Chapter 5
Brandon watched the door close behind the three Guardians and took a deep breath.
He wasn't particularly hungry, but for now he wasn't even remotely ready to retire back into his solitary room. Honestly too bored to resign himself to another twelve hours of solitary confinement Brandon went to follow them, but he had only taken a few steps before he was wishing that the sound of food didn't sound completely repulsive.
During the course of the last few minutes his inner battle had take a turn for the worse. Brandon realized that using a small amount of energy after only a few days of rest may not have been the best idea. Brandon put his arms across his stomach and closed his eyes as pain flashed down from his skull and settled in the pit of his core.
Brandon was so caught off guard by the sickness rising that he forgot not everyone had left the sparing room.
"Brandon?" Ezekiel said to him. He was a few feet away about to follow his brother stoop the kitchen , but he had caught Brandon's Ill posture. "What's wrong?"
Brandon opened his eyes and dropped his arms. "Nothing " he lied turning to Ezekiel with a smile. "Im fine."
Ezekiel came over to him. All traces of claw marks and blood had been healed and wiped completely from his skin. "You don't look fine." he said his eyes as blue as the sky above. He gave Brandon a once over from head to toe. "Did you hurt yourself? "
Brandon bit his inner cheek. He used the pain to dull the pull of the sickness. He had to be more careful. The last thing he needed was for Ezekiel to figure out his secret. Again. His memory loss of what had conspired in the clearing had been a miracle. Brandon took a step back and brushed a hand across his sweaty cheek.
"Im fine." Brandon lied again. Then to change the subject he smiled through his progressing nausea. "So what did you think of my epic victory over your brother?"
Ezekiels chuckled and said "No offense, but victory may be a bit of an overstatement Brandon."
Brandon rolled his eyes, even though he was happy that the topic change had worked. "Overstatement?" He asked him with a scoff. "Feeling a little sore for you brother? I thought I did pretty okay for a mortal."
Ezekiel shook his head. "Im not saying that you didn't do good, but what if there hadn't been a table full of things like hand cuffs to use? Its good to be smart, but what if Lander had actually caught you, what then?" he questioned. "You always seem so confident in yourself and it makes me nervous. But it kinda makes me wonder..... Why too?"
Brandon rolled his eyes again. He walked over to the wall next to the table. " Don't get all over protective on me Blue boy, I would have been fine." he said and shrugged away the seriousness of the moment trying to bring a measure of distance back between them. But slowly he felt the gap between them swelling, filling with words, questions that Brandon desperately wanted to avoid.
"You have to stop worrying so much. In a few more days I'm not gonna be around for you to mother hen and I wonder what you'll do with yourself" Brandon said. Then going for another subject change he looked back at Ezekiel and exclaimed. "Anyway. Come on Ezekiel. Let's see some of that amazing stealth that Shifters are so famous for. Do a flip or something cool for me."
Ezekiel smiled knowing smile. Of course he knew that Brandon was changing the subject but he didn't seem to mind much. He grabbed the bloody towel off his neck and dropped it to the ground. "How's this?" He asked before, with a little bounce, he took off.
He ran right into, then up the wall next to the weapons table, then flipped twice. And effortlessly came back down onto his feet with a grace and speed that was all big cat.
"Show off." Brandon grumbled, he walked past Ezekiel and looked up towards the roof at least three stories high. "I went higher then you though." he challenged Ezekiel playfully, but didn't look at him, even as a headache began to drill into his left temple.
"You did do a remarkable stunt... you must have climbed What? A good seven or eight feet?" Ezekiel agreed with him from behind. He sounded happy, calm, but Brandon caught the undertone of dark curiosity in his voice too late.
"Maybe more." Brandon said with a shrug as he continued to look up to the sky. He put a hand the side of his head and rubbed away the thundering ach.
"More then seven or eight feet? That isn't normal for a mortal, Brandon. Not at all." Ezekiel stopped and huffed and crossed his arms and glared at Brandon.
" Tell me...is something helping you do the stuff you do? Like survive fatal Ghoul attacks, come back from the edge of death with out a scratch...fight a Shifter!?" Ezekiel mused. "You know....Im getting the strange sense like...Ive forgotten something. Something that is behind the things that you do...."
Ezekiel stopped and touched his temple. He looked like his head was hurting him and he also looked deeply troubled.
Brandon swallowed as another wave of nausea made him shiver and cut Ezekiel off with a dull question. "What am are you saying?" he said feigning curiosity. Brandon put a hand out on the cool stone and blinked hard trying to pull himself together.
Oh god he cant be....remembering right now
"I'm saying that I'm noticing your doing things that mortals can't do." Ezekiel said simply shaking his head and snarling. His voice calm, but Brandon could feel his eyes, focused, suspicious, watching Brandon's every move.
