Sweet Redemption: The Morningstar Series Book 3
Sweet Redemption Chapter 54

"Stop!" My mate had screamed at me.

"Acaisia I'm just trying to help. You're bleeding baby. Please let me do this for you." I tried to reason with her.

"No!" She screamed again and pushed on my chest, to which I went flying backwards several feet.

By the time I got back to my feet she was back to tearing the floor up and ignoring me. This was f*****g ridiculously frustrating.

How the f**k were we supposed to do nothing?

I tried a few more times to get Acaisia to just look at me. At one point I even picked her up from behind and tried to drag her out of the room. That only got me a f*****g broken rib.

After that I retreated to the kitchen for a while. My rib was still hurting but was healing quickly. Would heal even quicker if my mate wasn't acting like a pyscho and I could feed from her.

I was muttering curse words under my breath and holding my ribs when I entered the kitchen.

"Not going so well?" Simon asked from a stool at the island.

I glared at him. "What's it to you?" I asked snarkily. "Not like you care much about helping." I muttered.

"I just know that everything will be fine." He replied.

I turned an icy glare on him once more.

"How the f**k do you know that?" I asked slamming a water bottle on the counter.

Simon shrugged, completely unphased by my anger.

"They are Morningstar's." He stated simply. I only stared at him in bewilderment.

Simon sighed.

"Look, if I was worried I would have went back to tell Tia. This isn't the first time something weird has happened during a mission. If they tear that room apart and still haven't snapped out of it then I will get Atiana here. Right now, I think we should let them find whatever they are looking for." He concluded.

"It's been f*****g hours Simon." I gritted out.

Simon nodded once.

"I'm aware." He stated simply.

Gods, this guy.

"I can't f*****g stand you." I told him.

Simon chuckled. "I'm aware of that as well."

Rolling my eyes I decided to go get Bianc.

When Bianca started to ask Simon about how we mark our mates I was intrigued to say the least. As much as I hated asking him about anything I wanted to know. Bianca and I listened intently as he explained the different levels of binding a demon to someone else. Unfortunately, Bianca was not satisfied with that as an answer. Something I was greatful for.

Eventually Simon gave in and told us. Now we know. Now I know how to mark Acaisia. The thought of doing it whether she wanted it or not was making me feel itchy.

f**k, I want to do it. Right now. I did tell Acaisia that if I knew how to, that I would mark her. She knows how badly I want her.

Could I really bring myself to do it without her consent though?

I decided to think about it and not make any rash decisions. My mate is still out of her f*****g mind right now as it is, I don't need to add more onto all of this. Bianca announced that she was going to go check on Ahkari and I couldn't help but follow her. Seeing Acaisia this way was devastating but I knew it was worse for Bianca. Ahkari had been possessed longer and was much more angry than my mate was. Acaisia was just unreachable.

Once we entered the ballroom we noticed that they had almost the whole floor torn up. What really caught our attention was the state Ahkari was in. Bianca let out a loud gasp as she took in the state of her mate.

Ahkari was covered in blood. Her own blood. She had deep scratches on her exposed skin and they weren't healing. Bianca rushed to her before I could stop her.

I thought Ahkari was going to retaliate after her mate forced her to her feet. When Bianca said something about her being her mate Ahkari gave her a strange look.

"Mate?" She asked my twin.

Bianca stared at her confused for a moment. She was just about to open her mouth and say something when my mate stood up, flung the last piece of flooring into their pile, and stared down at the floor.

"I knew it was here.." She whispered under her breath.

Bianca followed her gaze down, as well as Ahkari and then my twin gasped. I closed the distance and grabbed Acaisia's hands. Bringing her hands up to my eyes I tried not to freak out as they continued to bleed. Why are our mates not healing?

I looked at Acaisia's face to see her still staring at the floor. Grabbing her chin I forced her eyes up to meet mine. She found what she was looking for. That means she should snap out of if right?

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Acaisia stared back at me but it looked more like she was looking through me. That same hoplessness was creeping back through me.

"Acaisia." I whispered her name.

Confusion passed her face before she went back to staring through me.

