CHAPTER 27
Micha let himself into the castle, making his way down the familiar halls unimpeded. Despite spending most of his formative years here, the place felt foreign. If not in appearance, certainly in tone. What had once been a warm, welcoming home, richly decorated in vibrant fabrics and colors, was now dark and distinctly oppressive. Not a single fire burned in any of the large hearths, and Micha shivered at the chill that permeated through the thick stone walls.
His senses were screaming at him to get out, that this was not a safe place, but he forced himself to continue on. He was slowly working his way towards the back of the castle, towards the room his mother had often referred to as its center of power. Micha remembered loving the sound of that when he was young, as if the castle was alive and powerful, just like him. When he’d asked how she knew which room held the power, his mother had simply responded that there were certain places where the Great Mother was more present and if you were lucky you might find one. She told him it meant that they were very blessed indeed to have such a place in their own home. Given the recent turn of events, it seemed likely he would find her there.
Micha continued to wander, ghosts of childhood memories haunting him with each step. He rounded a corner and stopped dead. “Gillian?” he whispered, staring in horror at the bloodied face of his twin.
Gillian had been taking stumbling steps towards him, using the wall to keep herself upright. Deep purple bruises anchored bloodshot eyes that were all but swollen closed. At the sound of her name, her eyes shot up wild with panic as she shrieked, “What are you still doing here? Changed your mind and come back to finish the job?” Her voice was completely distorted due to her injuries.
He frowned at her words and took a few steps towards her, holding up his hands in a placating way when she flinched. “Illy, it’s me.”
Tears filled her eyes at the nickname and she collapsed to the floor, “I-ika,” she stammered.
Micha moved forward, going to his knees before her. “It’s okay, I’m here now,” he murmured soothingly, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her gently into his chest. He couldn’t bear to see her suffering this way. Even though he’d been disappointed when he’d heard what she had been up to these past months, he couldn’t bring himself to stay mad at her. This was his twin and he would love her regardless.
Gillian sobbed as he held her, whimpering over and over, “What have I done?”
“Shhh, Illy. It’s alright. Everything will be alright,” he promised.
“How can you say that?” she hiccupped, “The world is quite literally going to shit.”
Micha chuckled at her words, “It just looks bad at the moment. You’ll see, we will get through this together.”
“How touching,” an icy voice sneered from behind him.
The twins froze, moving away from each other and looking up at their mother. She stood just behind them, arms crossed with lips set in a severe frown. She looked impossibly young, as if the years had been going in reverse, erasing all of the smile lines that were once etched into her beautiful face.
Micha met her gaze and tensed. There was no recognition in her eyes. Nothing to indicate that she was pleased to see her son. This was not the woman he remembered. She was a cold, inhuman shell.
“Mother,” Micha said formally, helping his sister stand. “It is good to see you well,” he lied.
Rowena snorted, “I can’t say the same.”
He flinched as if he’d been struck, mouth falling open in shock. Who was this imposter? This woman couldn’t have actually given birth to him.
Rowena turned coolly assessing eyes to Gillian, noting her injuries and stating, “It’s a pity she didn’t do me a favor and just kill you while she had the chance.”
Gillian stiffened under his arm, chin trembling as she fought against further tears.
Micha opened his mouth to protest his mother’s harsh words, but she lifted a hand before he could speak, cutting off his air supply and causing him to choke.
“That’s quite enough out of you, traitor,” she snapped, lifting her fisted hand higher and causing Micha’s feet to scramble for purchase as he began to rise off of the floor.
“Mother please!” Gillian cried, “I’ve done everything you asked. You promised to spare him!”
“I have no use for a blood traitor. He led my enemy straight to me. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you, my sorry excuse for a daughter, not only invite her in, you let her take the only leverage I had and walk back out! I’ve never seen a more worthless pair!” Rowena spat, her voice filled with venom.
Micha’s face was red as he struggled against the invisible hands that held him. Rowena’s eyes flashed with malice and she clenched her fist tighter before jerking it quickly to the right. A loud crack echoed off the stone walls as the bones in Micha’s neck shattered and his body fell lifelessly to the floor.
“Micha!” Gillian wailed, staring aghast at her brother’s crumpled form. Body shaking, Gillian moved to launch herself at her mother, calling what little bit of power she could to her hands.
Rowena laughed darkly, “Oh child, as if you could ever stand against me.”
Gillian howled in rage.
Narrowing her eyes, Rowena lifted both her hands, palms facing Gillian. Black ropes of her insidious power snaked out, causing Gillian’s eyes to widen in horrified recognition. She’d seen this spell before.
“No!” she shouted desperately, turning to run.
Rowena only laughed harder. Her power wrapped around Gillian, snaking into her still-screaming mouth. Gillian’s green eyes turned milky white, black lines slowly forming within them, as her flailing limbs went still. Rowena did not stop, letting the full force of her power continue to seep into Gillian’s body. Gillian’s long limbs twisted, her body shrinking into itself as her skin turned a dull sickly gray. In opposition, Rowena seemed to swell. Her skin luminous with the power she was absorbing as she fed from her daughter’s soul. When she was done, her daughter no longer stood before her. In her place was Rowena’s newest Shadow.
Rowena beamed at her creation, “Perhaps now you won’t have so much trouble following directions.” With that, Rowena began walking, stepping over her son’s corpse without pause. Behind her, Gillian’s soulless body followed with slow, ambling steps.