Chapter 9

Conflicts of the Mind

Phew! I am back! I've been working my fingers off for this chapter. I was treating it like I was writing for the Gargoyle's staff. So this chapter's a lot longer than the others. (11 pages!) It's not a "Rose" chapter. I plan on having some chapters that focus on one or more members of the Circle. This chapter focuses on Nora and Lucian. The next one will have Desiree. Then Anthony and Patience; and lastly, Andrew and Morgan. So it'll be a couple of chapters before we get back to the Nature Guardian.

I do not own Gargoyles or The Legacy of Kain. Just the OC's


It had not been a week since the meeting between the Circle and the Council of Elders in New Vasserbünde and the vampires and humans of the Circle were highly agitated. Despite the assurance of the Gargoyle clan as well as their human allies, the pressure was great to the young hybrids.

With the transformations of Anthony and Patience so early, Andrew and Morgan voluntarily confined themselves to their rooms, only to emerge to attend to certain needs. Morgan mainly read from her books, mostly fiction and necromancy tomes. Andrew worked on various experiments made up of cocktails of chemistry and science, using only a sliver of magic for certain projects.

One among them so secret, not even Nora could pry the information out with her mental abilities.

The twins, Nora and Lucian, took turns in searching for the missing Balance Guardian while the other trained the fledgling vampires on alternate nights with Desiree. The three guardians worked feverishly to not only find their missing member, but to prepare the three fledglings: Rose, Anthony, and Patience with their newfound bodies and powers. The trio also worked hard in trying to control their own bodies so they, too, could partake in the search.

This caused the eight young ones to be the source of worry to the residents of the castle as well as two detectives who also aided in their search. But two individuals in both groups were also having secondary issues. With the hypothesis the two thought up, neither Brooklyn nor Rose took to willingly seek the other out. Both not only focused on the search and the training respectively, but in sorting out their own feelings.

Rose Sycamore was the third female Brooklyn had feelings for, the first two being Angela and a mutant named Maggie. Neither returned the Second's feelings, both finding mates of their own in Broadway and Talon, Elisa's brother and another mutant. He did feel strongly about Rose similar to how he felt towards Angela, only stronger. But experience made him hesitant on acting on said feelings. Not to mention there was a blasted time limit before he might never see her again.

Having no experience on matters of the heart, Rose focused on controlling her vampiric form. She was very uncertain if what she was truly feeling about her gargoyle rescuer and companion was genuine or an illusion on her sensitive mind. She also feared of a possible relapse that could cause her to become blindly berserk such as on the night of her Turn.

Therefore, uncertainty currently ruled the two.

Nora sighed as she meditated in her room. The Circle's emotional state was becoming erratic with fear and uncertainty. She even knew what Rose was feeling and could only sigh sadly. The Nature Guardian was a good soul that had been through such trauma, the Mentalist felt her young colleague deserved a chance at love. And despite not being of vampire blood, Nora knew she could trust Brooklyn with Rose.

But despite this, there was the matter of the Balance Guardian at hand. For twenty-two years, the vampire race had been on high alert for the new members of the Circle. Ever since she and Lucian were born. No…when she was born. The orb that was a part of her skull immediately alerted even her parents of what she would become. It was with the elders studying her capabilities even as a baby that they suspected Lucian was possibly a Guardian as well. It was a few months before they were able to discover that he was the Conflict Guardian using the practices that hadn't been used in nearly two millennia.

Each year afterwards, a new Guardian was born and found. However, after Morgan was born and discovered, there was no trace of the final Guardian: Balance. When Patience predicted that the Balance Guardian would appear on Halloween, not even Nora could wait. The Sarafan were hunting vampires and if they got to the Balance Guardian…

Nora shook her head as she opened her eyes.

"Come now, Nora. Don't work yourself up. It is not only bad for your mental health, but it does nothing productive whatsoever."

Nora was about to return to her meditation when she heard a knock on her door.

"Yes?"

"Nora? Are you ready to go on patrol?"

It was Lucian. And he reminded her that this was a new night.

