Chapter 62 Fair Enough
Killian silently sat at the island in the kitchen, watching Ender make lemonade with an old-fashioned manual lemon squisher.
Ender’s kitchen was a decent size. With wooden exposed beam ceilings and beige walls, the upper and lower cabinets were a mix of light-green and wood, while the countertops were wooden, along with the large kitchen island and padded stools. The cushions on the stools were green and white plaid.
There was a pot rack under the upper cabinets on the right wall. And the wall across from the stove, with the double swinging doors, had a dish display shelf with mostly chicken themed dishes to the left, and a knickknack one to the right.
Along with what most would expect to find in a kitchen, a sink and dishwasher and what not, there were five large ovens and stove tops that matched the cabinets, three single-door white fridges, and two large white freezers.
The appliances looked old-fashioned, but were obviously just modeled that way with updated technology.
They were alone in the rather large kitchen, while everyone else who lived there, which Killian had quickly realized was a horde, was elsewhere or still sleeping, as was Zenny. The only ones he actually knew the location of were Cyrus and Soren, who had gone out to buy clothes.
It was a bit past 9am, and the Gorgon had been exceedingly quiet since waking up…not to mention, a bit awkward, seeming to not want to meet his eyes, or Cyrus’, for that matter.
Killian hesitated for a moment longer, before slowly saying, “Ender, it’s okay.” He cleared his throat. “I get it.”
The man’s hands stopped what they were doing, and Ender was quiet for a few seconds. Sitting the gadget and lemon down, the snake slowly turned around to look at him, his expression blank. “No, no, you don’t.”
Killian smiled. “True, I don’t know what it’s like to have my mind raped.
But I do know what it’s like when people who you are supposed to be able to trust fuck with your head.
The villains in my life just happen to be related to me, and seriously mentally unsound in various other ways.
” He let out a bitter chuckle. “When my father was trying to decide who he was going to forcefully marry me off to, he at one point was considering picking my eldest half-brother, who happened to have just lost his—I’m actually not sure what number spouse they were…
I don’t even know what their name was. I tended to not bother with them unless they tried to approach me themselves.
My brothers’ partners were all pretty brainwashed, so… ”
The Gorgon wrinkled his nose. “And they wonder why y’all have fertility issues.”
“Yeah, the inbreeding definitely didn’t help matters, that’s for sure.
But…that fucked up shit aside, they did try to manipulate me, as they have most of the Siren population that sticks with them.
They tried to keep me away from my mother, who they believed was the main source of my rebellion.
But they failed. I’d sneak in to see her almost every day, anytime I could.
Even when I was younger and more obedient, I found her too fascinating and beautiful to stay away.
“Beautiful yet so very…fragile. Even before I really knew or understood what was going on, I could tell that each child she was forced to birth zapped a bit more of her strength away, yet…my father never stopped.
“My earliest recollection of the moment I started to break free of their brainwashing was when I had the horrible realization that it would eventually kill her. Paired with the knowledge that I was the only one who cared or seemed to see it. My siblings, my father, it was like they had gone numb to it all. They were so used to it being that way, and it was so normalized that it didn’t matter.
“I honestly felt like I was going insane. I couldn’t understand why they’d talk about what she was being put through as if it was beautiful, a fucking honor, when it was killing her. All the while, trying to convince me that I should accept that as my future. I hated them. I still do…
“My mother really is the only one I miss, but then, she was the only one who wanted better for me, and didn’t try to gaslight me into accepting that everything there was normal.
“So, no, I don’t understand losing complete control, but I do understand not having control of the life you are living, the manipulation…not to mention, the betrayal and the hatred that comes with it.”
Ender took a deep breath and slowly let it out. There was a small smile on his face, as he leaned back against the counter behind him and said, “Fair enough.”
“Ender, can I ask you something?”
The Gorgon nodded.
“Does it ever go away? The burning ball of hatred?”
“No,” Ender said without hesitation before chuckling. “Well, not for me, at least it hasn’t. Because every time I think about what he did, or who he took from me, it just comes roaring back.”
“I see…” He wasn’t sure if he should be sad about that. Part of him didn’t want to feel anything at all for the bastards. “If I have to feel anything about them, at least it’s that. They do deserve to be hated.” Killian sighed. “I suppose, the guilt of surviving doesn’t go away either, does it?”
“That it does not,” the Gorgon said, before huffing. “This conversation deserves to be drowned out by something sweet and calorie heavy.”
He laughed. “I’d say so. What you got?”
“Let’s make something.”
His gaze flicked to the bag of lemons on the table, as he chimed, “What about a lemon meringue pie?”
“Well, we do have plenty of lemons, and we should have everything else we need. Is it a favorite of yours?”
“I like it well enough, but I personally prefer chocolate. Cyrus, on the other hand, will fight someone for it.”
Ender snorted. “The question is…why would we make something he likes when he isn’t even here?”
“Because it would be funny if we ate most of it, and only saved, let’s say, a small sliver for him.”
“How generous of us,” the man drawled.
“Right!?” Killian giggled.
Ender chuckled. “Cruel Siren.”
“Mm,” he hummed happily.
“Do we even have time to bake and eat most of it?”
Killian’s smile widened at the question. “Oh, we have plenty of time. Cyrus is a horribly slow shopper. Takes him hours to buy one thing. With how much he needs to get, I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see those two until nightfall.”
Ender’s brow rose at that. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Poor, poor, Toddles,” Ender snickered evilly. “Let’s get baking!”
Cyrus stared at the black ruffled blouse in his hands for a moment, and then slowly put it back, before hesitating and picking it up again. It was Killian’s style, yet…he wasn’t quite sure the Siren would love it.
Soren let out an angry chirp from behind him. “I swear to all that is holy, if you pick it up and put it down one more fucking time, I’m going to—”
“You’ll do what exactly?” He smirked as he glanced back at the Harpy, who currently looked nothing like himself, but still very obviously pissed off, based on his clenched teeth and the tick in his jaw.
The Perm Shadow Shells were genius. They hid the person but were also undetectable.
And if he’d still been in the Bureau, he’d be worrying about how much of an added pain in the ass it would make tracking Cryptid Means’ movements.
As he was not…he was slightly jealous that he hadn’t thought about investing in such an idea first.
“I am never going shopping with you again!” the Cryptid ground out.
As his smirk widened, with an exaggerated sigh, Cyrus mused, “So impatient. It’s a lot to decide, you know. I have to make sure that what I get are things Killian will actually wear.”
“What’s your excuse for shit that is clearly for your own ass?!”
“I have to make sure that the things I pick will be something I will wear more than once as well.” He chuckled.
“You are fucking ridiculous.”
“Yes, well, I’m only about halfway done, so…get comfortable.”
Soren’s voice took on a full southern twang, as thick as Ender’s, as the man squawked out, “Comfortable, how?! By standing?! Wait?! HALFWAY!? How in blue blazes are you only fucking halfway done?! You literally only need underwear and socks!”
With probably a bit too much smugness, he kindly informed the man, “Well, yes, but Killian prefers a variety of pretty, and often silky, things. Also, I wanted to check out a few home décor stores after this.”
“For fuck’s sake, why?!” the Harpy roared, his accent still out in full force.