"Can you feel it?" She asked me in a whisper.

I shook my head.

"The only thing I feel is a deep desperation for you to come back to me baby." I told her softly.

"I.." Acaisia started but then shook her head. "We have to finish first." She said as she slowly turned her head to her twin.

I gripped both sides of her face and forced her back to me.

"Finish what Acaisia? You are scaring me." I told her desperately.

Acaisia gave me a confused look again. As if I should know what to expect next. We stared into each others eyes for a few more minutes and I was starting to think I broke through.

Until her twin yanked her from my grip.

The sudden loss of my mate had me stumbling forward. Before I could reach out for Acaisia, Ahkari threw my twin into my arms instead. Bianca and I stumbled back slightly before regaining ourselves. When our eyes snapped back up to our mates their intwinded hands were glowing a soft yellow.

For the first time I looked down at the floor. There were intricate designs all over the floor. Symbols and patterns across the entire floor. As our mates stood in the middle of it, bleeding all over the place from their wounds that refused to heal, the symbols started to glow as well. "What the f**k is this?" I asked.

Bianca shook her head.

"It looks like some sort of summoning circle. Remember when we broke into that drug house to find that demon who was feeding off of humans? We found that room and found out someone was summoning the demon to do it's biding. This looks similar to that doesn't it?" Bianca asked me.

I looked around the room once more before nodding to her.

"So you think they're summoning something?" I asked her. Bianca looked up to meet my eyes.

"Yeah I do." She stated and then looked back at our twins, who's eyes were now glowing as well. "I just don't know what." Bianca mumbled.

Bianca and I watched helplessly as our mates stood like that for a few moments. The symbols in the ground were still shining brightly. It had been several minutes since this started but it felt like years. Bianca was sobbing silently next to me and all I could do was hold her as we watched everything unfold.

After another couple of minutes our twins floated a few feet in the air. Their heads lolled back and their mouths opened. The symbols started to grow so brightly that it was hard to see. Bianca and I shared one look before we bolted in the direction of our mates. If we couldn't keep an eye on them then we needed to stay as close as possible. As much as I didn't want my sister in danger this was something I knew I couldn't stop her from doing. I felt it too. That unbelievable urge to protect our mate. Even as demons, our first priority was them. Our other halves. Our soulmates.

Bianca and I were right under the twins when the brightness became too much to bare. I shut my eyes and prayed to any and every God that would listen.

A loud ringing sounded in the room forcing me to cover my ears and scream in pain. I could faintly hear my twins screams as well. Then, as suddenly as it started, it had stopped.

My eyes were still closed but the ringing had ceased. I took a few deep breathes trying to settle myself. Reaching out I grabbed my twins hand.

"Bou.." Bianca said with a shaky voice.

"Are you okay B?" I asked her.

"I.. I think so. My body feels weird. Like the ringing is inside me now or something but not as intense. Hurts though." She said.

I had to agree.

"I totally get it. Can you stand?" I asked her.

"I think so." She said.

I pulled Bianca closer to me and we stood together. It took us a few moments to stand straight and I was feeling like a f*****g semi truck ran me over. My body was buzzing just like Bianca had tried saying. Slowly I peeked an eye open. The room was now pitch black dark. I opened both of my eyes now and looked around. Nothing. I could see nothing.

"Bianca are your eyes open?" I asked her.

"No." She replied.

"Open them." I told her.

I didn't need to see her to know that she did.

"Why can't we see anything? It's just like that cave." My twin said.

"I know." I said.

"How is this possible?" Bianca asked.

"I have no idea. I can't see anything. It's too quiet too. I don't even know if our mates are still above us." I said.

Bianca was silent for a moment.

"Should we try to walk around?" Bianca asked.

I thought for a moment.

"B, you said that you were able to do things not even Ahkari was expecting after she marked you right?" I asked.

"I mean yeah but I can barely feel her through the bond right now." Bianca said sadly.

"You've been focusing on reaching out to her. Do you think you could reach out for her power?" I asked.

"Uhmmmmmmm what?" My twin asked confused.

