The Tearing of Kin
Heaven
“Well done,” Mama says as we finish activating the protection spells. Enrique came to assist alongside Kataleya. Thanks to him, the barrier that took days to resurrect is complete.
The rest are on their way: Grandpa Alejandro, Skyla, and Royce. Royce’s mom arrived not long ago.
My legs are shaking, and I’m not sure I can move. I’m on the brink of exhaustion, but I refuse to let it show.
The rain has eased up, the trees are no longer on fire, but the devastation left behind will take time to fix.
Give the land life, Isolara says.
Do you think I’ll be able to? I ask.
Yes, you have her; she is an earth witch, too. Together, you will be able to reverse the majority of the damage if done right. But for tonight, rest, you are weakened.
She doesn’t need to waste her energy on-
I wasn’t talking to you. Isolara’s cutting response to Endora is laced with disgust and hatred.
We will do it tomorrow, then, I answer. For now, I need to figure out how to walk without collapsing.
“Need help?”
I turn to see Tatum. He’s cleaned up a little, even though I can still see traces of the blood in his hair.
“If you don’t mind,” I say quietly. He walks over to me and lifts me bridal style. I grit my teeth, my entire body spasming from being stuck in one position for hours.
Goddess…
“Get her to the mansion. She did well,” Enrique says quietly.
I rest my head on Tatum’s shoulder, my heart heavy.
“How are they doing?” I ask softly.
“Not great. Uncle Liam… It brings back those memories. Mom, Aunty…” I look up at him, his jaw tight, and although his voice is level, his eyes are full of sorrow.
“Katara, she’s not eaten anything. She was inconsolable earlier, and now she’s just in shock.
Their grandparents are trying, but… you can see its effect on them all… and I get it… that kind of loss…”
I nod, wincing when pain shoots through my neck. “Mm… and Jayce?” I ask softly.
“He’s quiet. Sienna might be able to say more. I did see her with him earlier,” he replies quietly.
I nod, hesitating, but I don’t really care what anyone thinks and ask what has been on my mind all day. “And Theo?”
Tatum turns to look down at me. For a moment, he’s silent. “The two of you have gotten close.” I don’t say anything, waiting for the answer to my question. He sighs heavily. “He’s been pretty absent. I haven’t seen him around.”
My heart sinks.
What?
Seeing my expression, Tatum nods. “I heard him shouting earlier before he stormed off. Alpha Damon tried to get him to calm down, but he just got further pissed off. Then Azura tried to talk to him, but she returned pretty quickly, too.”
“And how are she and Aunty Kiara doing?” I ask.
“Devastated.”
Of course.
I can’t believe Aunty Raven is really gone…
Tatum carries me through the trees, the gravel crunching beneath his boots, the smell of smoke still heavy in the air.
“The body was in a bad state…” he whispers, and I cast a privacy spell.
“What do you mean?”
“Her head was cut off. Her bones were broken, and her nose was smashed up; she was barely recognisable. Mom reattached her head and reconstructed her nose and other bones. But she still doesn’t look like herself; the swelling is too much.”
I feel sick just hearing that. “I can’t believe this happened,” I whisper.
“Yeah, I know,” he says sadly as the mansion comes into view. The lights are on, and I can tell, despite it being so late, the house is very much awake.
“Should we be here?” I whisper.
“They are serving food from here, as the packhouse is riddled with the injured. Aunty Kiara is there along with Shahira.”
“Oh, ok… then put me down,” I say.
“You’re spent,” he reminds me, making me look up at him.
“I’ll be fine.” He hesitates before nodding and placing me down. “Is Sher here?”
“Yes, she’s been helping out.”
I nod. “Great.” I take a few steadying breaths, wanting to compose myself before I walk towards the entrance of the mansion, my legs barely cooperating. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to this point. I might need to start storing energy reserves like Sienna does.
The door stands ajar, the warmth from inside is welcoming, but I know what I’ll see when I enter, something I have witnessed twice before… a family in immeasurable pain.
We’ve been there…
My heart thumps, and I don’t know if it’s from exhaustion or the memories, but I’m struggling to regulate myself. Entering the house, I walk quietly, stopping before I reach the archway to the lounge.
Uncle Liam is missing, and Jaddati is sitting there rocking one of Azura’s twins to sleep. Grandpa Elijah is sitting with his hand on Renji’s shoulder, whose eyes look emptier than I have ever seen on him, as he sits on the floor beside his grandfather’s legs, his face void of its usual smile.
Carter is sitting in the corner, his head resting against the wall, his eyes red. My lips turn downwards, tears threatening to spill, and I take a few steadying breaths.
