Phoenix

Chapter 4

Her brother was different that she remembered. A human would not be able to see him clearly in the dark, but her eyes' could see the Essence inside him lighting his whole being up. His reddish brown hair was casually mussed, straight and shaggy just as she remembered it, with a streak of gold in it on the left side of his head. A pang of sadness hit her, she hadn't been there for her brother's Awakening. Besides that he looked very different. His cheekbones were more prominent and sturdy than she remembered, he was also taller, nearly a half foot taller than her, and she wasn't short, in other words he was quite handsome. He had grown into his features, she wondered if he had found his mate yet. His eyes' were solemn and had a seemingly permanent haunted look in them, though he seemed joyful at the sight of her. He was slightly wincing with every move he made, favoring his right leg over his left, but he was good at hiding his pain, a human would never have noticed that slight flinch at his every move no matter how hard they looked. On both sides of his cheeks were white lines, knife scars, they hadn't been there last he had seen him. They didn't look accidental, or as if it had happened in a fight, no, they looked deliberate and painful, as if someone had done it to him on purpose, though they probably weren't painful anymore. 

Cyrus was dressed in regular jeans and a black t-shirt that emphasized his muscular chest. She breathed in the sight of her brother, regret filling her, knowing that he had suffered because of her. His eyes' were wide with astonishment, as he looked her over, then hugged her,

"It is you. Fires above you've grown, you look like...." his voice caught and Kris knew what he had been about to say, that she looked like their mother, she had died when they were young. She hugged him tight, afraid that he would disappear too. After some time, they pulled apart, and she said switching back into the formal tongue of their youth though still staying in English,

"Its good to see you. I have missed you greatly," then her face grew solemn,"And what of 'everyone'?" He smiled though the haunted look pronounced in his green eyes',

"He is well, and what of you? You seem well." She gave him a half smile, deciding against  mentioning what her mark had said earlier, and telling him of her weakness without Essence,

"I am well," out of politeness she asked in a cold voice,"How is Father?" He winced at the name, so slight she thought she hadn't seen it, and his face grew strained beneath his courtier's mask,

"He is.... busy?" Kris's interest was peeked,

"How so?" Cyrus cocked his head to the side slightly,

"The Benu are causing trouble." Her blood ran cold, that was not good news, the last time they had "caused trouble" it had led to a three century war, that ended with the death of half her immediate family.

"Is it severe?" He looked her in the eye, his worry equaling her own,

"Not yet, but negotiations are commencing with their Chief, we hope to avoid a repeat." She nodded, deciding to get off the subject,

"So what are you doing in Seattle?" His face grew solemn,

"Searching for you." A cold fear stopped her dead in place, as she glanced at the knife scars on his cheeks, then stared at him warily

"Why?" His eyes' locked with hers,

"Your Awakening is approaching, they dispatched me to notify you." Kris could read between the lines, and she knew here brother could too, she narrowed her eyes'. This wasn't a notification, this was a warning, a warning to either come back or there'd be hell to pay. She took a step back and set her jaw stubbornly,

"Thank you for the notification, but I will have to decline." Panic entered his eyes as he pleaded,

"Khrystyna please! Don't push them, you will not like the consequences." She grew cold, as her eyes' hardened, she did not do well with threats,