“The same day we left, Cyrus Grimm and Severo Ambrose also headed into space. As did other Bureau ships from various locations.”
His brow rose at that, before his eyes widened as he recalled what he read near the end of the ship's manifest.
“Ah shit.” Ender grabbed the tablet, scrolling to the bottom of the ‘breathing’ goods list. “Fucking traffickers.” He groaned before reading the last two listings out loud, “Item Number: 609.Species: Siren. Age: 200+. Hair: Teal and purple ombré. Eyes: Blue. Danger Level: Max. Item Number: 610. Species: Water Nymph. Age: Under 2. Hair: Cyan. Eyes: Gold. Danger Level: None.”
As he had read the descriptors, Soren and a few of the other’s eyes had widened in horror, clearly having come to the same realization he just had.
“Fucking hell,” Kore groaned.
Ender laughed, more in disbelief than anything, while he cheerfully and tiredly announced, “Well, ladies, gents, and everyone neither and in between, buckle up. We are about to get fucked five ways to Sunday, because that dumb bastard, Riker, took Killian Neftlem and Skya North.”
His words brought silence, but it was broken by a beeping noise, and Meara standing to move to her area of the control panels. “The Delgrim Pirates have arrived,” she stated, as she started typing on a holographic keyboard, no doubt using old school methods to communicate with the pirate’s ship. “Calico is planning to leave part of his team behind to work on his ship.”
“Whatever, whatever, just let his ass on.” Pushing up with a groan, he left the table again. Not caring enough at the moment to meet Calico and discuss a damn thing, Ender headed back to his room, once again ignoring Soren, even as the Harpy followed him inside.
Cyrus-fucking-Grimm… He couldn’t say he’d have ever expected that son of a bitch to break the rules. The question was: which had he broken them for?
Either way, Ender supposed he had found out the reason why he was here, and basically the who.
Soren eyed Ender as the Gorgon sat down on the couch and pretended like he wasn’t there, the man just staring off into space. Clearly, Ender wanted to be left alone, and was willing to pretend he was, now that the door had closed, sealing them inside.
And Soren would like to leave his brother alone, but unfortunately, the damn snake was hiding something.
Smiling sharply, he asked, “I’m curious, Ender, why the sudden urge to know about the cargo? Or better yet, again I ask, why the fuck are you here?”
The Gorgon’s gaze snapped into focus, his eyes narrowing on him. “Drop it.”
“I won’t. Because before a few days ago, I would have said that there was nothing in this forsaken universe that would have prompted you to willingly leave your safe space within the month before the anniversary of our family’s deaths. And certainly not a damn urge to get in on the ‘action’ again.”
Ender just glared.
“Glare all you want,little brother, but I’m not stupid enough to think something is not up.”
“Stop. Pushing,” the Gorgon ground out.
“All I do is stop!” Soren snapped in frustration. “All I do is hold back. I’m tired of holding back, and I’m tired of you fucking hiding things from me!”
Ender let out a cold, low chuckle as he slowly relaxed back, lounging now. “Then why are you still here with me, Soren? Because I’ll tell you what…things are sure as shit not gonna change.”
Soren looked into his little brother’s face and saw Ender…yet also a stranger. Sometimes, the latter was all he saw, and it crushed part of him more each time it happened. Looks-wise, the Gorgon hadn’t changed much in too many years to count. He had the same long white hair, pointed ears, button nose, square jaw, plush lips, and everything. It was only when you got to the man’s amber eyes, with his slightly vertically elongated pupils, that the change was apparent. The lack of spark that used to be there… Sometimes, all that was there was this burning disgust with the world and life…
Ender was his family, though few knew it. They both usually kept that tie a secret until they were alone. Though Ender barely ever acknowledged it…unless it was to be sarcastic, or to lash out.
Not that it mattered. No one would guess. His ass had been adopted, so…what was there to guess? A bird raised by a couple of snakes…that’s what he was.
But regardless who knew, or how strained their ties had become, Ender was, and always would be, his little brother. Aside from that, he was also his best friend. The first came naturally, while the second came as soon as the little shit had begun to talk. Soren was five years older, but as soon as the brat started speaking, it was a done deal. But this wasn’t the same Ender as back then, and he wasn’t the same either… Yet…he couldn’t let the man go…
“Why do you keep pushing me away, Ender?” he rasped, his voice breaking despite trying to hold back his emotions.
Ender stared at the man,someone who arguably was the person he trusted most in the world. His big brother in all definitions of the word, aside from blood. A friend he knew would never purposely try to hurt him, and yet…as he looked at the hurt in the Harpy’s all too familiar stormy-gray eyes, at a face he had seen for over hundreds of years, part of him wished Soren would go away and never return. The fact was, his brother was a reminder…
A reminder of a better time. A reminder of when he had once been happy… The last one he had. Soren was the last person he had to remind him that he had once woken up every morning with a smile on his face, instead of pain in his chest as he instantly remembered everything he had fucking lost. And every single fucking time he saw the Harpy, and noticed how dower he had become, how little the man smiled now, it just drove home that Ender was slowly but surely dragging Soren down with him.
“Why do you keep staying, Soren?”
The Harpy smiled, but it was all pain. “I stay because you are my brother, my friend, mybestfriend, my family. I stay because I love you, you crazy ass snake. And because I’m stubbornly not willing to let go of you. But Ender, I need you to…” The man swallowed, his eyes glistening with tears now. “To realize that I lost them too… That I have guilt too. That I am struggling too… That…” Soren trailed off, rubbing his face with a sigh, but that pain-filled smile was still in place.
Ender, of course, knew all of this already. And while he wanted to help his brother—his friend—the problem was that he was numb.
