Destiny's Hope

Chapter Sixty Nine

Emily's mind started to work once more. Saying it out loud helped her gather her thoughts, but she could not tell them about Alex. Saying it made it real.

"Look, I will explain everything but I need to get Henderson. The others need help back in the town and I need Henderson to lead a team" She looked at the happy crowd of people in front of her. Looks like they will get to finally test all that they had learnt.

"Emily wait" interjected Nate. "We don't know its safe to send these lot into battle. The others can look after themselves."

"Nate, we have to help them. It's not a choice."

She turned and headed to the steps of the house.

"Lets just bring the battle here."

Her foot froze on the first step as Nate's drawn out voice caught in her chest. Turning her head slowly over her shoulder she analysed her brother. It wasn't him.

"Jen" Emily stated.

"What is it Emi?" she asked as she her hand held Nate's waist tightly. Nate was smirking at Emily.

Emily pulled her phone out of pocket and flicked on the camera.

"Oh, a photo, yeah" and he posed for a shot with Jen. Clicking a picture of her best friend and brother she stared at the still in front of her. She lowered her phone down and her view changed to real life. She stared at her brother and for the third time tonight her vision blurred. Surely there were no tears left.

Nate's grin widened as he saw his sister come to the acknowledgement of who he really was.

It had been there all along.

His immediate return after the accident.

His refusal to go and see their mother.

His leaving the house once it had been protected, never coming inside since the spell.

The nights away in the city.

It all pointed to one thing.

It wasn't her brother. His body, but his soul, it wasn't present. It eaten and locked away by the thing that possessed him.

"Emi. Bit of a weird time to be taking a photo" Jen answered the silence.

Then Nate spoke. "If only you had given him your blood. All this could have been avoided"

"Who?" asked Jen as she looked at to her best friend "Who wants your blood?"

"Jen. Get away from him" Emily's voice was low and authoritative.

"From who? From Nate? Why?" she looked up to Nate once more and then her face changed to despair as she saw what Emily saw. "Oh, no. Nate?"

In an instant Nate's hands grabbed Jen and pulled her in front of him. Emily stepped forward and Nate's hands were around Jen's head ready to snap her neck. Jen panicked and held on to his arms in a desperate attempt to free herself. Her eyes looked straight at Emily for help.

"Nate. Don't"

"You forget sis, I'm not really your brother. Granted the little shit has managed to hold on in there but he's too weak to fight me off. Not like your Alex, who by the way I have been told fought well. Until, you know"

Emily's anger flared up and she took another step forward. The music charged up another level as she saw the fighters behind him jumping up and down to the beat.

"Let her go and you can walk out of here"

"Too late for that Emi. It's been tough you know. Having to be a part of this rabble. Listening to all the 'lets get them' attitude." Jen struggled as a tear run down her cheek, "Having to be loved up to this one." He shook Jen who was still trying her best to get out of his grasp. "Pretending to be deeply in love. You were good in bed though, that helped"