We were in some kind of trance - all except for Gaisgeil and Consilius who had picked himself up in the meantime. His face only showed caution and distress.
Consilius cleared his throat. "My Lord..", he started to speak but stopped abruptly, when Gaisgeil's hand motioned him to shut up.
"How can a dead man walk?", my destined mused with a calm voice which didn't show any traces of surprise. He was in total control of his emotions. In contrast to Ailis and me, who stood there petrified. I SAW Amarin die in front of me. His pulse non-existent, his heart stopped beating. I witnessed, how his life faded away. He couldn't have risen from the dead? The scientist in me knew, that this was impossible. There must be another explanation for what my eyes saw.
Nobody spoke a word. Gaisgeil took two cautious steps in the direction of "Amarin" who stiffend immediately.
"A man, whom I cut out his throat with my own dagger, stands in front of me, talking, breathing", he summarized. "I killed him with THIS dagger", motioning to the dagger he held in his right hand.
Amarin's eyes never left the deadly device. He closed his eyes slowly, inhaling deeply.
"You killed my brother, my identical twin-brother", we heard him whisper. He oppened his eyes again, the aquamarin orbs full of pain. "In fact, you killed OUR brother." His words felt like a lash of a whip burning on skin. I saw Gaisgeil tightening in his stance.
Slowly Gaisgeil put the dagger away in its shaft integrated in his leathery outfit. He send with this gesture a clear message: I killed one brother but I won't kill two.
The twin of Amarin walked slowly in the direction of Gaisgeil until he stood opposite of his brother. They scanned each others faces. Yes, there where strong similarities, even a blind man could't overlook. This time Gaisgeil knew, that this man was indeed his half-brother. They shared the same father.
" I am Conor and although I have the same face as Amarin, I AM NOT HIM", he spat.
We were all taken aback by his emotional outburst. Gaisgeil narrowed his eyes.
"You weren't on good terms with your twin?", he inquired. Conor lowered his head. "No, we only shared he same face and body. I was in no way like him", he confirmed.
A snort was heard. "Yes, you were not half the man he was", Consilius mocked. "You are pathetic and weak. Amarin was strong."
Conor growled. "Why am I pathetic? Because I am not poisoned by your toxic view of the world...because I am not full of hate?"
We all watched how he morphed into his hybrid, this dangerous being who looked like a human with half shark features. So he was in every way Amarin's twin, not only the human side.
"Watch out, little human, if I gave in to the way you raised us, I would have killed you in the blink of an eye a long time ago without one moment of regret. You are an evil, cynical man who made my life a living hell. I will never forgive you for turning my brother against me. YOU implanted the evilness into his brain. Now look, where it got him ..."
As he morphed back, his face showed all the sorrow and heartbreak he felt. Conor faced Gaisgeil who stood queitly in the midst of the room, observing, listening.
"Brother", he called out for Gaisgeil, who gave him his full attention. "Amarin wasn't bad as a child. But as time went by, he gave in to our uncle's dark way of seeing the world, his schemes to overthrow you. Amarin knew of his uniqueness, his power. He thought he was above others because of his strenght and skills. My brother learned to hate you, to envy you. YOU were the legitimate child, the Lord of Desa, while he was only the bastard."
"And you? Why didn't you hate me? Didn't you grow up like him?", my destined asked gently. Ailis and I watched each other with a questioning look. Gaisgeil and gentle? This was a contradiction in itself.
Connor shrugged. "I had my own head and thoughts. I was more strong willed than Amarin. So when I turned 14 summers, I ran away. I knew, there was no chance that Amarin would come with me. It was too late, he was too far gone. So I went without notice."
Ailis and I kept quiet. This was not our time to question him. This was the time of the two brothers.
"I was there, when Amarin came home from an assembly of the council. He was hyped, because he fell in love on first sight with a girl." Conor turned my way, Gaisgeil following his gaze.
"You, Callida, you were this girl. From that moment on he wanted nothing more than to become stronger. His biggest wish was to kill our brother and to take everything that Gaisgeil called his, but most of all he wanted you."
Gaisgeil's stare was one of anger and possessivness. Theos, the man was dead! You killed Amarin. Stop being jealous of a dead man! When Gaisgeil noticed my disapproving face, he closed his eyes taking deep breaths, his fingers cupped the bridge of his nose.
Conor chuckled. "The green-eyed monster, is a powerful force that makes you weak. Once trapped in its grip, you lose yourself. I heard, that you never lose control", he said half laughing. "Clearly this isn't true. Well, makes you more human..."
Gaisgeil groweld lowly, rolling his eyes on Conor. "Careful brother. I may not be inclined to kill you at once, but that could change, if you don't stop laughing." Conor obviously didn't feel threatened, because he laughed even more. I listened amused, watching the irritation on my destined's face. THIS is what he needed. A brother who would question him, mock him, and perhaps...love him.
"When you are done laughing, could you explain, where you went, after you left your uncle? I mean, you lived here in Gordan with him. Where did you go? Did my", he stopped, when he heard his own mistake, "did OUR father know of your existence?"
Conor laughed in a dark way. "Oh yes, he knew. He gave the order to kill us after our birth."