CHAPTER 45: BLOOD
Noah and Blayth stood opposite Liam who had papers on the table between them. Ren and Lazarus were there, with Ren standing close to Noah. Blayth had Leon at his side, holding his hand for support. Liam pointed at the first paper as he said, "This is Lazarus and Ren's. And this here," He said pointing at the other paper, "Is Ren and myself. As you can see the difference. Lazarus's is very similar to Ren's while there are barely any markers matching between Ren and I. Now here is each of yours against mine, then this one... Noah's against Blayth's." he looked at them, both frowning as they tried to understand what it meant. "Yours are too close."
"Meaning?" Blayth asked.
"Similar to Ren and Lazarus. The two of you seem to be related." Liam explained. They didn't look at each other. They thought it possible, but didn't really know if it would be true. It was a few long moments of silence before Noah's hand reached for Blayth's, grasping it tightly.
"By blood?" Noah muttered.
"That is what it means." Liam said, looking between them, not knowing if they thought it a good thing or not. "What are the odds?" he breathed.
Noah looked at Blayth, and when their eyes met he muttered, "Indeed... what are the odds?" Blayth tried to smile, but hesitated, then Noah said, "Years we've known each other. So many years, Blayth. How could we not have known this?"
"Maybe because you two don't resemble each other?" Ren muttered. "So this means Blayth is really the brother I didn't want?"
At that Blayth chuckled, looking back at her as he said, "Him and I are brothers. Doesn't relate me to you, so relax."
"If he is my adoptive brother, then you might as well be my half-brother." Ren argued.
"Your logic doesn't make sense." Blayth shook his head before he looked at Noah who hadn't looked away. "What?"
"We don't look alike." Noah repeated.
"Don't take it the wrong way. I didn't resemble our parents either." Blayth shrugged, "Brought up a bunch of questions, but nothing my parents..." Blayth paused before he said, "Our parents could explain in terms I understood."
Noah took in a deep breath at that before he said brokenly, "I don't remember them."
"You were nothing but a year old." Blayth told him.
"Why did they send me away?" Noah muttered.
"I have just as many questions, Noah, none could be answered. They aren't alive to do so." Blayth told him.
"Why did I think those people were my mother and father?" Noah asked as he turned to Lazarus.
"Perhaps because they were all you remembered? You were very young when you went to live with them." Lazarus guessed, then smiled softly at him as he said, "Take solace in learning that you still have family that is alive and well. Someone you are blood bound to."
Noah looked back at Blayth, and it only took him a moment more before he wrapped his arms around Blayth as he pulled him into a strong embrace. Blayth hesitated before doing the same, saying, "Doesn't change a thing. We became brothers the moment we set out on this mission together." Blayth was quiet for a moment before he muttered, "I wonder what mother would think if she knew we found each other?"
Noah pulled away, his hand against the side of Blayth's neck, holding him there as their eyes met before he said, "I give you the vow I made to Ren. I will protect you no matter what, even if it means I'd give my life doing so."
"I am strong enough-..." Blayth was saying when Noah cut him off.
"The fact still remains. I am your older brother, and I have years to make up for, Blayth." Noah insisted, a deep frown set on his face, "So many years to make up for."
"You and I both." Blayth sighed.
"Would you tell me about them?" Noah asked softly, "About our parents... about your life with them. Would you tell me if mother was kind? If she was sweet and caring? Would you tell me if she sang to you when you were a child, what she sang, what she sounded like?" Noah felt his eyes fill with tears, "Would you share it with me? What I had missed?" Noah said before recalling the bitterest truth as he whispered, "And would you forgive me for not being there to protect you from our father? All those years that he'd hurt you and I wasn't there to keep him from harming you... god, Blayth, I am so...so sorry I wasn't there for you."
"It's not like you could have been there..." Blayth said, his eyes dropping as he muttered, "It's not like either of us knew we had a brother."
"Have." Noah said, lifting Blayth's chin, "You have me. And by extension a crazy sister and..." he turned to the two, Ren wiping her eyes as Lazarus patted her shoulder, looking at Noah when he turned to him. "And a father I wish would have raised you as well."
Lazarus gave him a soft smile as he stepped up to them, saying, "So this means a welcome to the family is in order."
Blayth looked at Lazarus as he muttered, "How is it that I owe Zach for this?"
