Chapter 18: The Mortal Boy

Daphne's smile did nothing to make her more attractive and I could tell from Adam's uncomfortable reaction her arrival and immediate focus on me had his back up. Kael lurked by the door while my sister took a step into the room, sweeping it with judgmental eyes.

"Well, well," she said in her irritatingly sweet voice. "Eve and a mortal boy." She made a moue with her full lips while the young man in the bed looked briefly startled, then blank. I knew that look. Kael or Daphne-or both-made sure Adam heard but ignored the term "mortal". Though I had no doubt the emotion behind the insult was allowed to remain. "Dying, no less. How tragic."

Kael laughed, low and cruel. Adam's face tightened but Daphne ignored him. He might as well have been a plant or a piece of furniture as she stabbed a finger in my direction with obvious enthusiasm, my oldest brother's presence pushing her onward from the touch of his aura.

"You just wait," she hissed, "until Mother finds out you're consorting." She tossed her curls, turned to smile coyly at Kael. My stomach twisted with disgust at the idea these two might be more than just partners in crime against me. "And your father, Kael? What will he think of his precious daughter breaking one of our most important rules?"

My brother just shrugged, smirk so familiar my own face ached at the tight expression.

Daphne didn't wait for an answer, flouncing toward the door. "Thanks for giving me what I need, Eve," she said over her shoulder. "Way to fall on your face. Again." With that, she left the room.

Adam looked uncomfortable but remained silent, hands clenched in his lap, staring at my brother. When he spoke at last, his voice hummed with anger. "You're welcome to leave."

Kael took a long time obeying, uncoiling from his casual lean against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world, his usual damaging poison washing over my empathy. Did he realize he wasn't hurting me the way he used to? Doubtful. And I wasn't about to tell him his regular ammunition had lost its power.

He finally sauntered out with a mock salute for Adam and a wink for me while this new access to emotion touching the Loom woke within burst into life. Those two purposely let Adam see them, ignored him, treated him like garbage. Fury rose to the surface of the lava inside me and pushed hard against my gut. Unable to let them just leave like that, knowing I was abandoning Adam with a million questions and hating both my siblings for leaving me to either answer them later or never come back here, I chased them out Adam's door and into the corridor.

It wasn't until I had my hand on Daphne's arm and was pulling her forcefully around to face me I felt the shock of what I'd just done. I glared into her surprised blue eyes but couldn't yet speak.

She did that for me. "Let go of me." She shook off my hand with a flare of rage before her smile came back. Daphne leaned close, nose almost touching mine, the scent of her rosy perfume making me gag while Kael observed, quiet now, no longer smiling. "Finally," she said, "I have what I need to make Mother kick your sorry ass out of the Garden once and for all." She giggled, clearly enjoying this moment of supposed triumph. "And don't go crawling to dear Daddy," she said. "Consorting with mortals is a punishable offense, Eve. You'll be heading to one of the prison realms if I have anything to say about it." The likelihood of such a result was pretty remote. The logical part of myself knew I'd just end up with a slap on the wrist, considering how powerful my parents were. But it was the threat that hit, the fact she hated me so much that drove me deep inside and tapped into whatever it was touching the Loom had done.

For the first time in my entire life my temper snapped. I don't remember grabbing her again, nor do I recall how she came to be standing almost against me, with her hair shivering along with her fearful trembling while I leaned into her ear and whispered.

"Don't ever," I said, "threaten me again."

What was in my eyes, on my face, that made her gasp in terror when I leaned away? The mist crowded forward, the burning, swirling mix of emotions bumping into each other, fighting for possession as hysterical ecstasy and volcanic fury butted heads so hard I stepped back.

No, it wasn't me retreating. It was Daphne. She shrank from me, sagging and weak in my presence, her fear palpable, a being of such intensity it cowered at my feet and begged for me to let it go.

I couldn't speak, could barely move, the mist and my warring emotions too much in control for anything outside the rigid stillness I managed. Just managed. My own fear peaked, pinching me internally as I realized how close I was to exploding outward and killing Daphne.

Killing her. And I'd laugh while I did it, I was sure of that.

