A/N: Picture of Pixie with dark hair in the media.
JETT
For years I'd struggled with the guilt - the overwhelming emotion that I drowned in every single day I breathed life into my lungs.
Daniel had died because of my choice, at my hand and ultimately at the mercy I failed to exhibit.
Over the years I'd managed to overcome it, making the sharp pains in my chest subside into a constant ache in the background. The guilt had become part of my life and I was finally starting to accept it when Keira came into my life.
Now it turned out that it was all a lie, my entire life had been a lie.
I sat in silence opposite Nathaniel, trying to come up with some emotion - any emotion. Anything was better than the emptiness I felt resonating within my soul.
He wasn't looking at me, just stared down at his hands.
We had been sitting here for perhaps hours, just us two in the room he had been shut in. The boys had put a table within the magic barrier room, so that we could both sit at opposite ends as if we were in an interrogation room.
For once in my life, I wasn't angry or sad. I was completely empty.
How many years had gone by for me? To live in confusion under Nathaniel's glaring eyes. To wonder why he hated my self-guilt. To wonder why he strived so hard to be a model student, to be everything a Lionfield heir was supposed to be.
'You did it for the guilt,' I said, not a question but a statement. My brother's green eyes flickered up towards me before he looked away, his fingers balling together so hard his entire hand shook - making the table we were sitting at tremble under his touch. 'You had me believe I did it,' I continued, finding it rather peculiar that this didn't anger me.
Lady Eluen had explained to Keira that I was in shock, and that I was to be given some time to let everything sink in. I, myself, wasn't quite aware of what exactly had to sink in. My brother had betrayed me, that was it.
'You don't understand-' Nathaniel started but I interrupted him coolly.
'I do, I lived the majority of my life thinking I'd killed my own brother'
He looked up at me and for the first time, I watched my elder brother expose all of his emotions - all the guilt, anger and sadness he had had to keep to himself over all these years, 'I killed Daniel'.
The confession lingered in the room before I asked, 'Why did you make me think it was me?'
Nathaniel couldn't look me in the eye but instead peered at something over my shoulder as he answered monotonously, 'It was easier for me to cope with if I used you as a scapegoat'.
I'd always known that Nathaniel was selfish but I hadn't quite expected him to be this selfish, 'So I could bear your burden'.
'Edmund said that you were mentally more capable than me... that you would handle it better than I did'
'So, you made your little brother suffer the guilt that was yours to bear,' I summarised softly.
I didn't notice that Nathaniel was crying until the tears leaked past the hands he had pressed to his eyes, 'He promised me he knew a way to reverse his death, that you would only suffer for a bit whilst I helped him'.
'He killed Daniel,' I whispered, 'He killed our brother because he wanted to kill his own sister. How could you trust-'
'I didn't know at the time!' Nathaniel bursted out before his voice lowered again into sobbing, 'I didn't know he was behind it all... I-I just recently found out so... I took Leila and ran'.
'What did you find out?' I questioned, clinging onto any different topic that I could aside from Nathaniel's betrayal.
'I didn't want to be like Isobel...' he whispered, 'I didn't want to lose everything and become like-'
'What did you find out?' I repeated, louder over his yammering sobs.
Nathaniel looked up at me with red rimmed eyes before he whispered something more to the air than to me, 'Everything'.
KEIRA
'I brought you dinner,' I announced as I entered the guest room.
The room was large enough for two people, hosting a creamy white theme with a dark mahogany four poster bed and rose threaded pillows. Leila was sitting on the bed, reading, whilst Tommy sat on the carpet - giggling as he played with the shapeshifter dog.
Leila had been on the fence when Julian shifted into an animal to keep Tommy entertained. Perhaps she thought we had some ulterior motives and was afraid that the giant dog would swallow her son whole when she wasn't looking. But she trusted him now and I watched Tommy wrap his small arms around the dog's white neck, 'Juju'.
Leila looked up when I clicked the door back shut and stood up, placing the book she had been reading on the bedside drawer, 'Thank you'.
'You're welcome,' I smiled, placing the tray of food for two on the desk that had been placed against a wall, 'Rosalie made Tommy's favourite today'.