"You owe him nothing." Lazarus said, "He has put Lucius and us through hell. This was the least he could do. All he did was tell the truth for once in his life. Does not mean he is redeemed from all his past sins. All it means is that now you know you have a brother, and that your brother is still alive and well."
Noah found himself muttering the same words he'd said the other day, before Blayth and him decided to do the test to determine their relation to each other. "I wish Lu was here."
"I think he wishes he was here for this too." Ren said as she stepped up to Noah, wrapping an arm around his back. "He'd be so happy for you both." She then chuckled as she said, "He'd say it was a cause for celebration and make us throw a party."
"He would." Blayth nodded.
Noah looked at him right before a tear slipped from his eyes, wiping it as he said, "Then we celebrate."
"Will you help me prepare something for dinner, Leon?"
"I'll help too." Ren said.
"Please don't, you are a disaster in the kitchen." Blayth deadpanned.
"Don't mind him, Ren. Your cooking is amazing." Liam piped in, making everyone look at him as if he was crazy, but all he focused on was the sweet smile Ren gave him.
"You can cook for Liam then." Blayth said, smirking when he saw Liam gulp, "Not so sure now, are you?"
"We can tell everyone at dinner." Ren said.
Blayth looked at Noah before asking, "You are fine telling everyone?"
"It is nothing shameful." Noah said, "I am proud to have you as a brother, Blayth. I really am."
"Awe, he's blushing." Ren teased, making him glare at her.
"Shut up. Does she really have to be a sister by extension?" Blayth asked, making everyone laugh.
"Oh, you know you love having me as your sister. I am the one who should be complaining. Now I'm stuck with two annoying big brothers and that should at least win me a medal." She sighed.
"How do you deal with this every day?" Blayth asked Noah with a frown.
Noah glanced at Ren, a weak smile on his face as he muttered, "I don't know where I'd be without her."
Ren smiled at him, a genuine smile before she said, "You should learn some things from Noah." With that she walked up to Liam, kissed him on the lips before she said, "Time for me to go get some laundry done." With that, she left.
"Let's sit tonight and just... talk?" Noah asked Blayth.
"Sounds good." Blayth agreed, watching Noah leave before turning to Leon with a weak smile.
"Leon, meet me in the kitchen in an hour." Lazarus said as he left as well.
"I should go sort those papers out." Liam said, gathering the papers and leaving to another of the infirmary rooms that were around that one.
"So?" Leon asked, "Was it as bad as you thought it'd be?"
Blayth smiled as he said, "Come on, it's Noah. If anything, I am thankful it is him. At least he had practice in being a brother."
"You don't." Leon said, making Blayth glare. He let out a breath of a laugh before adding, "Why do you seem worried?"
"I don't want things to get awkward between us." Blayth said.
"Awkward? If anything, I'd say it will get better. You will grow closer. After all, he's already lived with you for so long that he knows every annoying little habit you might have, so there is nothing to worry about."
"Gee, thanks for thinking so highly of me."
"Come on, I am trying to calm you down." Leon said.
"Keep it up and I might run away." Blayth said before he saw the look on Leon's face which had him add quickly, "Too soon?"
"Don't joke about it. Even years from now it will still be too soon." Leon told him. Blayth relaxed as he stepped closer to him, cupping his cheeks.
"Didn't mean a thing by it." Blayth smiled, "Promise, it was just a joke. I love you."
"Good. That should keep you around." Leon said, wrapping his arms around Blayth's waist, "If it doesn't, I could very easily lock you up and throw away the key."
"As creeped out as I am by that statement, I still do love you." Blayth said.
"And I will be sure to make you fall for me more, perhaps then you will never be able to part from me again." Leon said.
"That I could live with." Blayth smirked before his lips pressed to Leon's.
***
"Seriously?" Tobias asked at dinner after Blayth and Noah told them what they had found out, "But you don't look alike."
"I don't look like my parents either." Blayth shrugged.
"And that doesn't make you want to ask questions?" Cylus raised an eyebrow.
"It is a little too late for that, don't you think?" Blayth let a small smile touch his lips.
"How is that even possible?" Edmur asked with a frown.
"We burned those books." Their eyes turned to Logan when he spoke, "Because it caused madness to roam the lands. It was a council decision which other kings agreed to and so they all did the same."
