[Legacy of a Martyr #2] Liberation from the Masquerades (A Key Keepers novel)

Episode 42: Regrets

Alain stood in the garden, at the spot where we'd arrived from the other property.

I came out from behind a wall lined with plants. "So, this is where you disappeared to."

"Did you need me?" He kept his back to me. "Otherwise, I'd like peace and quiet."

"Really?" I put my good hand on my hip and raised an eyebrow. "With what's going on, I'd think that's the last thing you'd want right now."

Alain put his hands in his pockets. "Say what you mean."

I moved into his line of sight. "Are you really gonna try that again?"

"So, what if I am?" He smirked. "That hasn't fully healed yet." A strange light shone in his eyes. That was when I noticed he had bags under his eyes. "You can't stop me. We don't know if you would've been able to back then."

What on Engrada was Alain getting at?

I stepped closer. "Duke and Noelle did it."

"Denying that would be pointless." I couldn't read his eyes. "Their words reached me, because they exploited my weakness."

He didn't mean that. I smiled. Everything he did for twelve years was for the sake of his elder sister. She was his life's purpose that whole time. Even now, he probably worried more about her than his friend.

I met his gaze. "You don't truly intend to leave your brother and sister when they need you most." I smirked. "That's not who you are."

"It's my fault she wound up in that condition." Alain clenched his fists. "Until I figure out how to deal with those Locks, I can't endanger her." He gritted his teeth. "I can't go through this again."

I pulled a plastic container out of my pocket. "You know you're being a selfish brat, right? Why do you have to always be the hero?"

"I want to protect my sister." The Key Keeper gritted his teeth. "How is that selfish?"

"She's both your elder sister and the crown princess of Engrada."

"She's my sister, so what?" The young man crossed his arms. "What does her being the Queen have to do with anything?"

I closed the gap between us. "A ruler's job is to guide and protect her people. That's all she did."

"Your point?" Alain rolled his eyes. "I have to protect this world and yours. That's what a Key Keeper does."

I sighed. "Tiana isn't seven anymore. She's going to make her own decisions." I met his gaze. "You can't push her away. Doing that'll only cause you more problems."

Alain smirked. "You're one to talk. That's what you did to Recah after your parents died."

"How do you know I don't regret it?" I turned my back to the Key Keeper. I had my reasons. Still, that didn't make it right. Couldn't Alain see he was making the same mistake?

***

Once I was close to the door to the kitchen, Becca came out from behind a tree. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Yes, Becca." My heart felt like it was made of lead. "I couldn't just let him do it."

"You actually thought he was gonna do it?" She looked at me sideways. "Why?"

I met her gaze. "He's done it to us before. Three times."

"But he did come back." She put her hands on her hips. "If he truly wanted to, he could've returned to Earth, but he cared enough about them to stay."

I moved closer to the door. "We always found him first."

Noelle popped in. "You know one of those times was my fault, right?"

I looked at the sky. One of those times was her fault... Which one...?

"I've known him for two years."

We looked at her sideways. "So, have we."

She shot us a glare and continued. "There were times I knew had to keep him close. If I didn't, he would probably do something rash. I couldn't be sure anyone else would be able to handle it."

"He can be a bit of a handful sometimes..." my sister admitted. "It's like he has a habit of bottling up his feelings 'til he can't anymore."

"He felt like he had to survive." Noelle sighed. "If he didn't, it meant to him that he wouldn't be able to save Phoenix and Tia. He knew even as a five-year-old that people would think they were imaginary or something."

Did he really? How could such a young child even carry such an immense burden? I would've expected most to crack under the strain it surely put on him.

"Noelle?" Becca turned her head. "Why do you call the princess Tia? It seems like only you and Leon call her that."

"I'm not going to bite your head off, sweetie." Noelle took a breath. "It was her parents' nickname for her. Phoenix likely never picked it up as he was still learning to talk when that day came."

I tilted my head. "What would that have to do with it?"

"I don't think we used that name much in front of him after they got out. Makes sense he just stuck to the T he'd already used since he was very little."

I guess it did... T was a very intuitive nickname given her name.

That was when Noelle noticed my wrist. No one had told her about it.

I let her hold it. She was very gentle about it. "I wish you guys had told me about this sooner."

"This really isn't a big deal." I smiled. "Those siblings were your priority as they should be."

"Is there anything you can do for it that we can't?" Becca asked.

She looked at it for a minute. "Of course, I can. I did it for Alain on more than one occasion." She closed her eyes. "Help me, please. Set my mind at ease. Make my day. Take the hurt away."

"Charms?" we asked. "You're not the only one who can do that."

"You're right. I'll not the only one who can use charms." She took a breath. "I do have my own healing powers, though. I'm just wary of using them right now since I just used them to give Tia more strength she can use to recover."

We exchanged glances. "So, you're trying to keep your own strength up, so you can take care of them?"

"Essentially." She brushed her hair out of her face. "I wish I could do more for you, but I just can't manage that right now."

Becca pulled Noelle into a hug.

I smiled. "It's fine. You've done plenty."

"Know that injury won't heal overnight."

We said, "We know."

I went back to my room after that. I needed the rest. I was tired. I let Becca help me get settled, because I was that tired. Maybe I hadn't been sleeping as well as I thought because of my wrist and it was catching up to me.

***

Thoughts on this episode? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!