Standing up, Nora adjusted her black and gold loose bell-sleeved shirt and her jeans before slipping her socked feet into a pair of brown casual boots. The last thing she grabbed was the wig she wore when she met the Clan.

Nora stepped out to greet her brother, who was dressed in casual attire as well: a crimson shirt, jeans, and black boots. On his belt was a sheathed knife that he often kept on hand in case of an emergency. His brunette hair was combed only slightly and he had his black jacket on. Nodding to her brother, Nora followed Lucian to the elevator and pressed the button that lead them to the ground floor.

It was a couple of days ago that Elisa asked the twins to join her and Matt on patrol. Normally, the twins could fly over the city in their search. But something compelled them to agree to Elisa's request. Perhaps remnants of their humanity wanted them to walk among humans? Neither Nora nor Lucian would ever know.

When the elevator opened on the ground floor, the two walked casually, careful not to expose their vampiric qualities. The staff of the Erie Building only knew that they were under Xanatos' protection and there were a few that needed transfusions due to blood ailments. The twins were too strong, too healthy to be pegged as the "sickly ones."

They became alert when they caught sight of Elisa's red car pulling up to the front of the building. Once the two got into the back seat of the car, the vehicle drove off into the city, only the driver and the one human passenger seemed to know where they were going. Matt turned around to greet the Mind and Conflict Guardians.

"Hey, Lucian. Nora."

Lucian gave a genuine smile as he shook the detective's hand.

"Hey-ya, Matt. I've got to say thanks for inviting us to join you on patrol."

"Well, we figured the two of you could use a break from your search and Elisa suggest this little 'job shadow' to help. Not that being a cop is a barrel of laughs, that is."

As the two men conversed, Elisa looked into her rear-view mirror to see Nora gazing out the window, a hand cupping her jaw. She knew that the Mind Guardian was in deep thought and was unable to pry herself out.

During the months the Circle had stayed in Castle Wyvern, Elisa bonded with the vampires as well, but found in Nora a choice companion. The Mind Guardian was the one that caught the interest in kinship with Goliath and Elisa. Despite being a twin and one of the heads of the Circle, Nora sought seclusion in the castle's library for peace and quiet. She asked little questions and knew to leave things well-enough alone. Surprising, it was Elisa and Goliath that asked the various questions while Nora calmly answered.

The detective often wondered why Nora was determined to keep a constant calm. It was only a few times that she had seen Nora out of her tranquil state. Mostly when it came to times of great distress. She only smiled once and that was when her clan was invited to stay within Castle Wyvern until things calmed down.

She reminded Elisa of Goliath in a way. Her serious and somewhat solitary nature, her drive to protect her clan, even her love of literature. There were differences that made up Nora herself. She was the fountain of vampiric knowledge that they could rely on. She was more adjusted to the modern age, yet like her kind, sought her race's past. She also held far more responsibility than either Goliath or Elisa.

Perhaps after the drive around the city, the detective could have a private chat with the Mentalist.

However, she noticed that Nora's posture straightened as her eyes widened.

"Everything alright, Nora?"

The Mind Guardian answered, catching the ears of both her brother and Matt.

"The Sarafan. I've just picked up on their thoughts."

Hearing this, Elisa pulled over to allow Nora to hone in on the Sarafan.

"Anything?"

With her hands on her temples, Nora tuned into the thoughts she had heard. What she heard could make her wig bristle with anger.

"There is a division of Sarafan heading to a warehouse. Number….19. A…at the New York Harbor."

Her fangs became exposed as she snarled.

"They've captured a group of vampires, fledglings and un-Turned children among them. They are going to torture them into exposing our 'nest' before they can slaughter them."

It was Lucian's turn to snarl, his eyes glowing white with anger.

"I knew I should have brought an axe!"

Matt held up a hand to cease any rash ideas Lucian was having.

"Now hold on. Legal or not, you can't just rush in guns a-blazin'. We need a plan."

Elisa pulled out the communications device she would speak with the clans and spoke into it.

