Just a Kiss Goodnight

Just a Kiss Goodnight (32)

Zoe’s P.O.V

“YOU WILL NOT BEAT ME!”

I closed my eyes as my brother advanced on us, wishing in my head that he’d stop this and I wouldn’t have to step in. I wanted him to be happy like the rest of us and not hold this ridiculous grudge. I didn’t want to be the one to step in but I knew I had to be if he didn’t calm down on his own terms. I sent my father a swift glance and his eyes held a fraction of sympathy in their fiery depths. I turned my gaze to Zeke and sucked in a deep breath.

“Don’t do this, Zeke. Let all of it go… please?” I whispered. I knew he’d heard me because his entire body stiffened and he glared directly at me. His cold stare made my body shiver in fright.

“You have no idea what you’re asking me to do, Zoe.”

“No, Zeke… you have no idea what you’re going to make me do if you don’t back down.” I seethed, letting a fraction of my anger show in my voice. I was tired and fed up of dealing with his bullshit. I felt sorry for him because it was true that he always got the short straw when it came to being totally happy and pampered at home but he didn’t understand the pressure I had to deal with. I had to put up with being pushed and forced to train until your mind felt like it could snap.

All through my childhood years I had needed Zeke to be there and all I got was a cold, stone hearted boy who thought everything was worse for him because he got to go out and do the fun stuff. He didn’t have to live up to crazy expectations. Neither of us had exactly had a lovely childhood but only one of us bitterly complained everyday of their life and acted like the world was on their shoulders and by golly was it the wrong one of us. I’d never complained in my life, not even when father had made me train until I cried out, desperate to stop because my head felt like it would explode.

“Oh, so you have to do something now do you Zoe? I thought you were the one that got to sit on her arse all day and just play with shadows so that you could be Miss favourite.” He sneered at me, flipping him hair out of his eyes. “What a pitty.”

I felt shadows start to pulse around me at the same time they started to pulse around Zeke. I noticed Alex’s grip on Georgiana tightened as he pulled up away from me and most of all I noticed the smirk on Zeke’s face. “Get outta here.” I muttered to everyone.

They all backed away, even the Gods but Georgiana made a fuss about it. “Zoe, you don’t have to fight him.” She squealed from behind Alex, looking at me with round eyes. She was so cute at time but she got irritating when she got into everyone else’s business.

“G, stay outta this one. I love you like I love cotton candy but this is what I “sat on my ass and played with shadows” for.” I smiled sadly at her. She ‘oh’ed at me and continued to just peek over Alex’s shoulder like a little kitten. Cute, as I said. I turned to Zeke to see his expression changed a little. “Bring it on, baby brother.” I taunted, glaring at him.

He snorted and began to form several balls of shadows around him. It was pretty impressive seeing as he couldn’t do that last time we’d had a battle. I sighed internally, not really ready for what I was about to do but I had to suck it up and deal with it. I cleared my mind, closed my eyes and concentrated on creating a barrier around me to deflect the inevitable attack.

Zeke’s P.O.V

I pulled all of my energy into several balls around me and with a final kick inside my mind I sent them flying towards the one person who I thought could save me. As soon the shadows came within a certain point of Zoe they disappeared, leaving me confused. I’d never seen this happen before. I’d seen Zoe do some phenomenal things but this was new.

I raised an eyebrow but didn’t let my shock take over my mind or features as I tugged on the power within me to produce more powerful shadows. Each time I flung them at her she stood still; eyes closed and didn’t flinch at all.

I let out a frustrated groan and wiped the sweat off of my forehead as I created yet more shadows. “Fight me, you coward!” I screamed at her.

Her eyes flashed open and she looked at me sadly. “I don’t want to fight you, Zeke.” She whispered desperately but I wouldn’t believe her. She always had to win and this time it was MY turn. I would be the one that walked away victorious. I wasn’t going to let her be the perfect one all of the time. I was more powerful than her. I was the lord of the dead.

With that thought I used my gut instinct and called upon a few undead warriors to come forth and fight for me. Nothing happened. Panicked, I tried again and still nothing happened. I looked at the ground around me in disbelief. What?!

“You would try and raise the dead against me, Zeke?” I looked towards Zoe and suddenly felt guilty as I watched her sad eyes look at the ground around us. She looked up at me and into my eyes. “How could you ever do that?”

I tuned out her voice and tried again, pulling the power from deep inside me and almost screaming out as pain rippled through my body. Still, I kept on trying. I tried to tune out the feeling of knives being slowly tug into my skull and focused on pulling more and more power from the fear that had once been around me. But there was none. I couldn’t call upon anything to help me because everyone was so happy… I heard myself whimper even though I wasn’t conscious of ever letting myself make noise.

Why now? Why when I needed my power most would it fail on me? Why would it turn on me and use my body as payment? Why would it bail on me now!?

“Zeke?”

I ignored her.

“Zeke, stop trying.”

I closed my eyes and desperately tuned out her voice.

“Son, please stop doing this to yourself…”

The pain in my head intensified and I dropped to my knees. I felt tears slide down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop them. I gave out a sob and clutched my head, hoping it would make the pain disappear but it didn’t. Somehow I registered cold arms wrapping themselves around me and I was suddenly aware of how my skin felt like it was burning.

Zoe’s P.O.V

I held my brother in my arms, letting his tears fall onto my skin and sobbed with him. He wouldn’t really be aware of what’s happening to him now. The power inside of him way eating its way through whatever there was left of him and devouring the other half of me. His skin felt feverish against me and I knew he didn’t have long.

“Dad..” I called out, not taking my eyes away from my brothers tear stained cheeks. I felt Hades get closer to me and kneel down but I didn’t really take any of it in. I felt numb knowing that my twin was dying in my arms and that I couldn’t help him. It was always his fate and I always had to make it happen. I’d known since I was 4 and half years old that I would have to stop my brother from raising the dead and from the age of 12 I knew that it would kill him. I knew that the hunger for power inside of him would grow until it took control of him.

It didn’t make it any easier. It didn’t stop me from thinking of everything, anything to save him. I held onto him and shushed quietly, rocking him in my hold as if he were a child until his tears stopped.

“Zoe…”

I ignored my father and only held onto Zeke tighter when he tried to take him from me. I couldn’t let him go. I just couldn’t.

“Zoe? Zoe, you need to let go of him.”

I looked up to see all of my friends around me, their faces covered in tears. Georgiana knelt down beside me and took hold of my arms lightly and gently helped me release Zeke. I stared away into space until a strong pair of arms encircled me and lifted me off the ground and I didn’t care who it was that held me.