A Court of Sunflowers and Stardust

•chapter 25•

"The stars started shining brighter when you were born."

Lost

~

I slept peacefully, until there was an abrupt disturbance in my mind and I felt myself jolt awake suddenly. I gasped, my lungs feeling tight as I blinked past the sleep in my eyes.

I was not in my bedroom.

Already knowing where I was and who I was going to find, I stood upright so I was looking around the forest that I was currently in. It was cold, the air making my skin prickle.

"Acacia." A deep voice called and I spun on my heel quickly, coming face to face with the male himself.

"Alakai." I sighed, tilting my head as I examined him.

Now I knew he was my brother, being in his presence felt even more familiar, and I could almost remember him from when I was young.

"I bet you have questions." He commented, and I noticed how awkward he seemed as he shifted on his feet.

I crossed my arms, trying to protect them from the brisk air. "A lot of them have been answered... by our father."

His posture straightened, his sharp eyes narrowing in on me. "I bet he had a lot of wonderful things to say to me."

I noted the sarcasm in his voice, "he told me everything."

He scoffed, his face contorting into a cold rage, so similar to my father's. "Now you know what he did to mom, how he treated her, you-"

I snarled, the tone of his voice enraging me. He blinked, shocked at my outburst. "I don't care what you say! He told me everything. Whilst you abandoned us after mom died, I was the one left to look after dad when I was barely old enough to look after myself."

He shook his head, "Acacia, you don't understand-"

"I know I don't!" I shouted, fists clenching. "But you don't understand what I had to go through all those years. I- nobody even told me I had an older brother. I was the one left in the dark. I remember you, faintly. The first time you smiled at me, I remembered that smile. I remember you smiling at me when I was little."

His lips pursed as he closed his eyes, "Acacia. You are everything to me. I wanted to save you, I wanted to give you a better life somewhere else. But after I killed mom- I spiralled into a pit of nothingness and I had to leave. You couldn't grow up with me like that."

"I grew up with it anyway, from dad." I sighed, frustration building up inside me. "I just need answers! Why was there a riddle made about us- or you- or us- I don't know!"

"Things are changing, little sister." He spoke, coming closer to me and quickly grasping my hands in his. "The world is changing. Things will be okay."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned desperately, trying to ignore how similar his eyes looked to my father's.

"Things will start making sense soon, especially since you've found out who I really am to you." He explained vaguely.

"Alakai-"

"You don't know how long I've waited to be able to see you. I was worried the first time we met in your mind you'd recognise who I was." He looked down, eyes staring at my bare feet.

"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but he heard me.

"I have my reasons."

I shook my head, yanking my hands from his, "I'm sick of all this vague bullshit!"

"I can't reveal everything too soon. You just need to be patient." He urged, eyes pleading as he reached out to me again.

I moved backwards, "I can't be patient. The world is dying, and I know you know something about it!"

"Acacia! Listen to me!" He yelled, serious eyes meeting mine, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. Me and you until the end, okay? I promised mom I'd look after you, that we'd meet again and stay together until we die."

"You're not making any sense!" I cried out.

"I'll see you soon." He sent me a smile, one that looked so much like my mother's it almost made me tear up. "I love you, Acacia."

And then I felt as if the floor beneath me had opened and I swallowed into a black hole, my body squeezing together and tightening, chest constricting.

I gasped, my eyes suddenly flying wide open to reveal my bedroom in Velaris. I looked around, spotting Kaleb fast asleep beside me, almost falling off the edge of the bed.

"Fuck!" I screamed, anger rampaging through my body as I slammed my fist against my mattress. Alakai had disappeared, again.

Kaleb jumped in shock, eyes wild as he fell straight off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud, a yelp following soon after. I sighed in exasperation, running my fingers through my hair.

"What happened?" Kaleb poked his head up, hair dishevelled and eyes sleepy yet frantic.

Dread and loneliness swept into my heart. Despite all the people around me, I felt more alone than I ever have. I've found my long lost brother, yet he has once again shut me out. My father practically kicked me out the last time I saw him. Why do I feel so lost and useless?

I put my head in my hands. "There's so much going on and- and I feel like there should be more I can do. But I can't. I feel so hopeless."

Kaleb was silent, but I felt the bed dip as he once again returned and sat beside me. The silence wasn't awkward, it was comforting. He had nothing to say, nothing that could ease my thoughts, so he stayed with me instead.

Tears, cold and quiet, fell down my cheeks, covered by my hands. But Kaleb must of known, as one of his strong arms slowly snaked over my shoulder, as not to startle me. He pulled me in closer, and the smell of him awakened every primal instinct within me that reminded me we were mates.

We were destined for each other.

And I knew, that even if everything went downhill, Kaleb would always be there.