Hi Guys!
Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Just so you know it does mention childhood abuse but I avoided going into any kind of detail. Still if anyone would rather not read it feel free to PM me and I can give you the gist of it.
Liv x
I couldn't stop thinking about it. It played on a loop in my head. I wished I hadn't done it, hadn't touched her. I couldn't think of a worse pain than knowing what had happened to her, than seeing it, feeling it. I'd waited until she fell back to sleep before using my gift, and when I saw everything I was glad I did. She wouldn't forgive me. She would never forgive me. I left her immediately unable to control my emotions. Flashes of her life filled my mind with every step.
She grew up with a loving mother and father. Kind, caring. Everything you could ever want. But all of that changed when she was six. Milena had seen a cat on the other side of the street and stepped out into the road as children often do. The next thing she remembered was being pushed, only to turn back and see her mother lying on the ground. Her memories blurred after that and the rest came fast each more painful than the one before.
Her standing at her Mother's grave.
Her father comforting her, holding her hand.
Her father drinking.
Shouting.
Screaming.
Punching.
Kicking.
Burning.
I closed my eyes, taking an unnecessary breath in the hope of steadying myself. I had never felt anger like it. Never felt hatred so strong for anyone, not even my worst enemies. He hurt her. Abused her. He starved her and locked her away. Over and over again for three years. Milena, that precious girl whom I loved more than life. He nearly killed her. If a new teacher hadn't noticed how her clothes hung from her frame, hadn't asked questions, she would be dead. I never would have gotten to meet her. Her father would have taken her from me forever.
I couldn't think. I couldn't see through my anger. She was destroyed, he didn't just break her physically he broke her heart. Betrayed her. She felt abandoned, and guilty, deserving of being punished. Her father had spent years telling her she was worth nothing, that she deserved everything he did to her. After all it was her fault her mother was dead. He said he scarred her to protect her, so that nobody would want her, nobody would go near her. He contradicted himself in his words and his actions but she was so young that she didn't realise any of that, she just believed it, internalised it. She never told anyone because she thought he was doing it for her, she thought it was how it was supposed to be. And if she ever doubted that, he would make her feel guilty, tell her that he was trying his best. It wasn't his fault that he was raising her on his own after all. For three years. Three years!
Thank god for her mother; Cassie Perez. She adopted her, gave her the life she was supposed to have. She loved her more than anything and treated her like a princess. She worked hard to provide for her daughter and I saw how much Milena appreciated it. Felt how much she loved her Mum for giving her the world. Felt her fear when she'd gotten that phone call. That's why she came to me, to get away from him. I saw her mother give her the money for the ticket and felt Milena's excitement. Excitement that continued until she walked into the castle and then it was replaced by excruciating, mind numbing pain. Worse than the pain I'd felt during my change. Worse than any pain I'd ever felt. She was confused about how she felt about me, but she definitely felt something. At that a sliver of happiness ran through me. Only to be quickly destroyed when I saw what Caius had done and the consequent nightmare he had caused her to have.
Without thought I ran to his quarters, bursting through the door to his study to find him behind his desk, focused on the letter he was writing.
"Hello Aro, do you need something?" He said, not even bothering to look up. His voice even more smug than usual. "Get up." I said, struggling to keep a hold of my anger.
"What on earth is wrong Brother?" He had the audacity to smirk at me, and I lost all composure.
I lunged forward, grabbing him by the throat. "Don't Brother me Caius." I whispered menacingly. Tightening my grip as I slammed him into the wall. "If you ever threaten Milena again. If you go near her, if you even breathe in the wrong way while she is in the room, I will tear Athenadora apart and burn the pieces. And you dear brother, you will light the match. Do you understand?" I saw his eyes flash with anger, but he didn't reply, trying to pretend my threat didn't bother him. "Do you understand me?" I roared, smashing his body back against the wall, watching his skin splinter as the wall behind him crumbled. "Yes. I understand."
"Good." I said, as I ripped his head from his body. Dropping it to the floor, knowing someone would find him eventually and put him back together.