The Ascendants

Chapter Fifteen

---Zaidran---

"What do you want to show me?" Sky asked not seeing what I was seeing.

“Look carefully. What do you see?”

She looked where I had pointed out squinting to see anything out of the ordinary.

When she didn't she looked back at me confused.

“That's a lot of vines,” she commented, “And those grapes are practically calling my name.”

“What?” I asked looking in the direction that she had looked until I saw the vines. The way they were positioned made me know that they could be hiding a lot of homes.

"No, not the vines. It's like a hidden community."

She looked below us in the valley again.

“Wow. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.”

There was silence while she took in the picturesque.

"But why would they want to hide. I haven't seen a living soul anywhere."

"We haven't seen a living soul anywhere because they are all in hiding."

“I wondered how many people had seen us and how many houses we had passed without noticing.” she whispered, “Hidden in plain sight.”

“Come with me.”

I lead her through the high trees until we were overlooking the castle.

“Wow,” she breathed, “How did you find it.”

“I don't know. I think I was drawn to it. I just found it and I have a feeling that it is not easily found.”

A twig snapped behind us and before I could turn my head someone grabbed me and threw me in a tree.

“Zee!” Sky called as a fist hit my jaw turning my head.

The person lift me up by the neck and slammed me in a tree before I could recover.

“Who are you?” he demanded but I took his pause to my advantage.

I brought my fist around hitting him square in the face and he released me clutching his nose. Before he could stand up I kneed him in the chest and threw him in a tree.

I grabbed him by the neck about to throw him again when I heard two voices in unison call...

“Azlan!”

“Zaidran!”

I looked at the man I was pinning on the tree.

Behind the blood on his face and apart from his blue hair he looked exactly like me.

He smirked at me, “Well...hello little brother.”

I released him hoping that he'd fall but when his feet hit ground he managed to maintain his balance.

---Skylar---

I couldn't imagine what Zaidran was thinking or feeling. It was      the first time he was meeting his brother and so far Azlan had been a complete ass.

The girl he traveled with, Hayden, had made it clear that they weren't in a relationship and without saying it out loud, admitting that Azlan was a complete ass.

Azlan and Zaidran seemed to be studying each other.

They were seated directly across from each other in the sitting room while Hayden and I were in the kitchen.

“Boy or girl?” she asked.

When I looked up from playing with my biscuit her smile faded and she became uneasy.

“I'm sorry I'm in no position to ask ...”

“It's a girl,” I said interrupting her.

“Wow...congratulations? ”

She said it in more of a questioning tone than statement. I wouldn't know what to say either if I were in her place.

I smiled.

“So...how did you two meet?” she asked after a pause

“He lived with my family,” I took a bite of my biscuit.

She seemed desperate to make conversation and I was really enjoying watching her rock her brain for something to say.

Before she could come up with something to say Azlan spoke.

“So have you met mother dearest?

“No.” Zaidran said and they fell into silence again.

I looked back at Hayden.

“Do you know the due date?” she asked

“The day after tomorrow...do you want to use the shower?”

“Please.”

“Follow me.”

I lead the way to the room I was staying in.

“Let me get something you can change into,” I told her.

I sorted through my bag for a something that would fit her.

“Will these fit?” I asked pulling out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

“Yep.”

“You have to come in to use the bathroom,” I told her, “It's adjoined to this room.”

“Thank you,” she said taking the clothes and going to the room I  had gestured at.

When she closed the door I went back into the sitting room.

“...We should go check it out,” Azlan was saying.

“Check what out?”

They both looked up at me.

“The castle,” Azlan said.

“We need to find out what it means. I think it is important because we are both drawn to it.” Zaidran added.

“Family,” the word escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

“What?” Zaidran said.

“I'm going to nap,” I told him.

He walked over to me.

“Are you alright?”

I kissed him with a nod of reassurance.

“I'm fine,” I whispered on his lips, “I'm going to shower and then go to bed...I would invite you but we have guests,” I kissed him again a little longer than I should have in front of his brother.

“I'm sure our guests wont mind,” he told me and I laughed.

“Like you'd say anything else. Good night,” I kissed him again before leaving and I could feel his eyes on me until I closed the door.

After taking out the leather book I had found in the nightstand from my bag I sat on the bed and began to skip through it.

I was unsure of which language it was because it wasn't any of the eight that I knew.

I turned a page and saw pictures of various animals with the shadow of humans. I bent closer to get a closer look.

I wonder what it means.

The bathroom door opened and I looked up startled.

“Thanks again,” Hayden said before heading to the door.

“You're welcome,” I said but as she reached for the door knob a thought crossed my mind.

“Hayden,” I called.

“Hmm,” she turned and looked at me.

“How good are you with ancient languages?”

She smiled,“very good.”