"I think...your different somehow. Your speed, your senses, your actions? Your healing from injuries far too fast. You're doing thing and hiding things. And something tells me...that it has a lot to do...with the fact that every time you see me since I woke up last week....you look like your about to crumble and confess to a crime."
"Ezekiel..." Brandon tried to rebuff him but Ezekiel wouldent stop speaking.
" And at night I have this sick feeling in my chest! Every day it keeps growing....and when I see you? I feel this terrible..." Ezekiel stopped, put a hand to his throat as if he couldn't swallow, as if he were thirsty.
He hissed then began again. "My heart....It hurts. There's a gap in my head from what happened! Tell me why!" He demanded. "What is going on with you....and with me!?"
And Brandon was speechless in the face of his words. Words that revealed that Ezekiel was quickly losing his amnesia at the worst possible moment.
"Ezekiel....I need you to calm down..." Brandon attempted to back away from the Guardian. "Nothing your saying is making any sense."
This couldn't be farther from the truth.
"Brandon...Don't do this...not now." Ezekiel growled at him in exasperation. "Lying isn't going to work this time...it never works!." Ezekiel spoke to him softly even as he used his weight and body to crowd Brandon into the wall.
A surge of sharp energy across his sense had Brandon rendered speechless for a few seconds, before he managed a weak response that he knew was only going to dig him deeper in a hole. "What do you mean? I'm not lying!"
" And yet I'm starting to remember things that don't make any sense to me." Ezekiel began to explain on a growl. He seemed to struggle with his words, a heavy cloud of surety and compassion pouring through the beautiful blur slits in his gaze as he spoke.
"I've been having these flashes Brandon...." Ezekiel said, stopped, raised a hand to his head and tapping his temple, then he took that hand and reached out, placing it to Brandon's cheek. "I feel this terrible pain inside when I'm around you......God, I even remember the taste of your blood...."
Brandon's heart literally tried to go into arrest as Ezekiel spoke, but the touch of the same man whose words were trying to kill him, somehow held Brandon together. The hand that Ezekiel had placed to Brandon's cheek slowly traveled down the side of his face, across the nape of his neck and stopped to dance at his trembling pulse, making Brandon secretly shiver for more.
"I know that something happened to me last week! Something bad. And I can feel that something happened between us too. But most of all I know....I sense....you have something you're hiding from the world...something that you fear so much..." Ezekiel murmured his eyes flashing up to connect with Brandon's.
At the conclusion of his words Brandon knocked his hands away in pure horror. "You don't know anything!" he shouted.
But obviously fed up and shouting back, Ezekiel snatched up his chin and forced Brandon to look him in the eyes. "Stop pretending like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Ezekiel roared in Brandons face.
Sharp silence followed his stern roar....and Brandon felt something inside of him start to bend....He was so exhausted. Would the running and lying ever end?
"I...can't do this right now..."
Brandon whispered and shook his head, pulling his face out of Ezekiels grasp, as much to remove the nausea from his senses as to shake off the panic as Ezekiel heavily interrogating him.
Had Brandon been too careless? Maybe, but he knew that Ezekiel was only fishing for answers at this point. He had to be suspicious after what had happened in the woods, the gaps in his memory and Brandon's sudden distancing from him and the rest of the family had to have convinced him that something about Brandon was amiss
But this couldn't have happened at a worse time.
Brandon was too sick to even think strait, much less play a game of wits with Ezekiel. Especially since Ezekiel was turning out to be one sharp cookie.
Glancing up at Ezekiel, coming face to face with his blue gaze burning with suspicions Brandon felt weary beyond belief. "Stop looking at me like that Ezekiel..." Brandon sighed and whispered.
Ezekiel hissed back at him softly. "What are you afraid I'll see?"
Everything...
A small voice cried out in desperation somewhere deep inside, but Brandon tried to ignore it.
Brandon shook his head again as a bout of dizziness swept over him. "I.... I need to leave...." He forced himself to say even as Brandon put a second hand on the wall and started taking deep breaths. Panic and nausea cramped his stomach unpleasantly. Brandon put a useless hand to his mouth.
"Stop it..." Ezekiel commanded him. His voice stern. "I can hear your heart beat." Ezekiel told him, still speaking softly. His calmness making Brandon all the more anxious. "Your heartbeats sky rocketing, it only does that when people are afraid or lying. And I know you don't have any reason to fear me....So you must be lying. "
"I promise Im not...I've got to go to my room! Get away from me...please..." Brandon murmured from behind his hand. He struggled to make the statement as he felt food rumbling in his gut. He knew that fleeing the scene was only going to make Ezekiel even more suspicious, but he needed to get away before this went any further south.
Only before he could step away from the wall he was shocked to feel Ezekiels arms had closed around his waist.