'Bacon gravy!' the toddler shouted from the carpet and I watched him cling onto Julian's ears as the dog pulled him onto his feet.
I felt Leila's stare on my cheek and turned to see her fidget - she wanted to talk to me.
'Why don't you take Tommy down to the kitchen?' I asked Julian as he walked past, the toddler hanging onto his neck.
The shapeshifter grunted once and the toddler giggled as he received leave to ride the humungous hound down the hallway towards the kitchen. I watched them disappear down the stairs before shutting the door.
'Is Nathaniel alright?' Leila asked nervously and when I turned I saw she was running her arms - as if trying to reassure herself.
I nodded, 'He's fine. The barrier room-'
'I know,' she whispered, 'but I mean... emotionally'.
I bit the inside of my cheek before sighing, 'I don't know. They've both been down there since noon'.
'You don't think anything could've happened? Jett is rather-'
'You have no right to talk about Jett,' I interrupted fiercely, making the woman close her mouth with an audible click, 'Nathaniel's put him through hell and he deserves a whole lot more than a couple hours worth of an explanation'. Silence ensued and feeling rather awkward after my outburst I cleared my throat, 'You should eat something, I'll go and check on Tommy'.
As I turned to leave, however, Leila's voice stopped me, 'I am grateful to Jett,' when I turned to look at her, she continued, 'I know people see him as... rash, aggressive and arrogant at times but,' her hazel eyes flickered up to me, 'he's a good person. Tommy wouldn't be here without him and I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate everything he's done for us'.
My eyes softened before I bit my lip, 'Then maybe you should've told Nathaniel to tell the truth sooner'.
'I didn't know,' she pleaded, taking a few steps closer to me before stopping and holding both hands to her mouth, 'I... I didn't know he made that deal'.
'What deal?' I whispered, my eyes widening as Leila's face turned guilty.
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It seemed that my uncle's past was full of mysteries, sickening secrets and a web of lies too intricate for a simple mind to uncoil.
It became even more apparent as we gathered in Lady Eluen's office, near her fireplace, tea and hot chocolate mugs in hand as we came to know Edmund's full history.
Upstairs, Nathaniel had been reunited with Leila and Tommy. It would take them long to heal and grow together but Jett seemed to be emotionless about the entire matter as he sat next to me - holding my hand as he and Eluen pieced together the history of Edmund Johannes Van der Laine;
Edmund had been born the second child of the Van der Laine family, the second boy that would attain a high position in the Mythical Realm for his healing abilities. It turned out that he had an elder brother - and I another uncle - who was infamous for his healing abilities as well. As the oldest boy of the Van der Laine Household, Michael would be the new Realm Healer - a well respected position for a charismatic man.
Edmund, however, hadn't quite liked his brother's superior abilities. He was the middle child, stuck between two siblings who both excelled at healing. He himself, was better at social events, at forming connections and dealing with the clients of the Household.
A little jealousy wouldn't have mattered if Edmund hadn't been sent into a frenzy after the death of his parents. When my grandparents died, the estates of the Household had been divided up neatly into three pieces. And not to anybody's surprise, Michael had received an extra mansion located in a secure spot in the woods - a private clinic to harbour any wounded mythical creatures.
Edmund, who at the time had already fallen in love with his own sister fretted over this unfair division. He had conveyed his feelings to my mother, Ryanne, who advised him to let the matter go. It was Michael's right to have the clinic since he was the eldest and the most experienced in healing.
Convinced then that he should expand the Van der Laine influence in his own way, Edmund worked tirelessly to make the reputation of his family more prominent. He relied heavily on Ryanne's abilities, shoving Michael's expertise to the side as he loved his sister more. Convinced that expanding clientele would ensure their climb to the top of the social ladder, it was rumoured that even the Víran could be healed by the Van der Laine's.
The rest of the Mythical Realm rebelled against this matter, demanding a reason as to why their healers were also helping their enemies. For the first time in a rare time, the Elder Council had involved themselves in this case and matters grew serious.
