Dazed by you

The Flower of Life

After Rain left the garage, Phayu collapsed onto the bed. He had to sort his thoughts.

What just happened?

He clutched his chest where Rain's hand rested a while ago and closed his eyes to recap the situation. His brow furrowed as he recalled the moment. He had never felt this feeling of deep connection. His aura had never voluntarily transferred to another one, much less connected to the person opposite.

"I need to clear my head," he said to himself.

Phayu decided to take a quick shower to clear his mind. As he walked to the bathroom, he pulled the white tank top over his head and threw it into the laundry basket in front of it, but suddenly froze as he looked into the bathroom mirror.

"What is that?!"

Phayu supported himself with one hand on the bathroom sink and with the other he stroked his bare chest, which wasn't so bare anymore because there was a black tattoo of 19 uniform circles. He rubbed his chest as if that would rid his body of the black ink. Perplexed, he kept looking back and forth between the reflection and his chest.

He made a quick decision and hurried out of the bathroom, grabbed a fresh shirt and dialed his twin's number while descending the stairs two at a time.

"Saifah? I have to talk to you. Can you be at our house in 20 minutes?"

Phayu paced his living room impatiently, looking like a tiger on the prowl. He was home within 15 minutes. The day's events had confused him and he needed answers, immediately, and he hoped his brother could provide him with those answers because Saifah was closer to vampirism than he was. He tried to put as much distance between himself and other vampires as possible since they were mostly trouble and he liked to stay away from them.

He could smell Saifah even before he got to the front door. Although they were twins, their scents differed from each other. Phayu smelled like sweet flowers and Saifah more like freshly mown grass. In the blink of an eye, Phayu was in front of the door and opened it for his brother. Phayu didn't hesitate for a second and didn't even think about greeting his brother.

"What's that?!"

Phayu lifted his shirt and revealed his newly acquired tattoo and looked at his brother desperately.

"And hello to you. Well my big brother, you've been marked. And whoever is the cause for it wears the same symbol as you."

Saifah grinned gleefully at him.

"For never wanting to commit, that's exactly what happened. How ironic," he added.

Saifah couldn't suppress a devilish laugh.

Phayu looked at his chest in shock and then back at his brother.

"What do you mean 'marked'?" Phayu asked, still no wiser, but now with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"You wear the Flower of Life on your chest, which stands for harmony, protection and strength in our inner circles. It will provide you with more energy and strength when the time comes, for example when your partner is in danger."

Phayu listened spellbound to his brother, a large furrow forming on his forehead cause everything was still too confusing.

"Can you please be a little more specific?" Phayu demanded.

"Oh boy. You should have paid more attention when mom and dad told us everything about vampirism."

Phayu rolled his eyes at Saifah's comment, who chuckled in response, cause he knew he hit a sore spot.