He jerks back from my hold and, for the first time, looks at me with distrust.“We all have sacrifices to make,” he says firmly.
He’s never going to change his mind.That much is clear to see.
His chin lowers as water drips down his face. He wants to cry, I know it, but he can’t, so he lets the water he splashed upon his face mimic the action.
“What is the book for, Everett? What’s Caldara?” I demand.
“If you look now, Sable will know. Do not look before your time, Selene.”
“And when is my time?”
“When this conversation becomes an old memory.”
“Where will you be then?” Reaching out, I grab his shoulders, anchoring him to me.
His eyes shift to mine.
I press again.“Where will you be, Everett?”
He licks his lips.“Whether we are in the same room or leagues apart, I’m always with you. Remember that.”
I grab my chest as tears spill from my eyes.“I can not do this anymore, brother. I can’t play this game of guessing. It’s tearing me apart, and you as well.”
Each step I take back is like a knife to my lungs.
My heart still beats, but it’s missing what defines it.“I’m finished. No more. Keep me out of it.”
His throat bobs as he swallows.
“You knew I would say this,” I state.
He nods.“I’m not mad.”
“You… you wanted this. You want me to hate you so that I won’t stop you.”
“If you love me, you’ll follow me—through thick and thin, life and death. If you detest me, you will leave me alone.” He keeps his eyes on my feet.“Sister, you’ll grasp the significanceof these words eventually.” His raw yet tender stare locks onto me as I stagger back to the door.“If you are smart, repeat what I said to save the one you love.”
I lean against the door for extra stability.“You’ve demonstrated to me that nobody in this family understands love. We exploit.” I turn fast so he won’t see me cry. I fling the door open and slam it shut, but not before his reply reaches my ears.
“We exploit people because we love them. If we didn’t, we’d just discard them.”
The present.
Some seeds remain dormant for years. For them to sprout, conditions must be right. Everett seeds are starting to awaken. I fear the flowers they grow will be of deadly beauty.
“Caldara,” I whisper. I trace the name onto the stone of my balcony. “What and where are you?”
Do you house the Vitalis or just more breadcrumbs for us to follow?
I did as you said, brother. I didn’t look because I knew if I did, it would be disastrous.
I stopped asking Everett questions after that awful day, which was easy because of the war. I worked as a healer, Sable as a dealer in death, poisoning the lands so the vampires could not grow crops for their army, which forced them to invade human lands again.Everett left as a warrior who never returned.
I turned my back on my brother. I felt like his madness was seeping into me, so I had to wring myself dry of it.
“I’m meant to look now, am I? And, yet again, you were right. You are not with me.” I bring my hand to my chest. “But I feelyou. Your magic. If that is meant to be a source of solace for me, I beg to differ. Why Titus? Actually, don’t answer that. I know why. I’m strong. You made me so, but strength has its limits, brother. I will bend, and if I don’t get the answers, I fear I will break.”
The door to my living room opens. Galen’s strong footsteps carry him to my balcony.
