Chapter 3Silas
Chapter 3
SILAS
M y sister is gone. I’m still wrapping my head around the idea. Yeah, she’s a brat, but I love her. Loved her. Fuck.
Shaking my head, I try to clear the cobwebs of chaos from my mind. It’s been three days since I last saw her. I met up with her that afternoon and was walking with her toward our dorms. Then her friend–that bitch–came running up and faked a limp. Of course, Beth was compassionate, falling for the Princess’s act. I wish I hadn’t walked away when Beth sent me back to the Elemental Magic building to retrieve her shit. I guess whatever attack she faced was real, because Beth got caught up in it all.
We still don’t know exactly what happened. Only that Beth was brutally murdered, and the Princess was only choked out. I’d even suspect that she faked this attack too, but I honestly don’t think she’d kill her only friend, would she?
The moment my heart broke was so vivid. I was walking back, carrying the bitch’s shit, when I noticed the crowd around the dorm entrance. The fuck wad, Ambrose, pulled me aside as I got closer. One look at him told me he wasn’t fucking around, though. When he told me it was my sister, dread as cold as ice washed over me. I immediately pushed away, trying to get to her. She’d be okay, I know it, if I could just get to her. Kane held me back, saying something about a crime scene, but I didn’t care. It took three others to help Kane hold me back, and he only released me when I promised I was in control of myself.
When I had the chance, I pushed my way through the crowd, roaring my command to let me through. When they finally parted, the shock of seeing a black sheet covering the ground brought me up short. Black… as in…
I don’t remember much after that. I can vaguely recall being pulled away from the crowd, suddenly seeing an open field, and then I was flying. The shift to my dragon form was instantaneous, fire immediately erupting from my throat as anger and pain sliced through me. My scales were tough, but even the situation I just escaped penetrated my armor and scarred my heart.
I don’t remember anything else from that day. I must have flown back to the house in Kalakai Cove, because next thing I know, I’m waking up on the back lawn. My clothes were shredded when I shifted, but luckily, I always keep sweats in a storage cabinet on the grounds. It happens often enough that I’ve learned from past mistakes.
Once I enter the house, I immediately hear Mom crying. I should’ve known by now that the news would’ve reached home. I follow the wails, finding Mom a complete mess in the sitting room. Father, stoic but concerned, sits beside her, trying to comfort her. I feel for them. I’m sure Father is just as broken, but doesn’t feel like he can share his pain, as he’d seem weak. Walking toward them draws Father’s attention, and he stands to meet me.
“I take it you heard the news?”
I nod as a grim expression stretches across my face. Although I won’t elaborate, I suspect Father can deduce that I flew home. I glance at Mom before I speak.
“How is she handling it?”
“As well as you can expect, I guess.”
We both turn, watching as she cries into her hands as her elbows are perched on her knees. “I have to make the arrangements, but she hasn’t allowed me to leave her side. I don’t think this is something that should be organized with her in the room, either, so now that you’re here, you can deal with her.”
Without another word, he swivels on his heel and storms out. I take a deep breath, knowing he’s dealing with similar issues. I have to remember he loved Bethany as much, if not more, than I did. He’s likely under tremendous stress to organize a fitting ceremony to mourn his baby girl. Father used to be a high-standing official in the Fallodorn Governing Council, the group of politicians that ruled the dragon community. When his term limits were up, he migrated to Kalakai to venture into private investments, and that is when he met Mom. He kept contact with many of his former colleagues, though, and we’ve often been invited to council events.
I shake my head, knowing he’s off to figure out how to balance mourning with the responsibility of proving our family’s honor.
Turning back, I slowly approach Mom. When I lower myself to the sofa beside her, she looks up, tears streaking down her red, splotchy face.
“Silas,” she gasps, unable to speak since she’s been mourning the loss of her daughter. The tears that had paused when I joined her spill once more, and she cries out in sorrow as she falls into my arms. I wrap my arms around her, hoping to give her a little of my strength in this nightmare. Little did I know, it is Mom’s open display of grief that breaks down my walls. Before I know it, tears streaks down my own cheeks as the loss of my sister finally becomes real.
Two full days pass in the never ending sorrow and chaos that flow through the house. Father has organized Beth’s funeral, and he even called in several families from Fallodorn to honor us as the funeral guard for Beth’s last flight. Inviting those families has meant the house staff working every hour of the day to get the guest rooms ready.
Mom, unfortunately, refused to get out of bed. She told the staff to leave her be, and Father didn’t argue. I felt sorry that I couldn't do anything for her, but Mom has always had big emotions, and we all knew grief this close to home would wreck her.
I managed to stay out of everyone’s way by secluding myself to the wing my sister and I shared. I have no desire to interact with the dragon nobility. Instead, I’ve kept myself entertained by flying and training. Our competitions aren’t slowing down, and despite the tragedy, I know Kane won’t give me a break and allow me to coast for a week.
