AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Two
Tate
My eyes trail up the long smooth length of her legs, taking in every inch of her. Milo lifts the fork to her mouth, letting her take another bite as he absent-mindedly runs his fingers through her hair. A nervous tick not even our little gift has picked up on yet. He’s constantly knotting and smoothing her long hair, braiding it every chance he gets. His eyes meet mine, a familiar somber solidarity flashing through them as a loose lock of his own hair falls free of the bun he threw it up in. Kita stares at her plate, listening to the music she insists on playing all the time. Uncomfortable with even the briefest moments of silence. We shouldn’t have pushed her this afternoon. The near constant flood of anxiety and restlessness has overwhelmed the bond for weeks now. It’s been hell keeping her out. The relentless flow of energy radiating from the crack sounds every red flag in the book. Hell, it’s damn near painful for anyone to stay in the lower chambers for any extended amount of time. The upper chambers only moderately tolerable. It’s expanding and quickly. Quicker this month than last month. Quicker today than yesterday.
We’re out of time.
And we can’t bring ourselves to tell her that. To be honest with the woman bound to our souls, engraved flawlessly into our skin. The cave walls itself seem to be soaked through with a thick suffocating miasma. Members working around the clock in shifts to combat the constant assault of creatures that flood in. We’re failing. Failing to protect her, protect our people, to serve our very base purpose. The reason our souls were made, given this power. Of all the things we’ve discovered in our hopeless research on the crack, the only thing we’ve found of any use drove a metaphorical spear straight through our hearts. We never intended to hide anything from her. Turns out neither of us is man enough to say the words, so we play this game. Searching for answers that don’t exist, giving her hope until it consumes everything. Until our hands are forced by the Gods to act. Endangering everything and everyone, just to save her a few tears. To save ourselves from seeing them as selfish and twisted as that may be, we never claimed to be heroes. We weren’t born to be heroes in anyone’s story but hers. We’re weapons and because of us, so is she. Kita reaches for her drink, stopping short when she notices the tremor in her hand, quickly pulling it underneath the table.
Smooth kitten.
I can’t stop the smirk from forming on my face, despite the sickening feeling pooling in my stomach. “What are you smirking about?” She demands, abruptly standing and moving away from both of us of. Her frustration surging through the bond. Milo raises his eyebrows, making a grab for her she easily evades, blasting a bright spark in his general direction. Her orange flame laced with a faint blue flicker that makes my breath catch in my throat. He throws his hands up glaring at me, “Told you we shouldn’t have trained her.”
“Answer me now.” She orders, her voice tense.
“Quite demanding today, aren’t we kitten?”
Kita scowls, placing her hands on her hips. Completely oblivious to how fucking cute she looks, swallowed by Milo’s t-shirt. “No flirty kitten bullshit. Something is up.” I meet my brother’s eyes, hoping he’ll have a ready-made scapegoat. The way he swallows hard, his jaw clenching, tells me I’m out of luck. Kita sighs, shaking her head as her shoulders slump forward, her defeated body language directly contrasting the anger and hurt fluttering through the bond. Neither of us attempt to hide our guilt from her, she knows something is up. As if knowing we’re at least sorry would be any real consolation.
“Kita...” I trail off, her pain settling deep in my chest. Milo casts me a warning look as she leaves the room. Neither of us moves until the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut fills the old mocking halls of this cursed house. “Remember what we agreed Tate.” He mumbles, burying his face in his hands.
“She thinks we’re lying to her.” My chest constricts as I grip the steak knife in my hand. The sound of the handle cracking compounds the words he follows with, “We are.” I shake my head, my hair falling in my eyes lightly obscuring the view of my brother. “I hate it.”
He nods, “It’s not about us. It’s about making the time we have left...comfortable for her.” I lean forward, resting my hand on top of his. Welcoming the sense of calm that comes from their touch.
Kita, please forgive us.
