The Brotherhood: Awakening - Gay/College/Fantasy

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The Brotherhood Awakening is the 2nd book in The Brotherhood Series. It's a work in progress, as such, the chapters will come out slowly compared to the revised version of TBH, but faster than the initial 10+ years it took me to finish the original series.

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The Brotherhood Awakening Chapter XXIX By X

Dawn snuck up on me before I knew it. The first rays of morning light pierced through the cloudy sky and splashed across my eyes. It was like I was being watched from on high - perhaps being judged for my nocturnal activities. Was my judge, juror, and executioner out there somewhere waiting to balance the scales of justice once again? I suppose that could pose a real problem - if I believed in any of that nonsense.

Unlike Sunny, who was eager to escape into his dream realm the second his head hit the pillow, I couldn't sleep. Not out of some sense of guilt or remorse. Quite the opposite, actually. I was contemplating whether I should feel any guilt or remorse. But the fact was, no matter how many times I merry-go-round last night in my head, I came to the same irrefutable fact. I was quite pleased with the previous night's extracurricular activities.

Those men were insects, and I was the boot.

Yet, Drew's life was precious to me and worth protecting. I could still feel that as strongly as I did when I first saw his file in the caf . So, as I lay there staring back at the rays trying to cast light on my sins, I realized I had learned an essential lesson in the last twenty-four hours.

I am El'odian.

I am Akuzio.

I am Jacob.

And I regret nothing.

Another person who didn't seem to have any regrets last night was Arsen. If I didn't know better, one might have convinced me I was hanging out with his twin brother. Snapping sex trafficker's necks was certainly not on the "Arsen Bingo" card last time I checked. I was insanely curious about what my boys had been up to at the Brotherhood house. Was Ant out there snapping necks? Was CJ? I couldn't picture it! And yet that appeared to be the new reality. Fuck me!

Still, it was nice seeing Sunny and Arsen getting along. If you could call a late-night massacre getting along, I suppose. Hell, at this point, I'll take anything. I can't say I was totally surprised by Sunny's olive branch. Zac is forever Sunny's Achilles heel. To show him genuine kindness, no matter how small, is the quickest way to melt Sunny's icy exterior. With that in mind, Arsen was a blazing inferno - pun intended.

Speaking of Sunny. I had no intention of dragging him along to the firing squad. After watching him sleep soundly, I vanished and reappeared down the hall from my room. I could already hear him yelling at me for going to face the music without him. He'll get over it.

Of course, it would all be for nothing if Raz wasn't in his office because Sunny would find me and attach himself like glue. Luckily, Raz always struck me as the early-to-rise kind of guy. The nuclear option would've been to go to his room and knock on his door at that godforsaken hour. Then it occurred to me I didn't know where his room was in The Club or if he even had one there. He must, right?

"Ah, shit!" I mumbled, laying eyes on his empty office. "Now I get to play hide-and-seek with Sunny all morning."

"Aren't you a little old for that?" Raz's voice boomed from behind me.

I spun around and watched him approach. I was both happy and terrified to see him.

"Or did Zac con you boys into playing again?" I snickered nervously. "To be fair, he didn't con us. He won the bet fair and square." "We're talking about our Zac, right?" Raz grinned. "Yeah." "He conned you." Slapping my arm as he walked past, Raz went into his office and held the door open for me. "What can I do for you, Jacob?"

"I'm here to talk about our mission."

He glanced at his watch. "I didn't expect your report this early and without Sunny."

"I thought it best if you heard what I had to say as soon as possible."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "But why no Sunny?"

"I didn't want him falling on his sword for me."

"I see," he nodded again, but his time was slower and more deliberate. "Well, come in and have a seat. Consider my curiosity piqued."

I did as I was told and sat down, watching Raz as he sat beside me. I didn't expect that. I eyed his empty chair, which seemed to loom large over the room without him in it, and then slowly looked back at him. His honeyed eyes looked friendly enough, but I knew how quickly that would change when he heard what I had to say.

I didn't know how to begin, so we stared at each other for a while until Raz finally spoke.

"One of us has to say something, Jacob," he teased. "And since you came here to make your report, I think it's only fair that it be you."

"I can see how that makes sense," I acknowledged.

"You don't agree?" Raz asked.

"Agree. Disagree. Those terms can be nebulous."

"Not really. I think their meaning is quite clear."

"I guess you're right."

"Imagine that," Raz smiled.

"Hey, are these new chairs?" I asked, tapping the armrest. "They're comfy."

"Nope." Raz shook his head. "Same old chairs. Same old office."

"Oh. They feel new."

"Is that so?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Oh hey, is that a new..." I was reaching for his stapler when he interrupted and grabbed my hand.

