Your first kill…” He seemed to realize.

    Marlo sighed and nodded his head. “Yeah, yes he was.” 

    “He deserved it,” Darvin leered as his gaze rose to meet his friends again. “I don’t have a human that I hate enough to be alright with that,” He said in bitterness. “So, it’s not that easy for me and….” He grabbed a fist full of his hair, shaking his head wildly. “It’s...driving me to insanity,”

    Jeriko dared to approach closer as he insisted. “Then Darvin now is not the best time for you to be near siblings if you’re to this point. Come back with me and-”

    “My sister has just been transferred to Luxeville. She’s alone, and quite frankly, I’m afraid for her! If she runs into someone like you...like?!” He snapped, his breath becoming shaky. “I can’t...I cannot leave her-”

    “Darvin, if you just come with us then we can-”

    “I don’t trust you!” He roared, the force of his voice bursting with a sharp chill. When he realized what he had done, Darvin backed away, suddenly noticing the mist around them rising. It was apparent in his gaze that he knew he was the cause of it. “I can’t-I can’t do…” Without another word, he backed away and suddenly disappeared. 

    “He’s about to lose his mind,” Marlo anxiously noted.

    “Yes, it’s not going to be easy to get him to come back with us. But we have to stop him from going on a rampage. Even still, we have to move carefully with him. We need to be careful not to provoke much further.” 

    “How bad will it be? This rampage?” Marlo asked. “Will he transform into his beast?”

    Jeriko nodded. “Yes, and it won’t be pretty,” He glanced at Marlo before switching his stare to the spot where Darvin once was. 

    “The same happened to you,” Marlo realized.

    “Yeah,” Jeriko readily admitted. “It’s how Darvin got bitten in the first place.”