Aurora’s World: Ialaera: Mirica: A Thief in the House (part 10)
This entry is part 30 of 52 in the Aurora's World collection
Part 1
Part 2
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Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
This entry is part 30 of 52 in the Aurora's World collection
“You weren’t stupid, Rica.” Nico reached out and squeezed her shoulder in what she thought was meant to be a reassuring way, but it took all her willpower not to shiver. “Trusting your brother was the only thing you could do, especially considering the circumstances, and you never thought that you should suspect him of hurting people that you thought you both loved. Unfortunately the only think he loved about them was the magic they had, that he stole, and that he still has now.” He bit his lip. “I never thought he would keep them. I thought he would sell them, take the money and make a run for it, but instead he stayed…
“Did your brother ever tell you anything about your other family?”
Mirica shook her head, as she tried to work out why that mattered, and wished that Nico couldn’t read her thoughts. “I know that our mother had a younger brother who died during the blooming process. Our father never talked about his family, although I never worked out why.”
“I think they might have suspected something about your brother. They weren’t the first people he’d killed.” Nico shrugged. “Your father never mentioned his family because they were still living and he knew they would be in danger.”
“How do you know this, Nico?”
“There was a reason I started stealing magic, Rica, and that reason was your brother. I knew he was my cousin, but he never knew that he was my family… before your parents died it was something I planned on doing and then I realised that if I did my siblings would be in danger.”
“My brother hadn’t long been eighteen when my parents died.”
Nico nodded. “I know. We started early. I bloomed six months before your brother did and I went to find him when that happened. As far as I was concerned helping him through the blooming process was the most important thing, because I wanted him to get through it safely and he said it was thanks to me that he survived.”
“You’re my cousin?”
“Apparently so, but I never knew that you existed. I don’t know how I didn’t know, but I didn’t, and because of that I left you in a situation that might have ended with your death.”
“Nico…”
“For now we continue to pretend that you’re my sister. If anyone finds out that you’re his sister… I don’t want to think about what they might do to you, but it wouldn’t be nice. All I can do is hope that you aren’t like him, because if you are…” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I know you aren’t lying to me about your abilities, but there is a chance that you might be just like him.” He shook his head. “I should have known what he would be like if he bloomed. I just wanted to believe that I could change him and I ended up being the one who was changed.”
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.