A Kingdom of Sins

Chapter Nineteen

I was woken to the sound of a door slamming in my ear. "Next time you can close it quietly," I said as Mason looked down at me. He offered me his hand but I jumped up on my own. Jackson walked out, looking almost dead, he turned the corner and disappeared.

"Your cousin is going to get himself killed."

"He's always been like that," I let out a little laugh.

"Why do you hate him?" It was a questions I just couldn't answer, or explain. I had no words for how Ashford had just showed up.

"I don't hate him," Mason looked at me with an eyebrow raised, "I don't know. I guess it's," I thought about it, "well, I didn't always yell at him like I did last night. Him, Noah, and I used to be so close," memories of my childhood flooded my head but I pushed them aside. "I guess after all those years of beating myself up about it, I guess, I was just angry that he never said anything."

Mason ran his fingers through his hair, "remind me never to make you mad," we let out a little laugh. "Gods that was a long meeting," he looked up to the sun with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

I smiled, "it wasn't that long. It passed with a blink of an eyes," we let out a little laugh.

"Says the person who fell asleep." I rolled my eyes.

"Bye," He said with a wave before disappearing into a crowd of people. I walked into the room where we spent most of our time. I curled up on the couch, under a blanket, that still smelled like Mason, and fell asleep.

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I heard a loud sigh as I sat up, "if I didn't know better than I would think your job is to take naps," Mason said walking in.

He sat down next to me and opened up my diary. "One day you are going to read something that you don't like.," I said as I got up and walked to a chair next to the couch.

Ashford walks through the door with a flustered shade of red covering his face, "Take me to Noah."

I looked at him right in the eye, "what?" I wonder if he would ask that if he knew Noah would be as, or more, mad as me.

"you heard me. Take me to him, he is my brother after all," so is Mason.

"No," I saw out of the corner of my eye Mason put down the book.

"You will take me to see him," a ring of gold span in his eye.

I sighed, "first time for everything." A small grin peaked out from the corner of his mouth. "Next time instead of forcing me to do something just say please." As we walked off the grounds I saw a flash of white. My brain instantly said it was Sabrina but that couldn't be true. I almost went over to whoever it was just to get my brain to stop but instead I just kept walking.

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"Why did you stop?"Ashfords inpacentness made me roll my eyes.

"Well, he could be two places, eit-"

"Kaitlin we already passed the market," Mason interrupted. I looked at him with narrowed eyes, "sorry."

"Next time you stay in the palace," He gave me a small smile that warmed my heart. "He's recently been going between his house and a..." I throw Ashford a glance, "colleagues home."

We eventually get to Noah's house. I leave Ashford at Noah's house and, after an angry look from Noah, we walk into the forest.

"Why'd you take me into the forest?" I looked up at the leaves and tree tops. The light reflected off the leaves casting an array of fall colors across the air. It ways a cool crisp autumn day causing me to shiver. Mason put his arm around my shoulders and we continued walking.

"The forest is the most beautiful place you can be. It's so... calming," Mason looks at me as if I said something unexpected. "Plus when it comes to family Noah is over protective and Ash," my mistake took my breath away, "is hot headed."

"Maybe I wanted to see that. it would make for an interesting performance," he spoke as if I hadn't made a mistake at all.

"Noah would first kill Ash," I didn't notice I called him that this time, "for being alive. Then you for lots of reasons," he looked at me with a shy smile. "Then he would lecture me to death for bringing you two here." We both let out a little laugh.

I tripped and fell onto a pile of leaves. I sat up but Mason layed down next to me so I fell back. "I like the woods," he said with a small smile, "it's quiet out here." Mason put his arms around my scared back, holding me close. The woods made me feel safe, so safe that I would risk the lives of others because I knew no one would ever come out here. I could hear the beating of his heart mine caught up to his creating a rhythm. The song they sang together was perfect, singing me off to sleep