CHAPTER 34 #3
“He wouldn’t hurt me. If you didn’t think I could handle myself, you wouldn’t have left me alone with him.” I take a step closer to him, inches away from his chest as I stare into his damn eyes. “You don’t know your brother well enough.”
“Half brother.” He leans closer. “What the hell happened in the Vitaei last night?”
“Nothing,” I hiss, feeling the fire run through my vines. “Drop it.”
“Damn it, Serene, you need to—”
“She said drop it, brother,” Koen growls, his grip tightening dangerously on the dagger pressed against his waist.
Florian throws his head back, releasing a sharp, sarcastic laugh filled with frustration. “Of course you'd interfere.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Koen demands, lunging aggressively forward, eyes blazing.
Florian mirrors the movement, stepping closer towards him. “You always try to play the hero, but there's not a shred of goodness in you! She needs to see that!”
“I can think for myself,” I blurt out, chest heaving as I stare at the two of them scream at one another in the Pyre.
No more bloodshed. Not here.
“This is between my brother and I,” Florian snarls, raising his hand abruptly, signaling me to stop talking.
My eyes narrow, head tilting in disbelief at his audacity.
“Excuse me?” I snarl back, rage burning at my fingertips.
“Ah shit, I used to be the one to piss her off all the time.” Koen’s lips tug into a sly grin. “I suppose now it's your turn.” His brow lifts, crossing his broad arms and making the daggers shift against his ribs. “Seems like you aren’t the better brother after all.”
In a matter of seconds, Florian launches a punch, but it barely causes Koen to stumble backward. Koen scoffs, wiping the trickle of blood from his cracked lips.
“You’re going to regret that.” Koen rubs his bloody lip, cracking his neck deliberately.
“Actually, I’ve been wanting to do that for centuries.” Florian takes his golden hair, pulling it up into a high bun. “Felt pretty damn good.”
“Stop this!” I hiss, stepping forward.
However, Koen lunges at Florian, tackling him to the ground with force. They grunt at the impact. The dry, white dust swirls into the air as they wrestle fiercely, each delivering blows to the other's face with pure rage.
I roll my eyes, catching sight of Kaine’s brow raising, and I know exactly what he is thinking.
“Stop,” I mouth out to him as he lifts his hands, cackling at the sight that is unfolding before us.
“Of course you’d have them fighting over you.” A woman's voice suddenly pierces the air, startling me. The sound of boots crunching against the gritty dirt follows Lykia as she strides up beside me, dressed in battle gear similar to ours.
My brows knit together as I cross my arms over my chest defensively. I’m annoyed that she is even here… talking to me. “They are not fighting over me. It seems as if they have issues they need to work out on their own.”
“If that helps you sleep at night,” she retorts with a sly smirk, her hand resting casually on her hip.
My lip tugs upward at her response, watching Florian and Koen still beat the shit out each other. “Guys, enough,” I shout, striding toward them purposefully. With a swift kick to Koen’s rib, I manage to grab their attention. They pause mid-swing as they gaze upward at me.
“Damn, Serene.” Koen grabs his ribs, catching his breath as he still pins Florian to the ground.
The loose strands of my hair dance in the gentle breeze as I glare down at them. “You two are acting like fools. Get up and resolve whatever the hell this is without beating each other to death.”
Blood trickles down Koen's split lip and brow, mingling with the white dust that clings to his brown hair, now freed from his messy bun.
His tousled hair has always been my favorite look of his, especially when we galloped across the fields on our horses bareback.
My hands reached for the clouds as I rode next to him.
His curls danced wildly in the breeze, and I always remember my eyes watching each curl brush against his neck, melting at the sight of it.
Or when we lay in bed side by side, and my fingers wove through his soft hair, gently brushing them away from his face and letting my fingertips glide along his skin.
Those moments used to fill me with warmth. Safety. I never thought he would ever hurt me.
But right now, that feeling feels distant, replaced by an agitating sense of betrayal. Anger simmers within me.
Consuming me.
He led the fire darkling to me.
