XVII

Mistake

The brief moment of clarity vanished once she felt arms circling her middle.

Thrashing with all her might, snarling viciously, and all she could see was red again.

"Calm yourself," A wonderful voice spoke into her ear, "Please."

Her movements gradually slowed down, she wanted to listen to them but her predator subconscious did not.

"What?" It came out hoarse.

"Think of your garden," her moments were replaced with trembles, Our home?

"Yes, our home. That is where we are, together in the tree line, just the two of us," her eyes closed.

"What lies in the center of our home is your sculpture, do you recall the day I revealed it to you?"

She nodded.

"Good, good. That day, when you saw your sculpture, you presented one of my past creations to me. What was it?"

"A head," she whispered.

"Correct, my sweet. Now, do you remember who the depiction of this head was based on?"

There was a moan of pain that made Solana perk up.

Aro held her closer, "Ignore that."

Her body began to tremble more so he rubbed the tip of his nose down her neck, "Who was the face of this head?"

"A- a girl."

"Yes, a girl. Tell me, who was this girl?"

"Your sister."

"Yes, we are getting close. I told you her name. What was the name?"

The red was beginning to subside.

Past creations? Oh, the head… Didyme?

"Didyme."

"Didyme. Do you remember what you then said to me after I revealed her identity?"

"That she was lovely, and we should give her a spot to rest her head."

"Yes," He purred into her ear, "Now it seems the head has come to life because the mortal lying behind us happens to be the exact same being as the one I depicted in that sculpture."

The haze was beginning to wither away, "Your sister? That-"

"That is most definitely my sister."

When she stilled, he turned her around to face him while keeping his arms comfortably wrapped around her.

"Will you calm yourself now?"

Hot fire engulfed her throat even with her effort to stop breathing in, but the pleading look in Aro's eyes made her mind clear.

Hate and loathing arose. How could she?

She had physically done harm to him with her own hands, mentally by tearing into his sister, and spiritually…

Solana could feel her eyes well and could not even look up to meet his gaze.

Fear made her afraid of what she would see.

Aro must have realized whatever state of mind she was lost in had subsided because he unwrapped his arms from around her in favor of holding her hand.

He winced upon contact.

Peering over his shoulder she could see it- them. Didyme, Aro's human sister, did in fact appear as if death was knocking on the door, but she knew better.

Didyme would burn, she would feel the fire and it would be from Solana's venom.

Realizing the fate of his sibling, Aro detached himself to join the dying mortal who was sprawled out on the forest floor.

With a sense of clarity, she was able to see the similarities between the two, only the basic ones like facial structure and hair color.

"Her heart still beats," he was cradling her head, "She is no longer the little Didyme I left behind."

As the changing mortal let out a torturous scream, Aro lifted them both up, his kin in his arms.

Stepping towards Solana, she stepped back.

Though not in a state of bloodlust, mental stability did nothing to balm the scorching burn which pained her throat. It did not help that the source of this burn was right in front of where she stood.

Aro called out for her to stop, but it landed on deaf ears.

While choking a sob, she apologized profusely before taking off into the wilderness. Trees blurred past and the ground changed inclinations as one final jump landed her feet on the soft sand of the beach.

The wounded look her love had sent was branded into her eyes as she walked towards the waves which reflected the night sky.

Solana sat still for hours just thinking over everything which has just occurred.

No human had ever possessed such a scent, something so mind altering she would willingly hurt the only one person who truly mattered.

Not even Aro displayed such ferocity towards her during infancy. It was ironic that at the time of his newborn year she was the one afraid he would exhibit these actions, but today it was her.

Not only did her actions harm Aro, but also his own sister.

She had terrorized the poor girl and forced her brother to watch. How could she!

Solana's mind was moving even faster than usual, which meant some decisions she had considered were absolutely ridiculous.

One of them was to jump into this water and swim until the land stopped her.

Swim away from the pained look sent towards her by Aro, his displeasure at what she had just done, the responsibility of turning another was something completely foreign to her as well.

She would not leave. Not without Aro, never without saying goodbye… or should she even bother to say goodbye? Maybe she was already gone in his eyes, oh his eyes! The same ones which just before were looking at her with admiration only to be replaced with dread.

The waves were calling, so she stood and took a step, then another, and another. Now her bare feet were wet from the tide.

Sounds of crashing waves bombarded her senses, the compelling urge to leave this tragedy behind did not help either.

Before giving in she felt him, then heard him, turning he stood before her.

