Hey, you’re back, how was Jules?” Korbin asks as I close the door behind me, and start pulling my coat off, shaking the rain out of my hair. Does it ever stop raining around here?
“She is doing good. She is just wanting to get out of bed and start doing stuff,” I say, pulling my boots off after hanging my coat up.
“Good to hear. We are watching a movie, and pizza is on the way. I’ve ordered your favourite, pepperoni and chicken,” he says with a grin. He should know my favourite by now as we have all been taking turns ordering food for each other. I walk over, sliding my arms around his waist, and resting my head on his chest.
“Sounds perfect, and just what I need right now,” I admit, and he kisses my forehead. Dagan walks down the stairs, stopping as he gets to us, and I let go of Korbin. It still feels a little awkward to hug, or be close to any of them when there’s another one of them around. Something to get used to, or not. Who knows, they might suddenly change their minds, and try to kill each other.
“Welcome back,” Dagan whispers, his fingers brushing my hand as he walks past me into the lounge.
“Go and sit down. I’ll get you a drink,” Korbin says, and walks off to the kitchen before I can reply to him. I walk into the lounge, loving how it’s my favourite room in the house. It’s the cosiest place in the house. It has three black leather sofas, a fur rug on the floor in the middle and they all face the stone fireplace. The television above the fireplace is on, and someone has lit the fire, so it’s toasty warm in here.
“Come here,” Dagan pats the space next to him on the sofa, and I go over to sit next to him. I rest my head on his shoulder as he flips through the movies on the Sky box.
“That movie looks good, I like end of the world movies,” I comment. I have a weird fascination with them.
“San Andreas?” he asks, and I nod.
“Okay, we have the movie picked then,” he replies, renting it and pausing the movie when it starts up. Dagan holds me close to his side, seeming fascinated with twirling a strand of my blonde hair around his finger.
“Hey princess,” Elias says coming into the room. He puts his drink down near the sofa and sits down, stretching his legs out.
“How was school?” I ask him, just as the doorbell sounds. Elias and Dagan stare at each other, neither one of them moving to answer the door. I go to get up myself, but Dagan’s arm stops me.
“I’ll get it then,” Dagan says sarcastically, getting up and walking away. Elias grins, grabbing his drink, and moving to sit next to me.
“That’s Dagan’s seat,” I laugh.
“I know, that was the plan. I miss you,” he grins, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me to him. I laugh, snuggling into his side and not arguing, I’m sure Dagan won’t be impressed when he gets back, but that’s his argument to have.
“Asshole,” Dagan grumbles when he walks in with the pizzas and sees Elias in his seat. Korbin walks in next, putting a glass of Coke on the floor for me and sitting down. Dagan passes the pizzas around to us, and I open mine up, inhaling the smell.
“Give it here, fucker,” Elias grumbles as Dagan holds his box in the air, slowly opening the box.
“Nope,” he says, and Elias gets up lazily, grabbing the pizza, but not stopping Dagan from grabbing a slice, which he shoves in his mouth.
“And they say I’m the asshole brother,” Elias grumbles, moving back to his seat next to me.
“Damn, I love pizza, it’s just amazing,” I say, picking up one of my pieces and eating, ok inhaling, it in seconds. I look up to see all the guys looking at me, with matching smirks.
“I like a girl that loves her food,” Elias grins as he picks the remote up and presses play. When I finish my pizza, I rest my head on Elias’ shoulder and smile. This is a perfect moment, all of us here together, but it feels like I’m missing something. Or someone.
Issy,” Thorne’s voice comes through the haze. I force my eyes open but I can’t see anything other than darkness. It’s an unsettling and scary darkness, one I just want to wake up from.
“Thorne? Where are you?” I ask nervously.
“Here,” he says, and a hand grabs my arm. I turn, trying to see him but I still can’t, just a black shadow of a hand holding my arm.
“Why can’t I see you?” I ask, feeling for his hand. It doesn’t feel right, not solid but like air instead. It’s so weird, and for some reason it scares me.
“I don’t know why, but I think it’s because we have been apart for too long,” he tells me, his voice wavering at the end.
“Thorne,” I mumble, wanting to tell him everything I learnt from Melody, but not like this, not when I can’t even see his face.
“Your adoptive father killed my mother,” I say, angry with him. Angry would be an understatement. I’m furious.
“Yes, but he was brainwashed into thinking your mother was evil, brainwashed into believing he was doing the right thing. It’s no excuse though, I don't blame you if you hate me for it,” he says sadly.
“He still killed her, and you made me feel sorry for him and you!” I say, trying to move my arm away from him but he doesn’t let go.
“He did, hate me for that as well if you wish, just don’t go,” he whispers.
“Why do you want me to hate you?”
“Because I messed up, and I don’t deserve forgiveness,” he says, each word is more distant and faint than the next.
“Who brainwashed your father?” I ask quietly.
“I don’t know, I never knew. My mother and I will kill whoever it was,” he vows, but I can just about hear him.
“She doesn’t know?” I ask, needing to know how much she has lied to him.
“No, she doesn’t,” he whispers.
“Stay safe, Isola, I don’t think I’m strong enough to keep doing this,” he says, and for some reason it makes me feel sick. The idea of never talking to him again, never seeing him again.
“You want to let me go Thorne?” I ask.
“Never. I never want to let you go, but you should run from me,” he whispers, and then everything goes black.
I blink my eyes open, hearing the television on in the background, and feeling my body resting on top of something hard and warm. I look down to see Elias underneath me on the sofa, my head on his chest, his heavy breathing telling me he is sleeping. I hear light snoring, and turn on my side to see Dagan sleeping on one of the sofas, and Korbin sleeping on the other. I slide off Elias slowly, careful not to wake him, and avoid the pizza boxes on the floor as I escape the room. I go through the kitchen and to the bathroom, turning the tap on and splashing my face with some water to wake me up. That dream was weird, and why am I suddenly so worried about Thorne? All I can think is that something is wrong, and there is nothing I can do. I’m tired of being here, helpless and not being able to do anything. I’m the princess of Dragca, the last ice royal, and my ancestors didn’t back down. They didn’t hide when everyone needed them, no, they went to war. They took the throne, demanded peace, and never let anyone beat them. The door opens behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I see Dagan come in the room in the mirror.
“Shit, sorry. I thought you had gone up to bed,” he says. I shake my head, words escaping me as I still can’t stop thinking about how much of a disappointment I am. How I’m meant to be making them remember me, instead I’m just falling for them. It’s a massive clusterfuck. I don’t know if Dagan sees something written on my face, but he doesn’t walk out, only holds the door as he looks at me like he can read my every thought.
“I only just woke up,” I admit, and he shuts the door behind him. Dagan walks up to me, wrapping his arms around me from behind, and resting his head above mine. Our eyes meet in the mirror, neither of us looking away, and just finding some comfort and security in each other.