Queen

"Bon Appetit, Princess."

His words set off fire alarms in my head. At first glance they were meaningless, but I knew him better than that. It was a warning. I cleared my throat, shifting on the couch to face Cain and Abel. "Go on then." I gestured at the food. "And help yourselves, if you're hungry."

Cain denied , but Abel went for it. Cain eyed him in irritation and Abel shrugged a shoulder as he popped a spring roll into his mouth. "What? I haven't eaten since this morning."

Cain simply rolled his eyes at him and looked at me. "First thing's first; the entire shit show with Aiden. Did you know that we had no idea about it? We were kept in the dark until you were killed, Queen."

I glanced at Syn who hardly looked like he cared enough to answer as he swung his head in Cain's direction. "I didn't tell you because I had it under control."

"Under control my fucking ass, she died," he snapped back. "This could've all been avoided if you had just told us."

"And what?" Syn raised a brow. "You would've been our saving grace? How's that?"

"I'm just saying, your fucking pride-"

"My pride?" That was when Syn's tone changed. I could hear the anger intertwining with his vocal cords. "My pride has been gone the moment I told you all about the drugs. My pride has nothing to do with why I kept this a secret from you, Cain."

"Then why did you?"

"Because you act on impulse and impulse alone. You don't fucking think and the last thing I needed was for you to run in there guns blazing and get the both go you killed."

"She was killed anyway," my brother snapped and I closed my eyes. I was getting a headache. I wouldn't be able to last if they were going to keep it up like this.

Fuck.

"Okay, enough. Please." I looked between the both of them before my eyes landed on Syn. "You should have told him." And then I turned to Cain. "And you...he's right. You would have gotten yourself and me killed."

Cain's mouth dropped and Syn snickered.

"Fantastic mediation on your part, Queen," Abel said between mouthfuls.

Whatever.

"Listen, I get where you're both coming from, but it's in the past now. Can we just move on?" I asked, my question more so directed at Cain.

"There's more," Syn said.

Both my brows jumped. "More?"

"Fuck yeah there's more," Cain exclaimed and I braced myself.

I listened to them, trying my best to eat as they rambled on. Syn stayed quiet for the most part aside from a few sighs of frustration and irritated snickers. He didn't argue as they- mostly Cain slandered him in front of me for a good thirty minutes and when they were done, I was livid.

They painted a story of a man with delusions taking their sister's dead body and admitting it to a hospital. How he refused when they demanded she be turned over for a funeral. How his friends and family-my family called him mentally deranged and fought him because he refused to let them properly grieve and move on.

He was abandoned, left destitute and I finally realized the reason why it was just us in the hospital when I woke up.

I looked over at Syn. He was as far away from me on the couch as possible. His forearms were rested on his thighs, his gaze to the ground as Cain told me how hurt they all were. And I heard them. If I could be objective and see no other side but theirs, I could understand.

But I couldn't be objective.

Cain sighed. "In hindsight, I could understand being in his shoes," he finally said. "But he was the only one who knew you were coming back, Queen. The rest of us were just trying to do right by you."

I blew out a slow breath, nodding. I understood. "Where has Dad been in all of this?"

"On his side." Cain shook his head. "He's been killing himself coming here every day, but Syn must've told him something he didn't tell us. Because he never doubted him. You probably told him how she's alive, hm?" Cain asked, his tone still upset. "That's the only thing none of us can seem to put together. What did you do?"

What did you do, Syn?

I wanted to know too but my first thought waking up had nothing to do with the 'why's' and 'how's. I was just happy to be in his arms. That was why I had suspended my beliefs in life, death, and resurrection. I had a feeling his answer would be one I wasn't prepared for and I wanted to remain blissfully ignorant. At least for a short while.

But it still was and would remain a conversation we needed to have.

Alone.

"Cain, I love you and I know you worry about me," I said, "but that's not any of your business. What matters is that I am here, right? Can't that be enough for now?"

Boundaries.

He looked at me and I looked back at him, pleading with my eyes. Please? His shoulders slumped and we both knew he had lost the will to argue anymore. "Fine," he grumbled.

