Disgraced: Twins of the Zodiac

From Prey To Predator

    “Hel-hello? Hello?” The call went to voicemail once again. Jeriko tried not to take more extensive magical measures in the dangling hopes that maybe there was a chance to save face with Marlo, but he quickly losing faith in that notion. “Marlo, call me when you get this.”

     Jeriko’s eyes traveled over to his twin, her face turned away from him. Aurora hadn’t really been able to look him in the eye since she confessed to the reasons behind why Marlo was of so much concern in the first place. He could feel the guilt emanating from his sister.

    “I’m sorry, Jeriko.” She apologized, her gaze still averted from him. When Jeriko didn’t respond right away, she looked at him, sympathy in her eyes. “I really am.”

    Of course, it didn’t diminish the feelings of frustration towards his younger sister for acting out that day; though, he did have to admit to himself that her anger was partial to his doing. He silently acknowledged that her anger and aggravations would not have surfaced at all, had he respected her wishes and considered her feelings that day. Still, it was hard for Jeriko not to find resentment...not to consider the idea that if Aurora handn't been so trigger happy when it came to her temper, things may have been avoided as well. Regardless, Jeriko realized that Aurora had a very sensitive anatomy when it came to her appetite and that her need to be alone was just means to protect humanity as a whole-despite how she felt about humans. Deep down, Jeriko knew that his actions played a big part in this terrible situation. Which is why he wouldn’t give her so much gruff about it.

    They were close to Marlo's home at this point, both Aurora and Jeriko wanted to make haste but sometimes in moving too fast they'd make a bigger blunder than there already was. Still, they did not lolligag in trying to check on Marlo. They sped down the street where he lived. Jeriko sped down the street in his truck in silence after her apology. Both of them were sitting on pins and needles, afraid of what they'd walk into when they go there.

    “I know, Ro. I know that you’re sorry.” Jeriko finally said, thoughts lingering on how to respond to his sister’s apology. He was silent for a moment, knowing that his sister was probably not going to say much more. “Not like all of this is completely your fault anyway.” He finally decided to confess. He could feel the heat of his younger twin sister’s gaze on him after he admitted to those words. He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have brought them over that day. You were right.” He pointed out. “It’s just-I-I guess I get so caught up in myself, my concerns, the need for us to fit into society.” He looked at his twin. “That I forget how much more difficult it can be for you.” 

    Aurora never thought that she would live to see the day that Jeriko would say those words. Not aloud-and certainly not to her as he was always seemed to be one for tough love when it came to Aurora. So, she couldn’t help the small small hint of a smile that appeared on her face when he actually acknowledged such a thing. Maybe she wouldn’t have to fight so hard to keep that wretch Jennifer from tainting his soul after all.

    “Not your fault that I was born this way.” She decided on countering with, wanting to keep her reply short and not too exposing her true feelings. It hould have been easier to open up to her brother after he seemed to almost effortlessly open up to her; but Aurora was just so used to keeping it all bottled in around everyone, save her mother, that she couldn’t seem to break the habit at that moment. “Besides, I’m the least important thing to worry about in the great scheme of things.” She added,. "After what I've done...after everything that is going on.“

    “I wouldn’t necessarily agree with you on that either, sis,” Jeriko replied.

    “Oh? And why might that be?” Aurora inquired, though she had a lingering feeling as to what may have meant by it.

    “That woman.” He looked at Aurora. “You said…” He hesitated on the words he was to say next because he just didn’t know if he could even accept such a thing. He and Aurora barely saw eye to eye of late but the thought of something or someone that powerful trying to end her...it frightened him. “She wanted to kill you...because-”

    “I am incompetent at being a vampire.” Aurora finished. “Though, I’m sure that you and I both know that there is probably more to it than that.” She wasn’t exactly sure whether she should tell her brother who this Bellarossa was yet. At least not until she found out all of the specifics from Azul. And that was if she still wanted to even bother with dealing with the wolf anymore.

    “But that’s all that you know,” Jeriko said, turning his gaze forward again. “And that’s all that matters at this point about that subject in particular.”

    “Didn’t think about that part much.” Aurora realized aloud.

    Jeriko, only slightly amused, glanced at his younger sister with his eyebrow raised. “Really? That would have probably been the top priority on my list.” He mused. 

    He produced a small chuckle from Aurora and himself, before Aurora’s attention returned to the scenery outside of the window of the truck. When they saw his house, Jeriko pulled up in his driveway. 

    “I don’t know, Rik. Guess, I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.” She countered.

    “What? Like Azul?” He said in an almost domineering way. Not towards his sister more than the man in question himself. 

    “More or less,” Aurora replied. It wasn’t Azul that she was thinking about more than what he may have had to tell her about their father. Things that she both wanted and needed to know.