"Jacob..."

"Wow. So soft," I said about his hand. "That's good skin care right there."

I felt a gentle squeeze before he released my hand, and I don't know why, but that made all the difference.

"Okay, before I get into it, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you already know what I'm about to say?"

Raz raised his brow curiously but didn't answer.

"It's just that I know whether it's The Sanctum or The Brotherhood; you guys have a way of knowing things before knowing them, you know what I mean?"

"What I do or don't know is irrelevant right now, Jacob," Raz replied. "I recall you saying you wanted me to hear what you had to say. Right now, hearing from you is all that matters to me."

"Oh, that's good," I nodded. "I see you've done this before."

"Once or twice," Raz shrugged.

"Okay, just let me get it all before you get mad and start yelling. Deal?"

"I don't yell, but deal."

"Oh god. You'll do the disappointed dad thing, which is way worse."

"So I've been told, but you were saying about your report?"

I laid myself bare to Raz, explaining everything to the most minor and insignificant details. If I was going to get in trouble, I didn't want to be accused of leaving anything out to save my ass. I elevated Sunny, and rightfully so. I made it clear he was "on mission" from the get-go despite me becoming an obstacle. In fact, I went on so much about Sunny that Raz had to cut me off at one point to assure me he "got it" and Sunny would suffer no repercussions. He praised my commitment to Sunny, our commitment to each other, and how our bond had grown beyond measure over the last several weeks.

That pleased him greatly.

My actions, on the other hand? Not so much. He had yet to comment on it, but I could tell he was troubled.

I ended with, "That's everything that happened. Scouts honor."

"Hmmm..." Raz grumbled, his eyes fixed on me like he was a painting, unable to move them. "Was the pie really that good?"

What the...

"Amazing. Best pie I've ever had."

"I see. I have the memory of it, of course, but I haven't had the chance to partake. You didn't bring some back with you, by chance?"

"No...I'm afraid not."

"Shame," Raz ruminated and then pointed at me. "I'll tell you what, though. It would be in your best interest not to mention it to Ms. Cynthia. She'll have more than a few strong words to share for not bringing her back a slice."

"I wasn't planning on it before, but I certainly won't now."

"Smart man," Raz said. "As for everything else, well..." He threw his hands out as if to say, What am I supposed to say?

I don't deny squirming in my seat, waiting for the hammer to drop.

"You were tasked with a mission to eliminate a potential threat to The Sanctum, and as far as I'm concerned, you completed your objective successfully. You even get extra points for being creative and thinking outside the box."

Not exactly the hammer I was expecting.

"Really?" I couldn't help but smile, and I think my voice cracked.

"But you lose all your points for bringing the Nave into Sanctum business."

"Oh..."

"Look, I'm all for my guys getting creative when presented with a problem," Raz continued. "I understand that not every problem is a nail and not every solution is a hammer, but we can't go so far off the beaten path that lines begin to blur. Regardless of the outcome, Jacob, bringing a Nave into this was not the right call. You do understand that, correct?"

I nodded involuntarily.

"I understand you were faced with a difficult decision," Raz said as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. "I'm not going to sit here and pretend we hold any love for the humans outside our walls, but when it comes to a child, any child...it hits differently. A child is innocence personified. That boy, Drew, was innocent. He didn't ask to be dragged into our conflict, and he certainly didn't ask to be born an Aberration, but those are the hard decisions we must make to win this war." Raz's voice was calm and measured. I couldn't tell if he was angry, making me feel worse. "We have to be able to count on you and every other brother, El'odian or human, to do their part, or it all falls apart."

Raz stood, walked behind his desk, and searched the top left drawer. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he sat down and went through the right one. His eyes widened suddenly like he had just hit the jackpot when he found what he was looking for. It was a box of two hundred paper clips. Placing the box on the desk, he spun it once before picking it up and dumping the clips into a pile.

"Sometimes a mission is just a mission," Raz said, picking up a single gray paper clip and turning it black while looking at me through the bent metal. "Success is always preferred, of course, but failure is possible. The ramifications of a failed mission can vary, but they're usually more manageable."

"Compared to what?" I asked.

"When a mission is not just a mission." Raz dropped the black clip onto the pile, causing the rest to splash like he dropped a rock into a puddle. The paper clips swirled in the air as they began connecting. "Sometimes a mission is part of an elaborate web of missions, all connecting and intersecting, meticulously planned out over weeks, months, and sometimes years to achieve a greater goal."

When Raz was done speaking, the paper clips formed an elegant and impressive structure. It was like a house of cards but clips instead. I was amazed that the whole thing didn't come crashing down.

"Are you doing that?" I asked.

"Doing what?"

