Chapter 24

The sun set over the kingdom of Filaria, but Blake was still roaming around the capital city's square. The two servants he came with had already returned to the palace, leaving him behind. The fire wielder paced from from market stall to market stall in hopes that he would find Faye and Zev, but to no avail. He kept asking the retailers and the passerbys if they had seen them, but all he got was a simple "No, sorry" every time. By now, he had given up his search. The clock tower chimed. It was 8 o'clock in the evening. 

"Just wait and see what show is going to be..." he said menacingly as he began his two hour road.

Once he got back, he went straight to Faye's room. He wanted answers and he would get them no matter what. He was fuming the entire day he spent in the square. His brother was without a doubt her accomplice. The thought kept him on pins and needles. On his way to the palace, he was fuming. The situation was getting out of hand and he hated it. Blake was the type of person who loved to control everything and everyone. Finding himself unable to do so usually ended up in fights or disputes that didn't go well for the other side. Edra was keeping a close eye on him whenever the team was gathered, but he managed to stay out of radar. Faye was the easiest to target out of all his teammates. She was the youngest and the most vulnerable. He always wanted to be above other people and, with the weather wielder, it was easy as a pie. It was always about his will. 

As he was turning around a corner, he bumped into the princess. To his disappointment, he knew he had to explain his reasons.

"Sorry, Edra. Do you know where Faye might be right now?" he asked innocently.

"She's asleep." she said, eyeing him with suspicion. "I talked with her for a while, but she still doesn't seem to be alright. She had another breakdown. My father wanted to see her, too, but given what I've seen, we should give her another couple of days." 

"She already had a breakdown and now another one?" Blake hissed as he made a steeple of his fingers. 

"Faye has been dancing with the grim reaper for six months in the forest. Do you really expect her to be better that fast?"

"We need everyone in the team when the attack happens. We can't stay like this and lick her wounds forever."

The last remark left Edra with a feeling of apprehension.

"I advise you to return to your room before I call the guards. You're not getting any closer to her. If you want to taste my ice fists, be my guest, but it will end up with only one of us seeing tomorrow's dawn."

Edra's shoulder brushed Blake's roughly as she took her leave. At first, Blake didn't seem to mind the threat, but Edra's anger was not something to be lightly dealt with. He abandoned his initial plan of letting his fury loose and continued his way to Faye's room. Maybe the princess lied. Maybe Faye was awake. When he arrived, he put his ear on the door to check for any sounds from the inside. Just silence. The fire wielder cracked it open and had a peek. Faye was lying on her bed, underneath the blankets, appearing to finally enjoy a good night sleep.

"So she wasn't lying after all..."

Blake made sure nobody had seen him and tiptoed to his chamber. For now, he would leave her alone.

Ten days have passed since her return and Faye's condition was improving. By then, she had spoken with her teammates except for Blake. His attitude posed a good deal of concern to his comrades. He was absent from the palace for most of the time and didn't bother to show up to meetings. Zev did his best in keeping Faye away from his brother, but he knew that they would face him eventually. During those ten days, Faye told him about what she had been through in the Forest of Venom. The telekinetic was appalled by her confessions. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Shadow helped her escape and obtain the antidote. Their connected pasts, their struggles, everything. Only then did he realise Faye's dilemma: to tell Edra the truth and lead Shadow to a certain death, even if he ended up turning against his own team, or to keep it a secret and carry the thought of treason, even if she collaborated with him for a good cause. It was all the more reason they wanted to avoid Blake.

Given the current state, the king was growing frustrated with the grey-haired wielder and one day, in the evening, he summoned him to the throne room. 

"If Faye ratted me out..." he growled.

On his way to the throne room, he met the person he was so desperate so see. Faye kept her gaze towards the floor, but Blake was quicker to act. He grabbed her arm and spinned her to face him.

"Howdy, partner!" he greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, hello!" she responded, trying to hide her surprise and fear.

"Such a nice evening. Do you have a moment to spare? I need to tell you something."

Faye backed off, but Blake's grip on her arm strengthened.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be somewhere else. Perhaps another time."

"It can wait. Come on! Don't you have some time for your friend?"

"I said no! Unhand me!" Faye panicked.

"You goddamn tramp! You ratted me out, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The king wants to see me and here you are: keeping your head down in hopes I wouldn't notice you."

"I don't have to explain myself to you. Now let me go!"

The girl rushed in Blake's direction and scratched his cheek. Three thin red lined appeared and tiny beads of blood trickled down his face. The fire wielder pinned her against a wall and slapped her several times.

"You imbecile! I knew it! How could I let such a snake slip through my fingers?" Blake roared as he continued to hit her.

Faye fought back fiercely as she attempted to gain some distance, but to no avail. Even so, she continued to defend herself. 

"Spare me the madness! You ramble as if you consider yourself some kind of saint!" she accused him.

"So you dare to speak, pipsqueak?! Right, for this fight, I'll pay, but do you think they would listen to you? Just think about it: you have no proof to bring."

