Chapter 6 Kael
KAEL
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
I can hear the inner workings of a clock, but there aren’t any in our living room. There never have been. It’s almost as though my brain has conjured the sound, reminding me that I’m on borrowed time, and I can’t hide away from it.
That’s probably why I haven’t moved from my spot on the sofa. It’s no longer laid out like a bed, but Elodie’s scent still fills the air, overwhelming my senses and leaving me shattered inside.
I know I need to move, I know I need to do something, but it’s like I’m rooted to the spot, unable to gather the necessary strength to do what is right: save Elodie. But with that comes another act that has always felt impossible: defy Jude.
My leg bounces with stress as I dip my chin to my chest, raking my fingers through the ends of my hair, but it does nothing to alleviate my dismay.
Defying Jude shouldn’t be so difficult, yet one quick reminder of where my parents are is all it takes to remind me that doing so comes with consequences, and some of them are a price I’m just not ready to pay.
If he sees that Elodie is important to me—which she’s not—he will only use it against me, harming her more.
Right now, she’s a beautified weapon he wants to exploit, which sounds terrible, but to him, it’s glorified and stunning.
He’ll treat her well. Encourage her magic, sure, but he won’t hurt her.
If he thinks I’m anything but her guardian, everything changes for the both of us.
My brother has never been one to share an interest with someone else.
He has always been different, even when we were small. If he was playing with cars and I took interest, he would smash them all up so no one could play with them. That manifested as we grew, his rage uncontrollable, his desire for control unwavering.
I sigh as my gut churns, a memory coming to mind as my eyelids close and the vision dances across the blank canvas.
Waves crash in the distance and I pull my scarf more tightly around my neck in order to fight the chill in the air.
I hate the cold. I hate having to wear a scarf even more.
I don’t know why we’re here, I don’t know why any of this matters, but the low-sitting clouds and sharp cliffs only create a backdrop of pensive shadows.
Looking down at the water, I watch as the waves start deep, a shade of navy I’ve never seen anywhere else.
Before they rise, creating a white peak that shatters against the jagged shoreline, reminding me that even the most intense can crumble.
I wonder if Scotland looks lush and green in the summer, or whether it faces this harsh climate like an eternal vortex of storms, each one making it more dramatic and seeped in indescribable beauty.
Sighing, I glance over my shoulder to the small stone house, spying the silhouettes of my mother and father in the window.
They talk animatedly with their hands as men and women listen in wonder, absorbing every word they have to offer.
I wish I believed in them as much as everyone else does, but I know nothing good will come from us being here; nothing ever does.
The moment I was taken out of school because of my brother’s antics, I knew my future was no longer my own. Not that it’s all because of him. My parents’ defiance against The Sanctum is another reason, but my hatred for my brother runs deeper, so he gets all of my rage right now.
I run my tongue over my chapped lips, wrapping my coat tighter around my middle as I turn back to the water. I wish it held the answers no one else will give. I’m a preacher of my parents’ activist group, whether I like it or not.
The Obsidian Circle.
It doesn’t matter if I agree or not; legacy deems me a disciple.
Another shiver runs down my spine as the wind whips around me, and despite my better judgment, I storm back toward the shack, shutting the door behind me as quietly as I can.
A second door stands to my right, blocking me from the gathering, while the staircase dead ahead lures me closer.
I raise my foot, ready to take the first step, but before I can wince at the creak I know it will make, my father’s voice carries through the air, pausing me in my tracks.
“We can’t allow The Sanctum to continue to get away with this.
We may be supernatural beings, but if we wish to live among the humans, that’s our choice.
We don’t want to cause trouble or harm to anyone else; we want to live our lives, but forcing us to continue enduring their world that only they control and manipulate is too far.
” A hum of agreement echoes from the other side of the door.
“I don’t want it for my children, do you want it for yours?
” he adds, his voice getting louder as the hums turn to cheers, everyone delighting in their combined mindset.
