Midnight Thorns

PART 3- BLOOD & GLASS

Soraya stared at him.

The words refused to make sense.

I was the one who held you down.

Her body remembered before her mind did.

The pressure of hands against her shoulders.

The cold stone beneath her back.

Someone screaming.

Someone crying.

A voice begging her to stay awake.

Her own voice.

"No."

The word came out quietly.

Lucien didn't move.

Soraya took another step toward him.

"You held me down."

"Yes."

"While they erased my memories."

His jaw tightened.

"Yes."

"Who?"

Lucien said nothing.

Soraya's magic ignited.

The room filled with heat.

"Who?"

Elias stepped toward her.

"Soraya—"

She turned on him.

"No."

He stopped.

"No more."

The fire around her hands grew brighter.

"I have spent my entire life being told what happened to me."

Her gaze moved between Elias, Lucien, and Elowen.

"Everyone has a version."

Her voice shook.

"Everyone knows something I don't."

The ribbon around her wrist burned.

"I am done being the only person in the room who doesn't know the truth."

Lucien watched her silently.

Soraya pointed at him.

"You."

Her finger moved toward Elias.

"You."

Then Elowen.

"And you."

The room fell completely silent.

"I want the truth."

Elowen looked away.

Soraya's chest tightened.

"Now."

Lucien was the first to speak.

"You were six."

Soraya froze.

The room disappeared around her.

Six.

She had been six.

Lucien continued.

"The twelve Guardians were children. You were the youngest."

"Lyra was older."

"Sixteen."

Soraya swallowed.

"She was my sister."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

Lucien's eyes darkened.

"The Garden was betrayed."

Elowen closed her eyes.

Lucien looked at her.

"Tell her."

Elowen didn't move.

"Tell her what happened to the others."

The old pain returned to Elowen's face.

Soraya stared at her.

"Mother."

The word seemed to break something inside Elowen.

She looked at her daughter.

"The attack began before dawn."

Soraya's breathing slowed.

"The Garden was protected by twelve seals. Each Guardian carried one."

"The ribbons."

Elowen nodded.

"Your ribbons were not simply symbols. They were connected to the Tree."

"What happened to them?"

"The enemy broke through the outer defenses."

Lucien's voice was quiet.

"We tried to stop them."

"You?"

"I was older than the Guardians, but I was not one of them."

"Then what were you?"

Lucien looked at Elias.

"Something between."

Elias's face hardened.

"Don't."

Lucien ignored him.

"I had been studying the old magic for years."

"The ritual."

"Among other things."

Soraya's eyes narrowed.

"Did you create the ritual before or after the attack?"

Lucien hesitated.

That hesitation was enough.

Soraya's voice became colder.

"Answer me."

"Before."

Elias turned sharply.

"What?"

Lucien looked at him.

"I created the ritual before I died."

Elias stared.

"You told me you found it."

"I did."

"You said it was hidden."

"It was."

"Then how did you create it?"

Lucien's expression changed.

"I didn't create the original."

The room grew colder.

"I reconstructed it."

Elias stared at him.

"From what?"

Lucien's eyes shifted toward Soraya.

"Guardian blood."

The fire around Soraya's hands suddenly vanished.

Her voice was barely audible.

"What?"

Lucien continued.

"The ritual was written in fragments. The only way to understand it was to study the magic of the Guardians."

Elowen's expression became furious.

"You used them."

"I studied their magic."

"You used them."

"I never hurt them."

"You took their blood."

Lucien said nothing.

Soraya felt something inside her crack.

"You took my blood."

Lucien finally looked at her.

"Yes."

The silence was unbearable.

Elias looked at his brother as if he had never seen him before.

"You told me you never knew them."

"I knew them."

"You knew Soraya?"

"Yes."

"Before the Garden?"

"Yes."

Elias's voice became sharper.

"How?"

Lucien looked at Soraya.

"Because I was there when she was born."

Soraya's heart stopped.

Elowen's eyes filled with tears.

Lucien continued.

"I was there when the White Thorn Tree chose her."

A memory flickered.

A baby crying.

Silver light.

A woman holding her.

A young man standing beneath the tree.

Lucien.

Younger.

Human.

Smiling.

Soraya's breath caught.

