How to be of shadow and light (bxb)

Chapter 27- Truth sets you free

A/N exciting stuff ahead sorry if any of this contradicts previous chapters but I'm fairly sure it doesn't. Quick side note this is getting pretty long and I'm wondering whether to split this into two books. Don't fret updates will be the same but I would love your opinions. There will be at least five more chapters anyway so just let me know in the comments, thanks

Alec pushed still surface with his bare feet sending ripples dancing over it. He sighed and kicked the water angrily but it did not relieve his anguish. Trying to find what was bothering him was so difficult when a torrent of different emotions stirred in his chest. They hurled at each other battling to be the top priority like tom cats spitting at one another.

There was grief but that was old news. Sadness at the loss of Fern. Annoyance at the lack of progress in finding his brother and the source of the voice in his head. "Buck up dearest you're starting to make me feel gloomy," it said sarcastically only making him more irritated. Every time it spoke it gave him a nasty feeling in his mind. Like the irksome tickle of a whisper in your ear.
Still it was right for all that was worth, he really did have to try to look at the positives. Perhaps his brother would know how to deal with the issue of his power problem and he could finally be rid of the feeling of it weighing down on him. When he didn't do anything for a while it was almost like he couldn't breath.
That's why he'd been practising some nature magic that the castors had taught him. Mostly his affinity was with plants and bending them to his will. They were more complaint than things that felt they had more important business. He could also transform but that only worked if he had seen the beast before and he could not make an identical copy of anything so it couldn't b used as a camouflage. There was always some feature that made him stand out like a sore thumb.
Across the water Fai sat brooding. He too was facing inner conflict but it wasn't anything like Alec's. A knot was tightening and untightening itself in his chest as he shot furtive wistful glances at the leshy across he water. He watched in curiosity as the other boy summoned a beautiful rainbow coloured fish to him and started talking to it. To Alec it was a completely normal thing bu for Fai it was a novelty that would never wear off.
The leshies midnight hair hung in a tangled mess over his back, it had grown much longer since they first met. Fai loved to style his own hair as it took lots of upkeep to take care of the glowing sheet of light that contained lots of his power. Now that Fern was gone he didn't have the usual therapy of brushing her fur that relaxed him so much.
Alec's intense green eyes locked onto Fai's luminescent ones and he beckoned for him to come to his side of the lake. Fai instantly broke the eye contact the knot getting tighter but he jogged over nonetheless.
"Hey."
"Hello goth boy what can I do for ya." Fai asked in his usual chirpy manner though Alec could sense there was something going on with him.
"Some company would be great if you wouldn't mind."
"Sure." They sat in silence for several moments not needing to say anything. It was nice and comfortable.
"Fai where did you live before you met Phoebe?" Alec asked quietly. He knew it had been a sore spot for the illuceo for some time and he waned to clear the air. Fai flinched at the mere mention of that time in his life. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to" Alec rushed on. "It's just I know it's kind of the dragon in the room for you. I'm just saying if you want to get it off your chest I won't judge you."
Fai thought about it. His past was something he preferred not to talk about and guarded closely. In truth he was a little ashamed of it.
"I was kidnapped when I was no more than a month old. My father was killed, my mother and siblings taken with me. We were smuggled in sacks with no food or water for two days. Then we were taken to cells where we spent the next two years. The purpose was to train us to become slaves. We were taught to; do what your told, not ask questions, that no request was too scandalous. My morals were invalid." He ground his teeth at that and ran shaking fingers through his hair. Alec laid a hand on Fai's and gave him a small smile prompting the Illuceo to continue.
"We were valuable you see. Illuceo's were prized by castors because we boost their magic in the night. It's the perfect defence against curseds despite the fact we were all part cursed from my father who was a vampire prince." Alec gave him a look of surprise and tried to imagine a creature of such darkness getting along with one of such light. "Odd I know," Fai chuckled wistfully recalling what little he knew of his parent.
"Out of my mothers six children only two survived. Me because I was given extra care as a babe because I would be the most easily manipulated they thought. Then there was my sister Osmund who was the eldest at twelve and therefore the strongest. She also one of a set of twins who were the only ones to carry both vampire and Illuceo traits. The others unfortunately all fell to illness from the dank unhygienic conditions. My mother was killed on the day we left as she was no longer of any use to them. She was too strong willed. I remember they used to have a long corridor that they'd take you down to kill you. We watched many go and none came back. Even so she walked it with admirable composure. I had no composure though and they dragged me from our cell screaming and my sister wept bitterly."