"Anyone there? Hello?"

"What is it, Elisa?"

Goliath's voice responded out of the device. Elisa answered him while making their way to the harbor.

"Nora just picked up Sarafan brainwaves. She says they have a group of vampires locked up at warehouse 19 and they intend to 'interrogate' them. There are children among them as well."

The detective could have sworn she had heard Goliath growling leagues away.

"We'll meet at the harbor. Who else is with you?"

"Other than Nora? Lucian and Matt. I'll contact Desiree to have her call on the Watch."

What that, Elisa turned to the twins. But before she could say anything, Nora held up her hand.

"No! We're going with you. Neither of us can just sit by while those…those…beasts threaten our people's lives."

Lucian placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"She's right. I may be the 'Shepard of the Circle,' but neither of us would be doing our duties if we let others handle our problems for us. See if you can get someone to bring something from my armory. I may be able to fight with my hands and some magic, but the subject of Sarafan armor calls for some other weapon."

Both humans could see the determination in the twins' eyes. Even if they did drop them off it was guaranteed that they would fly the second they were out. Sighing, Elisa conceded defeat.

"Very well, but be careful. And don't do anything rash, Lucian."

Lucian gave a humorous grin as they drove off, Elisa relaying the instructions.

"Not sure if I can keep that promise."


Warehouse 19, New York Harbor….

As the car entered the harbor's visitor's lot, Nora and Lucian immediately jumped out before Elisa could put the car in Park. Nora adjusted her wig while struggling to locate any watchful minds. Lucian was so agitated that his own hair could bristle within a second. His eyes darted from one spot to another, his anger masking his fear.

As the detectives stepped out of the car, Matt spoke.

"Wh-wait a minute! Shouldn't we call for reinforcements?"

"That's what Desiree is doing, Matt. I don't think the police can handle anything vampire-related." Elisa told him.

She looked to the twins as she spoke.

"Anything?"

Nora focused her clairvoyance around the harbor, furiously searching for anything. Finally, her dowsing ability found something.

"There are…gods…sixty vampires packed in the Warehouse 19. Fifteen adults. Twenty-two fledglings. Gods...twenty-three children."

Once again, Lucian's eyes glowed in anger. In response, he punched a nearby crate, shattering it with his bare fist.

"Damn the Sarafan to Hell!"

The detectives jumped at Lucian's reaction, but understood what he was feeling. Placing a hand on Nora's shoulder, Elisa spoke.

"Don't worry. We'll get them out of there."

But the gesture didn't ease the twins one bit. In fact, they were still tense when Goliath arrived with the clan, save for Bronx who stayed behind at the tower. Lucian walked over to Hudson, who was holding a sheathed broadsword that had come from Lucian's personal armory.

"Thanks." Lucian muttered as he tied the sword onto his belt.

Elisa took the chance to leave Nora's side and approached the gargoyles.

"According to Nora, it's real bad. Fifteen adult vampires. Twenty-two fledglings. And twenty-three kids of vampire blood."

Now the clan understood why the twins looked livid and became just as angry. Unlike the twins, however, the gargoyles' minds were on the calm side.

"We'll have to sneak inside and divide up into two groups. Elisa. You and Matt work with the twins on getting the hostages out. The rest of us will deal with the Sarafan until the Watch arrives." Goliath ordered.

But unbeknownst to the group, Lucian noticed something about Nora. She was losing her cool. And if Nora ever lost her cool, all hell would break loose. As the rest of the group prepared for the raid, Lucian took his sister aside.

"Nora. You've got to calm yourself."

Nora was livid.

"Calm myself?! How can I calm myself when there are children waiting to be tortured in there?!"

Lucian was quick to cover her mouth and was able to get a chance to speak.

"I know. I'm mad, too. But you losing your cool won't help anyone. Remember what happened last time you blew up?"

Nora had to pause for a moment, then began to calm down. Her brother was right. Losing her control would not help anyone. In fact, it could make things worse. Taking in a few deep breaths, the Mind Guardian spoke to her twin. "You're right, little brother. I need to have a calm mind." Lucian nodded as he embraced his sister.

