The Brotherhood

Chapter XXII

By: X

Tequila is a bitch! Nuff said…

The bright sunlight blazing thru the windows didn’t help any either. I tried to pull the covers over my head, but some smartass pulled them completely off me when he sat beside me on the bed.

“For the love of God, please let me have another hour of sleep,” I begged, placing my pillow over my head. “Maybe even ten.”

“Sorry, but that’s the price you pay for drinking like a fish,” Q said and pulled the pillow away.

“I agree.” I reached for Q’s pillow and placed it over my head. “Now, let me just lay here and reflect on my mistake.”

“Nice try.” He tried to pull the pillow away, but I latched onto it this time as if my life depended on it, which only made Q laugh. He eventually won the tug of war. “You have to get up and get ready for class.”

“Class?” I damn near yelled. “Class? Are you nuts? I’m not going to class today.”

“Oh, but you are Jacob. A hangover is no excuse for missing class, not for you or anyone else. If you want to drink like a fish, you have to man up and suffer the consequences.”

“Come on!” I looked at him with the saddest, most pathetic look I could muster. “Please?” I even batted my eyes to try and pull on his heartstrings.

A warm smile spread across his face as he leaned in to kiss me on the forehead. Brushing the hair away from my eyes, he said, “Not a chance,” and slapped my ass. “Now get up and get ready.”

“Fine…” I conceded and watched Q walk over to the dresser to grab a t-shirt. “Can you at least use your glowy fingers to make the hangover disappear?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“But you’re not going to, are you?”

“Nope,” he laughed.

“You’re evil!”

“A little bit.”

Evil or not, my eyes could not help but watch Q as he slipped on a black t-shirt that stopped right at the waistband of his purple trunks. The way they hugged his amazing bubble butt and formed a perfect line between them made my cock twitch. At that moment, I could only think about kneeling behind him and kissing that perfect ass.

“What are you doing?” he asked but never bothered to turn around and look.

“Um…nothing,” I replied innocently enough.

“Yeah…uh-huh. Anyway, you won’t see much of me over the next couple of weeks.”

“What? Why?”

“Aw, are you pouting?” Q finally turned to face me. “Look at that face. You’d think I just told you I kicked your puppy or something.”

“Stop trying to make this about me and explain.”

I can’t begin to describe how liberating it felt to be able to talk to Q as an equal. Twenty-four hours ago, I never would have dared to ask him to explain anything he wasn’t willing to give up on his own. I might have thought about it, but to say it out loud? I would’ve been too afraid that the world would implode or something. Now I just felt free.

“Well?”

“I will be traveling the other Brotherhood houses to ensure seamless transitions from pledge to Brother. I’ll be spending a lot of one-on-one time with our new Brothers, getting to know them and how their experience has been up to this point. It generally takes a week or so, Jacob.”

“One-on-one time, huh? Should I be worried?”

He laughed. “Are you serious right now?”

“What? It’s a valid question! Have you seen our Brothers? Just because you’re all glowy and evolved doesn’t mean the forbidden fruit can’t tempt you.”

“Apples?”

“Shut up!”

“You’re ridiculous,” he continued to laugh as he walked into the closet to grab a pair of jeans.

“Can I come with you at least?” I shouted.

“No! What part of you have class do you not understand?”

“So you’re telling me I’m not going to see you for two fricking weeks?”

“No, I said you won’t see much of me. But I’ll make you a deal. I’ll meet you for lunch and promise to come home to you every night.”

“I’ll probably be sleeping by the time you get in.”

“One can only hope,” he joked.

I gave the closet the finger.

“That better mean I’m your number one boyfriend.”

I was quick to pull my finger out of the air. Let’s be honest here; I didn’t feel that free. “Can I at least get a kiss before you go?”

He popped his head out of the closet and looked at me with narrowed eyes as if I was up to no good. I’m guessing he decided it was safe because he walked toward me with a grin.

I sat up to meet his lips.

“Oh god…” I said, covering my mouth and making a mad dash to the bathroom. Hugging porcelain never felt so good in my life.

“So…I’m just going to take a rain check on that kiss if you don’t mind,” Q snickered as he stood by the bathroom door. “Oh, by the way, all our new Brothers are waking up in their new rooms this morning. I took the liberty of moving all your stuff into my bedroom.” He just kept talking and talking as if all I was doing was brushing my teeth.

I wanted to kick him.

“I figured that would be okay, but if I misjudged the situation, please let me know, and I’ll get you set up in your room by the time you get back.” All I could do was give him a thumbs up while dry heaving into the toilet. “Good, I made the right call.” I could hear the grin in his voice.

He walked up behind me. “I have to get going, so I’ll meet you for lunch. Enjoy your classes.” He kissed the back of my head before heading out.

I managed to flick him off again when he was out of sight.

“Love you too, Jacob!”

The twenty-minute shower that followed was terrific. It calmed my stomach and relieved the burn behind my left eye. I’m pretty sure I would’ve agreed to anything, even give up my firstborn, if it meant another five minutes under the pulsating blast of the showerheads. But I knew I had to walk away from the shower and get ready for class, or I’d never hear the end of it from Q.

Begrudgingly, I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around my waist, and glanced at the clock. I was already running late. Q never said anything about being to class on time, but I wasn’t crazy enough to try and push my luck.

I was walking into the closet, and seeing all my clothes laid out next to his brought a cheesy smile to my face. It felt like we were a couple; this was all real.

“God, I’m such a girl,” I said but kept smiling.

