The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II - 12. Chapter 12

The Brotherhood: Awakening

Chapter XII

By X

 

 

The shadow lashed out at me with an appendage more snake-like than arm. Curled, spectral fingers attached where the viper’s head should be, yet they sat posed to strike with just as much vigor. A mere second before it plucked me from the air, a pair of solid arms wrapped around me from behind and caught me in a secure embrace. Before I could react, the ghostly shape and the tumultuous light and dark energies swirling everywhere were swept away by a single command.

“Enough!” Zenial ordered.

I recognized the arms around my chest without looking; the color of Sunny’s suit was a dead giveaway. His hold tightened and released with each beat of his mighty wings as we hovered just inches from the lofted ceiling. This gave me a perfect birds-eye view of the action below.

Kaylec and Soullen appeared as statues, their blades and eyes locked in combat. All Eiyrlin weapons emit a similar crackle due to the energy and power they contain. But they are fundamentally different, and the explosion that filled the room with darkness and light had been caused by the collision of their sword’s opposing energies.

Soullen's second blade was shoved against Kaylec's ribcage. Kaylec seemed to be leaning into it, daring Soullen to attack. I think Soullen would have taken him up on it if it weren't for the pressure of Kaylec's second sword pressed firmly across his neck.

It was clear the only thing keeping Soullen's head on his shoulders was the black chain around Kaylec's wrist. I could see him fighting against it, desperately trying to finish what he had started, but the chain would not relent. It began from a rip in space that hung over Zenial's left shoulder and extended across the room. I have no idea if the tear was a doorway to another realm, a manipulation of the elements, a visual disturbance, or a parlor trick, but it was certainly an impressive display of power.

After his initial command, Zenial stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the world outside his windows. I had a different vantage point than he did, but something had obviously captured his attention. Whether it was the beauty of Hartford with its lights sparkling against the velvety night sky or something else, I can't tell you. But the unfolding drama inside his office had to be more pressing. My adrenaline was pumping. If it affected Zenial at all, he didn’t show it.

“You betrayed me!” Kaylec hissed at his former protégé.

Sunny slowly lowered to the ground, but he never let go of me.

“Betrayed you?” As if ready to disclose the secret to a magic trick, a mischievous grin spread across Soullen's face. “I never pledged my allegiance to you or The Sanctum. Think long and hard, for I would never let such an oath leave my lips. That is a fiction you told yourself to feel like the smartest El’odian in the room.” He moved his face closer to Kaylec, ignoring the growing pressure of the blade at his neck. “But you will never be as smart as him.”

“You will die by my hand,” Kaylec vowed, barely moving his lips as he spoke. He fought harder against the chain holding him back, desperately straining for the additional millimeters needed to fill that promise.

“Then we shall die here together," Soullen sneered, moving the point of his blade to the soft spot just under Kaylec’s ribs.

“No one is dying here today,” Raz said matter-of-factly, intervening before the next word brought bloodshed. He took hold of Kaylec’s shackled arm and carefully pulled the blade away from Soullen’s neck. “You heard the big man. Enough.”

Kaylec realized he was helpless against the iron restraint and Raz's overwhelming power and gave up the struggle. But even as he retreated, angry storms of Askyli's raged from his eyes. Raz escorted the pissed-off Kaylec past me and away from Soullen. The chain uncoiled itself when they were a reasonable distance apart and snaked back from where it came.

The tear sealed itself without leaving a scar.

It felt weird not to be the target of Kaylec’s anger. And while I understood his hostility toward Soullen, I wasn’t about to shed any tears.

“Are you okay?” Sunny whispered, still holding me. I looked over my shoulder and nodded.

“Thank you,” I said, tapping Sunny’s arm to assure him it was okay to let me go. I took a few steps away from him before turning back and whispering, "Hey, you saw that, right?”

“Kind of hard to miss Kaylec going full mental.” He shifted his eyes towards Kaylec for a moment, then noticed me shake my head. “What?”

I just blinked.

“What?” He said again.

“Nothing. It was nothing.” I said, disappointed he hadn’t noticed the strange shadow figure during all the chaos. I admit it caused me to question if I’d really seen it or if it was simply a hallucination caused by the blast. Before I could consider it further, Zenial turned away from the window. He walked around his desk to approach Soullen.

“Now, Your Highness….” His words were cut off by a series of spectacular acrobatic moves performed by Soullen.

I’m new to being an El’odian, but I’ve witnessed a few battles in person and in replay. And I’ve seen impressive athletics on both sides. Soullen’s skills ranked as high as most, and if his future as a Nave was ever in question, his future with Cirque du Soleil was not.

He started with an impressive backflip toward the ceiling, then twisted sideways, stretched out midair, and wrapped himself in a cocoon of light. I think he slowed down, or maybe time did, for he tucked himself into a ball once again to complete the backflip and land clad in white armor.

With a stunning flourish, he twirled his blades about before taking a defensive stance to signal he was not going down without a fight.

Damn! I wanted to clap.

Zenial moved cautiously toward Soullen as if approaching a corned animal. “There is no need to be afraid.”

Ribbons of Anavi rose from the ground and swirled around Soullen. He faded slightly as he tried to teleport out of the room but snapped back to full pixel almost instantly.

“It seems His Highness forgot no one can port in or out of this building.”

The small slit in Soullen's helmet showed only blackness and betrayed nothing of his emotions. It was as if the face held within no longer existed. His posture, on the other hand, revealed everything. As Zenial moved closer to him, his desperation grew.

That’s when two orbs of Anavi appeared where his eyes should be. The black slit in his helmet slowly filled with light.

Oh, shit!

The orbs grew brighter and began to swirl. They were building in strength and intensity like a charge preparing to blow. Soullen was going supernova.

I took a half-step back. Sunny looked at me, and I just shrugged. I wasn’t really in any line of fire…yet. And even if I were, twenty steps back wouldn’t help.

Unlike me, Zenial was completely unfazed. He moved calmly and methodically toward Soullen, who, in turn, frantically unleashed a torrent of Anavi. To my surprise, it wasn’t aimed at Zenial but instead hit the wall of windows across the room. The assault lasted several seconds, but the glass remained intact. Soullen leaned forward, then paused and if surprised to see his escape route still blocked. I shared in his shock. He turned to Zenial, whirled his sword again, then thrust it out menacingly as a warning.

