Prologue
16 years ago
Braxton
I run.
My feet move faster than my brother’s ability to count. I can hear him counting, his high voice echoing between the trees of the forest at the end of our garden. My feet bump into the roots of a pink prunus floral tree. I think I have found my hiding spot. I kneel down under the tree, crawl between the big roots, and hide behind the stump. The cold, wet mud I’m kneeling in clings to my trousers, but I don’t bother brushing it off. My eyes catch a pink prunus flower lying on the ground. These blossoms grow wild this time of year. Mom loves wearing flowers like this in her hair. I pick it up and tuck it into my pocket, planning to give it to her later.
The sun shines on my face, and a cold breeze brushes my skin, my gaze wandering off towards the small lake in the middle of the forest and the small cabin at the other side, where my brother and I play sometimes. My brother’s voice stops, and the silence informs me that he is done counting. I sit quietly, hidingmy body, my back facing the stump. Footsteps fill my ears and I freeze, making sure I don’t make a sound.
“Don’t you dare do this, Chadd.” I hear my mother warn my father. “There must be another solution, another way to prevent this from happening.” I look over my shoulder, my eyes trespassing as I look around the tree. My mother and my father are standing in front of the small lake. I widen my ears, trying to take in as much information as possible.
“You can’t do that to the little girl, nor to the girl’s family,” Mom persuades. “We can’t force someone into doing that.”
I am not sure what they are talking about, but I see my mom’s expression change. The corners of her mouth move down, a wrinkle appears between her brows, and her dark brown eyes well up with something I only know as tears. Maybe it is because she needs to wash my clothes that often? I try to wipe the mud from my knees.
Stupid mud.
“You will never understand this constant fear, Ella,” my father spits out. “This girl might be only a kid, but as she grows older, she will have the potential to rule the continent, the whole world, to rule my kingdom. I will not allow that to happen—not on my watch.”
“It will all go wrong. The stars screamed for me tonight. One of our sons is going to get hurt, Chadd. You are going to get hurt. I feel it in my bones.” Mom sniffles.
“When the girl turns eighteen, there will be a trial. End of discussion,” my father growls. He turns around to leave, but my mom reaches for his arm. My father’s face changes into something I could only describe as disgust. Like when my brother eats broccoli. A chuckle rises from my throat as my memories bring me back to the night I laughed so hard, milk blew out of my nose, while my brother kept making gross faces.
Four eyes race my way, and I slam a hand to my mouth to prevent myself from making another sound. As soon as their gaze went to mine, it left. My father’s eyes go straight to my mom’s grip, her fingers burning into his skin. He slams her hand away, reaching for her neck. He steps in front of her, so I can’t see her face anymore, but something feels wrong. My heart thunders in my ears as I listen to my father’s words carefully.
“Not in a thousand years will you be able to change my mind,” he snaps angrily, stepping closer to my mom. My feet lift me up and a tear rolls over my cheek.
I yell, the words rolling over my tongue before I can think of the consequences.
“Stop!”
I want to jump up when my father’s eyes look at me. His eyes darkening as he looks over his shoulder, informing me these words will have a consequence. That he heard me.
He gives me a smirk, covering my mother with his body.
I want to run to her.
I want to hold her hand, the same way she always holds mine when I am scared. After Father has been too hard on me again. When he was so disappointed in me after I lost to my brother again.
When he found out I was only a tele.
I am lost and try to blink my tears away as I just sit frozen, watching everything that is happening in front of my eyes.
“She will ruin me. She will hunt my shadows down. She will go after my power. I need her, but not as my enemy.” He steps aside, revealing my mom’s freckled face, her long, dark brown hair sticking to her wet cheeks. Tears well up in her eyes and a soft murmur rolls over my lips. Before I can concur what is happening, a loud snap rings in my ears. I blink my eyes, and when I open them, my father is gone and Mom is kneeled down to the ground, holding her face, soft sobs coming from her.
“Mom,” I whisper, tears running down my face. More footsteps fill my ears and my brother’s voice interrupts me.
“Found you!” my brother cheers, clapping his hands on my shoulders. I turn to him and as soon as he sees my face, his smile drops and his voice softens.
“What is wrong, little Axe?”
I look over my shoulder to point at our mom, but she is gone.
“T-they were t-talking about something, b-but M-Mom started crying and F-Father he h-h-hit her,” I try to explain to him. Sobs come from my throat. Zephron gives a smile, the left corner of his mouth going upwards as he pulls me into a tight hug. My eyes scan around us, and as if Zef could feel me looking, he speaks up.
“She is gone now, you must have probably mistaken it. It was nothing,” he answers way cooler than I feel. I widen my eyes at him as I look up at my older brother. His black hair dances in front of his green eyes. He looks exactly like our father with his light skin tone. The freckles on his nose betrays that he really is our mom’s kid. I look way more like mom. I have her white, but tanned skin tone and brown hair. I don’t have freckles nor brown eyes, but you can tell I am hers.
