Beneath The Light

11. The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep

"Zac!" Topaz's voice sounded from above the water. He grabbed his brother by the hair and dragged him upwards towards the stairs leading into the kitchen. "What?" He snapped angrily, tossing his brother up the stairs before him. He was done with the interrogating. It was clear he wasn't going to get anywhere with questioning him. "What're you doing?" Topaz asked. She was standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her arms folded, her lips pursed, an eyebrow raised. She had her hair in a high bobble, a plain brown maxi-dress emphasizing her height. She looked so much like their mother it shocked Zac. He shoved his brother up the stairs before him, the pair drying and dressing as they got further away from the water. "I was trying to get an answer out of him." Zac sneered, shoving his brother forwards through the kitchen. "And?" Zac shrugged. "A wall would've been more helpful." Aden was coming downstairs as Zac pushed his brother into the conservatory. "Where're you taking him?" Topaz asked as she and Aden followed Zac and Robert. "I'm locking him in the outdoor cellar."

"There's an outdoor cellar?" Aden asked, shocked. "Yeah I didn't know granny had one of them..." Topaz mused. "Yeah, it was rarely used."

"You can't lock him in there, Zac, he's our brother." Zac shook his head. "About that..." He saw the look of dread on Topaz's face and knew it was best to discuss this after they'd rested and after they'd locked Robert in the cellar. "Got the key on you?" Zac asked Topaz as he slid open the conservatory doors, taking them out into the back gardens. Topaz unhooked the key from the chain around her neck and gave it to her brother unwillingly. "You wait here, it's too dark out." Zac was unsure of what might be lurking outside. If their brothers had been able to track them to Ireland, right down to the party and the house the were at, then the Angel knows who else could be tracking them.

Alice's head hurt badly when she awoke the following morning. Zac wasn't laid beside her, and the room hung cold and dark without him. She was still wearing the plum coloured bodycon halter-neck Topaz had chosen for her the previous night. Climbing out of bed the memory of what had occurred at the party the previous night flooded back to her and she spun, unfurling her wings quickly and seeing the fading pink line across her right wing. She fluttered them out and felt no pain. Relief flooded through her and she turned towards the shopping bags shoved in front of the wardrobe, realising she'll have to carry these with her whenever they travel due to the lack of backpacks she'd brought to the Dark World. Choosing a pair of grey skinny jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, she dressed casually and headed downstairs after pulling a brush through her semi-frizzy, semi-straight hair. The noise of laughter rushed towards her from the kitchen as she headed downstairs and she smiled. She was pleased that the rest of the household hadn't frozen in despair after last night's attack. They'd just been loosening up when the Nightingale brother's had attacked them. The last thing they wanted was to go backwards when they were just beginning to go forwards. "Good morning." She smiled when she entered the kitchen to find Topaz and Aden sitting extremely close at the breakfast bar, Zac smiling proudly as he held a mug of coffee and stood leaning against the kitchen counter. "Good morning." He grinned surprised as she wandered over to him. "How're you feeling?" Topaz asked happily. She looked beautiful this morning in a pressed plain beige trouser suit with matching chiffon blouse underneath. The jacket was slung over the back of her chair, and her semi-curly hair swung from a bobble. "Much better, thank you." Alice smiled, taking Zac's cup of coffee. "Robert's in the outside cellar." Aden said around a mouthful of toast. Alice choked on her sip of coffee and Topaz hit Aden over the back of his head. "Wow Aden way to go!" Zac cheered sarcastically. "I told you that she'd find out eventually, might as well tell her now."

"Yeah I was waiting for an opening in the conversation..." Zac mused defensively. "Wait, what? Robert's in the outdoor cellar. I didn't even know there was an outdoor cellar!" Alice squealed. "I was the only one old enough to remember..." Zac mumbled as he poured a fresh cup of coffee. Alice shrugged. "So have we got to the bottom of the attack yet or...?" Topaz shook her head. "Zac tried last night and again this morning. Even in water Robert won't say a thing, it's as if he's transfixed, or programmed, or robotic or something... It doesn't make sense." Alice made a face. "Maybe he's under a charm."