Chapter 38: Chapter 38

“It’s nice to see you again, Paris.”

When I heard the voice, I had to open my eyes and the sight that met my eyes had me closing it to open it again so I’d be sure if I was dreaming or not. She was still standing there so I pinched myself and it was sad to see that I was not dreaming. I didn’t know whether or not to be scared.

Looking at her was like looking in a mirror and there was only one person I knew that looked like that. Havana, my sister. The fact that she had dyed her hair black was another giveaway that she was Havana but I still couldn’t believe it considering that she was meant to be dead.

“I don’t believe you are Havana. Someone must be trying to play tricks on me. Yes, that’s it.”

Havana, or her doppelganger, crossed her arms and sighed. “What will it get you to believe me?”

I placed my hand on my chin thinking of a question only the real Havana would have an answer to. “Why is your name Havana?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s easy. It’s because our mother’s second favorite country is Cuba, and her first boyfriend was from Havana in Cuba.”

“Holy shit, it is you! W-What are you doing here?” I asked, rubbing my eyes to be sure I was seeing well.

She chuckled and sat on the seat opposite the bed. “Can’t I visit my sister when I hear she’s sick?”

“Not when she’s supposed to be dead,” I shot back and her smile faded. “Seriously, how are you alive and why are you just coming after such a long time?”

“It’s a long story,” she said with a soft sigh.

I crossed my arms. “You conned me, all of us, into thinking you were dead for six years and eleven months. I think I have enough time.”

“If you had cared to look for me, you would have found me,” she muttered.

“What did you expect us to do? We searched for you for years and we were told that if you were missing for that long, you had to be dead. I sat by the window watching every day and night to see if you would come back! I left Capemun Grove because I couldn’t stand the idea of ruining my life over wondering where you would be!”

“You could have tried harder,” she said and I used my leg to kick her hand off the bed. “You idiot!”

“Respect your elders,” I said, shooting a glare at her. “You’re only a minute older than me.”

“Only a minute? I’m older than Valparaiso with about five minutes and you came out after he did.” She rolled her eyes but she didn’t say anything because she knew I’d made my point. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”

“I’m getting to that.” “Then hurry.”

“Valparaiso and I were kidnapped. You were meant to be taken with us but Leon made it hard for our captors since he was always around you and they just left you.”

My eyes widened. “I-Is Valparaiso really dead? Why would someone kidnap you?” I gave her a pointed stare. “What did you do?”

“Trust me, I thought it was something I did but it turned out to be something I didn’t do.” “I’m not following.”

“You see, there was this test the guys were running to see who could resist their plan to turn us into mutants of some sort and the three of us passed by not falling sick and dying.”

“Why would someone want to create mutants?”

“It’s easy. He wasn’t okay with ruling his secret kingdom that he just had to create something that would make him greater and make him rule the world.”

“In other words, he was greedy?” she nodded. “Who is this horrible man?” “Evander Minos.”

I didn’t think it was possible but my eyes widened even more. “L-Leon’s father?” She nodded then slowly shook her head. “The one and only.”

“Was Leon aware?”

“He knew his father had evil plans and opposed them but he just didn’t think his father ever went through with it. No one did.”

“What was he trying to create?”

“You see, contrary to what they like to believe, the Nemean weregriffins weren’t the strongest griffins out there. There was a stronger, much powerful form they could attain but it became extinct. Evander tried to resurrect it and fuse its powers with humans because it wasn’t compatible with the blood of griffins. It killed most humans he tried it with.”

“Oh my God! Did…did he try to turn you into it?”

“He did and obviously, it worked. It worked on Valparaiso and I but Valparaiso couldn’t handle the excess power. It made him lose his mind and…and Evander had to lock him up until they could figure out a way to stop it or leave him there to die.”

“I’m so sorry and I don’t mean to sound like I’m not happy you’re here but how did you escape?”

“They believed I could be something better by stripping me of who I was and maybe, just maybe, I am better. Far beyond their minds can comprehend. That was how I found a way out.”

I frowned and even though she hadn’t outrightly told me, I knew the answer. “You killed them.”

“They deserved it and they deserve much more. I want to destroy Evander.”

My eyes widened as all the pieces of the puzzle started to connect. “You’re the one who tried to kill Leon and Tobias. You told Avyanna to kidnap me so I could be away from them. It’s you.”

She chuckled and stood up. “You’re not as dumb as I thought.” She began pacing. “I don’t know why you’re helping them. All of them deserve to die. Every single one of them and I will do that starting with Evander’s family. Starting with Leon. Then I will save the best for the last and kill Evander when he has lost everything.”

“You can’t do this. Leon is my best friend.”

“That is why I want you away from him. He deserves pain and everything that they caused Valparaiso and I.”

“I don’t think you’ve thought this through…”

She smirked and stopped to give me a look that caused shivers to run down my spine. “Oh no, I have. I just don’t care about the consequences.” She placed her hands on the bed and locked eyes with me. “I will kill all of them, I will get my revenge, and if you try to stop me, it will be the end of you.”

“You’re threatening me? Your sister? Are you insane?”

