Dark Hunger

Caleb stepped forward as he narrowed his eyes at Owen. Blood trickled out of his mouth when he tried to speak the third name. In an intimidating voice he asked, "Was the name of the third person Urhan?" 

Owen tried to shake his head but he couldn't do that. It was as if his head had frozen. He attempted to lift his hand to gesture to Caleb, but he couldn't even do that. Terrified to the core, he stared blankly at Caleb and Elize. Why was it that he wasn't able to speak out the name of Urhan? He looked at Nessa with terror in his eyes. Once again, she moved her tongue to speak Urhan's name but instead of words coming out, blood sprouted like a fountain from her mouth. She coughed and wheezed and held the edge of the table behind her. Owen and Nessa both felt winded. They drew in breath for extended moments and their lungs seemed to burn. 

"Wh— what is happening?" Nessa asked in between her coughs. Her face was red and there was blood on her chin, neck and clothes. "Am I dying?"

"Yes, if you attempt to mention the name of the third person, you are going to die," said Elize with scorn. "You made a vow to the Lore or that person made an arrangement with you in which you will never be able to reveal his or her name to anyone in this world. And that person is definitely a Lorean." 

"How can you say?" asked Owen as he caught his breath. 

"Because only Loreans can vow to the Lore. And only a vile witch, wizard or a sorcerer can convince you into a spell so binding." 

Nessa was aghast. She didn't know that Urhan was a Lorean. They all said that they were working in Daryn's office. Disbelief and shock and fear skittered down her spine. The three who had come to her house were Loreans? "You bitch!" she blurted in a hoarse voice to Elize. "It is all happening because of you. Had you been a little cooperative, things would have been different. Now look where you have thrown us? I didn't know that I would face a woman like you in my life when I married Owen. You don't value your family. You never valued your father who gave you such a lovely life, and you never cherished your brother. All you were ever interested in was your own benefits. You came whining to us when you were turned into a vampire. We could have gone to the community and revealed your truth to them, but we chose not to because your brother wanted to live your life peacefully. But after you got married to Caleb, all you did was to give us hell! I hope you burn in hell. I hope you die—" 

Enraged at Nessa's words, almost in reflex, Elize shot her arms in the front towards Nessa. Red tendrils left her fingers and swirled at serpentine speed. Nessa screamed and ducked along with Owen. The tendrils hit the curtains and they started burning. 

"What are you doing?" Nessa yelled at Elize. 

Elize's eyes blazed with fury. She just couldn't take it anymore. "What I should have done much before," she snarled as she bared her lips from her fangs. Scared as hell, Nessa started running out. Elize shot yet another set of red tendrils towards her. They hit the wall behind her and blasted a big piece of wood. Wood fractured and debris and splinters scattered in the air. 

"Have you gone insane?" Owen shouted. He whipped his head to Caleb and yelled. "Stop your bloody wife!" The two brothers were simply standing with their arms crossed with a wide stance and watching Elize do all the work. 

"I won't stop her now," Caleb snarled. "She has had enough of your nonsense." 

Another blast of red magic swept through the air and hit the floor. It cracked and small pits formed. Nessa's foot got caught in one of them and she fell down with a scream. In the process her knees struck the ground and sharp pain radiated in her legs. She looked at Elize as tears ran down her cheeks. "Please stop it!" she begged. "I swear I will leave this town and go back to my mom or I will leave this country and go." 

But Elize was hardly listening. She shot her magic towards Owen who was sneaking out of the door. The tendrils grabbed his neck and yanked him back. He was thrown across the floor and skidded. He hit his back on the wall and groaned in pain. "Don't…" he pleaded her. She went on a rampage. There was complete mayhem. 

"Don't?" Elize growled threateningly. She took a step closer to her brother. With her magic swirling in her hands, she said, "After you threw me out of the house, I didn't say anything. I took up a night job to sustain myself. After you harassed Caleb into sending you money, I didn't say anything. When I heard you were shot at, I came running to you because I was extremely bothered. But I didn't know that running to you was like running in a spider's web." She hurled her magic on the sides. Things started burning—sofas, books, rug. "You wanted to trap Caleb and me into this sick mess?" 

Owen shook his head. "I— I am sorry," he said. "I will never ever come in your way." A splinter had hit his forehead and it was bleeding. "Please Elize…" 

"Oh no!" Elize replied. "I have just started." She turned to face Caleb and Daryn. The two men gazed at her through all the fire that was burning in the house. Silent words exchanged between them and the men walked out of the house. 

When they reached out, they cast a spell over the house. Whatever fire that was burning inside, whatever explosions that were taking place—they were cloaked by the spell. From the outside one could only see two men standing and waiting in the dark on Owen's porch. It all looked very normal. 

Seeing that Elize was alone, Nessa got up and lunged at her, but the moment she reached next to her, a whiplash of her magic struck her across the torso. It burned her skin on it way as it struck the chair beside her and cracked it into two. Nessa screamed with excruciating pain. She was hurled back with massive force and sent flying to the wall. The wall cracked on the impact and Nessa landed in the next room on her back. Something snapped in her body and she shouted in pain, "Owwwwen! Save me!" 

Owen somehow got up to his feet and knelt. "Elize, you are one vicious and vindictive woman. All I needed was a little money to live, and look what you are doing?" He waved at the house. "This house belonged to our father. You lived in it. We both lived in it together when we were young. Is this how you will treat this place?" 

Elize roared as fury exploded within her. "You have blotted all those beautiful memories Owen.. And I am done with you!" Her chest heaved heavily. She—