Chapter 54: Divided Blood
Alex
I watched Chris stride forward. I saw the fury etched into every single line of his face. He did not look like a brother; he looked like an enemy.
The bonfire snapped and popped behind him. Sparks flew up into the dark night sky. It felt as if even the flames sensed the anger that was about to explode in the courtyard. Before I could even properly wrap my fingers around the scroll Father had just placed in my hands, Chris lunged toward me.
He was fast. He snatched the sealed parchment away before I could react.
The movement was so sudden and so violent that the ribbon binding the scroll tore slightly beneath his tight grip. He held the paper up as if it were a weapon.
“You don’t deserve it?” he snapped. His voice rang across the courtyard. It was loud e