“I caused our father to be admitted into the hospital so I could get your attention. Do you really want me to answer that?”

She reminded me of something I’d been wanting to do which was call home to find out how everything was but I’d been so caught up in my own problems. I was a terrible daughter.

“Why are you doing all this? You can’t do this to innocent people.” “None of their kind is innocent.”

“Leon is.”

She laughed, a sound so manic I was worried about her and what they had done to make her this way. “Tell them. I am coming for all the monsters that ever-touched Valparaiso. I am coming for all the ones who twisted his stars into shadows. They turned him into a nightmare so I’m going to be theirs and they will never wake up.”

I smacked my forehead and sighed. “You are going on a vengeance mission and you should stop it before it’s too late. Please, stop trying to fix things that are beyond your powers.”

She gave me a sinister smile. “That is why I made them in my power.” I gave her a soft look while thinking of ways to convince my sister against destroying an entire species. “There are a lot of people I have to check off my hit list so Evander knows I’m not playing. I would love to stay and chat but people need to die.”

I shook my head and frowned. “I hope you never take a breath without remembering the breaths you have taken away.”

“But darling, it’s their karma. It’s just sad I have to be the one delivering it to them.”

“Leon wasn’t a part of this. A lot of them aren’t!” I shouted and she just shrugged. “I get that you must have felt tortured but we have never been vengeful people. What happened to you?”

“You know what I told myself that made me who I am today?” I shook my head. “I said, ‘If I cannot bend heaven., I will make sure I raise hell’ and here I am.”

“You’re not that kind of woman.”

“A woman?” She scoffed. “Oh no, that woman was already killed. Now all that’s left is the monster.”

“You don’t look like a monster to me. You’re still very much human.”

She came closer to me and gave me a smile that was too wicked to be called a smile. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Paris. The really bad monsters never look like monsters.”

I was quiet for a while thinking of ways to convince her since talking wasn’t working but I came up with nothing. “Stephen King said, ‘Monsters are real and ghosts are real too. They live inside us and sometimes they win’. Did you let them win, Havana?”

“Does it matter? I just won’t stop until everyone of them pay for everything Valparaiso and I went through in their hands.”

“Do me a favor. When you leave here, go straight to hell.” “I’ll wait for you there,” she said with a sly wink and a kiss.

“It’s not like you’re not already in hell. I mean, just look at yourself. Do you think this is a good look on you? You disgust me. It’s sickening that we look alike.”

A frown took over her features. “One of these days I’m going to murder you.”

I rolled my eyes knowing that she was just blabbing. She could have killed me a long time ago if she really wanted to. “Well, that’s not at all comforting.”

“I could have you executed whether or not you’re my sister. Just remember that.” “And what then? You’d have a corpse go everywhere with you or give you pep talks?” “Why would I need pep talks?”

“Because that’s what older sisters do!”

She sighed and gave me the first look that didn’t scare me. “You know, I think I know why I’ve always wanted to be like you. Your supposedly dead sister comes to see you and you’re handling it so well and now, I’ve told you everything that I plan to do to people and you don’t want to cut ties with me.”

“Of course. Why would I want to lose the only sister I have? I don’t care if you turn out to be the massive villain in all of this. Whatever you do, you’re still my sister.”

She smiled. Her first real smile. “Good to know because things are going to get pretty ugly from here onwards.”

I returned her smile. “Bring it on!”

“Well, I’ve got to bounce. Timing is key.” “Says the sister who is always late.”

“One time! One time and you’ll never let me forget it.”

“What are big sisters for?” I asked and she made to leave through the door. “You know I’ll fight on Leon’s side, right?”

She sighed and looked at me sadly. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Paris, without so much as a glimpse into the rule book.”

“I don’t care if there are rules or there aren’t. Rules are made to be broken for a reason.”

She bit her lip and said her final words to make me give up and leave her to destroy a world. “You know I’ll win.”

“And you know I won’t go down without a fight.” She shrugged when I said that and she sighed again. “I love you,” she said softly.

I rolled my eyes. “Lying isn’t a good look for you.” “I’m not. Believe me.”

“I’d try to believe you if there is truth in your words but sadly, I know there isn’t.” “Why else would I be here if I didn’t love you?”

“Why would you try to kill my best friend and his family if you loved me?”

“Touché,” she said then gave me a smile that was just as evil as her other smiled. “I will destroy their family, Paris, and this time you won’t be able to play hero. You really should have gotten your abdomen checked before my spell fully had its effects.”

And just like that, she vanished into thin air but somehow, that wasn’t the weirdest thing I’d seen so far.

I kept staring at where she had been standing and it finally settled in my mind that she was going to kill Leon first so I hopped off my bed and tried to find my phone so I could call him. It didn’t take long to find it because Amara had dropped it on the bed side table and luckily for me, it was charged.

When I called Leon, I guess I had forgotten that he still wasn’t talking to me until the call kept going to voicemail. I knew I had to do something fast but I didn’t know what. I decided to visit Leon as soon as I could whether he wanted to see me or not. Luckily, I knew just the person to ask.