Ruin (Rhodes #1) by Rina Kent

                             Aunt smiles, coldness persistent in her features. “Listen carefully, Aaron. Tonight, you and I will save this estate.” She unleashes the shotgun from her shoulders, sits on her favourite white leathered chair, and motions toward the one facing her. “Sit down.”

                             I walk with heavy steps. The icy blackness of Aunt Ariel’s eyes sends a current of pulses in my ear. Where’s Mother? Didn’t she say she would always be there for me?

                             The squeak of the leather breaks the imposing silence.

                             Aunt Ariel leans forward, taking my eyes captive with her relentless ones, her voice monotonic. “Everything is spiralling out of control. Your mother and Alexander are doing their best to turn our heritage into a disgusting happy cliche. Of course, your father and I won’t permit that, will we? Only your father seems to have caught the ‘Eva’ disease. He refuses to kill your mother. No matter how much I tried to convince him. That’s why he allows you around me, I can mould you in any way I like as long as I don’t hurt your snake of a mother.”

                             “Don’t call Mother a snake.” I glare, ignoring her scowl.

                             “Don’t defend her!” Her skin reddens but she soon cools down, her voice soft. “She’s a normal boring human, Aaron. Just like your uncle Alexander and his stupid family. Arthur and I aren’t. You’re like us, dearest nephew. Special.”

                             My mouth dries, but words still roll out from my lips. “How are we special?”

                             Aunt Ariel grins, her dark red lips reveal a perfect set of white teeth. “Unlike them, we have no weaknesses. Little emotions don’t get in our way. When they do, we crush them.” Her grin gets impossibly wide like a Cheshire cat’s. “We’re a powerful, beautiful chaos.” Her features morph back into neutral, ice in the depth of her gaze. “I thought hard about how to ensure the continuation of our line. How can I remind Arthur of who he is? How do I subjugate both Alexander and Eva into an unredeemable loss? How can I do all that and trigger you to transform into what you truly are?” She pauses, a small smile escaping her. “It seems that a sacrifice needs to be made.” Aunt clutches the shotgun with both her small hands. “I look forward to seeing our future through your eyes, Aaron.”

                             It happens in a slow motion but still feels all too fast. Aunt aims the hole of the shotgun under her chin. A loud bang echoes in the otherwise silent night, deafening me. Blood splatters on the white chair and onto me. The warmth of it is soothing. It’s nothing like Victoria’s. This blood is filthy. Fragments of tiny bones swim inside it. A rosy organ’s pieces mingle with it. Strands of black hair are tinted red. The place where Aunt’s head used to be looks like the red chaotic painting in Father’s office.

                             It’s a masterpiece.

                             Someone is clutching my shoulders. Crying my name. Trying to steal my attention from the beauty Aunt Ariel left behind.

                             Two arms crush me in their hold, bruising me with lavender. Mother. She smells like spring, flowers, and horses. A warmth that came too late. I don’t want it anymore.

                             I’m dragged away from the room. My limbs don’t move as I’m snatched from winter’s coldness and thrown into spring’s embrace.

                             I want to go back.

                             No, I have to go.

                             ‘Don’t worry, Aaron. I’ll always be with you.’

                             Frost seeps into my chest, freezing it to stone. I look over Mother’s shoulder to where my headless Aunt sits. I frown when she doesn’t move.