Chapter 26
Farrow
I knew something was up as soon as I walked in the door.
My brother was in the living room looking far too happy with himself—that always meant trouble, and it was the last fucking thing I needed.
All I wanted to do was get changed and go for a run, maybe stop by the park to join a ball game.
Anything other than think about Bridges, sorcerers, and Timothy, but I needed to check the messages and respond to my subscribers.
There was also a recording that I needed to edit.
Having the channel was akin to having a second job…though I did like the extra money and the actual recording. Though there were a couple of videos that would never be seen by the public. They were for me and Timothy.
I should make him watch one while I fucked him.
“Busy day?” my brother asked with a smirk that made me want to punch his face.
It was lucky he had chitinous plates that, from experience, would cut my knuckles if I did. I’d managed to find the gap between plates with my horns a couple of times growing up, though my tail was far more successful at getting into tight spots.
“Yeah.” I don’t think he understood the reality of jumping from house to house and being on guard for cats and dogs, while searching for traces of magic.
It wasn’t all watching Timothy dress up in lace and ride tentacle dildos.
Though that was a welcome reprieve and a chance to relax and let my guard down a little.
Not too much, though, because of what he was. Or, more correctly, what he was capable of. I didn’t want to be turned into an enchanted dildo…
My brother?
No, even then, he’d fail to satisfy.
While I doubted Timothy would turn against me, it was a risk.
While only sorcerers could fix the damage in my world, they were also the ones able to do the most damage.
I didn’t want others using Timothy, and I didn’t want him to grow his own power by using children as a conduit.
If he did that, I couldn’t protect him. He was being surveilled by someone who’d make a recommendation, so it was out of my hands and entirely in his.
I’d warned him. Now he needed to show that he was the right kind of sorcerer, the kind who cared about the damage done instead of about power and personal gain.
My brother only cared about the latter. It was a good thing monsters didn’t have magic.
I dropped my bag and grabbed a couple of snack balls and sauce out of the fridge—I’d made them yesterday, and there were a couple left.
I was surprised he hadn’t eaten them all.
The idea of heading out, just for the sake of getting out, became more appealing by the heartbeat.
“Must be grand to double dip.” He stood and walked into the kitchen area.
“I didn’t. I poured the sauce onto the ball, and even if I did, I made the balls and the sauce.” Ew, had he double-dipped in the sauce? Had he done something to the sauce? I eyed the dish as if I’d be able to identify any contamination if I stared hard enough.
“I’m not talking about the sauce. You’re on Scream and Steam.”
The ball became lodged in my throat, and I couldn’t breathe. How the fuck did he know about that? I forced myself to swallow. “What?”
I played ignorant to buy some time for my brain to start working.
I didn’t want to think when I came home; I was tired.
The last couple of days had been a lot. I’d been interviewed by the higher-ups, and they’d examined my channel in excruciating detail, which had been awkward.
Answering questions about videos and conversations and what happened off-screen.
I’d almost wished I’d opted for the Scream side of things.
“I hacked into your—”
“You did what?” I took a step toward him. I wanted to fucking kill him.
“You’re hiding something, and I wanted to find out what. You’re the new streamer my friends talked about.” His smirk grew wider. “But you don’t post everything, do you?”
My stomach hollowed. He’d seen the private videos.
Okay, so the higher-ups had as well, but that was different, though no less mortifying.
This unwarranted invasion of privacy by my brother was…
From the hollowness grew a boiling rage that spread through my gut, poisoned my blood, and blotted out all rational thought.
I launched myself at my brother. I skidded over the kitchen counter and kicked him in the chest. “You had no fucking right.”
He stumbled back. “I had every right. I asked you to create an account so I could be involved, and you said no. You lied.” He threw a punch, which my tail grabbed.
I shoved him against the wall, my horn pressing beneath his eye. “I don’t want you in every part of my life.”
I didn’t want him in any part of my life.
“I want half, or I’ll post the video of you fucking him.”
My tail released his hand and slapped him across the face as I stepped back. “You are a sorcerer bleeding me dry. You take and take, and it’s never enough. My clothes, my food, my privacy.”
“You got the job I wanted.” He swung at me again, and I stepped back.
“You failed the test three times…it wasn’t the physical, the way you claimed, was it? It was the ethics exam.” He’d always claimed the physical wasn’t made for monsters with plates, but I worked with plenty.
“Fuck you…or does the human do that too?” He took another step and a swing, which I dodged. “You’re done. When Bridges finds out you’ll be out of a job, and then you won’t have any more content. Give me half and nothing changes.”
I stared at him. My heart thumped against my ribs, and a snarl on my lips. “Did you enjoy watching me fuck? Did you save it to watch later?”