The morning of the funeral, I wake before dawn. Something calls me to fly through the darkness. Stripping down, I take a step out onto the balcony of my suite. I climb up to the railing, staring up at the clouds and peering through to the stars in the muted midnight-blue sky, wondering just what purpose fate had for taking Beth so early.
Diving off the railing, I free fall for half a second before allowing the shift to take over. It’s relatively instant, but in my mind, I sense all the bones that have to break in order to allow my dragon to take over. He is me, and I am him, but the personality is completely a separate side of myself that I don’t show anyone. The freedom of flying allows me to empty my mind, focusing on only the view above and below me. Taking in the beauty that is the pre-dawn over Naesala, I sweep through the layer of thick weather that intermittently blankets the sky. Flying through clouds has always been a favorite pastime, one Beth and I shared. The thrill of sweeping through the blinding clouds at racing speeds always was a game she and I shared. Recreating just a little of that this morning, right before breaking through the clouds to see the moon falling low in the sky, helps me feel just a little closer to my sister.
Once I circle back and find our house, I target my balcony in a slow dive with the dawn. I can’t fit in my dragon form, but with the right speed, I’ve taught myself strategic shifting in order to land on my feet. It took a lot of practice, with plenty of misses and rolls, before I figured it out.
I quickly shower and prepare for the day before I head down to breakfast. Father is already in the dining room, reviewing a file for work over his coffee. I walk in, taking the seat on his right that I’ve always taken. Looking up, I notice Mom isn’t here.
“Morning, Father,” I say in a low tone. “Does Mom need anything this morning?”
“How would I know?” His snarky remark takes me aback, surprising me, considering they do still sleep in the same room.
“I figured you’ve likely seen her this morning, so I thought I’d offer to get her breakfast upstairs, or to help her downstairs, if she doesn’t have the strength.”
Father just huffs as he turns back to his file. After about ten minutes, Mom slowly walks into the room, bracing herself on the backs of the chairs as she approaches us. I stand, walking around Father, who can’t be bothered, and pull out Mom’s chair for her before reaching out to help her sit. She’s extremely weak after refusing to eat for days. I’m hoping she takes things slowly this morning.
“Thank you, dear,” she whispers as she waves me off. “I’m fine, just trying to fuel myself for the day.” Her weary eyes meet mine from across the table, and I notice just how much she’s aged since the other day. I nod, giving her grace by not pointing out this was preventable. Instead, I return to my meal as she takes a sip of the water poured for her. Within moments, a servant brings out a small bowl of bland porridge with a slice of buttered toast. She nibbles on the toast and takes several spoons of the porridge before deciding she is already full. I frown, knowing full well that this is the first food she’s had in days, so she’s bound to be hungry. I decide to not push her today; it’s going to be tough enough, and she doesn’t need us pressuring her.
At Father’s insistence, as we leave the house, I drive my car and follow behind the blacked out sedan that drives my parents. I know Mom requires support, but Father must want time alone with Mom before they say their final goodbye. As we pull up to the property along the Occasius River reserved for dragon rituals, I see the pyre along the coast. I can’t focus too long, though, as once we pull up and park, I can immediately hear Mom crying again. I hurry to the car, and with Father’s help, we escort Mom to the riverbank and step up onto the raft.
There, in the center on a wooden platform, my beautiful sister lies. In a full ceremonial dress that covers the jagged wound on her neck, she rests peacefully before her last flight. After saying goodbye, Father and I assist Mom with stepping back and into place.
After several minutes, a crowd gathers, and Father begins his speech about a life worthy of being lived. How Beth was an honorable daughter, full of life and fierce like fire. Mom just leans on my arm, crying throughout his entire speech. Father could always listen to himself talk, so while Mom just cried, I observed the crowd. A lot of people showed up, some of which are students of Terranea. The majority, though, were my parents’ colleagues and acquaintances, since this was obviously an event to show up to.
After Father closed, he stepped back to stand next to Mom as the guests started to approach us. My parents’ friends Hudson and Isabella Del Mar were one of the first. I shook hands and accepted hugs of condolence, but after fifty people or so passed by, I began to grow weary.
It’s then, as the people dwindle away, that I see Ambrose. I guess he came with his mother. My gaze then falls to the woman at his side. The Princess. What the fuck is she doing here?
My eyes then swing to the other man beside her. Hudson Del Mar. Anger begins to boil within my veins as I start to see the small similarities between him and the Princess. Fuck. Fuck , this is the syren who had to run away when her powers were about to emerge. The daughter who Hudson abandoned when he drove his wife away. This was always Beth’s friend, not just someone she met this year… This is Harbor Aquino.
Rage simmers violently within me as I consider just what this means.The bitch killed my sister. Whether by her own hands or not, she knew that she was being targeted and involved my sister. How dare she bring her into the shit she was going through?
“Son, it’s time,” Father murmurs to me as Isabella Del Mar approaches once more. I hand Mom off to her as I glare at Harbor. What the fuck was she doing that night at the club? She really has been stalking me, then, hasn’t she?
