Chapter Fourteen

[maderr]

Chapter fourteen


Planet 00000000 (Zero), Alexander private estate

Cyan woke slowly, grasping his surroundings one little piece at a time.

For one brief moment, feeling the soft fabric beneath his hands and cheek, he though he was in bed with Einn.

Then a voice he'd never wanted to hear again penetrated his mind, and shattered that brief illusion.

It hurt. "Einn…" he opened eyes that felt as if they had lead tied to them. And closed them again, at the sight that met them.

Jade smirked, "Oh, look. He's finally waking up." He turned to Val, "You're dismissed."

Val looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it and simply nodded.

"And make sure the Temperast is doing all right. I would be thoroughly displeased if I were to lose him. Those things are difficult to come by."

"Of course, my Lord." Val sketched a half bow and departed.

Jade situated himself on a beige settee, settling his white and gold robes around him. His gold-painted nails looked like golden claws as he drummed them against the back of the settee. "Long time no see, my darling brother."

"If you ask me, it's far too soon. Why the hell am I here?"

Jade folded his hand across the back of the settee and leaned on them. He smiled, though it wasn't a pleasant expression. "I missed you, of course. Just trying to keep up family relations and all that."

"Shut up," Cyan snarled as he forced himself to ignore the pain in his head and sit up. "I don't appreciate the mockery so just shut the hell up."

"And here you call me the hostile one," Jade rose lazily from his seat and approached the bed where he'd had Cyan deposited. "Why not relax, Blue?" he reached out to stroke his brother's hair.

"Don't call me that," Cyan knocked his hand away. "Why am I here?"

Jade sighed, and sat down beside him. Cyan moved back and away, glaring warily at his older brother. "I'm not going to bite you."

"Yet."

Sighing again, Jade smoothed his hair back of his shoulder and turned to regard his younger brother. "Why are you so jumpy? Honestly, I've done nothing to warrant being treated like this."

"Yes, you have." Cyan said. "Why am I here? And stop being a smart ass, Jade."

Jade shrugged, "You never did have a sense of humor, Blue."

"Stop. Calling. Me. That." Cyan said through his teeth. "You have no business using that old name."

"One would be hard pressed to tell we're brothers, with this lack of affection."

Cyan lost his temper, "Stop it! There's no one here to impress with your pretty words and face. So just knock it the fuck off, Jade." Glowering, Cyan slid off the bed and made to leave the room.

He got maybe six feet before he was tackled to the floor, and after some struggling pinned with surprising efficiency by the until then frail-looking Jade. "Temper, temper, darling brother mine. You'll catch more flies with honey you know."

"I'm not interested in catching flies. I'd rather catch a snake and cut its head off." Cyan glared venomously at his brother, but made no attempt to break free of the hold - it was futile anyway.

"Oh, a snake am I?"

"You say that like you're surprised to hear it," he held still as Jade lifted a hand to pet his cheek -then suddenly rake his nails down it, leaving long, angry red welts on Cyan's cheek. A few small drops of blood welled up and trailed down his cheek like perverse tears.

Jade hoisted himself up and off his brother. "Of course I'm not surprised - cowards are always quick to cast stones."

Cyan was silent as he climbed to his feet, ignoring his stinging cheek. "I'm no coward."

"We've had this discussion before," Jade said wearily. "I do not feel like engaging it again."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You may as well stop asking, I'm not going to tell you until I feel like it." Jade made a sweeping gesture at the room they were in, "Wouldn't you rather reminisce, darling Blue? It's been over a decade since you were last at home."

"I'm not home now. This stopped being home the moment they died and you turned insane."

Jade lips formed a moue of displeasure, "I really wish you would stop using that word." He smoothed his heavy silk robes, which had crumpled slightly when he'd tackled Cyan. "I am not insane."

Cyan ignored him, once more trying to move toward the door. "I'm not staying here."

"Yes, you are." Jade spoke will calm assurance.

"Not unless you want to tie me down or chain me up. Oh, but wait - you already tried that. It didn't work."

Jade grinned again, the expression as grim and unpleasant as it had been the first time. "The best chains, I've learned since then, are made from emotions."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cyan paused with his hand on the door.

"If you don't get back in here and do what I say, tomorrow you'll be hearing about the arrest and tragic death of a certain pirate. Oh, but wait - Val did say he blew the place up. So I may have to threaten to kill someone else." He smirked at the choked, pained cries emanating from his brother's throat. "What about that woman Alice? So very ill, I hear. I hope nothing happens to her."

