I feel antsy.
And frustrated.
Both of which are getting the better of me as my thoughts drift once again.
Why is Jenkins here?
Is he protecting somebody?
Or is that at least what he thinks he’s doing? Because it sure as hell won’t truly be happening. That case has been proven with Elodie and her parents.
My eyebrows pinch as my brain aches. I’m sure I'm going to go insane in here. I feel completely out of touch.
I miss hearing Elodie's voice.
I miss Rion's ability to drive me mad over the most ridiculous of things.
I miss Thorne’s thundering stance when he's in a mood or in his head.
Damn. I even miss Ocean's jibes.
It'll all be worth it, as long as this pulls through.I don't want to have dealt with all of this for nothing. It just feels impossible when I’m disconnected from them. The inability to communicate is isolating, and, as evidenced by my stint in the basement of Institute Thirteen, I don’t fare too well alone.
Clearing my throat, I tilt my head back, taking a deep breath. I vowed to myself earlier that I would save these people. I just hope that doesn't jeopardize me returning to my life, or what remains of it when all is said and done.
Murmurs from the other side of the door interrupt my thoughts and my eyebrows pinch together as I strain my ears to listen. It takes a second, though. The energy in the rooms are all off, with an air of magic that I can’t quite comprehend.
The room where the subordinates are is encapsulated with a potent spell, making it impossible for them to connect with their magic, but even here, I can feel the tingles of a restraint of something, I just can’t quite pinpoint what.
Inching closer to the door, I press my back against the wall and take a deep breath, letting my vampire senses come forward.
“Consider me inspired, Walker,” my brotherstates, a knot of dread forming in my stomach before I even have a clue what he’s referring to.
“Shall I go tell your brother?” Walker asks, and Jude huffs.
“No. He can wait a while longer,” he decides before the sound of footsteps drift off into the distance.
I shouldn't be surprised by his mind games. He probably wanted me to hear that, to know he is planning something that I’m unaware of. It wouldn’t be the first time, and I can only wish it would be the last, but with Jude, it’s all never ending. The one consistency my brother has always had is mayhem, and of all the less-than-savory penchants, the mind games are the ones I’m certain are going to make me insane.
Taking a deep breath, my eyelids fall closed as a memory flashes across my mind.
The sound of waves crashing in the distance lull me as I blink up at my brother, hope blossoming in my chest at the smile that spreads across his face. The stormy skies of Scotland are all too familiar now.
Unfortunately for me, in this moment, the wicked grin on his lips doesn't make sense to me.
“You can do this, Little Brother. I believe in you,” he encourages, and I shudder.
“But I'm scared,” I rattle, teeth chattering, and it's not from the wind that whips around us, it's from the fear of the sheer drop below.
“Don't be silly, Kael. It's a rite of passage. All you have to do is jump. Have faith in me, yourself, your family, and just like that, our parents are going to accept you,” he persists, and I frown at him.
“Why would they make me do this?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief, and he plants a hand on my shoulder, his fingers squeezing just a little too tightly to offer reassurance.
“I don't know. I don't make the rules. I just have to follow them, like you. But once you've done this, they'll accept you into the fold. They’ll trust in you to fight alongside us.”
“And if I don’t?” I ask, and he huffs.
“Then they're going to disown you.”
