Warner's POV

Chapter 63 (Ignite Me)

Word Count: 1,125

This all feels so strange. Everything is changing in my life right now, everything is getting better, I never thought I would have a chance at a life like this. But now. The elevator doors open, just as I hear Kents voice.
"His name is Paris."
I'm so shocked, stunned with white hot rage that I barely register the words. This isn't happening.
"How did you know that?" I say shocked, the elevator still pinging softly.
Kent blinks fast, surprised, then looks at the rest of them. Theory's and thoughts flood my head and I need answers right now, or someone's going to end up dead and it won't be me.
"How did you know that?" I demand, even more furious. Few things make sense right now, but I know there's only one place where he could get that information. He works for my father. He works for that bastard.
I stride over to him as fast as my legs will allow, I grab his shirt and pin him to the wall. I've always been much faster than him, there's no use in fighting his fate.
Anger clouds my head so fast I forget that Juliette's even in this room. "Who do you answer to, soldier?" I bark out at him, voice loud and full of rage. "Who is your commander?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" He yells, trying to break free from my grasp. No. He's not getting away with this, not for a damn second do I think about letting him free. I grab him with both fists and shove him hard against the wall. I feel a tinge of panic from Juliette, but I don't even think about it.
"How long have you been working for him?" I shout. "How long have you been infiltrating my base —" He knows damn well who I'm talking about.
I barely hear the rush of footsteps coming my way.
"Warner," Juliette says, "please, he's not a spy—" Her voice is panicked.
"There's no way he could know something like that," I say not looking at her, I don't want her to see me like this right now. "Not unless he is a member of the Supreme Guard, where even then it would be questionable. A foot soldier would never have that kind of information—" he's a dead man.
"I'm not a Supreme Soldier," he can barely get the words out, "I swear—" But his promises are worth nothing to me.
"Liar," I bark out angrily, shoving him into the wall even harder. Kents shirt tears slightly and I can almost taste his fear. I have a million questions and I better get an answer. "Why were you sent here? What is your mission? Has he sent you to kill me?" He must've. He didn't join us until we had a plan, until we had valuable information that could be used against us.
"Warner," I hear Juliette call out, her voice is a plea. She runs over to me so that she's in my view. "Please—he's not working for the supreme, I promise—"
"How can you know?" I allow my voice to soften only slightly as I look at her for half a second. Before turning my head toward Kent.
"I'm telling you," I say, "It's impossible for him to know this—"
"He's your brother," she chokes out. "Please. He's your brother. You have the same father."
I stiffen. I must be hearing things because this is impossible, I had to have heard her wrong; there's no other explanation.
I turn to her. "What?" I can barely breath.
"It's true," she confirms. "And I know you can tell I'm not lying." I shake my head, because this is impossible. "He's your brother. Your father was leading a double life. He abandoned Adam and James a long time ago. After Adam's mom died."
I'm so stunned that I drop him to the floor.
"No," I say. I don't even blink as I say it. I stare, as my hands shake.
She turns to Kent, eyes tight. "Tell him," her voice is desperate. "Tell him the truth."
He says nothing. No one moves or breaths.
"Dammit, Adam, tell him!"
Realization hits me like a brick.
"You knew, all this time ?" I say facing her now, my voice still hushed. "You knew this and yet you said nothing?"
"I wanted to—I really, really wanted to, but I didn't think it was my place—"
"No," I say, cutting her off. I shake my head. "No, this doesn't make any sense." My head is trying to fit the pieces together, trying to recall those periods of time that I didn't see him. His claims of being on business trips. "How—how is that even possible?" I look around at the group of people around me. "That doesn't—"
I freeze as my eyes fall on Kent. He's been awfully quiet.
"Tell me the truth," I say. I walk over to him and resist the urge to shake the truth that I've been deprived of for so many months out. "Tell me! I have a right to know!"
Everything stills. Every moment, every breath, every word.
It's true," he says.
Nothing will ever be the same in this world. Nothing.
I step back, my hand flys to my hair. I rub my eyes out of disbelief, my forehead. I run my hand down my mouth and neck. My breath comes in thunderous waves. "How?" I ask after what feels like a millennia.
And he finally speaks. Finally tells me the truth. I can barely believe these words that come out of him.
He tells me about his mother, how my...our father treated him. He tells me about the beatings. Our fathers choosen parenting style.
I finally understand the sudden changes in my father. Why everything went to hell when I turned 6. Nothing and everything makes sense in this moment. This has to be impossible. But I can feel every ounce of truth in his words; can feel his sorrow when he starts on his mothers death. We'll both be orphans by tomorrow, I realize. We've nothing in common, yet we have very close histories.
I feel almost ashamed that he contained his anger better than I did. That he kept his humanity in tact for all of these years.
When he's finished everything and everyone is silent. I don't have any words other than, "I'd like to be left alone for a while."
Kent... my brother... Kent nods and says "I think I need some time too." I retreat to one of the corners of the room, he goes to a different one. The group splits up, no one making a move to come to either of us.