Chapter Five
976 Words
I entered the tearoom to find my father sitting beside the fireplace in a high-backed armchair, a cigar hanging from his ringed hand and a pensive look on his features. He turned his head to me as I entered and returned to the fire without a word. I ignored his obvious disdain for me, used to his treatment of me by now. I knew my father hated me, blamed me for what happened to my mother, and the fact that I looked so much like her didn’t help. She had been a beautiful and kind woman with my raven black hair and amber eyes of fire. I’d been fortunate enough to inherit all her features down to the birthmark behind my ear. Nimue had inherited my fathers Scottish looks, fiery red hair, and emotive green eyes. He loved her, adored her even, all his love aimed towards her.
“Where are you off to?” he asked, his tone uninterested. Why do you care? I wanted to sarcastically reply but bit my tongue. We fought enough without my snarky words and every time we did it hurt Nimue more and more. Any chance I got to avoid her being hurt was one I took. So instead I kept my snarky comment to myself and came to stand in front of the fireplace, gazing into the flickering flames within.
“Nimue asked me to go on a holiday with her.” I lied. If I told him where we were going for real, he would surely have something to say about it. Hie eyes fell on me, unbelieving of my explanation, but then he just shrugged and turned back to the fireplace.
“Look after her. You know what will happen if anything happens to her.” My eyes snapped to him at those words and a growl vibrated through my chest. The old man was pulling at my scales hoping for a fight.
“I know how to care for those I love father, can the same be said for you?” the statement was out of my mouth before I could stop it and I saw smoke begin to rise from my fathers nostrils as his eyes flickered a dark green.
“Watch your tone, hatchling.” The smoke was escaping his mouth as he spoke, and I could tell I’d pushed the right buttons to piss him off.
“I’ll do no such thing, old timer.” I retorted.
“Will you two stop bickering for two seconds please.” Nimue entered the room with a huff, dispelling the tension that hung between myself and my father. I turned to my little sister.
“For you, little sister, anything.” My tone was sincere, but my eyes held my anger for our father. Nimue bent towards our father and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.
“We don’t know when we plan to return, father, so try not to worry too much.” My father’s eyes stared lovingly up at Nimue as he reached up to stroke her cheek.
“Alright my princess. Please take care.” I rolled my eyes as I made my way to the front of our castle and waited for Nimue out the front. Her shoulder bumped against mine gently as she came to smile up at me, her eyes knowing. I just shrugged and shifted, grasping the duffle bag in my front talons. I didn’t want to discuss the ever-present hatred my father had for me and how it differed to the unconditional love he showed to Nimue. The discussion was old and needed to be put to rest.
Let’s go. I mind-linked to her as she too shifted and grabbed her bag. Our wings lifted our heavy bodies into the cool sky, a light rain sprinkling onto our scales as we lifted higher. I took one last glance at our home as we lifted above the cloud line, where mortal eyes couldn’t see.
It was an old Scottish castle, nestled in a hidden valley only accessible by air. It had been my place of residence for many years, but not my home. Not since my mother died. I turned from it as the clouds surrounded my body and obscured it from my vision. It would do me well to spend some time away from that place, away from our father. His negativity often put me in a mood and managed to ruin many a business venture for me when I couldn’t bridle my temper after a nasty fight with him. After the last loss of a client, I’d decided I was leaving and began my search of where I would want to go. My work could travel with me, that wasn’t the issue. It was deciding on where I would go. Home was a foreign concept for me, so finding it would not be easy.
The sun beat down upon our scales as we flew, warming us as the cold winds blew against us. Draco was ecstatic to be in the air. He loved flying, the higher the better. And I found myself agreeing with him on that. Up here there was peace. Silence. Up here I was just Xander. I was not the brother who had to protect his younger sister. I was not the son whose father couldn’t stand his own son and blamed him for his wife’s death. I was just me. And that was freeing beyond belief.
Clouds blurred together as we flew the long distance towards our destination and time seemed to blend together. A glance at the height of the sun let us know we were close. Our destination was approaching.
- Writer