I got dressed in a mix of his clothes and mine and headed for class.

As expected, the professor started lecturing me about being on time the second I opened the door. Timeliness is a virtue; I shouldn't bother showing up if I can’t be on time. He planned to make an example of me, but then one of the girls sitting in the front row asked if I was with The Brotherhood.

I simply nodded.

The professor stumbled for a second, stopped dressing me down, and stepped aside. He gave me a dirty look and managed to mumble a semi-stern, but mostly ‘for show’ warning as I took my seat.

Fucking classic!

I winked at the girl and took out my notebook. That’s all I remember. I looked at my laptop and was out like a light. I’m sure I heard the professor say about three words, and then I was out. It happened again in my next class as well. I only woke up from either because of people bumping into me as they were leaving. Hey, Q said I had to go to class; he never said anything about having to stay awake.

When my physics class rolled around, I decided not to push my luck and forced myself to stay awake. Honestly, it was less about forcing myself to stay awake and more about the fact that CJ was sitting right next to me. Even if I wanted to sleep, his yapping in my ear never would have allowed it. When he wasn’t leaning into me whispering about all the banging he could do to the girls around us, CJ was blowing me away with his genius. There wasn’t a single question he couldn’t answer or a problem he couldn’t solve.

The professor had a formula on the board he was explaining to the class when CJ suddenly got up and rewrote it much easier for everyone to understand. The professor was dumbfounded.

“Dude, I’m pretty sure they want me,” he said as he sat back down. He was talking about the couple sitting in front of the class. He was sure they wanted a “ménage à trois,” as he put it. I simply chuckled under my breath. Watching CJ go from being an Einstein to a playboy in the same breath was hilarious. You chalk it up to the quirks of being a genius.

I’m no dumbass. I can keep up with the best of them. But frankly, I wasn’t that interested. I sat back and watched my classmates, eager to answer the professor’s questions or engage in a debate, or rapidly enter the information into their tablets and computers.

All the while, I couldn’t help but wonder what’s the point? I knew what was in store for humanity. Regardless of who prevailed, Nave or Skai, I was confident that the facts and figures my classmates were committing to long-term memory would do little to help them.

I felt so disconnected from everyone. Everyone that is except my Brothers, who I knew would share my fate. I found solace in that fact. But for the here-and-now, I didn’t want to be around the sheep blindly heading into the slaughter. I was relieved when class was over, and I could get out of there.

Leaving class proved to be more annoying than sitting thru it. For some reason, the crowd was moving at a snail’s pace, and it was pissing me off. It was like being in stop-and-go traffic. It wasn’t until I finally stepped out of the classroom that I realized what was happening. True to his word, Q was standing in the hall, waiting to go to lunch with me. Seeing Q standing outside our classroom shocked everyone, including me and CJ. I don’t know why, but I just assumed we would meet somewhere else, somewhere less ‘collegiate.’ Maybe, for this reason, Q’s presence always seemed to cause a stir.

“Q!” CJ exclaimed, greeting him like a friend who was on leave from the military. CJ was comfortable in his new role as a Brother and wasn’t afraid to embrace it. He went up to Q and hugged him as guys do. Q was a great sport and treated CJ like he’d been his Brother for ages.

It was pretty awesome.

But that was nothing compared to what happened next.

Q came right up to me and kissed me on the lips as casually as if he was shaking my hand. I stood there frozen. I wasn’t even able to kiss him back; I was so stunned.

“What’s wrong?” Q asked. There was a sweetness to his voice that snapped me out of my haze. I looked into his eyes. There was genuine concern and a bit of confusion as well. To Q, the kiss was as normal as shaking hands. I was his boyfriend, so why wouldn’t he kiss me? He wasn’t trying to make some grand statement. He was being…well…Us.

“Yeah, I’m fine.….”

“I didn’t embarrass you, did I?”

“Embarrass me? No, not really. Surprised me? Just a little bit.”

Q laughed. “Come on, let’s go.”

Not wanting to be a third wheel, CJ said his goodbyes and stayed behind with the stunned crowd. As we turned the corner, I heard him say, “What? You people have never seen a guy kiss another guy before?”

“I don’t think two guys kissing is the problem,” I said as I leaned into Q. “More like they’re not used to seeing you kiss another guy.”

“That’s their problem,” Q said simply.

Be that as it may, I couldn’t help but wonder how long before the news spread thru campus like wildfire. If the text I got from Arsen a few minutes later was any indication, it wouldn’t be long.

Q took me to a popular little café just outside of campus. The place was packed up the wazoo, but considering who I was with, I got to order my food quick, and Q got his shiny green apple. From the moment we took our seats, I felt awkward. The diners around us tried to act casual, but I repeatedly caught them staring and whispering.

“What’s wrong with you?” Q asked.

“Are you serious?” I looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Am I the only one who feels everyone’s eyes on us?”

Q looked around, looked back at me, and then stood up. “Can we help you?”

Every set of eyes darted away from our table at once. Forks clanked against plates, and conversation - not whispers - returned to normal.

“There, problem solved. Now, do you mind telling me what’s on your mind?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I seriously doubt that. Since you left class, you’ve had this cloud hanging over you. Plus, you barely said two words to me on our way here. So, I’ll ask again. What’s wrong with you?”

I didn’t answer him right away. Instead, I just focused on my tasty sandwich and beverage, but one can avoid Q’s penetrating eyes for only so long before they start to cut into you and wear you down. “It’s…”

“Don’t say it’s nothing because something is bothering you,” he interrupted.

