Page 47 of Embers of Fate
So I go after him, my steps quick and urgent, my heart hammering in my chest as I brace myself for the storm I know is coming. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that when Bram is on the warpath, no one is safe. And tonight, I have a feeling that the fallout will be worse than anything we’ve ever faced before.
“Had a good time at Deveraux Manor?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I take in his agitated state.
Bram tosses his jacket onto the couch, then makes a beeline for the wine cabinet. “Quite the contrary,” he mutters, pouring himself a generous glass of whiskey. “You’ll be so glad you didn’t come.” He knocks back the entire drink in one gulp, his throat working as he swallows.
“Oh?” I move closer, my interest piqued. “How come?”
“That warlock beast, Gavriil... He had the audacity to brand Cassandra.” Bram growls, refilling his glass with a shaking hand. “I knew it. I knew he’d sneak into the Deveraux lineage. Gods, I can’t stand the fucking bear! Oh, but I’ll show him.”
A deep frown creases my brow, worry settling like a lead weight in my gut. “Bram, you need to think this through...” I caution, raising a hand in a placating gesture.
But my brother is beyond reason, his temper flaring like a match to kindling. He slams his glass down on the cabinet, his eyes blazing with barely contained rage as they lock onto mine. “I’m going to take my clan to his doorstep and wipe out the entire Alexeev lineage if I have to,” he hisses through clenched teeth, “but I will not let this pass!”
Bram strides over to his desk, his movements sharp and jerky, his breath coming in short, harsh pants. He yanks open the top drawer, rummaging through the contents with a ferocity that borders on madness. And then I see it, the glint of metal, the unmistakable shape of a gun.
My blood runs cold, my heart stuttering in my chest as Bram snatches up the weapon, his fingers curling around the grip with a familiarity that terrifies me. “My magic may not be as strong as thegreatUrsa King’s…” He checks the chamber, the click of the bullets echoing in the sudden silence. “But I’dloveto see him dodge one of these.” And then he’s shoving the gun into his waistband, the bulge of it barely noticeable beneath his tailored shirt.
He turns back to me, his eyes glittering with a dangerous light, a smile that’s more of a grimace stretching his lips. “What, now? You gonna try to stop me, little brother?” he taunts, his voice low and mocking. “You gonna stand in my way?”
My jaw clenches, my hands curling into fists at my sides. I know I should back down, should try to diffuse the situation before it escalates any further. But the rage that’s been simmering inside me for weeks, the frustration and the pain and the goddamn helplessness, it all boils over in that moment, exploding out of me in a torrent of fury.
“Bram!” I roar, my own anger surging to the surface, hot and molten. “Enough with this foolishness!”
My brother’s jaw goes slack, shock and disbelief etched into every line of his face. For a moment, he just stares at me, his eyes wide and unseeing, as if he can’t quite believe the words that just came out of my mouth.
But then, with a suddenness that startles me, he’s moving, closing the distance between us in two quick strides. His hand shoots out, grabbing the front of my shirt and yanking me forward until our faces are mere inches apart.
“What did you just say to me?” he hisses, his breath hot against my skin, the stench of whiskey heavy in the air.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my ears, but I refuse to back down. “You heard me,” I manage, my voice steady despite the fury that claws at my insides. “This is insane, Bram. You can’t just go off half-cocked, guns blazing, and expect everything to work out. You’ll get yourself killed, or worse.”
And then, just as quickly as it began, Bram releases his grip on my shirt, shoving me away with an unmistakable air of revulsion.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like this... I’m the Draken Heir!” Bram’s fist swings high, aiming for my face, but I’m faster. I seize his wrist in an iron grip, pushing him back with a force that sends him flying across the room. He slams into the wall with a sickening thud, his body crumpling to the floor in a heap.
For a moment, we both freeze, stunned by the turn of events. But as I stand there, my chest heaving with exertion and barely contained rage, I realize that I’ve reached my breaking point. I’m done tolerating Bram’s childish tantrums, and I refuse to sit back and watch as he sullies our family’s reputation.
Each breath sears my lungs, my heart pounding a furious rhythm against my ribs. Waves of heat wash over me, prickling my skin and blurring my vision.
Bram scrambles to his feet, his expression morphing from shock and anger to pure, unadulterated dread. I don’t know what he sees when he looks at me, but I can hazard a guess.
He stumbles back, retreating through the sliding doors and onto the terrace. I follow, my steps measured and deliberate, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“Ever since you became the head of this family, I’ve seen you do nothing but put our bloodline to shame,” I begin, my voice low and deadly. Bram backs away, his feet carrying him down the steps and onto the vast expanse of the lawn. “You drink and go to lavish parties. You spend our inheritance as if it were everlasting. I have watched you waste and plunder our family’s assets, while successfully dragging our household name through the mud...”
I blink, trying to clear the haze from my vision, but it only grows thicker, more opaque. Still, I push forward, joining my brother in the courtyard, my anger propelling me onward.
“You almost got yourself killed by the Ursa King on a foolish whim!” I snarl, my breaths coming hard and fast. “I’ve had enough of this, Bram. You’re stepping down. Do you hear me?”
Bram’s face drains of color, but he manages to force out a defiant reply. “I will do no—such—thing.”
Slowly, deliberately, I tilt my head to the side, my eyes narrowing to slits. “I don’t think you understand. I’m not giving you a choice here.”
Another wave of heat crashes over me, searing my veins and setting my nerves alight. Bram’s eyes widen in horror, his mouth falling open in a silent scream. “W—What’s happening to you?” he stammers, his voice thin and reedy with fear.
I glance down at my hands, my breath catching in my throat as I see the skin glowing red, the light pulsing from within like a living thing. Before my eyes, my fingernails elongate into razor-sharp talons, my flesh hardening and layering with glimmering golden scales.
I’m shifting. Again. So fucking soon. Sam said it wouldn’t happen for a long while, but this... this is different. This time, I’m fully aware of the change, my mind clear and focused even as my body transforms.
