A few things...
When Cal was seventeen, the Auphe made a torch out of our trailer, killed our mother, and pulled Cal through a rip into hell.
I don’t really want to know what they did to him there. I’ve heard a lot of nasty sounds in the intervening years, but hearing Cal’s scream during the hypnosis is pretty far up there for ones I never want to hear again. But I do know that sitting on the grass where I’d watched hellhounds steal my brother, I made a very serious promise to myself.
I swore that, if Cal came back alive, I would never let anything happen to him again. And I meant it.
I threw the soaked shirt on the floor of the car. “Lend me your shirt, Robin. Mine’s soaked through.” With my brother’s blood.
More than anything, I hated Darkling for forcing me to break that promise.
Shifting Cal carefully, I pressed the new shirt to the gash in his belly, pumping out blood with every weakening heartbeat. His eyelids fluttered.
“Niko,” Robin said, his voice slightly pained. I didn’t listen to the rest of it, watching Cal’s eyes move beneath closed lids. He made a small noise, barely audible, and I tense, cutting Robin off.
“Drive faster.”
I looked down at my hands, stained red. I’d promised that nothing would happen to Cal. First, I’d let a monster steal my brother’s body. And because I had failed him then, Cal was bleeding out in the car. I could still feel the shudder through Cal’s body as the sword - my sword - slid into his abdomen so easily, his hands closing over mine and silver eyes that were not my brother’s eyes looking at me with a rueful smile.
“I guess you do have the balls after all. Good for you, big brother.” He slid off the sword, falling limply to the floor. I thought I saw a flicker of relief in gray eyes - my brother’s eyes?
There was a change in the sound of Cal’s breathing. I had heard death before, and I heard it coming for Cal now. I pressed the shirt harder to his stomach and tightened my hold on him. “Take the Verrazano,” I told Robin curtly, and brushed a strand of black hair back from his pale, sweaty forehead. “Stay with me, Cal,” I told him.
Robin was muttering about how stupid he was to get involved with us, how he should have given us every car on the lot and counted himself lucky. I ignored him.
Three years ago, I’d promised myself that I would allow nothing to happen to Cal if only hell would give my brother back. I meant it then, and I would keep it now except for my refusal to let Darkling make my brother the monster he always thought he was.
Looking down at Cal, I pulled him close, not allowing the fear to seep in - fear that he was already dead, that it was too late. Or worse, that he was alive; that I had not seen my brother in Darkling’s eyes at all.
“Niko?”
I looked up and met Robin’s gaze. Something in my face changed what he was going to say. “He still with us?”
I nodded, some unevenly chopped hair flopping in my face, reminding me of the second promise I had made. If Darkling didn’t give Cal back, then Darkling would not live to make a mockery of the brother I knew. And if that meant Cal’s body would die…so be it.
But I wasn’t giving up yet.
Cal’s lips moved. I couldn’t tell what he was saying; it might have been I’ll kill you or my name, Cyrano. It didn’t matter. He was still alive.
“Stay with me, Cal,” I said again. “Jesus Christ, hold on.”
4) I'm feeling horribly vulnerable and like all my friends only put up with me because they are obligated to. Sensible me knows this is not true. However,there is a good portion of me that is very Not Sensible at all and refuses to be soothed by Sensible Reasoning. It is not a comfortable position.
5) HAPPY BIRTHDAY
ersatz_iolo! MANY HAPPY RETURNS.
I don’t really want to know what they did to him there. I’ve heard a lot of nasty sounds in the intervening years, but hearing Cal’s scream during the hypnosis is pretty far up there for ones I never want to hear again. But I do know that sitting on the grass where I’d watched hellhounds steal my brother, I made a very serious promise to myself.
I swore that, if Cal came back alive, I would never let anything happen to him again. And I meant it.
I threw the soaked shirt on the floor of the car. “Lend me your shirt, Robin. Mine’s soaked through.” With my brother’s blood.
More than anything, I hated Darkling for forcing me to break that promise.
Shifting Cal carefully, I pressed the new shirt to the gash in his belly, pumping out blood with every weakening heartbeat. His eyelids fluttered.
“Niko,” Robin said, his voice slightly pained. I didn’t listen to the rest of it, watching Cal’s eyes move beneath closed lids. He made a small noise, barely audible, and I tense, cutting Robin off.
“Drive faster.”
I looked down at my hands, stained red. I’d promised that nothing would happen to Cal. First, I’d let a monster steal my brother’s body. And because I had failed him then, Cal was bleeding out in the car. I could still feel the shudder through Cal’s body as the sword - my sword - slid into his abdomen so easily, his hands closing over mine and silver eyes that were not my brother’s eyes looking at me with a rueful smile.
“I guess you do have the balls after all. Good for you, big brother.” He slid off the sword, falling limply to the floor. I thought I saw a flicker of relief in gray eyes - my brother’s eyes?
There was a change in the sound of Cal’s breathing. I had heard death before, and I heard it coming for Cal now. I pressed the shirt harder to his stomach and tightened my hold on him. “Take the Verrazano,” I told Robin curtly, and brushed a strand of black hair back from his pale, sweaty forehead. “Stay with me, Cal,” I told him.
Robin was muttering about how stupid he was to get involved with us, how he should have given us every car on the lot and counted himself lucky. I ignored him.
Three years ago, I’d promised myself that I would allow nothing to happen to Cal if only hell would give my brother back. I meant it then, and I would keep it now except for my refusal to let Darkling make my brother the monster he always thought he was.
Looking down at Cal, I pulled him close, not allowing the fear to seep in - fear that he was already dead, that it was too late. Or worse, that he was alive; that I had not seen my brother in Darkling’s eyes at all.
“Niko?”
I looked up and met Robin’s gaze. Something in my face changed what he was going to say. “He still with us?”
I nodded, some unevenly chopped hair flopping in my face, reminding me of the second promise I had made. If Darkling didn’t give Cal back, then Darkling would not live to make a mockery of the brother I knew. And if that meant Cal’s body would die…so be it.
But I wasn’t giving up yet.
Cal’s lips moved. I couldn’t tell what he was saying; it might have been I’ll kill you or my name, Cyrano. It didn’t matter. He was still alive.
“Stay with me, Cal,” I said again. “Jesus Christ, hold on.”
4) I'm feeling horribly vulnerable and like all my friends only put up with me because they are obligated to. Sensible me knows this is not true. However,there is a good portion of me that is very Not Sensible at all and refuses to be soothed by Sensible Reasoning. It is not a comfortable position.
5) HAPPY BIRTHDAY
ersatz_iolo! MANY HAPPY RETURNS.