Chapter Fourteen
Verena's entire body was paralyzed. The black figure stood over her at the side of her bed. It was like it injected her with paralyzing venom so she could be easy prey that couldn't fight.
The black figure brushed a dark finger on her cheek. She wanted to recoil, but she couldn't. She was helpless. She always was.
The black figure then climbed on top of her in the bed, and she finally washed out the venom. She clawed at its face, but it didn't move. A blood-curdling scream escaped from her as she thrashed in its hold.
Praxis stumbled out of his bed and ran down the hall, hearing his sister scream. Davian, Lucian, and Azryn raced behind him. Cyprian slowly followed behind them while Riven rolled his eyes and buried his head further into his pillow. His brothers suddenly starting to care about her was annoying.
Praxis burst into her room, seeing his sister fight something on top of her that only she could see. Her hands snaked around her throat, and her nails clawed at her skin.
Praxis felt his heart clench at the sight. "Verena!" He ran over to her bed and tried to pull her hands off her throat. Feeling his hands on her, Verena panicked more.
"Get off! Get off of me!" she rasped out in terror.
Praxis didn't know what to do. His sister was in so much panic that nothing was going to pull her out of this state. The rest of the brothers in the room were just as frozen and baffled as Praxis. None of them knew emotional comfort. They were taught to be emotionless and cold.
Cyprian stayed at the doorway watching the scene. He observed the looks and tense figures of his brothers and the hysterical state of his sister. He found it amusing to see all his brothers so frazzled.
Praxis continued to attempt to break Verena from this terrified state. "Verena hey, hey. It's me. Praxis. I won't hurt you."
"We need to hold her down so she won't hurt herself anymore." Davian said in a stern voice while stepping forward.
"That will just make it worse." Cyprian rolled his eyes at Davian.
"What so we just let her claw her throat out?" Arkyn snapped.
"That's dramatic." Cyprian scoffed.
Praxis ignored his brothers as they began to argue and focused on Verena. He begged at her in a whisper to wake up. When he put a hand on her cheek was when she froze.
Verena caught the scent similar to wood. That was what most of her brothers smelled like as they all had a similar preference of cologne.
Verena opened up her eye to see a blurred Praxis sitting in front of her. Her vision cleared as the tears fell from her eyes as she saw Praxis dark blue eyes staring into hers with worry.
"There you are." He sighed out in relief.
At that moment, the smell and presence of her brother gave her comfort because the black mist of death was gone. She didn't think as she launched herself into Praxis's arms and didn't try to stop her tears.
Praxis froze in shock at the sudden impact of his sister launching herself into him. He never expected her to willingly be within arm's reach of any of them. Once the shock had worn off, Praxis wrapped his arms around Verena as her shoulders shook and her tears dropped on his t-shirt.
"You're safe Verena. I got you." He whispered in her ear.
The brothers watched in a bewildered state, except Cyprian who turned his head to see Riven peaking down the hallway. When the two brothers locked eyes, Cyprian gave Riven a smile that chilled him to his core.
A few hours later, the sun had risen and the brothers dispersed except Praxis who stayed with their sister. Davian sat in his office rubbing his temples. He had a canned energy drink on his desk as he wasn't a big fan of coffee.
He was deep in thought after Verena's breakdown and actually seeking comfort in one of them. Praxis had been the only nurturing one but until a few hours ago she wanted nothing to do with any of them. Not that he could blame her.
He wondered what Verena saw that they couldn't see that made her so terrified. It rattled him to see her trying to fight off something that wasn't there, to finally hear her voice but only as an unconscious terrified scream.
He almost jumped at the loud sound of his phone ringing. Davian sighed and grabbed his phone and tapped the green accept button before putting his phone to his ear not even paying attention to the caller id.
"Hello?" he spoke with a ridged tone.
"Ahh Davian, I'm surprised you answered." The voice smugly greeted through the phone speakers.
Davian's mood immediately soured hearing the voice of Lycus Nicoletti.
The eldest son of the man their mother cheated with.
Verena's father who was the sworn enemy of their own father.
Their mother knew where to get their father where it hurt.
Her betrayal made it more impactful by producing a child from it.
A child who suffered from fractured egos.
"What do you want?" Davian asked shortly. Lycus would only contact him if he wanted something.
"My sister," Lycus responded, making Davian stiffen.
"No." Davian snapped immediately. He wasn't even supposed to have known about her. Vince must have let it slip. Or he figured it out.
"I don't remember asking. Give me my sister."
"How do you even know?"
Lycus laughed. "I know you have spies on us. It's only fair I have some on you."
Davian gritted his teeth. "Why now then? You'll just use her for something. Sell her off."
"I expect you and your brothers to sell her off to your own benefit. She's family, and we will actually care. Something you aren't capable of doing."
"We care." Davian snapped.
Lycus laughed at the other end of the line. "Because sending her to a corrupted psychiatric facility is caring."
Davian didn't have a response. Lycus was right, but he would never admit it. He just wanted Verena for his own benefit.
"I have custody. Good luck trying to get even within a mile of her."
A smug laugh came from Lycus. "See you soon, Davian."
Then he hung up, leaving Davian seething.