Thicker than Water

Chapter Four

My mind swirled with the words in my brother's letter as I paced the room.  I couldn't sleep or even stay focused on packing anything, even though Ivan had volunteered I had decided to do it myself.  But I couldn't even do that.  I wandered back and forth in my room as I pondered the letter's meaning.  Big brother had acted so distantly towards me before he left like he hated the sight of me, but now it's like it never happened and he's treating me the same as he used to.  My kind older brother seemed to be back, but I was still confused.  What made him change back?

I stopped in front of the window which had a perfect view of the garden.  In the center of the garden was a large fountain with two dragons intertwined in an eternal dance.  One had bright glowing red eyes with orange scales that reflected the water in the fountain.  The other had bright sapphire eyes and light blue scales.  They twisted together and then their heads faced opposite ways to spew water.  When we were younger, big brother told me this was his mother's private garden that only she would tend to.  She had loved her garden.  But now it was a painful reminder to the family she left behind.  Only a select few were permitted to tend to it just the same as she had to preserve the garden.

Big brother had been so kind, letting me into the garden no one was allowed to enter.  Of all people, he had let me.  But before he left big brother had made it so I wouldn't be allowed so much as to even visit it.  If I were caught, Ivan would escort me in the house and lock the gate.  I'd only visited it a few times until I was caught and he had sealed it off from me.  I didn't understand why big brother had hated me so suddenly.  But now his letter gave me the impression he had never hated me.  It was too confusing.

As I thought over the questions that boggled my mind, a loud knock sounded at my door.  I didn't respond to it right away so they knocked again, but much harder this time.  "Come in," I snapped, then instantly regretted it.  The person knocking at my door was none other than my other brother Luke.

Luke glared at the suitcase lying on my bed and I stumbled back a few steps at the rage that showed in his eyes.  His eyebrows furrowed in what was most likely disgust and his jade green eyes moved to me next.  "Where the hell do you think you're going," he asked, his deep voice causing my head to hurt.

Lie, Rogue.  Lie!  "I'm going out of town for a while," I said quickly, a half truth coming out.  "I've got things to take care of."

"So you think that since Haden left so easily you can too," he snapped then hiccupped loudly.  "I don't care what happened to him, but right now you're in what will soon be my house.  So, I say if you can go or not."

My patience was beginning to run out and I can feel the ties of reason snapping.  "I'll be eighteen in two months.  Like hell you're going to tell me what to do.  You're not even a candidate to be the head, even your second cousin George is ahead of you.  What makes you think that you'll suddenly get the title, huh?  You're just an asshole who cares only for himself."

As soon as I said those words, I knew I had done the wrong thing.  But it was too late.

Luke took two strides across the room and snatched me by the throat.  I didn't even have time to register what had happened.  His large hand tightened on my throat causing me to gasp for air.  He held me up to meet his face and his mouth spread into a maniacal grin.  I tried desperately to wrench his hand off of me, but to no avail.  He did loosen slightly, however, allowing me to barely get air.  His eyes moved from mine down and I got a sick feeling in my stomach.  The stench of hard liquor as he exhaled was all I could breathe and caused me to gag.  He was drunk and I should have known better.

"You're a fiery little girl, huh," he said with that nasty grin on his face.  I began to try to wiggle free from his grasp but he tightened again.  He chuckled lightly at me and smiled like an amused child.  "This should be fun."