Chapter 2.14: Brothers War

Leila had decided to wait out her brother's tantrum by getting ready for the day completely. She strapped on some boots while his pointing grew weaker. Eventually, by the time she finished checking her makeup, he stopped and went off to who knows where. The heiress knew what she was doing was extremely risky. And that she needed to just toy around with the bastard. But Leila had known for a while that she couldn't do things the safe and easy way. No, that would be impossible with what was to come. However, that didn't mean she could go insane and start killing her enemies without a simple plan or course of action to keep in mind. Doing so would get her killed within a few weeks, once word spread of a psychotic magic user wreaking havoc.

This meant Leila had to play her cards carefully and risk being pummeled by Cleo's brother for breathing. Let the man think she was powerless, so when the time came, he would be stabbed in the back. Like a true assassin, the teenager was choosing to hide her actual strength and capabilities. Once she left her room for a third time that day, the hallway was busy with maids. They bowed their heads when she walked past, showing the respect they had for her. It wasn't blind devotion now that she looked deeply into their eyes. No, Leila realized what it was. Something else that ended up being the perfect mix of fear and understanding. What surprised her the most was her reaction to seeing them shiver with anxiety in her presence. The heiress felt herself become pleased with their uncertainty.

Months prior, she would have felt uncomfortable. But now she was a changed woman, the teenager supposed. Someone who knew that in this world to thrive you had to manipulate and be feared. It wasn't much of a dark discovery when she sat on it. Still, her sudden behavior change was welcomed more than stopped. Because Leila found her dreams haunted by images of Cleo's death and her imprisonment. The woman's pain settled deeply into her trust like a bullet into flesh. Leila knew that it would never go away. A trauma like that was one in a lifetime. But killing those monsters and destroying their happiness could remedy it for a little. Just until she could get out of this body and return to her own. Which she couldn't remember much. All she could make out were blurry images of her face.

Not being able to recall her actual appearance did scare her at first. The night Leila realized this, she spent crying for what felt like hours in front of her mirror. The teenager was so distraught she refused to eat, skipped that day's training session, and slept in. She explained it all as being menstruation complications which her oblivious brother believed wholeheartedly. Now the heiress had grown to accept it as another sacrifice she had to make to survive. Once Cleo's revenge was complete, she would go home and remember her real-life fully. It hurt, but that pain would serve as fuel for her power. Everything would make sense when the royals and the harem were dead. This rang true in the crevices of her mind as she walked and made her way over to the kitchen. She had to tell them about her lunch with Liliko'i the next day.

'It would be rude to just expect the staff to make a full course meal out of nowhere,' The jade-eyed woman thought to herself as she nearly rounded a corner. But she heard someone talking, well, arguing, so she stopped.

"I'm going to speak to her, Alek. And you can't stop me." A hand flew to cover her mouth while her eyes widened in a mix of shock and panic. It was Ezekiel, and he sounded beyond exhausted. "Move aside."

Alek snorted, and she heard what sounded like him laughing. It wasn't one she had ever heard from him, making her feel anxious. The teenager wasn't going to risk looking and being seen. So she continued to hide while eavesdropping as best as she possibly could.

"As long as I breathe, you will never see her again."

Her eyes widened at the commanding tone her brother had. It was unlike him, and Ezekiel must have felt the same with his response. It hurt the soldier. "Alek–"

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"No," the dark-haired heiress was hearing a man she had never met before. His voice was heavy with barely contained pain, and she was sure he'd break. "You will leave her alone until you've paid for your mistake."

The heiress exhaled quietly as she realized why he was so mad. Alek still was holding onto his grudge against Ezekiel for what had happened. Even though both of their lives had been at risk, all the blame was being put on the former soldier. This didn't sit well with her at all. Leila wanted to protest, but she knew it was best to sit there and stay quiet. Based on what Alek knew, his sister went to a party and returned to a terrible state. Alek was justified in feeling the way he did. That must have been traumatizing to deal with. There was only one person he could blame, and it was Ezekiel. Which meant he would be treated like garbage until she could clear the air. Something the teenager could not do, as she'd have to reveal her abilities to him.

"I had no way of knowing that they would attack us. I defended her to the best of my ability." The blonde began to defend himself against the onslaught of hate.

"To the best of your ability? Please. If it was Aimée, you would have come back without arms if it took her being untouched. But since it's Cleo, you didn't give a damn." Hearing that name took a lot out of the trio. It was a name that hadn't been uttered in over a decade here.

The girl had died a tragic death and using the relationship she had with the blonde as a weapon was painful. No one should ever go so low in an argument. Father would have knocked Alek into next year if he had overheard him speaking so lightly of her. It was so bitter to use that Leila wouldn't be surprised if the two traded blows. Especially with how erratically the blonde was breathing with little mumbles, leaving his lips as he tried to stay calm. Alek kept going despite this without a care in the world with utter coldness. It was clear that he didn't care how the other was taking it mentally, he just wanted him to hurt.

"I've already had one sister die because of your careless actions and poor decisions. I won't let you march into her room to give her some weak apology. No. You need to get down on your knees and beg ME for a chance to ever see her again. You filthy mutt." The heiress was sure that Alek was spitting from how fast he spoke.

"I will never beg a prick like you," the heiress didn't know what to do. She was frozen in place, unable to insert herself into the confrontation. "How dare you bring her into this? Let Aimée rest in peace."

"I brought her up because it's clear you've been using Cleo as her replacement. And when she finally showed you a side of herself that didn't fit the delusion, you turned on her." Alek was practically yelling, so she was sure the servants overheard now, which wouldn't end well for any of the three. He needed to shut up now.

"That's not what happened, Alek. We had a falling out, but I still think of Cleo the same way. Nothing could make me hate her or wish ill on her." There was a rush of relief to know he didn't despise her. But quickly, it was destroyed by what followed.

"You might not have realized that night, but you were mumbling a lot when unconscious. You said some things about Cleo's character that sickened me. It showed me your true colors and I think your scum." Immediately, the jade-eyed woman knew what he meant. The blonde must have been speaking about what Leila confessed, and Alek misunderstood it.

Once again, it was because of her secret that she couldn't clear the air. There was no way in hell she could march out there and proudly announce she was a magic user. Everything would change and she could never recover. The heiress would have to let the man take the fall for her safety. Something she felt awful for despite their current issues. Because that part of Cleo that cared for the blonde was still alive. And the teenager had grown to feel for Ezekiel after learning about his enslavement and lost childhood. Letting him be publicly humiliated to save her skin was cowardly, but she had no other options. Hiding was for the best, even though Leila hated it. Anxiously, she bit her bottom lip and grits her teeth.

"I…I don't know what to say. I honestly feel like nothing I can say will change your mind." The teenager could hear the blonde walk off in a hurry.

Behind his footsteps came Alek's dry, almost uncanny laughter. The entire situation and Leila's place of causing it left her feeling hollowed out. Slowly, after what had to be ten minutes, she came into Alek's view.