"You knew my mother."

"Yes."

"You knew Lyra."

"Yes."

"You knew all of them."

"Yes."

"Then why did you let them die?"

Lucien's face changed.

"I didn't."

Soraya stared at him.

"Then why are they dead?"

He looked toward the window.

His voice became quieter.

"Because I failed."

The words held no excuse.

No defense.

Just grief.

"The enemy came for the Guardians. We tried to evacuate them."

"Who was the enemy?"

Lucien looked back at her.

"The person who erased your memories."

"Who?"

His eyes darkened.

"Someone you trusted."

Soraya felt cold.

"Who?"

Lucien didn't answer.

"Lucien."

He looked at Elowen.

"She isn't ready."

Soraya's magic returned.

"Don't tell me what I'm ready for."

Lucien's expression hardened.

"You don't understand what remembering will do."

"I don't care."

"You should."

"Why?"

"Because the person who erased your memories didn't just take them."

The room went silent.

Lucien took one step closer.

"They hid something inside them."

Soraya stared.

"What?"

Lucien's eyes locked onto hers.

"The truth about what happened to the twelve Guardians."

A pause.

"And the truth about who killed them."

Soraya's breath caught.

"Who?"

Lucien's voice dropped.

"You did."

The room stopped.

Soraya stared at him.

"No."

"You were six."

"No."

"You were the only one left standing."

"No."

"You were holding the Crimson Thorn."

"No."

"And every other Guardian was dead."

Soraya shook her head violently.

"No."

Elias stepped toward her.

"Soraya—"

She stumbled backward.

The room blurred.

She saw twelve children.

A field of roses.

Fire.

Blood.

Her hands.

Crimson light.

Lyra screaming.

Then darkness.

Soraya clutched her head.

"No..."

The ribbon around her wrist tightened until it hurt.

Lucien's voice became distant.

"I held you down because you were destroying the Garden."

Soraya screamed.

The windows shattered.

Every piece of glass flew inward.

Elias reached for her.

"Don't touch me!"

The glass stopped in midair.

Hundreds of sharp fragments surrounded the room.

Soraya stood in the center of them, eyes black.

Not dark.

Black.

A hollow void.

The same eyes she had seen in the alley.

The same power that had once turned shadows into weapons.

Elowen whispered her name.

"Soraya."

Soraya looked at her.

And for one terrible moment...

She didn't recognize her mother.

The glass began to tremble.

Lucien took a step backward.

"She's remembering."

Elias stared at Soraya.

"Remembering what?"

Lucien's face went pale.

"The night the Garden fell."

Soraya's lips parted.

A voice came from somewhere deep inside her.

Not hers.

Not entirely.

"Run."

The glass shattered.

The glass shattered.

Not outward.

Inward.

Every fragment rushed toward Soraya.

Elias moved before he thought.

He threw himself in front of her.

The glass stopped.

Every shard froze inches from his body.

Soraya stood behind him, breathing hard.

Her eyes were still black.

The room had gone completely silent.

Then one of the shards moved.

Slowly.

It floated past Elias's shoulder and stopped in front of Soraya's face.

She stared at her reflection.

Black eyes.

Blood-red lips.

A face she recognized.

And didn't.

Then the reflection smiled.

Soraya did not.

The shard cracked.

A voice whispered from inside it.

"Run."

Soraya stumbled backward.

The room returned all at once.

The glass fell.

Thousands of pieces struck the floor.

Elias turned toward her.

"Soraya."

She didn't answer.

Her eyes were normal again.

But she was staring at her hands.

"They were all there."

Elowen's face had gone pale.

"Who?"

"The Guardians."

Soraya's voice trembled.

"I saw them."

Lucien stood completely still.

"What did you see?"

Soraya looked at him.

"You tell me."

He said nothing.

She stepped toward him.

"I saw the Garden."

"Soraya—"

"I saw the Tree."

Her voice grew stronger.

"I saw Lyra."

Lucien's face changed.

"And then?"

Soraya's breathing became uneven.

"Fire."

The word hung in the room.

"Everything was on fire."

Elowen closed her eyes.

Soraya looked at her.

"You knew."

Elowen opened them.

"I knew there had been an attack."

"You knew I was there."

"Yes."

