Fɪɢʜᴛ Fᴏʀ Aʟʟ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Oɴᴇ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ || ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴘᴇʀ

Zay

I sprang awake with a headache, the kind that beats in your ears and makes you want to pull your brain out through you nose.

At first, that's what I thought had woken me. Then I saw my brother.

Zarlo was writhing on his bed. His jaw was set in a furious scowl, sweat beading on his brow. Beside him laid a dark purple and green viper, also writhing. It let out a hiss of pain– or possibly anger. I couldn't tell.

I slowly slid my legs out of bed to get up, jumping as cool scales slithered over my feet. I stifled a shriek and yanked my feet back up onto the mattress.

I glanced over my knees suspiciously and met the gaze a blue and yellow viper, identical to the one by Zarlo's bed.

"Are you...?" I asked it, trailing off as I remembered that it couldn't answer.

The viper bobbed its head and flicked out its tongue.

I cautiously set my feet back on the ground. The viper wound around my ankles, showing no signs of aggression. Instead it seemed almost... affectionate?

"Does that mean...?" I looked from the viper to Zarlo, then back.

The– I guess, my viper bobbed it's head again.

Frowning, I slowly padded across the cold stone floor to stand over Zarlo.

His eyes were wild with what must've been pain and fear, but too many other emotions were flashing through his gaze for me to decipher. "You!" He snarled and lashed out. His hand, crudely curled so his sharp nails would scratch my face, only fell short of its target because of a spasm that rippled through his skinny form.

I recoiled, rocking back a step. It took me a moment to regain the courage to step forward again. "Zar, I think you have the bonding sickness." I whispered, hoping there was at least a tiny rational part of him that understood.

Beside me, my viper hissed sadly. He was poised over Zarlo's spirit animal, imitating my stance.

"Stay here, I'll get mom!" I glanced at my viper, "that means you too." I didn't want my parents to find out that I had spirit animal just yet. I rushed out of our room and skidded on the floor out our house as I swung around a corner.

"Mother! Father! Zarlo has the bonding sickness!" I exclaimed, concern making me forget that I hadn't been speaking to my Father.

Both of their eyes went wide. Father clapped. "Go tend to him, Lily."

Mother nodded and patted my shoulder as she passed.

"Ah, I knew my boy would summon an animal." Father smiled, showing off his blackened teeth.

I felt sick. "You don't even know if he'll survive."

"You listen here, girl." He was on his feet in an instant, his grimy finger jabbing my chest. "Your brother is strong. Stronger than you can ever hope to be. So shut your filthy little mouth and go help your mother."

I shrank back, my face hot with anger and embarrassment.

"Go on!" He cuffed me around the head, then shoved me roughly back in the direction of my room.