Parallel Lines- *RAYOR*

Chapter 12

I know his every secret, his every habit. He knows mine too, and he still loves me for it.

Blake fills me in because Aster is out. I think he's with Levy, but I don't know what they're doing. Blake's holding Gabriel by the arm, and he's unresisting. His wing is pressed against her hip, and there's a certain familiarity about the gesture.

Mum said yes. She had to. I'm her favourite, and the look I gave her would be enough even without all that. Once, Blake said that when I gave her a mournful look, she could hear sad violins playing.

Aster isn't happy. I know he's trying to protect me, but I'm nine and a half- well, I only just turned nine but I still feel like I'm mature enough to be ten. Plus, I'm really fast so if any bad guys try and catch me I'll be gone when they blink. Of course, that may also be because I can teleport.

For some reason, Levy's upset. I don't know why but he keeps giving me hurt looks. I am fine with it, though because it reminds me how he used to be. I'm the dominant twin.

When I told Aster about it, he said that there were some things I couldn't understand. I hugged him. It felt due, anyway, because I have been a tiny bit difficult.

***

"Kei will take care of our reapings," says Gabriel whilst we pack our stuff. He's packing boring clothes and his toothbrush. I pack a plushie that I've had since I was born- a blue penguin in a coat that has reindeer antlers attached to the hood.

"You're coming?" I don't mind but I still feel sulky.

"Blake says I have to stay with her." Gabriel looks down. I swear I can see his lips moving, like he's talking to someone invisible.

"What were you saying?" Levy's come over.

"Kei's taking care of our reapings," says Gabriel again.

"He'll like that." I give Levy a sharp look. Since when did he use sarcasm? That's my thing.

Gabriel zips up his pack. Levy peers inside of mine.

"You aren't just taking Waddles," he says accusingly.

"I don't need anything else," I say, and hug Waddles to my chest like a shield. Technically, he's Levy's. But I don't care.

Levy glowers. "Waddles is mine."

"Well, you have to learn to share. Sharing is caring." I hug Waddles tighter. He harrumphs.

"I bet you still sleep with him. I remember."

"You have no proof," I say. "And I don't."

(I do.)

"I have my memory. That's enough."

Aster walks in. "Nicco, you have to bring more than that. And do you really need a stuffed toy?"

"I want him," I say. It isn't really hero-like to be carrying one around with me but desperate times call for desperate measures. And I'm worried Levy will take Waddles from me.

Aster sighs and packs me clothes, my toothbrush. I sneak downstairs and take a handful of chocolates from the chocolate box, picking out the orange creams. Levy's followed me.

"Please can I have some?" asks Levy boldly.

"No," I say. He's getting too daring and I don't like it.

Levy presses his lips together. He's angry. He asked, and I usually give. And if he had got to the box first he would definitely have given me some.

Aster comes down, sees the chocolates, and pops a toffee finger in his mouth. "Why do you have all the orange creams? Share a few with Levy."

"But I got them first," I say.

"This isn't a race," says Aster, all parent-like. Well he has to be, because Mum's hardly at home.

"Stop being reasonable." I take out Levy's next favourite- a peanut chocolate- and crunch on it to spite him.

I know Aster's just being nice. And that Levy's just growing up. I do care, I do. I just find it hard to show it.

Levy picks out the rest of the peanut chocolates and packs them carefully amongst his water bottle, and his neatly-folded clothes. He zips it up and slings it onto his back. Then it's time to go.

We hold hands and teleport, directly to the place. I'm still very shaky, my teleportation not as smooth as Blake and Aster's. They've had so much more practice than me.

But when I fall over and Levy doesn't, I feel the strange feeling that encompassed me whilst I withheld the chocolates from him return.

It's a little later when he speaks.

"Nicco, I'm sorry," he says. Gabriel and Blake have their heads together, looking over the potion. Aster is setting up camp, taking things out of his case and laying them on the ground. I feel a rush of pride for my brother as I see him, his capability. He's so strong but so gentle, and he's so good-looking too. I can see the fortress, black and forbidding, and it's so exciting to be in an adventure. The cold of the night wraps its fingers around me and I shiver.

"What do you mean?" I ask gruffly, but I know.

"I don't know, but you look really mad at me," says Levy, his voice climbing in pitch like it always does when he's upset. Mine does too. I know his every secret, his every habit. He knows mine too, and he still loves me for it.

"You're not like you used to be." The words almost come out like a growl.

"I'm growing up," says Levy. "You should, too."

I'm not expecting it, and that's what makes the blow hit so hard. I can see in his face that he knows he hurt me.

"I'm sorry," he says in a very small voice.

"Why?" I ask roughly. He knows it's rhetorical, so he doesn't answer. I stomp away.

It's colder than I expected when night does fall and I feel like adventures aren't worth it anymore- and my head also aches. I wonder if Mum has got home yet, but it's only just nine o'clock. Still, she had Kezia helping her.

"Here-" Aster's kindling a fire now. He chucks a bundle of plastic at me. "Hang this up somewhere, like a tent. There's a hammer, and nails."

He must have thought I was Levy, because I'm sure he wouldn't have let me loose with a mallet. I shrug and start walking in a wide circle, looking for trees. I find one with a jutting branch, almost as thick as my neck, protected from the wind by a clump of willows nearby. I'm getting cold now, and I'm beginning to think adventures aren't as much fun as I thought.

I unfold the plastic, finding a hammer and nails, and shake out the large square. There are holes ringed with metal on the sides, indicating where I should hammer in the nails. I place the mallet and nails on the ground, walk over to the tree, and drape the plastic over it.

"Aster says, 'Nicco, go help Levy.'"

I jump. Levy's behind me.

"Yeah, I knew he wouldn't let me hold a hammer," I say. "There are holes in the plastic. Can you get the nails in the dirt?"

Levy nods, picks up the mallet and nails, and gets to work. I almost feel sorry for him, because the groundfrost from winter is only just thawing, and the chilly spring air is not helping at all.

"I wish things would go back to how they were," says Levy softly.

I turn and cross my arms. "I wish that too."

Levy flushes, just like I do- his ears are bright red and his cheeks and nose are pink. "I don't- I don't mean-"

"Yeah, I know." I clench my teeth, hard. Now that Levy has said it, I realise how much I have wanted things to be normal. But I have this feeling that nothing will be the same. For better or for worse.