The Secrets Last Stand
:.Kody's Pov.:
When I left Ian last month, I thought I could live without him. I'm slowly learning that's not exactly the case. I wasn't shutting myself off from everyone, but I wasn't exactly myself. I hoped dad nor Hayden noticed because they were super busy trying to get Hayden ready to take mom's place, they don't need to worrying about me on top of everything else. After Loran killed mom, there was no one to run the Light Kingdom. So the Council was slowly taking over and dad was scared we were losing.
"Kody?" I heard dad yell from the kitchen. I got up and walked in.
"Yeah, dad?" I asked. He smiled.
"I have to take Hayden to the house. We should be back shortly." I nodded and went back to the room I once shared with Ian. After a few weeks of whining, dad let us come back to apartment. I went back to work and Hayden worked on her training. I didn't mind that I spent a lot of time alone. I actually preferred it. I didn't have answers to the questions they would ask. The depression hit pretty hard after Ian tried to give me a ring that once meant something that now means nothing.
I heard them leave so I wandered back out to see Vincent had come home. He was watching television, drinking a beer. He was taking this just as bad as I was, Ian was once his best friend until he dislocated my shoulder and almost killed Hayden.
"I wish we could get drunk." He said when I joined him on the couch after grabbing my own beer.
"Wait. We can't?" I askd. He nodded.
"Perks of being a demon. The older we get, the bigger tolerance to alcohol." I smiled and grabbed my bottle.
"Well, thankfully I'm still pretty damn young." With that said, I downed the rest of my beer and went to get another.
After about two hours later, I had downed an entire twelve-pack and Vincent finally agreed to get more simply because I told him if he wouldn't I would. I crashed into bed the best I could but I ended up on the floor in a pile of blankets. I curled up and started falling asleep.
"Kody!" I heard dad yell. So close. I just wanted to enjoy this, I was finally numb. He came in my room and saw I was on the floor.
"Hey, dad." I said, hoping he'd close the door and let me sleep. No such luck.
"Get out here." He said and I could tell he was pissed. I rolled on my back.
"But dad. I'm..."
"Now." Yup, he's pissed. I walked out to see everyone was there, even Lowery and Ralph. When I saw Ralph, I hoped that Ian came, but he didn't. Ian was staying with Ralph after he came around.
"We need to talk." Dad said, crossing his arms over his chest. I didn't want to so I walked back. All the sudden, Vincent was blocking my way.
"Vincent, please move." I quietly said. He just shock his head so I took a deep breath and turned around. I walked over and sat down.
"Kody, you need to get yourself together. We need your to help beat the Council." Dad explained. I looked up.
"Dad I don't think I am of much help, I haven't been this far. I keep screwing up. I'm sorry but I can't." I went to get up but dad stopped me.
"No, Ian keeps screwing up and you got caught in the middle." He yelled and it felt like a stab in the heart which made me flinch.
"Dad, that's not helping. Look, Kody we all love you and we are worried. You aren't acting like yourself. I know you are more than a screw up and deep down, you know it too." Hayden pleaded. I looked at everyone in the room. I sighed and just dropped my head in my hands. I didn't say anything, I just cried and I felt guilty. Here Hayden is, trying to get ready to take over, needing dad's attention and here I am, having everyone worry about me because I'm acting different, taking dad's attention. I didn't want it, I just want to figure this out and I want to do it on my own.
"Kody, can you come with me?" I looked up to see Ralph in front of me. I didn't say anything. "Please, I just want you to come with me for a while. Just to clear your head." He explained. I nodded and took his hand. Maybe a little time away from everything Ian and I will do me some good.
All the sudden we were in Ralph's kitchen. The last time I was here, I left Ian. I took a sigh of relief when I didn't see him. Ralph showed me upstairs and gave me an extra bed to sleep in.
"I finally talked him into cleaning out his father's house. So he won't be back for a few days." He simply stated, obviously knowing what I was thinking.
"How is he?" I asked in a small voice.
"He's doing okay. I guess. About as good as he can be. I know this is hard for you to be here, Kody but I could tell you were losing it back there. You need to just let go. This is for the best." I turned to face him. He wasn't serious. If it were that easy, I would have done that a month ago.
"I take it you've never loved someone? Like how I loved Ian?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
"No, I've practically been hiding my whole life. With my brother." He answered. Then I knew he knew.
"I'm sorry."
"No, I just...I can't understand how he could do that. He was brainwashed but the belief that the king and queen were corrupt had to already be there. Now he has to pay for what he's done. But I have to let that go because there's nothing I can do about it. I just lost the only family I had." He then turned and left the room. I felt bad for him, he just lost the only person he ever cared about. I just crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep.
:.Ian's Pov.:
I walked into my father's house and realized, I don't want to do this. I don't want to admit my father was dead. I never had a relationship with him and now it looks like we never will. And the worst thing is, if I had never told Novak the truth, he'd still be alive. This is my fault. He died because of me.
As I started going through his stuff and throwing stuff away, I found a picture of my mom. I didn't have one and I was beginning to forget what she looked like. As I looked at it, I could see some of my face in hers. Yeah, I had my father's murky brown eyes instead of her beautiful crystal blues and I had black hair instead of her blonde curls but you could tell I had some of her in me and that made me feel a little better. I knew I wanted to keep this so I had to get back to the house before it go messed up.