    “Or is it about our father?” He asked. Aurora didn’t look at him; Jeriko knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t surprised about him bringing it up. “Rorick, was it?” He asked. He too was curious about this man that remained nameless all of his life until that very day. Then too, a part of him couldn’t help wonder and doubt whether there was any truth to it anyway.

    “Yes.” Aurora finally answered after a prolonged sigh. “Rorick...Joaquin. Vale.” She hesitated on that last part, thinking about the fact that it was the same surname as the very woman that claimed to be his mother...her grandmother-the very same woman that tried to kill her just hours ago.

    “And how do you know that this is true? That the wolf knows about him? Or even if that is his name?” Jeriko asked.

    “It was the name he mentioned when first we met,” Aurora replied. “Said, that I reminded him of a friend that he once knew-that I looked like I could be his daughter.”

    “You don’t find that odd?” Jeriko asked. “That this man that bumped into you, ‘knew this man that looks like he could be your father’?” He pointed out with air quotations. He shrugged. “By the by, you’ve always been held in resemblance to mother.”

    “Only because no one ever saw our father,” Aurora muttered.

    “So, you’re telling me that you really believe that con man?”

    “Yes,” Aurora said without hesitation.

    “Why?” Jeriko pressured her to answer. “Why would you believe someone that you don’t even know-”

    “Because the woman that tried to kill me today, told me so, Jeriko.” Aurora cut her brother off. She sighed. “She told me our father’s name.” She withheld, still, the fact that this same woman was her grandmother....their grandmother.

    He could tell that this was a touchy subject, but he still felt that he needed to know. “How do you know that she is not working with the wolf? It is rare, but it is not an unknown fact that it has been known to happen.”

    “Because when she saw him there, she was bewildered...surprised even.” Aurora reasoned. “She wasn’t expecting him to be there.” She then recollected emotion fuming from her. “And I could feel her hatred for him exuding from her being.”

    Jeriko scoffed. “Sure that that wasn’t for you?”

    Aurora harshly chuckled in return. “There was a spike with him. She blames him for something.” She said. “I could sense it.”

    Jeriko got out of his large Ford truck first, looking around. Aurora followed closely behind, both noticing that there was an old car further up in the driveway directly in front of the closed garage door. They glanced at one another before quickly making their way over to the doorstep. As they stepped foot in front of Marlo’s home, Jeriko’s phone rang. Before he pulled it out, he had already known who it was that was calling him. And so did Aurora.

    “She just really can’t catch a hint, can she?” Aurora said. “Never thought you to be the type to like clingy little girls. In fact, I know that you’ve never been the type.”

    “Aurora.” Jeriko sighed, wordlessly beckoning her to stop before she even started. He rang the front door. “It’s different with her, okay?” He said. “Please understand that.” When no one answered, he looked around, and looked at the cars. Seemed like everyone was home and that it had been a while since either one of them had been moved. He rang again and then knocked even louder.

    “I wish I could understand that, brother,” Aurora said. “But a nagging part of me refuses to trust her.”

    “But why?” Jeriko asked, near begging to understand his sister’s reasoning behind her discord for Jennifer. 

    Aurora looked at her twin. “You ever wonder that maybe you think that she is different from the rest-that this situationship is different from the rest...this girl who is exactly the same type as every girl that you have ever dated...in every way...is because she makes you think that way?”

    “And what exactly, is that supposed to mean?” When Jeriko asked this question, Aurora just sighed in seeming resignation as if he’d never understand what she was talking about. “No, tell me. Tell me what you’re trying to say.”

    Aurora stood there in silence for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say before saying it. “I’m trying to say, that your girlfriend may, in fact, be different.” She looked at her older twin brother. “But maybe not for all the good reasons that you allow yourself to believe. And all of the bad.” 

    Jeriko knew that while Aurora could be quite a petty soul, she never really picked a fight or beef with someone unless her or his well-being was at risk. So, for the most part, he wanted to believe her; in fact, he knew deep down that maybe he did. However, something in the back of his mind-almost like a gag against speaking ill of Jennifer-would not allow him to voice such a thing. So, he stood there quiet and confused before his sister spoke again, shifting the subject completely.

    “Alright, we tried doing this the nice way.” She said. “My turn.”

    With a subtle lift of her foot, she kicked the door down. Jeriko looked around and then at her wordlessly asking her if she really had to do it in such a conspicuous way.

    “Hey,” She shrugged. “It works.”

    They both entered the house together. “Hello?” Jeriko called through the house. “Mr. and Mrs. Livingston?” He said. “Are you home-”

    “They’re dead.” Aurora cut her brother off. She knew that he was hoping against hope, but he knew it too. “Or at least one is.” She said. “Male…” She sniffed the air, following her nose to the corpse. “He’s been dead for a while now. Hours....a day at the most” She said, guilt almost physically weakening her. She tried not to let it show, though and kept walking until they ended up in the closed-in garage area.

