Page 46 of When Day Breaks

Hate dances between us, I for him and him for me. This is not what I anticipated when this meeting was called this morning. I wanted a resolution, not more reasons to want out.

Trav looks between me and Lucynda, and a look of worry crosses my face when I see the sadness on her. Though I'm not allowed a moment to process her hurt before my brother opens his mouth to say something that will earn him his death wish.

"You can't even keep your wife in check."

I don't even let a breath escape my lips or a heartbeat to vibrate in my chest before I have him shoved back into the same wall but this time, with my hand in his chest. "Don't you fucking speak her na-"

"Rivian!" Troy shouts and the sound of chairs scraping against the floor resound behind me, but I don't flinch.

"No one talks about my wife. Mark my fucking words." I grit my teeth as I speak my warning, squeezing his frantically beating heart in my hand.

"Do it," he spits in a ragged voice. "Show her what kind of monster you really are."

“You really despise me so much that you would subject yourself to a fate worse than death at my hands just to prove a point?” I question in a low rumble of my words.

“Don’t pretend like I am accepted by you, Rivian. You were always too good for the rest of us.” His remark mixes myvexation with my irritation for his disregard for all I have done. Things he does not even know about.

“You know, I did all I could to protect you. Both of you.” I lower my voice and nod my head between him and his twin. He’s hit a chord, a nerve that is raw when it comes to my family. Nothing is as clean cut as it may seem but no matter what has transpired between us—no matter how immature and frivolous it may seem—I will do what I can to protect this family. It’s something I might not have had the desire to promise before things started to click into place for me but I know it’s my job to hold us together.

“Protect me? Protectus? That’s laughable. I mean, look at us now,brother.” His words are cruel and unrelenting, the way he refuses to accept that we might just be a dysfunctional family but he also doesn’t seem to have any of our best interests either.

“What would you have me do then, huh?” My anger falls a few levels, still enraged, of course, at his question of me and my ability to be king. Though his weariness was warranted but since when has he cared to take some kind of stance.

I think he just likes fighting with someone.

I see the detachment light up behind his irises. Now, he refuses to give me an answer. But I don’t miss the slight shake in his bones as I release a little bit of the pressure I have against his heart. He’s running from something. From himself, perhaps. But he’s letting it all out on the only people who he knows will forgive him for his atrocities.

One day though, if he pushes me hard enough, I might not be so forgiving.

I know I couldn’t kill my brother, though. Or at least I shouldn’t. And thankfully, I don’t have to make that decision right now as Troian recognizes the small pause we both give and steps up to our sides.

She places a hand, one on each of our shoulders and attempts a calming but stern tone. "Rivian, I've got this."

I don't look at my sister when I pull my hand out of Trav's chest, a gasp of air clawing at his lungs as I do. Troy turns her attention to our brother as I turn to see a shocked look of utter horror painted on Lucynda's face.

I hate the way it feels—the look of disappointment embedded in her irises—but my thoughts don't hesitate as I take in my beautifully broken soul of a wife; the girl I once haunted for the sake of my own satisfaction, knowing that I would be the cause of her downfall if I allowed myself to fall victim to the grave she dug me. Letting her bury me in her soft skin and sinful eyes. Her heart is now tainted by my own and a path of devastation I must try and amend. But in all my error to deny myself the freedom to truly give in and to deny her of what I know she deserves most, I know it would have been worth it to rip my brother's heart from his chest for her.

I will killanyoneto protect my wife.

16

conclaves & chaos - part 2

Lucynda

It hurts. It does. To see that he would continue to take from me in order to prove a point of his own. But there's still that part of me who enjoys the idea of inflicting pain on those who deserve it. I just can't clearly decide if Travois deserves pain or if he needs a wakeup call.

All that time ago when I first met my brother, I knew he was a dick. He carried himself in a way that—almost like me—protects others from getting too close and finding out too much. Nonetheless, I don't like the fight that's being fought right now. I might not have much time left.

But I can't help it. That desire in me to be who this family made me. Every aspect of my life pushed for my failure, so I tried my best to prove them wrong. But maybe it's just not who I am. Maybe I do need to embrace some part of my darkness, maybe I can control it and use it to my advantage.Ouradvantage. I keeptrying to be straight good so that I don't become straight bad but maybe . . . just maybe, I can be both.

I scoot my chair out, the horrible sound of the leg of it scraping across the floor resounds and causes an awkward moment, but as I stand from my seat, I turn to look at my husband. I nod at him, letting him know to let me handle this myself as I mentally prepare myself for what I am about to do.

If they don't think of me as a worthy teammate, then I will make them see that I will be their opponent if needed. But also, they have to understand that we need to work together if anything is going to be fixed in this damn kingdom.

I walk over to where the others stand, Troian attempting to calm Trav as Rivian is backed off a few feet. I straighten my back and clear my through before meeting my eyes with the emptiness of Travois'. "Why don't you tell us all about the Outsiders you killed for funsies, Travois?" My tone holds a level of professionalism to it, while also ringing in sarcasm. I do it to match his level.

All eyes turn to me, Trav's glaring even more than before. I don't move to look at Riv and Troy. I focus on the subject to try and make a point.

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