Solana could not bear to look into his eyes so she kept her gaze on his slender fingers, he was having none of that.

Two fingers rested underneath her chin and slowly lifted her head, but she had closed her eyes once he touched her.

"Look at me."

She shook her head stubbornly.

A kiss was planted on both of her eyelids which made them flutter open to reveal two worry filled ruby orbs.

The venom swelled to her eyes once more as apologies tumbled from her like a sandstorm, she was distraught.

"Where is she? Did her heart give out after all," Solana cried out before apologizing once more.

"Her heart still beats, she is in the Garden with our friends," he said.

In the garden with friends… away from me.

Even the blaze which had taken over her throat did not compare to the pain from barren hole growing in her chest, dragging her down with gravity, she felt trapped and wanted to escape.

Solana surged forward, she probably appeared deranged with her troubled expression, fists tightened at her sides, and trembling lips.

Aro only continued to observe her.

"We could go south! I have a garden near the Nile, we could go there, the Dacians won't bother us there, we could go there-" she was cut off by her name.

"You have always wanted to travel right? We could go there-"

"Solana."

Paying him no mind, "Go there and be done with this!" she exclaimed, it only seemed logical.

Aro's large hands cradled her cheek, his closeness stilled her rapidly moving mind.

"You cannot run from every affliction which arises," he said softly, with an earnest undertone.

"But I hurt you-"

"As you can see, I am fine."

"Your sister is-"

"Will be fine as well, and would you like to know how I am sure of this?"

A slight nod.

"Because of you. Deep down you realize she will be dead, but more alive than ever," he insisted.

"I have never put anyone through the burn, she is the first, and I terrorized her. Aro, your sister will hate me!"

The large crashing of the waves caught her attention once more, "Not unless I am gone."

Aro pulled her into his arms and buried his face into the wild mane on top of her head.

"From what I remember, my sister is incapable of hate. She will adore you just as I do, just as our friends do, along with that little creature you spend time with."

She gasped, "How do you know of that?"

He hushed her, "Although caring for an infant amidst our departure to Dacia was most certainly not at all apart of the plan," there was a tinge of humor in his statement and she couldn't help but let out a tearful laugh at, "all that we can do is accept reality as it is and move forward."

"How did I end up with such a," she cursed with a laugh, "motivational speaker?"

Aro laughed into her hair, "My love, rhetoric is a talent of its own."

The couple pulled away to gaze upon one another, he began to trace the line of her jaw.

"Even in this state of sadness, you are incredibly beautiful," he said.

No words were said after that, both of them stood in silence in front of the active motions of the sea and the shimmering moonlight. Simply relishing each other, and if she were being quite honest there was no desire for her to leave this spot.

"We should return home," Aro said.

Why could they not just stay there forever?

"Could we wait? At least until the sun rises," she asked.

He regarded her for a moment before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

They stood throughout the whole night, never breaking eye contact with one another.

Despite her suggestion of waiting until breaking dawn, neither of them moved even after dawn became dusk.

They remained rooted for days, paying no mind to their surroundings, it was just them.

After the second dusk, Aro broke their silence.

"Let us go now," he said.

Instinctively she shook her head. He sighed her name.

"Not yet, I will join you, I promise, let me have some more time," she pleaded.

Still terrified of the reaction Didyme may exhibit after experiencing such a violent memory in her last moments as a human.

"We have remained here for-"

"I know. Just, just trust me that I will return home. Though not yet,"

Aro drew his brows together, he was considering something.

"Fine, but listen here," he held her hands, "never speak of leaving me again," it was a pained statement, "never."

Of course, she thought before her mind flashed with something else.

"I see," he murmured, "If that is what concerns you then I will alleviate it," he pecked her forehead before leaping over the inclination.

A week had passed with no word from Aro or anyone.

Joining the sea in front of her was tempting, but she made a promise. Even if her assumptions deduced she was unwelcome, unwelcome in her own garden because some human bewitched the predator that lied beside her consciousness.

Though it was not some random human, it was her beloved's sister.

Didyme would probably pull her head off before they made acquaintance.

She would not blame anyone but herself if Aro chose the well being of his sister over her. Of course, she would not like that, which was selfish.

Solana turned away from the inviting water and made her way over the land towards the city.

Finding a perch that allowed her to overlook the area, she sat in a criss cross.

All the previous times she visited the city was out of necessity and therefore lacked pleasure, but now in her stranded state, she realized how beautiful the city actually was and what potential it held.

With the approaching day, many already began their morning with whatever occupations they held respectively.

