She's Met Her Match

Susan woke to feel the metal bars beneath her, she looked up to see she was surrounded by darkness.

"Fire!" she said.

A circle of flame appeared on the ground with Vivian in the middle and in a white gown, both hands before her, Susan realised her sister had locked her up in a cage.

Susan tried to stand, but her bones didn't give, so she remained in a sitting position. "What's this, Vivian?"

"There are things, Susan, things that may forever remain a secret to you," Vivian said.

"Why am I in a cage?"

"I just wish to talk."

"I can do so quite effectively outside here. Let me out." Susan looked around. "And what's this anyway? What did you do to me?"

"One question at a time. This is a cage, and I used my powers to silence yours temporarily. Don't worry. I'm not powerful enough to hold you down."

"Good.

"Chadwick is at the door."

Susan squinted her gaze. "Chadwick? We killed him."

"Apparently, he can't die."

Susan nodded. "Oh. Didn't see that coming. Last I remember, I tore him to pieces. I ate his shredded body. How did he return?"

"That's what I wish to know," Vivian said. "Eventually, he'll get through the door, then we'll have to face him like we did last time if you remember."

"I remember. Lightning!"

A large bolt of lightning struck the cage, the metal bars cracked, but suddenly became whole again as the cracks disappeared.

"Surprised?" Vivian asked.

"You should be," Susan said and tried to stand, this time she could. "You've always been one to play dangerous games. You've always been enthusiastic about it. This to me is a deadly line, one I've been forced to cross, and trust me, it's one I'll repay in kind.

"Talking to me that way doesn't help matters. You know that."

"I don't fear you. I don't hate you. What I know is that I love you."

The metal bars cracked.

"And I know my love is the most powerful force there is," Susan said.

The metal bars exploded, a circular wall of fire surrounded Susan and Vivian.

"And now, there's no escape," Susan said.

Time stopped for what came next, and the air couldn't be felt for their speed, unlike anything seen before, made it impossible for the human eye to capture their deadly movements.

Red swords graced with fire clashed in the deadliest fashion, the sound of clashes didn't travel, and the sparks of fire remained in mid-air.

The swords they used weren't of elements of earth, as were the flames that burned from them, so they cut through air, coming hard at one another, intent to kill, but not going through.

Vivian found a window and marched Susan, she went fast with her back which collided hard against the wall of fire.

"You set the walls," Vivian said as the hand of the clock moved, the sparks of fire vanished, the clashes paused with time now traveled through the air.

Susan took to her feet. "I set them for you. You can't leave this place."

"I could if I wanted to," Vivian said. "I'm not like you who have had to feed off humans to survive. I feed on the ocean of blood. You're nothing like me."

Susan's reddish-brown eyes blazed red.

Vivian laughed. "Rage. Still, nothing compared to mine." Her emerald eyes glowed red, but unlike Susan's, lava trickled down her eyes like tears. "Now, we're well matched."

A strong wind, like a cyclone, began to move around Susan who said, "Indeed we are."

Time stopped as Susan left the cyclone moving around her, coming fast for her sister with deadly intent.

Vivian who didn't want this to prolong any further even though it could all happen within a second, stretched forth a hand, and Susan was sent fast again with her back aimed to the wall, but the cyclone stopped her, her feet graced the ground.

Time moved, the moon appeared.

The sword in Susan's hand disappeared, the cyclone around her dispersed.

Vivian's sword too disappeared, her eyes turned back to its beautiful emerald colour.

The circular wall of fire around them vanished, Susan recognized where she was.

"How did I get here?" she asked Vivian.

"With bloodlust. You slaughtered an entire village, and lost your consciousness. You were on your way here to exact vengeance on your guests, so I stopped you."

"But I've never been in that state before."

"It's what happens when you resist blood."

"No need to ask if there were children," Susan said.

Vivian shook her head. "You were never one to choose. Don't try now. So far you love a thing, you see to it that it meets its end. Claiming that you hate them won't help you, as the boy is bound to be part of your life."

Susan shook her head. "He's too innocent. I couldn't."

Vivian walked up to her. "This isn't about innocence or not. A war is coming, one that would shake our world. Eventually, she'll let you return home to drink from the sea once more…your curse would be lifted."

"How can you be this powerful that you summon the blood tears but Janice is so weak?"

"You know me, Su. I don't drink like any of our kind. My face is always buried deep in the sea—drinking. It's how I know about Chadwick. It's how I know about the war. When she told me how powerful you were, I came to see for myself. But there was a time I almost lost control. Mother then taught me how to drink."

"I may have pushed our sister. Keep your eyes on her. If she drinks like you, she may lose it, for Janice has no self-control like you nor I."

Vivian nodded. "I understand."

They shook hands.

"You're lucky I didn't kill you tonight," Susan said.

Vivian smiled. "You keep telling yourself that."

"Surely, I'll see you again."

"You sure will."

They hugged, then separated.

"Keep your eyes on our sister," Susan said. "I love you both. Not with the aim to kill."

Vivian chuckled. "I will." Then she vanished.

Susan looked at her surroundings. "Old spirits of mine, we are going to have a long talk on why I lost to Vivian."

She walked into her house, the door closed behind her.

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