"I know who she is," He muttered, dabbing the edges of his mouth with a napkin even though he had barely eaten; "But that's not what I'm worried about."
Beside the redhead, the older sister's lips turned upside down in a slight frown. She was confused. But Monica was much quicker on the draw;
"You heard her didn't you?"
Nexus nodded. Monica sighed. But Nora's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two of them;
"Can someone explain to me what's happening?" She echoed, turning to Nexus; "What did you hear?"
Nexus opened his mouth- but the crunching sounds of Madeline and Mary's footsteps outside the door began to pick up. All three of them paused- listening as the elderly women retreated in the distance.
"Well?" Nora asked eagerly.
Nexus exhaled- rasping out the words in quick breaths;
"Mary Kay was talking about the Reaves family, and not in the flattering way. She said something very odd–" he paused; "Something about crushing the entire family. . .in particular, crushing Tiffany. . ."
Nora gasped. Her eyes watered briefly in confusion. And heat rose up from her throat as she stuttered;
"W-w-what? W-w-why?" she stammered- blinking and curling her pale eyelashes over and over again.
Nora's goblet dropped on the table with a noisy bang;
"You've obviously got a lot to catch up on," she rasped impatiently; "But whatever. That's besides the point," she redirected her gaze towards the door; "I say we let them have it."
Nora's tufted eyebrows shot up;
"Them?" she echoed in disbelief; "Them?! It's little Tiffany for heavens sake."
"C'mon," Monica scoffed- throwing back her shoulders; "Miss me with that bullshit already. Little Tiffany isn't so little anymore."
Nora narrowed her eyes; "She's not the problem Mon."
"You're right. She's not-" she paused, and then added; "-that entire family is the problem."
"What?"
"Lady Kay is right. They need to be wiped out- COMPLETELY."
Nora shook her head, lowering her sad eyes towards the plate of fruit; "You really need to tone it down and take a chill pill."
"No. I won't."
Monica swung her head in her sister's direction- glaring;
"I really won't. Have you really forgotten? Do you not remember how it was when father died?!"
Nora swallowed. She swallowed hard.
"That was a long time ago. We both know Tiffany had nothing to do with it."
But the redhead pressed on;
"But her family did! Her father DID. They came in like vultures- all of them- picking away at our properties- snipping up the best parts for themselves! After all, there was no dick swinging human to inherit the properties!"
Monica wasn't screaming. She wasn't even raising her voice. And yet, through her gritting teeth, her cold voice rang clear;
"And guess who was the biggest robber of them all?" she scowled, glaring at the blonde one; "Say the name Nora. Say it out loud."
Quietly, Nora said; "That is ancient history. Everyone involved from that time is DEAD."
Monica, in a fit of rage, shot up from the table- fiery red hair bouncing in an orange blaze;
"And what about a few moons ago? Huh? Did James Reaves lift a finger to help us when we were being hunted down? Did he as much as step foot in here? Or was he too busy waiting for us to be killed off so he can swoop in and take this castle?"
Nora's eyes- calm and tepid, met her younger sister's.
Across the table, the tension cackled like lightning. Their heartbeats pounded through their ribcage. A couple of hypertensive moments passed- and then, Monica hissed. The chair behind her squeaked loudly as she pushed it backwards.
Through the corner of Nexus' eyes, without lifting his head, he watched her outline fizzle out in the background. The light thuds of her slender feet echoed quietly as she stomped off.
Once again, he exhaled as he raised the glass of apple cider to his mouth. In silence, like a brooding monk, he forked a thin slice of fruit and brought it to his lips.
'Stay out of it. . .' he munched slowly.
His dark eyes, like pools of tar, remained taut as he thought to himself; 'Stay out of it Nexus. Say nothing. Criticize no one.'
Nora must have been thinking the same. Because through out the rest of their breakfast, they said nothing to each other.
.........
TAP! TAP!!
He took two steps back, tilted his head, and waited.
No sound came. Not even the usual shuffling of feet, or the sudden jolt of a lazy guard who had just been awakened. His head twirled on his shoulders- sweeping his gaze around the property.
The Reaves estate sat on acres of lush greenery. The mansion itself, in the style of medieval manors, was decked with wooden beams, glass windows, and roofs that vaunted to the top. Still, not a single soul was present.
