Bad Moon Rising

Competitive Streak

Mackenzie found herself settling in and having a good time. She didn't have many friends and the twins were a breath of fresh air. They were witty, fun, and even with Apollo not being able to speak, he was able to communicate through other means. He was tall and fair with hair the color of fresh made caramel. His skin was tanned and it looked natural. Considering he was a vampire, the sun should be an issue but it looked as though he spent his days surfing. His eyes were the color of a mountain lake; blue with flecks of green. He was amicable, sarcastic, and a gentlemen. Apollo's smile could light up an entire room and it drew people to him. Even without the hypnotic voice, he was a people magnet. Artemis was almost as tall as her brother and just as fun. Her hair was a deep, chocolate brown and her eyes were the same color as her brother's and she had long lashes that matched her hair. Her eyesight allowed her to see things at distances of up to a mile but she also had 360 degree vision like a bird which means her peripheral vision was impeccable. Apollo and Artemis were only 19 but carried themselves much older. Mackenzie had to stop herself from feeling like she was the old person.

They were watching a movie when all of a sudden, it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. They all turned around to see who had come into the room. Mackenzie felt like she was staring at the image of her mother that she had seen up on the roof of her apartment. As the woman entered, Mackenzie immediately noticed this person couldn't possibly be her mother. There was a coldness to her and her eyes were dark brown and not the same amber color of Mackenzie and her mother. "Well, if it isn't my sister's long lost daughter," she said with sarcasm. Cecelia stood up and walked towards the intruder and demanded, "Elizabeth, what are you even doing here? I thought I asked you to take your leave. You have been nothing but a nuisance." Elizabeth smiled evilly when she spoke and said, "well, Mother, I heard my niece was home and wanted to see her." Mackenzie felt a chill go up her spine as her so-called aunt moved towards her. Mackenzie felt herself becoming angry and knew that this woman meant her no good. She just didn't understand why someone she had no memory of wanted to hurt her. 

As soon as Elizabeth entered Mackenzie's personal space, she was immediately pushed away. Elizabeth flew across the room into the wall, leaving an indentation. Mackenzie hadn't lifted a finger but she had somehow managed to defend herself from Elizabeth. Elizabeth slowly got up and dusted herself off and she was pissed. She attempted to attack Mackenzie again but the same force threw her back into the wall. Mackenzie was beyond perplexed because never in her life had she ever done anything like that. She turned to look at her grandmother for answers but Cecelia was just as flabbergasted as everyone else in the room. "I see you have inherited my sisters telekinesis which means I have a bit more work to do before I challenge you," Elizabeth said with a sneer. "Elizabeth, please leave now. You have brought nothing but embarrassment on yourself. Why must everything be a rivalry for you?," Cecelia inquired. Mackenzie watched her aunt's face for any sign of compassion or empathy but only saw a coldness in her  eyes. "Well, Mother, had you maybe showed me a bit more love and attention then we probably wouldn't be having this conversation now. I'm a warrior and have always been treated as such. I never received the tenderness and affection that my sister got," Elizabeth cried. She marched out of the room and the coldness that she brought with her followed.

Cecelia waved hand her hand and the wall was immediately repaired itself. She explained, "I have the ability to rewind time but only short periods and on objects. Comes in handy for jobs like this." Mackenzie now had even more questions. "Nonna, what was my mother's name? Why does Elizabeth hate her so much?," she asked. Cecelia looked at her with sad eyes and she gathered Mackenzie in her arms and just held her. "Your mother's name was Emelia and I loved both of my girls dearly. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was the first born and all first born children in the royal family are conscripted as warriors. First born children are born with the powers of both their parents powers which makes them extremely strong therefore they become the protectors of the family," Cecelia told her. She continued to explain how Elizabeth always tried to outshine Emelia to get the attention of her parents. Elizabeth always felt she need to be in competition with her sister. Emelia only wanted her to be her friend and her sister. Training sessions were always brutal and one of them always ended up in the infirmary. Mackenzie had to take it all in. She never had siblings and even growing up in the orphanage she wasn't close to anyone. She could never imagine what it would be like to grow up with someone and always held anger in your heart towards them. Elizabeth had demons and Mackenzie was sure a lot of it had to do with why her father was missing. Something in her gut was telling her to keep an eye on Aunt Elizabeth.

The twins had walked out behind Elizabeth earlier to make sure she had left. They were returning and Artemis said, "Our mother is gone. Mackenzie we are so sorry for how she behaved. Please don't let our mother color how you see us." Mackenzie hugged them both and decided to give them an honest chance. She learned at the orphanage that a lot of the times kids rarely turned out like their parents and the ones that did were in jail or completely unhappy. Now, she needed to really watch her back and start doing some digging. With the way Elizabeth behaved, Mackenzie was sure there was dirt that needed digging up.