Decisions, Consequences, and Spite

[Sebilla]

"Your father, my grandfather, had a human woman -- true." Sebilla braced herself with a hand on his chest. "She died giving birth to our mother. You act as if giving birth to a demon child would be such an easy task. It kills human women, Trydian. I would have died giving you children. Could you live with yourself after that? Knowing that it was you that killed me?"

Sebilla took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her eyes seeking Trydian's for a moment. When he spoke of choosing sides a spark of anger kindled deep in her blue eyes.

"Excuse me? I think I heard you wrong. Are you assuming I have a choice in the matter? Big brother, you forced my hand long before I even knew that I was going to be under King Pendaran's protection. Your contract bids me to remain neutral when I am with our family. I cannot aid them, I cannot guide them, and I cannot speak of anything that I might have learned while I have been here. Oh, Trydian, how can you be so dense?" She pulled her hand away from him and pushed him away from her. She rested her back against the wall of the hallway and shook her head vehemently. The carefully placed ringlets that had been so artfully displayed by the spiders slid free of the gossamer silk binding them. The tiny glass spider hid carefully near her ear.

"Truely, you assume that I can just go on my merry way? Has not Pendaran discussed with you this part of your bargain? My hands are tied and I am as much bound to King Pendaran as you are. I will die if I breach your contract. You willed that I was protected, big brother. Well now I am. Now I'm stuck with knowledge that cannot be given to our family. I can go home but I can never rest. How dare you assume that I am going to be able to just go away and never return." Her hair fell in a curtain, obscuring her face from Trydian as she tried very hard not to be extremely angry with him.

"You think yourself a martyr. You're nothing more than a young boy that has gotten himself in a scrap. You dragged me in it with you this time and you can't get us out -- at least let me enjoy the fact that I can love you and not be punished for it!" Her voice rose, but it was hardly a yell. Her chest rose and fell in a labored fashion, straining against the bodice of her gown.

"You are wrong if you think that I can simply fade into non-existence on the other side of the veil that separates us from our old world. Sometimes I hate how self absorbed and self centered you are." She pushed away from the wall and slapped Trydian hard across his mouth, forcing him to reassess just how much power she might have.

"I never asked for power. I never asked for glory. I never asked to be a pawn in your game with King Pendaran. Do not ask me to understand how you could be so cruel and thoughtless toward me. That you would love my weakness does me a great disservice. That I still stand here before you should speak volumes about my feelings for you. I hate you right now, Trydian Xanathi -- but I love you more than life itself. Consider how you speak to me, if you would love me, because the more you push me away the harder it will be to gather me back."

Sebilla turned away from Trydian then and began to walk away from him, her movements were the same as they had always been -- though she had always been a graceful quiet child.

[Trydian]

Pain. Yes, that was what he felt, but it was hard to register that it was caused by Sebilla. They were fighting again, trying their best to hide the scars. She was stronger. He was demon, so it was natural for him to be attracted only to her weaker side. Had he even considered her personality, or the way she behaved around him? Those thoughts flooded his mind, while he listened to her scathing words.

Her words held truth, but he didn't want to admit that. He couldn't admit that now. While she branded him a martyr, she didn't understand that King Pendaran would have used her as a weak human. It was better that she had this strength. Trydian had made sure that she had been given the best option. Now he saw that her power could be used by King Pendaran. Everything he did to protect her, seemed to be failing and unraveling into a bigger dilemma.

No, she had never asked for power or glory. His Sebilla had always been a sweet and innocent thing. She was always completely oblivious to the powers and influence around her. Maybe Trydian only convinced himself that she was oblivious and innocent. He was beginning to doubt the way he perceived her. Her voice and demeanor didn't match her...she was completely altered. Even if her heart was the same for him, it was her nature that he had been attracted to.

When she began to walk away from him, he remembered their last fight. Sebilla was walking away in the same fashion, her back to him. Trydian wasn't the type to let emotions control him, but he wasn't about to just let her walk away.

I hate you right now, Trydian Xanathi! He focused on those words, his body tensing at the sight of her leaving him. Sebilla had never actually witnessed his own power. Trydian had done his best at keeping her innocence. It was something he rarely let her see, but he could make an exception this one time. She would hear the sound of bone breaking, his body shifting to become the thing he had protected her from. His muscles would morph and stretch over his new features. The change was always painful, but a necessary reminder.