I shake my head, sticking to the side of the stairs as I hurry up and away from them before I’m dragged into the madness with them.
I understand what they’re saying, I agree with it, but to get what they want from the matter, to end The Sanctum and cut off The Vale, there’s only one path they can take: war.
I’m twelve, war isn’t what I want. I want to be with my peers, making stupid mistakes and cultivating my abilities.
I want to grow stronger for myself, not for a cause that accepts I may die for its truth.
Hurrying into my room, I let the door fall shut behind me, only to startle at the figure spread across my bed.
I cover my surprise and glare at the grinning form staring back at me.
It’s a tiny space, barely enough room for a twin bed, a nightstand, and a worn oak chest of drawers.
The curtain is plastered to the window in a desperate attempt to keep the heat in, but warmth feels like a distant memory; one I hope to embrace when everyone leaves and I get to sit in front of the fire downstairs.
“Get out, Jude,” I grunt, rubbing my hands together.
He slowly shifts to a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. That’s when I get a proper look at him and stumble back a step, my spine hitting the door with a thud as I take in the state of him.
Blood clings to every inch of him. It’s stained across his cheeks, down his throat, and into his green knit sweater.
It’s still fresh in the tips of his hair, the palms of his hands, and the laces of his shoes.
If it were anyone else, I would be worried over what happened, but with Jude, I already know the answer.
“How many?” I bite, trying as hard as I can to stop my bottom lip from wobbling, but he snickers nonetheless.
“How many?” I repeat, and he shrugs, rising to his full height as he cuts the distance between us.
He’s only five years older than me, but it feels like a thousand with how different we are.
He crouches down so we’re eye level, a devilish grin on his lips as he stares deep into my soul. “I stopped counting at fifty,” he whispers, a cackle quickly following as he reaches for the door handle.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I splutter, fully aware he’s tallying humans and not animals like our parents have raised us to, and he scoffs.
He levels me with that same stare, but the grin is gone and the atmosphere thickens with promise. “Stop being the golden child, Kael. It won’t get you anywhere, especially not when I take my rightful place.”
My eyebrows furrow as I blink at him. “Your rightful place?” I repeat, and he nods.
“This is all going to be mine one day, and you will do as I say. So, if I say I want you to slaughter one hundred men, you will.”
I shake my head. “No, I won’t.”
He leans in closer, his breath dancing over my ear, and I shiver.
“You won’t have a choice,” he promises.
I stagger to the side as he slips through the door without a backward glance. The second the wood is closed again, my gaze darts to the bed where the same crimson stains are blotched over my sheets.
I hate him.
Blinking, I rid myself of the memory and the promise, hating that I’ve become exactly what he told me I would be.
It’s almost laughable how much I live and breathe a superior aura, crushing anyone in my path, but I don’t know how else to be.
I know it’s not the path meant for me, but I’ve succumbed, just like he knew I would.
I drag my hand down my face as I try to forget the memories of my mother’s smile and my father’s curious gaze.
They wanted The Sanctum to crumble, but not so they could take the helm like my brother, rather for us to live freely.
I wish for nothing more than that. I wish I had been more present in their meetings, more insistent in calling out Jude’s disarray, and more willing to fight for their cause because now I do it all for him.
My stomach growls, pulling me from my thoughts. I should probably find something to eat. Not the food down at the dining hall, either. I need a whole fucking animal to offer me at least a little strength.
Pressing my palms against my knees, ready to stand, I don’t manage to move an inch before the dorm room door swings open in a flurry and Rion storms inside.
He offers me a half-sneer before he grunts, turning toward his bedroom, leaving the main door wide open.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my spine stiff as I watch his every move, seeking an answer I’m too scared to receive.
He scoffs. “Not that you care, but we have a plan,” he mumbles, and I tilt my head, watching him disappear into his room without a backward glance.
I’m on my feet before I realize it, eliminating the distance between us. I halt at his door, restraining myself as I lean against the frame instead of entering.
“A plan that involves what, exactly?” I ask as he rifles through his belongings.
