Chapter 2.7

Theron had awoken early. While he waited for the sun to fully set, he tried to guess what Theresa's first move would be when she had realized he wasn't coming back.

"I can hear you mumbling in there," Ary's muffled voice said from the room beyond his closet, "It's still somewhat light out--I guess you probably knew that. Ori just left to visit her Grandma Esse; she's going to need sometime to come to terms with your," she made unseen fumbling gestures at the closet, "vampire-ness," she finished awkwardly.

"You are okay with a vampire in your home?" Theron asked, Ary's casual tone shocking him a bit, "I will need to drink when I emerge from this space," he warned.

"You thought I didn't know that?" Ary pretended to chide, "I'll be upstairs playing with the girls while you run off. Stop in and say hello whenever you get back."

After grumbling his understanding in reply, Theron prepared to take off into the night. The moment the sun's last ray hid behind the horizon, he sprang from the closet, jumped through the window, and sprinted off into the night.

As soon as he was within sight of the compound, Theron gave a silent curse. Theresa had already emerged and was probably waiting for him. No longer was this to be a easy in-and-out mission; now it was going to be a fight to the death.

Leaping down the hill to rest in front of his twin, Theron used every precious moment to survey the area. It seemed Theresa was alone; hell she could beat him easily, but he wouldn't put it past her to hire extra help just in case she needed it. 

"Back so soon, brother?" she mocked in a high lilting tone, "Did your mortal send you packing? Couldn't she deal with her lover around?"

"Don't talk about her that way," Theron said, his voice barely audible above the crashing waves just down the mountain.

"You mean it, right?" Theresa continued, "Their species is only good for sustenance and the occasional fledgling; not love."

Theron had endured enough and a moment later his hand felt the release of pain as a mark the shape of a palm formed on his sisters face. "Listen to you!" he shouted, "This is why we left the Queen's nest centuries ago, and now you're turning into her!"

"Turning into her? I'd never take her rightful place. Once I have Oriana and Hathor's magic, Queen Maddie will once again rule Sim Nation and lead our breed to new heights. Or did you think we were just questing for true immortality?" she laughed, amused that her brother had never seen through her ploy. Assuming a straight face once again, she pounced upon Theron; his usefulness had come to an end.

Every punch, Theron blocked and threw one of his own. Minutes passed and neither had landed a hit, but he was already feeling his strength dwindle; it was an ability unique to his sister, to leech power from her opponents. As Theron became weaker and weaker, he realized he could never win this fight.

As Theresa held her brother in a tight headlock, she felt his will slip away. With no regret, she let his limp body slump to the ground to await the day's first rays. Turning back to the compound, she prepared to get back to work.

"Not so fast," she heard a familiar voice growl. She turned instantly to pinpoint the speaker, and Theron pulled the trigger. As the night turned red, he started heading back to the Amarel house.