Curse of Ash

Chapter 3

"They've been in there forever."

"It has not been that long."

Jenner turned to glare at his sister, but it was half-heartedly. "Well I'm sorry that I measure time differently than you."

Alyvia tutted, motioning for Jenner to sit back down. He did so with a plop, the chair groaning under his sudden weight. He crossed his arms and continued to pout. Which was what he had been doing ever since Reeves went into their father's office with that stranger.

It took everything in Alyvia to not start pacing like Jenner kept doing. She kept herself busy and rooted to her seat, forcing food down her own throat. But it wasn't enough to disperse the thoughts and questions from swirling in her mind. They've never had someone else in the house besides Jenner's best friend, Tomas Danverz, Malena's brother. No one else has been inside since Edvard Lebree still stuck around, since Dona Lebree was still breathing.

Alyvia didn't linger too long on the thought of her mother, instead deciding to watch her brother shift in his seat, food untouched. Everything was probably cold by now, but she was sure nobody would be hungry to eat. The chair groaned from underneath Jenner, the little movements too much for the old dining furniture.

She scolded him when he originally tried to listen in on Reeves and Sidem, his ear pressed hard against the office door. Alyvia had to physically drag her brother from the door and back to the table, as far as either of them would allow themselves from their eldest brother.

They were all incredibly protective of each other. Alyvia sometimes wondered if it was because they have gone so long without parents. Or if that was just something that was imprinted in them since birth. Since each of them laid eyes on the others, they had secretly vowed to protect at all costs. If it was between their lives or hers, Alyvia would choose them, hands down. And she knew in her heart they would do the same.

A door opened and Jenner bolted from his seat, rushing into the foyer where he intercepted Reeves as he walked out of the office. Alyvia ran after her brother, stopping when she saw the look on Reeves's face. But what sent ice through her veins was the coldness in Sidem's eyes, the gold harsher than the coldest of winters.

"What happened? What's wrong? What did he say? What did he do?" Jenner asked, everything tumbling from his lips in a frenzy. Reeves clamped a hand over the blond's mouth. Jenner tried to get himself out of his brother's hold, but while Jenner was physically stronger, Reeves's will was more so.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you again," Sid mused, some of that fury dissipating from his eyes so it didn't quite hurt to look at him. But he still let his eyes float over each Lebree child, until he lingered on Alyvia. She met and held his stare straight on, unflinching. He turned away, letting himself out of the house, the door quietly clicking shut behind him.

Once Alyvia was sure the door was properly locked, she turned back to her brothers as Jenner shoved Reeves off him with a glare.

"What happened?" Jenner practically cried out.

Reeves was quiet. He turned away from them and went to the table, sitting down and slowly beginning to eat his cold food. Jenner growled but followed after. Alyvia deemed to stay a little ways back. Because while the Lebree siblings loved and protected each other, it could turn on a dime due to frustration, annoyance, and the need to fight against stubbornness.

"Tell us what happened, Reeves," Jenner growled again. His eyes flashed a brighter yellow, looking just like the tiger he was in his soul. He leaned against one of the dining chairs across from Reeves, staring his brother down. Reeves just continued to ignore him.

Alyvia came around and sat in the chair next to Reeves, motioning for Jenner to do the same. He made a face and gestured to their brother, but Alyvia returned it with a firm tilt of her head and Jenner sighed. He pulled out his chair and slumped down.