What else has he done?
Florian grunts as he rises unsteadily, shoving Koen off of him and wiping away the bloody stream that flows from his nose.
“I don’t know what has gotten into you today, Florian,” I scuff, “but whatever this is, needs to end.”
“Does she know what you did!” Florian yells, veins swelling against his neck while blood trickles over it. “Does she, Koen?”
My chest heaves as I watch Koen rise slowly, tossing his hair out of his face. He grips the sides of his hips, catching his breath before spitting blood against the ground.
“Do I know what?” I cross my arms, the dragon scales shifting with the movement.
Koen's eyes dart away, his lips pressing into a rigid line of tension.
Florian storms towards him, shoving his shoulder with brutal force. “Tell her! I’m sure she’s going to hate you for this.” He cracks his knuckles, scuffing before he rubs his lips forcefully together. “I can’t believe you held this from us this whole time.”
“I can't!” Koen spits back, raking his bloody hands through his hair frantically.
“Does she know that you sit outside her room every night, fearing for her life, when you know damn well she can handle herself! You are vowed to marry Skie, yet all you do is worry about Serene, following her every damn move!”
“You were vowed to Lykia!” Florian takes a powerful step, and he deliberately points towards Koen. “And look where that led you!”
“You sit outside my room?” My eyes lock onto Florian, brows caving in. How the hell did I not know this?
“If we are all telling our truths, tell her how when I said I should take her out of her misery, that later that night you agreed with me!” Veins bulge against Koen’s tan skin, the sun hitting him just right.
“Then I told you I couldn’t. I didn’t have the balls to do it, because a day without her would be like a life without the damn sun! ”
“You agreed with him?” My voice trembles, eyes puddling with tears. “You said you wanted to keep me away from all of them?”
Florian holds his hand up, head hanging low. “I was confused. Skie was telling me one thing, my heart and the Gods were telling me another.”
I scoff, letting my head fall back. “Yeah, okay, let's start listening to Skie all of a sudden… the woman who wants me dead, because you can’t keep your eyes off of me!”
Florian freezes, his chest rising and falling. He knows I’m right.
“Seriously, how foolish can you be!” I bolt, screaming so loud I feel the heat radiate up to my head.
“I was wrong, I never knew what magic the Gods would give you. I just feared they would be dark, and they would control you. But they haven’t.
” Florian folds his arms across his broad chest, swallowing hard as he stares at the ground.
“We can’t read the book of Azure, because we don’t have the Deskyiara bloodline.
I feared no matter what, we were going to lose you. Either from death or dark magic.
“Yet, here is a Deskyiara,” I hiss violently, under my breath so only Florian and Koen can hear.
“Both of you.” I stare at them with rage in my eyes. “I trusted you two, and then you go behind my back and decide if I should live or not?”
“Ren—” Kaine goes to speak, butI hold out my palm.
“Not yet, Kaine,” I huff. “I appreciate you, Florian, for staying at my door through the night, but I can handle whoever comes in that room. I don’t understand why you cannot see that I am perfectly fine without the two of you right by my side.”
“Well once Koen tells you what he did, you might never want us around ever again.” Florian deeply sighs, lifting his chin to meet his brother's violent stare.
Fire dares to violently ignite on my fingertips as I stare at them both, my heart pounding so dangerously against my ribs that it threatens to burst free from my chest.
“Now, Koen!” I snarl, my voice a menacing growl as I take an intimidating step closer. I lean in, trying to capture his gaze that avoids me. “You can't even look at me! What did you do!”
He stays silent.
“What did you do this time, Koen!” My voice booms, making his eyes shut by the rage that is bellowing from within.
His head tilts back, eyes searching the sky as he exhales a deep, shuddering sigh before finally, reluctantly, meeting my gaze. His eyes are soft, filled with regret, and the sight steals the breath from my lungs.
What the hell did he do?
Koen lets out a frustrating, yet heartbreaking grunt. I fear he knows what he is about to say will destroy me. “Your friend is dead,” he exhales. “I believe her name was Alice.”