Golden Crown Series 02: The Twin Dragons (14 page)

Cas stood in my room and stared at Zane who
lay on my floor. His hand twitched at his side as it dripped with blood. He had lured Zane upstairs, pretending to be August, and in a jealous rage, he stabbed him once and let him drop to the floor. His chest rose and fell quickly until he decided to go into my lavish bathroom. He ran up to the large medicine cabinet and started to rummage through my ridiculous amount of pill bottles. His hand shook as he finally let the knife fall to the floor and it bounced a couple of times. He stopped searching as he landed on one that made him stare at the label. It was one I took very seldom, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid). He started to mess with the cap and his fingers slid as the blood made it difficult to maneuver. His bottom lip quivered as he finally opened it up and stared at the pills inside of it. He glanced up into the mirror and caught a reflection of himself, looking frazzled. His hair was a mess, his eyes swollen from crying, and worst of all he had blood smeared on his face. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth up as nothing came out. The grief that was overtaking his body was debilitating but he had to keep going. He had to right the wrong that was suddenly setting his vicious anger free. He poured the bottle into his hand and ate as many of the pills as he could, spitting some out as they filled his throat, but managing to swallow most of them. The rest fell to the floor around his feet. He looked down and shook his head as he saw the blood on his shoes so he removed them and stood up, calmly rubbing his hair back.

Cas started to remove his robe and then his shirt, button by button
, leaving trace amounts of his father’s and Zane’s blood behind as he did. He stepped up to my large mirror and took a deep breath, knowing that he had to allow the medication to do its work so that he could finish this. He suddenly turned as he thought he saw a shadow and heard voices. He brought his hands up to his ears and stared into the mirror catching the reflection of the knife on the floor. He walked to it, gripping it in his hand and returning to the mirror.

“Do it,” a
voice echoed in his head. He narrowed his eyes and lowered his face as suddenly his whole demeanor changed and he started to absorb a different persona. He lifted the knife and stared at it, then brought it to his chest and cried out as the sharp tip cut into his flesh.

****

I watched the last of the guests leave as August stepped up to me and took his mask off. I removed mine and grinned at him as looked me over.

“You look drunk,” he said to me.
I laughed and leaned forward, tapping him on the shoulder. Mani stood by my side, but with August joining me I guess he felt he should leave us alone. He started to walk away and I called out to him.

“Don’t leave,
” I said and August laughed.

“You are drunk Mother. I can help you inside.”

I looked back to August and grinned. “I do love you, August. I always have.”

“I love you too,” h
e said as he reached out and I slid my arm into his.

“Tell me, w
here is Cas?”

He started to walk with me and I noticed the Rolex on his wrist.

“Oh, do you like it?” I asked as he glanced down and smiled at it.

“I love it. Father gave it to me earlier.”

I stopped and he faced me. I reached up and placed my hand on his face and he closed his eyes for a moment. “Do you remember when I used to read to you as a child?”

“I do,” h
e said and I let my thumb move against his cheek. He opened his eyes to me and they dilated. I leaned in and grinned at him.

“Do not make drinking a habit.”

“I would never,” he said to me as I started to walk again.

“Mother, I want to show y
ou something,” he said as I raised my eyebrows and looked up at the sky. A bit of lightning high above the clouds lit them up and it was then that I noticed a dark cloud was hovering over our house.

“Storms,
” I said and he nodded.

“It has been storming all day.”

“I could smell it.”

“What?” he said as he glanced at me.

“Can’t you smell the storm on the wind?”

He said nothing as he led me towards the house. Mani stood on the steps as we walked up and I would ask him to stay
, but I think this last night I should stay here just as I am with my family. I could only assume that when the morning sun broke the horizon, a new life was waiting for all of us. Ryan and I would have to tell the twins that we would no longer be together and I still had no idea where he would go. I already knew he would surrender the house to me, as it is mine to keep for the boys. I let my hand rub August’s arm slowly as he watched me.

“I should go
to bed,” I said as Mani stared at me with a calm look on his face. August stepped into the house and I stood there as Mani stepped up and held my face in his hands. I allowed him to, there was no need to hide affection anymore. I understood my freedom. It was then that he started to open my cloak and he saw the diamond on my neck.

“You wore it,” h
e said to me and I nodded.

“Of course. Ryan gave it to me earlier.”

“Beth, I will do my very best for you.”

“I believe you,
” I whispered as I leaned in and kissed his lips. I let it fill my heart unlike any other kiss ever had. Mani was a future I could taste on the tip of my tongue. All I had to do was say the words.

“I will call you tomorrow,
” I said as I leaned back and he lifted my mask to see me. I grinned and he touched my cheek.

“Tomorrow,
” he said and I held his hand as he turned to leave.

I smiled as he walked away, he did one turn and it made me
laugh, as he looked so happy. I guess I would be doing spins too if the alcohol had not made my head so light. I saw the lightning race across the sky and a loud clap of thunder followed it as the remaining guests ran to their cars before the first drops of rain started to hit the ground. I glanced at the garden and sighed. I guess ghosts can finally rest, perhaps this is all Miko had ever wanted for us. To part and not be forced to hold this home together. I am certain that somewhere deep in her heart she loved Ryan in her own twisted way. I then turned as I stepped into the house and stopped suddenly as it was completely silent. The lights flickered from the storm and I brushed it off as I had done so many times as a child. This home was so very inviting as a backdrop to any nightmare, the rooms too large, the shadows too many, and the imagination too vast. So many secrets and so many…

I heard a scream from th
e upper floors and looked up as the lights flickered again and this time they remained off longer before they blinked, once, twice and then a third time. I looked up and saw a man standing at the top of the steps in his cloak and mask. I sucked in my breath and then started to laugh as the lights flickered again.

