He snorted and looked away. His eyes narrowed on the city of towers. "Even a straight explanation would not be enough, you would have to see it for yourself."
"See what Kade?" I ground my teeth, following his transfixed gaze, more goddess damn riddles, as if I didn’t just throw him across the room demanding answers.
"He'd kill me if I showed them to you, but perhaps that would be better than this empty life," he muttered more to himself than to me.
Emon's warm hand cupped my shoulder and I glanced at him worriedly, seeing that he was studying my brother with intense scrutiny. Past him Riella sat quietly on the bed, a sad expression on her face.
"If I am following you correctly, your sister…our daughter, they both have God blood and because of that they are awake…so why am I, Kade?"
Kade turned and arched a dark blue brow at him. "How indeed? Anything you'd like to share, shifter king?"
Emon's supportive touch on my shoulder never changed even as a low warning growl vibrated from his chest. "Be very careful with what you are implying,shadow brother."
“Fuck you shifter, I’m not the one that needs to explain my misgivings. It is because of you we are all stuck here in the first place!” Kade sneered.
I snapped, lunging forward without thought, my fist connecting with my brother’s face hard enough my hand broke. Shaking it out, watching Kade stumble with satisfaction, I felt my bones quickly heal. Although the act would have been much easier with the use of my shadows, I had to admit the actual physical punch was a bit exhilarating.
I frowned, except a well aimed punch wasn’t going to take out Deirdre. I needed to find a way to get my powers back and I knew there was only one person that had the answers I needed.
Shea. My bastard of a father.
Emon’s proudful voice broke my thoughts.“I could watch that again one hundred times over and it still would be just as satisfying.”
Kade straightened slowly, sniffing through the bruising on his face, he snarled, “What the fuck Remnant.”
Refusing to feel guilty, I hissed through gritted teeth, "There is onlyoneperson who is responsible for all of this and that is Deirdre. Should you lay such ridiculous blame on my soulmate again, I swear on the goddess it will be more than my fist laying into you Kade.”
Kade's eyes roved over my face with his brows drawn. "You cannot honestly mean that, Rem. I kept a death god from breathing down on you for the past five hours…and even worse, I kept our own mother away. You know how hard that fucking is."
My fists curled again, the anew urge to punch him raging inside of me. "I am not the one acting differently, you are. Evidently a lot has changed and you are no longer the brother I thought you were."
His nostrils flared and his eyes burned. "And who's fucking fault do you think that is Rem? You chose her over us all those years ago and look what it fucking brought us." He waved his hand at the city rising into the stars, "You said you'd always be there Rem Rem, and then I was alone…you weren't there…you haven't been for years."
Feeling his words like a blow, I stepped backward, seeing my brother all those years ago on the balcony of the City of Light, the look of disgust on his face when I told him I vowed to serve the crown, leaving them behind.
He never knew I did it for him, for our mother, the shadow court. I thought I was playing the game correctly and I did…until I didn’t, until I fell in love with Deirdre.
A roar ripped from Emon and he blurred across the room, sending Kade crashing into the glass by his throat. Snarling, Emon’s fangs descended and snapped in Kade’s face. "Too fucking far,shadow brother.Take your hateful anger out on me all you want but never—" Emon slammed him into the glass again, Kade's head whipping backwards with a loud crack, "fucking never at her. Understand me?"
Kade didn't even bother to acknowledge Emon's threat, instead he chuckled, blinking to orient his vision. “I didn’t know Isigned up to be everyone’s punching bag today. No wonder Shea agreed to leave you to my care. The bastard must have known you’d be violent.” His amused eyes settled on me and then widened at the tear that fell down my face.
Kade had never seen me cry. Until Emon, I had never felt safe enough to do so. Looking away, I swiped at my wet face angrily. While meant to be hurtful, Kade's words were true. I had left them, and I had been wrong, so fucking wrong.
“Don’t let him get to you, little umbra. He is angry and confused. Your brother loves you, he just doesn’t know how to express it anymore.”Emon didn’t look back as he spoke, but I felt his love wash over me just the same.
"Fuck, sister." Kade whispered.
I could not bring myself to look at him, more than ashamed I could not hold back my sorrow, realizing all my sacrifices had never truly saved my brother from the cruelty of this world. Instead, I focussed on the wisps fluttering just beyond the glass, bitterness burning at the back of my throat while another tear fell.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" my brother’s voice broke, "please don't cry Rem Rem."
A soft warm hand threaded through my own, Riella's musical voice whispering upwards. "Please don't cry, mother."
Exhaling, I smiled down at her through watery tears and dried my face again. "I am okay, little chickadee,” I said, squeezing her hand reassuringly before turning back to Emon and my brother, with another sigh, the fight inside me dwindling, I signaled to my soulmate to release Kade. “Emon put my brother down, please."
Emon glanced back at me with his head tilted to the side and his lips thinning across his fangs. "Are you sure, little umbra? Personally, I would very much like to see if he can fly like you can…it would be so easy to throw him off that pretty balcony right over there."
I smiled sadly, looking out at the majestical balcony that inserted into the cosmic sky. "The thought does have merit, shifter, but I doubt that would be helpful to our cause."
