Consumed » Kai Parker

Forty

Kai's POV

It's safe to say that Christmas has never and will never be my favorite holiday, or anywhere remotely close.

The whole idea of it seems magical to most children, who look forward to the day every year anticipating the gifts they'll receive. There's a reason "he looked like a kid on Christmas morning" is a phrase used to describe those who are particularly giddy. But giddy isn't a mood I associate with the day.

Not that my family didn't celebrate, of course. Oh no, they celebrated alright. Exchanged gifts, put up a tree, the works.

But while I would physically be in the living room along with the rest of my family during these little holiday gatherings, my mind was always somewhere else. I'd sit on the floor in the corner of the room, away from my siblings who kneeled by the tree as they gushed over toy cars and dolls.

"Josie! Look, Dad got me monster trucks!" Joey waved a mini red vehicle in front of my twin's face excitedly and she smiled, nodding.

"Woah, how cool!" Josette exaggerated her enthusiasm for her younger brother's benefit.

Sophie captured Jo's attention next, insistently tugging her closer to show off her new doll.

I leaned my head back against the wall, stretching my legs out across the wooden floor. My eyes landed on my father, watching me with a caution that sent a surge of irritation through me, as he stood in the doorway. Paranoia might as well be Joshua Parker's middle name. Along with dickwad.

Joshua Dickwad Paranoia Parker. Now, that had a nice ring to it.

My thoughts brought a slight, amused smile to my lips. Which was a mistake, I soon realized, as Dad started to make his way over to my corner.

"What are you smiling about, Malachai?" He demanded and I almost snorted.

"Oh, nothing, just thought of a great joke," I smiled wider. "Wanna hear it?" Not bothering to wait for his confirmation, I continued, "Why did the siphoner cross the coven leader?"

He merely stared at me, lips flattening into a tight line.

"To get to the Other Side!" I chuckled. "Get it? Like, the literal Other Side? Because you're always like grr, Malachai, do not test me or I'll send you to your grave! Hey, would I even end up on the Other Side or just, boom, straight to hell? Huh. You know, I've always wondered if hell's, like, literally just a fiery pit or–"

"Meet me in the shed tonight."

The statement immediately wiped the shit-eating grin clean off my face and reduced my expression to a blank, empty stare. I'd be damned if I let him think I was afraid.

But the truth? I was. Every single time I heard those six words, fear, much to my shame and disgust, was the only thing I could register. On the exterior, I just shut down, perfected a mask of cool indifference. That was the only way to control the anger and dread stirred up by those six goddamned words.

"Why?" I deadpanned. Pretended that I couldn't care less.

"Why?" Joshua repeated, arching an eyebrow. "If you do not understand the meaning of these training sessions by now, then you are in worse shape than I thought. Don't you see what I'm trying to do? I'm trying to help you. With my aid, you can break free of this-this curse you were born with."

I curled my fingers into a tight fist, using every ounce of strength in me to suppress the burning urge to lunge forward and siphon the old geezer of every last bit of magic inside him. Because, unfortunately, that would kill me too. If it weren't for that irritating little detail, I bet I would've done it already.