His head snapped back to the window, and another optic blast was released. It was more intense than the first and much longer. His Anavi flowed over the glass like water, spreading in all directions to cover the entire pane. A single envelope blew off a cabinet positioned to the left of the window. Other than that, nothing happened. Soullen halted his attack.

“His Highness is more than welcome to continue his assault on the window,” Zenial said as he adjusted his right sleeve. Sunny moved to pick up the envelope, but Zenial waved him off. "If you work at it for a day or two, you might be able to form a small crack. "

Soullen snapped his head up to the skylights.

Zenial smiled. “They are also reinforced.”

Unwilling to give up, Soullen fired a shot toward the ceiling itself, only to fail again.

“Try if you must, but the outcome will be the same,” Zenial promised when he saw Soullen looking at the floor. “There is no way out of this room unless I will it.”

I could actually hear Soullen seething inside his helmet.

“So be it!” He screamed and lunged wildly at Zenial.

Slipping his hands into his pocket, Zenial sidestepped Soullen’s attack with ease.

“Fuck!” Sunny cried out and rushed forward as if it was a call to action. Raz stopped him.

“Just let it happen.”

Razual’s lack of concern was quickly justified as we watched Soullen fail to land a single blow against Zenial. He evaded every attack by simply being faster, moving out of the way, jerking his head to the side, or lifting a foot when Soullen swung low. At no point did Zenial pull his hands out of his pockets. It was like watching a choreographed dance. The two moved in perfect unison as if they were professional dancers performing a routine they had rehearsed for weeks. It was a sight to behold.

To be fair, Soullen wasn’t exactly a slouch in battle. Admittedly, I’m no swordsman, but I could tell he had deadly skills with a blade. He was trained by Q, after all. But the gap in experience and power was clearly on display here. It was apparent Zenial could have ended this little waltz whenever he wanted, but he allowed it to play out. Not because he wanted to embarrass Soullen. That didn’t seem like his style. He seemed to be letting Soullen get his frustrations out. Perhaps Zenial was hoping he’d be more willing to listen after his tantrum.

“Fight me!” Soullen demanded, springing forward with his blade yet again.

Zenial spun to the side and rolled down the length of Soullen’s sword, until he stood behind him, back-to-back. He bent over slightly and bumped Soullen forward with his butt. Soullen stumbled forward but caught himself. Both men then turned to face each other. Two tears in space appeared over Zenial’s shoulders. The black chains sprang forth like trained cobras, catching Soullen off guard as they coiled around his wrists and hauled him into the air.

The dance was over.

“Fucking epic!” Sunny whispered breathlessly.

I need to give it up to Soullen. He still didn’t back down. With his feet dangling below him and swords in hand, he struggled against the chains while still hurling ultimatums.

“Release me at once, or I’ll destroy you!” His bravado was fierce, even if undeserved, considering he was hanging there helpless, like a newborn babe. All that was missing was a doctor coming up behind him and slapping him on the bum.

“When I am confident His Highness is ready to hear what I have to say, I will release him.”

Escaping Raz’s grasp, Kaylec stormed up to Zenial with demands of his own. “Why would you release him, brother? Just kill him and be done with it!”

Zenial slowly turned to face Kaylec. He spoke through clenched teeth, “Be silent.”

I was honestly expecting Kaylec to keep going, as he does, but not this time. There was a coldness in Zenial’s stare, an ominous warning to all who looked into his eyes. He was done fucking around. Bowing his head slightly, Kaylec backed away from his brother without another word.

Zenial returned his attention to the Prince. “Is His Highness ready to listen?”

“I would sooner die than listen to your lies. Release me, and let us end this!”

Never one to miss a beat, Sunny piped in, “I’m getting strong ‘no’ vibes. Anyone else?” He looked around, hoping for a response. “Anyone?”

“Sunny….” Raz sighed heavily.

“I hoped we could discuss this with more dignity for His Highness' sake, but I suppose this will have to do.”

He moved closer to Soullen, looking up at the dangling princeling. The two tears over Zenial moved along with him as if they were an extension of his body. “My intentions were never to harm you.”

Soullen looked down at Zenial with what I could only assume was utter contempt.

“Over the last few days, we have been negotiating with The Brotherhood to release our brethren.”

Sunny and I looked at each other as if we expected the other to know what Zenial meant.

Thankfully, Kaylec asked the question for us. “Which brothers?”

In response, Raz shook his head in anger and disgust. Or maybe disappointment. Or maybe all three. It was hard to tell. “The brothers you left for dead in Scania. You remember? Right after your little stunt with the fake Eye had failed. Not all our human brothers were killed that night. Some survived, many of whom were gravely injured. They were captured by the Nave and taken to their house in Stockholm. They healed our brothers and have been holding them ever since. We want them back.”

“That’s awesome!” Sunny exclaimed.

“Yes, it is,” Kaylec echoed Sunny sentiment, though it lacked the same zeal.

“We will return His Highness to The Brotherhood in exchange for the safe return of our brothers,” Zenial continued. “I have been in close contact with Qua’quelle and….”

When that name was uttered, Soullen’s helmet curled off his face and melted away like a luminescent vapor. “You’ve spoken to Qua’quelle?” The harshness in his voice disappeared along with the helmet and was replaced with a sense of curiosity.

“I did,” Zenial nodded and smiled. The black chains released their captive and retreated into the void. As before, the air closed its wounds with no permanent injury. Soullen dropped from the ceiling to one knee but quickly bounced to his feet. He took the same defensive stance as before. “And I gave him my word that no harm would come to their royal brother while under my care. In exchange, Qua'quelle promised me that the Naverian Prince would act in a way befitting his position and title.”

“He did?” Soullen asked, making eye contact with everyone except Kaylec. He looked a bit surprised, if not a little embarrassed.

“Yes, he did,” Zenial smirked.

Again, Soullen looked at everyone in the room except for Kaylec before he spoke. “Well….uh, release me immediately and be done with it.”

A swift backhand to my stomach was followed by Sunny whispering out of the corner of his mouth. “It wouldn’t be much of a trade if we did that, now would it?”

I elbowed him to get him to be quiet.