Did she see her fate in my gaze, know her life was at risk? I can only believe that was true, because she stumbled away, hands raised before her as if to ward off whatever it was she saw in my eyes. Ophelia and Cadence waited for her not so far away, the first time I'd noticed their presence. Was that a flicker of guilt in my younger sister's eyes? A quick, regretful glance at Adam's door? Did the girl who had come to me to offer solace truly alert Daphne to my mortal friend? That seemed likely. And only fed the fury and the joy of the mist within.

With a squeak quite uncharacteristic of my normally poised sister, Daphne turned tail and ran for the nearest door, slamming her way through it, the closing portal catching the tips of her golden hair and leaving a few honey strands behind.

Ophelia and Cadence fled behind her. I should have felt embarrassed by what just happened, maybe tried to go after Daphne and make amends. She could turn my life into an even bigger cesspool of torture than it was already. Instead I turned, feeling my own lips lift in a smile, and spotted Kael watching me. The heavy, dark scowl pulled at his face, the normally painful smirk long gone. I'd shown him my hand, drew my line with Daphne and, without trying, did the same for my oldest brother. I felt him push, shove, hit me with the old hurts and hate that used to lay me low. Instead of fighting back I stood there, head high and, slowly, as true understanding dawned on my miserable excuse for a brother, I smirked back at him.

He'd never been all that clever outside his need to cause harm to those he saw as weaker than him. And while I had no doubt Kael would find the means to come at me again, would refine his means of attacking me until he figured out a way to win, for now I came out the victor. I almost laughed out loud when he slunk away, looking back at me with sneaking, hate filled eyes.

Let him. I was done being bullied.

I headed for Adam's room without a flicker of remorse while the mist and the wrangling powers that were my emotions faded and retreated again.

I paused at the door, trying not to show the excitement remaining behind with the thrill of fear. Whatever happened, whatever I'd done when my hand touched the Loom, I opened a doorway to something I never knew existed within me. Or did I? I shivered, thinking about the empathy that seemed to rule me my entire life. How it kept me from expressing myself, absorbing the needs and desires of others. Until only their feelings mattered.

All of a sudden that changed. I knew it, felt it, the fundamental alteration of my makeup. My hands shook as I balled them at my sides and drew breath after shaking breath, knowing if I let go the mist would come back, those massive feelings that fought for dominance could very easily take me over. A hysterical bubble of giggles did form and I had to clamp both hands, cramped from the fists they'd made, over my mouth to hide the sound.

A nurse glanced at me sideways, noticing me. Immediately I squashed down this odd release of my own emotions and guarded myself against her. She shrugged and moved off, head down over her clipboard while I sagged against the door frame and watched her go.

He was waiting for me when I returned, confused and hurt from the look on his face. What could I possibly tell him? The truth, or at least a version of it.

"My sister," I said, the giggle still there, tickling the back of my throat, making my voice shake, "is a bitch." I said it out loud, I spoke what I was feeling about Daphne out loud. To another person. Clearly and without guilt or any kind of empathic reaction.

Could I get used to this?

"No kidding," he said, though there was humor in his tone and a smile returned to his face. "And your brother?" I nodded at the question. "He's not much better." He could say that again. "You seem happy for just being in an argument."

"Do I?" Relief never felt so fresh and free. "I guess I am. I... had an epiphany about myself just now. It shifted a few things." He had no idea.

Adam grinned, nodded, sat back with his arms crossed over his chest. "Nice," he said. "You're not going to let them push you around anymore, are you?"

As a matter of fact, that thought crossed my mind about a fraction of a breath before he brought it up.

"I have to go, I'm sorry." I was sorry, too. Being with Adam felt fantastic at last, like freedom from something that held me back far too long. Rebellion, it seemed, was going to become common place. For as long as this new outlook lasted, that was.

"Go get 'em, Eve," he said. "And tell your sister and brother to piss off for me."

I left him in the sunlight streaming through his windows, grateful he hadn't mentioned anything about what she'd said, knowing I'd see him again, and soon. Because I wanted to. And no one would stop me.

Heady with the kind of power that came from within, I left the mortal realm and entered the Crosspath with one destination in mind.

I had to talk to my father.

***