“It’s nothing we haven’t discussed before,” I assured Q.

“Indulge me.”

“I was just sitting in class watching everyone being all student-like and answering questions trying to impress the professor, competing against each other….”

“And you started wondering what’s the point of it all, right? You look at your classmates and get a terrible sense of doom. You know of a future they couldn’t possibly comprehend in which they have no real place, at least not one where physics will do them any good.”

I was shocked that he was right on point. Then again, it’s Q. If he turned water into wine, I really shouldn’t be surprised. “How did you know?”

“You’re not the first person to have this moment of crisis; to feel like you’re stuck between two worlds, or more accurately, that you’re betraying one world while embracing the new one.”

“So, what’s the cure?”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t one. All I can promise you is that it will get better. How fast it gets better depends on the Brother. It all starts with letting go. I know it’s easier said than done, but it is the first step. You’re a brother now, Jacob.” He paused for a moment, took my ha, and squeezed gently. “A Brother destined to be Nave one day.”

I smiled. It was all I could do. Smile and accept that I’d have to get thru this struggle alone. It might have been easier to move on if I knew exactly what I was leaving behind, but the ten-year gap in my brain made it impossible.

“Besides, Jacob, once our takeover is complete, things will not change too much. People will still be going to school, working at their jobs, making doctor’s appointments, etc. Our laws will govern them. And unlike many countries in the world, our laws will be just for everyone.

“Naverians don’t care what race you are, your gender, what religion you believe in, or anything that makes this world so dysfunctional. Our laws will reflect that and hopefully tear down some of the walls that divide humanity. People will either get on board for a better tomorrow or resist and suffer the consequences.”

That gave me a lot to think about. Maybe Naverian rule would be better.

“You know what sucks?” I asked him. “Now that I know what’s going to happen, it fucking sucks waiting for the shit to hit the fan. Armageddon could very well be at our doorstep, and I’m sitting here eating this tasty chicken wrap.”

Q laughed and shook his head. “Going from eating your tasty chicken wrap to Armageddon is a bit premature. Neither side has found the Eye yet. Without it, no one is going to make any major moves.”

“What if the Eye is never found?”

“It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. We know the Eye is out there somewhere. We just need to find it.”

“Ok, now it’s your turn to indulge me. What if it’s never found? What if the Eye was destroyed all those years ago? What’s plan B?”

“There is no plan B Jacob. Everything depends on the Eye. Without it, there’s no other way to wake our sleeping brothers. The Nave would never go to war without them…unless the Skai attacks us first.”

“Would they?”

“I doubt it,” Q replied, shaking his head, and taking one last bite from his apple. “I’m sure the minor skirmishes we engage in now would ramp up considerably as each side vies for the upper hand. But all-out war like the days of old would be impractical.”

“Seriously?” I laughed. “’ Days of old’? What are you, Gandalf?”

“Shut it.”

“Do you need help finding The One Ring?”

“Maybe, but I’m pretty sure I won’t need help kicking your ass.”

“You love my ass.”

“Oh God,” he snickered, rolled his eyes, got up to throw away his apple core, and put my tray away.

“You can run but can’t hide from the truth!”

Q came back still smirking from my “ass” comment. He looked beyond cute, and I just wanted to kiss him, but I lacked the confidence Q showed in the hallway. It would be one thing to kiss him around our Brothers but in the café, surrounded by strangers? Yeah, that’s something I’d have to work up to.

“So how are the evaluations, or whatever it is you’re doing, going?”

“It goes,” was all he said.

“Let me guess. Need to know?”

Q nodded. “Speaking of which, I have to get back.” He got up and kissed me on the head. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll probably be sleeping by the time you get back.”

“Good. I can have my way with you without dealing with you.”

“You wish!”

Actually, I wished for it too. Is that bad?

So that pretty much summed up the next two weeks. You become a Brother, and somehow, you trick yourself into believing it’s all smooth sailing. I’m here telling you it’s not. Yes, things do change. People around campus who recognized me as a Brother gave me the respect I never really earned. And I know I got away with things another student would have gotten reamed for doing. But all-in-all, my life was that of a typical college student. I was not exempt from “the grind,” meaning my nose was still buried in books, and I had homework up the ying-yang.

Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. It wasn’t all bad. I got to hang out with my bros and enjoy life a little. I was amazed at how often the golden mirror was used once pledging was over. That hall turned into Grand Central Station! Whenever I turned a corner, I bumped into a Brother from another college or a different country altogether. Talk about networking!

Q was true to his word. I found him outside my physics class every day, waiting in the hall to take me to lunch. By day three, people got used to seeing him, so the line to get out of class was less congested. That’s probably around the same time I was like “fuck it” and started going up to Q to kiss him hello.

And just like he promised, Q came home to me every night. But just like I predicted, I was always asleep by the time he got in. I’d feel him crawl into bed and snuggle up behind me; his bulge pressed firmly against my ass while his hand rested over my junk as he fell asleep.

I smiled every night. Well, maybe not every night.

As usual, I went to class on Thursday and met with Q for lunch. He had to leave earlier that day. It was a hectic day for the Council of Brothers, so Q took off fifteen minutes early. It didn’t bother me at all. Considering his responsibilities and tight schedule, I thought it was sweet of him to take the time to meet me.

I stayed behind to finish my lunch and catch up on the news on my computer. I was just killing time before heading back to class. It turns out; It killed a little too much time. When I finally looked up from my computer, I was alone in the café and running late.

