"Do you think you can stop me shadow singer?" Xander asked in an eerie voice as his eyes glowed. Xander's body thrummed with power every single one present there felt it. "Az, don't" Rhys warned as he eyed Xander.
Azriel took a step forward and his...
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Drowning. He was drowning. Xander was drowning. And drowning. And drowning. The hot water burned his eyes as it entered his nose and ears. His head felt heavy. He clawed at his throat where he felt someone was pressing their foot. His throat bled as his own fingernails scratched him. He kicked and screamed. Everything went in vain. He felt his head drowsing. His eyes clouded and he started sinking. And sinking. And sinking. The dark depths of water made his vision go completely black. He closed his eyes. Is this how hell feels like? He asked himself. He drowned. And sinked. Someone was pulling his legs. He let them. He let them pull. He was ready to let go of everything. Every nerve fibre in his body lost all of its fight. He ceased his fighting. He let them pull him down. He wished that if there was an afterlife he would at least feel peace there.
A scarred hand plunged under the hot boiling water and yanked him up.
Xander gasped loudly as he sat up in his bed. Rhys was at his side in an instant. "It's just a nightmare," Rhys chanted the words. Bile threatened to make its way to his mouth. He clamped his mouth shut and swallowed it. His nose started bleeding. He wiped at his nose furiously. Trying to get rid of the blood.
Rhys took hold of his hands in one hand and wiped the blood with other. There were no tears in Xander's eyes. Because he had no more to shed. "Come with me," Rhys breathed. Xander looked at him. He wanted to protest. He didn't want to leave this room after what happened yesterday. He didn't want to hurt anyone. But he didn't have energy to say no. He just let Rhysand lead him outside.
Rows upon rows of flowers lined the garden as Rhys lead him to a stone bench. Xander flopped down on the bench. Roses, chrysanthemums, lilies and daisies lined the garden. His thoughts went straight to Elain? How would Elain reshape the garden?
He shoved the thoughts of his twin to the back of his mind and shook his head. "Here," Rhysand extended him a cup of tea. He took the tea and sipped it. The warm tea trickled down his throat. The chamomile soothed his throat. The lemon and mint woke up the taste buds on his tongue. He drained the cup and set it aside.
He cried. He cried as he saw the rose blossoms. He cried for the twin he couldn't save. He cried for the big sisters he couldn't save. He cried for the friend he left behind. He cried for the people he left behind. He cried.
"I couldn't save them," Xander sobbed. "I couldn't save any of them," he repeated. Darkness swept in, soothing gentle darkness surrounded him. Rhys's cold fingers massaged his neck as he cried into his own hands. "I know," Rhys's lip tightened. Not condemning, just understanding.
"When my mother and sister died I was supposed to meet them. But I got held up, I was late to meet them. That was all it took for Tamlin and his family to kill my mother and sister. I had to bury them myself," Xander's eyes shot up to Rhysand's violet ones. He didn't know. Xander didn't know Tamlin's family had slaughtered Rhysand's. Rhys went on. "You will feel that way every day for the rest of your life," Rhysand said. His hand smoothed the brown locks out of Xander's eyes. "Because I have been feeling that way for centuries," he whispered.
