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Like the rest of us in the Guard, Caleb was well-trained at lying and diversion. But I knew his tells, I knew them as well as my own, having observed them throughout the years. So, when he didn’t answer, and his fingers twitched subtly next to his thigh, I finally pulled one truth out of him.
He was hiding something.
“I had access to all of the evidence, didn’t I, Caleb?”
“Of course,” he struggled to get through his lips.
“You’re lying.” I took a step back, a weight bearing down on my chest. “You’re lying to me.”
He had never lied to me.
“No, I’m not.” He shook his head, but his fingers twitched again.
“Are you kidding me, you bastard?” Ollie shot over to him, his words helping to keep my spine straight, even though my insides were starting to crumble again. “Why are you doing this?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” he mumbled. “I did what was best for our family, that’s all I could do.”
Something cracked within me at that. Maybe the part of me that had held a shred of hope that he would see the light, that he would believe me. I had been denying it for so long, letting it hide behind the hurt and anger I had suppressed. But after my talk with Vanessa today, it couldn’t hide anymore. I missed Caleb, I wanted him back in my life, but not like this—where I had to pretend that he didn’t betray me or treat me like a liar.
Caleb was my brother, my blood, but he wasn’t worth my soul.
“Caleb, please…” Nana’s shaking words crushed my heart even more. She had been putting on a strong face for me these past few months. I should have known she missed Caleb almost as much as I did; Father was an only child, we were her three grandchildren. A tear slid down Nana’s face. “This isn’t what your mother would have wanted for the three of you.”
“No, Nana, you’re right, it isn’t.” Ollie took a step forward, his posture rigid. “But I also know with my whole heart that Mother would be disgusted by the way Caleb has acted.”
“Take that back,” Caleb snarled, closing the gap between them, their chests only an inch apart. Nana backed away, thank the Goddess; an electric pulse of rage swirled in the air around them, edging on dangerous territory.
“Make me,” Ollie challenged. “She wouldn’t even recognize you anymore, protector of nothing.”
That was all it took for Caleb to lash out, his fist arcing toward Ollie, eyes glowing gold as he connected with Ollie’s cheek. Ollie didn’t even flinch before sending his own punch back, the crack of Caleb’s nose echoing in the small space, blood gushing from the wound.
This was wrong. This needed to stop—but I was frozen, unable to control my own movements, forced to watch as my brothers fought on opposite sides of a terrible family war. A war I had created.
Ollie growled as he sidestepped Caleb’s right hook. He ducked down, his claws extended as he swiped at Caleb’s ribs; his right ribs to be exact, shallow clawmarks now scraped across them. Caleb’s shirt tore open, revealing the now-damaged, script tattoo written across his torso.
Born by Blood. Bound by Loyalty.
Our tattoo, our promise to each other almost ten years ago. My arm burned at the sight of his mutilated inking, as if it had somehow affected my own.
“Did you forget that promise? The one you believed in so deeply, you branded it on your own skin?” Ollie snarled, his chest heaving as he continued to throw punches. “Did you forget what that wordloyaltymeans?”
Caleb said nothing, face set in determination. I crumbled inside as I watched them continue to throw and dodge each other’s strikes, my mind begging them to stop but my lips unable to say the words out loud.
“Oh, Goddess, save them, please save them,” Nana sobbed from the corner.
Her words echoed in my mind, her glistening tears ripping into me, snapping me to attention. This wasn’t right. No matter how angry and hurt we all were, this wasn’t the time or place to hash it out. I needed to stop this—if not for my brothers, then for Nana.
“Enough!” I shouted, throwing myself between them, Ollie barging into my back, but my strong stance kept me upright. Caleb’s arm was already cocked back ready to throw another blow, but he hesitated at the sight of me. “Go ahead Caleb, hit me. It couldn’t possibly hurt any worse than what you’ve already done.”
His fist shook, eyes still vividly golden as he stared down at me, every muscle tense and ready to fight. I stood my ground, even though my insides begged to cower away from him. I didn’t want to fight Caleb…not now, at least.
Finally, his eyes flickered back to their cool silver, his arm falling to his side before he took a few steps away. I let out a deep breath, Ollie’s heat bleeding into my back as his hands came to rest on my shoulders.
“Are you alright?”He whispered just to me.
“No,”was all I could say back before turning my attention to the one who mattered.
“Oh, thank you, Kas,” Nana stepped forward, her fingers clutched against her sternum, chest heaving.
