Twisted Dawn - 7. Chapter 7

My anger began to mount as Erin recounted the events of past.
As we listened, we discovered that over 5 years had past.

I tried to scan Erin’s mind to get a picture of the carnage but I was rebuffed and left with a slight throbbing in my temples.

“..After you were killed, Adrian was the first to be put to death.”
I was busy dividing my attention between trying to read my father and listening to Erin when that statement shattered my concentration.
I slowly looked towards Erin, and she would not meet my eyes.
After asking her to explain, she only briefly mentioned that he was murdered by Martin.

I slowly sank onto the sofa as I attempted to make sense of all she had told me. She was an underground rebel, while Martin had proclaimed himself ruler. It didn’t add up to me. Once I died, my power would have instantly transferred to her unless she had died too or was beaten in a claim for it. I knew that she could beat Martin because she had done it before, and she clearly wasn’t dead, so why would she need to go underground if she had the power to end this.

I also took a close look at Ashley. The news of his brother’s death had fallen on him like an anchor and he looked slightly lost. I walked over and pulled him into a hug as his demeanor began to change and tears of pain racked his body. I held him close and tried to soothe him while he attempted to come to terms with his feelings. Mathias standing nearby, simply watched the three of us. Erin never once came close enough to try to comfort Ashley.

I was moving to speak with Mathias when I experienced a vision of Erin and Martin gleefully laughing while they slowly tore Adrian to shreds.

I turned quickly and tried to scan Erin, and was once again rebuffed almost violently. Finally growing tired of the loop it seemed I had thrown myself into, I quickly rocketed my power up, noticing that everyone in the room turned to look at me as they felt the change. Ashley was next to showcase his power and I was even surprised at the level he achieved. I had almost forgotten that Ashley was now transcended. He wasn’t at his full power because he had never received the benefits of Adrian’s power when he died, but he was as strong as I was before we met Auric.

As Mathias began to power up, I felt two new power signatures behind me that were fully transcended. Since both of the signatures were as they should have been before, I almost didn’t think twice about it until I remember that Erin had not received any of my power. I also sensed as well as heard the pulse of the cursed. As I was no longer simply one of the cursed, I could now readily identify them. While both Ashley and Erin were glowing as only Cursed could, Erin was radiating a bright pulsing Orange aura that spoke clear volumes of her transgressions.

Erin had willingly murdered one of my Cursed brethren, and it was my responsibility to eliminate her before she got to another.

How the fuck did I end up in this situation?!