Sebilla would feel the change in atmosphere, the unbearable new divide between them. He wouldn't appear as the Trydian she once knew. His features would be too harsh to her and far too surreal. Trydian knew the danger of shifting in King Pendaran's realm, but he flaunted himself all the same. Once his body changed, it was difficult to go back to his simple form.

With an electrical charge, his body would blur to the front of Sebilla. It had been a simple motion, but one that could disorient a normal person. She would feel the unnatural pull of his power, the tension between them almost drowning other senses.

Should he take her by force? His colorless eyes looked over her delicate form, alluring as it was. Trydian had never wanted to be like his father, but he was beginning to see why you had to sometimes exercise strength. He picked her up with a simple sweeping motion, cradling her in his arms. It would be difficult for her to go against his strength and he didn't exactly want to fight her right now.

Trydian took her to her room, all the while ignoring her dramatic protests. Tossing her on the bed, he acted as though he were bringing her here for another reason. His dominating form shadowed over her petite figure, but he stopped at the edge of the bed.

“You can turn your back on me, but I'll always come for you. I had you first...you belong to me.” Trydian didn't yell at her, but his voice was rigid enough, that he didn't need to elevate the point he was trying to make. “I will make sure that you will never be taken away from me.” Trydian said, his voice becoming dangerously obsessive. His eyes scanned across her image, as if to look for any flaws that he might have caused.

Could Sebilla really be prepared to handle his demonic form? There would be little choice in the matter. Trydian watched her, as if expecting her to run toward the door. This would be a new frightening version of her beloved Trydian.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla hid her surprise expertly, though she did struggle against Trydian’s grasp on her. In such a prone position there was nothing for her to do but rail against him. When he dumped her unceremoniously on the bed she bounced high and managed to flip herself over on all fours.

“Of course I’ll never be without you. I shared a womb with you Trydian. I belong to no one, however. Not even to you. Although with these changes I’m dubious about King Pendaran’s desire to claim me as one of his…creations.” Sebilla was in an awkward position with her bodice pulled tight against her pale chest. She quickly backed off the bed to stand, letting her skirts fall about her ankles once again. Her back was to the only window in her room which was covered with thick dark curtains.

The spider had been jostled out of her hair and was crawling along the headboard of the bed, content to leave it’s mistress to whatever she had in mind.

“You are not allowed to lay claim to me. I refuse your desire to own me.” Sebilla tapped her chest and shook her head. “I am my own woman as I have always been. Do not think that I do not have my own thoughts and desires -- that because I was a human that I never have had these feelings.” She shook her head, refusing to cry in front of her brother and to show him how much she really did love him.

Sebilla paused, still as a doe in an early morning clearing, listening to the rise and fall of her own feelings – crashing ineffectively against her skull. How could she speak to him with this thread of emotion, this anger in her heart? Would she let him own her, truly? It would be the very first time anyone in their family had succumbed to the vicious force of love they felt.

Did she really love Trydian? Sebilla looked at him, surveying his demonic form, her heart hammered against her ribs. Just the sight of him set her emotions on edge. He would be the man that was her undoing but he could be the man that gave her extreme joy too. Could he allow himself to love her? Could he even take her for what she had become – or would it be more prudent to seek love elsewhere, even if it wasn’t as deep or as heady as it felt with her brother standing there.

“Trydian. I love you. I feel it deep in my heart and in the marrow of my bones. Do not make me choose to live a life of freedom to choose versus a life bound to your every whim. Do not ask this of me, please. I would do anything for you. I would die for you, but please don’t use me so poorly. Tell me you think higher of who I am, of who I have become, of who I’m been growing into. Please, Trydian.” Sebilla fought with her emotions, so out of control as they were in her new body. This was all so much to take in on the first hour of her rebirth.

As if to make a point, her stomach growled unbidden. Her pretty pale cheeks colored slightly as she blushed and her hands pressed against her stomach.

“Really?” She spoke at her stomach, as if it couldn’t have picked a better time to voice its complaints.

[Trydian]

Trydian couldn't take her seriously. Not when she looked so helpless and then her stomach growled in retaliation. He backed away from her, as far as he could stand against the wall. Watching her, he smirked. She was still the naïve Sebilla he knew, but she had no idea what to do about her new powers. Sebilla was struggling to grasp everything, but that fact only made his ego grow.

“If I go make you a sandwich, then will you be mine?” Trydian felt awkward in his demonic form, like he was exposing something intimate about himself. “I doubt the kitchen maids will say no to me...” Trydian flexed, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic in her room. It was always that way when they fought. Sebilla would go into her hysterics and he would feel compelled to mock the moment.

