Diabolus: The Lost Phoenix

Chapter Three

BEVERLY GREENE

"Because I kept Carlos alive?"

"No. Because you let Kai think that you're dead."

We left the house, taking a walk around the park. Brent is walking unusually slowly,almost robotically, as if his brain was struggling to tell each foot to take the next step. I don't think his brain can do anything else than think about Kai. His best friend. His brother.

"How did you found us, Brent?"

"I never had to search for you. I was always nearby." Brent shoves his hands into his pockets, his eyes locked on his feet. Like he was ashamed to look at me, or anyone else he has abandoned.

"I watched you, trying to find Leonardo, I was everywhere you were. I never left you."

"And you didn't think we need your help with Leonardo?"

"Who do you think gave directions to others?"

We keep walking and I keep calming down; finally, I can think of it as a reality. Those dreams and finding out Brent is alive is just... driving me crazy. How Kai will react to this? Is he going to forgive Brent?

But Brent was with us all the time. Helping us, even if we didn't knew he had. He was still our friend; Kai's friend. And he was alone all year, just because of a girl.

"So did you find her?"

"Did I found Avery?"

Brent lets out a cruel sarcastic chuckle, looking at me like I've just told the most ridiculous joke. Like it was ridiculous to even think about that. I have never heard about Avery; probably she was someone very important to Brent, and he kept memories about her only for himself.

But Kai definitely knows who she is.

"No. I haven't. Apparently, Pereira didn't knew a lot about her. And eventually I got bored with him begging me to let him go, so I cut his tongue out to shut him up.

Of course, Brent learned something from Kai. He became more cruel, more spontaneous and ingenious, just like Kai is. And Kai started to think more logically, became less impulsive. Because they both had to change when they were without each other. Because they weren't there for each other. They were left alone. It doesn't matter that Kai had me and others.

Without Brent, he's alone.

"Was she... missing or something?"

I know Brent was, and is my friend. As much as I want to be mad at him for leaving us, for letting us feel all that grief... I can't. I can't because I get him. Because I would've done the same for Kai.

"We could say so. But there's one thing that left me anxious..."

"What is it?"

Brent bites his lip before turning to me with a nervous look in his deep eyes, surrounded by a few new wrinkles that appeared on his skin through the year being apart from us. And that look is not giving me a feeling of good news.

"All the paths that I thought are leading me to her... she wasn't there. Instead, I always saw one person, at the place where Avery should've been."

"Well, who was it?"

Brent swallows, looking me in the eyes; as if he was afraid to say the name.

"Leonardo."

LEXI SPENCER

I never understood why people go to nightclubs - you can get drunk at home. To smell other people's sweat, drunk guys hitting on you, girls competing who wears a shorter dress... Maybe that's just not for me. Maybe not after being in brothel for half of my life. Maybe because I'm angry on every man in this planet.