Coiled Indulgence

Chapter 8

     "I want to go see them. ...My parents."

     It was early in the morning. Kaden was leaning against the wall, watching the other man button up his shirt. Lyon's gaze flickered to Kaden cautiously. He wanted to be careful with the topic.

     "Do you want to drive there right away?"

     Kaden pushed himself off of the wall.

     "As soon as possible, yes."

     In their rush, it was only those two that went...

     It was bleak and cloudy at the graveyard.

     Massive amounts of flowers and decorations nearly buried the stones. They did their best—trying to contrast the somber atmosphere.

     Kaden and Lyon walked along the well-maintained roads, neither of them saying a word. Soon they came to a stop in front of an area walled up by bushes. Two gravestones stood in the middle. Lyon noticed that the majority—except for one or two—were blue. He didn't see fit to ask about it just yet, seeing the nostalgic look in Kaden's eyes. Kaden was trying to gather his thoughts, but just looking at the engraving on the stones was getting overwhelming for him.

     "The last people I could ever really trust..."

     Lyon didn't want to intrude, though he did let his hand brush against Kaden's arm comfortingly. Kaden turned his head to look at him, the faintest smile on his face.

     "That is... until you and your 'deadly' drink came along."

     Lyon returned the smile.

     "That's high praise. I'll definitely take it to heart."

     The previous thought still lingered in his mind.

     "I was wondering. Why are the flowers almost exclusively blue?"

     "It was their favorite color. But... it became a constant reminder of Ivan. His eyes will forever be burned into my memory." Kaden's expression grew more grave, which Lyon unconsciously mimicked. That was further enhanced by the sound of a car coming to a stop nearby. It wasn't out of the ordinary since the graveyard had a parking lot.

     However, Kaden was awfully suspicious of the way it looked—even from that distance. ...It was quite a sturdy car, so it would make sense if he still had it since then.

     "No way..." Right when Kaden uttered those words, a threatening group made themselves known, as they made their way toward them. Only now did Kaden realize they forgot to bring at least Aziel. He felt an immediate chill at the thought.

     "How am I not surprised to find you here, Raith."

     "My family name does not belong in your mouth, Keaton."

     Ivan's self-important grin widened, as his right hand slid out of his pocket. Lyon saw the tightly wrapped bandage around it, reminded of what Kaden had told him about Aziel earlier.

     "And mine does, in yours? I wouldn't get so feisty if I were you. I see no dog and you're outnumbered."

     Kaden scoffed, looking around himself for any sign of people. But the area was dead silent. Lyon defensively took a step forward, feeling the need to show Kaden he was still there for him—despite their disadvantage. Kaden took notice, and they shared a momentary glance.

     "Aww, how nice. Pointless, but still." Ivan's mocking tone annoyed Kaden, though he knew it was true. He had to look at this differently since a fight was obviously off the table for them. Aaron and Vaida were looking especially intimidating. Kaden did remember that he heard the siblings talking to each other about going to the gym together. Excessively. It seemed like they were still very dedicated to that.