Page 29 of Nightingale

“Andyouare?” He asked softly, knowing exactly why his brother said that.

“Don’t go there, Rian.” He threatened with cautious resonance that wasn’t to be taken lightly. “Don’t push me on that matter.” His stance was hard, spine as taught as a crossbow string and his shoulders locked.

Rian was tall, yes, but Castil was even taller.

And he used it well.

Rian didn’t back down but he lowered his gaze to break off from the intensity that Castil poured into his look of steel and bone-chilling control. “Seems like you’re not the right man for the job either, if what you’ve said onthat matteris true.”

He struck a nerve.

The room shifted into uncomfortability.

“Of course it’s true. Why would I lie to you about something like that?” Castil raged in displeasure, and Rian knew why. “You think I would make something likethatup, and then unveil it to you?”

“Hmm,” He huffed and guilt tried to cripple him for what he’dsaid. “I guess trust isn’t entirely gone in this family, if you’ve put your faith in me with your dirty little secret.”

“This family exhausts me.” Castil sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger. His eyes closed and he inhaled. “With or without trust in each other.”

He came close, pushing himself off the wall until he stood an inch away from Rian. Rian stopped packing for a moment and set his sword down, facing his brother.

“You’re the only one I even remotely care about, Ri. I don’t want to see you hurt, and I don’t want to see you dead. I won’t lie though, you wounded me with that foolish act in the hallway but I can overlook it if it means getting her out of here.” Castil said in a barely audible voice. “I don’t know what ingenious plan you’ve worked up in your wise head, but always remember that they’re smart too. They’re just as quick as you are, maybe even quicker.”

He peered at the door where Vrea slept as if he expected her to pop out and attack them, casting his gaze away before too long.

“Careful, brother.” Rian grinned and clasped him on his lean shoulder, patting twice. “You sound as if you love me.”

Castil’s face turned into carved stone, a masterpiece carefully worked at for years in order to achieve the level of beauty his brother held. “I love one person in this entire world, and you are not them.”

“I understand.” Rian swallowed, his mouth dry. “We can’t exactly learn to love each other now, can we? Not with the odds against us.”

His sibling agreed with a dip of his chin. “Not when we can lose any of us in a single, swift swipe of steel. I can’t let my heart care for you when I could lose you tomorrow. When you could be the very end of me, if I’m not careful.”

“I can’t promise it won’t be me.” He smirked, returning to his packing before he could forget anything.

“As I can’t promise that it won’t be me who kills you,” Castil responded and returned to his place on the wall. “Just don’t be the one to kill her.”

Fifteen

“D

id you bring what I asked for?” Rian peered at his reflection in the square mirror above his fat dresser, trimmed with gilded edges that lapped over the corners. “Or are you still overly fond of those too?”

There were moments where Castil liked his brother, hell close to even loving him. There were tender times that they both shared, savoured and kept buried away deep before any one of their deaths could occur and wipe them away for good. He remembered being introduced to Rian from the very first day, and thinking that perhaps this brother wouldn’t be as terrible as the rest. He could recall quite a bit of enjoyable times together, which was why Rian was his favourite out of all of his family members.

But even with those rare seconds of joy, Rian was still an ass. There were times when it was proven to him too, like the incident in the corridor. One that chilled his blood to frost-bitten scarlet and caused red to enter his vision. One that seemingly they’d both wiped away, pretending like it never happened. They were both stubborn and prideful, and he blamed that for the reason why.

Castil had a sinking feeling that this entire game was nothing but that. A game, one that Rian was desperate to win. One meant to mock him alongside it.

“I brought them.” He assured and reached behind him,tugging the two simple blades free. “But I still think it’s a terrible idea.”

He cleaned them before he brought them.

Rian rolled his eyes. “Of course you do. Do you thinkanythingis a good idea?” He took the daggers and flipped them over, one by one as he admired the craftsmanship of the fine steel.

Castil observed him as he tested the weight, balancing one of them on his two fingers and seeing if it fell. “I thought keeping her alive was a good idea.”

“Only as a pawn to keep yourself in Father’s good graces.” Rian deemed the weapons to be good, shoving them back into their black sheaths and passing him as he bent down to place the knives atop his bag.

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