"Thank you." I smiled at him and Abel who again only seemed to be here for moral support. "Shall we wrap this up then?"

"Are you kicking us out?"

I winced. That was a bit too harsh. "No. I'm just really tired."

"Oh, of course then," he sat up.

I stood up after he did and we both looked down at Abel who was finishing his last few bites. "Sorry, it's so good."

I smiled. "Take it with you."

He hurriedly accepted my offer, closing the tray of rolls and standing up. "I'll owe you one." He hugged me, pressing a kiss on my forehead. "I'm glad you're back. No matter how." He looked down at Syn. "And I'm sorry if we caused you any additional distress, Syn. We just- we thought we lost our sister. Whatever it is that you did, thank you. I would have done the same."

Syn only replied with a nod and Abel said one last goodbye before heading out of the hospital room.

"He said we but don't confuse his apology for mine," Cain said to Syn.

I sighed. "Cain please-"

"No," he said. "I am sorry that we didn't understand what was happening, but I cannot be responsible for the actions I take when I am kept in the dark about things. You didn't tell me-"

"I did tell you," Syn said lowly. "I wrote it to you, I texted it to you- even yelled it a few times...You just didn't believe me."

Cain sighed before turning to me. "I'll keep Saint with me for a few days while you get better."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said. "Don't worry and give me a call when you're home."

"Thanks." We hugged and just like that, he was out the door.

I sunk on the couch they only occupied a few moments ago and sighed, the weight of the entire conversation weighing down on me. I rubbed my temples, the headache I was feeling only thumping harder in my head. Ouch.

A blotch of darkness filled my vision before I blinked it away and blew out a breath.

"Do you want to get some sleep?" I finally heard him ask.

"No."

"I thought you were tired."

"I lied. I figured it was the only way they'd leave."

"You wanted them to leave?"

"Yes," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to tell you how sorry I am."

He furrowed his brows in question. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"On behalf of my brothers, Syn. They gave you a hard time."

They abandoned you.

He seemed astonished by what I said, but all in all, that was exactly what it was. I understood their reasons for why they acted the way they had which was why I couldn't exactly chastise them. But the more and more I tried to rationalize it, Syn was the one who had bottomed out.

Everyone left and he was utterly, devastatingly, alone.

He wouldn't have left a single one of them. Whether they were truly going crazy or not.

"Tell me what happened," I said. "Where is everyone?"

He sighed. "I don't have a clue?"

"What happened, Syn?"

"You died."

"Right." I nodded slowly. "What happened after it?"

"Long story short; instead of letting anyone grieve...I brought a dead body to the hospital."

"What?"

"Exactly what they said." He laughed coldly. "That's why we have the entire floor to ourselves. My father wanted to minimize the damage of what I was doing. He said a mad king would be frowned upon so I've been placed on...somewhat of a time out until I get my 'head together'-- is what he said."

My brows furrowed. "So they abandoned you?" Insane or not someone should have been here to support him. After he died, the only reason I got through it was because everyone banded around me and helped me survive. Hearing that they had just left him did something wicked to me.

"Don't look so angry," he teased me. "Abandoned is a strong word. They...just didn't necessarily believe me when I said you weren't dead. The only ones who stuck around and apparently 'fed my delusion' as my father said, were Cleo, Cas, and Xavier. Paris too, but I pay him so..."

I looked around the hospital room. "So you've just been...alone in here all week? No doctors or anything?"

"Well, as my father has temporarily taken the throne, he's forbidden the doctors from coming to this floor unless you've and I quote, 'magically risen from the dead'."

"That's insensitive."

"Well, my father's emotional capacity when it comes to me is very limited. It's nothing new." I frowned at that and offered a smile. "Stop looking so sad for me. I'd do it all over again and burn the same bridges one hundred times over. You're here and that's what matters."

I stood up from the couch and walked over to him. He sat up, looking at me expectantly and I perched myself on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let out a sigh as I looked at him. "I don't want you burning bridges for me, Syn."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Not really sure if I can help myself with that one. There are a select few people in this world that I genuinely care about and even you rank higher than them...I will burn any bridge and not look back."

I smiled a bit, knowing that would be a conversation I wouldn't win. "Then stop getting yourself hurt on my behalf."

