Page 43 of Fixation of the Mind

Something about Ravi’s eyes had me opening my mouth. “He reminded me of the deal I made with him for your lives. It was clear what would happen if we didn’t follow what he wanted.”

Roux had geared up for another bout of yelling when Ravi stepped forward until he was in front of me, laying his hand on my shoulder. “Rion, despite us being triplets, you’ve always been more of the older brother, trying to shield us the best you can, but you can't do that now. You need to shield Rin. We all do.”

I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. When did Ravi grow up?

He grimaced then aimed a glare at the floor as his hand dropped from my shoulder and went to his chin. “I’d already thought of something, but I guess I’ll need to adjust it.” He looked back up at me. “My only concern is that Rin won’t be able to handle it.”

“She’s a lot tougher than we give her credit for. She can do it if it needs to be done.” Roux crossed his arms as he offered his two cents, which I agreed with.

She had taken a lot of stuff in stride, and I was pretty determined that she could do pretty much anything. It was like her hidden gift. Maybe it has something to do with her Rose bloodline?

Ravi exhaled like he was an old man, tired of the world. “Okay, well, I’ll get the next step of training set in motion. I’ll make sure that it fits his requirements, but I’m doing it in a way that I know Rin will be able to do it. It's already going to be hard enough for her, and we’ll need to help with the fall-out after… I might even ask for your help the day of just in case she needs a little more incentive.” I didn't know what he possibly had in the works, but if it was for Layrin, he knew we would do anything.

“Of course,” I replied just as Roux said the same thing.

Ravi nodded. His shoulders slumped, and he turned away as he said, “I'm going to need a few days to get it ready, so I’ll work on theory with Rin until we need to turn it into field experience.”

He hesitated at the door, looking back at us with a small curve of his lips. “Thanks.” We nodded to him as he called out that he wanted to go find Rin. Right about now was when she liked to take a nap, if we gave her the time to do so, which was probably why they’d come down here in the first place.

“Do you think she can do it?” Roux’s normally strong, steadfast voice wavered.

“You’re right. She has this whole well of strength she normally doesn't tap into until she needs to.” Glancing up at him and his worry lines, I felt unease whisper to life inside me. “It's something she has to do. There’s no way around it.”

As gnawing guilt filled my soul, I realized that was easier said than done.

Chapter 16

The boys were acting weird. Usually, we all had breakfast together then split off to whatever we had to do for the day, but this morning was different. Roux was already at the door when I woke up. He nodded and said goodbye, so I waved at him since I was half awake. It was a little cold, even for him, but he was also a weirdo, so I let it go. That was until an iron set of arms surprised me, wrapping around me like his life depended on it. Giving me a kiss on my head, he sighed, then left without a word. The whole thing happened so fast I was left reeling, scratching my head as I went to the kitchen.

Rion was at his fancy coffee maker, and I smiled. At least this was normal. Grabbing a mug, I made my way over to his side when I saw the coffee getting close to the rim. Rion was just standing there, eyes glazed over, staring at nothing.

“Ri,” I called out, and he shook his head, turning toward me in question. I pointed to his cup. “I think you gotta take care of that.”

The rich brown liquid spilled over, and he cursed, turning off the machine. He pulled his overflowing cup out from under it and over to the sink. I set my mug down, collected some paper towels, and caught the spill running down the counter.

“I can get that. It's my damn fault.”

I smiled up at his frowny face. “It's not the end of the world. It's just a little coffee…” I stood up, putting a hand on his forearm. “But are you okay?”

His eyes burrowed into mine, almost like he couldn't believe I was asking him this. I opened my mouth to ask him what was going on, but his hand snaked around the back of my neck and he pulled me into him, his lips devouring me as he held me tight.

I dropped the paper towel, completely captivated by his exploration of my mouth. My body pushed into his, wrapping my hands around his neck as I deepened the kiss. Like that was just the reaction he was waiting for, he lifted me up and set me on the island, fitting himself between my legs. His hands drifted up, leaving my hips to slide up my sides, pulling my shirt up when his hands traveled farther and father.

Just as his fingers cupped my breasts, a throat cleared. We broke apart, gasping for air. “A show and breakfast?! Wow, this is amazing service.”

I chuckled, but Rion glared at him over my shoulder. His hands left my sides, making me wish he’d kept going, then he bent down and picked up the paper towel, throwing it in the trash before looking over the coffee machine. Is he going to pretend that nothing happened just now?

Hopping off the island, I was primed to march over to Rion and demand to know what the hell was up with the attitude. Ravi grabbed my hand before I could. “Hey, love. Are you ready?” Yesterday, he had told me we’d be getting an early start today.

Glaring at Rion’s back, I shook my head. “Let me just change my clothes.”

Although Ravi kept that smile on his face as I passed him, something was off about it. He was less expressive, less lively. Something was going on. They were keeping something from me, but instead of the skilled liars they usually were, the cracks were showing. I didn't know if I should be mad or happy about this new development.

Taking off my pajamas and sliding on a pair of jeans, I thought about it. This was the exact reason why I hadn’t been able to give them any answers about the future. Pulling a v-neck t-shirt over my head, a dull pain came from my heart. I clutched my hand over my chest. No, you can’t let yourself get hurt again.

We were having fun, and they were helping me get into this new stage of my unpredictable life. Sure, I knew their wants and desires for me were deeper and all consuming, but just like Rion had said, it wasn't love.

I paused, thinking more about how they made me feel. It was something so much more than love. Darker. Hypnotizing. Painful. Exciting. The three of them pushed back against the insidious voice inside me, the one that reminded me over and over that I was meant to be alone in this world. They were the only ones to stand firm and claim it was a falsehood.

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