“I’m afraid releasing His Highness now would be impossible,” Zenial continued. “But I assure you, you will be reunited with your kin soon. We are meeting with The Great Mother in three days for the exchange. Until then, you will remain here as our guest.” He followed his end remarks with an elegant bow.

Unable to trust his situation, Soullen scanned the room, looking for another way out. The realization that he wasn’t getting out of there without Zenial’s permission was beginning to sink in. “Why should I trust you?” he demanded, curling his lip in disgust. “You are Skai!”

“But I’m not a liar,” Zenial said plainly. “Something I believe His Highness already knows.”

Soullen raised his brow in question.

Zenial continued, “I suspect the only reason your brothers let you infiltrate The Sanctum is the knowledge that they would deal with me if things went wrong. It is not a secret that I’m a staunch proponent of maintaining the peace between our people for as long as possible.”

Kaylec approached, ready to launch into one of his rants, but was silenced with a simple hand gesture from his brother. It was not due to any special powers Zenial used but rather due to his very presence.

“Nonetheless, I cannot fault His Majesty for being skeptical, so please, feel free to call Qua'quelle.”

I was caught off guard when Zenial made that offer, and it appeared Soullen was as well. He looked uncomfortable, unsure of the situation or what to do. His eyes darted from face to face as if the answer to his predicament would suddenly materialize.

“You don’t have a cell phone, do you?” I finally asked.

“No,” he admitted. “I have never used such a device.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Sunny mumbled and shook his head.

“I see.” With a nod, Zenial stepped to the side and pointed to the cell phone on his desk. “You may use my phone if you wish.”

Gripping his sword tightly, he took a small step back as he looked between Zenial and the phone. Maybe he thought it was an exploding phone due to past trauma, I don’t know, but he seemed apprehensive about leaving his safe spot.

“Or you can use my phone,” I offered, pulling my cell out as I slowly approached. I figured he’d get more defensive as I got closer, but the opposite happened. He seemed to relax a bit. “I still have him on speed dial. All you have to do is press three to call him.”

“Treacherous!” Kaylec hissed softly.

“I don’t know what that means,” Soullen said, looking down at my phone screen.

“Is he serious?” Sunny questioned.

I gave him a dismissive wave to shut him up and hit 3 for Soullen. “Take it. It’s ringing.”

He released his sword to take my phone but was unwilling to let his guard down for even a second. The blade continued to hover before him like a guardian shielding its master. His second sword was still in his hand and remained pointed at Zenial.

“Qua’quelle!” he said eagerly and then looked at me with a hint of distrust. “He’s not there.”

“Because it’s still ringing, Soullen. You have to give him….”

His eyes lit up, “Qua’quelle!” I only needed to see his smile to know Q was on the other line.

“No, it’s not Jacob…” he protested, confused by the assumption. “Why would it be Jacob?”

I smirked, and my heart may or may not have skipped a beat.

“Oh my god!” Sunny threw his hands in frustration. “Does he really not know how caller ID works?” His query went ignored.

“I’m being held captive, and they refuse to….”

Whatever Q said, it effectively silenced him, and the call became one-sided. During their brief conversation, many nods and “I see” phrases came from Soullen. He was looking at Zenial, who stood by causally, if not a bit smugly, checking his nails as if they weren’t perfectly manicured. “I will. I give you my word.”

When their conversation ended, Soullen tossed me my phone without hanging up. I looked at the screen; his picture was still there. He was still on the line, yet I was powerless to say anything. All I could do was slide my finger across his picture and do my best to fight back the urge to say hi. Ten seconds later, the call ended, and his picture was gone.

“It seems I am to trust you,” Soullen declared as his swords vanished.

“Good,” Zenial smiled warmly at the young Prince.

“Not good!” Kaylec was unable to hold back any longer. He walked up behind Zenial as he approached Soullen. “You can’t seriously be considering handing him over to them.”

“In exchange for our brothers? Yes.” Zenial never turned to face his brother. “A single brother is worth more than a thousand Naverian Princes. And we are getting four. No offense to His Highness, of course.”

Soullen only glared.

“Zenial, listen to me!”

“It is done!” Zenial’s tone turned deep and dark. And while he never actually yelled, his words echoed off the walls and filled the room. Even the shadows in the room appeared to curve away from Zenial as if they were sentient and feared their master’s call. Once again, he turned his focus to Soullen, who was now only three feet away. “I'll have two of my men bring you to your room. I expect you to act in a way worthy of your station and not to cause trouble for them or any other Skai you may meet."

“I gave Qua’quelle my word. I will abide by the terms of your agreement. As you already know, I would never break my oath to my brother.”

“Then we have an understanding. If you need anything, pick up the phone in your room, and it will ring directly to me. As long as you are my guest, I will do everything possible to make your stay comfortable.”

With that said, Zenial walked to the door and asked Ms. Cynthia to have security take Soullen to his room. As he walked back to his desk, he leaned into Soullen and whispered, “Let’s not tell Ms. Cynthia about the direct line to my phone, okay?”

Soullen agreed with a small but knowing smile.

To everyone’s surprise, Ms. Cynthia entered the room within seconds without security.

“Ms. Cynthia?” Zenial inquired.

“There’s no need for security, Suga; I’ll walk him down myself.”

“That’s not necessary, Ms. Cynthia,” Zenial insisted, taking a step towards her with an outstretched arm. For the first time, I heard a hint of concern in his voice.

Raz also took a couple of steps toward Ms. Cynthia. He echoed Zenial’s sense of concern, and I could hear the alarm rise in his voice as she walked up next to Soullen. I understood their anxiety. She was the most vulnerable amongst us, and if Soullen lost his shit, he could really hurt Ms. Cynthia, if not outright kill her. At the same time, I believed their worries were without merit. First, as he said, he gave his word to Q. That was enough to seal the deal and ensure he wouldn’t act out. Second, and maybe more importantly, it was clear that Soullen had a fondness for Ms. Cynthia that would prevent him from doing her harm, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Don’t think the irony was lost on me as I made those arguments in my head. Ten minutes ago, I would’ve gladly thrown Soullen out the nearest window and know I’m defending him if only in my head.