    Turning the corner of the large antique pick-up truck was when they finally saw bare feet and legs sticking out from the side of the truck.

    There, lying in a pool of his own blood was Mr. Livingston. His eyes were open wide and his mouth agape; the last telltale sign of a horror-filled demise.

    “This is all my fault.” She whispered as she took in the dreaded sight. “What have I done?” She struggled not to break down as she saw this-the fact that there was someone else that now had to feed off of human life for a source of nourishment. “What if he’s-what if he is a ravager?” She muttered. “A ripper?” 

    Jeriko could sense his sister’s overwhelming remorse as well as guilt and to add on to it was the last thing that he wanted to do. “We’ll figure this out, Ro.” He wrapped his large arm around his concerned twin's neck, surprised as he'd never seen her this saddened since they were teenagers. He reluctantly released her and returned his attention to the source of this distress; Mr. Livingston’s corpse. “So what are we going to do with his body?”

    Aurora didn’t answer, still eyeing the corpse that lay there due to her recklessness of days earlier. What to do with the body was the last thing on her mind.

    “He tried to run and hide.” Someone suddenly said from the door of the garage, leading into the house, where Aurora and Jeriko had just come in fact. “Didn’t work of course.”

    Aurora wasn’t surprised to see Marlo standing there, his skin pale and his eyes darkened. He was still attractive, however, even more so than before, as irony would have it. Even with the dried blood running down the side of his mouth and covering his white tank top and pajama pants

    “Marlo!” Jeriko started for him, when Aurora grabbed his arm gently, pausing him from approaching his friend.

    “Hey there, Riko,” Marlo greeted dryly. “Sorry, I couldn’t make the game today. I’ve been otherwise incapacitated.” He said, gesturing toward the corpse. “And, well…” His words then trailed off as he lifted his hands to the sunlight and allowed his skin to burn in front of Jeriko and Aurora a moment before quickly retracting his hand.

    Jeriko, in a hurry to help his friend, tried to unlatch his sister’s hand from his wrist when she tightened her grip on him.

    ‘He just killed his father. Let me approach him first.’ She mentally connected with Jeriko to tell him.

    “Aurora,” Jeriko spoke aloud in a warning tone. 

    “Please.” She said in a near whisper. “Please, Jeriko.

    After a moment of prolonged silence, wondering whether he would agree to this, Jeriko finally resigned and stood back, realizing that maybe she knew better in this situation in particular.

    Aurora moved forward to approach Marlo. “Hello, Marlo.” She said with a soft smile.

    Marlo was hesitant but he couldn’t help the smile that appeared across his face as she started to approach. “Hi-hi, Aurora.” He said. “I-what are you-what are you doing here?”

    “Just thought I'd check in on you. See how you’re doing. I heard you’d been sick for a few days. So I-”

   “Dead.” He cut her off. “Dead is more like it.” He uncomfortably chuckled. “Then angry...then sad...then hungry.” He longingly looked at Aurora. “For something...unholy.” He licked his lips. He inhaled the air. “Why do you smell so delicious to me?” He sincerely asked. He was afraid; but before Aurora could answer, his mind switched off to Jeriko. “Jeriko! Buddy!” He started to take a step when Aurora stood in front of him. He looked at her a grin suddenly on his face. She could sense his sudden change in attitude. Just as quickly as his fear appeared, it disappeared in almost the blink of an eye. He was in another mode now. He was hunting. And didn’t even know it. “You know, it scared me at first when I began to chase him; but then...it became...fun.” Marlo's voice deepened as a disgusted smile covered his lips, tears running down his eyes. “The hunt, playing with my prey.” It was obvious at this point that he could not stop himself from feeling nor saying these things.

    “Oh, Marlo, I-”

    “I notice you don’t seem surprised,” Marlo said, cutting off Aurora. “Or you-to see a dead body lying in the middle of my garage.” He looked at Jeriko. When neither of the Valentine twins said anything, he laughed. “I knew there was something up with you two.” He turned his gaze to Aurora. “I always felt that you were just too beautiful to be a part of a world that is so ...normal ...human and downright boring.” As he spoke, he licked his lips again, showing the incisors that were steadily growing from his gums. “So, I take it...you’re a vampire.” He said. Aurora’s gaze averted before she reluctantly nodded a yes. “Should have known.” He looked at Jeriko. “And you?”

    Jeriko sighed and shook his head. “No, Marlo, I am not.”

    “Then are you two really related?” He asked.     

    “We are,” Aurora answered.

