Exᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Fɪᴠᴇ

Prologue // Twin Snakes

Unknown
I flicked my forked tongue out to taste the air. My brother slithered silently under the bed, pausing at my side. "How are you?"

"Fine, consssidering." I responded, lifting up my tail ever so slightly. "What about her?"

"Ssshe will be okay." My brother blinked knowingly. "Thisss won't even be the hardesssst part. Fate hasss bigger plansss."

"I know." My tongue fluttered in the air again. "It ssseemsss I wasss alwaysss to be her viper."

"To be The Viper." He corrected me.

"Right." I paused. "I am going to missss you, Xsss."

"And I you, Raz." X answered, his scales dappled in the shadows. "It isss too bad, that it hasss to end like thisss."

I bobbed my head in a nod. "I wish to have sssspent more time with you, brother."

X reared up, his white underscales greyed by the darkness beneath the bed. "She'ssss looking for usss." He was referring to the human girl stomping around the room.

"Jussst a few more ssecondsss." If I could've rolled my eyes, I would've. But I'm a snake, so I can't. Instead I settled for an annoyed hiss. I, too, reared up.

We both paused, poised as if to strike down prey. But we were brothers, we wouldn't dare hurt each other. Instead, we rested our noses against one another's and twined our tails together. This would've been what the humans called 'a hug,' but without the arms.

X blinked slowly at me, his gaze holding mine. "But let me be clear. If you ever hurt her, I will kill you."

"How can you kill me if you're dead?" I pulled my head back and chuckled.

"I'll kill you oncssse you die. Ssso you'll be double assss dead." He threatened.

"I will keep that in mind." I hummed.

X narrowed his eyes.

"I have no intention of hurting her." I assured him.

He looked briefly unconvinced, then flicked out his tongue and hissed playfully at me. "Good. That'ssss sssettled then."

I showed him my fangs. "I truly will misssss you, brother."

"Yeah, you already sssaid that. To be honessst, I can't wait to be rid of you." He joked in return.

I pretended to be hurt. "What?"

"Kidding." X flashed his teeth.

"Good." I chuckled again and rested my head against his again. He back leaned against me and our scales tingled where they touched, fitting together nearly perfectly, just like two brothers. Like us.

And we hugged, hidden beneath the bed, waiting to be found.

We hugged, as twin snakes.

We hugged harder, to make up for what our summoner couldn't have with her brother. For a goodbye that she deserved. As twins, both in human and in snake. For family is everything, and losing it may be the worst Fate of all.

AHHHH
hi guys. How are y'all? I'm so sorry. I thought I would be able to make this a hella long chap but it's only 500 words and ah-
So yeah. But anyway, enjoy the book! :)