As much as I didn’t want to go back, I had little choice. Q would have killed me if I skipped. Looking back at it now, maybe I should have changed it and kept my ass planted in the café.

There was a quiz that day, so I read some of my notes as I walked back to campus. I was so busy reading I never saw the guy in front of me until it was too late.

I plowed into him.

“Oh man, I’m so sorry I didn’t see….”

My words trailed off, and I froze when I realized who it was. It was the same guy Q locked horns with at the mall. “Trench Coat,” as I called him. The part that chilled me to the bone was that I knew this wasn’t just another ordinary “guy.”

His eyes pierced thru me like a lance. His cold stare compelled me to back away. No, that’s not true; I hauled ass out there. It was pointless, though, because I only got a few yards, and he was again standing not three feet in front of me. Regardless of the futility of it all, I did it again. I turned and booked it. He was right there again to block my path, but this time he grabbed me by the arms, and we vanished.

I have no idea what he did to me. I slowly came to without knowing how long I was out. I opened my eyes, but my vision was blurred. I blinked a few times, and as they began to focus, I could tell I was in some kind of warehouse. It looked run-down, possibly abandoned. I was sitting on the freezing concrete floor, my back against a metal beam. I turned my head slowly. A lot of the windows were blown out, and there were a ton of bricks, pipes, and other building materials scattered all over the place. And there was snow. It wasn’t snowing on campus, so there was no telling where I was.

I was cold.

“You’re awake.”

I looked up, and the guy was in the middle of the warehouse. I don’t know how I missed him in the first place. Honestly, I had no idea if he was standing there the whole time or if he suddenly just appeared. These fuckers tend to do that a lot.

“It almost seems cruel to allow you to wake only to kill you,” he said as he slowly walked towards me. His long leather coat danced behind him as he approached; the sound of crushed glass echoed the ample space as his footsteps walked over the scattered shards. “Almost.”

“Kill you?” I repeated. Then it clicked in. “Kill me?” It came out louder than I intended. The words chilled me to the bone. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

“From you?” His voice was colder than the room itself. “Very little.”

“Then why did you bring me here?” I demanded.

“I’m afraid you’re merely a means to an end.”

“What end?” I yelled.

In a blink of an eye, I saw him rush towards me; he was moving so fast he was merely a blur. He squatted in front of me; his deadpan eyes locked on mine. His sudden appearance caused me to jerk back. With my back against the beam, there was nowhere for me to go. I did feel something big and hard press against my lower back.

“A means to hurt him,” he finally said, his words more poisonous than the deadliest snake bites.

“Him?” I was confused for a moment, but the obvious finally hit me. “Q? You want to hurt Q?”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Jacob. Not everyone adores your beloved Qua’quelle.”

“So, you’re still bitter that he kicked your ass in the mall?” Don’t let my bravado fool you. I was scared out of my mind. I was just doing everything in my power not to show it. “You must not be much of a Skai.”

The douchebag cracked a smile. “I freely admit Q is much more powerful than I will ever be. When we saw him in that mall, we couldn’t help ourselves. I knew my chances were slim. Yet, it was worth the risk. Common sense doesn't factor into the equation when you’re fueled with justifiable anger and hatred.”

“Why?” I asked, slowly reaching behind my back as he went on and on. “Why do you hate him so much?”

“He took something precious from me that can never be replaced. Since I can never hope to beat him in battle, taking something equally as precious from him will have to do. Tit for tat.” His smile widened into one that would rival the Joker’s.

“And then what? Do you know what Q will do to you when he realizes what you’ve done?”

He belly laughed.

“You don’t get it, do you? I don’t care what he….”

I grabbed whatever was behind my back and slammed it against his head mid-sentence. As he tumbled over on his side, I got up and ran for the only door within view. I didn’t bother to look back. The door was all that mattered. I don’t know why I was surprised when I opened the door to see him standing on the other side.

Thinking back on it now, I can’t believe I thought I could get away. He was Skai, for fucks sake. It was never going to be a fair or even slightly even fight. The reality of the situation doesn’t sink in when you’re in-flight mode. All that matters is getting away, no matter the odds. The problem was my odds were zero.

With a simple head gesture, he hurled me clear across the room. I hit the floor so hard the wind was knocked out of me as I rolled for several feet until I finally stopped. I caught my first breath as he placed his foot on my chest.

“Oh, Jacob,” he said. His gaze never left my eyes as he reached his hand out and somehow summoned a long, thin pipe to fly into it. “I’m afraid I will need you to stick around.” The psychopath drove the pipe thru my shoulder blade and into the concrete, effectively pinning me in place.

‘NO AGHHHH….”

I screamed bloody murder and lost sight of my attacker. White, then hot red, was all I saw behind my clenched eyes. I tried to breathe and then screamed again. The red faded to black, and tears started to flow as freely as the blood. If someone told me they could hear my pain a mile away, I wouldn’t have been surprised. I reached for the pipe to pull it out. That was a big mistake. Moving it barely a hair intensified the pain tenfold. My eyes landed markedly on the Joker still standing on my chest. I cursed at him and the Skai through the pain. There was nothing more I could do.

I did notice one thing. My ring was glowing.

“I tire of this,” he said as I writhed around in pain. He removed his foot from my chest and walked several steps away before turning back to face me. “I planned to leave Qua’quelle a portrait to remember me by. These walls were to be my canvas, your blood, and entrails, my paint and brush. But I only work with the best materials and your kind is too weak and pathetic to be considered the best of anything.”

I threw my head back and ground my teeth together as another wave of intense pain flashed across every nerve in my body.

