A Dragon's Heart (Book Three in the APK Trilogy)

Chapter 34 | Unravelling

I am SO excited for this Chapter.
It's longer than I thought it would be so sorry (not sorry). I hope you guys like it and I apologize for any mistakes because I was so eager to get it up I didn't reread it fifty billion times like I normally do.
I hope you enjoy, I am eager to hear your thoughts & theories,
Love Daisy xo

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Chapter 34 | Unraveling

*

' I look inside myself,
and see,
my heart is black.'

- Rolling Stones

*

NATHANIEL

(8 hours earlier)

"Stop looking at the door. No-one is coming to get you."

Nathaniel's eyes flickered away from the door to rest again on the person sitting opposite him. The person, his brother, linked his fingers leisurely together and continued to stare at him, blue eyes guarded and calculating.

His brother.

Nathaniel wasn't sure if he felt like laughing or crying. Here was the person he had been searching for, seated right in front of him as real and tangible as the chair he was currently seated on, but his brother was nothing like Nathaniel had imagined, (or dreamt,) him to be. Nothing at all.

Tobias. That was his name. They were identical in appearance, but Nathaniel was quickly coming to understand that it was there that their similarities ended.

"Why don't you tell me something about yourself this time?" he suggested gently.

Tobias's eyes narrowed slightly. "Like what."

Proceeding with caution, he attempted, yet again, to figure out more about his brothers' situation. "How long have you known Aranel for?"

Tobias tsked and looked away. Not good.

"Alright then," Nathaniel spoke quickly in an attempt to cut off the outburst he sensed coming, "have you ever left this island? Or wanted to?"

Tobias grew still, his long fingers that had been fidgeting with the fraying end of the armchair ceasing their frantic dance. Nathaniel felt his breathing stutter a little as he tried to anticipate how the question would be received.

He didn't know how long it had been since he had awoken and been tossed into this un-consensual game of questions. At first, he had been thrilled to see his brother sitting in front of him, sure that their situations would be the same. However, it did not take long for Nathaniel to realise that he was horribly, terribly, wrong.

Tobias was the one who had ordered Nathaniel to be brought here, although Nate was unsure if Tobias had known about the means. Aranel had tracked Nathaniel down for him, sent out Jhaer and later the 'Circe' imposter to retrieve him.
Nathaniel was unsure how far Tobias was involved with whatever Aranel was scheming and it did not seem as though his brother was going to be forthcoming with the information.
The very fact that Nathaniel seemed to dislike Aranel so greatly actually seemed to be a point of interest for his twin, who, upon giving this information and receiving Nathaniel's crestfallen expression in return, had given him an odd look.

"Is there a problem?" He had asked curiously, ice blue eyes glinting with an emotion Nathaniel could not understand.

"There is," Nathaniel had replied, "Aranel is not a good person Tobias. She wants our Sister dead."