"You knew I was holding the Crimson Thorn."

"Yes."

"You knew the others died."

Elowen's eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

Soraya's voice broke.

"And you let me believe I was alone?"

Elowen took a step toward her.

"I thought I was protecting you."

"From what?"

"From yourself."

Soraya laughed.

It was a horrible sound.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

Elias stepped toward her.

"Soraya—"

She turned on him.

"And you."

He stopped.

"You knew Lucien knew me."

"I didn't."

"You knew he was connected to the ritual."

"I knew he had secrets."

"That's convenient."

His expression tightened.

"I didn't know about you."

"But you knew enough to bring me into this."

"I found you because of the curse."

"No."

Soraya shook her head.

"You found me because you were looking for something."

Elias said nothing.

That was answer enough.

Soraya's face hardened.

"What were you looking for?"

Lucien looked at him.

"Elias."

Elias's eyes flashed.

"Don't."

Soraya turned to Lucien.

"What was he looking for?"

Lucien answered.

"The Crimson Thorn."

Soraya's blood went cold.

Elias's jaw tightened.

"I didn't know it was you."

"But you were looking for me."

"I was looking for the Guardian."

"You knew the Guardian was alive?"

"I knew someone had survived."

"And you thought that person could help you."

Elias's silence stretched.

Soraya stared at him.

"Help you with Lucien."

His eyes lowered.

"Yes."

The word hurt more than she expected.

She stepped back.

For the first time since meeting him, she felt the distance between them.

Not the dangerous kind.

The kind made of secrets.

The kind that could not be crossed with a kiss.

"You used me."

Elias looked at her.

"No."

"You found me because you needed me."

"I found you because I needed answers."

"That's not better."

His face tightened.

"I didn't know what would happen."

"You knew enough to come looking."

"I didn't know you would be you."

Soraya stared at him.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"It does to me."

"Then explain it."

He took a breath.

"When I was searching for the Crimson Thorn, I thought I was looking for a weapon."

Soraya said nothing.

"I thought the Guardian was a legend. A power. A way to break my bond with Lucien."

His voice dropped.

"Then I found you."

The room was quiet.

"And you were nothing like what I expected."

Soraya looked away.

"That doesn't change why you came."

"No."

Elias didn't try to deny it.

"You're right."

That stopped her.

He stepped closer.

"I came looking for a weapon."

His eyes met hers.

"I found you instead."

Soraya's chest tightened.

"And what am I now?"

Elias didn't answer immediately.

Then—

"The person I don't know how to lose."

The words landed somewhere she wasn't prepared to defend.

Soraya looked away.

Because the worst part was...

She believed him.

A low sound came from the floor.

Everyone turned.

The blood symbol had changed.

The thirteen thorns had disappeared.

In their place...

A single sentence had appeared.

THE FIRST MEMORY LIES.

Soraya stared at it.

Lucien whispered:

"No."

Elowen looked at the symbol.

"What?"

Lucien took a step toward the blood.

"The first memory..."

His voice became strained.

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

Soraya looked at him.

"Why?"

Lucien's face had lost all color.

"Because the first seal doesn't show you what happened."

The blood began to move again.

Letters formed beneath the first sentence.

IT SHOWS YOU WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE.

Elias stared at the floor.

"Who is they?"

The blood stopped.

Then one final word appeared.

LYRA.

Soraya stopped breathing.

The room disappeared.

Again.

But this time...

She wasn't six.

She was older.

Much older.

Standing beneath the White Thorn Tree.

Lyra stood across from her.

Her hands were covered in blood.

Soraya was crying.

"No."

Lyra looked at her.

"There's no other way."

"You're my sister."

"I know."

"Then don't do this."

Lyra stepped closer.

"I have to."

"Why?"

Lyra touched Soraya's face.

And whispered—

"Because when you remember what I did..."

Soraya's vision fractured.

The memory began to fade.

But before it disappeared, Lyra looked directly at her.

Almost as if she could see through time.

And said:

"Don't trust the one who tells you I died."

Soraya opened her eyes.

The room was gone.

The Garden was gone.

Elias was gone.

Everything was gone.

Except one thing.

A voice inside her head.

A voice she had not heard in years.

Her sister's voice.

"Find me."