:.Kody's Pov.:
I stood up in the doorway of Ian's bedroom and remembered the time Lowery had kidnapped me. Ian and I were playing twenty questions and I had never laughed so hard in my life. It was one of my favorite memories with him. Finally I knew I had to get away so I want downstairs. I went to the kitchen in hopes of finding a beer. No such luck.
"I threw all the beer out. Ian was downing them like it was going out of style." I heard Ralph say. I turned to see him sitting at the table, making a sandwich. I sighed and sat down, starting to make my own.
"If I may ask, why did you bring me here? I mean, other than to clear my head." I asked. He finished his sandwich and started cleaning up.
"Mainly because your father was worried. He thought a little time away from everything would be good. And he happened to mention your newly developed drinking habit. He asked if I could help at all." I took a bite of my sandwich as I thought about what he just told me.
"Okay, but why here? I know Ian's been staying here. It's the last place I spoke to him and I saw his room." Ralph stood up and put the lunch meat away and closed the fridge before sitting back down.
"I'm aware of that. That's why I..."
"That's why he sent me to clear out my father's house." I froze when I heard his voice. My whole body tensed and I didn't turn to face him. I just took a deep breath and before continuing my sandwich.
"Which is where you're supposed to be, Ian. It's at least a three day job." Ralph said, clearly annoyed. Ian walked over to the fridge and put something I didn't see away. Then he turned to face Ralph, clearly ignoring me.
"I was dropping off something I found. But trust me, I'm leaving as soon as I'm done." With the, he finally looks at me and if looks could kill. I took the last bite of my sandwich, put my hands up in surrender and went up stairs.
"Kody, wait." Ralph yelled after me but I ignored it. I couldn't handle being in the same room with Ian. I ran up the stairs, slammed my door and sobbed uncontrollably.
:.Ian's Pov.:
"What the hell, Ralph? Why did you bring her here?" I asked. I couldn't believe this. I'm so glad I got my hands on some alcohol, because I was going to need it. Ralph went in the fridge and pulled out the six pack I bought.
"First of all, I said no. She's been drinking just as much as you have. And second, I told you not to come back until you were finished." I pinched the bridge of my nose and counted to ten.
"Well, I found a picture of my mom and I wanted to bring it back now and why didn't you tell me you were bringing her here? I would have stayed away." He didn't seem to be listening anymore so I walked away.
"If I told you the truth, would you have even left?" He asked me. No.
"Yes."
"Lair." I ignored him and went to my room. I set the picture on my nightstand and say on my bed. I couldn't believe this. He brought her here when he knew that I couldn't be around her. I situated myself on my bed and that's when I heard it. I could hear Kody through the wall. I moved to head of the bed and I could hear her crying. I just closed my eyes and tried like hell not to go to her room but my guilt won out. I still loved her but I still need to fix myself and then see if I haven't caused too much damage.
I knocked on her door and waited for her to open it but she didn't. So I knocked and continued to wait. She still didn't answer so I knocked a third time.
"Damn it, Ralph. I don't want to talk. Please leave." She yelled. I've never heard her talk like that, at least not to me.
"It's...uh...it's not Ralph." All the sudden, the door whipped open.
"What the hell do you want?" She yelled. I took a good looked at her face and I could see it was bright red from crying and she had tears still soaking her cheeks. Guilt tinged in my gut, I felt horrible because I was responsible for making her feel this way.
"I just...I just wanted to..." I couldn't seem to find the right words.
"You what? Wanted to see how to make me feel worse because I don't think that's possible. So please leave. I'm done being hurt by you, Ian. I can't take much more pain." I was about to speak when I noticed the liquor bottle in her hand.
"Where did you get that? Ralph threw everything away" I asked. She smiled before taking a swig.
"Well, it seems he forgot about my special powers." Damn it. I took the bottle from her but she punched me square in the jaw. I fell to the ground as she grabbed the bottle back, spilling some on me as she did. I remembered then that when they were kids, Hayden learned how to fight from her older brother and then she taught Kody.
"Fine. Kill yourself with that stuff. See where that gets you. See where that gets your dad and sister after they just lost Lillian." I then stood up and walked away, but not before seeing the pain that mentioning her mother spread across her face.
:.Kody's Pov.:
"Kody, open the door." I heard Ralph yell. I didn't want to so I just sat on my bed, drinking. No doubt Ian told him. Suddenly the door swung open and Ralph walked in.
"Kody why didn't you...you have liquor? Damn it, Kody that's why your dad sent you here. Give it to me." I sighed and handed it over. "Look, I understand you're having a hard time with this and I know he isn't making this any better but you need to move on. Your dad needs you. Our kingdoms need you." I just looked up at him and continued to cry.
"I just want to stop hurting. I just want to stop loving him but I can't and it hurts so damn much." I said. He set the bottle down on the dresser and knelt down next to me.
"I know but it doesn't ever completely go away. You learn to live with it. You still get up in the morning and you smile and you just live. Without the help of alcohol." I knew he was right. I stood up and walked over to the bottle. I grabbed the neck of it but didn't pick it up.
"You're completely right. I think I need to go home now." I said as I made the bottle disappear.