How to Make a Sinner Sleep

10 | genius; to be cruel and sweet

Kaden kept his head lowered, more out of boredom than fear.

"I've heard you've been having fun recently, little brother." The man said with a sneer from where he sat on the bed, one leg crossed—much like a cheap villain in a novel, thought Kaden as his knees burned from kneeling. "Your efforts are commendable."

Honestly, he'd been getting a little distracted with his classes, that he almost forgot about this man who was defined by hatred.

In the end, he could never forget.

"I'm merely following your orders, Reed."

The other laughed sharply, both amused and hateful. "There's a new edge to your tone, dog. Watch yourself."

Kaden lifted his gaze leisurely. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Do you think it's wise for a dog to bark at their master?"

"Perhaps that bark is a warning," A quirk curled at the edge of his lips, almost taunting. "Dogs bite, don't they?"

Reed stared at him silently, a vision adjusted to not meet Kaden's gaze, before erupting into bursts of laughter, as if a man that had been driven mad. Although in Kaden's humble and most certainly true opinion, Reed had undoubtedly been born with a few screws loose.

Only, Kaden remembered brief moments of normalacy. So vague he would assume them as delusions, had he not see the same flicker of memories in his distant mind. 

Of a brother once obtained. Of Reed, before.

Then, both expectedly and unexpectedly, the man swung his hand through the air. A loud sound reverberated, and Kaden tasted a metallic bitterness in his cheeks.

"Threatening me? I see the dragon's been a good influence to you."

"He's nothing." spat out Kaden quickly, swallowing down the blood. "You asked for me to befriend him, and so I did. But whatever intentions you have for him, it will be easy to do. He trusts people too easily."

"You're so quick to speak about him." smiled Reed, yawning disinterestedly. "I do hope you aren't getting attached."

"I'm not."

He'd spoken a little too quickly to fool Reed's careful instinct, specially trained for his own sadistic pleasure.

However, it wasn't a complete lie. Kaden did admit that he'd gotten distracted recently, and Noah's appearance had been a constant item in his current reality.

He was also willing to admit that he didn't hate the honourable dragon in the slightest, though he never thought he would. It was because of Noah's curse that he ended up alone, isolated and driven mad.

But it was also because of Noah's curse that he'd been woken from the spell of destruction, of the chaos that had been his own doing regardless of whose command.

A foot pressed against his hand, digging with the heel as Kaden winced.

Reed curved his eyes slightly, watching with an intense interest in Kaden's reactions. "Well, that isn't the reason I've called for you today, though I did intend to check on your progress. Father will be pleased."

The King. More cruel than Reed, though perhaps it was to be expected since cruelty ran in their blood.

And although it wasn't as if genetics determined ones future, and the son of a wicked man could grow to be kind, Reed had followed in his father's footsteps of destruction. A chain of violence, destined to bring ruin to the Kingdom. 

It had been a choice. Kaden knew that the best, because he also had known the kinder Reed, the calm and polite young boy who had once been so kind.

Kaden had met the King enough times to count on his fingers, but no more than that. He didn't want to, when most of the meetings ended up in some disastrous task that forced blood on his hands, or a beating so bad he couldn't walk for a month.