“See what I mean? You’re nothing but a second-rate bargain bottom material,” his eyes disappeared behind a black mist. “So, I’m going to do us a favor and end you without artistic flair.” Each word hung in the room like the smile on the Cheshire Cat.

He raised his hand slowly, and dark energy, his Askyli, began to swirl around it as if building up a massive charge. “Finally,” he whispered, “sweet revenge.….”

The energy exploded from his hand like an arc of black lightning. Instinctively and pathetically, I threw my hand over my face as if it was going to protect me from the Skai’s power.

I knew it was over.

“Enough, Kaylec!”

That voice. It wasn’t the one I was hoping for, but I knew that voice. I lowered my hand to see this dazzling barrier of light surrounding me. The dark Askyli from the Skai spilled over it like water over a glass dome. Beyond the brilliant light, I saw her. Dressed all in white, she stood like an angel from heaven.

“Lady White,” I whispered to myself.

The Skai stopped his assault and turned his attention to her. The barrier protecting me vanished, and my ring’s light faded to a warm hue.

He didn’t say anything to Lady White; he just stared at her for a moment. I blinked, trying to focus on them. I noticed the cold for the second time, but now it felt like it was coming from inside me. I could barely move without sending an unbearable, searing pain through my body, but the adrenaline pumping through me said, ‘you need to fight.’ I was having trouble focusing, but my need to survive and fight forced me to look around for something I could reach to use as a weapon. I turned my eyes from Lady White when I saw the huge puddle of my blood on the floor…and it was growing.

Suddenly the Skai roared in anger, turned back to me, and with both hands, unleashed a torrent of Askyli even greater than the last. I flinched, narrowed my eyes, and yelped in pain at my movement. The shield reappeared.

Unable to penetrate it, he moved closer and intensified the blast.

“Enough!”

Her voice boomed across the room. The Skai broke off his attack and, clasping both ears, dropped to his knees. I don’t know what she did to him, but for a moment, he appeared to be in a lot of pain. I would guess it paled in comparison to what I was feeling.

“You have no right!” he yelled, staggering to his feet. “You are not to interfere in our affairs or take sides.”

“I’m not taking sides, Kaylec, and you know that. I’m here on behalf of all El’odians to prevent you from making a grave mistake that will have dire consequences for both sides. Now I’m asking you to please leave and allow me to attend to the boy.”

Lady White started walking towards me, but he stepped between us.

“I will have my revenge,” Kaylec insisted.

“And then what?” she asked.

“What happens to me doesn’t matter.”

“Do you honestly believe it ends with you? That you can exact your revenge on Qua’quelle, he exacts his revenge on you, and that’s the end of it?” She shook her head. “You’re not naïve. Your actions here will have broader ramifications. You might be content to die at the hands of Qua’quelle, but I can’t believe you’d be okay plunging your people into a war you know neither side can win.”

“No one will go to war over this human,” he sneered.

“Qua’quelle will move heaven and earth for that human,” she assured him, and I choked up a bit when I heard her say that with such confidence.

“Then he’s a fool!”

“Is he?” Lady White asked and kind of cocked her head to the side. “What does that make you? You’re here hundreds of years later trying to avenge a death.”

“It’s not a death. It’s HIS death. This is different,” he claimed.

Lady White snickered at his inability to see the obvious. It’s always different when it’s your cause you’re championing.

“Besides, the Nave will not declare war against us on Qua’quelle’s behalf. They will not follow him over that cliff. I can assure you my brothers will be quite safe.”

“You have no idea how wrong you are, Kaylec. The Nave love Qua’quelle, and they will follow him to the ends of Eiyr. Of that, I can assure you.”

He fell silent for a while and merely looked at the ground. She seemed to be getting to him.

“Now, step aside, Kaylec,” she said and moved closer.

Kaylec quickly stepped towards her and balled up his hands; Askyli swirled around his fist. Was he really considering attacking her, or was it mere posturing?

“I will not be denied!”

She sighed. “I was hoping to reach you, Kaylec, but I knew there was a chance your heart was too broken to hear. I cannot bring myself to harm you, but I also cannot allow you to harm the boy.”

“You’ll have to destroy me to stop me. Since you’re not willing to do that, the human will die.”

“I won’t be the one stopping you.”

Either I was becoming delirious from my wound, or I saw the shadows around the room begin to move.

“No!” Throwing his hands out, Kaylec actually “fired” on Lady White, but a shadow took form instantly. At first, a hand grabbed Kaylec by the wrist and forced him to aim upwards, away from Lady White. The energy blast blew a massive hole in the ceiling. With a simple wave of her hand, Lady White created a canopy of light that stopped the debris from hitting us.

While this was happening, the rest of the shadow took human form, and a young man emerged. It turns out I wasn’t seeing things. The shadows weren’t shadows at all. They were whirls of Askyli taking form.

It was the Skylarians.

“Have you lost your mind?” the young man shouted. “You dare attack the one who’s most precious to us all?”

“Zenial,” Kaylec called him, “I….”

“Silence!” he ordered and then looked at Lady White. “Are you unharmed?”

She simply nodded.

“Zenial, you don’t….”

This Zenial guy grabbed Kaylec by the face, lifted him several feet into the air, and slammed him to the ground. The concrete cracked and webbed out under Kaylec. At the same time, about seven or eight other Skai appeared around the room.

Some looked human; others had white hair, dark grayish skin, black wings draped behind them like cloaks, and eyes like rivers of pure darkness, pulsating and menacing. Their nails were like black glass, long and probably as sharp as the weapons they carried. They stood like sentries, imposing and threatening, waiting for commands from their leader.