"Or," he said. "And this is by far a better idea than the ones you've had...Get it through that beautiful head of yours that there is not anything that I wouldn't do for you. I would give up the Underworld for you."

"I would never want that," I said. "That's not what you did, right? You didn't give up Hell for my life, did you?"

"No." He smiled, shaking his head. "I did not...but I would have. Without a doubt."

"So what you've given up is something worse than that?" I gathered, drawing conclusions. "I swear if you did something stupid."

"I never do anything stupid."

"Syn..." I replied, my tone serious. I wasn't joking.

"Queen." He kissed the corner of my lips. "Do you trust me?"

"In general, yes. But to not save my life by giving up your own? No, not one bit."

He sat back against the couch with a sigh. "Fine, then how's this? I would never give up my life or anything in it for you. I hardly like you."

A grin spread across my lips. "I love it."

He raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. "You have a thing for men who don't like or care about you?"

"Maybe." I curled on my side onto him and wrapped an arm over his shoulder. My index finger on my other hand touched his neck and I trailed it down to the first button of his shirt. "I've been told I have a thing for emotionally unavailable men."

He let out a soft laugh and looked down at me. I wiggled my brows suggestively and his eyes trailed down the rest of my body. "Are you wearing my clothes?"

"Mhmm." I nodded. "Why? Do you want me to take them off?"

"Are you trying to seduce me...in my own clothes?"

"Well, I could be wearing no clothes if you answer my question."

"I've given you three orgasms today. Don't you think you should pace yourself?" His eyes danced with amusement.

I nodded. "Yes, I will pace myself...on your dick." He burst out into laughter and I held back a grin at the beautiful sound of it. I much preferred him laughing than hurting and pretending everything was fine. "And fourth time's the charm."

"That's not the saying."

"I'm not like other girls. It's four on this side of town." His body shook with another round of laughter. "I don't know why you're laughing when that means you've clearly left me deprived."

He ran his hands down his face. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

I gave him a long look down his body before looking back into his eyes. "I have a few ideas I can share with you if you pull your pants down."

"Is that all I'm good for?" He grinned. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm being used."

"Oh, you'll know when I'm using you." My tongue moved to the spot underneath his ears and I sucked, copying what he did to me. And he stopped laughing as he'd shifted underneath me. "Not funny anymore, hm?"

"Don't act so brave, princess," he said. "Because you know the moment I do pull my pants down, you'll run."

A shiver of excitement ran down my spine and I knew he was right but I liked messing around with him too much. "Play your cards right and maybe I'll let you catch me." A dark look passed over his face and I felt him get hard under my thigh. I bit the inside of my cheek as I looked at him and after a moment, I giggled. "I'm getting good at this."

Queen: One hundred.

Syn: Zero.

But who was keeping score?

"Okay." He nodded, lying back on the couch with his arms flexed behind his head. "Keep playing with me and I'll fuck the funny out of your throat."

My smile dropped.

Queen: Zero.

I believed him. And I happened to like my sense of humor and my throat quite a bit.

"You win, then."

"What do I win?"

"What do you want?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't know. I'm not like other guys."

I laughed, fearing yet absolutely adoring his duality. Only he could threaten to fuck my throat and then tell a joke within the same minute.

A pain shot through my head, jumping from the dull ache that had persisted for the past hour. It made me wince as I grabbed my head and I shut my eyes tight. I felt Syn's arms around me, he was speaking, but I couldn't make out his voice. It felt like my brain was being dipped into a burning tar pit and everything around me faded.

Then I heard a voice- just a mere whisper but it sent a searing pain through my head that made me scream out. Another nonsensical whisper followed, this one not as painful until everything became silent and I opened my eyes again.

"Queen, what the hell was that?!" Syn growled and I flinched as my head ached again. "I'm sorry. What's going on?"

"Nothing." I shook my head. "I just have a really bad headache."

"That didn't seem like just a headache," he said, rising from the couch and lifting me into his arms.

I held onto him. "Syn, I'm-"

"You're getting back in this bed. I'm going to call the doctor to check on you and I'm going to go get you some pain medication. Don't fight me on this."

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