Luna Robyn, Kataleya and Grandpa Marcel are also here. The other quints are missing. I know the rest of the family is helping out, so their absence is understandable, but they should be here with their family!
My eyes turn to Katara, who is sitting in her grandmother’s embrace.
Her bloodshot eyes are unseeing and empty, the tear stains on her face a sign that she had cried her heart out.
But it’s the haunting pain in her eyes that really hits hard.
The eyes of someone who has lost everything, and it hits hard.
I’ve been there when Dad died. Knowing I had to grow up without him, that he wouldn’t be there to see me reach all the goals and dreams I wanted to attain in life. He won’t be there to walk me down the aisle or be there to see my children. No longer there to share everything we dreamt of…
And losing her mama… I can’t imagine how hard that would be. I turn away, unable to hide the tears in my eyes.
“Heaven, come on in. I’ll have someone bring you food,” Grandma Scarlett says softly. I look at her and shake my head.
“I’m… I’m going to go find Theo,” I find myself saying without thinking. Her tired eyes observe me for a moment before she nods.
“But eat something, you’ve done a lot.”
“It wasn’t much,” I answer, unable to stop the tears, and turn, rushing from the house.
This shouldn’t have happened.
I find a quiet place, needing a moment before I try to find Theo. I sit down on the low wall of the mansion, staring into the darkness, feeling defeated. I wish there were more I could have done. I wish there had been a way to protect her!
After a few moments, I wipe my tears and take a deep breath, channelling the wind to pick up any sign of Theo. I frown when I hear his voice on the wind.
He’s arguing…
“Why were you so adamant, Ahren? Try to go back to that moment. What were you testing?” I hear Ares growl. I look up sharply; they’re nowhere in sight.
“Like I fucking said, that attack didn’t feel like it was done by one of the monsters-”
Jayce cuts Theo off. “Listen to yourself, Theo. You’re implying it’s one of our own!” he says quietly.
“Yeah, I fucking am, and I know I’m right. I have my suspicions, but it was the same as then, wasn’t it, Ahren?” Theo counters coldly.
I frown, instantly realising what they mean. Back then, Ahren had tried and failed to teleport back in time to the point Ares was attacked to find the culprit. He hadn’t been able to, almost as if something deflected him from going to that specific moment in time.
Ares scoffs. “Just like he tried when I was fucking attacked. So, you’re implying it was the same person?”
“Yeah, I think so. There’s something bigger at play,” Theo answers.
“You accused Renji, man. Renji! That dickhead wouldn’t hurt anyone!” Ares growls.
“I’m not so sure,” Theo says, and my stomach twists. I know I shouldn’t be listening to this conversation.
So, does this mean Ahren tried to go to the moment Aunty Raven was killed? What powers are in play here that he wasn’t able to?
Isolara, is there a way to visit an area and see what happened there in the past? Endora has been trying to find a way, but we have yet to find the answer, and there is nothing in the Trinity Witch grimoires.
There was said to be a way, but it is not known to me. We can find the answer, Isolara answers.
Oh, I am already working on it; you can sit this one out. You’re good at being pathetic, anyway, Endora sneers.
You need to drop your resentment and hatred; it didn’t get you far in life, and now in death, you should respect that this isn’t about you, Isolara counters coldly.
Both of you, please look for an answer; the quicker we find it, the quicker we may be able to get an answer, I speak. If the culprit doesn’t have another trick up their sleeve anyway.
I shut them out after their response, needing some quiet in my mind.
“I trust no one, alright!” Theo snaps, and I find myself listening to their conversation again.
“Right now, we need to trust one another!” Jayce snarls. “You can’t just accuse Renji, Theo!”
“I just know that it’s one of us, and that person killed Ma!” Theo growls, his voice shaking with fury. “And when I find out who, and I swear I fucking will, they’re fucking dead! I’m calling for everyone to be brought in for questioning.”
“And you, right? Or does that exclude you? Carter said it could have been you,” says Ares.
“Like I’d kill Ma!” Theo snarls.
“You kill enough, though, right? What’s your own mother?!” Ares hits back.
“Cut it the fuck out! Mom’s dead, and you think this is what she’d want?! For us to fucking turn against each other?” Jayce hisses.
“Listen, Jayce, you might be a fucking saint, but it’s making you a tad fucking thick right now.
There was no sign of a scuffle. The way her injuries were, she was hit frontally, and they were clean, no strain on the injury to show she tried to move out of the way.
Whoever did this was someone she trusted,” Theo says, his voice quieter yet still firm.