They were magnificent.

“Do you know what you have done?” he asked. “You have brought us to the brink of war! For what? Petty revenge?”

Kaylec forced Zenial’s hand away from his face. “You would have done the same in my place.”

“No, Kaylec!” he shouted, “I would put the welfare of our brothers before me.” He got close to Kaylec’s face. “That is what it means to be Skai.”

Zenial got up and walked a few paces, his hands balled in anger. He was tall and lean and still in human form. The first thing you notice about him is his blue hair, cut so that the right side was longer than the left and covered part of his face. He was dressed very neatly in pressed dress pants, a nice button-down red shirt, and shoes with a mirror shine. I would have guessed that he was coming from or going to some important function when he got the call from Lady White.

I, on the other hand, was not doing so hot. My eyes were extremely heavy; I wanted to sleep. Looking back at it now, I was probably going into shock. If Lady White hadn’t stepped in when she did, I would have passed out. She was finally standing over me to offer me some help, but Zenial stopped Lady White.

“Aside from being a member of The Brotherhood, who is this human?” he asked her and then looked at Kaylec. “Why did you target him, a human, when you know both sides agreed long ago not to harm the humans that join us until they are made one of us?”

“His name is Jacob, and he is Qua’quelle’s beloved,” Lady White answered.

“What?!” he shouted at Kaylec and shook his head in disbelief. Kaylec was about to say something, but Zenial gestured for him to be silent. “Unbelievable.” Turning away from Kaylec, he looked at me for a moment and came towards me. Then I noticed he had one bright blue eye and an equally vivid green one.

Lady White was quick to get between us. “What are you doing?”

“I mean to heal him,” he pointed down at me, and I flinched again.

Lady White softened her eyes and looked down at me. “It’s okay, Jacob; you are safe now.” Then she turned her focus to Zenial once again. “No, I will tend to him.”

“It will be a greater gesture to the Nave if I’m the one to heal his wounds.”

She stood her ground, clearly stating that she would care for me. I didn’t care who helped me. If someone had the power to heal me, then fucking heal me!

“Very well,” Zenial submitted, with a slight bow of his head.

Lady White was quick to kneel beside me and take my hand. Clearing the hair from my face, she offered a warm and motherly smile.

“It hurts,” I whimpered.

“I know, Jacob, but it won’t for long,” she assured me and reached for the pipe.

“No, don’t!” I jerked and caused the same pain I was trying to avoid. I cried out. It was like my shoulder was on fire.

“It’s okay, don’t move. I won’t hurt you.”

Lady White’s hand began to glow, and the pain dropped dramatically until I didn’t feel anything at all. She hovered her hand over the pipe but never touched it, and I watched in awe as it vanished. Moving closer to my wound, her hand became brighter, and I felt a warmth wash over me. I could sit up a little and watch as the wound healed and the blood staining my clothes vanished. Even the fabric of my shirt began to weave itself until the hole was repaired, and my shirt looked new again.

Her warm smile never wavered as she brushed the last tears from my cheeks. “How do you feel?”

“I…”

“You must tell them this attack was not sanctioned by us,” Zenial interrupted. At first, I thought he was talking to me, but he wasn’t. “You must tell them before this escalates.”

“I will do what I can,” she said and began to help me up.

“Since when did we become such cowards,” Kaylec said.

Zenial turned around and backhanded the shit out of him. I admit that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“You think preventing an unwinnable war and saving the lives of countless Skylarians is cowardice?”

“This peace is a façade, and you know it,” Kaylec exclaimed. “Both sides are trying to swell their numbers; both are hunting for the Eye of Eiyr to destroy the other ultimately.”

Zenial went right up to him and grabbed him by the chin. “Be that as it may, so long as the hunt for the Eye continues, I will not see your foolish desires doom our people.”

I have no idea who this Zenial guy was, but he seemed important. I couldn’t imagine one of my brothers going at it with Q in such a way. But for all I knew, this was normal behavior for the Skai.

I couldn’t believe how good I felt. Don’t get me wrong, I was still scared shitless, but I felt like I could run a marathon; not exactly typical for someone who had a piece of steel sticking out of their chest not three minutes ago.

“What’s wrong?” Lady White asked me, and a warm smile appeared on his face.

I was looking at my ring.

It’s nothing,” I told her.

“What is it, Jacob?” she insisted, placing her hand on my back to let me know it was okay to talk to her.

“Um, I don’t know.” I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. Maybe I was just seeing things before. I looked up at her. “It’s my ring. I could have sworn I saw it glowing before, but now it’s not doing anything. I’m sure I imagined it.”

“No, you didn’t,” she said and took my hand into hers to inspect the ring. “It glows when a human Brother is hurt. It alerts the Nave so they can find you and heal you before it’s too late. The ring only stopped glowing because I have healed you. It also protected you from Kaylec.”

“Oh…” I was astonished that this little ring could do all that. “I thought it was you.”

“No. The ring is imbued with his power. Qua’quelle’s power.”

The room went silent, and Zenial turned to look at me.

“If you weren’t here, Q would’ve shown up instead?” I asked, confused at how it all worked.

“No, Jacob,” she said simply, her smile never fading.

The room shook. The debris on the ground vibrated and then slowly slid across the floor. The lights flickered, windows cracked, and metal shrieked.

“I’m saying he’s already here.”

