Chapter 6

Brandon woke up in a soft bed, but he felt the eyes watching him and hovering over him, long before he broke free of his sleep.

Voices were murmuring. Talking about him.

Brandon woke up from the darkness that had claimed him, just as Erin’s soft and anxious voice filled the air.

“It’s been almost two days...How is he?”

She asked. She seemed to be talking to Glen....who was standing with Mantilo beside her.

In fact, the room was full of bodies. From Mantilo, Glen and Erin, to Lander, Walter, Nate....and finally Drin.

A sharp twinge hit Brandon in the heart unexpectedly, when his eyes scanned the room...and he didn’t see Ezekiel. For a long moment...Brandon felt bereft. He wanted to see Ezekiel with a sharp ache. He wanted to know that the Guardian was okay. Especially since the last thing Brandon could remember was seeing Ezekiel covered in claw marks and blood.

“I hope he’s okay...” Glen softly said next, her voice cheerless and anxious.

Realizing that no one in the room had realized that he had woken up yet, Brandon shifted, groaned loudly and put a hand to his head. “I...am just fine” he softly answered.

Surprisingly Glen walked up to the side of the bed, grabbed his hand, and squeezed it. A small smile touched her face, and her big green eyes beheld him gently.

“What about your face? Any pain? Do you need water?”

Brandon almost flinched as he saw the angry black eyes of Jacob. Brandon shivered and swallowed as he saw Jacob strike him down in the forest “Everything’s okay...I think.” he told her pulling his hand back from her.

It was at this point that Mantilo let out a massive snarl and shouted at Brandon suddenly, “You think wrong! Nothing is okay boy!”

Mantilo seemed to roar making both Brandon and Glen flinch. His big black eyes slit like a Leopard...and his face clouded in budding rage. With a stiff body, Mantilo marched up in front of Glen, pulling her back from the bed as he continued to yell at Brandon

“Do you have any idea...! Do YOU understand what you have done!?” Mantilo started to rage even louder.

“Mantilo please!” Glen tried to interject, and push back to Brandon’s side. But with yet another snarl Mantilo grasped her small arms in his hands and pulled her further back, speaking to Glen with more authority in his voice than Brandon had ever seen Mantilo use with her.

“No! Don’t Glen! Just don’t!” Mantilo roared at her, silencing all of her protests, but using gentle hand to push her back. “You know that this is far from the time to be willful and gentle!” he told her.

Then with a flash of yellow in his black eyes and with his nostrils flaring in anger Mantilo turned from her...and rounded on Brandon.

“You!” He snarled, looking Brandon in the eyes. “Your actions....have caused pain to my Clan. Unbearable pain! Your actions have brought death and bloodshed to my home!”

Curling back his lips, Mantilo flashed a mouth full of fangs at Brandon threateningly.

“By right as Clan Head....” He continued to say. “I can and should kill you, Brandon! Your life should be forfeit for the acts perpetrated against my people!”

No one spoke after these harsh words. No one seemed able to.

Staring into the rage of the Clan head...Brandon felt his stomach laden with intense remorse. Remorse...and regret.

Barely breathing Brandon looked Mantilo in the eyes and whispered. “Then kill me. I...deserve it.” He said.

Once more the room was blanketed in silence....this time because of what Brandon had said.

Brandon didn’t look at any one. He just waited for the strike to fall, but it never came.

Instead Mantilo rumbled deep in his chest and said. “No, I won’t. You don’t get to run from this...you don’t get to be weak this time....”

With a blink, Brandon looked up at the large man in shock. Then Brandon froze as he saw the expression on Mantilo....and Glens faces. It was sympathy. Brandon felt his inside curdle as he looked around the room and saw that expression painted across the face of the rest of Ezekiel’s family members. He couldn’t stand that expression being directed at him.

“I deserve it....!” Brandon started to say.

Only for Mantilo to snarl and cut him off harshly.

“I accuse you solely of what your actions have created.” The large Shifter hissed, then he took a deep breath and sighed.

“But.....” Mantilo said glancing away from Brandon and down at his wife. “I sense that you’re intentions....were nothing if not innocent. You did not come to my home with the intention of causing harm to anyone....” Mantilo shook his head and turned back towards the bed. “So I will not kill you Brandon, even though children, men and women were murdered because of the circumstances that you hid from me.”