“If you won't let me control you, then don't let him control you. I'd rather be in charge of you, then let some bastard like that take you from me.” Trydian paused, checking his words carefully. He knew that he was already digging his own grave. “I'm sorry he ruined you, but at least you aren't a weak human anymore. We can celebrate that at least..” Trydian ignored her words, especially about the contract. He was choosing to ignore the facts, but that would be a part of him that she was used to dealing with.

“I love you...I'd never treat you the way father treats women..” Trydian whispered his last sentence, too embarrassed and aware of what he was admitting to her.

[Sebilla]

For a moment Sebilla wasn't sure whether she wanted to be deeply offended or laugh at Trydian's words. She frowned for a moment, her beautiful face marred by the run of her eyeliner. She shook herself visibly and squared her shoulders.

"So like a child to say such things. You deem me so weak, have thought me so inconsequential for so long, that I am floored by your response to my change. Whether you see it or not, you're treating me exactly like grandfather treats his women. I'm going to take a lesson from the women in our family and ignore that you ever said anything to maim my vision of you." Sebilla turned away from Trydian then and forced her hunger to abate for the time being.

"Seeing as this gown seems to drive you crazy I will change. Though I wanted to look nice for our family when they arrive." Sebilla opened the wardrobe with all of the clothes she could ever want. She shook her hair loose of all the little webs that kept it up in a loose pile on her head. It cascaded down her back in a deep blue black wave and stopped just short of her thighs. She peeled the gown off her body with her back to Trydian, knowing it would infuriate him that he could see nothing of her body for her long hair. She tugged her undergarments back in order and pulled a pair of pants and a shirt from the wardrobe. She put the shirt on first so that it would cover her body, and she turned to Trydian.

"On second thought, I would like something to eat. Keev might be around and know whom to speak to about getting food. She was very helpful with my tea earlier." Sebilla pulled her hair out of the shirt and slipped her legs into the pants, drawing them closed carefully. The spiders worked briefly to alter the garments so that she didn't look like a fool with too loose pants and long pant legs. She bent down and picked up the red gown, fingering the silk lovingly for a moment. She really liked this dress, but she wasn't going to subject it to her brother's angst. She would wear it again though some day. Sebilla reached out and carefully hung the dress in the wardrobe before sitting at the looking glass and brushing her hair out.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare at me for the rest of your life?" If he wanted to be treated like a jerk, then she would treat him like one.

[Trydian]

By the gods, it would take everything to not take advantage of her in this position. When Sebilla compared him to Vylrath, it was like someone had struck him mentally and physically. He never thought of himself on the same plane as Vylrath. In fact, he hated him with a passion. The idea that he might get to kill him soon, made him realize how much he would enjoy it.

“I am hardly like him. I haven't raped, or beaten you have I? I've never raised a hand to you and I never will.” He watched her undress, damning the situation again. Since confessing themselves to one another, he found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes off of her. “When has he ever tried to protect someone out of love? He raped his own daughter and abandoned the family years ago.” Trydian said, surprised at speaking about their mother, like she were a different person entirely.

“I never abandoned you and I'm not going to start.” Trydian said, keeping his temper at bay. No matter what he did, she continued to berate him for his actions, even when it was to protect her. Digging into his pant pocket, he threw a delicate looking pouch onto the bed. The pouch was filled with an assortment of dried fruit. “I guess I can't kill an old habit.” Trydian guiltily watched her fondle the dress with a dreamlike expression. Any other time, she could have worn the damned thing, but not when there would be other men joining them. Sebilla looked especially vulnerable in the dress and it also made him a little weak.

“Accept the food, or don't accept it. I've given up on trying to make amends with you. Wear the dress, if it'll put you in a better mood.” Trydian paused, thinking of the words to explain his reasoning. “Maybe I don't enjoy the idea of other eyes admiring my sister's curves.” Trydian explained, knowing that she only wanted to impress their mother and Queen Igraine. It was an innocent act, as she always displayed.

“As for staring at you for the rest of my life, I wouldn't complain about that in the least.” The fact he still carried the dried fruit, proved that she was constantly on his mind. Even though they had broken the blood pact, there was a natural part of him that thought of her out of love.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla got up and crossed the room to pick up the dried fruit. She sat on the foot of the bed and picked out a piece and began chewing on it. She studied her brother briefly, chewing the fruit and contemplating how best to address him.