Ares scoffs. “Yeah, you just want it to be someone, right? This is fucked up shit, I’m out. Take your crap and just piss off, man.”
“You’ll regret that,” Theo snarls.
“Alright. If that’s the case, then I vote for you. You’re the one who has always been the most selfish of us all. Right?”
No, he hasn’t. Hearing Ares say that about Theo hurts.
“Yeah? Well, I might be a dickhead, but I don’t hurt family!” Theo snarls. “They knew where the tome was, Jayce!”
“I’m done,” Ares says, and I think he’s moved away.
“Theo, you need to drop it. This is the last thing Dad needs.”
“No! I’m not dropping it because there IS someone among us who is not who they are pretending to be. I need justice for Ma, and you will need to be the one to deliver it.” Something in Theo’s voice borders on urgency, almost desperation.
Why can’t he figure it out himself?
I’ll help him.
“You want me to believe it’s one of my brothers, Theo. That’s…”
“Look, Ares died that night. I got Hades to bring him back. How did Ares die so easily? Again, it has to be someone he trusted. We need to find the answers, Jayce. Because who knows who might be next.”
“Theo-”
“No, I just told you, they knew where the tomes were. They went straight to Dad’s office.”
“It’s the most obvious place,” Jayce refutes.
“Is it? Before the mansion even?” I ask.
There’s a pause. “Look, only Dad and I knew it was there. So, will you blame Dad now?”
“Someone could have overheard you,” Theo tries.
“Theo-”
“No, promise me, Jayce, you’ll find the answer. You’ll find the one who took our ma from us. And that you’ll look into all our brothers.”
It’s silent. Then Jayce answers, “Fine.”
But it’s not convincing, even to me. As if he’s trying to get rid of Theo. Yeah, he’ll search for the killer, but he won’t point fingers at his own family.
Theo’s silence speaks louder than any word can. “Great,” he says simply, but he also knows he can’t rely on him. Jayce will soon go to Russia, if that plan stands anyway.
Then there are footsteps. I spot Ares walking across the lawn and enter the mansion; a few people leave and enter, some taking food, some bringing things. Then I see Jayce walk towards the house. He pauses, glancing at me, and I cast a silencing spell as I look at him.
“Listen to him, Jayce. If he’s saying something is going on, then don’t ignore it.”
Jayce doesn’t respond before he turns and walks inside.
But even as I wait, Theo doesn’t come, so I get up, forcing my weak legs to move.
Goddess, who would have thought one barrier would take so much out of a person, and it’s not even as strong as it was before it was destroyed…
I walk to where the sounds had come from, and soon I’ve gone around the mansion gardens, dragging myself further towards the tree line. Where are you, Theo?
Five minutes later, I reach a small open area within the trees. It’s at the edge of the woods and clearly a place kids come to play, as there are a few benches lining the edge of the clearing.
I see him leaning against a tree, lighting the cigarette that sits loosely between those perfect lips, his blue hair falling in his eyes.
He’s changed into clean clothes, now wearing black pants, a white shirt and a black leather jacket.
It’s his usual style, but the way his hair isn’t styled, the lack of chains, those are the signs that he isn’t his usual self.
“Hey…” I say, walking towards him, doing my best to walk as normally as possible, not wanting my legs to buckle beneath me.
He stills, his heart skipping a beat before he looks up at me just as he takes a drag on his cigarette, the butt glowing brightly in the darkness.
“Hey,” he answers, before he looks away. “You’ve been busy; shouldn’t you be resting?”
I stop a few feet away from him and see him studying my face. “Those markings… Why are they still there?”
I touch my face, knowing he means the ones around my eyes, but I didn’t realise they were still visible. It’s most likely because I drew too much power… “They’ll fade,” I say simply.
There’s a deep silence before he pushes away from the tree and turns his back on me. That one move hurts, and I know he’s hurting, too.
“Great, then go get some rest; it’s late.”
He’s hurting, and he won’t let anyone see that. He’s about to walk off when I push myself forward, stumbling very ungracefully, but still managing to wrap my arms around his waist. His scent hits me, and I hold him as tight as possible, my heart pounding.
“Please… don’t push me away. Not tonight,” I say quietly. I may be drained, but there’s still strength in me, and with it, I hold on to him.
He doesn’t move, and neither do I.
The silence between us stretches into eternity. The wind rustles in the trees, the distant shouts of those still clearing up and working late into the night, faint yet loud in our stillness.
Until he places a hand on my arm. “It’s all over, Blondie… It’s all fucking over.”