"the loveliest angels
make the cruelest demons
and darling, you were
so beautiful before
they dragged you to hell."
kandilyn's pov
gene lays next to me, a cheeky look on his face.
"what?" i ask, unable to stop a smile forming on my face as well. his mischievous grins were always so contagious.
his curly hair falls into his face, covering a bit of his eye."you just seem happier than you've been lately."
i huff, looking up at the ceiling. "i get it, i've been mopey." i mumble, no longer looking at him. it seemed everyone made comments about it.
it was either that or my relationships. everyone had something to say. always.
"i didn't say that." he begins.
"you didn't have to." i interrupt.
there's a short pause, "you lost your brothers, kandilyn. you're allowed to grieve in the way you choose to."
i let out an unamused and breathy laugh, "yeah? and how have i grieved? throwing fits and sleeping around." i retort, the last part hushed. i wasn't proud of it, but it was true. i wasn't handling it the way i should've.
it was just so difficult. no one was truly dealing with it. it's hypocritical for me to say considering the way i've handled it, but at the same i'm the youngest. it's not like i know what i'm supposed to do in this case. if anything, i've handled it fine compared to my other family members.
there's a bit of shuffling and i look back to my right, seeing gene now propping himself up on his elbows. "at least you're grieving. it's not like anyone cares, anyways. i sure as hell don't," he says with a short laugh.
some days i envied gene. he didn't feel any sort of emotion unless he wanted to. sadness wasn't something that clouded him constantly. he could just, well, shut it off.
"i was never close with my brother. we just never bonded. but i know vylad was your best friend. even if i don't speak to my brother anymore, i don't know what i'd do if he died.." he admits, "you lost two brothers. you should be doing things to distract yourself. and you're getting married—"
i let out a groan, rolling my eyes. "why'd you have to remind me?"
he laughs, "what can i say? i'm a real mood killer," he hums, "but i can't imagine how shitty you feel. so who cares if you're sleeping around and being a bitch? you did that before too."
i lean over and hit his chest playfully, "hey! did not!"
"mhm, keep telling yourself that doll face."
-
"little one! where's your dad?" i happily hum, picking up abby. she was absolutely adorable. she points in the direction of the kitchen and i walk there, adjusting how she's sitting on my hip so it's more comfortable.
when i walk in, jeffory has his back to me and it seems he's doing something. it smells like food, as well.
his attire throws me off and completely distracts me from what he's doing.
he was wearing emerald plated armor, definitely of o'khasis origin. i don't even want to imagine how much zane put into this. it was nicely tailored as well. jeffory was tall and fit.
and a skilled fighter. when i first met him, i never expected him to be as good at it as he is.
"don't you look nice," i say with a small smile and he turns around, his eyes droopy. it seemed hes had a long, tiresome day. i'm sure zane made his first day hell.
"aw, would you look at that? my two favorite girls," he grins, looking at me and abby. "do you want something to eat? i'm putting away the leftovers, but i'll leave them out if you're hungry. but i won't be available for very long, abby has to go to sleep and i have to," he begins, his eyes flickering to abby, "do adult stuff."
i'm guessing it had something to do with zane but he wasn't going to say that in front of her. even if abby was only a year and a half old and likely wouldn't remember this moment, this wasn't a burden he wanted to place on her.
"here, how about you put abby to bed and i finish cleaning? you seem drained." i suggest, setting abby down.
reluctantly, jeffory takes my offer up and takes abby to bathe.
i finish putting the food away and wash up the dishes he used, placing them on the counter to dry. i notice something unusual next to the kitchen counter. upon farther inspection, i realize it's a weapon of sorts.
it's unusual and pricey appearing. the entire thing was gold, entrancing even. carefully, i touch the top of the scythe where the edge isn't sharp. it radiates other worldly powers. magicks, witchcraft, something.
"zane gave it to me." jeffory says, startling me a bit. "each of the jury members got weapons infused with magicks. he thought it appropriate to make a mockery out of my nickname and give me a golden weapon."
"who else is in the jury?" i inquire. despite zane going on and on about his 'organization' he hadn't really touched on the details.
jeffory pauses, thinking it over. "no one you know, i don't think."
