Chapter 21 - Pyramid of Hearts

“Afraid? Why?” He checked her to see if she had a spell on her.

“I can feel it’s going to be me, losing another parent. It’s a strong energy I’m feeling. There’s no life inside, only death I smell.” She pulled her sword out and switched to hunter.

“Mika? Let me check first. Stay here.” He sensed that, too, but being without real family for so long, he forgot the tension inside, the fear of losing a loved one. Last time he experienced it, it was with her, when she was three.

“I’m fine. Let’s go in.” She went for the entrance, followed by her husband.

She pushed the door, as it was half opened. No movement. Strong blood smell tickled both their nostrils. It was mortal and hunter blood. She clapped her hands twice to lighten the hallway and living room. What she feared, was set before her eyes. Hunters sent to protect the house and her mom, were ripped off into pieces, blood on the floor and sprayed on the walls, furniture upside down, broken. The hunters had their hearts removed and put on the table in a pyramid. Nothing else was seen. No werewolf dead, no other creature, just the hunters. But they had deep wounds made by claws. A trail of blood was going upstairs.

They followed the blood and found themselves in front of her mom’s bedroom. A male voice was crying. “Why? No! Wake up! What am I going to do?”

Mika put her hand on the door’s handle, hesitated for a second, and opened the door. Her mom was dead on the floor, on a blood pound, with Lawrence kneeling next to her body, trying to wake her up. He himself was injured, his clothes ragged, and his hands bloody from her mother, with his back to the door. “Lawrence?”

“No! Go away! You can’t see this! Go away!” He screamed crying, covering the image with his body, to protect Mika from seeing her dead mother, and the horror scene.

“Stand up, Lawrence.” She had a low voice, controlling herself, to face the tragedy of her family.

“Thomas? Take her away! She can’t see this!” He didn’t move to let Mika see.

“Stand up! Now!” She yelled, having scarlet eyes.

“Mika! It’s your mother! You can’t! Please! I’m begging you!” He stood up, covering the scene.

“I can deal with this. Move away!” She pushed him aside and went to her mother’s body.

“Mika!” He wanted to grab her but was stopped by Thomas.

“She is fine. Wait.” Thomas kept him still and both watched Mika.

Dorothea was in one piece. The deadly injury came from her heart. A sword was responsible for it. Mika waved her hand over her mom’s body. She had died minutes before her arrival. It was still time. She cut her wrist and let her blood pour into her mom’s heart and then opened her mouth to give her a few drops. “Viva infino, sacura jome, sangre imore, marle sora!” She then opened the ruby she had on her sword and took a red powder with the tip of her index finger, imprinting it on her mom’s forehead, between her eyes. “Sangri vapyr, reviva eter!”

The dead body was shaking and having shock reactions. A red light surrounded it, raising it in the air. Dorothea’s eyes opened. They were a glowing red. A banshee scream came from her. She was revived. The red light went off and her body was on the floor again. “Mika!”

“I’m here, mom! It’s alright! You are safe now!” She took her mom into her arms, who was crying and squeezing her daughter, not wanting to ever let go again.

Lawrence had his jaw dropped, his eyes pushing out of his orbits, his heart rocking heavy metal.

“Say, who did this?” asked Thomas, putting his hand on Lawrence’s left shoulder, making him startle.

“What? Umm, those wolves. They were men. They made me come to your wedding, telling me Mika was forced to marry you. I wasn’t announced beforehand about your marriage, and Mika didn’t tell me anything yesterday, when I met her. I believed it. One of them gave me a drink, and I lost consciousness. Next thing, I was at the wedding. I saw you two dancing. I was enraged. Something in me wasn’t me. I don’t know how to describe it. I saw them being creatures. It didn’t frighten me. Which is not me. I have never seen that before. After you and I fought, I was with them, stirring up the crowd. All kinds of creatures emerged from the guests. Still not panicked. When things reached the bloody point, I was taken by one of them here. I realized what I was doing wasn’t right, and it wasn’t me. That man shapeshifted into a wolf and killed those men downstairs. He targeted Dorothea, shapeshifted into a man again, having a sword. I grasped his moves and launched myself on him to save her. We fought, more him playing with me and laughing. He gave me a punch, sending me on the floor for a while. When I woke up, I saw blood on the staircase and came here. Dorothea was giving her last breath. Then you guys came. That’s all I know.” He replied, visibly shaken by the memories.

“Is that true, Dorothea?” asked Thomas.

“Yes. He tried to save me and fight the beast. That man played with him, cutting his flesh, mocking him. After he sent him on the floor, he pierced my heart with the sword, and grabbed my hair, dragging me upstairs. When we reached the room, Mika was calling me. He took the phone from my nightstand and gave me to answer it. He signaled me to shut up and act normal. Then he ended the call and left, jumping out the window. I remained alone, dying. Lawrence came after a while. I couldn’t keep my breath, and….” She burst into tears.

“Mom! Enough, don’t say anymore. Forget about it.” Mika patted her mom’s back, wiping out her tears. “Lawrence, why am I sensing you are a dead person? I don’t feel your vital, human energy.”

“What?! What do you mean?” Lawrence panicked, checking himself out. “I’m fine. I have my heartbeats, pulse, whatever. I even feel the sore wounds I have. I can’t be dead.”

“Come here.” Thomas persuaded him.

“What for? I am standing next to you. Want to hug me or something? I’m not gay, you know?” He chuckled.

“Come here!” ordered Thomas.

“Alright! Jesus! What are you people?” He went towards Thomas.

“Aridi glamo ser hit! Hana lord Idi!” thundered Thomas seizing Lawrence with his eyes.

Lawrence had a werewolf aura filmed over him as a hologram. Ruby eyes, black glowing fur, Alpha nature. It gave a growl to Thomas, in attack stance, fangs clenched.

“It’s transitioning. He’s marked. Two days from now, he’ll become one of them.” concluded Mika.

“Kiral set vaidi, relo hacto idi!” chanted Thomas, making the hologram vanish. “You’re dead as a human. What you feel now is your new body. In two days, you will experience your first death, while turning. I’m sorry.”

“Are you guys crazy? I have human feelings, I feel everything! Are you kidding me? Stop playing with me! Rubbish!” Lawrence went to look into the wardrobe’s mirror. “Look! I’m me! Just wounded!”

“Where do you suggest taking him? My men or yours?” Mika asked Thomas, not considering Lawrence’s talking.

“I’ll take him to my men. I’ll call Drake. He’s one of his now. He knows how to deal with it. Call home, Lawrence. Tell them you’ll take a leave. Undetermined. You’ll let them know when you’ll go back. Say that you loved Mika and you are affected by this. They would buy it. We’ll work on that later.” Thomas took out his phone to call Drake.

“A leave? Are you nuts?! I have business meetings all week! I can’t vanish like that on a whim! I’m fine!” He yelled, exiting the room, to leave the house.

“Take care of him. I’ll talk to mom. We’ll be fine.” She was holding her mom’s hands into hers, looking at Thomas.

“If you kiss me, I’ll do it.” Thomas smirked.

“I’ll kiss a punch to your face if you don’t do it!” An angry Mika replied to a smirking Thomas.

“I’ll be back.” Thomas went after Lawrence who was speaking to himself, crazy laughing of what his fate was.

“Lawrence! Stop!” screamed Thomas.