"Who would burn books?" Edmur muttered, frowning deeply.
"And what does it have to do with anything?" Blayth asked, taking a bite from his food.
"Your red hair and your grey eyes are signs." Logan said.
"Signs of what? That I am an incredibly handsome man?" Blayth smirked.
Logan smiled but it slowly faded as he continued, "Parents started killing their children that is why we burned the books. It had happened more often than not during our time, where children were born with the same coloring as you. When a mage married a seer, either one or all of their children would suffer, and it would show the moment they are born with red hair and gray eyes. A sign." Logan repeated.
"Mage and a seer?" Liam muttered, turning to Blayth, "You never told me your parents had powers."
Blayth frowned at him saying, "They didn't."
"Then how do you explain Noah's powers?" Logan asked, "Powers are inherited from family, it runs through the blood of a seer or mage, or did you forget that? You see when a mage and a seer got married and had children, they would either have a child with incredible mage power, just like Noah has. You see, not everyone can unleash their full power, and have the mismatched eyes when they can't suppress a part of it unless they were a child of a mixed family. Not to mention his ability to use both healing and normal powers. How many mages have you seen that had both? The child could also be a powerful seer, such as Edmur's great grandfather during our time, and thus his power was inherited by his children, not as strong, but still powerful."
"I didn't know that." Edmur said.
"I do believe that not many knew of their history as it had become forbidden after a time. A lucky few had none, but there were also those with both. The ones with both, they were the ones that had red hair, blood red hair unlike any other human. Those who did didn't live past their 10th birthday when their power started to manifest, since it was too much for the human body to handle such immense power. I was surprised when I saw you at first to be honest. I had never seen someone reach your age before when they had both powers. Then I realized that you have suppressed them."
"What are you saying? My parents didn't..." Blayth trailed off before a memory passed through his mind as he said, "Oh... mother did do things that were very fun to watch. Not all the time though, but...yes, I think she had magic. She would make things fly around and sometimes helped with the crop. It was fascinating when it happened, but she didn't use it much. Perhaps that's why I didn't remember." He said before looking back at Logan, "But father never showed any power."
"Try to remember." Logan said, "A seer's power isn't a very obvious one."
"There is no way he was a seer. He was very sickly most of the time, so I spent most days with mother. He was bed ridden for days and..." Blayth stopped talking, eyes wide as they moved to Edmur. "Oh god... just like you. How did I not realize it?"
"Because we burned the books." Logan repeated, "It was dangerous. We put rules in place that such marriages shouldn't take place. We warned about it but some wouldn't listen. We ended up having to stop some of the mad mages born from their stubbornness. Even had to lock up parents who'd murdered their children for their coloring, claiming them to be demons. Some were horrible enough to kill a child after showing powers, even if only one power like being a mage. Saying he'd end up being a mad mage even before giving the child a chance. We had to put a stop to it. I am shocked that some still went through with such marriages so many years later."
"I've never had powers." Blayth muttered, still surprised.
"Somehow, they have been suppressed before you manifested them. It is what helped you stay alive all those years." Logan said. Blayth's eyes dropped, still wide in apprehension before he got up, went to the kitchen's side door and slipped outside, collapsing onto the stairs.
"Let me." Noah said to Leon when he got up, following Blayth instead. He went outside, closing the door behind him before he sat next to Blayth who had his head between his legs, trying to calm down his erratic breathing. "What are you thinking?"
"This is too much..." Blayth gasped, taking in a shaking breath, "Oh god... too much in only one day. How the hell didn't I figure it out? I thought maybe he wasn't my father. Maybe mother cheated and that is why he hated me so much. But then I remembered how much he loved her. How much he cherished her, and the love he showed before she died. I then realized I am his son, but I kept wondering, all this time I kept wondering why I didn't look like either of them. I had his jaw, I had her curled hair. But nothing else. There was no other thing that made me look like either of them. That proved I was their son but now..." he glanced at Noah as he let out a breath of a laugh, a deep frown set between his eyebrows, "I have their power... both their power..."
Noah let a small smile touch his lips as he said, "You do."
Blayth bit his lip before he muttered, "You do look like her." Noah gulped as Blayth's eyes trailed his face, "Why didn't I see it before? You look so much like her, it actually hurts... god, I miss her so much. You have her hair, the color of it but just as straight as father's. You have her nose... that smile. It looks exactly like hers."
