Twisted and Severed: A Questionable Love Story

By: Saranya S. Guttikonda

Disclaimer:I do not own Lily Redfern. Jade Redfern, Hunter Redfern, Ash Redfern, Mary-Lynette Carter, Raksha Keller, Galen Drache, Raksha Keller, Iliana Harman, Nyssa, Winnie, Jezebel Redfern, Morgead Blackthorn, or Grandma Harman

This is a story of love featuring many new and old characters, but it includes a small twist:

· Rose Axelwood

· Ariana Blackthorn

· Aspen Redfern

· Lily Redfern

· Jasper Redfern

· Hunter Redfern

· Rose Redfern

· Jade Redfern

· Ash Redfern

· Mary-Lynette Carter

· Rika Nikorofov

· Victor Nikorofov

· Marie Rivera

· Tasha Rivera

· Benjamin Rivera

· Travis Rivera

· Simon Rivera

· Raksha Keller

· Galen Drache

· Iliana Harman

· Nyssa

· Winnie

· Jezebel Redfern

· Morgead Blackthorn

· Grandma Harman

· Lots of other people

Summary

Rose Axlewood is a creature from the Night World who is adopted by a mortal family at the age of nine due to some...issues. She desperately tries to hide the fact that she is a Night Worlder, but the efforts are in vain when Lily, Jasper, and Aspen Redfern come along. They say that the final wild power is in the town, and Rose is determined to stop them. The fact that Lily was the one who killed her mother ten years ago was what motivated her. But all of that is pretty hard to do when she finds out Aspen Redfern is her soulmate. Aspen, Ash Redfern's brother, was banished from the Redfern family years ago after an unfortunate accident, but finding this wild power may be his ticket to being welcomed. Rose also finds out something shocking- not all her family is dead. She finds out a certain vampire from Circle Daybreak is her younger brother. In a series of events, the silver cord binding Rose and Aspen starts too severe and unwind...quite literally. Something that is believed to be impossible is occurring. Two soulmates are separating. Unless some miracle occurs, this silver cord may snap...permanently. It is up to Rose and Aspen whether or not they will work together and twist the cord back together. And when the fourth wild power is finally found, a great amount of problems begin to arise. Aspen must decide what he wants between many things enticing, and family may not be exactly what Rose was yearning for.

Chapter 1

Rose's Point of View

"Run" her mother screamed, "save yourself, Onyx!" And so Rose did. She had to use her vampire power. It was the only way she could escape from the mean woman with tar-black hair and disgusting yellow eyes.

"No!" shrieked the mean woman, or "that evil Lily Redfern" as mommy always called her, "Don't let the freak get away! Kill her! She is a disgrace to us lamia!" Three scary-looking vampires chased after Rose, and she ran. She had to use her vampire powers, as it was the only way to outrun the scary men who were yelling after her. As she did so, her eyes filled with tears. She didn't like being called a disgrace. Mommy had always called her "special" or "my little Onyx", despite her real name. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something whiz by her face and a sharp sting of pain on her cheek. At that point, she screamed and continued running without stopping to think. But it was no use. She could feel her energy draining and the three scary men the mean woman had sent after her were catching up. Then she tripped over a tree root and it sent her flying to the ground. She had no choice but to try and untangle herself from the weeds she had fallen in and look up, wide eyed at the three scary men who were now leering over her with menacing sneers on their terribly handsome faces.

Rose Axlewood awoke, screaming, again for the fourth time that week. She was breaking out in a cold sweat from head to toe and every inch of her creamy pale skin was bathed in sweat. She was panting, as she tried to erase all the horrible memories of when she was seven. It's over know. It's been ten years. I'm safe. Don't worry. Yet worrying was the only thing she could do. After that terrible day when her mother had been killed because of her, she had been on the run for several months. Twice, she had encounters with ghouls but she managed to escape each time, using her abilities. It wasn't something she enjoyed doing.

She had vowed to never even think about her past after that event, but it didn't work out. Ever since the night mares started up again, she had found herself dreaming about the past that was lost to her. She was always dreaming about how, when she was born, her eyes were onyx black, but within hours had turned stark white. The next day, they were still white, but not completely. They had small flecks of silver, gold, purple, green, and blue, much like an opal. Just the thought of that particular gem stone mad her seize up. She had to try hard never to think about it again. It could be dangerous if a person from the Night World was around. Anyway, her mother still resorted on calling her Onyx. Her eyes always made her look Gothic, especially when put together with her jet black hair. But it wasn't an ugly, tar black like Lily Redfern's, but a healthy, shiny black. It was still straight though. For some reason, every feature she had in common with Lily Redfern was painful. Then there were the streaks. The streaks of white that began appearing in her hair when she was around two years old. But they were not old woman-white streaks, but much more...grand, or exquisite. They were all about one inch in width and for some reason looked like they belonged in her hair. They weren't even platinum blonde, but white. They were just as shiny as the rest of her hair, too. She also had perfect features, but that was expected because she was, as she liked to call herself, a vampire.

Then there was another uncanny thing that had happened the day her mother was killed. She shivered, remembering the memory flawless as a….well, flawless as a vampire.