Brandon put a hand up to his chest and clutched at it....He felt like his heart was in a vice. He didn’t want, but somehow he made himself start speaking.

“Im sorry....There were reasons for why I’ve lied to you...” Brandon whispered in reply.

Mantilo hissed again, and his lips thinned in fury.

“And perhaps...” He responded on a small huff “THAT reason is the only reason why I have protected you.” Mantilo stopped and then continued after a long silent pause. “Brandon I need to understand....all of this. Jacob and the Alchemists....and maybe you can even tell me about the Ghouls as well?”

Brandon shivered. After a moment he thought to speak, but Mantilo was not finished.

“But....this is the only opportunity you will ever have to speak with me about these things again. Any more lies that I uncover....and no matter what you tell me today.....it will fall on deaf ears. I demand your honesty! I will not allow my family or my son to be endangered further because of useless lies. You know Ezekiel deserves better...we all do.”

Brandon felt his chest cave in and a javelin of shame and guilt hit him in the gut at such truthful words.

Suddenly...with a soft shuffle of feet across the room....a new body ducked into the room grabbing everyone attention.

“Ezekiel he’s awake, Brandon’s woken up! He’s okay now!” Erin happily called as the blue-eyed Guardian, appeared in the doorway.

Ezekiel was clean and his hair was damp and slicked backwards. IT was apparent that he was fresh from the wash. A denim jacket hung loosely around his shoulders with a white t-shirt beneath...and a long pair of faded jeans finished his attire.

Brandon was overjoyed to see that there were no injuries visible on his face or arms...and that Ezekiel was standing in on his feet after the attack.

The sight of a man had never made Brandon ACHE before, but simply watching Ezekiel move into the room was so heady that the feeling was almost painful.

“Great...So? Mom, Dad what are you going to do with him now?” Ezekiel asked softly as he straightened against the wall next to the bedroom doorway. He didn’t make any attempts to cross the room, or close the gap between his spot and the bed. Between him and the liar that nearly got him killed.

The moment those blue eyes glanced over him and Ezekiel’s strong chin and lips tightened at the sight of him, Brandon had to swallow back the urge to whimper in pain. The alluring blue eyes that had once graced him with understanding and kindness were hardened and cold. The reaction was sharp and visceral. Like a stab to the heart.

There was relief in Ezekiels eyes....but there was also distance. Cool indifference.

No...nothing is okay.

Brandon thought to himself sadly.

If you’re looking at me like that? Then nothing in this world is okay.

IT was at this moment that Brandon decided to get up. He didn’t want to be sitting in the sheets like some frail fawn or appearing like he was using the bed as a shield.

But the moment Brandon sat up, a severe ache lit up his core.

The Flame jabbed him in the gut with a cheap painful hunger pain. The pain was especially harsh considering that Brandon was fresh from being wounded. Brandon was so unprepared for the feeling...that his entire world spun on it axis.

Fluid in his stomach moved northward violently. With a watery gag, Brandon hunched over and clapped a hand to his mouth.

“Careful Brandon!” Nate called as every in the room heard Brandon gag deeply and slap a hand across his mouth. Nate went to grab him and pull him from the bed, but Ezekiel beat his brother to it.

Wordlessly walking over to the bed, Ezekiel wrapped an arm around Brandon’s stomach, and then he half carried, half pulled Brandon up and across the room.

Then Ezekiel put him in the bathroom, depositing Brandon on the floor by the toilet and walked away without saying a single word.

Shit. He’s so mad at me. I didn’t want this...Please don’t hate me...

Brandon internally begged as Ezekiels broad back disappeared from view and the bathroom door swung shut behind him.

But Brandon was too busy leaning across the toilet to think anything else.

With a few more gags, Brandon vomited. Cleaned his mouth in the sink and finally walked out of the bathroom holding his empty throbbing belly in dejection.

Everyone was waiting on him the moment he reappeared from the bathroom. Ezekiels brothers, cousins and parents.

Almost instinctively Brandon’s eyes locked on to one person in that group...who wasn’t even looking at him. Ezekiel was standing back by the bedroom door, his arms and legs were crossed as he leaned back against the wall, staring down in open silence.

AS Brando watched him it appeared that Ezekiel was deep in thought, but the appearance was shattered when Ezekiel suddenly started speaking.

“Brandon it’s time for you to explain yourself.” He softly hissed, still looking down. The edges of his fangs flashing from the side of his mouth. IT was easy for Brandon to see that Ezekiel was trying to control his emotions. His anger.