"Keeping it up like that."

"No," Raz said as he leaned back against his chair. "Each paper clip has a purpose. Each one position exactly where it needs to be to hold up the rest."

"Each representing a brother's role in the bigger picture," I added.

"Exactly," he nodded thoughtfully. "Sometimes you may not be made aware of the bigger picture to protect you, your brothers, and the intended outcome."

"Need to know and all that," I said, swallowing hard.

Did I just cost us a major operation?

Raz nodded again. "Now, say you were the black clip and could not complete your mission as intended."

I spotted the black paper clip before he mentioned it. My eyes were fixed on it. It was part of the right corner, a collection of clips helping to support the rest of the structure.

"What happens when you pull it out?" he asked.

"The whole thing collapses," I answered.

"Does it?" Raz shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I've never done this before. Why don't you pull it out, and we can see what happens."

"We know what will happen," I insisted, moving my eyes to meet Raz's. "Your point is well taken. Please tell me I didn't screw up something that's been building for a while."

He smiled. "Don't worry, Jacob. Your mission was just a mission."

I breathed a sigh of relief and melted back into my chair. "Thank god." After a few minutes, I sat up and waited for him to say something more.

He didn't. Raz sat, marveling at his paper clip creation.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "What happens now?"

"What would you like to happen?"

"Well, I'd like to know how much trouble I'm in, for one," I replied sheepishly.

"Why would you be in trouble?"

"Well, I..."

"You completed your mission successfully."

"Yeah, but..."

"I can't go around punishing success, Jacob," Raz said, looking at me like I was nuts for even asking. "That would be kind of weird, don't you think?"

"I guess." I looked around the room, confused. A clown jumping out of Raz's closest would be less surprising than how lenient he was with me. "So...that's it?"

"That's it."

"I don't understand."

"What exactly don't you understand?"

"All of this," I said, waving my hands. "Shouldn't you be yelling or something?"

"My disappointed dad tone wasn't enough?"

"It was."

"Okay then."

"Aren't you at least going to ask if you'll be able to count on me to do what needs doing next time?"

"No," Raz said dismissively.

"Why not?" I demanded vehemently.

"Because I already know I can, Jacob. It would be a bit redundant. Listen, if you want me to yell at you, I can if it will make you feel better."

"Well, no, I don't want that."

"Okay, now I'm confused."

"Never mind," I sighed. "You've made this whole situation weird."

"I've made this weird? Me?"

"Can I ask you something?" I sat forward and looked at Raz through the paper clips.

"I might regret it later, but sure."

"Was all this a test?" I asked. "The Drew mission, I mean. Did you purposely give us that assignment to see if we could go through with it?"

"No, I did not, Jacob," Raz assured me; his buttery voice was soothing like a lullaby. "I knew a mission was coming down the pipeline soon, and I had already decided to assign it to you and Sunny before I even saw the file."

"Really? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You two have grown very close and work well together. I wanted to see how your dynamic would work out in the field."

"So, it was a test."

"Of your dynamic, not your ability to complete it."

I nodded, broke eye contact, and looked down at the floor. "Were you disappointed?"

"Not at all," Raz said. "As suspected, you complement each other well.

"But in the end, we didn't agree," I reminded him.

"Sometimes brothers don't agree, and that's okay."

"But the mission..."

"Ultimately, the mission would have been completed even without Naverian intervention. This I know."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You are your brother's keeper, Jacob. There is no world where I see you failing each other. That is the bond that makes us El'odian. That bond will always overcome."

Was that true? Not our bond. Of that, I have no doubt. But would I have stepped aside and allowed Sunny to do what needed to be done in the end? Would I have done it for Sunny's sake? I didn't want to think about it because I might have discovered an unpleasant answer.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking Raz in the eyes. "I shouldn't have gone outside The Sanctum. I jeopardized the mission, and more importantly, at least to me, I could've tarnished Sunny's standing with The Sanctum. That would've been unforgivable."

"But you don't regret saving the boy's life?"

"I don't."

"Nor should you," Raz acknowledged with a smile. "This is the one time you get to have your cake and eat it too. But next time..."

"I know, I know. If there's an issue, either we resolve it on the spot or I come to you. Either way, leave the Nave out of it. Got it!"

"Good." Raz sounded pleased. "Besides, calling Qua'quelle didn't do him any favors, I'd imagine."

"Meaning what?"

"Well..." Raz shifted in his seat and gave me a curious look. He seemed surprised I hadn't considered what he was about to say. "Qua'quelle came to your aid by removing the Anavi from the child, correct?"

"Yes..." I don't know why I hesitated.

