Chapter 1.14: Lines Crossed

Leila watched Cleo's brother's face contort into pure disgust. He was sickened by her confession. But she saw the look in his eyes. It was something he had tried to bury since she touched him. The bastard was curious about what she was saying. Incest, like in any stereotypical harem novel was common. Nobles would marry their daughters to their richer cousins to keep the bloodline 'pure'.

A poor commoner boy would marry his older aunt because she had land he could invest in. It was gross to read but made sense in the world. If she married or slept with Alek, no one would bat an eye. Yes, there would be shock due to their mother’s ire for him but everyone would stay silent. No one valuing their lives would gossip about it. However, her reputation had an effect that normally wouldn't matter. Leila was seen as a power-hungry whore by strangers. Those close to the royal family whispered about how she was a wench desperate for attention.

Once they heard she fucked her brother, she'd never hear the end of it. The social destruction was a shot she was willing to take to survive. She felt sick to her stomach saying this but Alek would have a claim over her. It was demeaning as hell but it was true in this screwed-up world. Men would know she had the protection of the famed killer. The blatant attacks on her character would be hidden for once. She could walk in a noble society with some dignity.

'A world exists where incest is seen better than infidelity.' She wanted to laugh at how backward it was. Only a harem novel could be so contrived.

"If you impregnate me mother will treat you better," Leila muttered leaning closer so their noses touched. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body. "She knows you're a coward. And she knows how much you hate me and it makes her sick."

"To think her son would be so vile he'd kill her only living daughter. For a morsel of her precious love." She made sure to whisper this in his ear. This made him look away and close his eyes.

"How were you going to kill me that night? Did our bastard brothers instruct you on what to do?" She imagined the three jumping at the chance to take her out. Their hands would be clean and Alek would die a gruesome death by their father.

Alek shook his head. "It wasn't like that Cleo!" He tried to wrestle out of her grip but she squeezed her legs around his waist. "Get a hold of yourself!"

She ignored him and continued. "What was the order, brother? What did they instruct you to do?"

"Cleo, you're jumping to conclusions and only hurting yourself by doing this! Stop!"

"Did they tell you to do it while I was fast asleep? You were going to slit my throat weeks after I faced execution you piece of–" She stopped herself and took a moment to calm down.

Alek was a coward who acted as the weakest link of all the brothers. She didn't doubt they hadn't directly told him to kill her. They were pig-headed brutes but they had brains. They most likely suggested she'd be better off dead. That way their hands were clean and Alek would take the fall. Still, she wanted to let out her frustration towards him. The man would rather deny the obvious truth and paint her as insane.

Leila smiled and sighed. "Brother, just tell me and I'll forgive you. I promise."

"God, Cleo, do you even hear yourself?" The man looked at her with wide eyes. "One minute you're screaming at me and the next you're looking like a blushing schoolgirl." She felt revolted at the comparison but kept her lips sealed.

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There was a tiredness in his eyes she had only seen in a cornered dog. The fire in them was gone. "Cleo, this behavior has to stop. Please. I'm sorry for what I did but you need help." He practically begged her with actual worry slipping into his voice for once.

"I don't need help, brother. I just need a day where I can walk without someone stabbing me in the back." She hissed, pressing her lips against his skin. He was hot, sweat sticking to his clothing from his nerves.

"You do need help. You don't love me, Cleo. You're just sick and mother needs to understand that." He tried to convince her but every word fell flat.

"I don't think mother will care much once she knows about your failed attempt on my life." She said, feeling the tension in their body grow as he realized what she meant. The man would never see the light of day if she told their mother what happened.

"Cleo please, I don't want you this way. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what I tried to do. But please." If Alek wasn't pinned beneath her he'd be begging on his knees for mercy. The knowledge of what was to come haunted him.

"Is 'I'm sorry' the only thing you can say?" She waited for an answer but none came. The teenager felt exhausted by this charade.

Even when faced with the truth the man still was a coward. She was right there and he couldn't even face her now. He'd rather mutter endless apologies that did not hold any weight to them. The bastard didn't feel bad about attempting to harm her. He didn't even feel bad, she found out. He only felt fear about her sexual desires towards him. It was pathetic and she wanted to puke. How could someone so spineless be a famed killer, a trained assassin since birth?

Her grip on his waist loosened and she sat up. There was no point in talking to him any longer. If the man attempted to strike her, she'd scream bloody murder. The servants would see how monstrous their young master had become. A man willing to beat and attack his mentally fragile sister wasn't worthy of being served. Leila patted his shoulder as she slid off him. Her face was conflicted as she turned her back to the man. She hadn't planned to blackmail the man so openly.

'My emotions got the best of me.' Leila was thankful Alek was too cowardly to fight back. He didn’t even bother using her words against her.

"The only reason I haven't told mother is because of my love for you." She looked at her bloody arm and smirked. Some of the blood was smudged and no doubt on her brother's clothing.

The teenager walked across the room, preparing to leave. Her body felt heavy and her legs ached. She was still healing from her torture. Jumping on Alek hadn't done her any favors but it was worth it. Her hand touched the door knob and she stopped. The man made no move to stop her. She could hear his breathing becoming erratic. This made her feel warm inside, it was pleasant to hear his fear.

"If you accept my love, I'll keep your secret. If you don't, I'll tell mother and father everything. And that you attacked me when she left us alone." The teenager was prepared to ruin the man's life. There was no way he would survive their ire.

Before he got a chance to speak she left. The door slammed closed and the walls rattled. Leila looked around and saw a maid far away. The woman's back was turned to her, good. The teenager looked at her dress and frowned. It was beautiful but she had to look like she'd been through hell. She moved her hand to her healing cut. Carefully, she scratched it with her nails. The nail beds became dirty with dead skin and blood as she scratched. The wound needed to be reopened for believability.

"Ngh!" The teen's legs wobbled and her stomach twisted. The pain was worse than she expected. It shot through her entire arm. She moved her hand away as the maid looked back.

The woman dropped the tray she was carrying in shock. A glass pitcher broke and shattered into thousands of pieces. What looked to be lemonade drenched the floor as the woman ran. Her face had gone pale at the sight of the teenager trembling. Leila bit the inside of her mouth repeatedly, each bite harder than the first. By the time the maid made it directly in front of the teen, her mouth bled. Leila cried out and let her lips part, revealing the bloody mess that was in her mouth.

"Miss what happened!" The maid screamed. The older woman wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close. "Oh god…young master! Young master come out, please! Your sister needs help!"

With her fist, the maid banged on Alek's door. Three. Six. Nine times she banged with her cries becoming more fearful. But the man refused to answer and the two women heard a loud clicking noise. The doorknob twisted and the maid paled, shaking her head in disbelief. Alek had locked the door from the inside and started the next step in Leila’s revenge quest.