Life is a beautiful thing.

Especially when you see it disappear in someone's eyes.

The feeling is indescribable.

It brings me joy, like a little child at Christmas. I have to stop myself from jumping in place with happiness and joy.

"Mhmm, hmmm." I hummed one of my favorite songs while I painted.

With a dagger.

And my canvas was a woman's body. Dead for a few minutes. Or maybe hours. I don't know, I've been losing track of time lately.

I dragged the sharp side along her chest, asking for more blood, of which there was already more than enough on the table.

"Ugh." I placed the dagger on the metal table, the sound of which echoed throughout the room. I stood up and walked a few meters further to a chair on which was a mobile that kept ringing. It was annoying.

It was a little harder to pick up the call because of the blood on my fingers.

"What?" I finally succeeded and asked the person on the other end, visibly annoyed.

"Where have you been?" A woman's voice spoke up.

"Playing." I leaned against the cold wall and looked at the body on the table. It is losing its beautiful color every second.

"Of course." She snorted. "Where are you?"

"Still New York." I tried to push my hair away from my face, but accidentally smeared blood on it. Shit.

I rubbed my face with my other hand, but it probably only made it worse.

Awesome.

"Did you at least find something?" She sounded impatient.

"A few things, but nothing that interests you." I shrugged my shoulders. "I ran into a few problems, but it won't be long before I take care of them."

"What problems?" She asked, all too quickly.

Today started really positively. It was one of the better ones. I caused an accident, kidnapped a woman and almost killed her. I was so close, but then the man appeared there.

He was tall. He had a good body and a beautiful face.

Blood on that face would look spectacular.

His eyes were dark, the opposite of my bright ones. But when he saw me, something changed in them. As if he had softened.

And then the name came. Lyssa.

That woman also called me that. I didn't make any of it.

I almost killed the dark eye, but more and more people were walking through that door. Another woman, this time blonde. She looked familiar but I got out of there before we could have a girl talk.

"Nothing I can't handle." I pushed myself away from the wall and walked to the table. "But I have one question. Who is Lyssa?"

Silence. It looks like she swallowed her tongue.

"Hello?" After a while I spoke. "Still there?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Now what? Who is Lyssa or are you there?" I tried to make a joke, but she didn't appreciate it enough.

"Change of plan, get out of New York, now. Also time for the monthly check up."

"What?" I frowned. "Why?"

"That's an order." She ordered before hanging up.

"Bitch." I snorted and put my phone in front of me.

So I didn't get my answer, but got another order like a dog.

Do that, Eris. Go there, Eris. Do you want a treat, Eris?

Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.

They bark orders and I'm supposed to follow them like a dog with its tail between its legs.

I don't like it. On the contrary, I hate it.

But the way she behaved was strange.

She usually answers everything I ask. But not today.

Who is Lyssa and why have two people already called me that?

I don't like unanswered questions.

And when I have them, I find the answer. Even if I go against orders.

After all, who doesn't like a bit of rebellion?



"The answer is yes. I forgive you." I said without looking up from the papers I was signing.

"You forgive me?" Luna snorted and walked closer to me.

"For the nonsense you said yesterday. I forgive you and we won't go back to it again. I blame that bottle you had in your hand." I looked up at her and smiled.

"Okay, maybe I said a few things yesterday that I shouldn't have, but we both know I was right."

My smile dropped. "Luna, you're going to suggest we get rid of her one more time and I won't care who you are when I put a bullet in your head." I said seriously.

"Fine."

"So I accept your apology and we can move on. How about we start finding Lyssa?" I put the pen I was holding on the desk and leaned back in my chair.

"It'll be a little easier now that we know she's the one doing the killing. I know her. I mean I did."

"So what now?"

"We'll find her, ask questions and see her from there. But it would probably be best if Lucy left. If she sees her..."

"It's going to complicate everything." I finished for her. "I'll talk to her later, get her out of here until we know what happened to Lyssa."

"I still have my apartment in the city. Just in case. She can stay there and..."

"That won't be necessary." I interrupted her. "I have a place for her to stay. And with better protection. I'll send Kai and Mattias with her, plus a couple of his guys."

"Is it far from here?"

"Enough. She'll be safe there."

Far away, but close enough if she needed me.

It was a project of mine that I didn't plan to finish, but I'm glad I changed my mind.

"That's good." She nodded. "When you tell her, tell me so I can say goodbye. In the meantime, I'll go find something about...you know who." She turned on the spot and started walking away from my office.

I didn't forget to dwell on the fact that she didn't say her name.

You know who? It's Lyssa. Her name is Lyssa.

*****

"Lucy?" I peeked into the living room.

"Dad! Look what I drew!" She ran to me with a paper in her hand.

She handed it to me and I smiled at her drawing of Odin. "It's beautiful, princess." I bent down and placed a kiss on her hair. "Give us a second, Mattias." I nodded at him.

"Of course." He walked past us without another word and left us alone.

"Let's sit down."

"Are we going to watch a movie together?" She climbed onto the couch.