"Ezekiel!!" Brandon began resisting, but Ezekiels hold didn't stop nor did he speak. He just pulled Brandon up against him, an arm around his stomach and a hand placed at his throat had him immobilized and landed back against Ezekiels body. Anger replaced nausea and Brandon gritted his teeth as Ezekiels palm smoothed up and across his throat and closed around his neck keeping Brandon's face turned up and forward facing
"Let me go!" Brandon gritted out as he was forced to look up at ceiling while Ezekiel held him from behind. Before Ezekiel was suddenly snarling in his ear
"No God-Dammit! Give me a reason to do anything you ask me to do! Explain to me what happened in that forest?" Ezekiel spoke softly from behind him. The calmness in is voice betrayed by the storm in his blue eyes. "What did you do Brandon? Why don't I remember what happened?"
"Let me go! I told you not to touch me anymore! I don't have to answer any of your questions...!" he began. Brandon pushed him and tried to pull Ezekiels arms off, but his hold was like cement. He could feel Ezekiel against him. His bare back against Ezekiels chest was warm and moist from running. Brandon swallowed as he felt the energy between them take a dangerous turn, a sensual turn.
Touch was bad. Especially since both Brandon and the Flame were acting oddly whenever Ezekiel and he were in the same room. Touch only heightened that strange pull that seemed ever present since the attack.
"Before the attack happened you weren't this Cold to me. Why won't you at least talk to me now?" Ezekiel asked him slowly shackling Brandon in his embrace. "I have these memories' in my head...But ever since I woke up I cant speak to you. You've been shutting me out for days, biding your time until the Lock down ends again."
Brandon tried to think, though Ezekiels scent was so close and so heavy it only made him more nervous. The energy inside of him was beginning to push against his barriers...hard. It wanted to flow out of him and into Ezekiel, but Brandon didn't know how to stop it.
He didn't know why the power in him clamored waiting to jump over to Ezekiel ever since he had shared his blood with the Shifter he struggled to understand. He didn't trust himself. He didn't trust his powers. He didn't trust that he wouldn't hurt Ezekiel.
The flame....was so strong. So hungry. So needy. IT screamed inside of him. IT remember how sweet Ezekiel's life was. And it wanted to be released.
And because Brandon was a twisted, weak, monster in his own regard.....he wanted to let it out.
Brandon was hungry. He was needy. He was in pain...
He wanted to possess Ezekiels life, feel it flow down inside of him, strip him naked and own his body....
But...even stronger then this insatiable hunger and desire was the fact that he had to protect Ezekiel. From himself.
Brandon pushed his power down and tried to focus.He swallowed as more nausea rose as the small flame inside of him was denied a meal. With the sickness came pure hot agitation. “I’m telling you everything, but you won’t listen to me, Ezekiel!” He said elbowing Ezekiel in his chest as hard as he could.Ezekiel growled and released him quickly, before Brandon could hit him again. Pivoting on his heel Brandon turned to him so that his back was to the wall. He glared at the beast trembling openly.“I’m not going to confess anything to you.....So STOP interrogating me at every turn! I didn’t ask to be here! I just want to be left alone!”Ezekiel, easily unconvinced, smiled at him darkly. He stepped forward and leaned in crowding him. He put his arms on the wall boxing Brandon in. Brandon turned his head away as Ezekiel drew into him or his face would have been inches from Ezekiels.Ezekiel didn’t speak for a moment and even though Brandon couldn’t see his face he could feel Ezekiels eyes
Ezekiel followed Brandon out of the sparing room moments after he ran out, but he was unnervingly fast. It was odd that Brandon’s speed hadn’t disturbed him until now, but even when they had first meet Ezekiel realized that he should have noticed that the man moved more like a beast....and not a mortal.Brandon was somehow already cresting the stairs, before Ezekiel had even touched the first one and by time he had made it to Brandon’s door it was closed. Panting slightly Ezekiel stopped and hesitated. He should have knocked, but something told him that something....was amiss. That Brandon was hurt.He felt it all around him, he sensed a strange residue on his soul.Something Powerful. Something....unnatural. Dangerous. Wrong.It had wafted around Brandon for a second like an invisible blanket.Then he had felt it again. Something he had been sure had only been a figment of his fevered dreams at night. Power so raw, so sweet, so familiar and amazing that his body nearly trembled. He h
It was disorienting to wake up...and be floating in mid-air....over a giant bottomless rocky chasm.The sun, a beautiful russet of rose and orange glowed from behind the peaks of the mountains and the valleys and the clouds of billowing smoke.Wait....I’m dreaming....And just like that Brandon heard the men shouting at each other below him.One of the men was Brandon. But the Brandon of his dreams, was garbed in a bright white and long silken robe that seemed to exude power. Eshowe a prestige and beauty that was almost mesmerizing. This Brandon had hair that was short and cropped, he spoke with a strange dialect....and was dripping in blood and wielded a long blade in his hand that was smeared in fresh gore.Across from the Brandon of his dreams...there stood one of the most beautiful men that Brandon had ever seen.This man was Kail. He screamed at Brandon. His face stretched into various expressions. From agony, to rage....to hatred. Kail was and had been a part of Brandon’s life f
