found you nearly dead. Who was it?”
Hart clears his throat and looks away.
I don’t think he’s going to tell me.
I can wait…
Actually, I can’t because the world is ending and all.
“I told you… I can help you. I can help you stop Gracen, and you’re here asking about things that don’t matter to anybody. What’s your problem?”
“You.” I shrug. It’s only partly true. He’s been my problem for years. Not when we were little. Not even because I hate him. I don’t. I never have. It’s just… Hart is good at making mistakes and then expecting other people to clean them up for him. I don’t want to clean up his messes anymore, but damn if this isn’t the biggest mess in the history of the world.
“Me?” He smiles and shakes his head. “Brother, we have a lot more to worry about than me.”
“I don’t know. Right now, you are the only thing in this world I can seem to control.” Tired. That’s all I am right now is tired. Just… tired. I don’t even have the energy to pick my feet up as I head over to the chair next to the wall and fall against it. Hart flinches. I don’t even care why.
“Always trying to control me.”
“Never trying to control you. If you saw it that way, that’s your issue. Not mine.”
I expect some sort of smart-ass remark.
Instead, he slams his fist against the concrete wall so hard that blood splatters, turning the gray a nice shade of nasty red. “We don’t have time for this! I already told you I’d help you stop Gracen. I told you! Why are you stalling? So Seth can call again? Grow up, Lucien! He’s not helping you. He’s out for himself. And here you are, trusting him again! My God, you’re a hypocrite.”
The fire leaves him, and he slumps against the wall. Blood drips from his contorted fingers, and he doesn’t flinch.
My little brother is chained to a wall in the basement of a house I don’t know. He’s bloody and hurt. And I’ve done it to him.
My little brother that I used to play games with and laugh with.
My little brother who isn’t so little anymore.
My little brother who I promised our father I’d protect.
My little brother I jumped into Hell for.
I can’t lose him.
Not again.
I just can’t.
I’m his big brother.
I have one job, well two jobs right now. Stop the Abomination and protect my brother. That’s it. That’s. It.
I can’t tell him any of this, though. He can’t know that I’m on his side or that I want him so badly to somehow fix Gracen. He can never know because then he might, I don’t know, try to risk his life to save mine. I can’t let that happen.
I don’t know what to do.
But I can’t sit here and do this.
“Do you know where Seth’s book is?”
He rolls his eyes and looks at me like he’s going to start an argument again. No. Not this time. Not this time. “I’m asking you… as your brother. Do you know where Seth’s book is? I swear I won’t tell Seth. I won’t leave you here, but Hart, we have to work together.”
I think Hart wants to say something snarky. Maybe like “How can we work together?” or something like that. Instead, he bites his lip and his eyes glisten. “Yes. We do.”
He doesn’t say yes. I don’t have to hear yes. I take it as he took the book and moved it at some point. I’m trusting him. Dear Lord, this could go all kinds of wrong. But I do it. I trust him. I stand and pull the keys from my pocket, head over to Hart, and unlock the chains.
I don’t even hesitate.
Hart groans as he pulls his stiff arms down to his side and rubs the circulation back in his hands.
“Is your hand broken?” I reach down to help him up. It seems the least I can do.
Hart clears his throat, looking down at his hands just like me. Then…
I feel the pain in my jaw before I actually understand that it was his fist that connected with it, and I stagger back. I fall against the lamp, pulling the cord from the wall and engulfing us into darkness.
“It might be
Hart clears his throat and looks away.
I don’t think he’s going to tell me.
I can wait…
Actually, I can’t because the world is ending and all.
“I told you… I can help you. I can help you stop Gracen, and you’re here asking about things that don’t matter to anybody. What’s your problem?”
“You.” I shrug. It’s only partly true. He’s been my problem for years. Not when we were little. Not even because I hate him. I don’t. I never have. It’s just… Hart is good at making mistakes and then expecting other people to clean them up for him. I don’t want to clean up his messes anymore, but damn if this isn’t the biggest mess in the history of the world.
“Me?” He smiles and shakes his head. “Brother, we have a lot more to worry about than me.”
“I don’t know. Right now, you are the only thing in this world I can seem to control.” Tired. That’s all I am right now is tired. Just… tired. I don’t even have the energy to pick my feet up as I head over to the chair next to the wall and fall against it. Hart flinches. I don’t even care why.
“Always trying to control me.”
“Never trying to control you. If you saw it that way, that’s your issue. Not mine.”
I expect some sort of smart-ass remark.
Instead, he slams his fist against the concrete wall so hard that blood splatters, turning the gray a nice shade of nasty red. “We don’t have time for this! I already told you I’d help you stop Gracen. I told you! Why are you stalling? So Seth can call again? Grow up, Lucien! He’s not helping you. He’s out for himself. And here you are, trusting him again! My God, you’re a hypocrite.”
The fire leaves him, and he slumps against the wall. Blood drips from his contorted fingers, and he doesn’t flinch.
My little brother is chained to a wall in the basement of a house I don’t know. He’s bloody and hurt. And I’ve done it to him.
My little brother that I used to play games with and laugh with.
My little brother who isn’t so little anymore.
My little brother who I promised our father I’d protect.
My little brother I jumped into Hell for.
I can’t lose him.
Not again.
I just can’t.
I’m his big brother.
I have one job, well two jobs right now. Stop the Abomination and protect my brother. That’s it. That’s. It.
I can’t tell him any of this, though. He can’t know that I’m on his side or that I want him so badly to somehow fix Gracen. He can never know because then he might, I don’t know, try to risk his life to save mine. I can’t let that happen.
I don’t know what to do.
But I can’t sit here and do this.
“Do you know where Seth’s book is?”
He rolls his eyes and looks at me like he’s going to start an argument again. No. Not this time. Not this time. “I’m asking you… as your brother. Do you know where Seth’s book is? I swear I won’t tell Seth. I won’t leave you here, but Hart, we have to work together.”
I think Hart wants to say something snarky. Maybe like “How can we work together?” or something like that. Instead, he bites his lip and his eyes glisten. “Yes. We do.”
He doesn’t say yes. I don’t have to hear yes. I take it as he took the book and moved it at some point. I’m trusting him. Dear Lord, this could go all kinds of wrong. But I do it. I trust him. I stand and pull the keys from my pocket, head over to Hart, and unlock the chains.
I don’t even hesitate.
Hart groans as he pulls his stiff arms down to his side and rubs the circulation back in his hands.
“Is your hand broken?” I reach down to help him up. It seems the least I can do.
Hart clears his throat, looking down at his hands just like me. Then…
I feel the pain in my jaw before I actually understand that it was his fist that connected with it, and I stagger back. I fall against the lamp, pulling the cord from the wall and engulfing us into darkness.
“It might be
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