"Not now, Lucy. Sorry." I sat down next to her. "How about a trip?"

"Yes!" She screamed. "Where will we go?"

"Not us, Lucy. Only you." I said cautiously as I saw her smile fall.

"But what about you?" She frowned.

"I have some work to do, but don't worry, Uncle Kai will come with you. And so will Mattias."

"For how long?" She looked at me sadly, which broke my heart.

For the last year, I have hardly moved from her. I got used to seeing her every day and spending time with her.

"I don't know yet, princess." I ran my hand over her cheek. "But I promise that it will be amazing even if I'm not there."

"Okay." She exhaled heavily and stood up on the couch so she could wrap her arms around my neck.

"We will call each other often." I hugged her tightly.

"You promise?" She pulled away.

"Pinky promise." I raised my hand between us and folded my hand into a fist, except for my little finger.

Lucy did the same, entwining it with mine before wrapping her arms around my neck again and hugging me again.

This is going to be harder than I expected.

*****

Lucy left later that day.

It was hard to send her away, but I had to do it. I sent as many security guards as I could with her so I could sleep normally at night. But I'm not sure I will be able to anyway.

"Don't worry, she'll be back." I petted Odin as he whimpered at the door to her room before I locked it.

"And I thought I was the one with a slight concussion. Meanwhile, here you are talking to the dog." I heard Nyx behind me.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" I turned to her.

"My whole body hurts from lying there. I need to do something. Tell me something that needs to be done."

"That's the opposite of what you should be doing. Go lie down." I started walking away from her.

"I'm okay." She followed me. "And you need me. We have to go get Lyssa."

"What don't you understand about the words 'go lie down'?" I frowned as I walked towards the office.

"Just give me something to do or I'll go crazy."

"Then go to Luna and ask if she needs help. Theo isn't coming until tomorrow, so right now she's looking for a way to find Lyssa."

"Why does it seem like you just want to get rid of me?" Because that's what I'm trying to do? "Give me a normal job."

"Look, Nyx." I stopped in front of the office. "You won't do anything until you're at full strength. So go back to your room and lie down. End of discussion."

"Has anyone told you that you're a lot of fun?" She snorted and started walking away.

I exhaled heavily before turning and walking into the study.

That's a lot for today. I need a moment of peace.

I closed the door behind me, preventing any light from entering the room.

I just stood by the door for a while, in complete darkness.

But that only lasted a moment, as my table lamp lit up behind me.

What the hell?

"Trouble in Paradise?" I heard a woman's voice behind me.

I immediately turned to see Lyssa in my chair. Her legs were spread out on the table while she had a dagger in her hand that she was playing with.

I could see more of her face since she had no hood. Her hair was a bit shorter, but otherwise she hadn't really changed.

Well, except for the eyes, which look the same, but aren't.

"Lyssa." Her name slipped out of my mouth.

"Eris, actually. But don't worry, a lot of guys are getting women's names wrong. You're not alone in that. I'll get straight to the point because I have other things to do." She took her legs off the table and leaned her elbows on it's side. "I'll take the bitchy one and the blonde one and disappear. You'll have peace from them, and from me. It's a good deal. Take it."

"Where have you been?" I looked at her in disbelief.

Eleven months. For eleven months I dreamed of seeing her again. And now she is in front of me.

"What are you talking about?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I thought you died. We all did."

"I died? Obviously not as I'm sitting here, but okay. I thought I was the crazy one, but I feel like you're getting ahead of me."

"How did you get out of there? That building blew up."

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about and I'm getting bored with this conversation." She moved away from the table and stood up. "I want those two women, and I'm going to get them. It's up to you if someone dies in the process. Don't stand in my way. The first and last warning you'll get. I'll come get them tomorrow. You have time to say goodbye, I don't often do that. Actually never. Take that chance." She took a few steps back to the open window.

"How can you not know who I am or Luna? You don't remember anything?"

"You should get checked out." She reached for the window frame.

"Lukas!" I yelled and Lyssa stopped.

"What?" She turned to me with a confused expression.

"Lukas is your brother. Do you remember this?" I sounded desperate. "It was his." I pointed to the bandana on my wrist.

She looked at my hand as if she knew it. She slowly moved away from the window and started walking towards me.

"You wore it." I said when she was close enough to me to touch her.

"Lukas." She whispered and touched the fabric.

"Yes, Lukas. Your brother." She looked up at me.

"My brother." She repeated.

"Yes." I smiled. She remembers. "I missed you Lyssa. I put my hand on her cheek. "I missed you so fucking much." She was looking at every part of my face.

"Idiot." She pushed me away, grabbed my arm and turned me so that my back was turned to her. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. "I don't know who you think I am, but you're wrong. I'm not Lyssa, whoever she is. Don't get in my way. I'll come get them tomorrow." She kicked me to the ground until my face hit the hard floor. "Pathetic." She snorted before running to the window and jumping out of it.

What just happened?

*****

Eris just sat you on your ass, that's what happened Killy.

Hope you enjoyed. <3