"It's ok to unload when you need to, big sister. But there's a time and a place for such things and this isn't one of those times. Right now, those people, including those kids, need us. And we need to be there for them when the time comes."

After the siblings released themselves from each other, they rejoined the humans while the gargoyles climbed up to the roof. Following the humans' lead, the four reached the side of the warehouse and Matt pulled out a lockpicking kit. Kneeling down, he chose the picks and unlocked the door. When they entered to warehouse, it was worse than they thought.

The vampires, both older and younger, were cramped together in the opened are of the warehouse. There was dried blood on the walls, indicating that they weren't the only victims in this place. On the catwalks were Sarafan guards brandishing swords, axes, and spears. Only a small few had modern weaponry. The banners hanging from the walls and catwalk were also blood-stained. At the back was a small closed-off space that was, without a doubt, the interrogation room.

The humans were horrified while the twins' fury grew. Despite Lucian's words, Nora was having difficulty keeping in control. Memories of being chased and captured by Sarafan factions made their way into Nora's mind. As much as she tried to block them, her shields were slipping.

Keeping his mind focus with what was going on, Lucian motioned Matt to sneak behind the two Sarafan guards nearest to the exit and knocked them out with the backs of their weapons. Even though they succeeded in knocking out, it didn't stop Lucian from imagining him snapping the guards' necks. And it was a personal issue, nothing related to his status as the Conflict Guardian.

As Matt and Lucian began to knock out the guards, Elisa began to cuff each unconscious Sarafan while Nora carefully made her way to the frightened vampires. Using her telepathy, Nora made herself known to the elder vampires first.

"Come. This way is clear. The Watch is on its way."

As soon as the older vampires took notice of the Mind Guardian, they began to quietly spread the word. Once they heard that help was on the way, the older vampires motioned the children to move carefully and quietly towards the women.

Meanwhile, the gargoyles took to the roof, creating the distraction that the ground party needed. Since the Sarafan took to old-fashioned weapons such as swords and spears, it was little trouble for the gargoyles to fight off the security on the upper levels.

"The way these Sarafan fight, it's as if we've never left Scotland." Hudson spoke with amusement as he parried a Sarafan swordsman.

Unfortunately, there would be a sudden change in the air, curtesy of the Mind Guardian.

As the noticed their quarry was thinning out, a group of Sarafan scanned the room until they found the detectives and the twins escorting the vampires out of the building. A Sarafan wearing elaborate armor was quick to recognize the twins and narrowed his eyes within his helmet.

"The Mind and Conflict Guardians."

Hearing the Sarafan's voice made the hair on the twins' necks rise. They had heard that voice before. Long ago, when they first went on the lam. When the twins lost something precious to them. They never saw his face, but knew him from the voice coming from the armor.

"You!" Nora hissed, her eyes glowing with white fire.

Lucian wasn't happy either, but his fury was more controlled. Seeing the twins' reaction, Elisa whispered to the nearest twin: Lucian.

"You two know him?"

Seeing the two humans, the Sarafan elite spoke.

"I'm surprised your masters have not told you of me. Then again, since when do parasites tell their hosts anything?"

The twins hissed at the insult.

"Parasites?! You've seem to have forgotten it was human ignorance that cost us all Nosgoth in the first place!" Lucian countered.

The Elitist scoffed at the Conflict Guardian's words as the remaining Sarafan started to bug out.

"How ironic coming from the Conflict Guardian himself. Your predecessor founded our order with Lord Mobius and Lord Mortanius. Yet here before me is Malik's successor: a leech."

He then looked to Nora, who was ready to lunge at the Elitist for insulting her brother.

"However, if a human has to be blamed, it would have to be Nupraptor. He foolishly fell in love with Ariel. And when she died, he cursed the entire Circle with his madness. Who's to say his successor has not the same madness as he?"

"Silence! I am not Nupraptor and I never will be!" Nora hissed again, despising being compared to her insane predecessor.

But the Elitist scoffed again.

