KIARA’S POV
We kept waiting for the troops to arrive but they never did. Morning turned to noon and noon turned to sunset. In the end, we decided to rest and plan afresh the next day.
Leaving a few guards to guard the gate, we retired to the mansion. I plopped on the bed and stretched my aching arms and legs. My head was spinning with possibilities. Was Ariana planning a surprise attack? Had she decided to use some other strategy to defeat us?
I was too engrossed in my thoughts and didn’t realize when Layla thrust a bowl of soup into my hands. In my distracted stupor, I lifted the spoon to my mouth and was about to take the first sip when a force caused the spoon to fly out of my hand. The next moment the bowl fell on the floor and shattered.
“What the hell!” I exclaimed and jumped to my feet. My mouth remained open and my eyes widened when I saw Layla in Nivaan’s grasp. Before I could say anything he slit her throat with a sharp knife.
Layla’s eyes drooped and her head rolled to the side. She fell to the ground with a thud as he released her.
He made a move towards me but I stepped back and drew the dagger from my sleeve. My hands trembled as I said, “So what if you are my brother? I will protect myself…”
His eyes gleamed with tears and I saw a glimpse of the brother I always knew. But, I was afraid to trust him. I wasn’t afraid that he would kill me. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to bear it if he betrayed me again.”
His lips pursed into a thin line as he said, “I never thought I would see the day when my little cuckoo will look at me with hatred and fear. I have only myself to blame.”
His voice became hoarse as he continued, “I knew you wouldn’t believe me easily. So, I have brought a gift for you.”
Then he moved to the side giving me a clear view of the person behind me. A gasp escaped my mouth and tears rolled down my cheeks. My heart started fluttering like crazy as I walked towards him slowly.
My hands shook as I raised them to touch his cheek. I was afraid that he would disappear like a pleasant dream. A groan escaped my throat as my fingers came in contact with his cold skin.
I threw myself at him and burst into sobs. He held me close to his chest as I cried my heart out. I poured out all my grief, pain, and desperation.
He pulled away and ran his hand over my face in a weird way. I didn’t get the chance to ask anything because his lips captured mine. We kissed each other as if our lives depended on it. At some point in time, the shields in our minds lowered and our thoughts and feelings merged.
Even after we ran out of breath, none of us made a move to part our lips. I was afraid that he would vanish the moment I lost contact.
Nivaan cleared his throat and said, “I am still waiting to give you an explanation, Kiara.”
I wasn’t going to make this easy for Nivaan. I grabbed the nape of Kevin’s neck and drew him closer.
When we didn’t show any signs of pulling away he said in an irritated voice, “Do you have any idea how gross it is to see your sister snogging someone?”
*I am not going to pull away unless he goes crazy with frustration even if that means I have to keep kissing you till my last breath.* I mind-linked as I deepened the kiss.
*As tempting as this seems I need Valence’s help to see this beautiful face of yours again. Please talk to him… for my sake..*
Kevin was right. I had to give him a chance to explain himself. I pulled away and wiped my lips before saying, “You have five minutes to explain yourself.”
He drew in a deep breath and said, “Ariana and Andrew are dead. They will never trouble us again. Valence and I lied to you. We never wanted to desert you. We were just working on a strategy.
Though I was relieved to know that Ariana was dead I was hurt that Nivaan lied to me. Tears welled in my eyes as I asked in a choked voice, “Why did you lie to me?”
He walked towards me. This time I didn’t move backward. He cupped my face and said, “I did everything to keep you and the baby safe. What kind of a brother would I be if I let my pregnant sister wage a war?”
I stuck out my lips and said, “If you were so concerned about me why didn’t you stop me earlier?”
He let out a long, suffering, sigh, and said, “This war was the only thing that was holding you together Kiara. I was afraid that you would break down if I tried to stop you from taking part in this war.”
Nivaan was right. It was the fire of hatred and revenge that kept me on the toes. I am not sure I would have survived the news of Kevin’s death if I didn’t have the war to look forward to.
My lips pursed into a thin line as I said, “I am in a good mood today. So, I will forgive you but you have to promise me one thing…”
He flashed me one of his brilliant smiles and said, “Anything for you, Kiara…”
“You will never lie to me again.”
He looked into my eyes and said, “I promise Kiara. I will never lie to you again… like ever… will that be okay my little cuckoo.”
I smiled gaily and nodded my head before asking, “Where is Valence. I want a full-fledged apology from her too…”
Nivaan’s face turned pale and his eyes brimmed with tears. His voice choked up as he said, “I would have made up a story but I don’t want to break the promise I just made to you. Her enchanted dagger slipped and fell off somewhere along the way. As a result, Valence found herself defenseless in front of Ariana and Andrew. She…”
He cleared his throat before continuing, “Even her magic was useless against a powerful witch like Ariana. So, she used an ancient form of magic and used her life source to power it. She managed to kill Ariana and Andrew but she turned into ashes in this process…”
Nivaan couldn’t speak any further. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. My hands flew to my ears as if that would make the words that I just heard disappear. My legs shook and I slumped to the floor. Kevin drew me into his arms to comfort me but it wasn’t enough. The grief was just too much to bear…