"Everyone told us that once we were marked we would be able to tap into their power. I know you aren't fully marked but do you think you could try to tap in to her power and get us some light somehow?" I asked. "Let me try." Bianca said hesitantly.

My twin squeezed my hand and over the next few minutes she tried to focus. Nothing was happening but I was patiently waiting for her. After another couple of minutes Bianca let our a frustrated breath.

"This isn't working Bou! I can't do anything." Bianca started to sob. "I'm a completely useless mate. I have no idea what I'm doing. We are way out of our league here." Bianca was rambling but I noticed a light waving around in front of me. "Bianca."

"I can't believe this is happening." She sobbed.

"Bianca."

"I'm never going to get the chance to mark her."

"Bianca!" I yelled this time.

"For f**k's sake Bou what!" She screeched at me bringing her glowing hand to her head.

Bianca finally noticed it and looked at her hand. It was like her palm is a flashlight.

"Oh my Goddess.." She whispered.

"You did it B." I told her smiling.

Bianca stared down at her hand.

"I did it.." She whispered in disbelief.

"Yes." I confirmed to her.

My twins eyes snapped up to mine, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"I f*****g did it!" She shouted.

"Okay, yes you did but now lets find our mates." I told her.

Bianca nodded and flashed her hand above us. All we could see was darkness. Our mates were no longer there. Bianca and I exchanged confused looks before we started to search around us.

After wandering around for 20 minutes we realized that we were no longer in the ballroom. Sometimes we would touch walls that didn't feel like the stone of the castle. Honestly it felt more like wood to me than anything. I had my hand out trailing along the wall much like I had done with Acaisia with the barrier earlier that day.

At one point I felt a person instead of the wall. The familiar tingles of my mate had me stopping in my track. I pulled Bianca's hand over and shined it right in my mates face.

Sure enough Acaisia was tucked into a perfect sized hole in the wall for her. Her eyes were completely white and she was unresponsive.

I stayed glued to my spot, holding my mates hand and staring into her dead eyes. Bianca had starting moving frantically now, searching for her mate. A few feet away she had found her in the same state as Acaisia. Bianca and I looked at each other unsure of what to do.

I opened my mouth to say something to my mate when a chill ran down my spine.

"They will not respond." Came a creepy voice from behind us.

I quickly turned around and blocked Acaisia with my body. Bianca did the same with her mate and I tried to peer through the darkness before Bianca flashed her hand into it.

A small man dressed in what I would describe as a literal potatoe sack was standing in the darkness. It was more like a brown robe that you would see monks wear in old timey movies. His skin is pale and wrinkley. He has no hair on the very top of his head but white short hair around his head and a long white beard. His eyes are completely black like a rats. The man is frail looking. He is skinny and short, shorter than my twin sister.

I looked him up and down.

"Who the f**k are you?" I demanded.

The man smiled but it was not warm like a grampa, but cold.

"I am Omen, bringer of darkness." He told us.

"What the hell does that mean?" Bianca asked this time.

"It means I am the one to change the world girl." He sneered at Bianca.

"Did you do this to our mates?" Bianca asked him.

The man sneered at her before giving her a look of digust.

"Mates? Ugh." He said in digust. "Mates are useless and only the opposite s*x can be mated to each other."

Bianca gave him an incredulous look.

"What century are you from?" She asked.

The man tightened his jaw and glared at my twin.

"Women should be seen and not heard." He told her.

"Obviously not this one." Bianca mumbled.

"What the f**k did you do to our mates?" I asked him more sternly.

The man looked at me and smiled again.

"I did not plan for them to hold this curse but it is too late now. They heard the call and they answered. They belong to The Tree now." He told me.

"The tree?" I asked.

"The f**k they do." Bianca said at the same time.

Omen turned his head to Bianca and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Such filth should not leave a women's mouth." He spat at her.

"Don't f*****g talk to my sister like that." I spat back. "Release our mates now or I'll kill you." I said simply.

Omen turned back to me and eyed me up and down.

"I cannot." He stated turning his nose up.

"Why the f**k not?" I asked.