"You're right. You're much worse. Not only do you have the same powers as Nupraptor, but you are a wretched leech. I wouldn't be surprise if you are the one controlling every single member of the Circle as we speak. I should've put you and your brother down when I slew your parents."

That did it. The anger that built up inside Nora had reached its breaking point. Lucian could see this and quickly cooled down. He turned to the detectives and called out.

"Get out of here! Now!"

The next moment, Lucian couldn't hear the humans' protest. Instead, his mind was becoming clouding with a familiar feeling: rage.

"Just go!"

He gripped his head, growling in pain. Seeing Lucian's reaction made Matt and Elisa decide to obey the vampire's order and left the warehouse with the vampires they rescued.

Her eyes still glowing a fiery white, Nora lunged at the Elitist with ferocity very unlike the Mind Guardian. The Elitist drew his sword and charged at the eldest of the new Circle. Nora dodged a slash from the silver sword and countered with a telekinetic wave that knocked everything in its path down, her skull glowing a dark shade of pink. She hissed like a cobra as she charged again.

Lucian clutched his head in agony. His sister's power was affecting him. He also knew he wasn't the only one who was writhing in agony. He knew that back at the Erie Tower, every one of the Circle Guardians was sensing Nora's rage, no doubt feeling the same pain if not lesser as Lucian. The Conflict Guardian knew he had to do something fast. If Nora continued, it would be Nupraptor all over again.

Struggling to stand, Lucian reached for the nearest blunt object he could sense with his hands. Feeling a piece of tube-shaped metal, the young vampire dared himself to open his eyes and look up to the upper floor. The Sarafan the gargoyles were fighting were fleeing. No doubt it was a combination of fighting unknown creatures while a powerful vampiress with the ability to flay them alive with a single thought was on a rampage that made them flee. Fighting the pain, Lucian called up to the clan.

"Everyone! Nora's out of control! She needs to be stopped!"

Hearing the Conflict Guardian, the gargoyles shifted their gaze to the feral Mentalist, who had recently received several slashes and was bleeding. Goliath took command as he surveyed the situation.

"Hudson. Take Lexington and Angela and secure the exits. Make sure Nora won't escape. Everyone else, we need to separate Nora from the Sarafan below!"

Quickly, the clan dispersed around the warehouse. Lexington secured the upper windows while Hudson and Angela took point in covering both ground exits.

Goliath, Broadway, and Brooklyn jumped down at the edge of the fray. Working quick, Broadway and Brooklyn grabbed Nora by the arms just as she was about to attack again. But this did not stop the mad Mind Guardian from thrashing about like a fish and having fangs that enabled her to drink blood from her prey. Goliath turned to the Elitist, only to find him throwing something on the ground, causing smoke to appear. When the smoke cleared, the Elitist was gone with Angela thrown to the ground at the warehouse's front entrance.

Though angered that the Elitist, as well as the rest of the Sarafan, got away, Goliath shifted his attention to Nora. It was distressing to see the most stoic of his comrades act like a savage beast, especially since he shared a kinship with her. He was about to attempt to speak to Nora when a loud metallic "ping" echoed in the warehouse. Immediately, Nora lost consciousness and became limp. Behind her was her brother, Lucian, with a lead pipe.

Clutching his head, Lucian spoke as he tossed the pipe to the side.

"Don't worry. I just 'tapped' her on the head. She's still alive."

The clan approached the twins, one of them being held by the other. Looking at the pipe, Broadway spoke to the younger twin.

"Was the pipe really necessary?"

Lucian could barely nod his head. Even though the assault on his brain stopped, the throbbing headache would remain for a while.

"In cases like this, yes. With Nora knocked out, her mind can repair itself as she sleeps. And spares me an attempt to mutilate my brain."

The clan looked at each other with confusion before Lucian could speak again.

"I'll tell you later. I need to inform the Watch in place of my sister and we both need the sleep. The migraine my sister inflicted on me and the others will take a day to heal. But I'll stay awake long enough to explain Nora's reaction."