Running, running, and running. That was all Rose was doing. But she didn't know why. Mommy had just been looking out the window and gasped. Rose, who had been next to her, looked and saw four people, trying to kick down the heavy, wooden door. One was a pretty women with long, dark hair. Mommy immediately grabbed Rose and jumped out the window with her. Being a vampire, it was easy.

"Mommy, what's happening?" she asked.

"Hush, now." was her reply. She began stroking Rose's hair and began to run. The look in mommy's eyes caused Rose to be silent, as they were commanding and…fearful. Mommy had been running at top speed for several minutes before she stopped and put Rose down. She wasn't panting.

"Look here, honey" she said, her tone soothing, "You saw those horrible people trying to break our house didn't you?"

"Yes. But why were they trying to do that? It's not nice." They lived in a cozy, three-story house in the middle of a forest, known in the olden days as the "Forest of Bones". Mommy had always told her the name had nothing to do with the forest. It was a pleasant area, with many ponds, creeks, and even a river that ran through the middle of it. It had a variety of bugs, animals, and birds, all of to which Rose showed a great amount interest in exploring.

"I know, darling, but you have to run, OK? Without me. And you can never tell anyone your real name. That mean woman's name is Lily Redfern, OK? No matter what happens, stay away from her. And any other people with the last name of Redfern. Or Blackthorn. Do you hear me, Onyx?" Rose nodded.

"But why? Why can't you come with me? I'll be lonely. And why do I have to stay away from these people?" Rose frowned. Nothing was making sense.

"You won't be lonely for long. I'll come and meet you outside the forest in a little while, OK?" She ignored her other question.

"Really?"

"I promise." Those were the last words her mother, Adriana Blackthorn, had ever said to her. Because at that moment, the mean woman burst into the clearing with three other mean men. And she had ran. She leapt across the rampaging river and ran, with the three scary vampires close on her heels. When she tripped, the scary men did not even get to touch her, because of the light. It was a pretty, bright blue blast of fire coming from near the river where mommy and the mean woman were. Immediately, the men turned around and ran back. Rose knew why because she had intercepted the message Lily Redfern had sent them: Help me!

After Rose made it out of the forest, she waited and waited for mommy, but she never came. She tried giving mommy a mental message but she never came. She was found by someone on there evening jog while crying and yelling for mommy. The police came and took her to an orphanage, but she kept insisting that her mommy was in the forest so the police sent out a search party. They found nothing but a "weird doll" as the officer had told Rose. When the police officer showed her the doll, she burst into tears because it was mommy. It was mommy, but uglier. Her beautiful skin was burnt looking and leathery, and her hair had fallen out in chunks, so she had only tufts of shoulder-length blond hair. Her mommy's hazel eyes were gone, and in their place were glassy looking orbs that were an ugly shade of chartreuse. When she told the officer the doll was her mommy, he had her sent to a psychiatrist and put her in an orphanage.

Aspen's point of view

His sister's face haunted him. Aspen just couldn't stop seeing the beautiful, mesmerizing face of Rose Redfern that was permanently etched into his 93-year-old memory. No matter how hard he tried to forget her bright red hair and ever color-changing eyes, which greatly resembled those of Aspen and Ash's, he just couldn't. Not after what he had done to her. After he had been banished from the Redfern family because of it. It was that terrible mistake he made 21 years ago that had decided what his fate was today. He failed to forget the anger, pain, and, most strikingly, the hatred in Ash's eyes when it happened and how badly Jade was sobbing and screaming. Why did he have to be so curious? So nosy? And most of all, why did he have such a bad temper? It wouldn't have hurt if he had talked with Ash in the first place and sorted things out, and maybe even calmed down. Why did he have to take action so quickly?

So many "whys" had riddled his childhood when he was growing up on the island. Why were humans despised? Why couldn't we be friends with them? Why are we, the Redferns, us, given the most respect out of all lamia families? What did we do? Why wasn't he allowed to venture of the island until he was 15? Why was Uncle Hunter such and important man? Why didn't Rowan, Kestrel, Jade, or Rose get to leave the island? Why so many asked questions were never answered? And the list basically just went on and on and on.

Out of everything that had happened that day, he had hated how Ash had pinned everything on him. It wasn't exactly his fault that the fight had started. If only Ash had arrived at the scene one minute earlier. If Rose hadn't called him a freak, or maybe if Jade hadn't seen him leaving... Yes. It definitely wasn't his fault. You're doing it again. His inner voice popped up. You know it was your fault. You could have been less reckless. You could have controlled your temper.

He sighed. And to add on to the guilt and pain of what happened to Rose because of him, there were the nightmares. The nightmares were the worst. That's why he was in bed, but too scared to go to sleep because of them. This was usually how they went: He was in some beautiful place that was composed of nothing but some silvery substance that he was standing on. Then Rose would materialize a few feet in front of him, alluring as ever. It normally took a few seconds for her face to contort in anger, and then she would begin to scream him. Aspen tried to say something but the words were stuck in his throat.