“None of your business,” he mutters, not bothering to turn my way.
“It’s always my business,” I bite, emotion swirling in my chest despite my best efforts to squash it.
“It stopped being your business when you let him take her,” he snarls, his withering glare finding me this time, but before I can snap back, another angry voice comes from behind me.
“Can you both just get on with it?” Ocean stands with her arms folded over her chest, her eyelids clipped at half mast, and her lips pursed so tight I’m sure she’s going to pull a muscle.
Instead of saying anything to her, I roll my eyes and turn back to the agitated wolf. “I’m her guardian,” I state clearly, and he snickers.
“No, you’re a jackass, and you’re lucky I’m too occupied with finding her to give you the beating you deserve.” He stands tall, closing the drawer of his nightstand as he turns to face me. “But know, it’s coming,” he threatens, storming toward me just as quickly as he had upon his entrance.
I consider blocking his exit, but something inside convinces me to step out of the way at the last minute. There’s something curled inside his hand, but I can’t make it out. Regardless, it’s enough to make my heart hammer in my chest.
“Where are you going?” I ask as the pair of them usher back toward the door.
“Not that it matters to you, but we’re going to The Sanctum.”
My pulse quickens. “You can’t do that,” I grunt as Ocean steps out into the hallway first, but Rion pauses at the threshold.
“Let’s go, Rion,” Ocean orders, but he turns to glance at me instead.
“Why can’t we do that?” His words are soft, almost timid, like he’s bracing for my answer.
I shake my head. “Because it will make it worse for her when she gets back,” I state, and his nostrils flare as he shakes his head.
“Why?” he repeats, and I clear my throat, shrugging weakly as I turn away from him.
“Because,” I mumble, and he huffs.
“You’re going to have to give me more than that,” he hisses, frustration getting the better of him, and it snaps my gaze back to his.
I lift my hand, ready to wave him off, when my lips part, betraying me. “If you go to The Sanctum, you’ll just put a bigger target on her head because they’re desperate to use her as their weapon.”
“How do you know that?” Ocean screeches, eyes wide as she shoulders past Rion to edge closer to me.
My mind is reeling, begging me to shut the fuck up, but it seems my heart has other ideas. “Because they tasked me with learning everything there is to know about her powers.”
“And what the hell do you know?” Rion snarls, shaking his head in disbelief. “What have you told them?” he adds, his hands clenching at his sides as he rakes a disdainful look over me.
I shrug. “Half-truths and enough to keep them off her back.”
“I call bullshit,” Ocean grinds out, cutting the distance between us so we’re standing toe to toe.
“I bet you’ve told them everything, haven’t you?
I bet you’re the one sneaking into our room like we don’t fucking know in the middle of the night, right?
” She jabs her finger into my chest over and over.
“What do you mean someone’s sneaking into your room at night?” Rion interjects from his spot on the other side of Ocean, but she shakes her head with a scoff.
“Don’t worry, I’ve found the culprit,” she insists, waving her hand at me, and I shake my head slowly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lift my hands in surrender, despite the irritation coiling in my chest from her incessant poking.
“Of course you don’t.”
“Let’s get back to the fact that you’re helping the damn Sanctum, man. What’s that about?” Rion asks, and my chest tightens unbearably before it releases, defeat getting the better of me.
“I had to keep my head above water, hers too. Otherwise, we’d both be dead,” I grunt, but it sounds feeble even to my ears.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, asshole,” Ocean bites, jabbing me one last time before turning for the door, but before she can take a single step, I grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
My grasp only holds for a second before I feel her magic and I’m blasted back with a whoosh, hitting the far wall with a thud and landing on my ass, staring up at her in a daze.
“Ocean,” I grunt, but she shakes her head, crouching down in front of me with a frustrated glare.
“Fuck you, Kael Forrester. Fuck you for putting her in danger, fuck you for trying to justify it, and fuck you for being you. I will go and find her because she’s my best friend. You, however, can rot here like the bad seed that you are.”