"You're more fickle than a woman, Trydian. I swear there is nothing I can do right before you wish I was opposite. Either you love me and would never abandon me or you're going to leave and you're going to get over me and abandon me. What is it? Don't bring grandfather into this either." Sebilla shook her head and chewed on another piece of fruit, savoring the flavor and trying not to eat too fast.

"From what you have said he loves Igraine very much, as a father. He would die for Kahlan. He loves her too. Mother was wronged by him, but that is between them. That isn't our battle. I'm sorry that being his son is hard for you, and I know that I can't possibly understand what it's like because I'm only his granddaughter." She sighed and rested her head against one of the bed posts before looking at Trydian again.

"You would benefit from understanding yourself before you put your troubles, angst, and anger on everyone else around you. Hate me for saying it, at this point I don't really care. I am so tired of riding the emotional rollercoaster that you put me on constantly. It's tiring, and I only endure it because I love you. Can't you see that?"

Sebilla fiddled with a piece of fruit, it looked like dried pear. She nibbled on the end and sighed softly. Pear wasn't her most favorite fruit but it helped fill the void that being reborn had left behind -- so she ate.

"What is your plan? Other than killing everyone from our family, save myself unless the King orders it, what is on your agenda?"

It was an innocent question, but Trydian would have to come to terms with honoring the King's demands. If she were on the hit list -- would he kill her so that she wouldn't suffer unthinkable horrors before death? Could he kill her, or would he rescue her like he always did?

[Trydian]

Plan. Most people had those, but he didn't exactly have a plan formulated yet. Trydian knew that he wanted to keep King Pendaran distracted from Sebilla. It would be very difficult, but maybe he could manage that idea. He wasn't the type to plan things, unless it revolved around Sebilla and his mother. Since Vylrath left them, he was the one who had to basically act like the father.

Since he had bonded with the sword, he hadn't exactly felt like himself. He could change on the whim, with little consequence except the typical pain that went with it. Trydian still had yet to figure out his abilities, but that would come with his intense training and the battle.

Sebilla didn't know about the sword incident. She had been kept ignorant of the fact, but now he saw that the information might benefit them. He couldn't protect her forever. The King might be using his family against him and vice versa, but he could at least keep his ties with Sebilla. She was the one reason that he was making these dire deals with King Pendaran.

“You should probably know, that I bonded part of my soul with the sword...” Trydian said, knowing it wasn't exactly part of a plan, but he didn't want her to be shocked later on. “I won't kill, unless I am told. If I have to kill you, I'll just kill myself. The sword will be rendered useless once I'm dead.” Trydian explained, not letting her argue, or protest. He would die for any of the women in his family, even if it meant taking his own life, regardless of the contract made. At least, Sebilla had her new form to protect herself. She was no longer a helpless woman.

“And don't try to destroy the sword and think it will break the contract. If the sword shatters, I will die.” He looked to her, knowing that his mother would try to save him. Caela would try to save both of them, something he had been worrying about.“Tell that to mother. Don't let her get any ideas on saving me.”

Trydian looked to the sword strapped around his belt. “It's given me a strength that demons could only dream of having. I wouldn't have been able to do it, if I had been a half demon like Uncle.” He said, as if that justified his actions. Trydian knew that she would be furious, maybe to the point of hating him.

“If I could, I would have us get married. I'm sure your King would let you request it, but I don't want you to end up a widow.” Trydian unsheathed the blade, letting her inspect it. It had the obvious stain, as if something had been purposely imbued. “I want you to remember the weakness of my sword. I'm sure he'll figure out my betrayal, but at least that gives everyone a chance...”

Trydian went to her and kissed her. It might be their last kiss, or the beginning of the future.

[Sebilla]

"He's not my King. You've obviously got more invested in this court than I do. I think I am more like a pet to him, easily disposable when I am no longer amusing or useful."

"A soul sword hmm?" Sebilla reached out and touched the sword, running her fingers over the blade. She noticed some slight discoloration and frowned slightly. "What is this on the blade? Surely you haven't used it yet, and it looks like blood." She took the sword from him in a fluid motion, wiggling her fingers under his and lifting the sword clear of him. She held it out and pulled it back in, looking at the fine details of the sword before handing it back to Trydian. He might notice that she was able to do so with ease, where before she had a horribly difficult time just lifting a simple sword.