"GODDAMN YOU!" Cyan roared. He let go of the doorknob, sliding to his knees on the floor. "Why can't you just leave me the hell alone? Oh god, is he really dead?" He hugged himself, willing away the world but unable to block out the horrid sound of his brother's smooth-as-silk voice.

Jade shrugged, "How should I know? You and Val survived, it's possible he survived as well. Of course, he never should have made it that far. He was supposed to be killed by the mutiny."

"Mu-mutiny?" Cyan half-whispered. "What the hell did you do? Why?"

"Why? That's a stupid question for you to ask, Blue." Jade resumed his seat on the settee, robes rustling quietly around him. "Why do I do anything?"

"Because you're insane."

"I am not insane," Jade sniffed. "Find a different insult, that one grows boring."

Slowly Cyan picked himself up, pale and haunted looking. "Why does Einn work for you?"

"Oh, finally curious about that, are you?" Jade laughed softly, a dark and twisted tone to the sound of it. "He and that arrogant redskin owe me quite a bit of money. I became their friend for a bit, then after they accrued quite the debt from my generous "gifts"…"

"You stabbed them in the back. And they didn't notice until too late that everything they'd done couldn't in any way be pinned on you. I should've guessed."

"Indeed you should have, dearest Blue. But you were always the easiest for me to toy with. I was disappointed you cut off our conversation - I wanted to see the lashing you gave him for betraying your precious trust. It was fun, seeing your face crumble like that."

"I hate you." Cyan whispered. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."

"As if I care? You were the one who let me down. You've only yourself to blame, dear Blue, for making yourself my enemy."

"I just wanted us to be happy!" Cyan roared. He sank back down onto his bed, trembling with the effort to keep from attacking his brother. "You're the one who won't move on. They're dead - why can't you just accept that and let it go?"

"Because they shouldn't have died!" Jade's cool finally faded, as he rose to his feet and approached Cyan at a near-blinding speed. One gold-tipped, long nailed hand wrapped around his throat, as Jade leaned close to hiss at him, "They shouldn't have died, they shouldn't have died and ruined our lives. You weren't there, don't presume to know better than me. I will make them all pay if I have to leave a trail of blood to do it."

"You--" Cyan struggled with his brother hand, tears in his eyes as he tried to speak. But Jade gripped his throat tightly, nails drawing blood, and though his brother looked slender and frail, beneath his robes he had a body at least as well-trained and lethal as Cyan's own. "Let--"

"Hmm? What was that?" Jade's eyes glittered, "You'll have to speak more clearly."

Managing to finally squirm around enough to get leverage, Cyan kicked out and sent them both reeling off the bed and crashing to the floor. He rolled away and was away from his brother before Jade could recover. "Bastard," he said hoarsely.

"No, I think not." Jade narrowed his eyes, but remained in place. "Sit down."

"Fuck you."

Jade laughed, "As delectable as you are, all panting and gasping and in pain like that, I think not. I make a point not to fuck anyone who knows me personally."

Cyan shuddered. "That isn't funny."

"I found it amusing."

"Shut up, Jade." Cyan stepped further away, bumping into a tall bureau. "Why did you bring me here? I've got nothing to do with anything."

Jade once more sat down on the settee, examining his nails almost as if he were growing bored. "You are leverage, darling Blue. I would have preferred not to have to resort to something as messy as this, but your proficiency at beating things forced my hand. I was duly impressed you took out the Temperast."

"Leverage for what?"

"I need the mutant. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the person I hate most is best friends with the freak I've been trying to find for several months now."

Cyan went cold. "Sean? What in the hell do you want with Sean?"

"Oh, come now. You think I'm stupid enough to tell you everything? Just stay here and be quiet like the good little coward that you are." Jade patted the space next to him, "Or you can come and tell your big brother all about your life. It's been ages since we spoke."

Cyan just glared hatefully at him. "Is there no one you don't see as a plaything?"

"You should know the answer to that."

"I…yeah, I do. I just keep hoping I'm wrong."

Jade rose to his feet, "You're the one who failed me, Cyan. Don't start acting all whiny and pathetic now - ah, but you've always been that haven't you? Just stay here like the good hostage I know you can be," a malicious grin, "And I'll take care of the rest. If you try anything - all I have to do is say the word and you won't have to worry about illness killing Alice."

For reply, Cyan simply slid to the floor and curled up, dropping his head to rest on his knees. He shuddered at the sound of Jade's icy laughter as his brother left the room, and myriad locks activating.

Comments

[yukihyou.livejournal.com]

*wibbles* but I LIKE jade... he's my kinda villain *hee* i think i've written a few people like that before and they're fun! *bounce*

[maderr.livejournal.com]

Mwahahahahaha. Long live the villian-love!