God Complex

Chapter Thirteen

"Audric," Zandra warned,"if you don't back off, I'm going to slit your throat."

Audric laughed,"Sorry, cousin. You've never had a boyfriend, before. Forgive me, for being curious."

Zandra rolled her eyes, of course Audric would pick this moment to act like her older cousin.

"He's going to be back in a moment and if I hear one more word about what our children would look like, I swear to God I will murder you on the spot."

Audric smiled but did not mutter another word.

Hamilton had wandered into a nearby bush that had berries and told them he would pick them for lunch. They had run out of food two days ago and there hadn't been many viable options to eat in the barren wasteland they found themselves in. Luckily, they found a dense forest on the outskirts of the city.

Zandra wanted to go into the city, but the boys' wanted to wait until they had a plan. The city probably had food, but she was outnumbered.

"You want to talk about relationships, huh? How are you and Lili?"

Audric grimaced,"Lili and I are not together."

Zandra smirked,"You definitely spent the night with her, though."

Audric rolled his eyes,"I was too wasted to get back to my room, so she let me stay. That's all that happened. And, no, before you ask, sobriety is not treating me well. I want a damn drink."

Zandra laughed,"How did you know I was going to ask?"

"You had a nosy look in your eye," Audric replied.

Zandra laughed. She couldn't quite believe she was making small talk with a sober Audric. He hadn't been sober since he was a child. Even though he was five years her senior, she always looked at him as someone she had to watch out for.

Zandra pursed her lips,"I have something else I want to say. Audric, we haven't talked about Faerieland yet, you know,"

"What is there to talk about, cousin?" Audric mused absently.

"You told me," Zandra said quietly, meeting his eyes,"that you would kill yourself before you ever became the King of the Seelie Court."

"I had no choice, Zandra. You were there. I wasn't going to allow her to harm you or Lili, ok?"

"That's not my concern. I know you, Audric," Zandra practically whispered,"don't you dare follow through."

Zandra remembered the night Audric came back from the Seelie Court. She was fourteen and that was one of the scariest nights of her life. He came in pain in his eyes, blood dripping from his hands and dried on his torn clothes, and his body trembled in fear.

He told her in the slurred way he spoke after binge drinking he would never help the Queen again. He would kill himself first and Zandra knew he meant it then. She had to make sure that he didn't now.

She didn't think she could handle it.

Audric eyes burned in understanding, but Zandra couldn't tell what he was thinking.

After a moment of silence, Zandra spoke again,"Audric?"

He refused to meet her eyes.

"Audric," Zandra's voice broke.

"What do you want me to say?" Audric asked through gritted teeth.

"Promise me," Zandra whispered.

"I can't, Zandra."

"Audric, damn it, promise me."

Audric had a tear rolling down his cheek,"I can't."