“Hush up now, the both of you,” she scolded. Placing one hand over the other, she leaned back as she looked at Soullen from top to bottom. “If I’m to understand this correctly, a young prince stands before us. Isn’t that right, Suga?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Soullen answered in earnest.

“Well then, as a Prince, I expect he would treat this old lady with dignity and respect. Isn’t that right, Suga?”

“Of course!” Soullen insisted.

“See? You got yourselves all worked into a senseless huff.” She turned to Soullen and winked, “Imaginations run wild in this place.” He smiled back at her, obviously at ease with her by his side.

Ms. Cynthia then gave Zenial and Raz a nod. “Nothing to worry about, boys.”

A muffled groan came from Kaylec as he looked away from the pair.

“What was that, Suga?” she asked, placing her hand to her ear. When Kaylec remained silent, she figured it “must’ve been the wind.”

“What is this, child?” She knocked on Soullen’s gleaming, snow-white breastplate like a door. “I require strict adherence to the dress code. Business attire only. No jeans, no sneakers, no armor. No exceptions. We can’t have you running around here like this; you’ll scare my staff. Where is that lovely suit you had on earlier?”

“My apologies, Ms. Cynthia,” Soullen said, placing his hand on his chest, realizing he was standing before her clad in full armor. Immediately, Anavi swirled around him; its brilliance forced Ms. Cynthia to shield her eyes as we looked on unaffected. “It’s okay to look now.”

“Ah, much better, Suga,” she smiled and adjusted his tie. Soullen raised his head to allow her easier access. It was sweet watching the interaction between the two of them. It was like watching a grandma getting her grandson ready for church. “Now, let’s head downstairs, and on the way, you can tell me how you managed to get those chocolates from Antonio.”

“Oh, it was easy. I threatened his life.”

“You did what?” she exclaimed, grabbing him by the chin.

“He was being very unreasonable with my request for the chocolates.”

“Oh lord,” she sighed, shaking her head as she gave Soullen’s face a little shake before releasing his cheeks. “What am I going to do with you boys? It looks like someone is going to write Antonio an apology note.”

“Why?” Soullen asked. “What happened to him?”

“Oh, sweetie.” She wrapped arms with Soullen and started to guide him out the door. But she stopped suddenly to shoot Zenial “the look” before twirling her finger in the air. “And I know you sealed this room the moment I left to prevent me from hearing. Lord only knows what buffoonery was taking place.” She then pointed at both Zenial and Raz. “I won’t have it!”

Both guys stood there looking innocent, neither confirming nor denying the accusation. As the door closed behind her, Zenial returned to his desk.

“And another thing!” She stormed in again, dragging Soullen with her by the arm. “If this young man needs anything, he will pick up that phone and talk to me first. If I deem it necessary, then and only then will I forward the call to you. That’s how it works. That’s how it always works. It is my job and my responsibility. I can’t have you answering unscreened phone calls, Suga. That’s step one on the road to anarchy. I won’t have it!”

“Of course, Ms. Cynthia. My apologies,” Zenial said sincerely. “I was not thinking.”

“And that’s the problem, Suga,” she agreed as she left for the second time. “No one seems to be thinking today. I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.” She continued to mumble about how ridiculous everyone was acting before closing the door behind her.

Nobody moved for a few tense seconds as we all waited to see whether she would burst through the door again and give us another piece of her mind. Content that she got it all off her chest, Zenial took his seat.

“Oh, I get it,” Sunny mused as he looked around the office. “You soundproofed the room. I wondered why Ms. Cynthia wasn’t charging in here with a switch to beat us. Smart!”

Again, Zenial did not confirm or deny anything but gave Sunny a wink.

Kaylec slammed his hands on the desk. “Why do you insist on debasing yourself by bowing before the little bastard and calling him Highness?”

“It’s called decorum, Kaylec,” Raz answered for Zenial.

“Debasing myself?” Zenial asked as he leaned back in his chair. “Is that what you think I was doing?”

“Yes!” Kaylec exclaimed before glaring back at Raz. “He’s not worthy of decorum, Razual.”

Zenial stood to meet his brother’s gaze. “He is an El’odian Prince.”

“So are you!” Kaylec fired back. “So is Aulus. I never once saw him bow in your direction or address you by your proper title. So, I fail to see….”

“I am a Prince by rank and title while a member of The Nine, as is Aulus. Soullen is a Prince by noble birth. I show him the same respect and dignity I would expect the Naverians to show Prince Iythaeryn. Which, as far as I’m aware, they always do. The little things, brother, sometimes make all the difference when dealing with the other side.” With nothing more to be said on the subject, Zenial took his seat.

“Mic drop,” Sunny whispered to me, which was funny coming from him, considering how hostile we were toward Soullen. I just hoped we didn’t get scolded for our poor treatment of Soullen at some point. My only defense would be that his Highness was a royal pain in the ass.

“So that’s it?” Kaylec questioned, unable to stay silent for more than a few seconds. “You’re going to allow Qua’quelle to get away with this?”

Q? What the serious fuck?

“Uh, Qua’quelle?” Sunny glanced at me. We were both confused. Luckily, he was poised to ask the question running through my mind. “What the hell does Qua’quelle have to do with anything?”

“He tried to plant a spy within our ranks, and we’re going to look the other way,” Kaylec clarified.

“Your obsession with him knows no limits,” Raz stated bluntly. “Do you even hear yourself?” Walking up next to Kaylec, he pointed at him with both fingers before pointing to the floor. “You were the one who walked him into this office, Kaylec. Instead of taking responsibility, you want to shift the blame to someone else.”

“Regardless of what happened here today, it doesn’t change the fact that Qua’quelle put him up it. I’m not willing to turn a blind eye to this affront, nor should you.”

“This was not Qua’quelle’s doing,” Zenial said.

“What are you talking about?” Kaylec was incensed by Zenial’s defense of Q. “Of course it was! This scheme has the stench of Qua’quelle all over it.”

I felt myself getting red and hoped it wasn’t as noticeable as it felt.

“Then I suggest you stick your head out the nearest window because I don’t know what you’re smelling,” Zenial said. “I’m telling you, it was not him. I know Qua’quelle. I have sat across from him during countless negotiations. Our blades have met on more than one occasion, and I’m telling you, this is not how he operates. Not to mention his close ties with the Young Prince and his relationship with the former Naverian royal family. You will never convince me he willingly put the Prince in harm’s way.” Pressing his finger to his lips, Zenial narrowed his eyes as he shook his head. “No, this was someone else’s idea, and I surmise when the plan was hatched, the newly awakened Prince was all too eager to volunteer.”