"I wish I met her." Noah muttered, placing his hand against Blayth's back.
"I wish you did. She was amazing. Beautiful and smart. She was funny, sometimes strict but she had so much love in her, and she didn't hold back. You would have loved her." Blayth said as he looked away.
"I'm sure." Noah agreed, feeling a bit of envy go through him, but then sorrow for what Blayth went through when he lost her after actually knowing her.
"She would have loved you too..." Blayth added, raising a hand to wipe his eyes.
"Are you Okay?" Noah asked after a moment of silence passed between them.
"I will be." Blayth nodded, "Just a bit overwhelmed. Nothing I can't handle."
"Good." Noah nodded, looking out at the grass as he muttered, "What do you think Lucius would say when I tell him?"
Blayth smiled as he said, "He would be shocked. Just as we are. But... he'd say something that would take away any tension. If only he was here..."
"You have no idea..." Noah breathed.
Blayth glanced at Noah before he got to his feet, saying, "I think I should go to bed. Maybe things will make more sense in the morning." Noah merely nodded as Blayth went inside, stopping to glance at Leon who was leaning against the wall beside the door. He smiled at him, kissed his cheek as he muttered, "I am fine." He then took his hand and dragged him along with him.
***
Leon sighed, turning to his side, eyes landing on the clock sitting on the nightstand, seeing the late hour it was. He turned to his back again, staring at the ceiling for a while before another sigh escaped him, turning to his other side before he shoved the blankets away, going to the door and slipping out to the hall. He walked till he was in front of Blayth's room. They had decided to take it slow. Taking their time as they mended their relationship. But his mind couldn't stop thinking of Blayth. Worried that if he slept he'd wake up to find the house without Blayth in it. It kept sleep from claiming him.
He slowly opened the door, not wanting to wake Blayth. His eyes landed on the redhead seated on the window sill, his legs dangling outside with a cigarette between his fingers, trailing smoke up before dissipating in the night's cool air that drifted into the room. The moment he opened the door, gray eyes turned to look at him before sighing.
Leon walked in, closing the door behind him as he made his way to where a bottle of whiskey was, grabbing it along with two glasses before going to the window, settling down beside Blayth, legs dangling outside just like the redhead's. "Looks like I'm not the only one that couldn't sleep." Leon muttered, handing Blayth a glass. Blayth snorted, taking it from him then sipped on it, holding out his cigarette to Leon who shook his head, "I don't like smoking."
"At this moment, it's the best thing to have." Blayth insisted, Leon staring at the fig for a long moment before sighing and taking it from him, taking a drag of it before handing it over, expelling the smoke in a slow, long puff. "Why can't you sleep?"
"It's difficult. It's been so long since you left. The bed feels so empty." Leon muttered, his eyes dropping.
Blayth tilted his head, eyes locked on the full moon above before he breathed, "I know the feeling all too well."
Leon glanced at him before he muttered a question, "Do you really forgive me?"
Blayth frowned before he looked at him as he said, "I did say that I did."
"Yes but... it was fast. Do you really forgive me or did you just say it so I'd stop bothering you-..."
"You don't bother me, Leon. Perhaps we need to work through things, but it doesn't mean that I love you any less. It doesn't mean that I don't want to spend my time with you. Or that I don't want to kiss you." Blayth said, smiling when he saw the corner of Leon's lips tilt in a smile as he looked away. He reached over, brushing Leon's hair out of his eyes as he said, "We both were wrong. So if I don't forgive, how can I expect to be forgiven?"
"Blayth, there is nothing you could do to make me mad for that long. It was so stupid of us to have assumed that we'd never fall for each other. Not with how the two of us got attached. Because now I know... I know for sure that I cannot live without you. I am too reliant on you. As crazy as it is to depend on someone in your life so much. That is where I am at now. I really think I would die if I didn't have you in my life."
Blayth didn't look at him as he reached over, taking Leon's hand in his own, tangling their fingers together before he muttered, "Maybe laying in the same bed will help us with our insomnia."
"You don't have to push it." Leon said.
"I am not pushing it. I am doing what I truly want."
Leon sighed, downing his glass before he got up, dragging Blayth with him as he went to the bed, pulling the blanket back as Blayth settled on the end of the bed, taking off his shoes, having not even changed from when he entered as he had sat on the window ledge ever since.
