The Forgotten Sister

My heart raced as I stared back at my sister. Like me she had raven hair and outside of her demon form her eyes would match mine, but unlike me Vivian hated being in her human form. My eyes wandered up to her horns where her left one was broken a third of the way down, her only physical flaw.

"Why are you here?" Despite my best efforts my voice trembled.

She clicked her tongue and leaned against the alley wall. "Nearly fifteen years and you can't even say hello. I know mother raised you to have better manners."

"We killed our mother, Viv, over one hundred years ago."

"Huh, feels longer," she hummed. "Oh well, she was a bitch anyway."

"Apple didn't fall far from the tree now did it," I slowly moved my foot closer to my dropped daggers and worked to getting it balanced on the tip of my boots as I talked. "Why are you here Vivian? And why the hell are you working with a human?"

"I am not working with him," she scoffed. "Our interests simply align. He asked for my help and protection and in exchange he promised me something."

"Why would you believe him?"

"Because he's already delivered part of his deal," she shrugged her cloak off and flexed her wings. "I'm to bring you in, little sister, and I suggest you don't fight," her face fell, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you more than I have to."

"Good luck with that," I growled and kicked my dagger into my hands before flinging it at her and it found its mark in her shoulder.

She hissed in and pain and ripped the blade out with barely enough time to throw her hands up to block a flurry of punches from me. We traded blows, neither actually landing a hit to the other, until Vivian grabbed my wrists to stop my next attack.

"Would you stop and just listen to me!" She barked. "Gods you're still just as stubborn as you were when we were kids!"

"Wonder where I learned that from," I countered by connecting my head to hers.

We stumbled away from each other and I felt blood trickle down my forehead. -I must have hit part of her horns.- Everything blurred for a moment and I knew I would wind up with a headache soon. Just as my vision cleared I felt the wind of my blade being thrown back at me, just barely missing my ear and cutting a few strands of my hair.

"Just get out of my town Viv!" I groaned and pulled my dagger from the post it had planted itself into.

"Your town?" She laughed. "You think you mean something to these people? You think they would accept you if they knew who you really are? What you've done?"

Memories of past mistakes flashed behind my eyes and I grit my teeth. "I'm not looking for acceptance. What we were doing, Vivian, it was wrong. I know you hate humans but they didn't deserve that."

"We were gods to them. They revered us."

"They feared us!" I snapped, my eyes flashing black. "We forced them to treat us like gods knowing full well we are anything but. We took their food, their land, we hunted them for sport and made them turn on each other."

"You think these people don't fear you here?" Vivian began slowly closing the distance between us as she spoke. "They keep their eyes on the shadows, scared that you'll emerge from them and put and end to their fragile mortal lives. Parents tell their children to behave lest the Mistress of Death come to take them to the hells. All while you sit pretty in your well off tavern thinking you're doing them a favor," I tensed as she stood inches from me, just barely a few inches taller, and sneered down at me. "You still kill people, little sister, the only difference is now you get paid for it."

My blood froze and my chest constricted in fear. Fear that my sister was right, that I haven't actually changed, that I was still a monster. But, before my fear could grow to large a figure blurred passed me and nocked Vivian back and I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry I took so long, lived here six years and these alleys are still confusing," Lyon smiled at me and nodded toward my sister. "I had some help though."

"Get this thing off of me!" Vivian screamed as she tried to dislodge her arm from Shade's mouth.

"Let her go Shade," my voice wasn't commanding or loud. It wasn't an order, it was a request and he quickly released her and put himself between us. I scratched his ears. "Thank you. Both of you."

"I see you still have that human leech attached to you."

"Always a pleasure Vivi," Lyon winked, knowing the childish play on her name would stoke her hatred for him. "The years haven't been kind to you have they? You look horrible."

The calm demeanor she was trying to maintain with me started to crack under Lyon's heckling. "I see you're still an irritant."

He winked. "I see you're still a bitch."

"I'm not here for you human," she hissed. "I'm here for my sister."

He ignored her and turned to me. "What is she doing working with Ceil? I thought your sister hated humans."

"She does, they seemed to have struck a deal of some sorts. He promised her something in exchange for her help."

His attention snapped back to Vivian. "What did he promise you?"

She sighed and pretended to clean under her nails. "You know I really do hate humans. You're weak and frail and your lives are so short, you're like porcelain dolls. Ceil may be human for now but at least he recognizes daemons as superior beings."

"What do you mean he's human for now?" I stepped forward, my mind trying to piece things together.

"He has plans, Sapphyre, plans he needs you for. He was really hoping you would come willingly but I told him that wouldn't happen."

"Tell me he isn't trying to do what I think he is," my anger began to rise again. Vivian remained silently smirking. "Tell me Vivian!"

Lyon placed things together seconds after my outburst but his voice was much quieter than mine. "He's trying to turn humans into daemons. He's making hybrids! But why does he need Sapphyre if he has you?" She crossed her arms, refusing to answer though a look of almost embarrassed annoyance crossed her face and Lyon let out a small mocking laugh. "He thinks she's better than you. Even after all these years you're still finding yourself second rate next to your little sister."

Vivian finally snapped and charged at Lyon with an animalistic growl but, despite her speed, I was able to step between them, changing in an instant and grabbing her by the horns. She smirked at me and grasped my wrist. "I was wondering if you even knew how to change anymore."

I glared at her and pushed on her horns until she was brought to her knees. "I've always been stronger than you Vivian. Now answer his question before I break your other horn as well."

"Maybe I'll give you another scar down your right eye to match that other one I gave you," she remained smug even though she was struggling.

To emphasize my point I squeezed my hand and her right horn made a stressed noise. "Answer him. Why does Ceil need me?"

She winced. "You know what he promised me? He said he would give me my sister back."

My grip loosened in shock for just a moment, but it was all the moment she needed as she pulled a dagger from her cloak and stabbed me in the side. Fire hot pain shot through my body and I released her with a scream. We stumbled away from each other and heard footsteps coming from behind Vivian.

"We need to go!" Lyon shouted and drug me away.

Shade charged Vivian and she tried to follow and used his full weight to knock her back, nipping at her face before chasing after us. We made it to the Howling Bridge before we stopped and I dropped to my knees, crying out in pain.

"Saph!" Lyon knelt next to me and I saw my vision flash red like a pulse. "Something's wrong. What was on that dagger?"

My consciousness started to fade in and out as my heart rate panicked in my chest. I was only able to get one word out before I faded out.

"Hellflower."