Expired With Me

Chapter Fifteen

Colton

"Beta!" A voice says, quite like my own. I take a deep breath, preventing myself from correcting him to 'Preeminence.' Like it or not, my brother's alive, and that's how he'll remain. I choose to answer the civilian, who I'm certain will waste my presence.

"What?" I say, stopping the walk to my bedroom, but don't turn to Aiden.

"I want the same thing you do, Beta." This time, I do face him.

"And what would that be, Mr. Parker?"

"For me and my friends to leave here. For things to go back to normal. You can get back to your life, and I to mine."

"As much as I would love that, you're not my problem. You're Iris'. And I've spent way too much time solving her problems." I turn away, but Aiden grabs my arm. He did not. His eyes are cold, definitely a match against mine, but there's something else in them. Something he doesn't want me to see. Fear.

"Please. I need to get back home." I pull my arm away, placing my hand in my pocket.

"Fine. We can talk in my office." I turn back to where I came, not caring if the boy follows.

***

"What?" I ask again, sitting down at my desk. Aiden closes the door, then takes a seat.

"This isn't possible," he says. I roll my eyes. "This... this alternate universe." His voice is filled with disgust as if the pure mention is enough to make him go crazy. Wait till he hears about the Amoris. Which he won't.

"Anything is possible. Just look at my life."

"Yeah, yeah. Miracles happen, whatever. This isn't a sci-fi book." I laugh. Of course, it isn't.

"Okay then, what does your brilliant mind conclude? I assure you, nothing we haven't already thought of."

"Why are we here."

"I wish I knew." The boy stands.

"No, why are we here? In the stupid video games the twins play, there's always a reason. We came to you, correct? So you must need something from us." Now I really laugh.

"What the hell would we need from you?"

"There has to be something."

"I assure you, there is not. Who are these magical twins you speak of?"

"Unless you mean their ability to completely destroy a house in one afternoon, I wouldn't call them magical." I roll my eyes, waiting for him to continue. "My brothers," he says hesitantly. "Jason and Jackson. Ten years old. I'm the only family they have left."

"You care about them."

"No shit. I need to get back." I sigh. I'll be damned if I go soft by a civilian's sob story.

"Take a seat. This may take a while."