He charged at me, and I twisted away, so the sofa took the brunt of the attack. He rolled over the back of it and jumped over. “You think you’re so smart. I’ll tell my friends, and then they’ll make sure everyone knows.”
As much as I’d hated telling my boss and all the subsequent interviews, I was glad it was done. I laughed. “Release it. I don’t care.”
His steps faltered as if he couldn’t process what I’d said. “What?”
“You heard me. Post it. Have one of your friends post it. I don’t care.” I’d watched those videos enough to remember every frame. It wasn’t my face. But it was Timothy’s as he licked and sucked my cock. It was his ass stretched around me, gaping and dripping cum.
I’m not sure how he’ll feel about the release, as we’d agreed they were only for us.
There shouldn’t be an us. The agreement had become a business that he had input on, even if he wasn’t financially benefiting.
There were only so many ways I could move money to his world, and buying slutty little clothes to go with his larger collection of toys wasn’t payment, nor was buying boxes of groceries.
If my brother released the videos, Timothy wouldn’t find out. Not immediately anyway…
“I’ll tell everyone you’re behind the account.”
“And? There is a Bridge Guardian behind every Scream and Steam account. Do you really think my boss and the higher-ups aren’t checking on us? That they don’t know what is going on? We are protection and propaganda.”
“If you’re fucking a human, they can’t be that bad. They should allow free travel to the human world.” He lifted his chin and crossed his arms.
I didn’t care about his new angle. I didn’t care about anything that came out of his mouth. I was so done. “You want to be turned into a cursed object? Do you not remember history class and the War of the Forgotten Century?”
It was only forgotten on the human side; monsters remembered.
“That’s just fear mongering. Sorcerers aren’t that powerful.”
“Sure, you keep telling yourself that.” I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. “I’m going out…I won’t be back.”
“Where are you going?”
“What does it matter? You’ve made your threat, and I’ve given my answer.”
“But you’ll lose your job and your channel. Come on, I could make it better.”
“There is nothing you touch that you improve.” He was already a cursed object. “I’ll move out tomorrow.”
A touch ahead of schedule, but I was done.
“I can’t afford this place on my own.”
I shrugged. “You are no longer my problem.”
“I’ll tell Mom and Dad.”
“You do that, make sure you tell them about the videos and the blackmail attempt…” I pulled out my phone. “Better yet. I’ll do it now.” I hit call, fury making my tongue bitter.
“What are you doing?” He tried to grab the phone out of my hand. “Hey…please. I didn’t mean it.”
I did. “Liar.”
“Farrow, what’s up?” Dad sounded tired. Had my brother been mouthing off to him already?
“Farrow, please,” my brother whined.
“Is that your brother?”
“Yes, he hacked into my account and is threatening to broadcast some private videos because I won’t share the proceeds of my Scream and Steam account.”
My father swore. “Please tell me you aren’t risking your life with cats and dogs.”
“Of course not.” Wow, did Dad really think I was that reckless?
He sighed. “Explaining that to your mother is not something I want to do. Put your brother on.” I put the phone on speaker but kept hold of it. “Is what Farrow said true?”
My brother opened and closed his mouth a few times. Maybe he wouldn’t have released the videos, but he’d have wrapped the threat around my neck until I couldn’t breathe.
“Did you hack into Farrow’s computer?” Dad pressed.
“Yes, but he was being secretive. He’s fucking a human and going to move out!”
“Wearing his clothes and eating his food is one thing, but this is beyond the bridge. We raised you better than that,” Dad snarled.
“It’s not fair that he works at Bridges and gets to stream. I should be doing that.” My brother stamped his foot.
“Your brother risks his life every day. Your mother did too when she worked at Bridges, and your aunt died working at Bridges. Streaming content from the human world is a way for the guardians to gain extra compensation and to have some fun. You should be proud of Farrow, not trying to undermine him.”
I gave my brother a fanged grin. This time, my brother had gone too far.
“But he’s moving out. What am I supposed to do?” It was always about him and what he was getting.
“Find a new roommate. I don’t want to hear any more from you about this. Your new friends are not a good influence. Sort yourself out, because your mother and I are not stepping in again. How am I going to tell her that you disrespected Farrow like this?”
“Dad, please…I can’t live here on my own.”
“No. You broke your brother’s trust; now you can suffer the consequences. Do you need anything, Farrow?”
I took a moment to think, but I didn’t need anything from our parents. I had everything I needed, and I’d figure things out on my own. The idea of making that final jump felt good. Perhaps I’d waited too long. “I’m good, thanks.”
I hung up and glared at my brother. “Your call, asshole.”