“That makes no sense,” Kaylec countered with no hypothesis of his own. “Why would he do that?”

A half smile stretched across my face as the realization hit me. “Soullen wanted to prove himself worthy of those he held in high esteem.”

Zenial made a simple hand gesture that basically meant “exactly.”

“Nonsense! We should go down there and extract the information for ourselves. If none of you have the stomach to do it, I will.”

“That’s enough, Kaylec! I tire of your countless, disrespectful outburst. I have afforded you some leeway because of our family ties, but even I have my limit, and you’re coming up on it fairly quickly. The deal is done. Prince Soullen will be returned to The Brotherhood in exchange for our four brothers. You are hereby forbidden from going anywhere near the Prince until we make the trade. You will accompany me as part of the delegation at that time.”

Kaylec pushed himself off the desk in frustration. He turned to face the three of us standing behind him. Kaylec made brief eye contact with everyone as he ran his hands through his hair. He then fixed his stare on me. I flushed more.

“Fine,” Kaylec agreed as he faced his brother again. “But at the very least, we should keep him confined until he links with one of us to reveal his true intentions.”

“This again,” Zenial sighed heavily.

“And the broken record plays on,” Sunny added while rolling his eyes.

“If they were willing to send their beloved Prince to us as a spy….”

“They didn’t send anyone,” Sunny interrupted. “You brought him here.”

“They’d be more than capable of sending a backup,” Kaylec continued, completely ignoring Sunny. “He cannot be trusted until he links!”

Zenial leaned forward carefully, interlacing his fingers as he placed his hands on the desk. “Have you forgotten, brother, that I have never linked with our people? By your logic, I should also not be trusted. Is that what you’re saying?”

Okay, that was a little nugget of information I wasn’t expecting, and it completely blew me away. Zenial’s never linked? Why? Did he also fear losing something from his past? For the first time, I didn’t feel like such an outcast for not linking.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kaylec said with a dismissive gesture. “Your situation is different. You don’t have a choice in the matter.” He pointed a finger directly at my nose. “He does.”

“Exactly,” Zenial agreed. “Jacob has a choice. He made it, and we will now respect it. I do not want to hear another word about it, Kaylec. You have already dug your grave. Stop piling onto it.”

That was ominous.

He lowered his finger. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We will talk about it after,” Zenial said, relaxing back into his chair.

Kaylec looked back over his shoulder for a split second as if expecting someone to enter. “Does this have something to do with Prince Aulus? He told me he tried. What did that mean?”

“After, Kaylec.”

“No, I demand to know what’s going on now.”

“Fine. I was trying to save you the embarrassment, but you are always hellbent on stopping me from protecting you from yourself. Your punishment came down from The Nine.”

“My punishment?” Kaylec’s genuine shock was cloaked in an air of superiority as if he was above reproach.

“You sound surprised,” Razual challenged as he walked up to Zenial’s desk. He ran his fingers across the smooth surface a few times before locking eyes with Kaylec. “You set fire to The Brotherhood house. An act that The Sanctum did not sanction, and yet, we choose to forgive and overlook that lapse in judgment.” Shifting his sight to me for a moment, Raz raised a brow. “Then there was the unprovoked attack at the mall against the Nave. And not just any Naverian, but one of their most prominent leaders. Again, we looked past that indiscretion.”

“Then you kidnapped a human member of The Brotherhood,” Zenial continued where Razual left off.

“Him?” Kaylec gestured to me over his shoulder. “He was no human. He was one of us.”

Sunny snickered and backhanded me across the stomach. “So now you’re one of us?”

“Yes, Jacob is Skai, but no one knew that at the time, brother,” Zenial said. “That act alone could have provoked war, but that possibility never entered your equation, did it?” Kaylec was about to protest, but Zenial kept on going. “We’ve already mentioned Scania and the death of several of our brothers.” Kaylec couldn’t get a word in edgewise. “Then there’s your blatant disrespect of Razual and his authority. You attacked a fellow brother in The Club and brought a spy into our midst.”

Zenial took a deep breath. I honestly think it pained him to do this to Kaylec.

He continued, “How can you stand there surprised that we might want to hold you accountable for your actions.”

Sunny stepped forward with a finger in the air. “Let’s not forget he also brought Ms. Cynthia the wrong tea. I'm sure that constitutes some kind of war crime.”

Kaylec shot Sunny the dirtiest look imaginable.

“You are out of control, Kaylec,” Zenial asserted. “The Council has grown weary of your antics and has passed judgment.” I was surprised Kaylec didn’t go off the rails again. He stood there like a man facing a firing squad, but something told me he wouldn’t hold his composer for long. “You have been stripped of your authority over The Baltic States.”

“They can’t do that!” Kaylec slammed his fist on the desk, causing cracks to snake out from the point of impact. Surprisingly, Zenial didn’t say anything, but he did look down at the damage, as did Kaylec. The damage was instantly repaired, though I couldn’t say by whom. “I worked my ass off for years to prove I am worthy of being a leader, and The Council agreed to Aulus’ proposal. He would relinquish those territories to me while he continued to oversee the rest of Europe. I’ve basically assumed the role already; it becomes official in two weeks.”

“I agree, Kaylec. You have worked hard, and you did prove yourself. Aulus’ offer to give up his territories was a generous one. Everything was stacked in your favor.” Rising from his chair, Zenial stood eye-to-eye with his brother. “That is until you saw Qua’quelle with a potential love interest and decided to throw everything out the window to go on a rampage of destruction.”

“Brother, you can’t let them do this to me. Go back and talk to them. They’ll listen to you.”

“I’m afraid they won’t, Kaylec. I was not involved in that decision.”

“What?” Kaylec stepped back as if he was just punched in the gut.

“I recused myself because you’re my brother.”

“Because you’re my brother, you should have fought for me!” Kaylec yelled. “So Aulus speaks up for me, but my brother does not? How is that okay?”

“He did speak for you,” Raz fired back.