"The curse is not set in yet. It will be soon." He said smiling to himself. "But then it will be too late. The curse will take them." He said, almost giddy.

"What curse?" I gritted out.

"You will see soon enough." He stated.

At this point I had had enough. Bianca and I exchanged one look before I jumped to attack. Bianca knew she would have to hold up the light so that I could see. She protected our mates while I tackled the old man. Before I could land on him he flicked his wrist and I went flying back. Getting back to my feet I tried again and again. Everytime he sent me flying.

"This is useless boy." Omen said as I got back to my feet for the 8th time.

"Let them go." I demanded.

"I cannot. As I have said, they belong to The Tree now." He said.

Bianca and I shared a look. One good thing about being twins was we always knew what the other was thinking. If this old fart said they belonged to a tree now, than we would burn it down.

"I have had enough of your games. Now you will be food for my pets." The old man said.

I frowned at him and opened my mouth to say something when those leech looking things came out of no where. Just like in the cave they were shaped like a man. They stood behind Omen waiting for his command.

Omen smiled sickeningly once more before the things started to attack. I still had to hold them off until Bianca could try to make a fire.

Thankfully I had a dagger attached to my side. It wasn't much but I kept it on me in this world. We all knew something was off here and I was going to make sure that I had something on me at all times. I was extremely thankful for that at this time. Using my large dagger I fought the leeches as much as I could. I was getting no where and they had started to cut me everywhere. Right now, I was more focused on not letting any of them get into me.

The leeches managed to push me to the ground, my dagger flying across the room. They peered over me and at this point I was just waiting for them to attack again.

Just as they were about to, fire appeared out of no where. My twin let out a war cry as fire exploded through her fingers and into the leech man. They fell back with an ear piercing screech and Bianca kept throwing fire at them.

"Burn it all down Bianca! All of it! Throw the fire everywhere!" I shouted to my twin.

Bianca went crazy as she threw fire everywhere. I'd rather burn to death and take those things and this f*****g tree down with us. With any luck our mates would be okay, and hopefully Bianca being marked meant she would survive too. I was still bleeding profusely as Bianca threw fire all around us.

After a few more minutes Bianca collapsed on me. Drawing that much power must have taken a lot out of her. I was fighting to stay awake at this point.

Looking around I could now see that we were indeed inside of the tree. That was the only way I could explain what was happening and what I was seeing. I held my sister and scooted up against the tree wall between our mates. Finally, at least this tree is going down with me.

Just as I was about to close my eyes and let the darkness take me I felt my sister being lifted out of my arms. My eyes snapped open as adrenaline and panic coursed through me.

Looking up I saw that Ahkari was awake now. She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her mate. The crazed look in her eyes was now gone and she looked normal to me.

My eyes immediately snapped to the woman next to me. Acaisia had fell to her knees, her eyes now open and normal as well. She was sobbing next to me as she inspected my injuries. Her lips were moving but I couldn't hear her words.

I lifted my bloody hand up to cup her cheek. Wiping her tears away with my thumb I gave her a small smile.

"Hey beautiful." I coughed out.

I heard Ahkari's voice but it sounded too muffled to make out. Acaisia grabbed my arm tightly and I winced at the pain.

One moment I was staring at my mate as fire spread around us, and the next I was staring at my mate with a different background. We were in our room at the castle, on the floor against the door.

"Bou." Acaisia said my name and I smiled. "Bou can you hear me?" She asked panicked.

"I'm so glad you're okay." I said weakly, ignoring her question.

"Oh my Goddess Bou.. What happened to you?" Acaisia asked choking on a sob.

"I had to save you. We had to save you." I told her.

Acaisia bit down on her wrist and shoved it to my mouth. I was too weak to move at this point so my mate held the back of my head while she pressed her bleeding wrist to my lips. I stared at her as I sipped her blood. Acaisia was sobbing and all I wanted to do was make her feel better.

Almost instantly I was feeling better. My wounds were healing but very slowly. Some of the life had returned to me though and I was feeling much stronger. I reached up and cupped her cheek again.

"I missed you so much." I told her.