Children of Blood ✔️

Chapter Fifteen

John's hair is still short and styled up, the grey flame spreading from his temple. "What are you doing darling Jean?" John takes a step forward and I tighten my grip on the bow string, the arrow aiming at his chest. "I'm afraid you have to give Luke back. Lady isn't pleased with you."

A sneer cuts across my face, uncontaminated rage shakes my body into inperpetual darkness. Wrath seeps into my muscles while my jaw clenches, "I can kill you here and now."

John remains unfazed and irritated. "You may satisfy your thirst for revenge temporarily, but you'd lose your friend here. If your group even thinks about attacking before you shoot he'll die." He points to Alaric and smiles cynically.

The knife presses against his throat and my heart plummets. The thick red blood starts to trail down his neck as panic plants a seed in my mind.

"Jean." Josef's whisper sounds like a thousand razor blades. "What are you waiting for?"

"You have a choice Jean." John walks behind his body guard, "you can try to kill me, but if you do, you guarantee your friends death."

I could kill John, let Alaric die. I could run away with Luke and forget my past. Roxy would have some vengeance and I wouldn't have to worry about the Immunis. I would be free. Ridding the demons who plague my body.

But that's too easy.

It's not what Roxy would want. She'd call me a coward for running away, yet she isn't here anymore because John let her die. He tried to kill me, he deserves death, but Alaric doesn't.

"You better hurry up Jean," John chuckles. "Tick tick darling. Who's going to die, me? The man who hasn't left the Immunis astray, or this boy who acts like he cares about you?"

"Shut up." I growl as my arm shakes, my muscles straining to hold the string back.

"Tick. Tock." John taps the shoulder of his guard and they begin to shuffle away. "Time is up." They turn and run while my arrow traces their steps.

"Jean!" Luke yells behind me, "what are you doing?" His voice is hard and forceful.

Gritting my teeth I turn and shoot the man holding the knife to Alaric's throat. The arrow strikes his eye as Alaric shoves him off before stumbling to the dirt.

Josef and Maverick rush to Alaric, Luke shaking his head as he passes. Shame and culpability floods my heart, what was I thinking? Alaric is one of my few remaining friends and I was justifying his death.

I avoid everyones gaze as my mom wraps an arm around my shoulder. "It's okay sweetie, that is a bad man too."

I walk away from Alaric towards our horses. I can see him staring at me from the corner of my eye, so I flip my hood over my head.

The first time Luke said my name, it was in anger and horror. I'm not the girl he fell in love with so long ago and maybe he's not the same man I fell in love with either.

You're an idiot Jean.

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We stop before we get to the Fide Clan's gate, my mom slumps between my arms. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is slow and steady.

Hidden by the cape of darkness, the moon locked behind the clouds. I cover a yawn as Maverick leads us to a quite, secluded ridge to sleep beneath.

Luke mounts off of Josef's horse and catches me staring at him. Everyone is quiet as Alaric approaches my side and helps pull my sleeping mother off of the saddle. As she's set down I wrap her in my sleeping bag before taking a blanket for myself.

"Alaric," I whisper.

He turns back to me and smiles. "Buttercup?"

"I am so sorry." My eyes drop and I feel the guilt twist my stomach into knots. If he forgives me for what I've done then he is a true friend. "That man, John, he killed my best friend."

"So you would let him kill another?" Josef scoffs and shakes his head.

"Josef," Alaric snaps before taking my forearms in his hands. "It's okay."

"But it's not!" Josef yells. "How can you trust her? If that were me I wouldn't think twice."

"It wasn't you. You haven't lost a best friend, forced out of your home and away the people you love." Alaric lets go of me and turns towards Josef who stares daggers into my body. "You don't know what she's been through."

There's a silence before Luke scoffs, "and I suppose you know what she's been through."

Alaric turns to Luke and takes a daring step towards him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said that apparently you know what she's been through." Luke matches Alaric's step glaring straight into his eyes. Their noses only an inch apart, separated by a tense string. "Were you there when she lost everything? Because I was and it was arduous watching her suffer while I couldn't do anything."

"I never asked for your opinion Luke," Alaric spits and his jaw clenches. "Why don't you some big words so I can understand?"

Maverick steps between the two men pushing them apart. "Stop."

Alaric snaps his head away from Luke before walking away. "Luke, you are out of your territory. Know your place."

Luke scrunches his nose and spits on the ground. "Sure thing Sir Alaric."

I scoot away from the boys towards my mom. I curl up against her back, burying my face into her hair. This is overwhelming, for now I'll accept that Josef hates me and that Luke and I aren't on the same page as the day I left. I longed to see Luke for so long, it hasn't occurred to me that perhaps he hasn't longed for me.

I shut my eyes and swollow the lump in my throat. Finally, letting myself fall into the tide of sleep.

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The annoying pester of my mind persists, refusing to let my body continue resting.

Roxy screams my name and I watch her get slaughtered. My people cry as they're forced into armour and pushed into battle. Luke and Alaric stare at me before walking away as I desperately call for them. I'm alone and no one cares about me.

I roll over and let my eyes peak open only to see Josef and Maverick unmoving. Two empty sleeping bags remain.

I sit up and stare at Alaric and Luke's empty beds, my heart shivering. What if they found us? Moving to my feet I grab the knife under my pillow and rub the blade before I hear distant whispers. I go to tap Maverick awake but hold back, he needs the sleep. I'm probably over reacting, I'll just make sure to scream loud. Abidingly, I begin to walk towards the voices, my knife firm and still.

I peak around a tree and stare at Luke as Alaric is hidden by another tree. Their whispers are hardly audible and indistinguishable. Sneaking around a few other trees so I can eavesdrop.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," Luke sighs.

"Don't mention it. I wasn't in place either threatening you like I did." Alaric chuckles. "So, tell me. Did Lady throw you in the dungeon?" Alaric asks. I crouch down, their voices clearing.

"She moved me from place to place in hopes that when Jean came back she wouldn't find me." Luke replies quietly.

"God," Alaric sighs and rests a hand on Luke's shoulder. "I'm glad you're safe, but I can't believe we share that woman as a mother."

Shock, betrayal and insecurity rips through me as I stand up. What? No. They look nothing alike! Both men laugh and I step from out from behind the tree. Motivated for answers I slam my knife into the bark as sap oozes down. Both men jump and turn to face me. Their smiles fall and eyes widen.

"You're brothers?"