Page 36 of The Masks and the Dancer (Their Obsession 2)

He laughs as one son loses himself to a sickness, and another to indescribable pain.

He laughs whilst Leon falls to his knees and Konrad rises to his feet, one son beaten down by a monster, the other forced to stand in the presence of one.

“If either of you lie to me again I won’t be so lenient. Emotion has no place in this castle. Feelings are poisonous, they inflict pain. Kindness is a sin that will not be tolerated. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Leon bites out.

“Yes, Sir,” Konrad replies, his hands trembling.

“Get rid of the body,” Their father demands, before twisting on his feet and striding from the room.

Once he’s gone, Leon rises slowly to his feet and turns to face Konrad who’s staring at the woman’s lifeless body, bruises upon bruises ringing her throat. “Brother?”

Konrad slowly drags his gaze upwards to meet Leon’s. “I felt it.”

“Felt what?”

“The power,” he replies, holding his hands up as he stares at them.

“The power?” Leon asks, pain and concern etched across his face.

“You were right, Leon. I felt like God…”

Shoving Leon off me,I scramble backwards on the bed, my lips bruised from his kiss, what’s left of my shattered heart pulverised by the vision.

“Christy?” he questions, chest heaving, cock pressing against the confines of his joggers. “Where did you go?”

“Don’t. Don’t come near me!” I shout, holding my hand up, warning him off me.

Across the room, Thirteen sits upright. “Christy?” she asks, moving her head to look over her shoulder.

“Don’t!” I snap, “He’s not wearing his mask.”

She stills, not moving. “What’s going on?” she asks.

What’s going on? How can I tell her that we kissed, that Ilethim? How can I tell her that I had a vision of him and Konrad, that I witnessed the fierce love Leon had for his brother? How can I tell her that it tears me up inside to know how they’ve suffered? How can I tell her that despite those feelings I still want revenge,vengeance? How can I tell her that I can’t forgive a man who was once an abused boy, broken over and over again? How can I tell her that I want to break him even more?

“Christy?” she prompts, as Leon stares at me.

Instead of answering her, I look into his eyes, swallowing the bile that burns my throat and say: “You might’ve been a boy who’s suffered at the hands of an evil bastard, but that’s no excuse for the actions of a man. You’re not that boy anymore, so get the fuck away from me!”

Leon swipes a hand over his face, scrubbing at his skin before grasping his hair in fists. “Fuck! I don’t want to be this man,” he pleads, pulling at his hair so hard that strands of it come away in his hands.

“You can’t change what you are,” I retort, getting off the bed and backing away from him.

He comes after me like the predator he is.

Stalking me.

Teeth bared.

Eyes wide.

Fingers balled into fists.

In a blink of an eye he falls back into old habits.

Across the other side of the room, Thirteen glances at me over her shoulder, her eyes wide as she watches him approach me. I shake my head, urging her to look away.

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