"I'm sick and tired of you! I've had enough of everything you do to me!! What's going to happen if I tell everyone about your indignity? You'll hide in a corner and cry?"

"You keep playing the victim card, but in reality, you're nothing more than a cheap actress. You're like a shadow. You always disappear and guess what? Zev's your right hand! Both of you are hiding something and I'm sure about it. You're scheming with the Moon's Wolves!"

Before the fight could escalate further, the king himself broke them apart.

"Enough of this!" Daivat ordered them.

"Your Majesty... " the two wielders mumbled at once.

"Blake Almain, I asked you to be present in the throne room."

"But I... she..."

"Faye, I must talk to you, too. Both of you are coming with me right now! No excuses!" 

The two followed the king suit, shaking. Faye ran her fingers in her hair, arranging it so that it would look normal. The places Blake pulled her hair were stinging. Blake rubbed his cheek with his sleeve, but the blood kept coming out of the cuts. After they entered the room, the king addressed them with concern.

"Not even in my nightmares could I have anticipated such a situation. What were you two thinking?"

"Your Majesty, Faye is the culprit." Blake said nonchalantly. "She's just pretending to be in a bad state and keeps running around like a fox."

"Everything is my fault AGAIN?" she protested. "You were the one who jumped at my neck in the hallway. You even said you would admit it, but it's just another one of your lies, isn't it?"

"Watch your mouth, pipsqueak!"

"Alright, enough!" the king demanded.

Both Faye and Blake fell quiet.

"Edra revealed to me some of the problems the team is facing, but I never imagined they were at such a caliber. Why in the world would you two behave like this? I'm waiting for some explanations!"

Faye wanted to speak first, but she knew that Blake would have something to counterattack her every remark. 

"Blake!" Daivat started. "Answer me: has Faye ever done something to you?"

"No..." he replied scared, not raising his head.

"Do you think you have a right to attack someone?"

"But..."

"If your life is in danger during a mission, you fight back. That's how it is. We fight to survive. However, the story changes when it comes to your own teammates. How in the world did you think that tormenting someone so close to you is a good thing?"

"It's not like that!"
"Let's hear Faye's side."

The man looked at her with gentleness and nodded. The girl knew she was safe for a short time. Her only solution was for to tell the truth in a roundabout and somewhat vague from place to place.

"Well, it's true that me and Blake don't have a good relationship." Faye recognised, pondering over her every word. "We have had many arguments and disputes over the past few years, but it's not as if things escalated any further."

"What I saw a few moments ago proves me otherwise."

"I let my anger get the best of me. The same goes for him."

Faye swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and kept going. She was protecting Blake only because she was afraid of the repercussions. She was half unfair towards the king, who wanted to help her, but she wasn't sure if she would escape unharmed from the fire wielder. The last she she wanted was another scar from him. Daivat, however, noticed something was off about her, but allowed her to explain further.

"I know we didn't show maturity in our behaviour and for this I want to apologize."

"Blake was the one who started, am I right?"

"Yes... Your Majesty... but he-"

"If so, why do you apologize on behalf of him? 

"Because I was the one who continued."

"Sire, I'm sorry." Blake intervened. "I made a mistake, I won't repeat it."

"Something tells me that this isn't the first time this happened between the two of you."

"There were minor things in the past. We can be quite childish when we argue." Faye admitted.

"So childish that you claw and slash each other?"

Faye stiffened and Blake exhaled sharply. Daivat noticed their change in demeanour. It was proof that his assumptions were correct. 

"Blake, what were you talking about when you said that Faye and Zev are conspiring against us?"

"It just seemed suspicious to me that they were always gone when I wanted to discuss with them. I've gone too far in my assumptions."

"You always seem to do this, young man."

"I said that I'm sorry and I repeat."

"For quite some time, Edra thought about excluding you from the team if things got worse. You don't seem like you value your place here very much. I guess it would be the best if-"

"NO! Sire, I will be better, I promise!" Blake pleaded. 

"Now you made me curious. Why are you so desperate to remain in this team?"

The grey-haired male froze. He wouldn't be caught dead admitting that he enjoyed giving in his sadistic habit of tormenting Faye. His mind went blank.

"Your Majesty, we will make things work from now on." the weather wielder promised. "I can understand Blake's frustration and I recognise it wasn't wise from my part to run away so much. It will take some time to forgive him for the beating, but I will do my best to do so."

Daivat's eyes flew in shock. He could see in her eyes the despair that begged to be set free. He knew how the girl was like, but this time, her words seemed mechanical, almost as if they became an instinct. Clearly, something was wrong and chose to put a stop to the conversation. They talked for ten minutes, but those minutes were more articulate than the years that had passed since the forming of The Nightfall team. Even if Faye was home, she was still in danger. The way Blake had attacked her demonstrated it.

The tension disappeared when one of the guards entered and announced:

"Your Highness, Zev is requesting permission to see you."

"Tell him to come in."