****
Kita
“Earth to Kita!” Mara shouts, making me jump. Snapping me violently back to reality. It’s been so much harder to focus lately. Seems reasonable given the current circumstances, I suppose, but I can’t shake the feeling somethingmoreis happening. The feeling has only grown since yesterday’s little excursion. “Babe, you want to just hang at the manor?”
“Definitely not.” I scoff, leaning my head on her shoulder as the food court fills with people. All of them blissfully unaware that everything their worst nightmares are made of exists just beyond the veil. Gods, goddesses, monsters, even I’m grateful to not have encountered yet.
Magic is real, and it’s nothing like Harry Potter.
“You can’t ignore them forever. Milo has called you twenty-five times in the last hour. I’d like to not have a natural disaster, you know?” I can hear the nervousness in her voice, as much as Mara has accepted The Order and everything that comes with it...it’s still foreign to her. She’s become something of an unofficial member, despite people who haven’t underwent an initiation being barred from the cave. Her body has recovered from the damaged done by the former Lord’s, but those wounds remain, deep underneath the surface. I still feel the guilt, so fucking much guilt even now. I groan as I stand, the white sundress I wore to spite my twin assholes swaying in the crisp wind, making me tug the light purple sweater tighter around me. Mom brought it up on their last visit. The fabric still smells like a place that no longer feels like home. Where it no doubt sat discarded on the back of the couch until she remembered to bring it with her. “He won’t do that... probably.”
“Because that’s reassuring.” Mara stands, dawning her trademark gaped tooth smile that makes my heart warm. “Okay then, operation distract my demigod best friend is a go!”
I wince, “Call me anything but that.”
“Sorry, it does sound kind of weird.” She loops her arm around mine before tugging me away from the outdoor food court, deeper into the mall. To be honest, this is one of the last places I want to be, but the sleek black credit card tucked away in my wallet is calling to me and I’m in the mood to be spiteful. Turns out not only are the twins Harbingers of Fate, but they are also incredibly smart investors. Makes sense when you have a billionaire father and no real life expectancy. I swallow the lump that forms in my throat and give Mara a tight squeeze.
I hope we get longer together. Even if it’s just a few weeks. Clotho please, I’m not ready.... not yet.
****
Several thousand dollars and hours later, my feet are killing me as we head towards the parking lot. Mara laughs are we struggle to carry everything, ignoring the gawks by other patrons. Milo’s blacked out Toyota Supra is barely going to hold half of this. I groan as we make it to the car, sitting down the numerous bags I couldn’t even tell you the contents of. Glancing at the angry red lines on my skin left behind by the handles. Not all too different from when they bind me. My cheeks flush as my mind goes back to yesterday. My pleasure has always been a priority to them, testing my limits, teasing me, but... yesterday felt more like a punishment than anything. Their anxious energy compounded by the heat in their eyes. A powerful wave of dizziness hits me as I brace myself on the side of the car. The black metal is hot against my palm despite it being well on its way into fall now. The warmest recorded fall in New York to date can’t help but feel responsible for that. The crack... manipulates everything. Churning reality, making it into something entirely more macabre. Depictions and illustrations of the Underworld flood through me like a tidal wave, making me sway hard on my feet. Pitching against the car to keep from hitting the asphalt below.
“Kita!” Mara’s panicked voice pitches up as her hands steady me. My sound of cars honking, the hot metal against my skin, Mara’s hands, the smell of gasoline and nearby restaurants, my senses all homed in on the world around me despite the pictures behind my eyes being a far cry the crowded mall parking lot I was just in. A familiar warm and suffocating energy that’s not my own. The bond goes blank, cutting off everything as I slip far from the reality I’ve grown accustomed to.
Clotho?
I run my hands... wait, no. Not my hands, hers. She runs her hands over muddied and decaying grass, wilted flowers curl in on themselves withering before her as her vision blurs. She’s sad. I feel a stinging in my eyes, warm drops of water on my cheeks.
Do goddesses cry?