"If the Nave had found young Drew before we did, they would've protected the boy and observed his development from a distance. If he were determined to be Brotherhood material, they'd have brought him into the fold, adding to their ranks. Qua'quelle prevented that from happening. I imagine his brothers aren't too pleased right now."

I nodded, but it didn't make sense to me. As I understood it, the Nave could turn any human. They didn't need an Aberration to increase their numbers. Raz had to know that, right? I looked at him.

"Something wrong?" He asked. "You look like you're doing calculus in your head."

"Maybe I'm the idiot, but..."

I paused for a beat. Then another.

"Jacob?" Raz waved a hand in front of my face.

"Uh, sorry. Too much time with Sunny, I guess; I was waiting for his smartass comeback."

Raz smiled and shook his head. "Maybe you should take your show on the road."

I blushed but pushed ahead. "I don't get the problem. Drew is still around, and if he grows up to be a top-tier candidate for the Brotherhood, couldn't they turn him later?"

"Sure," Raz said.

"Okay, then it's still score one for the Nave."

"Yes, but that's not the score they want," Raz said cryptically.

I was about to drop a string of questions when Raz raised his hand to cut me off. "Jacob, you're aware that when an El'odian passes on their gift to a human, it can take that El'odian up to a hundred years or more to pass on the gift again?"

I nodded.

"That's not the case with an Aberration. The seed has already been planted. Ideally, it will flourish on its own, but if not, the Nave can provide a little light to make it bloom. Therein lies the problem. Do you understand?"

The gravity of the situation finally hit me like a brick. "Now I get it. You're saying a Nave can awaken an Aberration with minimal power, enabling the same Nave to turn another human without needing a century-long wait."

"Precisely, Jacob," Raz granted. "And in a war of numbers..."

"They get a two-for-one. Minimum. And we get the disadvantage," I interrupted.

"Now, do you understand why eliminating Aberrations is a top priority?"

"I'm beginning to see the bigger picture," I conceded timidly.

"And there's more to consider, as far as the Nave are concerned, anyway," Raz added. "That boy could've been the key to winning this war for all we know."

"How so?"

"When it comes to war, everyone remembers the big names. The George Washingtons, the Alexander the Greats, the Julius Caesars of history. For us, it's the Eolaeis', the Zenials, the Qua'quelles..."

"The Razs..." I coughed into my fist.

He smirked but didn't say anything about my comment. "No one remembers the ordinary soldier, who, through his one heroic act, has the potential to shift the tides of war to his side. That could've been Drew. He could've been their George Washington. Was it likely? Probably not, but it wasn't improbable. That's all to say that when you're playing chess, you don't remove your own pieces off the board because if you're going to do that, you might as well surrender."

"And I'm the idiot who forced Q to remove it."

"I wouldn't go that far," Raz insisted, looking at me through the gaps in the paper clip structure. "I don't imagine anyone forces Qua'quelle to do anything."

My eyes lost all focus as my mind slipped into hell. I tried to acknowledge Raz, but my throat was too tight to speak. I was furious at myself for not thinking beyond my selfish needs. For not considering the difficult position I put Q in.

For not considering him at all. Not for one second.

I started to see red. It was all about me and my inability to handle my own shit. And now Q is getting chewed out for weakening the Nave to help his Skai boyfriend.

I'm such a piece of shit!

I felt a warm hand shake my leg.

"Jacob, are you okay?"

I was so out of it that I never saw Raz get up and sit beside me again. Maybe he didn't get up and just appeared next to me. I don't know. Doesn't matter. Either way, I wasn't conscious enough to see it.

Raz shook my leg harder. I blinked, and the red faded away. I was back in the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, why?"

"My armrests beg to differ..."

"Huh?" I raised my hands and soon realized I was still clutching the armrest. I didn't remember tearing them off the chair. "Holy fuck! I'm so sorry, Raz!"

"It's okay, Jacob."

"I'm so sorry! I'll fix it! I'll get you a new set."

"Jacob, relax," Raz said, squeezing my shoulder before taking the armrest out of my hands.

The pieces disappeared from his hands and reappeared in their rightful place on the chair. "There. Good as new."

"Raz, I'm so, so..."

"If you say sorry again, I'm going to make you disappear, you hear?" Raz teased.

I nodded.

"Don't overthink it, Jacob," Raz said. "And I'm not talking about the chair. Whatever happened with Qua'quelle, if anything, I have no doubt he handled it just fine. I didn't mean to worry you. That wasn't my intent."

"No, it's not your fault. It's... like I said, I'm fine."

"Regardless, I apologize for upsetting you."

I was about to reassure him that he had nothing to apologize for, but he cut me off.

"I only mentioned Qua'quelle because I wanted you to consider that sometimes actions have far- reaching consequences beyond the here and now. Do you get what I'm saying?"