"The others?" Brooklyn asked, his mind focusing on the frail vampiress back at the castle.

Rubbing his head, Lucian carried his sister to the back entrance.

"As the Mind Guardian, Nora does more than practice powerful mind magic. It is her responsibility as the Mind Guardian to manage and maintain the sound minds of the Circle. If a Pillar Guardian's mind starts spiraling into madness, the Mind Guardian is the first to know. If it's the Mind Guardian who becomes insane, the rest of the Circle will be affected as well."

Lucian shifted his sister when she started to slide off his shoulder, hissing at the pain in his head.

"When Nora became berserk back there, the rest of us Guardians could feel her fury. And let me tell you, be thankful you don't share a psychic connection with someone as powerful as my sister, here."

As they left the warehouse, Elisa and Matt approached the group cautiously. Seeing Nora in an unconscious state, Matt spoke as he and Elisa took Nora from the Conflict Guardian.

"What happened to her?"

Lucian sighed as he sat down on a crate and massaged his temples. He explained the crisis that happened inside the warehouse while the recently-arrive Night Watch tended to the victims while one of them was taking down the information on a notepad. When Lucian was finished, he looked up to the group and spoke, his concern for his sister apparent.

"Please don't blame Nora. That…that…*growl!* I can't even find the right word to call that guy. He…he's done damage to us before."

This caught the attention of the vampire's hosts. Hudson approached the vampire as he kept an eye on his unconscious sister.

"What happened to you two, lad? Was it really something so bad that your sister became a beast?"

Lucian leaned back, his mind showing him the unpleasant memories that he tried often in vain to bury. He didn't want to bring up the past again. But it was clear that if the clan and the humans who know about them want to trust them, the Conflict Guardian was going to have to spill the beans. He sighed as he spoke, his gaze focused on the starry sky above.

"My sister and I were born in Nebraska to a farming family. Our farm was on the edge of a forest and a prairie, so our parents wouldn't have to worry about sunlight. We hired farmhands who knew about our heritage to work the day shift while Mom and Dad worked the night. At the time, Nora and I didn't know how 'special' we were. I thought it was normal for girls to have globes for heads, so we didn't question it until our 7th birthday, when we were told the truth.

"Back then, Nora used to express her emotions like anyone else. You wouldn't know it now, but she showed compassion, anger, and many other emotions freely. She was struggling with her powers then and my desire to fight as the Conflict Guardian often got me in trouble. Still, we were able to use our gifts to help on the farm. I remember one day a bull got out of the pen and charged all over the farm. I grabbed the bull by the horns, literally, while Nora used her brain magic to calm the bull down. To think things were so simple back then.

"But one night in September, just after our 13th birthday, someone leaked our family's identity as vampires to the wrong people. A group of Sarafan, led by that Elitist, marched onto our land and decided to 'purge' us by setting our house aflame. All of our livestock and pets fled the blaze and the farmhands were off for the night. So our family was at the "mercy" of the Sarafan.

"I was able to get Nora and myself out of the burning house, but our parents never made it out. I was ready to drive the two of us to an uncle of ours when I felt the headache. I saw that Nora was focused on the blaze, the screams of our parents echoing in our minds. I wanted to get us to safety, but Nora fell into a primal rage that overpowered me. She attacked our parents' murderers, with the Elitist getting away when help arrived. I had to knock Nora out with a rock in order to get her to stop.

"Nora felt so guilty when she came to at our uncle's house that she shut down all of her emotions after the funeral. Seeing me in pain and the destruction she caused was enough for her to make a "Vow of Emotionlessness" as I like to call it. Since then, it's been difficult for Nora to express herself since. And when she does, it was usually out of anger and sadness. That's why I never leave my sister's side. I want to be there for her whenever she needs me the most."

The clan and the human detectives gazed in shock and sadness at the Conflict Guardian. They had heard that the Circle had led tough lives. But to hear how the twins lost their parents to those…murderers… It was impossible to say. Slowly, emotions rose out of the silence. Angela and Broadway shared a mournful embrace, Lexington covered his eyes in despair, and Brooklyn clenched his fists in anger. Goliath roared as he punched a hole in the warehouse's wall while Hudson growled Scottish curses that no one born outside of Scotland could identify.

