This guy is out of his mind, I think, railing against him with all of my strength and struggling to pull away from him, but I don’t manage to get my arm free before he does what’s possibly the craziest thing he’s done yet. I watch in horror as Xur drags me closer by my bleeding forearm, and then he brings my wrist up to his mouth, touching the cut to his lips for a moment. I feel my stomach turn at the sight, but then he shoves me down onto the floor, allowing me to pull my arm away and put pressure on the wound. It should close up in time… emphasis on the word should. I can’t be certain of anything anymore, it seems.
I crane my neck to stare up at the deranged god, my eyes narrowing into determined slits as I try to stop the bleeding and fresh wave of pain that’s coursing through me. Xur takes a step back, seemingly done with me for now, and begins to chant. I don’t catch most of the words he murmurs under his breath, nor do I understand the ones I do hear, but the power that the incantation holds becomes obvious in a matter of seconds; his body begins to radiate a dim, pulsating red light, and I can feel the dark magic coming off of him in waves. It’s enough to even make me temporarily forget the discomfort in my arm, and I find myself frozen in awe and terror as the power flows through him… but almost as soon as it begins, it ends, the red glow winking out. When he opens his eyes again, he crosses his arms and steps back into the gap between his sisters as if what he just did was the most normal thing in the world.
“What the fuck did you just do to me?” I cry, scrambling away from him. “What was that?”
“It will heal,” he replies, his voice condescendingly patient, as if he were an adult talking to a petulant child.
“But now you can’t escape your family,” Xur continues, looking like he just won something as he licks the blood - my blood - off his lips. I glance down at my arm, which is still bleeding a little, but the cut isn’t that deep, and I can already see the flesh beginning to stitch together. I can ignore it for now.
“You are feckin’ crazy!” I shout, struggling to get my feet back under me so that I can stand up. “Storm told me you were, but he was seriously right about you lot!” My voice cracks, although whether from the anger or the stress of the situation, I can’t say. Xur just continues to smile down at me, but he’s not the next one who speaks next.
“There’s a reason Storm has spent four hundred years trapped in that hole,” says one of the twins, the one with snow white hair. Her voice makes her sound like an angel, and her appearance makes her look like one; the only thing that gives it away is her creepy, blind-looking eyes. “Storm knew us when we were but children,” she continues, her voice like silk. I don’t trust anyone with a voice that sweet. “It’s true that we made many mistakes,” she continues. “We will certainly be the first to admit that. But I do hope you can decide to judge us for who we are now, and not who we were then.” A small, knowing smile spreads on her face, and I don’t like the way she’s looking at me. “After all,” she adds, “Storm was no angel himself, and yet it seems you’ve taken to him quite well.”
I swallow hard, ignoring the comment about my relationship with Storm. How the fuck would she know that, anyway? As if you even need to ask, I tell myself. They know everything about you. “And who the hell are you supposed to be?” I demand, glaring defiantly up at her. “Some escaped circus performer, by the looks of it.”
She laughs a cold laugh. “You certainly have a tongue on you, girl. Not to worry; we’ll deal with that in time.” She places a pale hand to her chest. “My name is Eenta Cyncus. I am glad to meet you.”
My curiosity finally gets the better of me. “How do you know who I like, anyway?” I retort. “You don’t know me at all.”
“Perhaps,” Xur replies, “but we know Storm. He has never shown emotion the way he did when I took you.” I swallow hard, wondering if he’s telling the truth. “It was interesting, to say the least,” he continues, looking thoughtful. “I tell my sisters every little secret I learn. What I know, they know. If you join us, it would be the same for you.” He grins down at me, as if he’s a salesman doing a marketing pitch instead of a freaky elder god who’s trying to threaten me into surrendering. “Although,” he adds, “perhaps it was simply because Storm knows you are immortal like him, and that there is a true chance of the two of you having a future together.”
“Storm didn’t know about me,” I exclaim. He would have told me the truth if he had, wouldn’t he? Hell, I don’t even believe it yet. Some part of me stubbornly resolves not to until my mum says it. I want to hear it directly from her; if she tells me it’s true, then I will have to face it. But now isn’t the time for that.
“Are you sure?” Eenta enquires, and her voice is so overly saccharine and gentle that I want to look around for the child that spoke and not the woman who actually said it. It’s weird, and it’s unsettling. “He’s been in that prison for centuries, seen countless women born and die there. Isn’t it strange that he got so close to the first woman he would actually be able to spend his life with? Except for us, of course.” I instantly bristle at her suggestion, and I know it’s out of jealousy. Part of me feels petty to even be getting territorial over Storm, especially when at this rate I’m probably never going to see him again, but I can’t help it. Storm wouldn’t be interested in those two for so many reasons, but that doesn’t make the taunt any less effective. I want to stab the bitch because she even suggested it.
“He sees you three as his brother and sisters, even though you aren’t actually blood related at all,” I tell them, shaking my head in disbelief. “In fact, you don’t act like family one bit,” I sneer, letting out a laugh without much humour to it.
“Is that so?” askes Xur. “Do enlighten us, Karma.”
“Family doesn’t lock each other up and throw away the key!” I snap. “Family doesn’t betray one another! And family sure as hell doesn’t kidnap family!” I gesture at my chest, my mouth twisting in a sneer. “What would any of you know about family?”
“As I said before, we made small mistakes,” Eenta replies, tilting her head to one side and giving me a long look. “You will come to see us as family soon. I’m positive of it,” she continues, a broad smile appearing on her face. She’s acting like locking Storm and everyone who ever did anything to piss them off is a minor mistake. How many innocent people have died because of them? It’s sickening to see her grinning like that... although at least she doesn’t have sharp creepy teeth like her sister, who I realize hasn’t spoken at all. If she is anything like her other two siblings, though, I’m going to guess we wouldn’t get along.
“I highly feckin’ doubt it,” I reply, finally getting to my feet. I take another step back, knowing I’m pushing my luck but unable to do anything else. It’s becoming clear that I’m going to have to figure something out soon. They aren’t going to be this chatty forever.
Before I can decide if I’m going to run or not, though, the oddest thing happens. A few feet away from me, a mass of black energy begins to form in the middle of the air. The sisters exchange a look, and Xur frowns, but none of them seem to know what it is. This all happens in the blink of an eye, just before I see the back and butt of Kit floating in the middle of it. I’m relieved to see Kit…but not like this.