Mass release: 15/15
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"…Blackbriar?" I blinked, linking the dots, because that's his last name.
"He's my older brother."
"You don't have a good relationship?" I asked carefully.
"He's the worse kind of person there are, Gracie," when he met my eyes, there was pain in them. "Grant is dominated by a sickening desire of vengeance, it is the only thing inside of him, he is sadistic and he has no feelings aside from that, he always liked to inflict pain, he killed animals as a child and he also killed kids around our hometown. He's smart, strong, and he has an adult red with him. He will come for me, for Barbie, for you, and also because we're under Marvor."
What? "I get you and Marvor, but while Barbie and me?"
"Gracie," Barbie mumble haunted and turned to look at her, "Vagrantous hurt me in order to hurt Percy. About 6 years ago, he,"
"Barbie, you don't need to," Percy tried, exasperated.
"It's okay, she should know, Percy," she stared down at her hand as she clenched them in fists. "About 6 years ago, when I was 14 and almost 15, Percy was 15, and he was 18 years old, I came out to our town as a girl who only likes girls, and Percy protected me from their criticism, though my family accepted me. Vagrantous didn't, so, he kidnapped me and my baby brother into the woods, killed my brother in front of me to show that he could, then he… he… he spanked me and sexually… sexually abused me. When Percy finally found me, it was too late, but he saved me before his brother could kill me, then he nearly killed Vagrantous."
"I would have murdered him with my own hands, had the riders not come to us in time, by then Grant was unconscious, Barbie was… wounded, and little Barnabey was... gone. Barbie's family and the people in our orphanage wanted him dead, but the riders held him on the dungeon at their tower instead, which is why he was alive when the tears of Belaxarim picked him, and no one was able to do anything about it."
I saw red, "That disgusting motherfucking piece of shit."
"He came to us while you were unconscious," Sage said, tense. "Provoked Percy, messed with Barbie, and made some threats, until Marvor got to us. Then, they almost clashed, because it seems like they are sworn enemies in here. The 2nd Wing Leader is friends with Marvor, so, not a threat to us, the threat lies on Grant."
"I'm not letting him mess with any of you," I hissed.
"One more thing," Percy muttered, uncomfortable, "he hates you."
What? "Why would he hate me when I never even met the bastard?"
"Don't take it personally, I don't blame you, at all, okay?" He spoke.
Tensing, I sat on the arm of the seat, "Blame myself for?"
He avoided my eyes, passing both hands through his hair, looking more serious and stressed than I thought possible, "Ten years ago there was a conflict in the borders of our town's Arkhane riders' tower with the foreign lands, between the late Imperial forces and the rebels that now sit on the throne. The emperor then sent out the orders for all riders in our tower to go and face the rebels, but he didn't come to join them because it was his birthday and he was celebrating in the capital. My parents, Foreignous and Yuma Blackbriar, were mated and two strong riders."
Dread drowned me and I covered my mouth with my hand, nauseous.
"Father was the Commander of the 547th Watch Tower, mother was his 2nd in command, and both were slaughtered by the 2nd in command of the rebellion, the current hand of the Emperor, Cornelius Corconavelli, by him and his red. My brother blames your family and Marvor's for their death, and now there's a person from the Velothren and one from the Madalverel with him here, you and Marvor. So, essentially, his targets are you, Marvor, me and consequently Barbie. But more you, I, and Marvor, which is why we should beware him and his team, he picked groups 5 and 6, together with group 3 of year 2."
He tried to brush it aside, but I couldn't help it, "I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Percy," I stumbled while hopping of off his arms, out of the seat, going to my bed, "I'm sorry. I… I'm sorry."
"Hey, hey, it's not your fault," he came to me. "It's not your fault."
"Yes… yes… yes, it is. I'm the one who made a fuss and asked dad to stay in the capital in his birthday 10 years ago," I couldn't even stand looking at him. "I… I'm sorry. If he had been here, if… if he had been here, it might have ended in a different way and… I… I'm sorry."
"Gracie," he cupped my cheeks, making me look at him and I felt my eyes blurred with tears, guilt taking over, and when he smiled at me reassuringly, it all hurt more, "it is not your fault, you were a child, you had all the right to ask him to stay with you. Your dad didn't kill my parents, he ordered the riders like a ruler should have, it was the rebels' fault, Cornelius is the one who killed them. You were a child, innocent still, it's not your fault."
"Percy," my voice broke.
"It's not your fault," he whispered, pressing his forehead on mine. "Grant is what you would call a psychopath, Gracie, don't take his opinions seriously. You can't guilty-trip yourself for something out of your control."
"I," he silenced me with his lips tenderly.
"Don't blame yourself, please," he whispered, kissing me again.
"Enough, right?" Katos growled, popping out of hell next to us, holding Percy by the hair and separating his mouth from mine. "Do this when I'm not here."
"What is your problem, man?" Percy growled at him, pushing him away and jumping on my bed with me, bringing me to his arms.
"We have to strategize, it's not time to make out with… Grace."
Percy glared at Katos, clearly annoyed, "What's your deal, men? Be for real, because I don't bother you with Davalyn. Do you feel something for Grace or for me? Because what the hell?"
Dava and the others gasped, while Katos glared back at him, "Disgusting, absolutely not. It just profoundly bothers me when you kiss in front of me. I'm into Dava, she's my type and she's mine."
"Excuse me?" Sage gasped. "My friend is not an object."
"Shut up, Vadryon," Katos snapped at him, "don't butt in."
"You are butting into Percy and Disgrace, hypocrite." He groaned.
"It's different," he hissed at Sage. "Not that you would understand."
"You better take your eyes off her," Percy groaned, hugging me tighter.
"I don't like her like that, that's disgusting," Katos physically cringed.
My jaw dropped, "Hey, arsehole, I'm not disgusting."
"I'm not calling you disgusting, Gracie, I'm calling his suggestion so."
"Stop fighting," Albie yelled and we all turned to him, startled. "Sorry," he chuckled anxiously, "but this isn't the time for that. Grace, we really need your pretty brain to start working here. We need strategies to deal with group 2 and the group 1 of year 2. That's our priority, we won't be dealing with Grant's people yet, first and foremost, we need you to focus on this."
"We really do," Mordy groaned.
"Especially when they have an upper hand," Wistyr added. "Which is the fact that the past week they spent strategizing with their group leader, while you were down and unconscious."
"Thankfully, Gracie is smarter than them together," Barbie pointed, and she looked better, past the previous subject that must definitely take a toll on her to even talk about it. "We'll make it up, right, dragon charmer?"
I nodded firmly, "Absolutely!"