    “Then how-”

    “It’s a complicated story, our past,” Jeriko said. 

    "Complicated," Marlo scoffed. “That explains a lot too.” He muttered.

    “What do you mean?” Aurora asked.

    “I didn’t think that, uh, vamps fed on other vamps,” Marlo said. “But I...I still feel this complicatingly strong urge to taste you, Aurora. Is...is that normal?” The tears started to fall down his dead and beautiful eyes again.

    “I am not fully vampire, Marlo,” Aurora said. “That may be why.”

    “What are you then?” Marlo asked. He looked at Jeriko and then back at Aurora. “What are you?” 

    Aurora didn’t answer. Because of what she had done to Marlo, she almost felt an obligation to tell him about her and her brother’s past. However, it just wasn’t the time at that moment. So, she just shook her head.

    “Fine. Fine.” Marlo finally got the picture. “But I do have question...I feel you owe me.” He said.

    He was right; Aurora knew that and felt that she owed him far more than that. But for now, she’d settled for the question. “What is it?”

    Marlo looked at Aurora in a trance-like state for a moment, a single tear tip-toeing the edge of his eyelid before he finally spoke. 

    “The day after I left your home, is when I began to feel...not so good.” He dryly chuckled. “I don’t really remember what happened that day; it’s all fuzzy-even now.” He said shaking his head. “I remember you being close to me...I remember talking to you...I remember a sharp pain and then nothing.” He got silent and looked at Aurora. “....was it you?” He finally asked. “Did you turn me?”

    Aurora couldn’t even gather herself enough to grant him a simple yes. Instead, she could only think to profusely apologize. 

    “Marlo, I am sorry for what I have done-for what this has done to you! Your father is dead because of me and I-” Before she could finish her sentence, a loud cackle came from Marlo, shocking both Jeriko and Aurora.

    “Oh, sweetheart, don’t be sorry.” He said. “This is the best thing that has happened to me.” He walked past her. “He’s not even my real dad, and a real prick if we’re really getting down to it.” Marlo pointed out. He walked over to the corpse of the man lying next to the truck. “I’m stronger and faster...senses out of this world! And I heal. Besides, that guy lying there was just a typical abusive step-dad.” He scoffed. “When he wasn’t laying hands on my mom, he presented me with a black eye or two every now and again.” He kicked the man’s foot. He looked back up at Aurora. “I know.” He looked at Jeriko. “Not what you were hoping to hear but-”

    “Where is your mother?” Aurora asked, frustrated about the fact that this boy had no idea what world he was suddenly introduced to now. He may have been stronger and faster, with heightened senses and abilities; but it all came with a price. She needed him to know that when their situation granted them enough time to do so. But for now, there was a corpse lying in the garage that needed to be taken care of and a teenager whose life was turned upside down and he didn't even know it yet.

    “She’s away.” He was vague, his copacetic attitude changed once he talked about her. “That is my biggest fear. Not him.” He grimaced at his stepdad’s corpse. “I don’t know what I’d do if I hurt her. I need to eat again before she gets home.” His eyes began to dilate. “I need to feed.” He said in a desperate way. “I’m so sorry, Jeriko.” He apologized. “But you have to die.” The words were barely out of his mouth before he appeared in front of Jeriko to bleed him dry.

    Jeriko grabbed his long-time friend by the neck. “Sorry, buddy. Not today.”

    As Marlo struggled to get out of his grip, Jeriko with an aggressive twist of his wrist, snapped Marlo’s neck. 

    “Oh-Jeriko!” Aurora exclaimed as Marlo crumbled to the floor. “You killed him.” 

    Jeriko looked at his sister confused. “They come back, don’t they?” He asked.

    “And why on earth would you think that?” Aurora asked incredulously.

    “I saw it in a movie once-or a show or something.” He shrugged. “I’m sure he'll be fine. Not like I put a stake through his heart or cut his head off or something. I’m sure he’ll heal.” He said doubtfully. “Besides, he was about to kill me. I have mixed feelings about our friendship now, Ro.”

    Aurora sighed. “He’s new to this, Jeriko. He does not fully have control over his hunger yet and that hunger has far more control over the mind than you can imagine. I barely have control, and I was born this way.”

    Jeriko rolled his eyes. “Point taken, I guess. Either way, he needs to be out for the count right now.” 

    Jeriko looked over at Marlo’s step-dad and was suddenly annoyed at the sympathy he felt for the abusive prick; and if he were being honest with himself, a little guilt-stricken about the fact that he never knew this about Marlo-someone that he considered being one of his closest friends.

     He kicked his foot. “We need all the time we can afford so that we can get rid of this body.”

    Aurora's gaze ran over Marlo's body, then she looked at his stepdad. "We need time to fix this whole mess."