Chapter 41: Trading Places

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I glared at the woman I'd called 'Mother' for so many years. Her eyes were as wide as I'd ever seen them and I watched with hatred as she gave me the once over and then eyed Aaron with a great amount of disinterest. "Snow, you've been a bad girl. Do you know how many problems you've caused for me and your father?" I mentally begged Aisu to bring the rest of the group.

My thoughts were answered with a rush of footsteps that came from behind me. "Aaron, who's behind us?" I asked evenly, keeping a close eye on my mother in case she tried to pull anything. Aaron turned to me and smiled.

"It's everybody, Aisu, Nerr, Kallen.... who's the tall boy?" He asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Nathan." I said quietly. "He's my friend. He's a former Enforcer." Aaron nodded before he turned to face my mother. "Guys," I said, raising my voice, "Take Aaron, and get out of here."

"...Snow, who is that woman? She looks a lot like you." Nerr said, her voice just barely drifting over to me.

"That's her mother, Nerr." Nathan answered. I tensed.

"Take. Aaron." I said through gritted teeth. "Now." Aisu's lithe form darted up to me and he looked at me with large, pleading icy blue eyes. I smiled down at my Aisu before I handed Aaron off to Kallen. "You guys go ahead..." I began, just as that boy, Blaze, materialized behind my mother.

"Mother? Is she bothering you?" Blaze said, his green eyes flitting over to me, flickering with curiosity.

"Yes, Blaze. She's caused me a lot of trouble. Why don't you help us cage the troublemaker, my boy?" My mother's screechy voice belted out. Blaze smiled at my mother with something like adoration while I simply glared.

"Thanks, mom, I love you, too." I said venomously. I gave Blaze an even look as he turned to face me, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Why did you call my mother 'mom' ?" Blaze asked, his voice hardly reaching me. I grinned malevolently and tilted my head to one side.

"Because, Blaze, she is my mother. She's the reason that I've suffered and the reason that I've lived. She is the source of my hate, my pain, my pride, and my gratitude. It was her, you see, how showed me how cold this world can be." I said, my sharp canines glistening. I laughed as Blaze looked taken aback, hiding my shock that Blaze was -potentially- my brother.

I laughed bitterly as he shook his head in denial. "It's not true! It can't be!" Blaze cried, anger flashing across his eyes. I have him a half-smile as he charged toward me, fire dancing across his palms, and erected a large wall of ice to block him. Blaze ran right into it before he melted a hole through it and I held my fist out.

Blaze's face crashed into my fist and I heard bone crunch. My arm jolted backward but I held firm. "You can't beat me, Blaze. I've seen and been part of more violence and pain that you well ever know. Give up while you can, brother." I said. The word brother had rolled off my tongue awkwardly, but I said it to shock Blaze, and it worked. 

Pulling out my sword, I gave it a thick coating of rock-hard ice and swung it at the stunned boy before me. Blaze barely dodged my blade and jumped backward, his head hitting my icy wall. I grimaced when I turned and noticed that my friends were still behind me. "GO!" I shouted, dodging a rather furious fireball, "Go before it's too late! Then all this effort will go to waste!" It took another minute or so before my companions could leave.

I growled in anger and glared at the villainous woman who easily pitted her children against each other. "It doesn't have to be like this, you know." I said smoothly as Blaze came at me with a fiery dagger. I parried the blow and leaned in closer to him. "We don't have to fight." Blaze's eyes widened and I shoved him backward hard enough for him to fall. I leaped forward and distracted him with my sword, swinging close enough to force him back, but far enough that the blade wouldn't hurt him. As I took up all of Blaze's attention I shouted, "Aisu, now!"

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