With each breath, a fresh set of worries cut through his thoughts
'Shit, am I too late?'
Like a snake coiling up his neck, fear quietly crept up on him;
'That damn Mary. . .she's made a move already?!'
Eyes sinking in his sockets, Nexus' boots sank into the concrete as he plunged forward. Like balloons, his chest swelled as he drew a deep breath. The iron hinges creaked just as the sole of his boot smashed into the door.
'Again. . .'
He heaved up his right leg, bringing his knee close to his chest. The air shredded under his boot as he swung it down on the door again.
CRASH!!!
The door came tumbling down in clouds of dust. Covering his face with his sleeve, he plunged right in. It was barely midday. And yet, the great room was swirling with darkness.
'Damn it, this can't be good.'
He cupped his palms around his mouth, lifted his head, and boomed;
"TIFFANY!"
No answer;
"TIFFANY!!" He yelled again; "IT'S ME- NEXUS!!"
In fluid movements, he covered the first floor, sweeping room to room, breaking in with flashing eyes- only to leave with broken hopes. In the darkness, he ascended the staircase, taking them two at a time.
Just as he hit the second floor, he heard it.
His jaw tautened as he spun his head in that direction.
The soft echoes broke through the stillness- cutting in intermittent jabs.
'What the actual fuck?' he slid his footsteps forward- quietly marching; 'Is someone crying?'
It came again. From the end of the hallway. This time, a few decibels louder. Nexus dropped to a low crouch, lips parted- right arm stretched forward in the dark. More impatient than curious, he arrived at the door- kicking it open.
He nearly blinded himself.
The window was open- and the curtains were drawn.
Films of hot sunlight streaked in from the window- burning straight into his iris.
"FUCKIN' HELL!!" he roared, shielding his eyes from the light; "WHAT THE–"
He paused.
At the foot of the bed, knees pressed to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees was Tiffany. Her shoulders rose and fell in sad sobs. He head was bent forward- buried between both her arms.
Her throat was dry. And her long hair was scattered across her shoulders. Nexus- looming over her- felt the pangs of her sadness. His eyes softened.
"I know who she is," He muttered, dabbing the edges of his mouth with a napkin even though he had barely eaten; "But that's not what I'm worried about."
Beside the redhead, the older sister's lips turned upside down in a slight frown. She was confused. But Monica was much quicker on the draw;
"You heard her didn't you?"
Nexus nodded. Monica sighed. But Nora's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two of them;
"Can someone explain to me what's happening?" She echoed, turning to Nexus; "What did you hear?"
Nexus opened his mouth- but the crunching sounds of Madeline and Mary's footsteps outside the door began to pick up. All three of them paused- listening as the elderly women retreated in the distance.
"Well?" Nora asked eagerly.
Nexus exhaled- rasping out the words in quick breaths;
"Mary Kay was talking about the Reaves family, and not in the flattering way. She said something very odd–" he paused; "Something about crushing the entire family. . .in particular, crushing Tiffany. . ."
Nora gasped. Her eyes watered briefly in confusion. And heat rose up from her throat as she stuttered;
"W-w-what? W-w-why?" she stammered- blinking and curling her pale eyelashes over and over again.
Nora's goblet dropped on the table with a noisy bang;
"You've obviously got a lot to catch up on," she rasped impatiently; "But whatever. That's besides the point," she redirected her gaze towards the door; "I say we let them have it."
Nora's tufted eyebrows shot up;
"Them?" she echoed in disbelief; "Them?! It's little Tiffany for heavens sake."
"C'mon," Monica scoffed- throwing back her shoulders; "Miss me with that bullshit already. Little Tiffany isn't so little anymore."
Nora narrowed her eyes; "She's not the problem Mon."
"You're right. She's not-" she paused, and then added; "-that entire family is the problem."
"What?"
"Lady Kay is right. They need to be wiped out- COMPLETELY."
Nora shook her head, lowering her sad eyes towards the plate of fruit; "You really need to tone it down and take a chill pill."
"No. I won't."
Monica swung her head in her sister's direction- glaring;
"I really won't. Have you really forgotten? Do you not remember how it was when father died?!"
Nora swallowed. She swallowed hard.
