Part 14
Diana got up slowly, wiping the blood from her nose. She stared at her brother in disbelief. Orion had come storming into the room and knocked her to the floor.
"How *could* you?" he raged. "How *could* you?"
He'd found Cassidy's body then. Diana had been so sure he had been *over* her.
"She's *vermin*!" Diana burst out. Tears stung her eyes as she glared at him defiantly. "You're still my brother and I love you, but I can't stand to think of you putting your life at risk for a human!"
The tears were now flowing freely. Surely he would understand that! Being in love with a human shouldn't completely wipe away all his Night World up bringing. Orion opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He stared at her, his rage seeming to evaporate. He pulled her into his arms. Diana buried her face against his shoulder. "If it had been me who had fallen in love with a human soulmate, I'd like to think you would have done the same for me."
Orion sighed. "Something along the same lines. But Cassidy wasn't human. She was a witch, her parents both were, and just never told them."
Diana felt a flush of guilt. If she had known that...even if she'd been a Daybreaker she could have done a better job of making her suitable for Orion. "What do you want me to say?"
"Help me find her and I might consider thinking about forgiving you."
Diana looked up at him, surprised. "Huh?"
"She's missing," he told her. "There's no body."
"But she was at the house when we left. Oh, I'm going to *kill* Paris!"
Orion smiled strangely. "I already took care of that."
Diana should have guessed Orion would figure out what she was up to. But how could Cassidy's body be missing? "My only guess is Lavinia has something to do with it."
Orion frowned. "Her own sister? Why would she?"
Diana shrugged. She didn't know what else to suggest. Lavinia had never come across to her as the nicest girl in the world. Why she was so popular was beyond Diana.
A knock on the door stirred her attention. She was surprised to see Donatella. Had she heard Orion yelling? Diana didn't want to explain to her about all their problems with Orion's human soulmate.
"I think I might have found Cassidy," Donatella told them.
"Huh?"
"She knows," Orion said. "How?" He pushed Diana aside, focusing on Donatella.
Diana couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy. He'd talked about this with Donatella rather than her?
"My father just told be about an early birthday present for when I go back to the enclave. A slave of my own. I know Rylan Dahmer is involved in the slave trade, and he's been hanging around Lavinia a lot lately."
"Lavinia's selling out her own sister?" Orion shook his head in disbelief.
"When are you going back to the enclave?" Diana asked.
"Tomorrow."
"Why can't we go now?" Orion said, starting to pace. "I can't stand this much longer."
"We still need to figure out a way to rescue her," Diana pointed out.
And the bottom line was when Cassidy was safe, she and Orion would be outcasts. Their parents would disown Orion, and worse, would probably have them hunted down and killed. Her life as she knew it would be over. She couldn't live knowing that had happened to her twin. She didn't want to be the reason he would be unhappy for the rest of his life, either.
"Isn't this where her Daybreak friends would come in?" she offered finally.
"We could use their help, definitely. Leave the rescue part to me." Donatella was smiling.
There was just *something* about her Diana couldn't bring herself to trust. Could she really be counted on? Then again, she thought gloomily, it wasn't like there were any other options. They would just have to deal with the consequences when they came.
* * *
Diana got up slowly, wiping the blood from her nose. She stared at her brother in disbelief. Orion had come storming into the room and knocked her to the floor.
"How *could* you?" he raged. "How *could* you?"
He'd found Cassidy's body then. Diana had been so sure he had been *over* her.
"She's *vermin*!" Diana burst out. Tears stung her eyes as she glared at him defiantly. "You're still my brother and I love you, but I can't stand to think of you putting your life at risk for a human!"
The tears were now flowing freely. Surely he would understand that! Being in love with a human shouldn't completely wipe away all his Night World up bringing. Orion opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He stared at her, his rage seeming to evaporate. He pulled her into his arms. Diana buried her face against his shoulder. "If it had been me who had fallen in love with a human soulmate, I'd like to think you would have done the same for me."
Orion sighed. "Something along the same lines. But Cassidy wasn't human. She was a witch, her parents both were, and just never told them."
Diana felt a flush of guilt. If she had known that...even if she'd been a Daybreaker she could have done a better job of making her suitable for Orion. "What do you want me to say?"
"Help me find her and I might consider thinking about forgiving you."
Diana looked up at him, surprised. "Huh?"
"She's missing," he told her. "There's no body."
"But she was at the house when we left. Oh, I'm going to *kill* Paris!"
Orion smiled strangely. "I already took care of that."
Diana should have guessed Orion would figure out what she was up to. But how could Cassidy's body be missing? "My only guess is Lavinia has something to do with it."
Orion frowned. "Her own sister? Why would she?"
Diana shrugged. She didn't know what else to suggest. Lavinia had never come across to her as the nicest girl in the world. Why she was so popular was beyond Diana.
A knock on the door stirred her attention. She was surprised to see Donatella. Had she heard Orion yelling? Diana didn't want to explain to her about all their problems with Orion's human soulmate.
"I think I might have found Cassidy," Donatella told them.
"Huh?"
"She knows," Orion said. "How?" He pushed Diana aside, focusing on Donatella.
Diana couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy. He'd talked about this with Donatella rather than her?
"My father just told be about an early birthday present for when I go back to the enclave. A slave of my own. I know Rylan Dahmer is involved in the slave trade, and he's been hanging around Lavinia a lot lately."
"Lavinia's selling out her own sister?" Orion shook his head in disbelief.
"When are you going back to the enclave?" Diana asked.
"Tomorrow."
"Why can't we go now?" Orion said, starting to pace. "I can't stand this much longer."
"We still need to figure out a way to rescue her," Diana pointed out.
And the bottom line was when Cassidy was safe, she and Orion would be outcasts. Their parents would disown Orion, and worse, would probably have them hunted down and killed. Her life as she knew it would be over. She couldn't live knowing that had happened to her twin. She didn't want to be the reason he would be unhappy for the rest of his life, either.
"Isn't this where her Daybreak friends would come in?" she offered finally.
"We could use their help, definitely. Leave the rescue part to me." Donatella was smiling.
There was just *something* about her Diana couldn't bring herself to trust. Could she really be counted on? Then again, she thought gloomily, it wasn't like there were any other options. They would just have to deal with the consequences when they came.
* * *