Endless Dusk

Trouble in Familyhood

Endless Dusk by LRuiz88 is © copyright 2011 and all rights are reserved to me, the author. All characters and places are figments my own imagination and belong to me.

I'm so grateful to those of you who are taking the time to read this!

Corrections, suggestions and comments are more than welcome! <3 I'll try to finish editing and upload the next part this week. Thank you so much for reading! <3<3<3 please let me know what you think so far.

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"You could have at least left me on the floor inside!"

Kato was being his usual charming self. It was as if I hadn't left him for 6 months, like we had always lived together, like nothing had changed.

I rolled my eyes and went to change in my room. That didn't matter, he just kept yelling through the door. "Because of you, now I have to hunt down whoever took my shoes and lip ring!" I has to about that was pretty sucky, he had pierced his lip not too long after we turned 16. I got mine with him and as far as I could tell he's never changed that ring. "what kind of apartments are you living in anyway?" He was

looking around, I knew... This wasn't what you would call decent living for any woman, but for some weird

reason, I felt comfortable here.

I headed into the hallway once more and past him into the kitchen to start dinner. I didn't feel like arguing

right at the moment, thank you. "you want to eat or not?" I didn't bother looking at him while I asked, I simply looked around my fridge to see what there was to make. I heard an exasperated huff behind me but decided to ignore it settling on making steak for dinner since I only had one and it sounded like my intruding brother didn't feel like eating. He felt like talking or arguing some more.

I made dinner and sure in the silence knowing all too well that as soon as I was done I'd have to listen to what he has top tell me. Wonderful.

Before I could even put my plate in the sink, I felt him come up behind me. "Ok. Ok. What is it? I asked. this was getting annoying.

"They found mom." He said flatly. "But before you go around getting ideas on rescuing her, you have to know you're on your own with that."

"Ha! As if I haven't been on my own for the last six months! Or did you forget already, Kato?"

"You know I was trying to help you and mom" he looked at me with his green speckled blue eyes shining. He was being honest. Still, I couldn't help but hold a grudge... our mom and I had gone through hell to stay alive and even with him giving us a heads up when the trackers were on our tail, it was no picnic.

To top it off, after I thought I'd hidden myself even from him for the last six months, after my mom had told me I needed to be on my own, I had had to move from town to town because a certain tracker, my ex, just would not let well enough alone.

The last time he had found me he had hinted that he'd had an informer giving leads as to where I was... seeing as how I spoke to no one from Cresden the only explaination was Kato. As twin Elementals, we somehow felt more or less where the other was located. You could ignore it but it was always at the back of our mind. With practice, and power each could eventually block the other out completely. That was still out of my reach though. For now...

I looked at him through narrowed eyes. You just can never stay out of my life can you? You always have to butt-in and ruin things just enough and then let me down by saying how you can never help! I thought to him. I wasn't about to let the neighbors overhear our sensitive discussion, humans could never know magic was real or that Elementls like us existed or they'd want to abuse it all. Besides that was part of our laws, so no, this would be an internal argument.

The only reason I told you about mom was so you'd be prepared! You know what the council will do to her eventually. They aren't the type to just let people leave the way she did, even if it was to help her daughter! his eyes were glowing and turning green with anger. Staring at him I couldn't help but wonder how we could be twins and be so different. His glowing skin was pale while mine was olive toned. I mean, we were complete opposites! Before I could get another word in I felt his mind intrude into my thoughts searching for what I might do next.

I bristled!

I hated having no privacy with him! Again I felt my power surging. This time, I wasn't about to hold back. Even it did paralyze me once more. I wanted it out! I wanted control! I wanted to finally beat him!

You're about to regret having gone in my head "big" brother! with that, I blocked him out completely! FINALLY!

I had never been able to do that. The shock was plain on his face for just a second, before he masked it again with that usual bored face he wore almost permanently.

My body was glowing, like his... but I thought I noticed mine a bit brighter? That couldn't be right... could it? He was technically first born. That gave him the right to most of the family's inherited power, it mean that no matter how many children were born, he was almost guaranteed to be the strongest. The only reason he wouldn't be would be if one was born... no that couldn't be. That happened too rarely... in fact the last one had lived almost 200 years before, and they had been royalty, not a commoner like myself... and definitely not an exile... not a potentially plain human.

"I thought you hadn't gotten your power yet...?" he half asked. His wide eyes dulled, the light as disappearing.

Was he going to let me hit him with no protection from his skill?! Was he out of his mind?! or was this some kind of trick? to see if, what? if I was stronger... better... or if I had enough concentration and control to do it? ugh* I wish I could see his thoughts as easily as he could see mine.

I hated him for having being first at everything. But he was still my brother... could I really hurt him?

For a minute my resolve faltered...

And a minute was all he needed to make his move.