Street vendors were setting up shop with items that included fruits, vegetables, vases, meat, clothing, and grains.

Builders resumed their large projects from the previous days, as well as the sculptures who would carve the beautiful pieces of art which adorned this city. The same pieces that stood beside nature and did not overpower it. Colors were everywhere.

Her city.

Yes, this was her city, and until now she never took the time to embrace it.

No one noticed the immortal on the column until the rays of sunlight reflected over her skin. Still or moving, a ball of light will be noticeable regardless.

A pile of pomegranates was beginning the form underneath as passing citizens laid the fruit in hopes of a peace offering.

They would approach the column with their heads down, avoiding the blinding reflection, then place the fruit down before hurrying off.

If her mate had not forgotten about her then maybe she would have the heart to laugh, but the gods knew she only watched them with minimal interest.

The pattern was the same with each mortal that brought the red fruit, yet one differed.

They were staring right at her, no doubt unable to make out anything besides the large reflections of the sun, but still directed towards her.

The male began to speak and with each word she became more confused than ever.

"Beware the lucky, they inspire, they incite, they thrive… but push, the feeble."

Lucky? Push? Feeble?

This mortal made absolutely no sense and she regretted the minuscule time her ears had given to listen to whatever he was saying.

"The light of my sun…" he murmured.

Her language? Maybe she would not regret this after all.

What was an Athenian citizen doing to speak the language of her home land?

"Go! Go!" He repeated, tears streaming down his face. The fruit in his hands remained.

"Follow him… by himself, it is already done… awakened," he continued to murmur in her dialect, not making any more sense than he did before.

Solana tilted her head to the side, squinting her small eyes at the strange mortal.

"What is your problem?" she asked audibly.

He continued to look up at her direction, salt covering his hairy cheeks.

"Many corpses surround the night king, oneself even, bleeding and stone alike. End lucky or become one of luck… the night still stays."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means your path is set without the influence of oneself or anyone else," he said.

That was the clearest sentence he had said since approaching her.

"What path?" she questioned.

He only looked at her in silence.

"Who are you?" she tried again.

Moving forward, the fruit which had remained in his hand was placed on top of all the other pomegranates.

"Return to them."

He backed away from the column.

"Wait!" she called out but the aged human was swallowed by the unsuspecting crowd.

The top of his head remained visible, yet after taking a quick glance at the pile of fruit once more and returning to the crowd, he was nowhere in sight.

Out of thin air, she smelt the change before it happened, even saw the darkening around her, thick droplets of water fell from the sky, drenching her.

Below the citizens halted their work by making temporary responses to the rainfall.

She needed to return to her garden and would take sweet time to do it too.

Upon approaching it was eerily quiet, gods how she wanted to flee.

The current perch she occupied was a branch just outside the tree line. It had been a few minutes since her arrival and no one came to greet her.

She really wasn't welcomed.

Suddenly Athenodora appeared, staring up at her from the ground. Her expression was grim.

Without saying anything a beckon on the hand indicated to Solana she was wanted down below, and so she joined her.

"Where is he?" Solana asked.

Athenodora opened her mouth, then closed it.

"He is with the newborn, his sibling?"

They were both silent until Athenodora asked her a question.

"Is it all true then, Aro decided to turn his sister after all?"

Solana's eyes snapped to the other woman, her friend appeared genuinely confused.

"Is that what he told you?" She inquired.

"Truthfully, he did not say much of anything, other than who she was. Solana, why did you not return with him? What happened?"

Her fingers began to twist one of the ends of her hair as she contemplated, "It was I-"

A growl reverberated through the trees.

Athenodora covered her mouth as Solana instinctively flipped into the air, landing several meters away from a very angry infant.

Didyme's fresh crimson eyes were moving constantly but focused solely on Solana.

"You." The voice was rather sweet, all things considered.

"I am sorry for tearing out your throat," it was a genuine apology.

"This torture is all because of you," Didyme heaved and hissed.

Solana remained still, waiting for any sudden movements.

She apologized again but the infant was having none of it.

"You're the one who killed me!" With each word her voice rose.

Aro and Marcus were nearing.

It was a foolish action, but the look on her face was nothing short of malice... possibly even hatred, so from fright, she barely took a step back and the infant noticed.

Immediately Didyme crouched before springing her legs forward in Solana's direction.

Vera: Well that's fantastic because I'm supplying all the drama from here on out! Buckle up!

SS: I hope I do finish it :') Thank you!

Thanks for reading guys!