They paused for a moment after that and Fai wiped away the ghost of an old tear. Alec wished he could say something to comfort his friend but he knew there were no words for what he'd gone through.
"I was paraded in front of a jeering crowd at a black market and eventually bought for 150 gold pieces along with a trade in of an old purchase. She was a harpy of eighteen and her eyes were empty, it showed me what lay ahead. The man who bought me was in his mid twenties and came from a very rich castor family in a village much like your old home. You may have heard of the Kern's."
Alec had and loathed them. He had met the Kern's at many social gatherings and he was forced to play with their youngest son who loved to make fun of the loner as well as beating him with a wooden fight during 'duels'. As soon as he was old enough to refuse to go he fled to the woods whenever he heard they were coming. The rest of the Kern line was even worse.
"Well I was enlisted as a sort of guard dog. I was treated wonderfully by Andel who I was gifted to. We grew up together as brothers, he brought me treats and snuck me into the mansion on bitterly cold winters nights so I didn't have to freeze in the barn with the other hounds. The idea was that I would develop loyalty to him and would fight to protect him, it worked. However I wasn't treated well by anyone else. To his brothers I was a punching bag and I was beaten regularly to 'toughen me up'. To his sisters I was a doll and if I ever misbehaved around them then Gods help me. By age fourteen I'd had enough, I couldn't take it anymore and Andel knew it. He helped me escape."
Admiration for his old master shone in Fai's eyes. He was easy to please and if someone brought him great joy he was unlikely to forget it. "Did you find your sister again after that," Alec asked him hopefully.
"Despite my best efforts no. I found out later through Phoebe's connections that she was bought for her beauty then used up till there was none left. She was killed by one of her masters." He sighed.
"I was then kidnapped on the road and brought to another market. Thankfully Phoebe was there and bought me. I expected more mal treatment but she helped to heal me instead as she's done for many others over the countless years she's lived for. As she says she like broken things," he said with a faint smile.
"Thank you for telling me all that Fai it really means a lot that you entrusted me with it all," Alec said giving the tanned hand under his pale one a small squeeze of reassurance. He went to remove it before things got awkward but Fai stopped him. His golden fingers entwined with Alec's porcelain ones and the knot in Fai's chest loosened by a fraction.
"I like you Alexi," he blurted in a rush. It was like a stone dropped into the pit of his stomach and a wave of cold washed over him. Why had he said that? Now the leshy would hate him, he'd ruined their friendship the only true one he'd ever had. Andel was his master so that barely counted and Alec had been nothing but kind to Fai even putting up with his teasing.
"What sort of a like candlestick," Alec asked cautiously as usual keeping his emotions tight to his chest. Still there was some jest in his voice that was more usual of Fai. Alec didn't normally partake in 'banter' but he'd been called goth boy one too many times.
Fai's face was an interesting shade of crimson at that moment in time. The blush spread down to his throat and up to the tips of his ears although the embarrassment that had caused it seemed to make up every aspect of his being. Still he managed to regain his usual swagger as a smirk spread across his lips.
"Sorry goth boy I cant let that candlestick remark slide," he giggled mischievously. That's when the gap between them narrowed and Fai captured Alec's lips with his own.
Alec broke away and the knot in Fai's chest became so taught he felt something was about to break. Perhaps it was his heart perhaps what was left of his soul that so many had tried to crush.
"That was my first kiss," Alec admitted with a grin, it set Fai at ease.
"Me too goth boy."
They sat in comfortable silence for a little while Alec growing roses while Fai braided the midnight hair that had inspired the goth boy nickname. Their contentment was blissful but short lived.
"Should we get back to searching for your brother again."
"Oh yeah," Alec laughed.
"What?"
"I almost forgot about him."
"Come on love birds I want to get moving," Phoebe called and the two boys gave her sheepish smiles. Once she'd turned her back they both lapsed into giggles before setting off once more on their journey."

A/N hey guys sorry for the mushy stuff but what can I say people love a gay couple. It's probably why most of you are reading this. Trust me I'm not one for romance at all so I relate to those of you who don't want to see much of it. I'll give you a break from it in the next chapter lol