courage, and I was his comfort. We’d always been like this—to the outside world, I was the warrior and he was the scholar. But there was more to us. Tristan had a tendency toward violence when it came to protecting the people he loved, so having me around tempered that part of him, because I was more than ready to kick and claw at anyone who dared to try and hurt us.
At the same time, I drew my strength from him, especially in new situations such as this. We were going to another world, a foreign place about which we knew little to nothing. All I needed was to look my brother in the eyes to know that I could pull through, no matter what. Derek seemed to understand the dynamic between Tristan and me, perhaps better than most people outside our family.
“You two are so tight,” he said, smiling. “You remind me of Ben and Rose.”
The vampire twins chuckled softly, giving each other loving grins. I could only imagine what they’d been through, especially after the Hermessi incident. Ben had returned from the beyond twice, now. I was in awe of the guy, all starry-eyed whenever I looked at him.
“I’m serious,” Derek added. “Not all siblings I’ve come across are so close to each other. Ben and Rose have a good reason, being twins, but you two… I’m a little stumped.”
Dad laughed. “They’ve been like this from the moment Tristan was born. Only a year in this world, and Esme already knew that she’d be looking after him for the rest of her life.”
“As they both grew up together, the feeling became mutual,” Mom said. “The small difference in age must’ve played a part, but Julian and I think it’s mostly due to their characters. Tristan and Esme simply love each other beyond everything else.”
Sofia smiled at us, and I felt like one of the tribespeople my brother and I used to study in the Amazon jungle. Like we were the ones being observed, in our natural habitat, with our bonds and habits and such. “That will get you both a long way,” she replied. “A good brother or sister can make all the difference in the world, when it truly matters. I mean, look at Lucas, Derek, and Vivienne.”
The reminder prompted Derek to stifle a chuckle of his own. Sofia gave him an innocent smile, though we all knew where she was going with this.
“It’s true,” she continued. “Lucas was a difficult vampire in his heyday, but after he died and came back, he changed, deep in his core. Derek and Vivienne have a better brother now than they did before. And my husband is absolutely fair in his assessment of you two, as well,” Sofia said, looking at us. “Your strong bond is something worthy of admiration.”
“Now we’re both blushing,” Tristan muttered.
“Oh, if you want, we can start telling them about all the times you two were absolute handfuls,” Mom shot back. “All the trouble you got yourselves into.”
“No need,” I replied dryly.
Dad scrunched his nose in his typical “If I had a penny for all the times they’ve given me white hairs” fashion. “I’m just glad you two stayed on Earth, where you were supposed to be, during the Hermessi episode.” He sighed, surprising both Tristan and me. I’d expected a different remark from him.
I gave Sofia and Derek an apologetic smile. “We wanted to help, you know.”
“You couldn’t have done anything. Don’t worry about it,” Derek said. “It was out of our hands from the very beginning. Honestly, I only hope that we never have to deal with that kind of enemy ever again.”
“Speaking of which, how is River feeling these days?” I asked Ben.
I knew the entire affair had taken its toll on her. She’d practically lost her entire family in the blink of an eye. Even though she’d been happy upon their return, I knew it couldn’t have been easy for her to cope with the flurry of emotions that came afterward, when all the dust had settled.
Tristan and I had been far from the conflict, focused on our tribal studies. Of course, we’d both been ready to return to The Shade at a moment’s notice, if needed. But Derek had made a good point just now. We wouldn’t have been able to help. Not against the Hermessi. But as soon as the fae had been resurrected, we’d come back to check on everyone. Needless to say the scene we’d returned to had