Black Riders. Samuel I Sinclair
said with a bow, one of disrespect.
Christine shook her head.
“If you think I will let you get behind me, then you are more foolish than I ever believed,” she responded.
“Fine then,” Izac replied and stepped inside.
Christine followed and closed the door.
3
It was an abandoned hospital or perhaps a laboratory, she observed, that Izac and Adrian had maintained in secrecy as best they could. Though this didn’t mean they properly cleaned or replaced broken aesthetics. But when remaining undetected by royal guards, they would have to forgo such things. This didn’t make her harshly judge them. She had a mission and needed to keep her mind focused on her prize.
She didn’t realize that her eyes had wandered, and her pace had slowed until she heard Izac call back to her, “If you don’t hurry, you’ll be left behind, slowpoke.”
With that, she picked up her pace but continued to let her eyes wander through each of the dark rooms. She couldn’t see much until they adjusted to the light, and she then saw the bones, clothes, and hair that were accumulating in the patient living quarters.
When they entered the operating section of the facility, she could see the floors of the rooms here were stained crimson, or perhaps scarlet, from the countless gallons of blood that had been spilled over the years.
Izac lead her to their most recently used operating chamber, and inside Christine saw the woman restrained to the table.
“Here she is, Miss Christine.” Izac revealed with a cheerful gesture toward her. “The woman you are going to save.”
Christine remained silent as she walked over to Anna, but the sinister smile she wore made Izac question what her actions would be. Anna would have cried tears of joy upon hearing Christine would save her, but she had already shed every tear her body held. When Christine reached the table, she pulled one of her long black hairs out and took hold of a scalpel from the tray beside the table. She pulled the hair taut in one hand and cut it with the scalpel in the other. The moment it was done, Izac saw the life fade from Anna’s eyes and body, still with a hopeful look on her face.
Izac stood in shocked silence as Christine put the scalpel back on the tray and walked back toward him.
“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “that wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?” Christine asked happily. “No, wait, let me guess. You thought I would free her and then kill you. Well, in truth, I did free her.”
“You freed her immortal soul from her miserable body,” Izac said in slight anger.
Christine nodded.
“And now she can be with her child,” Christine added coldly, looking at the fetus.
“The only problem is that you robbed me of my plaything. But she can still serve a purpose, so I cannot be upset.”
Izac had made his way to the counter and was opening one of the drawers.
“Just don’t bother trying to kill me,” Christine informed him. “I cannot be killed by someone like you.”
“You’re not human, are you?” Izac asked absently.
“No.” She giggled. “But more on that when we have both you and Adrian present.”
She began to rummage through her sleeve. Everything was held in her sleeves because the robes that the sisters wore didn’t allow pockets except hidden in the sleeves. People agreed this wasn’t practical, but it was helpful for when the wanted to conceal a defensive weapon.
“We cannot be in the same room at the same time.”
“An easy thing to remedy,” Christine said in her cheerful tone. “Just wear this, and that problem shall disappear.”
She pulled out a small silver ring with an aquamarine set in the center. She held it out for Izac. He looked hesitantly at it.
“Oh, come on now,” she said in her calm and playful tone. “I don’t bite or anything.”
He hesitated a moment longer before taking it. Though she says I can’t kill her, Izac had thought, perhaps, I can do something more damaging to her than just death. He knew she wanted him to wear it, and he decided to put the ring on.
4
With the ring now his finger, he felt more alone than he had in his entire life. He admired the ring when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Oh, my darling brother,” Adrian’s sobbing voice called. “How I’ve missed you. These years without you have been torture.”
Izac looked up, startled. He saw Adrian standing in front of him as he truly was, afflicted by the disease. He had no hair and looked as though he could lose his purpose to continue at any time. They were barely a foot apart, but it seemed miles as they stepped together and embraced in a hug.
“How lovely,” Christine commented in a tone that both brothers thought a little close to mocking. “Now that we have everyone here, I need to finish my research.”
“What research?” Adrian asked as he stopped sobbing.
“You two are an extreme puzzle I have been tasked with solving.”
“A puzzle?” Izac asked, sounding annoyed and insulted yet still fascinated.
Who gave you this task? Adrian asked.
“Imagine,” Christine explained, ignoring Adrian, “an alienist with a second personality of his dead younger brother. He lured women to their death where he does what exactly to them, both pre- and postdeath?”
“Well.” Adrian started. “I extract their eggs to use in creating genetic mutations that the royal guard would pay handsomely for.”
“After the extraction, it is my turn,” Izac added when Adrian finished. “I’m a bit of an artist.”
Izac took off the jacket and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the tattoos. Adrian didn’t feel the need to remove his clothes. They were the same as Izac’s, but they both knew his body had no marks.
“I find the body to be the best canvas to work on, so I do a new painting with every person he brings in. Of course, I do my best work on our self.”
“Now that is a few more pieces of the puzzle in place.” Christine chuckled. “But I still need to know how this all happened. So please open your minds’ vaults and show me.”
Christine waited a moment, just looking at both of them. When they exchanged an unsure glance, she realized they would need a large push to reopen their past.
“Very well. If you don’t talk, you will be punished.”
Izac began to laugh again.
“There is nothing you could do to me that can harm me. Didn’t you learn that earlier?”
Christine moved her hand to her chin.
“Perhaps not any traditional weapons, no.” She implied, with what Izac didn’t know was a seductive grin. “But I do suppose there is one weapon that I can use against any male in this world. In fact, it is my strongest weapon.”
A look of pure terror dawned upon Adrian’s face, though he tried to hide it. When he realized they both were looking at him, Izac with concern and Christine with pleasure, he decided he couldn’t remain silent any longer.
“You are a demon, aren’t you?” he said in pure fear.
5
She took her hand and slapped him across his face. He staggered, and once he recovered from the blow, he could see a dark aura around her. Her eyes were glowing a deep scarlet.
“Don’t compare me to those bottom-feeding,