Goodnight

Goodnight, world.

I rang the doorbell. No one answered. No surprise. It was nearly midnight. Only people with terrible sleep schedules would be awake at this ungodly hour. Well, wasn't that me?

I rang the doorbell again. Still no one. My bones were already creaking. I was not going to stand out here in the northern cold for another moment. Damn him. Fumbling slightly with the lockpicks, I managed to get the door open. What was Jem going to do? Kick me out? Hah. Like anyone dared to kick me out.

The house was dark, lit up by slivers of moonlight that shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A rather beautiful place, once owned by beautiful people. Not merely on the surface, they were such beautiful people deep inside... I pinched myself, hard. No. I would not think about his adoptive parents. Not now.

A figure pushed open a door. "Who's that idiot ringing the-" He grumbled, then he froze.

I leaned calmly against the wall and watched in amusement as he shrieked and fell onto the ground.

"Who- Who are you? How- How did you get in?"

"Prince Jasper, pleased to meet you." I bent down and held out my hand.

Even though it was dark, I could feel his glare. "Go away, Jas."

"Is this how you greet a brother you haven't met in more than a decade?" I grabbed his hand and yanked him up. "Disappointing."

"How did you get in?" He growled, leading me down the corridor. The house felt so terribly empty... poor Jem. I wanted to smack myself. That terrible feeling in my chest was back. I wasn't going to have a good sleep tonight... I was probably going to be awake again, trying to erase myself from existence.

"Do not question my methods."

"Why are you so late? You wrote that you'd be here yesterday."

"Unforeseen circumstances."

"Such as sentencing good people to death again?" He spat, pushing a door open roughly and slapping his hand on the light switch. Of course he wouldn't forgive me. Not even angels would.

"Personal business." I elaborated.

"I never knew you had a life."

"Shocking, I know." I sighed, and sat down on the sofa. I was awfully exhausted. The past four days, I had been locked in a dark cell. Terribly draining stuff. Yeah, my personal life was a bit messed up, but no one had ever cared.

"You said you had something to discuss with me."

"I'll save that for tomorrow. You'll need a clear mind." He didn't have a choice, though. It was only because he was my brother that I decided to give him the beautiful illusion of choice. I was a rather straightforward person. Theatrics were better suited for people who mattered.

"Is there anything you have to say to me, other than... official business?" He asked.

I thought about it, giving him a once over. "You're still shorter than me."

"Anything else?"

"You're looking more and more like Mother."

"Anything else?"

"What do you want to hear?" I asked back.

He crossed his arms and glared at the floor. "I want an explanation."

"About?"

"First, about how in the world our parents could have lost me. Second, why, just why did you have to- to- sentence them to- death?" His voice cracked.