The warehouse roof completely peeled off like the lid from a soup can. There was an explosion of light above us that rivaled the sun itself. I had to raise my hand over my face to shield my eyes from the light. Rays of this brilliant orb hovering over the building fired in all directions. As they got close to the Skai, the rays took form, and Nave emerged in their gilded, white armor with swords drawn.

Within seconds I heard metal clashing against metal.

One ray came down like a blazing white fireball, cracking and webbing the concrete underneath as it went after Kaylec like a gigantic and angry missile. I saw his hand come out of the light and grab Kaylec by the throat as they launched towards the wall behind them. Lady White vanished from my side as Q slammed Kaylec so hard into the wall that it ripped from the foundation.

“Stop!”

The room froze. It was one of those mafia movie scenes where everyone in the room has a gun aimed at each other, but in this case, it was swords instead of Berettas.

I swear Lady White was the bravest, toughest little old lady on the planet. She stood sandwiched between Q and Kaylec. She held her arms out to the side, trying to stop Q, and I swear his blade was no more than an inch away from Kaylec’s eye.

I held my breath.

“I have every right!” Q yelled. The anger in his voice even scared me a little. I’d never seen his eyes on fire as they were now. It was a hot, white fire, ever-growing in intensity.

“Qua’quelle, please don’t do this,” she pleaded.

It was crazy to me how not ten minutes ago, she was trying to talk a Skai from harming a “Nave,” so to speak, and now she had to talk a Nave from killing a Skai. I began to appreciate how tough it must have been for her to care so deeply for both sides and still manage to stay neutral.

“Listen to her Qua’quelle,” Zenial echoed her plea. He surprised me by walking up to Q and carefully placing his hand on Q’s shoulder. “This is not how you want this day to be remembered.” He paused for a moment to look at me briefly before continuing. “Your human…Jacob is okay. He can walk out of here with you tonight, but if you strike down my brother, no one gets to go home. My brothers will attack….”

“As will mine!” Q interrupted.

“And then what? Today will mark the day when El’odians went to war again. Tell me, Qua’quelle, why did I bother saving his life only to have you start the very conflict I tried to avoid?”

Lady White’s warm smile appeared on her face as she took Q’s face into her hand. “Look at your beloved Qua’quelle. He’s there waiting for you. He may be a little frightened and unsure, but he’s there nonetheless.”

Slowly, Q turned his head to face me. At first, his eyes were wild and ablaze but quickly cooled to their beautiful grayish-blue. I like to think seeing me brought him back from the brink. His sword melted away in a vapor of light, and he backed away from Kaylec.

“Well, it looks like I’m no longer needed here,” Lady White announced suddenly as she stepped out between the two god-like beings. “I believe I can trust you both to act like the leaders you are.” Lady White walked towards me, her loving smile still on her face.

She was about halfway to me when Q turned and punched Kaylec through the wall. The Skai moved to act, but Zenial raised his hand, and they stopped. Lady White approached me like nothing had happened and took my hands into hers.

“Be well, Jacob,” she said as she squeezed my hands and faded away.

Now Q was the one walking towards me. He said something in his native tongue, and one by one, the Nave in the room disappeared in a swirl of radiant light until it was only Q and me. He gently grabbed me by the arms and pulled me close, kissing my forehead. Light exploded from his back to form his magnificent white wings.

“Zenial,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “If your brother or any Skai for that matter comes near Jacob again, I will not rest until I’ve wiped every Skylarian off the face of Eiyr. The Eye be damned.”

“Noted.”

Q wrapped his wings around us like a comforting blanket, and we vanished.

This was my life now.

We appeared back in our bedroom, and it felt a little weird. I couldn’t tell if the trip was instantaneous or if it took time to get there. You're unaware of the time when you’re wrapped in Q’s grace. It seems like it stops altogether.

Like his sword, Q’s wings melted away in swirls of light. We didn’t say anything to each other at first. I backed away from Q until the back of my knees hit the bed, and I sat down.

I felt dizzy.

Q turned away from me and just stood there. I could see his fists were balled up tight with anger. His entire body was wound like a bomb, ready to explode. Days earlier, I left a bottle of water on his desk; occasionally, I could see the water tremble. I let him be for a while and just watched him. Gradually I could see him begin to “let go” of the fury inside him. His fingers finally relaxed. His whole posture was more at ease and in control like the Q I knew.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. At least that’s what I think he said. Turning to face me, Q came over and fell to his knees in front of me. He grabbed the sides of my legs and rested his forehead against my knees. “I’m so sorry, Jacob. I’m so, so sorry.”

I started reaching for the back of his head to comb my fingers through his hair.

“This is all my fault. It should never have happened. I should have been there to protect you.”

I stopped just inches from his head, balled up my fist, and pulled it away. Something about what he said ignited a slow-burning flame inside.

“What the hell was all that about?” Even I was surprised at the harsh tone of my voice. “Some crazy guy kidnaps me, tortures me, and makes it clear he’s going to kill me, and I’m sitting here without a fucking clue as to what’s going on.”

“I’m sorry, Jacob….”

“I know, you said that.” The flame inside me was getting hotter. “I’m still waiting for an explanation. Who were those people? Or Skai or whatever.”

“Centuries ago, during a battle, I killed Kaylec’s mate, the one he was bonded to and meant to be with for eternity. He’s never been able to let go.”

“Would you be able to?”

“It was a battle, Jacob,” Q said and finally looked up at me. “Both sides lost people. I lost friends. Kaylec isn’t innocent in all this. His hands are just as stained with Nave blood.”