"You killed me!" she shrieked, and, before Aspen could utter another word, "It's all your fault I'm dead, you half-wit! You really are a freak! An obnoxious, nosy, freak!" Then she would float away and start to disappear. Only after she was gone completely was Aspen able to yell the words that were stuck in his throat.

"No! I'm sorry, it was an accident! Rose, come back!" But it was too late.

Then, the silvery heaven he was in changed into the Forest of Bones that he was in the day he killed Rose. He was holding the black wooden stake he always kept with him and Rose was leaning on a tree for support. The huge, ugly gash his stake had caused on her side wasn't completely healed. Looking into her eyes, Aspen saw they were changing rapidly from black to red with fear, anger, and hatred.

"You freak!" Rose spat, "You're a spy! You're a nosy, spying freak!" Well, that got his temper activated. Letting loose a howl of rage, he let the stake fly, and it pierced Rose's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, including onto Aspen's arm and the tree she was leaning on. Her body fell into the raging river they were next to just as it began to shrivel up and transform into a leathery bag full of bones. Ash, dragging Jade along, burst into the clearing they were in just in time to see what had happened. What occurred next was not in Aspen's dream, as this was normally the part when he would wake up screaming in his luxurious apartment. Then Henry, the doorman, would knock on his door to make sure everything was OK, and Aspen would have to wipe his memory. Soon after he had killed Rose, Aspen had been banished from the Redfern family. But there was still hope. He could see in Hunter's eyes that he was exiling him reluctantly. He had always known that he, even more than Ash, had been Hunter's and Lily's favorites. Only not Rose. Rose had been different. She would always question the unquestionable and think the unthinkable. She would come straight to the point and ask Hunter why humans were so bad and why she couldn't be friends with them. She also insisted on leaving the Island (which only males, excluding Lily and mother were allowed to do). Ash had always been there to take her along, as they had a very strong relationship. Hunter and Lily never approved of her, and, if you asked Aspen, they seemed relieved when news of Rose's death reached them. As to prove this, Lily came running up to him with a message when he was leaving the island. He smiled to himself, as he remembered the memory clear as crystal.

Aspen felt like crying but didn't. Though he wasn't a true Redfern anymore, he was still a man. He felt angry as the breeze of his home island batted against him, away from the coast of the land, back to the center, where he lived. It was hard to leave a place he had called home for 70 years. He looked forward to see the coast of the island and the small boat that was to take him away, and never bring him back. If he did come back, he would be executed. He dropped his suitcase. How could he do this? It was too hard. He'd rather kill himself than have to leave behind everyone he felt close to.

"Wait!" came a woman's voice, "Aspen, hold up!" He whirled around to see the familiar figure of someone running up to him. After spotting the pin-straight black hair and expensive clothes, he realized it was Lily.

"Thank goodness you stopped!" Lily exclaimed, beaming, "I thought you were already off the island!"

"What is it?" he asked, irritated. How could she be so happy in a situation like this?

"Now, now, nobody likes a Grinch, Aspen." Lily cooed. Oh, he was annoyed.

"What do you want?"

"Exactly what you want. I want you to be part of the family again. Hunter doesn't want you banished, and neither do I. So we've come up with a deal. If you work with us, you'll become a Redfern again." Aspen could only stand there with his jaw hanging down like an idiot. He was too shocked to say anything.

"As you know" Lily continued, without waiting for his reply, "your Grandmother Mauve was gifted in the field of predicting the future." Aspen nodded. Since Mauve was a witch and did not possess immortality, she was dead.

"Mauve found a prophecy, you see, and this is how it goes:

In blue fire, the final darkness is banished

In blood, the final price is paid

Four to stand between the light and the shadow

Four of blue fire, power in their blood

Three born in the year of the Blind Maiden's vision

One born before in the Night's isolation

Four less one and darkness triumphs:

One from the land of kings long forgotten;

One from the hearth which still holds the spark;

One from the Day World where two eyes are watching;

One from a division of darkness to be one with the light

After she had finished, Aspen found his voice.

"But-but how? Who are the people mentioned in the prophecy? How are you going to find them? What does the prophecy mean?"

"That" Lily said, "Is exactly what father and I are trying to figure out. When Mauve told us of this prophecy, she said it wouldn't be taking place for a few centuries."

"So it's taking place now?"

"No, but it soon will in 2-3 more centuries. Until then, you are to wait. I hope you have fun." And she turned to leave.

"Wait!" he yelled, "What do I have to help you do?" She blinked at him.

"Child, you are to help us find the four mentioned in this prophecy. Apparently, these four are to help save the humans and end the Apocalypse."

"And…we don't want this to happen?"

"No. We want to enslave the humans and become the rulers of the world like we were before."

"Right. But why do you need my help? Why not Ash or someone else?"

"Because Mauve sensed something…unearthly about Ash. She sensed something significant about you so Hunter wants you to help us." Before he could ask another question, she had turned around and was already half way back to the great manor where Aspen used to live.

"See you in a few hundred years!" was what she called back. Aspen picked up his suitcase and began walking toward the boat near the coast of the island, feeling a great deal giddier than before.

To this day, Aspen was still waiting for Lily.