"That was a long time ago. We both know Tiffany had nothing to do with it."
But the redhead pressed on;
"But her family did! Her father DID. They came in like vultures- all of them- picking away at our properties- snipping up the best parts for themselves! After all, there was no dick swinging human to inherit the properties!"
Monica wasn't screaming. She wasn't even raising her voice. And yet, through her gritting teeth, her cold voice rang clear;
"And guess who was the biggest robber of them all?" she scowled, glaring at the blonde one; "Say the name Nora. Say it out loud."
Quietly, Nora said; "That is ancient history. Everyone involved from that time is DEAD."
Monica, in a fit of rage, shot up from the table- fiery red hair bouncing in an orange blaze;
"And what about a few moons ago? Huh? Did James Reaves lift a finger to help us when we were being hunted down? Did he as much as step foot in here? Or was he too busy waiting for us to be killed off so he can swoop in and take this castle?"
Nora's eyes- calm and tepid, met her younger sister's.
Across the table, the tension cackled like lightning. Their heartbeats pounded through their ribcage. A couple of hypertensive moments passed- and then, Monica hissed. The chair behind her squeaked loudly as she pushed it backwards.
Through the corner of Nexus' eyes, without lifting his head, he watched her outline fizzle out in the background. The light thuds of her slender feet echoed quietly as she stomped off.
Once again, he exhaled as he raised the glass of apple cider to his mouth. In silence, like a brooding monk, he forked a thin slice of fruit and brought it to his lips.
'Stay out of it. . .' he munched slowly.
His dark eyes, like pools of tar, remained taut as he thought to himself; 'Stay out of it Nexus. Say nothing. Criticize no one.'
Nora must have been thinking the same. Because through out the rest of their breakfast, they said nothing to each other.
.........
TAP! TAP!!
He took two steps back, tilted his head, and waited.
No sound came. Not even the usual shuffling of feet, or the sudden jolt of a lazy guard who had just been awakened. His head twirled on his shoulders- sweeping his gaze around the property.
The Reaves estate sat on acres of lush greenery. The mansion itself, in the style of medieval manors, was decked with wooden beams, glass windows, and roofs that vaunted to the top. Still, not a single soul was present.
With each breath, a fresh set of worries cut through his thoughts
'Shit, am I too late?'
Like a snake coiling up his neck, fear quietly crept up on him;
'That damn Mary. . .she's made a move already?!'
Eyes sinking in his sockets, Nexus' boots sank into the concrete as he plunged forward. Like balloons, his chest swelled as he drew a deep breath. The iron hinges creaked just as the sole of his boot smashed into the door.
'Again. . .'
He heaved up his right leg, bringing his knee close to his chest. The air shredded under his boot as he swung it down on the door again.
CRASH!!!
The door came tumbling down in clouds of dust. Covering his face with his sleeve, he plunged right in. It was barely midday. And yet, the great room was swirling with darkness.
'Damn it, this can't be good.'
He cupped his palms around his mouth, lifted his head, and boomed;
"TIFFANY!"
No answer;
"TIFFANY!!" He yelled again; "IT'S ME- NEXUS!!"
In fluid movements, he covered the first floor, sweeping room to room, breaking in with flashing eyes- only to leave with broken hopes. In the darkness, he ascended the staircase, taking them two at a time.
Just as he hit the second floor, he heard it.
His jaw tautened as he spun his head in that direction.
The soft echoes broke through the stillness- cutting in intermittent jabs.
'What the actual fuck?' he slid his footsteps forward- quietly marching; 'Is someone crying?'
It came again. From the end of the hallway. This time, a few decibels louder. Nexus dropped to a low crouch, lips parted- right arm stretched forward in the dark. More impatient than curious, he arrived at the door- kicking it open.
He nearly blinded himself.
The window was open- and the curtains were drawn.
Films of hot sunlight streaked in from the window- burning straight into his iris.
"FUCKIN' HELL!!" he roared, shielding his eyes from the light; "WHAT THE–"
He paused.
At the foot of the bed, knees pressed to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees was Tiffany. Her shoulders rose and fell in sad sobs. He head was bent forward- buried between both her arms.
Her throat was dry. And her long hair was scattered across her shoulders. Nexus- looming over her- felt the pangs of her sadness. His eyes softened.
