Catalyst

Chapter 26

warnings: language, Violence

Part IV:
Reaper

Chapter 26:
402 A.V; Month 11; Day 5

Morning found me awake, showered, and ready to go before breakfast showed up. I'd always been an early riser, with hunting to do and such. It made me realize how badly I missed the woods and my bow. I thought of the bows hanging on a wall in the training room and badly wanted to get my hands on one. However, I knew that no one would let me.

I made my way down the steps, silently hoping I'd get to speak with Andon before Jamie, Sabre, or Priam were awake. So, seeing that Jamie was awake and alert as always, was kind of a bummer. It didn't matter really, because Andon was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully he was sleeping. I didn't know what I was going to do downstairs, but the TV was on and broadcasting footage of different things, some Fight recaps and current Fights going on, Fighters walking the streets of Carkaresh, and some of the Prospects. They were like celebrities already.

"You enjoy your day yesterday?" Jamie asked from behind me, over my shoulder and behind the couch.

"I enjoy any day that I'm alive and breathing," I answered.

"I'm sure. Walking arm and arm. Your stunt with Zevi Takka has turned you into a Prospect. There are cameras everywhere, Alloy."

As he said it I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rising. I could only assume that he'd seen some footage of Andon and I walking around. Then just as I was thinking about what else could have been seen, there Andon and I were, standing in the white lights among the trees, holding each other. Jamie made a derisive noise.

"Disgusting. Do you know anything about him at all?" I felt like sinking into the couch as my gut twisting in on itself. It hadn't been all our own, not really. If Priam saw this, I dared not even think it.

"She knows more than you think." Andon's voice came from behind us and we both turned. He was standing there with his arms folded across his chest, looking none too happy. And despite the situation, I felt like smiling like an idiot.

"But she doesn't know all of it. If she did, I'm sure she'd think you a monster."

"We're all monsters here," Andon said in a growl. The sun was shining in through the windows behind him, highlighting and outlining the curls of his hair in gold and outlining the rest of his body, making him look like some sort of heaven sent enigma.

"Yet you're by far the worst," Jamie stated. I knew none of it was him, it was all Nikola and even studying my brothers profile I could see how ragged he looked, the sunken, bloodshot eyes, the pale ashen skin. He was fighting it. Somewhere inside my brother was fighting it. My voice gurgled from my throat before I could stop it.

"Jamie?"

He didn't turn at first, he was too busy glaring at Andon, however, he did turn his head. I moved from where I was sitting and walked behind the couch where he was standing.

"What do you want?" he asked. I looked him in the eyes, looking past the constructed expression.

"Jamie?" I asked again.

"Yes, I'm right here, what do you want?"

"I want my brother."

"I am your brother," he hissed. I swallowed hard, to keep the angry tears back. One thing Nikola obviously hadn't accounted for was our bond. He'd just have to hope his brainwashing was stronger. I reached forward, towards his face.

"Jamie I need your help," I said, "Help me, please!"

He scrambled away as I made my way forward, but for a fraction of a second, he stopped moving. The shine of his eyes changed from the angry aversion he was wearing to the wide-eyed worry of my brother. Then it was gone.