We’re finished.
Chapter 3: Kane
“We’re fucked. Utterly, completely fucked.”
“We get it, Sai.” Ezekial glares at him from across the table. “If that’s all you’re going to say, I suggest you keep quiet or say something,anything, else.”
Sai scrubs his hands roughly over his face, ignoring my brother’s attempt at peace. Quietly mumbling—but not so quietly we can’t hear—“Why him? Why the fuck did she pick him?”
“This isn’t the worst-case scenario,” my brother immediately rebuts, his gaze furiously locked onto Sai. “She could’ve picked no one. She could’ve refused to go at all. At least this gives us a chance.”
“Perhaps, rather than repeating ourselves…” Julien delivers a slow, pointed glance at Sai, whose head is still buried in his hands. “...we should consider why she selected the darkest of our brethren? It would be wise for us to dissect what it could reveal.”
Sai scoffs, and my fingers twitch at the obnoxious sound. “Well, it’s pretty fucking clear why she didn’t pick you.” His hands drop from his face, revealing a sour glare aimed at Julien. “Y’know, considering.”
I watch them. Julien’s expression is calm, impassive, but I can see the darkness bubbling beneath the surface. Whereas Sai openly taunts with his sneer and narrowed gaze. Sai is setting a trap, and Julien—
“Considering?”—falls right into it.
Sai leans back in his chair, arms slouched over the back as he studies Julien with clear contempt. It seems Sai has listenedto my brother, because he’s picked a new victim to unleash his disdain onto.
I sigh, catching my brother’s concerned gaze and shaking my head slightly—just so, just once—letting him know it isn’t time to intervene. Yet.
“Well, y’know, considering you tried to sink your fangs into her.” Sai holds up one finger. “Threatened to drain her.” Then another. “Told her you were going to chain her up.” He adds his thumb and moves his hand side to side in a provoking manner. Julien’s gaze locks onto the action. “Oh, let’s not forget giving her your blood, without her consent—twice.” Sai flicks up his final fingers, indicating five, but a crackle of his power emits from his palm when he does, and we all watch as it hits Julien square in the chest.
I smell scorched fabric and skin, but Julien doesn’t flinch.
There will be no permanent damage, barely a mark already healing, but it will sting—in more ways than one.
Julien emits a low, short huff of air. His blood-red eyes flicker to Sai, and that skilful, calm, poised demeanour he usually holds fractures.
For as long as I had known Julien and Sai—which was a considerable amount of time—the two had always defended one another. No matter the situation, no matter the wrongdoing, no matter the consequence. Even when we found them, their allegiance to each other was perspicuous, in the truest sense. I had always admired that of them—their loyalty. They complemented each other in many ways, but especially in their words. Their interrogations were always entertaining to witness. Whilst Julien delivered calm, unnerving facts, Sai offered cruel, sadistic honesty. They preferred to dismantle a creature’s spirit—their soul—first. Physical punishment was always secondary.
Together, they broke creatures with precision. Which makes this… off.
It is usually my brother or I who takes the brunt of Sai’s emotions. Only this morning, he and Ezekial had fought over who would contact Kacey.
“Sai.” No endearment, just his name uttered in a low, blunt tone by Julien. That catches my full attention. “Shall I list your indiscretions next?” Sai’s gaze shimmers with a black gleam. I lean closer to him. “Flay you with my words as you have done unto me?” Julien’s eyes darken, and the shadows creep inwards. “The manipulation, the blackmail, the mental games. Treating her as less than. A thing.” The hairs on my neck rise as the air becomes electrified. “Shall I continue, my friend?”
Ezekial stands, causing metallic flickers to form around us. “Right, this isn’t getting us anywhere, we need to work together—”
“Oh, just piss off with your‘kumbaya’shit.” His markings flare, hairline cracks in his skin waiting to split.
Ezekial’s metallic wisps disintegrate, his gaze altering as spikes of black erupt from his pupil and pierce the bright silver of his iris.
Their eyes are locked, the air crackles, and the shadows morph into thicker shapes.
“Well, the wayIsee it…” Ezekial’s voice dips into the dark, his darker iris almost consumed as he glowers at Sai. “I am the only one, theonlyone, who hasn’t completely fucked this up.” He glances at us all before going back to Sai. “I am the only one trying to come up with some type of solution while you”—he points at Sai, metallic sparks flying—“just sit there with your snarky comments and piss-poor attitude, trying to blame everybody else but yourself because you’re too much of a coward to admit you’re terrified she might never forgive us—”
“Oh, here he is. Behold! The noble knight in his oh-so-bright and shiny armour, come to save us all!” Sai throws his arms up as he mockingly addresses Ezekial. “Forgive me, mightylord, we cannot all be as radiant and benevolent as you.” He sneers, then drops his voice. “But don’t you forget, lying is also a sin, and I don’t remember you rushing in to tell her the truth.”
Julien tenses, Ezekial’s jaw grits. I let it play out.
“And I don’t recall any of you telling me about her until the day she strolled right into the Council building—into my courtroom! With no fucking warning!” Ezekial spits the words, his scowl darkening as his glare rakes over us. “She was just there! Right in front of me!”
Ribbons of metallic and black energy surge into the air, crackling and casting flickers of light pulsing with his fury. But then he flinches, as though catching himself, remembering himself.
Remembering her.