Ryanne and Michael soon found out that it had been Edmund who was healing the Víran by himself. Although he wasn't experienced, nor had enough healing power as his siblings, the Víran did not care much for long term health or unnoticeable scars.
When confronted with his illegal work on the side, Edmund flew into a rage - blaming his siblings for looking down at him and not supporting what he did. In his privacy, he had been arranging marriages for Ryanne - in an attempt to aim even higher.
At the time, he had chosen his good friend; Cobalt Lionfield as a possible suitor for his own sister. Cobalt was a Lionfield family side branch but had enough Elrioud blood to heighten Van der Laine status. He, bitter about his brother's success, was quite alike Edmund and the two of them bonded.
When Ryanne found out about Edmund's work, she flew into a frenzy, and in anger had revealed to him that she had already fallen in love with a human and that she was going to move to Caleburg. Edmund had been angry in his own right, and the fight had ended on an aggressive note to which my mother had left immediately after.
After hearing about his younger brother's unreasonable outburst, Michael had invited Edmund to the clinic. There, he confronted his younger brother about the impossible feelings he had for his own blood-related sister and the fact that Ryanne was already pregnant.
What had transpired after stayed a mystery to the Mythical Realm but when people finally went to investigate it turned out that Michael had died - and Edmund had been found, holding his brother's body, and inconsolable.
In the years after Michael's death, Edmund furthered the Van der Laine name - struggling to keep up a reputation. When Cobalt's nephew, Daniel, had fallen ill Edmund found that it was the perfect chance.
He had visited us then, when I was five, begging for forgiveness as well as her help. Ryanne, though reluctant to return, had done so anyway. Agreeing to use a Sanafaté to ensure the Elrioud bloodline.
Everything seemed to go well and it was still unclear why Edmund had decided suddenly that his sister's betrayal to him had been too much. For suddenly, he was intent on having her gone. Striking a deal with the Víran from his past, they had hunted down Daniel and in doing so - killed my mother in the process.
It was most likely that Cobalt also had a dealing in the matter for Lionfield Manor was burned down, along with his brother and sister-in-law. The surviving Lionfield brothers had been adopted by Edmund - probably to further the Van der Laine's caring reputation, and Cobalt had inherited all the assets that had once belonged to his brother; including Elessar Prep.
JETT
'So then what did he use to convince Nathaniel that he was good?' Vincent asked when the explanation was over.
My friends leaned back against the sofa's, their faces blank at the amount of betrayal and lies that ran so deep. It had embedded itself into every aspect of our life - and maybe even the deepest in my own.
'Nathaniel said that Edmund promised to bring Daniel back from the dead,' I whispered, feeling the room quieten down at my voice, 'Edmund told him to get close to Keira, told him that she was the key in bringing back the dead'.
'Then why did he listen to Edmund all those years before Keira?' Blaze questioned, 'If we knew about this before... my sister, my sister would've still been alive'.
At the memory of Sorcha, the room seemed to hold in its breath until I spoke again, 'He listened because he wanted to. He wanted to believe that his mistakes could be reversed'.
I gulped, feeling Keira's hand tighten around my fingers.
For years, I'd thought the same. How could I turn back time? I'd do anything to save Daniel then, anything. If someone had told me there was a way to get my brother back, would I have listened?
The painful truth was, that even if it were just a gullible lie, I would've probably believed it as Nathaniel had.
'So what do we do now?' Pixie whispered to which Lady Eluen stood up.
The Witch sighed, 'You must not do anything. The Elder Council has acknowledged the severity of the situation as has sent one of its own to deal with Edmund and Cobalt'. Sharp eyes looked at each of us before she spoke once more, repeating herself, 'You must not do anything, am I clear?' Small nods appeared across the room before she nodded once, 'I'm going to see if Nathaniel is alright'.
As the Witch swept from the room, we all listened to the tinkering of the small toys that lined every shelf of her cupboard. And it was Bambi who spoke first, and her words ignited a heat in my heart that seemed to echo in every other person in the room.
'This isn't over'
A/N: An early update! Thank you for all the love! WE MADE IT UP TO #18 on the PARANORMAL LIST this week T____T Per usual, your votes and comments mean the world! Love, J.