I looked at his paper clip art. "Trust me, I do now."

"Good. Now buck up." He tapped my leg a few times before sitting back in his chair. "Is there anything else you need?"

I shrugged. "No, not really. Thanks."

Raz didn't say or do anything. I could see him watching me out of the corner of my eye. It was like he knew there was something else. He was right.

"I have a question, actually."

"Shoot."

"How many Aberrations are there in the world?"

"Honestly, it's hard to say," Raz answered, slightly surprised. It probably wasn't the question he was expecting. "Our best people haven't been able to reach a consensus since we learned about them. But...it's widely believed to be in the ballpark of a few hundred thousand, give or take."

"Damn! That's a lot."

"Not really," Raz pondered. "When you consider the number of humans alive today, Aberrations are but a few grains of sand on the beach."

"Can't be easy tracking them down."

"You'd be correct."

"How often does an Aberration evolve into a full-blown Nave without external help?"

"Since awakening four thousand years ago, we've chronicled eleven instances of humans awakening into Nave - not including the Prime Awakening."

"The Prime Awakening?" I asked. "Sounds like a metal band."

He laughed. "You don't know much about our awakening, do you?

"I know it happened around four thousand years ago, like you said, and Prince Zenial was the first to wake up.

"That's the when and who." Raz sat forward and pressed his fingers together. "I'm asking about the how and why."

"I have no idea," I conceded. "But I bet it has something to do with this prime thingy."

"The Prime Awakening," Raz chuckled. "It's what El'odians call the event that set us on our new path on Eiyr. Zenial was indeed the first El'odian to awaken but not the first El'odian to walk amongst humans. Not counting the..."

"The Great Mother!" I said quickly.

"This isn't bingo, Jacob."

"Sorry."

"But yes, The Great Mother lived amongst humans for thousands of years before our awakening. She was alone. The only one of our kind...until the Prime Awakening."

"Now you're just teasing..."

Raz smirked, then continued. "Some four thousand years ago, a set of twin boys were born to a Germanic tribe living in the area now known as G strow. There was nothing special about their birth, nothing we would consider noteworthy in the modern age. But these were humans who looked for meaning where there was none. So, of course, a set of twins born under the haze of a lunar eclipse had to be a sign from the gods."

Raz rolled his eyes at the idiocy of it all. I agreed with him. But one could argue it was a bit ironic for an El'odian to belittle someone for believing in the gods.

But then again, we've met ours.

"The twins were special to their people, practically deified," Raz's voice held a hint of disgust.

"How do you know all this?" I asked. "Everyone was still sleeping, right?"

"We were," Raz raised his brow sharply, challenging me to think it through.

"Ah, of course," I said, snapping my fingers. "The Great Mother."

"The twins lived like kings. Over time, their father used their position to set himself up as Chieftain. And if you overlook their warring nature with a half dozen rival tribes, all was well for the next twelve years." I laughed. Humans.

"But then came the famine, followed quickly by disease and failed crops."

"Of course," I said matter-of-factly.

"Strange how those always go together, huh?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "I don't think it rained frogs, but you get the idea. Their plight had all the hallmarks of angry deities on the warpath. The tribe was quick to identify the cause."

"The twins."

"Yes. The tribe had placed the boys so high on a pedestal that they nearly reached the heavens, offending their gods. The tribesmen were forsaken - cast out from their god's embrace. There was only one path to absolution."

"Oh god," I groaned.

"The twins would be sacrificed to the gods just after their thirteenth year, coinciding with another lunar eclipse. Terrified and alone, they were hauled before their father, the Chieftain, who would offer his sons to the gods. Their mother looked on as committedly as their father."

"That is so fucked..."

"Indeed," Raz agreed with a nod. "A tragedy, to be sure, but one we, as El'odians, needed. When the time came, the twins clung to each other with every ounce of their strength, crying and begging for their parents to intervene. Their pleas fell on deaf ears. As they were forcefully pulled from their embrace, they locked hands, desperately trying to stay together. When that final connection was broken, they let out a cry so devastating and rare that it reached The Great Mother. The twins had awakened.

"An explosion of light released a torrent of El'odian energy not seen on Eiyr for tens of millions of years. It traversed the globe like a shockwave, stirring us from our slumber and activating the dormant Anavi in humans, creating the first Aberrations."

"Holy shit!" Sitting forward, I clasped my head with my hands. "That's crazy!"

"It's something."

"Holy shit!" I repeated as I sat back, feeling spent, like I had just blown a massive load. "What happened to the twins?"

"The Great Mother found them not long after, naked and hovering over a massive crater, which incidentally is part of Inselsee Lake we know today."