Leon started moving the many pillows, pausing only when Blayth had stopped moving, saying, "I have to tell you something."
Leon replied, "What is it?"
"I..." Blayth said, hesitating before he added, "I shared my bed with someone."
Leon's entire body went rigid, but he wasn't sure what to reply with before he gulped, then muttered, "Oh." It took a long moment of silence before he said, "We were apart. It makes sense for you to have been with someone else-..."
"No." Blayth said, frowning deeply as he turned around, "Not like that. I mean... I almost, but I didn't." he looked away again. "I... I thought I could. Since I thought we were over. But I wasn't able to. It felt like betraying you so I stopped. It was late, so he just fell asleep there. We barely touched, only took our shirts off before I told him I couldn't." Blayth looked at Leon who'd walked up to him, sitting next to him without meeting his eyes. "I stuck to the rules. No kissing. No sleeping with someone unless you were there."
Leon snorted as he said, "You should have done it. That would have hurt me."
"It is true I hold grudges, but... you are my Leon, how could I have hurt you like that?" Blayth asked softly, making Leon finally look at him.
"Thank god it was you." Leon mumbled.
"Huh?" Blayth asked, not sure what it meant.
Leon let a small laugh leave his lips as he said, "That you were the one I fell for."
Blayth laughed as well, pointing at himself as he said, "Sure? Me?"
"I wouldn't have wanted anyone else." Leon nodded.
Blayth's smile widened as he leaned close, cupping Leon's cheek before he went for a deep kiss that Leon pulled away from, making Blayth say, "Right. Cigarette."
"I hate how it tastes on your tongue." Leon said, then reached over, holding onto Blayth's face before he added, "But right now I don't care. I have two months to make up for." With that he dived in for another deep kiss that left them both breathless.
Blayth's hands covered Leon's after a long kissing session that left him craving more. He pulled away, looking into Leon's blue eyes as he said, "Things moved fast for us before. Way too fast. Even in reverse compared to normal relationships. Let's take it slow this time, ha? Slow to make us want more."
"I already want more." Leon complained before sitting back, "But I get it."
"Just sleeping."
"As long as I get to be close to you, I don't care." Leon told him, leaning close to press his forehead against Blayth's. "You are more than enough for me, Blayth. And I regret what I did, and I will regret it to the day I die."
"Let's just forget it happened, alright? Start over." Blayth said.
"Sounds good." Leon nodded, sitting back before he asked, "Did you sit with Noah?"
"I was going to but... I think mentioning Lucius today had caused it, but he wasn't talking again. I went to his room a few hours ago but he wasn't up to it." Blayth said, "He needs some time. Losing Lucius always does this to him."
"I know." Leon nodded before getting up and going to bed, "Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow and you'll be able to talk then."
"Not likely with how he was." Blayth sighed, getting up to change before climbing in bed next to Leon, turning on his side so they'd be facing each other. The moment he did, a smile tugged at his lips, muttering, "Hi."
Leon let a breath of a laugh leave him as he breathed, "I missed this." Blayth nodded in agreement, reaching between them to hold his hand. Sleep came easily after that, basking in each other's warmth made them drift to sleep quicker than either of them expected.
Unlike them Noah couldn't sleep, Shadow cuddled to his side as his eyes lingered on the moon outside his window, blurry with his tears, only being able to see it for a second every time he blinked and the heavy tears in his eyes fell. He wanted Lucius to be with him right then, he wanted him near. He needed to talk to him, to tell him what's happened, to talk through it with him. He wanted to hear what he would say, after all he was the only one ever able to make him see things in a better way, who was ever able to lighten his heart. He felt burdened. Both because he wasn't there for Blayth, and because he wanted more than anything to have met his real parents. He'd always felt the comfort of having known them once, but not anymore, since it turned out they weren't his real parents either.
His hand reached for the locket that lay on the bed beside him, taking the ring, the one he gave Lucius between his fingers, playing with it as he thought about his Lu and how he missed him. "Come back to me..." he breathed, hearing Shadow whine made his eyes fall down to him before Shadow's tongue licked his chin making him pull away before he tapped the wolf's nose. "I'm alright." He said, caressing the wolf's head who snuggled back to his chest.