Eclipsed

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The soft crackling of leaves filled the silence as the group caught their breath in the forest hollow. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting faint silver streaks across their faces. Ren leaned back against the cool rock, his sharp gaze fixed on Alina.

"Mind telling us about you two?" he asked, his tone neutral but firm. He nodded toward Kael, who lay unconscious beside her. "And why your brother was threatening to hurt you back there?"

Alina fidgeted with her hands, her eyes darting between Ren and Valen, who was already leaning back against the rock, his head bobbing as he struggled to stay awake. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed.

"It's...complicated," she began.

Ren tilted his head slightly. "Complicated how?"

Alina drew her knees to her chest, her voice quiet but steady. "We're from a small village near the outskirts of the kingdom. It's called Velis Grove-barely more than a handful of cottages and farms. We were happy once. It was just me, Kael, and our parents. My father was a carpenter; my mother, a healer. Things were simple... peaceful."

She paused, her eyes distant as if seeing memories play out in the shadows of the forest.

"But that changed a few years ago," she continued. "There was a drought-no rain for months. Crops failed, livestock died, and people became desperate. The village council decided to seek aid from the kingdom, but when they sent envoys, they never returned. Soon after, soldiers came instead. They demanded taxes, supplies-everything we had left. When we couldn't pay..."

Her voice faltered, and Ren's gaze softened, though he said nothing.

"They burned the village," she said, her voice trembling. "They said it was a warning to others who might refuse the king's orders. My parents... they didn't make it out."

Ren shifted, his expression hardening. "And you two?"

Alina's lip quivered, but she steadied herself. "Kael and I ran. We hid in the woods for days, living off scraps. Eventually, we found ourselves in the lower districts of the capital. Kael... he took it upon himself to protect us. He swore he'd never let anything happen to me again."

Ren nodded slowly. "So how'd he go from being a protective brother to holding a scythe to your throat?"

Alina flinched, her hands gripping her knees tighter. "The lower districts are... cruel. Kael tried to find work, but there's none for someone our age. He started stealing, at first just to feed us, but then it became more. The more he stole, the deeper we sank. He started running with a gang-the Blood Scales."

At the mention of the name, Valen stirred, one eye cracking open. "Blood Scales? That's the lot that runs the black market here, isn't it?"

Alina nodded. "They're worse than that. They control the smuggling routes, the underground trade... even the assassins. Kael became one of them, and they gave him that weapon," she said, glancing at the scythe resting beside her brother.

Ren frowned. "And you went along with this?"

"I didn't have a choice!" she snapped, then immediately softened. "Sorry. I... I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He said it was the only way to survive."

Valen yawned, rubbing his eyes. "So where does threatening you fit into all this?"

Alina hesitated, glancing down at her brother's still form. "The Blood Scales don't forgive failure. Kael was supposed to deliver a package to a client-something important-but the authorities raided the deal. He lost everything. The gang said he had to pay them back... or they'd come after me."