Flickering Shadows

Chapter 18

Aziel

There was a moment, years ago, when four people lived in a perfect bubble. Twin brothers adored by two loving parents. Twin princes spoiled rotten by the king and queen. They were like the family you read about in books. Affectionate, caring, loving. Never any conflict, and barely a fight to be seen. It was like magic, until one day, the spell broke.

On the eve of our nineteenth birthday, our father died of an unknown heart failure, and, burdened with the news, my mother became a shrivelled up shape of what she used to be. She became distant and quiet.

Presumably scared that he would have to take the king's title, my brother fled in the middle of the night, leaving a crown behind, and more importantly, leaving his family behind.

We were no longer a fairytale. I took the title as king, even though Nicholas was three minutes my senior, and I started to rule the Moon kingdom. I took care of my depressed mother until she finally came out of her shell slightly, and I sent hunts out to look for my brother. I grew into a role I wasn't made for, while my brother ran from his responsibilities.

I became a king. He became a coward.

I stare at him now, still dressed in Moon clothes but bearing the essence of a Sun. His amber eyes look tired, like the weight of the world rests in his irises. His black hair is longer now, even though I distinctly remember him asking mother to shave it every time it grew the slightest inch. I suppose a lot has changed since he ran.

A humourless laugh slips past my lips. All this time I've been looking for him, hoping that maybe he didn't run. Maybe he was in trouble. I was both scared and excited to find him again, to figure out the cause and work through it.

What I didn't expect was for him to hop into the Sun kingdom like a lost dog. I didn't expect him to turn on his own kingdom. His own family.

"You bastard," I grit out, rage simmering beneath my skin like an inferno, ready to burst within a second.

Regret flutters in his eyes for the barest moment, but then his expression turns to stone.

"Hello, brother," he says calmly.

His voice is like a boomerang coming back to hit you in the head after being lost for so long. It's both painful and yet so familiar that my chest aches.

I suck in a breath. I came here for one thing. I don't need Nicholas, and I don't need his story. I just need to save Inara.

"Give me the antidote," I demand, turning back to Alexander and making sure that he sees my wolf growling behind my eyes.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" He says, eyes turning to a fake kind of wistful. "To live out your life with the one you love? To know that she was safe? If only we could all have nice things."

"If you don't give me what I came for, I swear this whole kingdom will turn to ashes under your blazing sun," I snarl.

He smirks. "I wish it was that easy." he holds my eyes as he says. "My mate didn't get to live, so why should yours?"

My lungs stutter for a second before blasting back. "What are you talking about?"

This time it's him who gets in my face, eyes full of hatred as he spits, "Your father let me leave with a dud. My mate was sick, and he didn't even think to warn me. I wouldn't have wasted my chance if I had known she was going to die before even getting crowned."

Panic claws at my throat. He's really going to let Inara die just because of some delusional theory.

"My father wouldn't do that," I say with certainy. "He wasn't a bad man. Some people just get sick. It's how the world works, Alexander."