Once he stepped inside, the telekinetic sensed what was going on. For a split second, he made eye contact with the king and the sovereign understood the message from his worried expression upon seeing Faye and Blake in the same place.

"Faye, you may withdraw. Take care of yourself." Daivat said kindly.

"I will, Your Majesty." 

Faye curtly bowed and strode towards the door. She dashed through the hallways until she made it back to her room. 

Back in the throne room, the king remained with the twins. Eventually, Blake told his brother what had happened between him and Faye, which made Zev's blood boil. The white-haired male wanted desperately to make him experience the same pain, but he didn't give in his wish. He wouldn't have been different from Blake.

"Zev, I have an important mission for you. As for you Blake, I have an order."

"Yes." the two siblings answered.

"Zev, make sure Faye's condition improves. Stay close to her. Blake, make sure you don't make another mistake. I cannot believe that even after years spent together, such a thing could happen. If I'm noticed that another incident between you and Faye occurs, I will not hesitate to charge you with treason. I will not tolerate any more tarnishing. You may withdraw."

The siblings left the throne room and headed back to their chambers. Blake was pleased with the lies Faye had told, but he dodged a bullet for the moment. The king almost saw through his deception and he wouldn't allow it to be discovered. He told his brother what was discussed in the throne room and before the fire wielder entered his room, Zev grabbed his arm.

"You should be grateful that His Majesty offered you one last chance to redeem yourself." he spat the words.

"She almost gave me away. She needs to pay." Blake stated coldly.

"I can't believe we share the same blood."

"I can't believe I had to play the stupid card."

"Lay your hands on her one more time and I'll make sure that will be the last day you'll every use them."

"She's hiding something. Something veeeeeery... mysterious."

"Even after what you did to her, she still asked for forgiveness instead of you. How can you be such a monster?"

"She's conspiring with the Moon's Wolves, dear brother." Blake emphasized. "Of course, judging by how you so fiercely defend her, I can assume you're her accomplice."

"Measure your words." Zev warned him.

"Let's call it a day."

Blake slammed the door in his brother's face, leaving him frustrated. Zev changed his mind and headed to Faye's room to check on her. As he raised his fist to knock, her door opened. Upon seeing him, she tried to close it, but the telekinetic was faster and stopped her.

"Why did you do it?" he demanded her an explanation.

"I had to, otherwise he would've come after me." she apologised, swallowing her tears.

"Blake told me everything you talked about with the king. How could you still defend him? After everything that-"

"If the team becomes more vulnerable during these times, what are we going to do if we're attacked?"

"Screw the team! What matters the most now is your safety!"

Faye pushed him and locked the door. The telekinetic begged her to talk to him, while banging at the door.

"We protect the kingdom, but you're part of it, too!" Zev yelled as he kicked the door in frustration. "I'm so sick of seeing you putting yourself the last and making everything else a priority. Faye, let me in!"

Nothing. Inside, Faye leaned on the door and let herself slip until she touched the floor. Her back felt all the wood's vibrations caused by the kicks. She just listened to her friend's cries, fighting the urge to see him.

"Faye, stop hiding! Please, I want to help you!" Zev pleaded one more time.

The telekinetic fell on his knees and put his forehead on the door.

"I know I'm a failure as a sibling. I'm the elder twin, but I can't seem to have been able to get through Blake all our lives. I know I'm a failure as a friend. I'm supposed to protect Filaria, but I can't seem to have been able to get through your facade all this time. I watched you from afar all these years, I did my best to defend you in missions, but I couldn't protect your from the greatest danger that has been right next to me. You just suffered on your own and I did nothing. I'm a hypocrite to say I'm sorry. The king gave me the mission of taking care of you. Why couldn't I just do it until now?"

The door flew open and Faye threw her arms around Zev. The white-haired male's tears fell on his cheeks without ceasing. In his desperation, he tightened his fists, crumpling the back of Faye's shirt. 

"I'm so sorry I'm the one who's wailing when-"

Her warm hand patted his head, stopping him from continuing his sentence. She wiped a few of his tears and said:

"I'm so sorry that only now I see how much you've been struggling, too. Don't blame yourself!"

"Don't you do it either!"

Faye opened her mouth, but Zev hugged her once again.

"Zev, I couldn't go to Edra or anyone else because I was afraid. Now that you're in this, too, I can't help but be more scared. What if Blake does something to you?"

"He did nothing to me, but he did to you!"

"Is it wrong that I wanted to protect you and the others?"

"He threatened you, right? He made you think that you have nobody else to turn to. Faye... you have me. It's late, but... I'm here."

"You're wrong. You were always there, even if you were most of the times misunderstood."

The two comrades stayed in each other's arms wishing they could do it forever. Blake had tried to tear Faye apart from the rest of the team all the time, but he ended up getting her closer to his brother. Both Faye and Zev were hurt by him, but it was that evil done to them that made them realise how much they were actually caring for each other.

"Zev, thank you for staying close to me."

"I wish I could do more for you, Rosie." the telekinetic said, cradling her in his embrace.