Raising his hand, Zenial shook his head, “Razual, don’t.”

“The Nine wanted to take away your wings, Kaylec. Again! But that was a bridge too far for your brother, and with Aulus’ help, they convinced the rest of The Nine to back down.”

“My wings?”

I don’t know what that meant, but it appeared to be a severe blow to Kaylec. He stumbled backward, in a haze, and fell into the chair like a drunk after too many shots.

“You have no idea the mess you caused and the lengths we had to go thru to preserve the peace,” Raz reprimanded. “What we had to give up…”

“That’s enough, Razual,” Zenial ordered.

With a slight bow of his head, Raz backed away from the desk and stood next to Sunny.

“What does he mean?” Kaylec inquired, looking defeated as he glanced up at Zenial.

“Not all The Baltic States are going back to Aulus. We had to give up Estonia to The Brotherhood, agreeing to shutter all but two of our houses.”

“Whoa!” Sunny had a look of shock. “Don’t we have something like eight Clubs in Estonia?”

“Eleven, actually,” Raz informed us.

Kaylec suddenly sat forward on the edge of the chair, looking much more like himself instead of a bewildered puppy. “Wait a minute.” His eyes shifted around like he was doing some complex calculations in his head. After giving me a dirty look, he stood in front of Zenial’s desk again. “Why Estonia? Out of all the territories under our control, why ask for a small, insignificant territory like Estonia?”

“It was the price of peace, Kaylec,” Raz assured him.

“I’m not buying it, Razual. Who put Estonia on the table for consideration?” Again, he looked at me with daggers in his eyes before returning his focus to Zenial. “It was him. Qua’quelle demanded Estonia to maintain your precious peace, didn’t he? Somehow, he knew I planned to establish Estonia as my seat of power. He did it to humiliate me.”

“As Razual stated a moment ago, it was the price for peace,” Zenial said.

“That’s why you’re making me go to the exchange, isn’t it?”

“You are officially named as the future head of The Baltics until The Nine’s decision is announced at our meeting. As is the custom for these negotiations, you will relinquish your future control over Estonia to The Brotherhood before The Great Mother.”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence after Zenial’s declaration. I was beginning to understand why he kept giving me dirty looks. Aside from all the other issues he had with me, I imagine I was a stand-in for Q in his mind. When the realization of his impending humiliation hit him, when Kaylec looked at me, he didn’t see me. He saw Q.

In a blink of an eye, Kaylec threw his head back, roaring in fury. With a simple twist of his wrist, Zenial encased Kaylec in a dark field moments before he erupted into flames. I was utterly taken aback and stumbled when Sunny grabbed my arm to pull me from harm’s way. Zenial and Raz stood perfectly calm as if this was an everyday occurrence. The fire churned within the forcefield like a viscous liquid. It’s what I imagined molten lava would look like it if it were thrown in a blender. I could still hear Kaylec’s rageful wails permeating the field that contained him.

It only lasted twenty seconds, if that, but it felt like I was staring into the inferno for hours. When the fire began to quell and take shape, Zenial dropped the barrier. Kaylec emerged completely naked with his balled-up fists at his side. I could still see bright red marks down his muscular back, butt, and legs. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought Kaylec had been whipped mercilessly, but as the marks cooled, they vanished, leaving behind his flawless skin.

Kaylec turned abruptly and began walking away, briefly stopping in front of me, breathing heavily, angrily, but never saying a word. He continued to the door, his Askyli encircling him like a mist to produce another form-fitting black suit.

“Little over dramatic, don’t you think?” Sunny asked the room once Kaylec was gone.

“I apologize for my brother’s outburst,” Zenial said and picked up the phone. He spoke with Ms. Cynthia, instructing that Kaylec not be allowed to leave the building without his permission and to have someone stay with him for the time being. After assuring her that everything was fine and there was no need to worry, he ended the call and looked up at Razual with an exasperated look.

“He can be a handful at times,” Razual sympathized. “Just like this one.” He proceeded to slap Sunny’s shoulder and shake him a little.

“Hey, now! I don’t go around bursting into flames when I’m pissed off.”

“You’re right,” Raz agreed. “You just never know when to stay quiet.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I couldn’t help but laugh because he looked genuinely confused about Raz’s words. “Anyway, was The Council really considering taking away Kaylec’s wings?”

“Yes,” Raz replied somberly.

“Whoa! That’s intense. They must have been seriously angry with him.”

I raised my hand like a school kid waiting to ask a question but blurted it out anyway. “What does that mean exactly? To take away his wings?”

“Oh, that’s right, you wouldn’t know,” Sunny said.

“Don’t start with me.”

“What? I wasn’t going to say anything!”

“To lose one’s wings is to have one’s Askyli bound within them,” Zenial said. “Our society isn’t perfect, and there are times, rare as they may be, when we must punish our people for their transgressions. We bind their Askyli for a certain time, making them more human than Skai.”

“How?” I asked.

“Well,” Sunny said in this playful, sarcastic tone, “they can’t use their Askyli at all, not even to summon their wings, which is why we call it losing your wings. They maintain their immortality, remaining forever timeless and unable to die by human means. When the time ends, they have a reawakening of sorts and come into their powers again.”

Raz looked at Sunny and raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by his explanation. Sunny simply shrugged, but I could tell he was proud of himself. Then he added, “But losing our powers is basically like dying, am I right?”

I don’t know if Sunny forgot where I was standing or completely lost his mind, but he backhanded Razual across the stomach instead of me. Raz did not look pleased, promoting an apology from Sunny as he smoothed out his shirt.

“Yes, it’s an extreme punishment that we do not take lightly,” Zenial smiled, amused by Sunny’s antics.

That was a bit unsettling to learn. I don’t even have complete mastery of my powers yet, and I already know I didn’t want that to happen to me. It would be like having your eyes gauged out or limbs chopped off as punishment. “So, anyone can bind another’s powers just like that?” I admit, the thought of Kaylec binding my powers, rendering me helpless, raced through my mind, hence the reason for my apprehension.

“No, Jacob,” Zenial assured me, and I wondered if he had an inkling of what I was thinking. “It’s not that simple. No one Skai has the power to bind another. It takes the combined power of The Nine to bind a Skai.”

“Because they’re uber-powerful,” Sunny leaned into me, stating the obvious.

