Merelda left quickly a few moments ago but before she left she pulled Elsie from her cage and put her before as a guard.
"Keep watch over your brother until I come back. You know the consequences of disappointing me, child."
After the bitch's footsteps fall silent, I look at Elsie. She's so beautiful and looks like the younger version of our mother. Her hair is long and black as night like father's but her eyes are lavender like our mother's. Simply stunning, my little sister.
Right now though, she looks so fearful. She holds her hands behind her back and something glows against the wall like she's holding a lit candle back there.
"What's happening, Elsie?" I try to soften my voice as much as I can but the latest whipping has taken a toll on me.
"I don't know." She folds her lips in like she's trying to keep her words back.
I stare at her a moment, wondering if I can trust her or if she has a form of Stockholm Syndrome. Although, I don't see Elsie having sympathy for the woman who regularly uses her without a single care for her.
"Are you sure you don't know or are you afraid of what Merelda will do if you tell me? I won't tell her anything and when I get out of here, my mate and I will keep you safe from the old crone."
She brings her hands forward and shows me her fingers which are all lit with Hellfire. What the fuck? How does Elsie have this ability?
"Don't speak... of Grandmother... that way." Tears leak from Elsie's eyes as she visibly struggles not to say the words.
I see. Elsie has been spelled to do Merelda's bidding. I growl at the pure evil of Merelda. The vain bitch that she is even has Elsie defending her honor.
"P-please, Drug. Don't do... an-anything."
"Okay, Elsie. Okay. I'm sorry." I hang my head and wait for her to drop her hands. When she does, the fire licks up her palms but they don't burn her. So many unanswered questions.
"You look just like our mother." I tell her after a few moments of silence. "We all knew you were going to be her twin, the splitting image of her except you have father's hair."
I hear her little hiccup of emotion but I keep talking, "When you were just a baby, Drac used to carry you around in a sack on his back. He said he wanted to teach you how to hunt so you could grow up strong and abled. Draven used to make funny faces to get you to giggle, you were the only one who could get him to smile."
I stop and control my own emotions just thinking of the normal life we once had.
"Wh-what about y-you?"
I look up at her face and see the struggle she is suffering but I don't want to add more to it by acting out in anger on her behalf.
I clear my throat before I answer, softening my voice, "I made you a wooden sword and used to pretend I was a Lord and you were a squire under my tutelage." I chuckle at the memory of tying the handle to her little chubby hand with twine.
I can see the smile she wants to let loose but Merelda's spell keeps it from coming through. Fucking bitch will pay.
I open my mouth to tell her more but the feel of the room changes like Ronny is here, unseen. Elsie feels it too and she brings her arms back up looking around in alarm.
Suddenly Draven and Drac are standing there with the sisters sans Ronny.
"Brothers! Elsie is under Merelda's influence!" I barely get the words out when Elsie flings Hellfire at them. On instinct, my brothers shield Rory and Roxy.
"Elsie, stop! Fight it, these are your brothers!"
"I-I can't!" Elsie shakes as the spell and her own will clash together. She throws more fire at the backs of her brothers.
"Mother used to sing to you about the stars and the sky, she would rub your forehead with her fingertips until you fell asleep." She continues to fight the power but lets two more flames go even as she cries out.
"Father used to toss you high into the air and catch you. Your giggles and scream of delight would scare the squirrels out of their dens, chittering as they went." Draven says as he turns around and takes a flame to the chest.
Hellfire doesn't wound us but it does hurt like a bitch when they come from someone else.
"When you would wake up at night, I would go to you and sneak you out into the woods to find the moon flowers." Drac says as he too turns around.
"I want t-to stop b-but the spell..." Elsie breathes hard and her forehead is covered in perspiration. "It's t-too strong!"