Instead the Brandon of his dream, took the blade in his own hand and laughed. His voice cracked on a sob as the metal clanged across the mountain top. He dropped to his knees having disarmed himself. “They are all dead Kail. I just....felt the last of them die.....Now I guess peace will rain....Come brother.... you can finish the slaughter.” The phantom Brandon sobbed.A sharp knife of agony split Brandon’s heart apart as he watched the dream phantom of himself scream and claw the earth.“WHY!! Why did you do this to us?” Kail’s blade clanged into the earth...and with a broken scream he collapsed into the mountains soil. Kail put a hand to his head and bowed down as if he were in agony. “My people.....My Clan....Their sorrow is unimaginable. We never wanted to betray our own...!” Kail said.But Brandon’s dream phantom simply laughed. “They couldn’t allow Acaris to fall into our hands.” He said. “They needed it to rule the world, but with our deaths.....I know you will stand against th
Chapter 10Waking up was unnaturally instant...as if Brandon’s body was simply tired of rest and demanded he awaken and give it stimulation outside of sleep.Unfortunately Brandon awoke to fairly calm and demure surroundings, leaving him feeling like he was floating in his own inertia.The room was wide, if not terribly long. The spacious cot that Brandon happened to be lying in the middle of gave him an immediate and complete view of the room before him that was only filled with a few coffee tables, rugs, and long counter tops to the far left of the room that held a number of tall jars filled with spices, and tools and cotton balls.The room had the intense feeling of a hospital or clinic, as the overly sparse surroundings and cool tile floor held a small hint of chemicals.A pair of doors to the far right seemed to lead into other parts of the unfamiliar building and not a second after his eyes fell on them, then one of the doors to the further left opened and Ezekiel started to ste
Chapter 11Brandon was completely at the mercy of the beast and a part of him melted into the bliss and passion.Locking both of Brandon’s wrists in one of his large palms, Ezekiel freed up one of his hands. And with gentle hunger, his fingertips skimmed against Brandon’s nipples making him whimper as hot waves of pleasure shot down between his legs. Ezekiel softly caressing the hard nubs before his palm slid down Brandons belly massaging the rippling muscles along Brandons lower torso, the gentle brush of Ezekiels fingertips across the front of his cock sent electricity across his skin.Brandon fought the urge to arch up into the caress. Instead he snatched away from Ezekiels kiss and tried to buck the Guardian off of him. But all he did was make Ezekiel hiss and tighten his hold. “Ezekiel stop it! What are you going to do? Rape the answer out of me? Please stop! Please! Your hurting me!!” Brandon shouted at him in anger and with a smidge of fear. The darkness of another’s hands on h
n a few pain filled moments of movement Brandon had managed to pull himself up from the bed and dress himself. The air was so thick with tension that Brandon felt as though he could split it simply if he made the wrong move.There was frustration and deceit hanging across him and Ezekiel....but of course this paled in comparison to the sheer....almost desperate ache to have the minutes of before return.To have Ezekiels tongue and his hands roaming across his skin....Brandon banished these thoughts with a pained hiss as he pulled a cotton white tee shirt over his head and felt yet another vicious, hungry stab dance across the core of his body. The Flame needled him with small bouts of hurt and nausea as he continued to deny it and himself the one thing it craved.Finally the two of them were sitting on the edge of the cot. Neither of them were speaking. Neither of them....seemed even able to take heavy breaths or move....Until finally Brandon braked a small quite laugh."You're sudden
It was a good question. What would Ezekiel do with the information he had sought to uncover for so long? Would he feel compelled to speak of it with his family? Would he continue to ask Brandon a million other questions and continue to prod for the truth? Would he back off? Would he act differently?Perhaps sensing that the two of them were at a cross roads Ezekiel took a breath and instead of doing anything Brandon thought he would do Ezekiel conceded all of the control over to him with only a few murmured words. "I don't really know....Brandon we obviously have more to talk about....but...." He softly admitted. "What do YOU want to happen now...?"A sharp wave of emotion pricked Brandon. It was uncanny how alike the two of them were at certain moment; how unprepared for the current situation the two of them were. "I don't know either...." Brandon softly laughed, and cast Ezekiel a sad smile before he said. "I guess first of all...We need to get back to the mansion?"At Brandon's sl