A Dragon's Heart (Book Three in the APK Trilogy)

Chapter 19 | Prelude to Battle

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COBALT

We stepped out into the sunlight together and almost immediately he set out for the ship. I had seen my brother in a rage before, but it was different this time. It was the same feeling that I had felt from before, that we were no longer identical, that there was something now that separated us into two individuals where before there had only been one.

Seeing Zalas had been like a punch to the gut. The last time we had been in the same place my Brother had been nothing but ash on the ground. Back then I hadn't turned on him simply because I had known there would be no point to it. He was too powerful and right then, Circe had mattered more. I had focused all of my energy on her, not allowing myself to dwell on Zalas's part in Obsidians death. But now ... now it was as though everything had come rushing back to me in one hit. I had stood there, unable to look away from him as Obsidian had moved to attack, a high ringing piercing my ears and red clouding my vision.

I gasped for air now, the anger hitting me again and making my heart beat faster. I wanted to turn around and kill him. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. To squeeze my fingers around his throat until his face turned blue. To gouge out his eyes, to rip him apart, I wanted, I wanted ...

I leaned back against a nearby wall, squeezing my eyes tight shut in the hope that his face would vanish from my mind. Hands came down to rest heavily on my shoulders and when I opened my eyes, my brother was staring back at me, his own eyes equally full of bloodlust.

His fingers squeezed my shoulders hard, until it hurt, but the pain cut through the rage and after another few breaths I only saw him.

"I hate him," I managed to spit out. "I hate everything about him. I want to kill him. I want him dead."

"I understand." He whispered. His gaze did not waver. "We will get our revenge together brother. This time, I cannot lose."

My hand came down to cover his. "I know you won't. I know, but I still-"

The corner of his mouth twitched up slightly, his fierce expression softening a little. "Forget him for now. I am supposed to be dead remember? Why don't we go and set everyone straight? I said I would meet Circe at sundown, we have time."

My eyes widened. "Y-you found her?"

His hand reached back to scratch at the back of his neck and he glared at me awkwardly. "Of course I found her, what do you take me for?" Suddenly he seemed to remember something and his face turned thunderous. "By the way," He growled. "Would you like to tell me what you were doing all this time? Weren't you supposed to be looking for her too? How useless are you?"

"Tch," I snorted, crossing my arms. "About as useless as you it seems, seeing that you couldn't find her either."

"If it wasn't for me," He hissed, "you would still be looking. Be grateful I decided to share her with you at all Pup. I could have just as easily kept my mouth shut."

I cuffed him on the shoulder and pushed away from the wall. "Whatever. Let's go."

*

Jack was waiting for us by the time we got back to the ship. He was leaning on the railing with a grin on his face that said that he'd known it all along.

I scowled up at him as Obsidian grinned like an idiot beside me. "Don't act like you knew shit old man," I called out, "you were convinced as I was."

"Bah," he spat, waving the bottle of rum he was holding in a nonchalant gesture. "What a load of bull crap, there was never a doubt in my mind."

"You're full of it," I muttered. "I saw you cry."