Own My Soul - Chapter One

Chapter One

Blackwood Manor looked the same as ever when Max pulled the Gemini into the driveway and stopped right before the gates. He cut the engine, staring up at all the iron. They'd open, of course they would. He and Lyssa were Blackwoods and the gates were spelled to open for one of the blood. Why did their sister have to move back into the Manor? Did she not remember the shit they went through fifteen years ago? Then again, Aishe was probably at college in Perth at that point, so what was the point of even wondering if she remembered or not... Max sighed, planting his elbow on the car door and propping his chin up on his hand. He glanced left towards Lyssa.

"You up for this?" he asked, watching her warily as she stared up at the dark, ominous attic windows. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stare at it or run away. Then again, running away wasn't an option right now. Max frowned at his sister. "Because if you're not, we can totally leave.... Like, right now."

Lyssa exhaled carefully, shifting in her seat to meet his worried gaze. "It's not like we can go back to Molan Uni in Perth, Max. We've finished our five year course and--" Lyssa cut herself off as she turned back to the Manor, frowning. "Is that a police car?"

"What?" Max asked sharply, twisting to peer past the intricately designed wrought iron gates to see the tell-tale white-and-blue paddy wagon parked near the front door. "What're they still doing here? Wasn't the accident over a month ago?"

"Two weeks ago," his sister stated flatly. He turned back towards her. "This is getting weird, Max... Why're they still here? I thought they ruled it accidental?"

"Tell me about it," he muttered, slumping in his seat as he turned back to the gates. As he watched, the front doors opened and their sister secorted a uniformed officer out of the house and down the steps towards the officer's paddy wagon. They lingered by the bottom step for a moment, heads bent towards each other as they talked. The officer handed their sister something and Aishe's expression turned grim. "Okay, this is beyond weird, Lyssa. Am I right or am I right?"

"You're a moron," Lyssa deadpanned, staring right at him with something akin to blandness.

Max shrugged, not bothering to deny it before he straightened up and started the engine again. The gates were moving, slowly creaking open as if they'd only just sensed Max and Lyssa's presence. If the gates were even sentient, that was. Max snorted and put the car into gear, pulling through the gates once they were fully open. The officer got into his wagon and started it. He passed Max's Gemini just as Max was passing fully through the gates.

The officer gave them a curosory glance just as Max turned to wach him drive by. He didn't recocgnise the man, but those dark eyes were sharp and assessing. Max swallowed, tightening his grip on the steering wheel as he turned away. Something about him was bugging Max, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Not that he wanted to anyway.

"How're the cats?" Max asked, not taking his eyes off the driveway before them as he pulled up by the front steps. Aishe was still standing there, watching the car curiously. He glanced towards his twin. "Lyssa?"

"Hmm?"

Max turned the car off and turned to look at his sister. "Lyssa, the cats?"

Lyssa blinked at him then twisted to stare into the backseat just as a loud 'meow' came from somewhere under a towel. "Oh, well." She shrugged. "One's sleeping, the other is crying like a little bitch, obviously."

Max turned to peer over the back of his seat, eyeing the two cat carriers sitting on the back seat. One of them had a towel haphazardly thrown over it, hiding the front of the carrier from view. The other held a black ball of fur and a set of glowing amber eyes. The Cat Sìth was a little bigger than a normal cat, and clearly not happy with being locked up in a cat carrier. Maybe Max shouldn't have convinced it to stay in there... He shook his head and straightened up.

"Come on," he said, reaching for the door handle. "Let's go say hi to our wayward big sis."

With that, he shoved open the Gemini's driver side door and hopped out. Lyssa followed, but Max's eyes were on Aishe. She was watching them warily, shoving what looked like a phone into her back pocket.

"Sup, Aishe," Max called, closing his door and moving to the driver's side back door. "You look tired."

"The twins are driving me up the wall," Aishe told him, taking the two steps needed to reach his side. "I wasn't expecting you two for another few days."

Max shrugged, reaching inside to flip open the cat carrier. "We decided to head down early. Didn't want to be late for the funeral."

"Besides," Lyssa called from the other side as she retrieved the other cat carrier and a large suitcase. "We wanted to sped some quality time with you and the twins."

And warn you about the house, Max wanted to add, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he turned to watch the Cat Sìth as it slinked out of the carrier and stretched. It looked at him with its amber eyes and blinked. Max turned back to his older sister, grinning.

"So, where do we put our stuff?" he asked, glancing past Aishe to see a flash of light brown darting out of the doorway. A moment later it was back and Max met the dark eyes of his niece, Blair. He waved at her and she grinned before darting back out of sight with a giggle.

"Upstairs," Aishe replied, stilly eyeing him warily. "Second floor. Feel free to pick a room."

"Thanks." Max reached back into the car to pull out a duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced down as the Cat Sìth hopped down from the car's backseat. "Well, Puck. Why don't you head on inside and find a nice spot for us?"

The Cat Sìth glanced up at him, blinked and then trotted off up the Manor's front steps and into the house. Max watched it go before turning to look at his sister. Lyssa was just coming around the front of the Gemini, smiling softly. She joined him by the stairs and set the cat carrier down by their feet. A pitiful meow bubbled up from within the carrier.

"How's Nyx doing?"

"Not good," Lyssa told him. "She really doesn't like the car."

Max scowled at her, then glared down at the meowing cat carrier. "There is nothing wrong with my Gemini, you brat!"

The only answer Nyx gave him was yet another pitiful little meow. Max sighed and shook his head, moving to mount the stairs. Aishe grabbed his arm, jerking him to a halt. He turled to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatever you do," she said, keeping her voice low and not quite meeting his eyes. "Don't go down into the basement."

"Why not?"

"It's still an active crime scene," Aishe hissed, tugging him in close. "The police suspect foul play, but I only moved in a month ago and none of us were home--" She cut herself off with a sharp shake of her head and sighed. "Nevermind. Just stay out of the basement, okay?"

Max exhaled carefully. "Fine by me. Lyssa?"

"I don't think we'll be going down there anytime soon, Aishe."

"Good," their big sister spat, releasing Max. With that, she turned on her heel and stalked back up the steps and into the house. Lyssa picked up Nyx's cat carrier again. Then she and Max followed Aishe at a slower pace, exchanging worried looks. What the hell was going on in their childhood home? Max wasn't completely sure if it was related to the events of fifteen years ago, but he was certainly intending to find out.