"Never been."

"Actually, you have," Raz said. "Remember that lake we stopped by in Germany a week ago or so?"

"That's where they first awakened?!"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you mention it then?"

"You and Sunny didn't seem interested in a history lesson. I believe the conversation was about a local guy Sunny ran into."

"When is Sunny not talking about a guy he ran into?" I wasn't sure if Raz got the sexual innuendo I was going for, so I moved on. "What did the twins do when they saw The Great Mother?"

"As it was told to me, they took one look at her and knew they were home. Not long after that, the three of them went to release Zenial from his cocoon."

"They were there when she got Prince Zenial?"

"Yes."

"He never mentioned that when he told me about his awakening. Being greeted by The Great Mother and a couple of Naverians is kind of a big deal."

"Perhaps he didn't want to complicate whatever he told you. But yes, they spent some time together, the four of them before the others started to awaken, and eventually, they were sent off with their respective new families."

"Prince Zenial became part of Kaylec's family, I know that. What about the twins?"

Raz was about to answer, but I was quick to interrupt.

"Wait a minute," I said, raising a finger. "These twins. They wouldn't happen to be The Twins, would they? The ones living in the KU house?"

"The very same. Setesh took them in after he awoke."

"Holy shit! Seth became their father?"

"You say that a lot," Raz joked.

"I'm sorry, it's just...this is mind-blowing! I've been surrounded by so much El'odian royalty; it's unreal. I get they're not 'royalty royalty,' but they're an important part of our history."

"That they are," Raz confirmed. "They hold a place of honor even among the Skai."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Not to the level of The Great Mother or Ms. Cynthia, but they are held in high regard, for without them, we might all still be slumbering in Eiyr's embrace."

"That's crazy." I slowly shook my head in disbelief. "Hey, speaking of The Twins, what are their names?"

Raz shrugged. "I assumed you would know since you spent time in their house. We've always known them as The Twins."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Annoyed, I rolled my eyes. "Well, they're German, so it's probably something like Gunther and Otto."

"Perhaps," Raz laughed while standing. Flickering his wrist, he made his fedora appear and slipped it on before removing his blazer from the back of his chair. "Unless there's anything else, Jacob, I have a meeting with Prince Zenial in twenty minutes."

"Nope, I'm good. Thank you for your time."

"My pleasure," Raz said while opening the door for me. "I don't know if he'll feel the same."

"Who?"

Raz nodded toward the door, and when I looked at it, I saw a not-so-happy Sunny barreling at us like a man on a mission.

"Shit!" I stopped at the foot of the door, with Raz behind me for backup. At least, that was my hope. "Hey Sunny!"

"Don't Sunny me!" he grunted and punched me in the arm. "I can't believe you came without me when we agreed to come together. You shithead!"

"You were still sleeping,' I said, rubbing my bicep.

"You could've woken me up!"

"You looked too cute with Zac's foot jammed in your face."

Raz cleared his throat from behind me.

"We should leave," I said.

"No! I'm here to make my report."

"I already got the report from Jacob, Sunny."

"But don't you want to hear mine?" Sunny whined.

"Why? Is it going to differ greatly from Jacob's?"

"Well..." He looked at me, annoyed. "No, not really."

"Then I heard all I needed to hear. Good job. Both of you."

"Really?" Sunny squealed, surprised at the compliment.

"Yes, really," Raz assured him. "Now, can you two get out of my doorway."

Sunny leaned in, and as if Raz couldn't hear him, he whispered, "You told him everything?"

"Of course, I did, dummy!"

"And you're okay with what happened?" Sunny asked Raz, trying to gauge his reaction.

"I wouldn't say that, but I'm satisfied with the outcome. You completed your first mission. Congratulations. Now, can I go to my meeting?"

"Move!" I pushed Sunny and started to walk out but stopped abruptly, causing Raz to bump into me. "Wait! I have to know."

I pushed past Raz, kind of rudely if I'm being honest, and went to his desk. I had to pull the black paper clip. It's like setting up an elaborate puzzle with a thousand dominos and not knocking over the first block. It's insanity!

"Jacob, what are you doing?" Sunny questioned.

"Shhh!"

I leaned over, rubbed my hands together, and blew on my fingers before carefully reaching for the black paper clip. When I finally pinched the smooth metal, I held my breath and slowly pulled the clip back. It was tense. It was like a red wire, blue wire situation. Once the black clip was freed from its position, the entire structure leaned to the side, and it held.

Still holding my breath, I backed away and spun around to face Raz while triumphantly holding up the black paper clip. "It didn't collapse."

I'm not going to lie. I was being a bit of a smug little shit, and the universe decided to respond in kind. I heard 199 paper clips come crashing down onto Raz's desk.

