Pearl Rising

Interlude

Returning to her safe house, the milky glow of waning moon seeped through the only window in the small, darkened room. Ember shivered, but not from the cold. Rage, pure and unstemmed heated her veins as she threw the first thing to hand.

The bowl soared through the air, hitting a mirror square in the middle, shattering on impact. 

A wail of frustration echoed as Ember picked up another item of crockery and flung it across the small room before reaching for another.

How dare he choose her sister!

And how dare her pitiful excuse of a brother murder her pet... her creation.  It had been her blood spilled to give life, and he had taken it without hesitation. 

He would pay with his life... And she would be the one to sink the dagger deep into his heart. But not before taking what was precious to him... his mate.

'Calm, cor meum.' A soothing voice calmed and reassured as the air thickened and hummed with power and pulsating energy. 

Selene had returned. 

Pressure eased from Ember's shoulders as she lowered her hand. "You left me!"  Speaking into the darkness, refusing to hide her hostility or accusation.  She had known the second Selene's soul had vacated her body, separating their souls. 

"Why... why would you do that?"

Although, it wasn't the first time Selene had curiously left the safety of Ember's body without warning. It was the first time that Ember had worried she would not return.

Levelling a dark, heavy stare at the sight now forming before her, she waited feeling the temperature drop and the hairs on her arms prickle.

Flickers of colour burst into life, some blue other's red and golden, swirling together to form a cloud of mist, shimmering and hazing between the thin veil of the soul and earth planes as it sucked energy from the only living thing close by... Ember.

Growing, thickening, it danced, forming the clear outline of a female, naked, semi-transparent. Her dark hair fell over her rounded breasts.

The eyes formed last although endless in depth a fire burned within them.

Ember couldn't look away as in them, she saw paradise, she saw hell.  She saw freedom and lastly, she saw herself.

Drawing a tremulous breath.  "You left me," she repeated.  Hostility retreating, replaced by a needy, almost desperate attitude.

Ember loathed the emptiness she felt without Selene.  So entwined, two halves of the whole.  She loved her more than she ever could love Willa, her twin. 

Instructing herself to be patient, knowing Selene would answer her questions she lowered her head in respect but kept her eyes on the glowing apparition.

'I sensed something within your brother, something of age and great strength.'

Ember froze but gripped the cup in her hand. "His sight. It returned."

The ghost-like form glided toward Ember, her transparent fingers trailed down her arm. The strange touch both burned yet soothed as the ghost-like hand cupped her cheek. 'Death will come to them all cor meum.'

Tears stung Ember's eyes, as the question she had kept asking herself bubbled to the surface. "Why didn't he want me... choose me?" barely above a whisper, she swiped away a tear before it fell.

The rejection from her mate burned right through to her soul. 

Sylar should be hers.  He was hers. Fate willed it so.

The rebuff had hurt more than the rejection from those that claimed to have loved her, her parents.

'I warned you, Ember.  His soul is in turmoil.  The man is aligned—destined to your sister and the beast will always choose you... want you.'

It wasn't fair. She wanted all or nothing. 

Hate for her sister grew and hate was the only emotion that held steadfast for her dear sweet sister.

And the only outcome now was her death. 

Death would greet them all.

'Patience cor meum. The day will be upon us soon.  Only two Elders remain, but we must prepare to claim Luna's soul before it takes your sister.  We will become one— whole and you will have your mate if you so choose it and more power than you could ever imagine.'

"I don't want him." She spat out the lie.

Selene chuckled, distorting her misty form.  'We only need him to end the curse. From there, you can do as you wish with him. Kill him, love him... curse him.'

"I hate them all."

'Your pain is my pain, but you must understand the world is chaotic, unfair based on a lie that we are nothing but our other halves.  You must listen to your soul... our soul, and our heaven is coming cor meum. No more mates.' No more walking the fated paths.  The world will be ours to change.'

Ember straightened her spine; his denial of their bond would not weaken her.  She would take the pain she felt and turn it inwards. The darkness would overpower the light. "Instruct me Selene, what is you need me to do?" 

'A spell an idolisation spell to turn them against themselves.'

"And who will they idolise?"

'Us... you cor meum.'

"Me?" repeated Ember.  The thought was intoxicating, and her lips widened into a slow smile. "Tell me, what do we need?"

'Hearts... and many of them.  We will travel to a small pack to the South and pillage the innocent, the cursed and the worthy.'

Ember dropped the cup to hear it shatter on the cold tiled floor.  Stepping over the broken pieces, she walked over to her alter and picked up a blade.  Lifting to her mouth, she ran the cool steel over her tongue and relished in the image that it would soon be at her enemies' throats, spilling their blood. 

"When?"

'Tomorrow night, cor meum. When the moonless skies will be at their darkest.'

"Tomorrow," repeated Ember as she watched Selene's form change, no longer an identifiable shape but a wisp of mist and light as she moved closer, surrounding Ember. 

'Cor meum' Selene's whisper brushed against Ember's ear as she inhaled a sharp breath, filling her lungs with the cool vapour... to become one breath... one body... one soul.

Ember was no longer alone.