“Beautiful yet so very…fragile. Even before I really knew or understood what was going on, I could tell that each child she was forced to birth zapped a bit more of her strength away, yet…my father never stopped.
“My earliest recollection of the moment I started to break free of their brainwashing was when I had the horrible realization that it would eventually kill her. Paired with the knowledge that I was the only one who cared or seemed to see it. My siblings, my father, it was like they had gone numb to it all. They were so used to it being that way, and it was so normalized that it didn’t matter.
“I honestly felt like I was going insane. I couldn’t understand why they’d talk about what she was being put through as if it was beautiful, a fucking honor, when it was killing her. All the while, trying to convince me that I should accept that as my future. I hated them. I still do…
“My mother really is the only one I miss, but then, she was the only one who wanted better for me, and didn’t try to gaslight me into accepting that everything there was normal.
“So, no, I don’t understand losing complete control, but I do understand not having control of the life you are living, the manipulation…not to mention, the betrayal and the hatred that comes with it.”
Ender took a deep breath and slowly let it out. There was a small smile on his face, as he leaned back against the counter behind him and said, “Fair enough.”
“Ender, can I ask you something?”
The Gorgon nodded.
“Does it ever go away? The burning ball of hatred?”
“No,” Ender said without hesitation before chuckling. “Well, not for me, at least it hasn’t. Because every time I think about what he did, or who he took from me, it just comes roaring back.”
“I see…” He wasn’t sure if he should be sad about that. Part of him didn’t want to feel anything at all for the bastards. “If I have to feel anything about them, at least it’s that. They do deserve to be hated.” Killian sighed. “I suppose, the guilt of surviving doesn’t go away either, does it?”
“That it does not,” the Gorgon said, before huffing. “This conversation deserves to be drowned out by something sweet and calorie heavy.”
He laughed. “I’d say so. What you got?”
“Let’s make something.”
His gaze flicked to the bag of lemons on the table, as he chimed, “What about a lemon meringue pie?”
“Well, we do have plenty of lemons, and we should have everything else we need. Is it a favorite of yours?”
“I like it well enough, but I personally prefer chocolate. Cyrus, on the other hand, will fight someone for it.”
Ender snorted. “The question is…why would we make something he likes when he isn’t even here?”
“Because it would be funny if we ate most of it, and only saved, let’s say, a small sliver for him.”
“How generous of us,” the man drawled.
“Right!?” Killian giggled.
Ender chuckled. “Cruel Siren.”
“Mm,” he hummed happily.
“Do we even have time to bake and eat most of it?”
Killian’s smile widened at the question. “Oh, we have plenty of time. Cyrus is a horribly slow shopper. Takes him hours to buy one thing. With how much he needs to get, I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see those two until nightfall.”
Ender’s brow rose at that. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Poor, poor, Toddles,” Ender snickered evilly. “Let’s get baking!”
Cyrus staredat the black ruffled blouse in his hands for a moment, and then slowly put it back, before hesitating and picking it up again. It was Killian’s style, yet…he wasn’t quite sure the Siren would love it.
Soren let out an angry chirp from behind him. “I swear to all that is holy, if you pick it up and put it down one more fucking time, I’m going to?—”