"You were saying?" Raz said, barely cracking a smile.

"I'm going to go now," I said.

"Sounds like a plan," Raz said.

"But I'm keeping this paper clip," I insisted, walking away like an idiot.

"What was that all about?" Sunny whispered while jumping on my back.

"Oh, you know, just the universe hating me," I replied while hooking my arms under his legs to give him a proper piggyback ride.

The entire time, Sunny gave me an earful for leaving him behind. Literally! Since his mouth was just inches from my left ear. I had half a mind to throw his ass on the ground, but I didn't. He had every right to be upset, so I took my tongue-lashing like a champ. I dumped him on my bed instead before walking out again. Of course, Sunny tried to follow.

"Stay!" I said like I was training a puppy. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To take a shit."

"We don't shit!"

"I missed the experience."

"Gross!"

"Stay here," I ordered, looking past Sunny at Zac, who was still fast asleep. "I'll be right back."

I closed the door and walked into Sunny's room for some privacy. I paused to listen at the door in case he was lingering on the other side, but he wasn't. To be fair, Sunny's good at respecting my space, even when he's dying to know what's going on.

My reason for secrecy was simple. I needed to call Q.

The phone rang as I collapsed onto Zac's bed. A lovely fragrance filled my nose when my head hit his pillow.

"Does he spray his pillows?" I muttered softly, taking another whiff of his pillow. It was nice. "How gay is that boy?"

"Hey, beautiful," Q answered. "And I'm dating you, so that should tell you something."

"Shut up. I wasn't talking about you."

"Rude. What's up?"

"Nothing. You know, just calling to check in."

"What's wrong?" His tone suddenly shifted to "serious mode."

"Why does everyone always assume something is wrong?" I begged the question.

"I can hear it in your voice, Jacob. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. What are we doing? What is happening right now?"

"I'm just making sure you're really..."

"Jacob," Q interrupted, "if you say 'okay' one more time, I'm quite literally going to jump through this phone."

"Wait, you can do that?"

"Want to try me?"

"To see that? Maybe."

"Jacob..."

"I'm sorry about last night," I said. "For dragging you into my mess."

"That's what this is all about?" Q asked. "You don't need to apologize to me, Jacob. You called, I came. That's the way of it."

"I shouldn't have called you at all. I'm just now realizing what you did for me was a big, big deal. Like huge! I didn't consider your end of things at all. It was selfish."

"Ah, finally! After circling the runway, you finally decided to come in for a landing." "I don't even know what that means," I said.

"So now we're going with the Soullen defense?" Q laughed.

"This isn't funny, Q. I'm trying to apologize."

"And I told you, there's no need."

"You're saying you didn't get in trouble for helping me?"

"I told you, I don't get..."

"You don't get in trouble. I know. Blah! Blah! Blah!" I held my phone in front of my face while shaking my head like I was talking to Q in person. "You're telling me nothing happened?"

"Conversations were had," Q admitted.

"Oh, fuck me! I knew it. What kind of conversation?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because we agreed to certain boundaries regarding The Brotherhood and The Sanctum. We don't discuss internal business, remember?"

"Well, that's a dumb rule if I ever heard one."

"Be that as it may, we both agreed."

"But I already broke the rule when I called you last night for help, so I think it's only fair you get to break the rule just this once."

"Nice try," Q laughed. "Our agreement was not broken last night. The Sanctum hunting down Enlightened humans isn't exactly a secret we didn't know about, Jacob."

"You're infuriating!"

"I know. It's part of my charm."

"Charm is stretching it," I rebuffed. "Seriously, though, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm such an asshole," I said, my voice trembling a bit. "I can't believe I didn't consider you in all this." The mere thought of not putting Q before my selfish needs caused my eyes to well up. "I'm so sorry, Q."

"Babe, don't," Q said softly. He could tell. "I love you. There isn't a scenario when I don't come to you when you need me. No matter what."

The tears fell.

"I don't deserve you," I confessed.

"Well...obviously, but here I am against my better judgment."

"Dick!" l laughed.

"Maybe the lack of dick is what's making you emotional."

"Yeah, maybe. You should fix that."

"I'll consider it."

"God, I hate you."

"I know," Q giggled. And he's not a giggler, so it was super cute! "Are you good?"

"I'm good," I smiled.

I tried to clear away the black tears, but they were already gone - fizzled away into the ether.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading home for Thanksgiving soon?" Q inquired.

"Yeah, I'm thinking tomorrow."

"You told me today."

"I said my parents were expecting me today or tomorrow. I hadn't decided which day yet. I wish you were coming with me."

"Really? What would you tell your parents?"

