Sorcerer Stabber Orphen Fan Fiction ❯ It's in the Blood ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own any of the characters in SSO.

This is set after Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Revenge. This is based off the Anime only and the English ADV versions at that. Warning Spoilers!

Chapter 8*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cleo showed up at the inn to talk to Hartia and Majic. She asked them to help her find something on Agan to persuade Mariabella not to marry him. She said Agan was evil. When he heard her voice, Orphen entered the common room. After Hartia's words at the lake and Majic's words yesterday, he wanted to ask her about the bruises, but when he got close enough to understand what she was asking them to do, his anger flared again. `Majic, you and Hartia almost had me convinced something was really wrong, that maybe I'd misunderstood her, and instead, she just manipulated you both.'

"Cleo, this act is getting old. Get over it."

"What?" She jumped and turned to Orphen.

"I said get over it. Just because your sister wants to be a normal woman, marry, and have a family you should be happy for her, not trying to make her life hell because you don't like the guy."

"I do want her to be happy; I'm trying to protect her. He's evil. I can sense it." Right after she said that she blanched, she hadn't meant to say that but it was how she felt when she first met him. She was sure that the buzz meant something. The last time she felt anything similar, more intense actually, was back on the road home. She knew as soon as it slipped out that she shouldn't have mentioned that to Orphen, Majic or Hartia.

"Sense it. That's rich. How could you with no shred of common sense, sense anything!?"

Majic interjected, "Cleo, I know you feel strongly about this, but could you be misjudging him?"

"No, I know I'm not misjudging him."

Continuing the interrogation Hartia asked, "Why? Why, are you certain?"

"I am. I … don't want to go into why."

"You've been making stuff up for attention ever since we got back this time. I can't believe you would continue to try to lie to us. When did you become a liar?"

"Is that what you really think of me, Orphen? …I haven't been lying. Hartia…help…" Cleo froze staring over Orphen's shoulder, where Agan had appeared in the window, she moved both arms to cover her stomach. She paled and started visibly shaking.

Seeing that, Orphen thought, `Good act Cleo, I didn't know you had it in you.'

"Orphen, I know a little…."

"Just stop it! Both of you! Cleo, I can't believe it you're doing this to your own sister."

Now looking directly at Orphen, Cleo's eyes started to tear up but there was a resolve there to get him to listen "I love my sister. I want her to be happy. I wish I didn't feel this way about him, but something's not right and he threat…"

"STOP IT! Just stop the lies!" Orphen turned away from her, shutting her out. She turned to run out.

Majic stopped her, "Cleo, what were you about to say"

Spent, she said, "What's the point, he won't believe me."

"Then try harder. I believe you." Added Hartia.

Orphen pushed Hartia down and said, "I told you before, stay out of this Hartia! You didn't see her fake a fall just to make Agan look bad" To Cleo, "Whether anyone believed you, or even cared, has never stopped you before."

Cleo, furious now, shouted," You'll regret that someday when I'm dead and buried, you idiot." and then stomped out muttering

After Cleo left Majic said, "Master, that wasn't nice. She seemed really worried about her sister now. Wasn't she really excited when she first heard about the wedding?"

"Then, it was just an excuse to go shopping. Now, reality has set in and she's no longer the center of attention, Mariabella is."

"Besides, we all know what a liar she is." added Hartia sarcastically.

Majic gave Hartia an odd look but continued to address Orphen. "I guess you're right, but before you made her mad she looked out window and she almost looked…. well…. frightened."

Hartia in a quiet voice, said, "I'd use the word terrified."

Orphen thought, `was it really an act? What if? Oh No…she can't act. What's going on Cleo? What kind of trouble are you about to get me into?'

"I'm going for a walk." and Orphen left the room.

Majic thought, `Good, I'm glad you're going to go check on her. Something's not right.'

Hartia stepped out after Orphen and called; "Do I need to follow her or are you going to take care of your partner?"

Orphen growled, "I said stay out of this, so stay here."

"I'm serious. If you're not going after her, I will. I told you, I know something and it's not a pretty picture, but you won't listen to us. If she's hurt more, I'm coming after you."

`More?' Orphen continued walking and then he started running. Hartia saw Orphen start to run and sighed with relief.

Cleo arrived back at her mansion still fuming and mumbling general Orphen curses. Her mother opened the door for her since she didn't think to bring a key.

"Everything alright dear?"

Muttering "Stupid, blind, deaf, dumb sorcerer…. Yeah Mom, everything's fine. I'm going to bed."

Mrs. Everlasting looked out the door as her daughter exited the kitchen and as she expected Orphen was running up. She smiled slightly, remembering her own courtship of her hothead. Cleo was so like her father it was uncanny.

Still muttering, Cleo almost reached the top step, when she saw Volcan grinning evilly at the top of the stairs and Dortin hiding in his shadow. Dortin mouthed, "RUN!"

Then she saw, hidden in the shadows. Agan was also waiting. When he thought the coast was clear, Agan came out of the shadows and backhanded Cleo, causing her to fall backwards over the railing

As she started to black out from the force of the blow, Cleo thought she heard Dortin and another voice scream "No!" Her last sensation as everything went black was that she was falling.