Sebilla popped another piece of fruit in her mouth and chewed it while she got to her feet and wandered to the window to look out on the grounds of the castle compound. It was dark, but it always seemed to be in some varying degree. She sighed softly, quietly thinking to herself of the many things that Trydian was saying.

Sebilla finished the fruit only to have Trydian spin her around and kiss her full on the mouth. Slightly startled she felt herself become very still, and when he pulled away she looked at him strangely. She felt her lips, which were slightly cool, and her breath which was also cool rather than warm. She blinked a little, her innocent looking eyes wide for want of what -- she wasn't exactly sure. She felt her body respond to her brother's closeness and she was slightly embarassed by this development.

"Marry me? Is that even legal?" Sebilla laughed and leaned close against Trydian. She let her head fall on his chest, her fingers tangling into his shirt for want of even closer contact. She loved him, and it was a cruel fate that saw them be siblings. Completely cruel.

[Trydian]

Trydian felt her warmth and even her new strength when she rested against him. He had sheathed the sword, wondering what she would think of its particular imbued nature. Wrapping his arms around her, he kept her close. She had always brought him love, energy and companionship. This was the first time that either of them were openly expressing it.

He would have married her. Not everyone knew that they were siblings and it wasn't their damn business anyway. With how much they changed, he doubted anyone could guess they were related. His facial and body features had changed- even some of Sebilla's, but hers weren't nearly so dramatic, as a demon changing into form.

Sebilla felt fragile in his arms, but that was only because of his dominating frame. “I don't think splitting someones soul is legal either...why are you suddenly so worried? It can be private. No one has to know.” Trydian said confidently. It was tense, their passion almost electrifying when they held each other. He tried to make light of the situation, but he was finding it difficult to see a positive ending.

“At least we'd know we belong to each other, even if its only for a little while.” Trydian said, trying to put logic into his suggestion. He held her longer, wishing he had been in his human form.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla laced her arms around Trydian's waist and relaxed completely against him, her head resting confidently on his chest. He was warm, but not hot as he would usually be in his demonic form. She tilted her head back and looked up at him and shook her head.

"What have we become? The King said that I was now a child of Winter. I can only assume that means you are too if he had anything to say about it." She reached up with one hand and touched her pale blue lips, knowing from her reflection that she looked like someone that had spent far too long in the bitter cold of winter. Faintly she wonder what she would look like floating in water back home in Xexoria, a creature as fair as snow itself, swimming in the humid heat of a jungle pool. The sensation of memory made her shiver a little against Trydian.

"You have never made good decisions when you're in your demon form. We should talk about it again when you're in your human form." She brushed some of her hair out of her eyes and looked up at Trydian again. Now that their future was looming so close she could taste it, she was scared. Why would she pledge herself to a man that could be as good as dead in less than a day? All it would take is someone breaking his sword and he would be gone. Being married to him wouldn't make that any easier to bear.

Sebilla rested her face against his chest again, lacing her fingers behind his back. He might be angry with her but it was true, he never thought rationally when he was in his demon form. The euphoria and the pain of being a demon had to weigh heavier on his mind.

"You never told me what was on your sword. You haven't used it yet have you? It smells fresh, the sword I mean, it felt new too -- still warm almost." It was strange, this new sense that she had about herself and her surroundings. She was certain he had come straight from forging it, but she couldn't be completely sure. Trydian did have a temper and it wouldn't be hard to force him to kill something on a whim.

[Trydian]

Sebilla purposely avoided the topic of marriage. That was fine. It wasn't realistic to begin with and she couldn't count on him living through the battle. Sebilla felt more than just a child of winter. Her essence had taken on a new metamorphosis. Trydian pulled away from her, offended from her remark. She still didn't see that it was all for her. Not many demons would split themselves and be controlled by another.

“I used your human blood.” He unsheathed it, so she could inspect it again. The stain looked old, but it was only days old. It would naturally smell fresh to them. They weren't exactly natural creatures. “Let's just drop the marriage subject, or the idea that we'll ever be together. I can find someone else, if I do make it out of this alive.” Trydian said, instantly regretting his words. The words he spoke were a nightmare. There would be no one else that would compare, but he knew why she was wary. It would have been cruel to make her his wife and then die within hours. She couldn't handle that kind of commitment.

The sword rested on the bed, while his body trans-morphed into his human form. She would see the bones crack, almost crumbled under his muscle. This time he didn't cringe, or hide the fact. His face didn't twist into pain, or any sign of discomfort. There was no point in showing any emotion in front of her.

