WHERE WE COME ALIVE | SHADOWHUNTERS FF

THIRTYFOUR

Henry scowled in turn, unsure of what to say to that.

"We're going to New York, tonight," Sam explained, his hands buried in his pockets and a tired look on his face. He had some water stains mixed with blood on his shirt.

Henry's face paled and his face hardened in realization. "We are-"

"Not you, of course," Johnny piped up while strolling his way forward with that mischievous grin of his filled with amusement and taunting, and he ran his ringed fingers through Henry's locks while the younger glared at him, "Kai says you will have another job to do. Maybe he doesn't want your precious boyfriend and his friends to come barreling through and ruining all the fun," He stated in a sultry voice.

Henry's heart flickered with sadness as he thought about his friends, but in a split second, he whipped around and smacked Johnny's hand away angrily. "Are you kidding me? How did I become a liability in this? I should be out there with you all at the front, fighting," He sounded truly furious.

The one who had stayed silent thus far, Bae, had this look that showed that he didn't like this either. He was usually always sure of himself, never once faltering in what he knew he had to do. But, with the blood on his busted knuckles and the way he kept flexing his hand, it seemed that he was more disturbed about something than he was letting on.

"I don't like it either," Bae admitted, which made all the brother turn his way.

"You just don't like Kai being in charge," Lucas waved him off while leaning on the older's shoulder.

Bae glared at him mildly, turning to Henry and nodding his way. "Henry's the best of us. Why wouldn't he want him at the front with us?" He asked the brothers, speaking in a low voice.

Henry frowned as he stepped closer, and the brothers followed.

They formed a circle as if they were sharing some secret, perhaps they were. Because the look on Bae's face unsettled Henry more than anything.

"Something's wrong," Henry pointed out, observing Bae, who dropped his eyes down.

The brothers waited in unison for either to speak.

And so, Henry decided to say what they were all thinking, "It's about Kai, isn't it?" He asked.

Bae's jaw clenched, before he firmly nodded. He lifted his bloody hands that were trembling, Henry noticed. "I've known Kai longer than any of you. He's never been one to resort to violence, not unless he was pushed far enough. He's different than what I remember. And with his plan...torturing the warlock for information." His hands squeezed into fists while the brothers glanced at each other warily. He lifted his gaze to each one of them with a haunting stare. "How far do you think Kai is willing to go to avenge his late lover?" He whispered.

Henry hated to think about it.

He didn't want to see the differences in his brother. He had just got Kai back after all this time, and he didn't want to push him away. He hardly knew what Kai had to do, but surely the years had changed him.

Bae was right. Kai had always been the kind brother. The one to take the fall for any of them, not just Henry. He was once noble, and loyal, and fearless.