“Yeah, I kind of got that part.” A wave of relief washed over me, and I wondered if anyone noticed. “Razual said ‘again’ when talking to Kaylec. Does that mean he’s suffered this punishment before?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Zenial sighed. “Not long after the signing of the Accords that brought about a tentative peace, Kaylec attacked a group of human members of The Brotherhood. He could not get past the death of Amadeus. Luckily, Eolaeis intervened to prevent Kaylec from crossing a line that would have crumbled our newly found peace into dust. To show our commitment to maintaining peace, we offered to bind Kaylec’s powers as recompense for his actions.” Zenial rolled his eyes and smirked at the long-ago memory. “Qua’quelle insisted we bound him for a thousand years. That was never going to happen. Two hundred years seemed appropriate, considering Eolaeis was able to heal their injured brothers, resulting in no deaths.”

“I’m sure that didn’t go over well with him,” Sunny surmised.

“No, as you can imagine, my brother was incensed but ultimately accepted his punishment.”

“Oh, I have no doubt, but I was actually talking about Qua’quelle.”

“Well then, you’d also be correct. He questioned what two centuries were to someone who is immortal.”

“Just a blink of an eye, really,” I added.

“Perhaps,” Zenial smiled and stood up. “Now, unless there is anything else, I would like a few minutes alone with Jacob, please.”

I swallowed hard. Had I just overstepped?

“As you wish.” Razual bowed.

“Wait!” Sunny damn near shouted. “How did you do it?” After his query, he began poking Raz in the stomach and sides.

“What are you doing, Sunny?” Raz demanded.

“I’m just making sure I’m talking to the real you.”

Raz slapped his hand away.

“How did you die and come back to life?”

“I never died because Zenial never shot me,” Raz answered. “You saw was a perfect fabrication of me getting shot. Think of it as an illusion, but far more realistic than something created with smoke and mirrors, a perfect vessel that looked and sounded like me.”

“So, we were talking to your clone the whole time?”

“No,” he laughed. “When Ms. Cynthia came in the first time, I took the opportunity to make my exit and leave behind an imprint of my essence in the room.”

“So, like a clone?”

“No, but if it helps you warp your head around, sure.”

“Oh, I see,” Sunny mused, thinking back to the day’s events, I’m sure. “Yeah, I don’t get it.”

“I trust that answers your question, Sunny?” Zenial asked.

“Yes, My Prince, but not really.”

“But you will in time once you cultivate your powers,” Raz said.

“Agreed. Now, if there’s nothing else….”

Raz bowed again.

Sunny followed suit, except after bowing for Zenial, he locked eyes with me. “There is one more thing, My Lord.” Stepping forward, he rubbed his hands together nervously. What the hell was he doing?

“Um….uhh.”

“Sunny?” Zenial said.

He looked at me for the last time before he finally answered. “It’s come to my attention that Kyrios is staying in The Brotherhood house at KU. I figured it’s something you should know.”

Zenial nodded thoughtfully. “I assume you came by this information through Jacob?”

I expected him to look at me, but his eyes stayed steadfast on Sunny.

“Yes, we were talking, and he happened to mention it. I just wanted to make you guys aware. I’m sure Jacob planned to tell you too, but with everything happening…his awakening, your brother being a dick….sorry, I mean, acting out; he’s just been dealing with a lot. So, in case he forgot…”

I stood there flabbergasted while doing my best not to show it. I’m sure I looked flushed, for I felt the heat rising to my face in anger. Sunny was right. As I told him back in my room, thinking of Kyrios was the last thing on my mind right now. Logically, I understood this was big news and needed to be reported. I still couldn’t help but feel the sting of betrayal.

“There’s no need to explain, Sunny; I understand.” After offering Sunny and me a reassuring smile, he asked, “Is there anything else?”

Sunny turned to me, biting his lower lip before he answered, “No, nothing else, My Lord.”

“Perfect. Well, if you’ll excuse us.”

“Of course,” Sunny said while bowing again. As he walked by me, he tapped me on the arm. “I’ll wait for you outside, okay?”

“Don’t bother.” I made no effort to look at him. I’m sure my frigid tone had the power to freeze Lake Superior.

“It’s not a bother. I’ll chill with Ms. C until you finish.”

Seeing that I wasn’t going to answer, Zenial nodded to Razual.

“Come on, Sunny,” Razual said, grabbing him by the shoulders and moving him along. “Jacob is more than capable of making his way back to The Club.”

“But I’m his guardian.”

“Yes, you are, and you’re doing a great job, but he’ll be fine,” Raz assured him.

“But…”

“No buts.”

“You think he’s mad at me?” he asked in a whisper that could be heard from a mile away. “I think he’s mad at me. He looks mad. Does he look mad to you?”

Razual didn’t respond; he just ushered Sunny out of the office while he continued to protest.

The moment Sunny was gone, Zenial let out a soft laugh. After only one encounter, it was easy to tell he liked Sunny. It was understandable. Sunny has an “it” factor that draws people to him.

That said, I wasn’t having any of it at the moment, and Zenial could tell.

“Try not to be too harsh on Sunny, Jacob,” he said. “He was only doing his duty, as I’m sure you would if the shoe were on the other foot, as the humans say. That’s what we do. We keep tabs on all the big players on the board.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said while rolling my eyes. Realizing how rude that must have seemed, I cleared my throat and stood straight. “I mean, of course, My Lord.”

“You can drop the formalities. It’s just the two of us. Zenial is fine.”

“Of course, my….um, Zenial.”

He laughed and gestured for me to follow him to one of the windows. “See down there? That small office building with the gold and purple sign?”

We were fifty floors up. How was I going to see a small sign? But when I concentrated on where he was pointing, my vision zoomed in like a pair of binoculars while maintaining a perfect view of my closer surroundings. It was weird. “You mean the law office?”

“Yes. A human member of The Brotherhood interns there.”

“How do you know?”

“It is my business to know, Jacob,” he said simply without further elaboration. “Now, do you think it’s a coincidence that a member of The Brotherhood happens to intern at a law office a couple of blocks from my building? Or that the law office is conveniently located across from Antonio’s, a shop my people visit frequently?”

“I’m going to guess a big no on that.”