Trydian constantly worried over the sword. He rarely let someone else hold it. Sebilla had been the first to hold the hilt and be given permission. Nobody else knew the contents of the weapon. He knew he had to be careful with who knew. It was a delicate matter and not meant for one who might be reckless with it all. Trydian still trusted her, even though he felt a tense shift between them now.

“Those poor decisions were made for you, but I see that was in vain.” Trydian would never understand lesser beings, or how their mind worked. His heart was slowly breaking, no longer wanting to take an emotional risk again. When he spoke to her, his voice sounded hollow. Maybe he could find someone who appreciated everything he did and understood his position in serious situations. There were female demons in the world, other creatures who might tempt him enough. Demons rarely met and socialized, but he could be hopeful. He couldn't take this world anymore and the flippant thoughts of these common women.

Sebilla hadn't been given these powers naturally. She would never understand that world and it was against his best interest to try to make her grasp it. He regretted imbuing the sword with her blood. Trydian would always feel that side of her when he called on the powers. It would be like revisiting hell over and over again.

The King would probably feel his shift in powers, something he would have to explain later, but maybe he was too preoccupied to notice. Trydian doubted it. He picked up the red dress and handed it to her, his body gesture indifferent. “You should get dressed. You can probably ask the King about my sword later. I doubt he'll say no to you.” Sheathing his blade, he walked out of the room and into the hallway. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. If she wanted to find him, he'd only be a few feet away.

[Sebilla]

The more Trydian spoke, the colder and more withdrawn Sebilla became. She put the dress back in the closet carefully, quietly, before warring with herself briefly. Trydian had basically called her good for nothing and useless. Did she really want him to keep pushing her over the edge? Sebilla flexed her fingers, making a fist and opening her hands, not quite sure what to do with the anger brewing just under the surface.

With a soft growl she hurried after Trydian. She reached out and grabbed him and yanked him back inside. She was exhibiting her strength now and he wouldn't be expecting it.

Sebilla slammed the door to her room behind her and leaned back against it. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Trydian for a brief moment.

"Sulking doesn't suit you. Neither does demeaning me. You're going to cause an rift between us that cannot be repaired, because at some point I'm going to tire of the games you play with my emotions. I'll leave you one day Trydian and never ever look back. Keep trying my patience and you will regret it. All I have to do is ask the King to take away what he gave me. It will kill me and I won't have to suffer the indiginity that comes with being around you."

Trydian might notice she was pissed, or he might ignore it. In which case she would only get even angrier with him.

Sebilla pushed away from the door and shoved her brother hard, pushing him with the flat of her palms across his chest.

"You thick headed, inconsiderate, poor excuse of a demon. How dare you assume you can own me and then break me when I don't give in to your demands!" The temperature in the room began to drop a few degrees as she advanced on Trydian. She shoved him again toward the bed. She didn't exactly want to kill him but she wasn't really thinking very clearly.

"If anyone should be an emotional wreck it should be me. You have put me through hell and you think to make all of these deals for my 'well being'. Did it ever cross your mind to consult me? Or am I beneath even a lowly consulation with the great and powerful Trydian Xanathi?" She pulled her fist back and attacked his chest with one powerful thrust of her tiny little fist. She was shorter, so the momentum would be something like an uppercut, and it would be enough to upset his balance and cause him to topple -- whether onto the bed or completely over it depended on how surprised Trydian was.

When Trydian was down, Sebilla would leap on him and start slapping viciously at his face and chest. It would be like getting attacked by a harpy or a vicious little fox. It was evident by the way she was acting that she was holding back a substantial amount of power in order not to hurt her brother -- but it was also very clear that Sebilla was holding back years of rage associated with Trydian. She loved him but gods he was driving her insane.

Right about then she dissolved into tears and crumbled against his chest. She would feel frozen to the touch, as if she had been out in the cold for too long, but she didn't seem phased. She just shook with quiet sobs against Trydian's chest, still angry with him but consumed by the idea of losing him.

"This is all your fault." She hiccuped and started crying more.

[Trydian]

Sebilla roughly jerked him back into the room. He didn't have time to think about a response, he only felt her balled fists hitting his chest and slapping at his face. Blood ran down his face, one of his eyes began to swell. He could feel his lip coated with blood. Her savage fury only hinted that she might be holding back.

