hung up on someone who’s a ghost. A memory. That memory will bring you no comfort and will only weaken you in the coming days. It’s time you choose which side you’re really on. The living or the dead. The choice is yours. Choose wisely because I only fight for one side, and I don’t want that to be in vain.”
“I… you’re right,” I breathed out, wiping at a tear. “I need to let him go, but I’m bound to him. I sometimes wonder if I were unbound if that would help ease all the pain. We’re trying to find a way, but Zaros’s line ended with Xalvador and Calix—”
“And you need the blood of one of them to break the binding because you were meant for the other.” Tarek nodded knowingly.
“Altera,” I scoffed. “That’s who I’m looking for. Do you know if there was a third brother?”
“No,” Tarek answered. “There were only the two—Xalvador and Calixto.”
“And both are dead,” I whispered in defeat. If I couldn’t be unbound then this nightmare may never end. Or it might become worse. Detaching myself from Calix would be painful but so was holding on. It was a double-edged sword that kept wounding me, making my heart bleed for what could never be.
“Like I said, the dead never leave us.” Tarek raised an eyebrow at me, and I frowned as I stared up at him. He seemed to want to say more, and I definitely wanted to know more, but the sound of Kellin’s voice interrupted us.
“Ana,” Kellin cut in.
Tarek rose to his feet.
“What’s wrong?” Kellin looked quickly between me and Tarek.
“Nothing. I-I just needed a moment,” I stammered, forcing a smile onto my face, Tarek’s words bouncing around in my head.
He was right. I was fighting on a side that was doing me no good. I needed to let go of Calix. I weakened as I realized I couldn’t. Not yet. Tarek knew something more. He was always so coy, demanding to be asked instead of being free with any of his knowledge. It was one of the things I hated about him. This seemed to open the door for further conversation, a conversation I intended on having with him in the very near future.
“Leave us,” Kellin said firmly.
Tarek cast me one last look before disappearing into the gardens. I rose awkwardly to my feet and wrung my hands nervously as Kellin approached me.
“I was worried about you. Soran told me about yesterday.”
“I’m fine,” I replied, smoothing my ball gown.
“Then will you return to the party with me? Soran was asking for you.”
“Yes,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face.
Kellin beamed down at me as I laced my arm through his, and we walked back to where my brother waited.
“There you are.” Soran shouted, coming to my side. “My sweet, baby sister.” He pulled me into a big hug and squeezed me.
“Ugh, Soran. You’re crushing me,” I gasped.
He laughed and released me. I realized Soran had drunk a lot of wine and was clearly feeling it.
“Drink with me. My best friend is going to become my brother. This is the best birthday gift I could’ve asked for,” Soran exclaimed, tipping his glass back and draining it.
Kellin cast me a sidelong glance, and I rolled my eyes. His lips tipped up into a tiny smirk.
“And what do you think, Niall? Is my sister not the perfect woman for you? She’s gorgeous, for one thing. Not to mention she could probably easily beat you on the battlefield. She is so much better than what’s her—”
“She’s absolutely perfect and the most beautiful woman I have ever set eyes on,” Kellin interrupted Soran quickly, looking at me for my reaction.
I frowned, wondering what the rest of Soran’s sentence was going to be. Assuming he was talking about Courtney, I decided to disregard it and took the goblet of wine Soran thrust at me and drank it down quickly.
“And she can drink you under the table,” Soran whooped, refilling my glass then pushing a goblet into Kellin’s hand.
Kellin drank it down, his eyes dancing with merriment as he watched Soran dance around, filling everyone’s wine glasses.
“He’s really exuberant when he’s drunk.” Kellin chuckled as I watched my brother laugh and drink.
“That he is.” I smirked and finished my wine. When I looked around, I saw my parents had retired for the evening. That would explain why Soran was probably so wasted. Our father wasn’t scrutinizing his every move.
Soran came by again and refilled our glasses. By