"I took up golfing, and you were my below-average-looking caddie."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

"It's not golfing season."

"Indoor golf."

"You would need a caddie for indoor golf."

"Shut your face!"

"Did you hear about what Soullen did?" Q asked.

"What did he do?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't sure how much he knew. I didn't want to betray Soullen's confidence, but I wasn't about to lie to Q either. Fuck me!

"Relax! You honestly thought I didn't know about your midnight get-together? Please."

"Oh...then I have no idea what you're talking about."

"He invited Zac to our Thanksgiving after he's done with your Thanksgiving. Apparently, the times line up perfectly."

"What?!" I sat up like a springboard. "When did he ask?"

"Late last night."

"Soullen goes on a murderous rampage, then asks the boy he likes over for Thanksgiving. That tracks."

"It's a crazy world we live in," is all Q had to say.

"That boy might have anger issues," I joked.

"Who? Soullen?"

"Who else?"

"Nah, he's fine."

"Q, he splayed a guy's limbs open and turned him into an octopus."

"Well, you shouldn't put your hands where they don't belong."

"Fair enough," I conceded. "What did Zac say?"

"He wants to come but is afraid to ask Sunny."

"Sunny didn't mention it just now, so I'm guessing he hasn't asked. Yet. That should be fun. Wait, you guys do Thanksgiving too?"

"We do it for our human brothers who don't go home."

"That's nice. See? There's more that unites us than divides us."

"How long have you been waiting to use those words of wisdom?"

"It's been a minute," I confessed. "Are the rest of your brothers okay with a Sanctum boy coming over for dinner?"

"Zac is human, so not exactly a threat."

"Says you," I warned.

"And Soullen is our Prince. Of course, he gets to have a friend over if he wishes."

"Awww! That's sweet!"

"Shut up."

"They're still doing the whole 'we're just friends thing'?"

"Yeah. They're still trying to figure out their feelings."

"Their feelings are clear. It's the whole Brotherhood-Sanctum thing that's holding them back, me thinks."

"You're right," Q agreed. "It should hold them back. It's a big step, and they might not be mature enough to understand all the implications of that decision. I'm okay with them taking it slow. It would be better for them to end a friendship than a relationship if things come to a head."

"And what about us?"

"I'll upgrade to a newer model," he snickered. "I have to go."

"Dick!" I shouted.

"Soon," Q teased.

It made my cock twitch.

"I love you," Q said.

"I love you, too."

"Eh, I have my doubts."

He hung up before I could go off on him, but he sent me a heart emoji afterward. I sent him a bloody dagger.

The rest of the day, I was walking around in a funk. No matter how often Q assured me everything was fine, I couldn't shake my guilt for putting him between a rock and a hard place. I wish he shared something about their conversation, but who am I kidding? Of course, he didn't. I should've been more considerate.

It's funny. A few hours after talking to Q, he sent me a random text that said, "Stop dwelling on it. Everything is fine. Love you." Just knowing that I was in his thoughts made me feel better.

Sunny could also tell something was wrong, but he didn't push. Instead, he acted like my personal bouncer, shooing anyone away who wanted to hang out so I could have my space. I appreciated that. Except for Zac, who didn't care and pushed past Sunny every chance he got. In fact, I think he did it more to annoy Sunny than actually needing to talk to me. He just wanted to prove that he could. Watching those two go at it always made me laugh, no matter my mood.

The following morning, after talking to Q again, I was more myself. I got up super early for two reasons. The first was to pack. One might wonder why I, with all my powers, would need to pack. Using our abilities for every little thing is frowned upon. It can make us complaisant, leading to mistakes in the "real world" that can expose us if we're not careful.

The second and more important reason was trying to avoid the inevitable drama that would ensue when Zac tells Sunny about Soullen's invitation. I wanted to be twenty thousand feet in the air, with the wind in my hair and the sun on my back, heading to Maine.

But the universe. The damn universe! We needed to talk to find out why it hated me, but it would have to wait until after.

"Jacob, can you talk some sense into him, please?" A half-dressed Zac came storming into my room in an uproar. "Sunny is being totally unreasonable! And a jackass!"

"I'm unreasonable?" Sunny shouted from the hallway as he marched into my room.

"And a jackass!" Zac repeated.

I sighed.

Thank you again for checking out TBHA! I'd love to hear from you (thewriter_x@hotmail.com). Please visit my Patreon (patreon.com/thewriter_x) if you'd like to support my work and get access to several more chapters of The Brotherhood Awakening and an exclusive short story - The Stranger, which takes place over 3,000 years ago in the TBH universe, and a Discord server. You can also follow me on Twitter for updates: @thewriterx_x

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