"entertain me anyhow. i may recognize a name or two."
"i don't know their actual names. only the ones zane has appointed." he begins, and i usher him to continue anyways.
"katelyn the firefist. she's from the worse part of o'khasis. she has a lot of brothers. they got themselves in trouble a lot so she learned to fight. she's more skilled in hand to hand combat. i assume that's why zane chose the title he did for her. she seems to be the most humane." he starts, mindlessly putting the leftovers into a container.
"ivy the venom tongue. she's definitely something. i don't know much about her, but she's a snake. she'll go to any means if it means she has her way."
"then there's lillian the silver scythe. she doesn't have much emotion, really. she's a lot more secretive."
he grimaces before the next name, "monet the metal veined. i have no idea what the name could mean, but she's the largest bother. shes constantly flirting with me and the others."
i'm sure zane finds that beyond amusing considering my relationship, if you'd even call it that, with jeffory.
"and three others, yet i don't remember their names very well. one was an older man, probably lord garte's age and the other was about my age. the last one didn't show their face very much, so i know nothing about them."
i think them over, counting them in my head. "that was only eight? i thought the whole point of the name was there was nine?" i question, rather confused.
jeffory nods, "right. zane's a member as well. i don't know why, i guess for the title. i doubt he'll do anything. all he does is send others to do his bidding."
leave it to zane to be self-centered. "of course he'd put himself in his own group. the name lillian sounds familiar, but that's it. how'd it go?"
"it was fine, i suppose." he lies, going to the table and beginning to dry the dishes i just washed to avoid my question.
i let out a small laugh, which sounds more like a scoff. "if it involves my brother there's no way it's fine."
"it's just," he starts, pausing, "eerie. it stems from the original jury of nine,"
"right. irene's guard made it." i butt in. xavier, if i'm remembering correctly, made it to protect irene. i didn't believe in deities, they were just like us. humans. they weren't saints, everyone was guilty of something. the only reason i was familiar with them is because garte is a large irene worshipper.
it was ironic, really. irene devoted years to stopping monarchies and now the ro'meave's are reviving them. irene would hate father, but he praised her nonetheless.
"it was created for good and trust me when i say zane is not using it for pure intentions. he's constantly telling us everyones expandable and if you're not first, you're last." he uneasily says, his voice quiet.
zane had a way with words. everything had some suspicious meaning. over the years, i started to pick up on his peculiar way of speaking. and to me, the phrase if you're not first you're last sounded like his way of hinting to some sort of competition.
and when zane's in control of it, i can only imagine what kind of mayhem he'll brew. "he's not going to make you each fight eachother, is he?"
"i don't know. the entire time he insinuated it but never clearly said it. either that or it's a test of some form."
"that's zane's strategies. he says things without saying them. nothing zane has ever said is meaningless. the intentions are always there. and it sounds like he's going to make the eight of you fight each other." i doubt zane would actually participate in the chaos he creates.
his face flushes with a perplexed look."that doesn't make sense. he recruited us all just to have us fight one another?"
"i don't understand it, either. if i hear something i'll let you know. i don't think he'd let anyone die. just a test of strength. i wouldn't be shocked if there were more along the way."
after a brief minute of uncomfortable silence, considering the topic would put anyone on edge, it seems there's something on the tip of jeffory's tongue."i'm supposed to leave you and abby." he blurts out, letting out a sigh.
what is he on about? "what? what do you mean leave me and abby?"
"jury members aren't allowed to have emotional ties. if i don't leave abby with my mother, he'll send her to another village to be put in an orphanage. and if i don't stop seeing you," he pauses, hearing a noise near the door.
suddenly two ears appear and abby comes running out, latching onto jeffory's leg. "i don't want to leave daddy," she mumbles into his pants, her vowels not the best considering she was still learning to talk. i can hear muffled tears coming from her as well.
that sentence broke me. this was a family.
but that's what zane did best ; tear loved ones apart.
hi this is more of a filler chapter because i want to get to the ~interesting~ stuff. but hope you enjoyed or whatever.