Their Light

Chapter 11

Zeke 

I couldn't stop the chuckle that broke free as she back into the Statio. Our little Probus feared intimacy, it seemed. It was understandable. Anger surged through me, thinking of her past. I wanted to hunt that boy down. I didn't care where he was or what he was doing. He needed to suffer, just like she had. I wanted to end him. I wanted to erase the fear that he instilled in her.

I hadn't laughed like that in so long. I didn't remember when. She was like a sun. Already, my world felt brighter. And it was because of her. I could hardly believe it. My fingers traced over the mark on my neck. I never thought that I would be granted such a gift. The thought of protecting her brings fears to the forefront of my mind that I didn't even know I had.

What if I let her down?

What if my past became a problem?

What if I hurt her?

I didn't think I could bear it if I caused her any pain. Sometimes, my strength was too much, though. I never wanted to be like my father. I refused.

I waited a bit before heading in after her. Hearing multiple voices coming from the kitchen, I headed that way. I leaned against the doorway and took in the scene in front of me. It wasn't anything unusual when it came to my chosen brothers.

Peter directed Hadley around the kitchen. He appeared to be in pain doing so. I could understand why. A Probus helping cook a meal for a bunch of Kustos was an anomaly. It was beneath them.

Lunch appeared to be almost done. I loved seeing the confidence Peter exuded when he was in the kitchen. It was a drastic step up from when he came to us. I watched as he laughed at something Finn said from across the room before continuing with his work. Finn had been good for him. Peter had been a good influence on Finn, too.

Ryder and Finn sat at the dining table. They had positioned Isaac in between them. I held back a smile, realizing that as usual they were making sure Isaac went nowhere near the food preparation. We watched me closely since the stove incident. Peter was devastated. I shuddered at the memory.

Dishes of food were prepared and moved from the kitchen to the table. I noticed breaded chicken, homemade mac and cheese, and steamed vegetables among them. A bit of something for everyone. Peter was always thinking about everyone else.

Just as everyone was about to sit, the front door opened and closed. Caspian and Kent headed straight for the table, the scent of food pulling them in with its gravitational force. They were out of breath and sweaty. They had obviously done their patrol as fast as possible.

Hadley sat beside Finn and began digging into the food. She piled mountains of it onto her plate. My heart hurt at the sight. She had already been through so much in her short life. Being on the streets wasn't easy for anyone, especially a young girl with so much light.

I followed her lead and piled the food high onto my plate, listening in on the various conversations taking place around the table. I used to hate the noise of others, but in recent years I had been forced to change my opinion. It wasn't the noise that I didn't like. It was the people. I didn't mind it in this Statio, with these Kustos. The voices of my chosen brothers had become comforting to me. They reminded me of home because this was my home now.

"So, what now?" Hadley asked between bites. She looked at the twins for an answer. Smart, she already deduced that they were the leaders of this Statio. They were naturals for the job, balancing each other perfectly.

"We will need to teach you about our society and prepare you to meet the Praeses," Ryder stated gruffly.

"Okay, two questions," Hadley started. "What is the Praeses again? Why do I have to meet them?" Ryder glanced at Kent, clearly wanting his brother to take over. Ryder wasn't that big of a talker. It was a trait we shared.

"The Praeses is the ruling body of our people. It is comprised of the five most powerful Probus. Meeting them is the first step to being introduced into our society," Kent answered.

"When does that happen then?" she asked. "Since it is the first step."

"It could take a while to arrange," Ryder stated vaguely. She tilted her head and paused in her eating completely.

"What aren't you telling me?" She stared at Ryder and Kent, waiting for one of them to respond.

All eyes flicked back and forth between them. I could tell that Kent was conflicted about how to tell her. I think they were foolish to think she wouldn't notice them withholding information. Suddenly, her face changed.

"Oh," she said. "That's it isn't it? You said it is made up of the five most powerful Probus, right?" Everyone nodded in the affirmative. I had to hold back my smile of pride. My little Probus was not easily fooled or misled. "I have more power than any Probus ever. Does that mean I will have to join this Praeses thingy and if so, do I kick someone out when I do? Or will they consider me too big of a threat and try to eliminate me?"  

"No one will touch you," Ryder practically growled.

"You didn't answer my question." I cleared my throat, drawing her attention.

"If a Probus comes of age that is more powerful than a member on the Praeses than the weakest member is kicked out, yes. You are more powerful than every single Praeses member. I believe it is certain that they will regard you as a threat at first, especially after they see your power, but they would be fools to come after you," I told her.

"Because of my power?"

"That is one reason, but you also have seven Kustos protecting you now. There are laws as well in place that prevent the killing of a Probus. They would forfeit their seat on the Praeses by breaking the very laws they uphold." She tilted her head, thinking it over. People would challenge her, either not believing in her power or wanting to prove themselves. Either way, they would fail.

"What about laws preventing the killing of Kustos?" she asked. Looks were exchanged, but no one answered. She scoffed. "There's not one, is there?"

"There is a law preventing Kustos from killing Kustos unless in self-defense," Kent supplied. She easily read between the lines.

"But there's no law stating a Probus can't kill a Kustos."

"It is looked down upon to hurt or kill a Kustos attached to a different Probus, but no, there is no law outright against it," Kent replied, his eyes dark.

It was one of many things I wished I could change about my society, but it would never happen. Change was one thing the Praeses and Probus hated. We could all protect ourselves, though, if any Kustos should try something.

All of my brothers and I had trained daily for years. It was a requirement that the twins imposed on all residents of the Statio. No one had ever complained. Some did it because they never lost hope of one day finding a Probus to protect and wanted to be at their best when they were accepted into a protection unit. Others just wanted to prove that they were not weak, that even without a Probus they were a force to be reckoned within their own might.

And then there are those like me who needed the physical exertion, who craved it, in order to release some of the long-held rage that had built up inside of me. I didn't feel the need nearly as badly since I laid eyes on her. Sitting in the rain, she was a sight to see. I would never forget that moment.

"But why delay me meeting them?" she asked. There was a pause before Kent finally answered.

"We do not know how they will take the Affinitas that has happened between us." Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What could they do?" I had to hold back a snort. What couldn't they do would be a more appropriate question.

"Experiment to try and break to the bond resorting to killing us if that fails," Ryder stated, glaring at the table. Her fork clattered onto her plate as silenced filled the room. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to decide something as she picked the fork back up. Determination filled her eyes as she glanced at us all.

"Okay, so I need to be ready for them."

**You can read up to Chapter 22 on my Patreon! The link is in my bio! There are also exclusive scenes from the boys' pasts and POVs of them meeting Hadley! Happy Reading!!