“Ryan!” I said as I shook my head. “You are a shit!”

The lights turned back on and he was gone. I started to walk towards the steps and hesitated as I looked up and saw no one.

“Ryan?” I called out as the house echoed it back to me.

I looked down and then sucked this ridiculous feeling up. I am a grown woman and his teasing should not be upsetting me. Perhaps he is drunk and wanting to give me one last jab here. I should not be surprised, I mean it is Ryan. He has always been sinister in nature. The lights flickered on and off again as I climbed the stairs and took my final step onto the upper level. I then heard footsteps running to the right and shook my head as a shadow ran into an open door.

“Ryan?”

I started to wonder if it was him at all, and it hit me.

“August! Seriously, come out!” I said as I laughed and walked down the hallway. Light flickered above me and I thought I heard a whisper rise behind me
, as I turned and saw no one. I stood there peering into the long hallway leading away from me as a figure in a white mask stepped behind me. I blinked a couple of times as the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I turned quickly to see no one.

“If this is your idea of a joke it is not funny!” I yelled out as the mixture of alcohol and this home was starting to twist my imagination into something
darker. I moved forward slowly. As I started I saw a light coming from the end of the hallway. Ryan’s door was cracked open and I stepped up to it and peered in to see him lying on the bed, passed out on his stomach. I narrowed my eyes and knew it had to be August now.

“Ryan, I am going to bed,
” I said as I smiled and backed up, hoping he took the bait. I walked towards my bedroom and stepped in, leaving my door cracked open just a bit. I ran to my bed and placed the pillows under the sheets to look like I was lying there and I covered my mouth as I moved back behind the door in the corner of the room and tried to keep my giggling low. I sucked in my breath as I heard the footsteps outside the door and watched as the door opened slowly. A figure walked in and I took one step forward, ready to yell and attack him, hoping to scare the shit out of him and play this game out but the lightning lit up the room and I saw the knife in the person’s hand. My heartbeat sped up and my expression changed from joy to pure fear. I back up into the corner and slid down as tiny as I could as the figure stepped up to the side of my bed and then raised the knife up high. It was then that I heard “Mother!” called out loudly from downstairs and knew it was August. I held my hand over my mouth and closed my eyes tightly as the figure turned and I prayed the lightning would not reveal me. He stood very still for a moment, breathing slowly, and I cannot remember a moment in time ever taking longer in my life. He then heard August call out again and he ran out of my room as I slowly pushed myself up. My hands were pressed over my mouth until I knew he was gone. I started to cry but I muffled it the best that I could and stepped out from behind the door and into the bedroom. I peeked out into the hallway very quickly and pulled back as I saw nothing, but I was terrified. I had to muster up every ounce of courage I could find within myself to step out. I then saw the shadow creeping towards the staircase as August called out to me again and I could hear him getting closer.

I took a slow breath and knew it was either sacrifice my son or make a noise and run lik
e hell. I decided something my father would have never done for me and called out.

“Hey!” I said as the shadow ignored me.

“Hey!” I said and he turned and saw me and started to walk towards me very quickly as I backed up and ran. I reached Ryan’s room and ran in, shutting the door behind me and playing with the lock as quickly as I could. I was only able to lock it part of the way as I backed up and saw the handle shaking. I turned and ran to the bed and reached back, shaking Ryan as hard as I could and he did not move.

“Ryan…Ryan!” I said as I turned and looked down. The room flickered with light and I lifted my hand as I saw it stained in red. I started to back up as I saw a pool of blood on the bed around him.

“No!” I screamed as I looked at the door and it shook as the anonymous enemy started to slam his shoulder into it. I then heard August yell out to him and the door stopped moving.

“August
?” I yelled as I suddenly heard a scuffle from behind the door and grunting as I knew August was fighting him off. Suddenly I heard a scream followed by a loud thud as I stood there with my hands shaking at my lips. I stepped up and touched the door as it suddenly shook. I screamed and backed up as the lights flickered off again. I turned and saw the large window and ran to it, trying my best to open it up, but weather and time had sealed it shut. I searched the room for the key, the one Ryan had to the doors between our rooms, and I cried out as the banging on the door became so loud it was consuming my mind. I stared at the bed and ran towards Ryan’s body. I pushed him over to see the red pool on his side. I jerked his shirt open and found the matching key on his neck and pulled it off of him as I cried, hesitating to touch his lips as he lay still. I then ran to the door that led to our hallway and slid the key into it, turning it and hoping it would open to me, never had I wanted anything so badly in my life before. I then watched as the wood started to splinter on the door behind me and I jiggled it until it finally clicked and I slid inside as the assailant busted in and fell to the floor, pushing himself up quickly and scanning the room. I stood still, holding my breath as I held the handle still.

There was no locking it from the inside and I tried to not shake as I heard him walking around the room and tossing things as he searched for me. I then heard him stop and looked down to see a shadow approaching the door at my feet. I held the handle as still as I could as he leaned in on the other side and placed his ear to it. I took a small stuttered breath as he reared back and stabbed the knife through the doo
r right in front of my face. I screamed as I let the handle go and ran to the other end, grabbing my door and pushing on it. I slammed my shoulder against it a few times as the man came barreling through the hallway at me. I shut the door behind him, sliding Ryan’s key into the hole as my hand shook, I clicked it and he banged on the inside of the door and screamed like an animal as I backed up slowly from it.

I
ran to my door quickly and out into the hallway as I kept looking behind me. I fell as my cloak got tangled at my feet and cried out as my ankle twisted. I tried to push myself up as the shadow appeared from Ryan’s room and approached me from behind. He reached down and grabbed my hair and jerked me up as I screamed, he drug me along with him as I hit at him until we reached the boys room that I read to them in. He held me up to stare at his mask momentarily.