But even though Brandon could sense the heightened emotions in the air....he knew that both Mantilo and Ezekiel were right....

Too much had happened. Too many had been hurt. Ezekiel himself had been hurt multiple times....because Brandon had held his tongue.

Unable to do anything else but obey at this point, Brandon sighed, ducked his head....and walked back across the room, before he finally pooled down on the edge of his bed...and took a breath. A long moment passed where Brandon tried to raise up his resolve.

Brandon sat back and looked over at Ezekiel while he spoke at all of the other Shifters.

“So....” Brandon asked them. “What....do you want to know?”

“Well...for starters, I guess we all can’t believe what we’ve seen...” Glen suddenly spoke up, breaking into the conversation now that Mantilo had had his say. “Brandon you can heal yourself?” Glen gently questioned, wrapping her small hands around Mantilo’s large upper arm and leaning into him as she looked at Brandon directly.

With a snide chuckle Brandon wiped his hands across his face and sighed. “No Glen....I can feed.” He partially answered and looked down at his lap.

Ezekiels hiss made Brandon glance back up. Blue eyes locked on his face as Ezekiel walked across the room and took up a spot next to his father.

“You can what?” He demanded softly.

But Brandon didn’t speak...he simply, reached down, and ripped the leather gloves encasing his fingers off in an abrupt fashion.

Then Brandon simply choose to take his gloves and quietly sit them on the bedside table.

A moment later every Shifter in the room was stepping back from him.

Glen, Drin and Erin all gasped in surprise as gossamer white light danced up across his wrists, down his arms, danced around his biceps, and fizzled out, only for more gossamer lights to dance forward in its place.

Mantilo hissed and took a step closer to the bed. Brandon knew that the defensive action was more in reaction to the strange sight and hot buzzing current that touched the air....then because Mantilo actually felt threatened.

But he should feel threatened I guess....

Brandon internally rationalized as he looked away.

I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, if I told him that a part of my brain is screaming at me to slaughter every Shifter standing in this room. And yet....If I’m going to tell him about Jacob...and the Ghouls....I’ve got to tell him about the Flame too and about the hunger.....

If he kills me after that....so be it...

Shaking off the sickening guilt that such grim thoughts always managed to cultivate in his twisted heart, Brandon stared down at his ungloved, glowing hands and started to whisper, while he turned his wrists this way and that, letting the vile white light dance across his long fingertips and arms.

A pregnant silence had engulfed the Guardians...so with a forced numbness to his voice Brandon broke the silence. “This is what I can do. I feed...I devour energy....life....essences. With a simple thought...and a touch of my hands I can suck the life out of you.” Brandon softly continued as no one stopped to interrupt him.

“I can probably feed on everyone in this house.” Brandon stopped...and let out a dark giggle. “Hell...” He sighed starting to speak again. “I could probably make a snack out of the whole damn village if you let me!”

At this point Ezekiel seemed to overcome his shock....and step back up to the bed, his eyes locked on the glowing white lights in fascination. “You....eat people? Brandon that doesn’t make any sense...” Ezekiel started to softly inquire and object all at once.

“You don’t believe me!?” Brandon quickly cut in, turning his eyes on Ezekiel. “I don’t really know what to tell you...Do you what a demonstration!? Well sure, I would love to show you....”

Brandon couldn’t help but retort bitterly, curling his hands into glowing fists as he looked away from Ezekiel. “How about it Ezekiel? You got anyone you want me to kill? Let me know because I’m starving!” Brandon finished on a stiff shout. “Maybe when I kill them and drain their bodies youll take me at my word!”

Brandon knew that his heightened response was not because he wanted to be rude or snappy with Ezekiel....but because Brandon couldn’t stand sitting there and being seen for what he really was. A monster.

Glen and everyone else....watched Brandon in shock after his sharp words. Ezekiel watched him with blue expressionless eyes and didn’t try to ask him anything else.

So Mantilo started speaking again.

“Brandon why are you saying these things? Are you saying that your power is in some way lethal to others?” Mantilo grumbled at him. He glanced at the glowing lights around Brandon’s hands, sniffed and shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes before he continued to speak. “But I thought ....from what Ezekiel has told us....you can heal wounds and injuries.” Mantilo tried to clarify. “Tell me, how can a healing energy be dangerous?”