A Shadowed Birthright

A Shadowed Birthright - Chapter Twenty

"He was a right bastard so he deserved it." Remy remarks, wiping away his tears.

"But he broke his wrist." Addy reminds him before falling back into her laughter.

"Oh, shít." Remy snickers, wiping away the tears that came again. Addy sighs, her back leaning against Remy's arm, and wars her arms around her stomach.

"Secondary school was great, man," She comments after a while, earning a nod of agreement from her best friend. Lifting her head, she shuffles until she's facing the Ember. "Come. Let's check your wounds."

Remy stares at Addy as she removes the bandages to check his arms, nodding in approval when she sees that they've completely healed.

"Thank you, Addy." Remy says gratefully, smiling softly. Addy snaps her head up, blinking her slightly wide eyes in surprise before returning Remy's smile, running her knuckles along his jaw.

"You're most welcome, numbskull." She replies gently before placing a hand on her knee and standing up. The male Ember tilts his head back to gaze at her she dusts off her hands.

"I need to get you some clean clothes," Addy mutters to herself, frowning thoughtfully. "You want to come with or wait here? I'd prefer if you wait until I come back."

"I'd rather wait for you," Remy coheres, smiling gratefully though there's an element of sadness as he gestures to his blood stained clothes. "I'm honestly not comfortable walking anywhere while in this state."

Addy gazes forlornly down at her best friend. However, she forces out a smile for his sake, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll go get the clothes. You and August are roughly the same build so his shít should fit you."

Remy chuckles at the last sentence while Addy leaves him to retrieve fresh clothes for him, leaning his head back on the exerceo building and bringing his knee to his chest. He slings an arm over it, gazing at nothing in particular.

It's never a quick recovery for the Ember whenever he had a panic attack and started self-harming. He'd sink deeper in his self-loathing and it took a massive mental strain to get himself out of it. He never had anyone to help him so he had to lean on his own devices.

But with Addy here this time around, Remy found himself recovering way quicker. He wasn't wallowing in self-loathing because Addy was here to distract his mind from that. Even with her gone for a moment, the aftershocks aren't happening and he's relieved. He doesn't want her to experience the disappointment of having all her efforts gone to waste.

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August watches his workshop floor from his office, eyes hooded though his brows are knitted. Arms crossed and ankle resting on his opposite knee, August contemplates the whereabouts of his Arma and fellow Ember.

He's growing increasingly worried about the brunette despite knowing that Addy is with him. He felt like an idiot. He should've spotted this before but Remy was good at keeping it unknown from any of them.

He's got to hand it to him. Remy is an expert at retaining that deceptive mask.

August's brows involuntarily relax when the door to his office is opened, making him swivel his chair to face the person that came in.

The Ember almost breathes a sigh of relief when Clara walks in, emerald eyes focused on the file in her hand. They flick up at August standing from his desk and leaning on it.

"Clara, we need to talk-" a series of mighty explosions cut of August who immediately runs to his floor-to-ceiling windows. His eyes widen at the blacked out force crashing through the obliterated entranceway, shouting orders for everyone to get on the ground.