Trydian could never hit her, so he let her vent her anger and frustration physically. He could take the beatings, bruises and broken bones, but he couldn't take the sound of her crying. Was this what it meant to be lost in someone? Even through his own pain and confusion, he still only thought of her.


Falling on the bed, he immediately felt her icy touch. He could deal with all the discomfort in the world, but her shaking body drove him insane. His injuries would heal, even as she lay on top of him. Trydian was weak from changing forms, but he still held the natural ability.

If it were anyone else, he would have struck them down with his sword. His anger dissolved when she sobbed into his chest, his hands immediately caressing her body. Their situation was all of his fault, but there was little he could do to convince her that it was for the best.

Trydian's hands remained on her slender hips, as he allowed his gaze to shift to the pale beauty of her face. From her fury, he half expected her to kill him with his own sword, but she remained hysterical against his body. When their gazes met, he only saw her eyes flashing with hatred and desire. He didn't know why she insisted on being near him, when it only brought them physical and emotional pain.

Electricity thickened in the air, crawling over his skin. Heat emanated from him, which might be a comfort to her. However, he doubted she would notice, her face covered in her tear stains. Their position was a situation on its own. Maybe it had been the release of tension, but Sebilla would definitely feel his physical desire for her.

Trydian doubted he could fight her off, not with how she was in her condition. His sword was still strapped to his belt and she could easily lift it from the scabbard in defense. He grabbed her by her waist and flipped her onto her back. Trydian made sure to grab her wrists and restrain her. Without thinking, his body reacted to its first desire. His lips pressed against hers, but they were not with a delicate touch.

Whispering into her ear, he was dangerously close to losing his control. “Just let me take your pain away...what do you fear so much?” The frustration Sebilla expressed, was not just anger, but a maelstrom of emotions that she continued to run from. Trydian would easily take advantage of her then, but only if she let him. Sebilla could fight him back, but that made it all the more desirable. His demonic senses were overriding his logic, while his desire for her quickly intoxicated his mind.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla slowly got control of herself and she found herself under Trydian. Slightly alarmed she looked into his scratched face and began smiling and shaking her head.

"I don't know what I fear more. My feelings for you, or the fact that you could die at any moment." A split moment decision that would change everything between them -- Sebilla pulled Trydian back down to her and kissed him hard on the mouth, reopening a wound that she had created on his bottom lip. She tasted the tang of his blood and relished the way it tasted slightly spicy to her. She vaguely wondered if this is what eating flesh was like for their mother.

That thought was lost amid the rising tide of emotions, though Trydian's blood would still be on her lips and cheeks.

Everything was a new feeling, sensation, or emotion for her as she let her reservations go. When she faltered, Trydian was there to support and protect her. In his arms she felt like she could never be hurt -- and here in this room that was true. This time they had together might be the only time they would have, and she might have to treasure it for the rest of her life. Would she even want to live if Trydian died?

It was some hours later when Sebilla flopped her body next to Trydian's, wildly careless in the circle of his arms.

"So that is what I have been fighting against?" Sebilla laughed, a soft and beautiful laugh. She let her fingertips trace Trydian's muscles and his fading bruises.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. Is that what it's like when you get angry? I couldn't stop and when I did I felt so sad I couldn't keep from crying. It must be so difficult for you as a man, not crying when you really want to." She knew that he would fake bravado and say that he never cried. She knew better though. One time when she was younger and had fallen into a sink hole in the desert -- Trydian had been all calm and collected up to the point that she had been given to their mother. She still heard his quiet sobs through the wall though. He had thought she was dead because she'd passed out from pain at the bottom of the hole.

Sebilla found Trydian's hand behind her and rested it on her naked hip, so that she was completely circled by his arms. She looked down at their bodies twined together and she smiled. They looked so different now. Sebilla was no longer tan, she had skin that was so soft and white it was almost translucent. Against the heat of her brother's tan skin she looked like a little frost nymph. Her hair was splayed around them and over his chest. Her fingers curled in the scant hair on his chest and she leaned forward and kissed Trydian deeply. There was no doubt that this new body was deeply sensuous to look at, and it was no wonder that Trydian had been so attracted to it.

"Let's hope that we have the chance to meet like this again. Of course, I hope that it doesn't begin with me beating you up." Sebilla felt her lips, she tasted the spice of her brother's blood on her lips and she laughed. She must look like a vampire laying here with his blood all over her face -- but in her defense she didn't want to drink it and his face had been all cut up.