Roots and Oxygen

Chapter 66 - Augury

Sage turned his head to face Taro. Oxley's words repeated over and over in his mind. "An ivy plant?" he questioned.

"Yeah. And then that murder weapon ended up in my brother's bedroom." Oxley crossed his arms, glancing between them both as Sage leapt to his feet.

"What the hell is this?" he asked with a hammering heart. He pointed at Taro who's eyes were wide and confused. "Explain yourself, now!"

"You . . ." Taro leapt to his feet too and pointed at Oxley. "You used me to murder a person?" he yelled. "A person? An actual human being?"

"Well, you were very conveniently at the scene." Oxley narrowed his eyes. "Sorry about trying to kill you as well, I was just sure you were a guard of Patrick's or something until I did some digging."

"That was you who tried to kill him?" Sage shouted and gripped his hair, remember the panic of waking up to Taro in his broken pot with soil scattered all over the floor. "Taro, you told me that what happened to you was an animal attack!"

"Because I thought it was!" Taro edged closer and Sage edged back. "I had been in the pub a few streets down from the one Oxley usually goes to. I was with my mum at first, but I stayed behind with the owner who had gotten their hands on illegal plant food. If it's mixed with boiling water, it gives the green a feeling of being drunk. I tried it and passed out on the wall on the way home. I felt something rip-" Taro's breath wavered. "I felt something ripping me apart, I only assumed it was an animal because Mrs Beecham found me on her way to work by the country roads. I thought a fox had dragged me to a field or something. They hate the green, they know we're different to other plants."

Sage scrunched his eyes shut. He rubbed his forehead, feeling it creasing against his palm. "They said Patrick was strangled. They said there were marks on his neck, and it was probably done by a cord. So, my younger brother used my boyfriend to kill him, and then later tried to kill my boyfriend." He shook his head at Oxley. "Did you know he would've been a green, but you didn't mind using him to kill Patrick anyway?"

"Yeah." Oxley glanced guiltily at Taro. "I apologise for almost killing you, and I apologise for trying to kill you. But that was risky to just sit there on the wall like that, all planty and stuff. Anyone could've just taken you home."

Taro wrung his hands. "I was used to kill a man."

Sage trembled from head to toe. He felt as though he would pass out. "I need air." When he tried to leave, Taro grabbed his arm.

"I had nothing to do with this, well not out of choice!" he said in a panic. "Do you believe me?"

He glanced to his brother who stood with loosely crossed arms and a half-bored expression. A furious rage boiled inside of Sage. He suddenly wanted to slap him across the face. "Of course, I believe you," he said to Taro, but kept his cold eyes on his brother. His hand dropped down Taro's hand and they linked fingers. "Why would you keep me in the dark about all of this?"

"Because I didn't think you could handle it."

"Why not?"

"Because-" Oxley sighed and looked down to his feet. "You can barely handle a few reporters lying about you. I thought this would just tip you over the edge. You've been on the brink of a breakdown for ages. A gay king, we can manage. But a mad king . . . "

Sage shook his head. Does anybody apart from Taro know who I truly am? "We used to be really close." Sage trailed his brother up and down. "Now we barely know each other. When did that happen?" He left with Taro beside him.

They walked in silence to the gardens and sat together in the middle of the large field. Grass had been freshly cut, leaves were falling from trees in the corner of the fields, rustling the air. Sage could hear a quiet buzz of voices in the distance and wondered if the crowds were still calling his name beyond the wall.