“Just fucking wait, you bitch,” I mumble under my breath as I stare her down. Fury burns through my gaze, and I urge her to recognize it from across the field. “I’ll make life a living hell for your part in my sister’s death.” Turning, I stalk across the grounds to behind the privacy screen, where I strip down. Taking care of my clothes, I place them in one of the storage cubes before running and shifting into my dragon. Let her look, see how powerful I’ve become. I’m just slightly bigger than Father, which he secretly despises, but I don’t care.
Once the shift leaves me covered in my black scales, I saunter over to Father. He takes one side, and I stalk to the other, and together we gently push Beth’s pyre raft into the river. We both then launch into the sky, circling in the air to come up from behind as the raft floats down the river toward the falls. Timing our flight circles, we both swoop in to release our fire, breathing life into Beth one last time. After we’re sure the pyre is lit, we swoop down river and over the Occasius Falls, waiting and hovering in the air for her raft to flow over the top. By the time it does, flames have consumed the entire pyre, allowing Beth’s spirit to return to flame like she once began.
The entire funeral guard roars a salute, breathing fire into the air, honoring the fallen. As the flames fly through the sky, the dragons begin a circular flight over the falls, waiting until the last flame is extinguished before leaving. Beth never deserved anything short of the best life, and it’s my duty to stay here, honoring her until the end. Seeing her final flight of flame only solidifies my determination to ruin Harbor Aquino.
When we finally land and get dressed, Father goes straight to Mom, pulling her into a sweet and tender hug. It moves me, knowing he finally put the last of these tough days behind him, and that this show of emotion must be him finally coming to terms with her loss.
As I walk to my car, I spot the one person I didn’t expect to hang around. Colette slowly approaches, her arm bandaged up in a sling. While she wasn’t expected, now is the perfect time to communicate my issues regarding a certain thorn in my side. I grab her good arm and walk her a little further away, gripping maybe a little harder than I should.
“Listen here, bitch. I don’t care what it takes; that little cunt doesn’t just get to run away. She has to die. I finally know who she is, and just what the night at the club meant. The bitch always had a crush on me, and after she returned from exile, she manipulated me, seducing me without telling me who she was. She is a fucking stalker, and she involved my sister in shit, and now my sister is gone, so she needs to die too!” By the time I’m done with my rant, the muscles in my forearms are straining against my shirt as I clench my fists. My heavy breathing is on the verge of visceral pants, and I have to struggle to contain my dragon.
“What the fuck is going on? I didn’t find out that Bethany had passed until yesterday, otherwise I would have reached out to you.” Her words of kindness and concern are overly sweet; it’s a little on the too fake side of caring, but it doesn’t matter.
“You weren’t at school three days ago? There were attacks on campus. Supposedly, Harbor Aquino was attacked in the Elemental Magic building. Shortly after that, she found my sister and I. I left to go collect her things that she left, thinking this was an enormous act on her part, but when I returned, Bethany was dead. Harbor was knocked out or something, beside my sister, but I never saw her, so who the fuck knows?”
“What?” Gods, Colette is so fucking dumb.
“What do you have a problem understanding, Colette?”
“I’ve been in the hospital for two weeks since the explosion in front of Bromberg. I’ve missed everything . The healers struggled to fix my arm, and it’ll still take some time. I was only discharged yesterday.”
“You’re lucky you’re not dead,” I huff. Her luck at being away when people start dying is the perfect alibi. “The bitch dragged you out of the explosion site.”
“What?” She’s starting to sound like a fucking fire owl, repeating everything.
“Yeah, the healers said Harbor found you and carried you to safety when I came to help. I’ve tried to track her down, but my sister has been keeping quiet about her identity. Now I’ll never know what she wanted with me, because I swear to the gods, this bitch will die if I get my hands on her. Or at least she’ll want to.”
“Wanted?” I grit my teeth at her repeated words.
“Yes, Colette. She’s been avoiding me since the night at the club. That’s why I originally hired you, because I couldn’t figure it out. Now I know it’s still just an obsessive childhood crush.”
Colette just stands there, quiet, with furrowed brows. Almost like this doesn’t make sense, and that Harbor might have an excuse. The idea is insane.
Just as I’m about to tell Colette she must amp up the harassment, Father walks by with Mom in his arms. “Remember that thing we talked about last week? It’s time. You know what to do.” His expression garners no sympathy for my conversation, and soon he gently leads Mom to the car and ushers her inside.
“Well,” I say, facing Colette, “duty calls. You’ll have to excuse me.” I turn, not even waiting for her response. Sliding into my car, I start the engine and pull up the phone system. Within moments, I’m speeding down the road toward the center of town.
As my call connects, a sultry voice on the other end answers.
“Erotic Dreams.”
“This is Silas Oramar. Tell the owner I insist on having that meeting. Now. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”