~*Bound*~

~*Foul Play*~

BEAUTIFUL cover made by

XxSweetlyYoursxX

who by the way you should fan!------------------------------------------------------->

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"Nyx, do you know who I am?"

I was puzzled, but I answered the question nonetheless.

"Of course. Your Jer."

He sighed and shook his head side to side. He observed the room a little bit. We had taken a break from the road and we where stopped at a motel. The room was fairly bland. It looked exactly like what it was; a short stop for people on their way somewhere else. The only furniture was a threadbare armchair in the baise corner, and two full size beds with a small sidetable inbetween them, holding only a phonebook and a crumbling Bible. The single bulb in the squeaky ceiling fan contiuened to flicker, giving me a slight headache. I ignored it.

Jer pulled his head reluctantly out of his hands, patted his pockets, and exhaled disappointedely(sp?)

"Nyx, I'm-" His mouth began to open then shut again. He couldn't seem to place what exactly he wanted to say.Finality on his face, he braced himself, turned towards me and met my gaze.

"Nyx, I am Erik's brother."

My jaw dropped. I heard a little pop as it reached it's limit. My hands shook uncontrollably. There was a feeling bubbling up inside me, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was. Whatever it was, it was strong. I didn't even know what happened until it happened. My arms were around his neck, and I had planted several tiny kisses on his cheeks. I was practically in his lap. He face betrayed how completely shocked he was.

I was grateful, that Tyler wasn't my only connection with him anymore.

Reality finally hit me, and I sat back down on the bed, disappointed.

"Whats wrong Kitty?"

I didn't even want to look at him anymore. He was lying. Toying with my emotions. My throat began to ache from tears about to fall. I bit my cheek:hard. I started to bite my cheek instead of my tongue, since it was only meat now. A warm hand guided my face toward him. My head wouldn't turn; he had an iron grip on me.

"Talk to me. I know this has to be... well....ah.. different than what you might have imagined.

Different. That couldn't even leave a dent on what I was feeling.

But, if he's not Erik's brother, than who is he?

My question snapped me out of my hurt and longing.

And why did he want me to think that?

"Why are you lying to me?"

My words were supposed to sound loud and confident. But even I heard the tremor of hurt in them.His face showed nothing. Just like I thought. Lying. I bit my cheek even harder.Why did I even begin to think he wouldn't lie to me, or hurt me? How stupid can one person get? Even *third levels know not to talk to strangers. My barely beating heart crashed against the side of my ribcage, and I cringed at the blow.

A intake of breath brought me back to my question, still hanging in the stuffy air. I snook a glance at Jer to find him a little bewildered, but he was also concentrating.

"Nyx, I'm not lying to you, nor would I ever want to. Kitty, I am Erik's brother."

"Then why haven't I ever met you? Why did he never talk about you? And if you were his brother, why didn't he leave me to you instead of Tyler?"

I breathed back in all the air I had lost. My words had blended together but he still seemed to piece together what I had said.

He ran his fingers through his hair, patted his pockets, and let out a small sigh of disappointment. I felt a ritual coming on. With his head back in his hands, he said,

"There's just so muchyou don't know Kitty," He chuckled softly to himself before continuing, "and I just don't know how to tell you. In the right words. Woudn't want you to go through some sort of shock."

"Answer my question. Questions." I corrected myself, and waited not-so-patiently for a answer.

" I am Erik's brother. My dad and Erik's mother were married. I was born, and my dad decided this wasn't the place he wanted me to grow up, while my mom was pregnant with Erik. They had a huge fight over it, until one morning my father just left.

With me.

Leaving my mom in a society where women didn't know what to do without thre man. She got re-married quickly, and had Erik. They never spoke again."

He gauged my reaction as I absorbed this new, proposterous idea. I nodded slowly to signal I was ready for more. He sighed again and resumed.

"My father brought me to Russia. I had no contact with my brother until I was 17. Dad didn't talk about them alot, but he explained why he left, and about my mother and Erik. He believed I should always be informed about family, in contact or not.

Erik and I? We only talked twice. Apparently our mom told Erik about me, and he sent an *infore telling me to feel free to visit Panem. I came about a month later. He was 16 at the time, around the time he first started courting you. He told me a little about you, but not much. On Kitty, but he had his mind set on you. I had to change the subject to get him off. He did want to put me in his will, leaving you to me, but I declined. I find the whole idea of owning someone sickening.

Oh, nothing to do with you Kitty, just, I feel women should have their own rights."

He stopped again, but I wanted more. My head immediatly perked up when I heard Erik's name.

"When I went back home, we didn't talk until about six weeks ago. He called me to tell me he left you to Tyler. I was confused, wondering why he sounded so nervous. He told me he had to go, and hung up. I came to town, and when I got here, he was dead."

I flinched at the harsh word. People mostly just said 'past away' or ' gone on to a better existence'. The word dead just made it so, so real.  He continued, not seeing my quick body jerk.

"I couldn't believe it. I had only seen my only brother once, and when I come a second time, he's not here. I looked into his death. You know those details, so fortunatley I don't have to explain that-"

He cut off when he saw my face. My eyes were squeezed shut, trying to erase the picture that was forever branded on my mind.

Blood tracked all the way to the living room.

Following it to find it's donor.

Seeing him crumpled on the floor.

Unmoving.

Crying wasn't an option. I had nothing to cry. I was sick of hearing myself cry. God, I'm annoying.I simply sobbed dryly while Jers arms circled my waist, saying sorry, that he shouldn't have brought it up. I'm not sure how long we sat like that, but after a little bit, I began to think. I need to stop crying.I was sick of it. I was sick of hearing myself cry. God, I'm annoying.  My little episode over, I nearly begged for him to tell me more. With one last piting look, he ripped me apart.

"Nyx, he was murdered. And, Nyx, I'm going to track that bastard down. But I need you. I suspect foul play."

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ooook

*third level- kind of like third grade, but it means you are on the third level of training. There are 17 levels, one for each year of life.