Matt was also angered at this.

"Those Sarafan are madmen! How could they do such a thing?"

Lucian gave a light laugh as he looked to the detective.

"It's amazing what fear can do. And it thickens over the centuries. It is nature to fear what we don't understand. It is those who fail to understand or simply refused to reach the remaining stages of evil: anger, hate, and suffering."

Elisa remained silent. She was too focused the story Lucian had told and the fact that her earlier question concerning Nora's emotionless state having been answered. Strangely, she felt that the bond the twins shared was a similar as her relationship with her siblings, mostly her brother, Derek. Or Talon, as he was now called. Perhaps she could introduce the twins to Talon. Give them someone outside the castle and New Vasserbünde to talk to.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Elisa turned to find a female vampire dressed in dark clothing behind her. She was shorter than her (about 5'2) and had black cropped hair.

"Excuse me. But we need to move out. No doubt our 'activities' have alerted the surrounding populace and the victims need to return to their homes after giving their statements."

Elisa nodded at the vampiress' reasoning. Looking to the others, she spoke.

"Let's return to the castle and call it a night. I have a feeling this will go on for a while."

The group nodded as Lucian looked to his sister.

"Hang on, Nora. I'm here for you."


Hours later…

Nora groaned, her head throbbing with pain. Picture the worse migraine you've ever had and multiply that by a hundred. That was what Nora was feeling at the moment. Rubbing her head, Nora noticed something was on her right temple. It was a bandage. She recognized the touch from the last time her emotions wreaked havoc.

It was then that she remembered what had happened. The warehouse, the Sarafan Elitist, her going into a blind rage for the first time in years. The last time her emotions went haywire was when the same Elitist lead a group to the Quinn's original home in Nebraska and burned it to the ground with her parents inside. She and Lucian were thirteen at the time, seven years before they reached their Turns, when the attack came. Someone had squealed to the remaining Sarafan factions that the Circle was being reborn as vampire hybrids and the Sarafan sought to rectify that. Since the twins were the most well-known at the time, the Sarafan sought to eliminate the elder Guardians first and deal with the younger ones later.

It was thanks to Lucian's quick thinking that the twins were able to escape the blaze. But being born with psychic abilities, while useful, can get a person in trouble. When Nora saw the blaze with her parents burning alive inside, she snapped. She did not remember what happened until she cooled down and Lucian explained to her that her powers went wild, destroying nearly everything in their path.

Nora's eyes widened as she remembered.

"Lucian!"

"You called, Sis?" a voice asked from the shadows.

Lucian left his hiding spot, dressed in fresh clothing and carrying a flask in his hand. The Mind Guardian knew that it wasn't alcohol that her brother was drinking.

"Lucian. What happened?"

Lucian sighed as he sat down on his sister's bed, taking a swig from his flask.

"The Elitist that killed our parents baited you into a frenzied state. We saved the prisoners and I informed the Night Watch on what happened. But I had to let a few secrets out to our hosts."

It took a minute for Nora to figure out what Lucian was talking about. Her gaze shifted to her bandaged arms, sadness emanating from them. Lucian continued, knowing his sister wanted to know about the state of their clan.

"The rest of the Circle have migraines as well. They are sleeping it off in their rooms. And it's an hour past dawn, so the gargoyles are stone and Elisa and Matt went home to sleep."

He then noticed his sister's shoulders shaking. He didn't need psychic powers to know how upset Nora was.

"I'm sorry. It…it's just…"

Lucian quickly embraced his sister, holding her tight, yet gently.

"Go ahead and cry, Nor. You need it."

With her brother's permission, Nora sobbed into her brother's shoulder, now subconsciously blocking her sorrow from the others.

There was no need for them to feel anymore of her pain.


Please Review. (About this fic, too. I don't respond to questions/reviews about my other fics.)