He nodded in agreement before continuing, “This afternoon, Aulus stopped by Antonio’s to pick up tea for Ms. Cynthia before our meeting. If that intern recognized Aulus, what do you think he did with that information?”

“I’m sure he reported it.”

“So, you see, Jacob, we all play the game,” he said as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “This brings me back to my original point. Try not to hold any anger toward Sunny.”

His point was made and received. “I get it, but I’m going to let him sweat it out a little because it brings me a little happy.”

“Fair enough,” Zenial laughed and walked back to his desk. Leaning back against the polished surface, he sat on the edge and offered me the chair to his left.

“You’re fine with a Brotherhood member working on the same street just to keep an eye on you?” I wanted to use the word ‘spy’ but decided against it.

“I am,” he insisted. “Just like the Nave are okay allowing you and the others to attend KU. And just like we did with our brothers, they sought my approval before the intern began working there. In fact, Qua’quelle sat in that very chair when he made the request.”

“He did?”

“Yes, he did,” he said with a knowing smirk. “What do you think of him?”

“Who?” Despite my genuine confusion, in hindsight, it was a dumb question.

“Qua’quelle.”

My blank expression confused him. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. Was he looking to glean insight about my time with The Brotherhood, or more specifically, Q? I’m sure he already knew what I told Raz. I held no deep secrets or powerful information that would be useful to The Sanctum. They all knew my time as a full-fledged Brother was short-lived. Yet, there he was, pressing for information.

Did they not believe me?

Was he taking Kaylec’s concerns about me more seriously than he let on?

Was I in trou…

“Relax, Jacob,” Zenial’s reassuring tone immediately cracked the wall I was building in my mind. “This isn’t a trick question or an interrogation. I have dealt with Qua’quelle countless times and know him well.” He paused for a moment and arched his brow in thoughtful contemplation. “As well as a Skai can know a Nave, I suppose. I’m merely curious about your overall thoughts about him. He obviously made an impact because, as I understand it, you two were involved. And I assure you, Jacob, I have no interest in the details of your relationship with Qua’quelle. It is none of The Sanctum’s or my business.”

Well, now I just felt silly, but I took a moment to consider his question more thoroughly once I got past feeling foolish. “I don’t know….he’s stubborn, that’s for sure.”

Zenial nodded as if he knew exactly what I was saying.

“But I think that’s partly because he’s fiercely loyal to his brothers, The Brotherhood, and those closest to him. Q has a fearlessness that inspires courage in others. And a big heart.” I broke my train of thought with a chuckle. “It’s hard to tell sometimes because it’s often hidden inside a bundle of power and terror you don’t want to poke.”

“That sound like Qua’quelle, all right,” Zenial laughed as he pushed himself off the desk and sat in the chair next to me. “So, what about you?”

That simple question led us into a conversation that lasted over two hours. Like Razual before him, Zenial wanted to get to know me, but our interaction felt more personal and intimate. I gave him a verbal tour of my life from the moment I woke up in the woods to adulthood. This wasn’t someone going through the motions, asking me questions so that they could mark them off a mental checklist. His interest in me was authentic. When I answered a question, Zenial would have five or six follow-ups. Hell, we spent twenty minutes alone just on my mom’s gardening.

To my surprise, Zenial never asked about Q again, or even The Brotherhood, despite asking me about college life. I was positive he’d used it as an “in” to broach the subject, but he never went there. His questions centered around my classes and what my aspirations would have been if I had graduated as a human without knowledge of El’odians. I found it difficult to answer, because I did know about El’odians, and it was hard to separate myself from my new reality.

As our conversation was winding down, he took the time to apologize for Kaylec’s actions again, insisting I come to him if Kaylec gave me any more trouble. I thanked him, of course, but I had no intention of running to Zenial with my problems. I would stand my ground against Kaylec, even if it meant getting my ass kicked.

He told me Razual informed him of my painful headaches. He found them “troubling” as no other El’odian had ever reported such a condition, but he assured me they would get to the bottom of it with the help of The Great Mother.

“I hope you don’t mind, but during our negotiations, I inquired if any Nave had experienced similar head pain. Perhaps it came for your time with them.”

“What did they say?” I asked.

“As I expected, they had not.” Zenial was looking down, adjusting his jacket sleeve, when he nonchalantly said, “Qua’quelle seemed to take a particular interest in the situation, asking which Skylarian was afflicted with this condition.”

“Really?” I tried to play dumb, but Zenial saw through my act.

“Yes. I thanked Qua’quelle for his concern and assured him we would do everything we could to help our brother.” I almost slipped and thanked Zenial. That would have been weird! “You will meet with The Great Mother after our meeting, and we’ll see what she has to say.”

“Does that mean I’m going with you to the meeting?”

“No, she’ll send for you once we are done, and everyone has retreated to their corners.”

I nodded.

“I could talk to you for hours, Jacob,” he laughed, “but I’ve stolen enough of your time. I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing. Before I let you go, do you have any other questions for me?”

As I sat there, staring into his different-colored eyes, I could tell he sensed my hesitation. I did have a question, and it had been burning in my mind for hours now. So far, I couldn't find a good way to sneak it into our conversation. Now that the door was open, I wasn't sure if I dared. It wasn't any of my business.

But I couldn’t let it go.

Crossing one leg over the other, he sat back, leaning against the right side of his chair, waiting.

“No, I’m fine; I have nothing.” Yeah, I chickened out.

“It’s okay to ask me, Jacob. I don’t mind.”

He sounded like he already knew the question. Was I that obvious?

“Really, I have nothing to ask,” I lied as I started getting up. “I should probably be going.”

A little smirk followed his thoughtful nod. “You want to know why I have never linked with our brothers.”

“Okay, so there’s that,” I conceded and sat my ass right back down.

He laughed loudly.

“I’m sorry; I know it’s none of my business, but I felt like I wasn't alone when you shared that you hadn’t linked. My reason for not linking is personal to me. I’m sure yours is to you too. So, you don’t have to get into it with me. I feel bad even asking.”

“Don’t worry, Jacob, it’s not some big secret. Everyone knows why I can’t link.”

“Oh?”

“If I were to link with another Skai or The Sanctum as a whole, it would destroy them.”

So yeah, he dropped that bombshell on me….