“Do you even have blood? I do. It was all over the warehouse floor.”

“What is this?” Q said, confused by my attack.

“And the blue-haired guy who saved my ass while you were doing god knows what?”

“Zenial? He’s one of the leaders of the Skylarians.”

“Oh, I guess I should feel privileged that one of the leaders of the entire Skai people came to my rescue.” My flame was on full blast.

“What is this?” he asked again. “What’s wrong, Jacob? You know exactly what I was doing and where I was. You make it sound like I was out partying or something.”

“What’s wrong with me?” I got up and pushed past the kneeling Q. “What’s wrong with you? You didn’t think telling me you have psycho maniacs out there for enemies was important. Very powerful – I have no chance of defending myself against enemies…that might try to hurt me to get to you?”

“Jacob…” Q said as he got up.

“Well, didn’t you?”

“Quite honestly, no,” he answered matter-of-factly. “I didn’t think they knew about us to make you a target. Not to mention there is an arrangement in which both sides agreed not to target the humans amongst us. Jacob, I honestly didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to hurt you.”

“Why? Because you’re the amazing Q, and no one dares to fuck with you?” I was kind of yelling at his point. “Well, guess what? They fucked with you!”

“Look, Jacob, you’ve been thru a lot tonight, so I understand….”

“Oh, please don’t start with the psychobabble bullshit! The fact is you left me out there high and dry. I was scared out of my mind, wishing you would show up and take the pain away. You never did! I was alone, Q. You left me alone!”

“Jacob…”

He tried to hold me, but I brushed him off. “Just don’t.”

“I was always coming for you, Jacob. It just took time for the beacon from your ring to reach me in the Nexus. The minute I sensed something was wrong I….”

“That’s another thing,” I interrupted. “Why didn’t you tell me I had my own little bat signal on my finger? With a shield and everything! Knowing that might have made things easier; I would have known you would show up instead of wondering if. Instead, I get the hundred-year-old lady and the leader of your mortal enemies trying to save my life. It should have been you.”

“Jacob…”

“I thought I was going to die.”

“Jacob…”

“What?” I yelled. “You keep saying my name, but you aren’t saying anything I want to hear right now.”

Q sighed heavily and turned away. I have never seen Q look the way he did at that moment.

Defeated.

“I must get back to the Nexus. Now that the crisis is over, they’ll be expecting me. If you need anything….”

“I needed you then.”

He vanished.

I don’t think I was alone for more than a minute when my door burst open, and Arsen and the gang came marching on in. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts, but I knew that would not happen with my crew. And I admit, considering what happened, I couldn’t blame them for wanting to check up on me and get the details. If this had happened to Arsen, I’d be the first one busting down his door.

“We heard what happened,” Ant said.

“We heard you and Q down the hall, dude,” CJ added.

I didn’t realize I was that loud.

I spent the next two hours telling them all the details of the night, including my argument with Q. The number of questions they asked was dizzying. Arsen surprised me because he basically hung back and just listened to what I had to say and didn’t ask many questions. He seemed more interested in my argument with Q than anything else. I found it odd.

They hung around the room watching television even after I told them every detail I could remember. I drifted off to sleep in the middle of some movie CJ wanted us to watch. A few hours later, I woke up alone. The television was off, and I had a blanket draped over me. Q’s side of the bed was empty.

I fell asleep again, into a world of dark dreams, violence, and a void I can’t explain. Somehow, I managed to get through it.

I woke up the following day, still alone in my bed. If Q had ever returned, he was already gone. Classes wouldn’t start for another few hours, so I lingered in bed for a while staring at the ceiling. I was seriously contemplating not going to class. Considering what I went through the previous night, I didn’t think anyone would give me a shit about it. But the fact of the matter was that I wasn’t physically hurt anymore, and even if I was emotionally drained, I wasn’t going to let this beat me. Besides, going to class was preferable to lying there with constant flashes of Kaylec in my head. I needed the distraction.

The day was typical for me, but I have to say I was kind of surprised to see Q show up for lunch. He was waiting for me when I walked out of my class. I’m not going to lie, it was an awkward moment, and I avoided it by telling Q I’d take a rain check because I needed to study for a test I had after lunch. It wasn’t a lie, technically. I did have a test. I already knew all the material.

Even CJ gave me a weird look when I turned Q down. But leave it to CJ never to miss an opportunity. He offered to go in my place, and Q seemed okay with that. He said he’d talk to me later and took off with CJ.

The rest of my day was uneventful. When I returned from classes, I grabbed something to eat, locked myself in the bedroom, and fucked around on my laptop. I was probably in there for about an hour before I heard a knock on the door. Arsen walked in and sat on the bed, facing me.

“So? How are you doing?” he asked.

“Fine, I guess,” I shrugged and kept my eyes on the computer screen.

“Cool. I’m glad to hear it.”

I shook my head as if I agreed with him about something.

“So…I heard you blew off Q this afternoon when he tried to meet you for lunch.”

I instantly rolled my eyes. “I didn’t blow off anyone. I wanted to study for a test. It was as simple as that.”

“Uh-huh.” He just sat there staring at me without saying anything.

“Did you need something?” I finally asked.

“Actually, yeah, I do,” he answered but didn’t follow up with anything.

“Well?”

“I was hoping you could tell me why you’re being a bitch?”

“What?” I was taken aback by that and snapped my head up to look him dead in the eyes.

“You heard me. I want to know why you’re being such a little bitch.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Arsen?”

“I’m talking about how you’re treating Q like he’s the biggest piece of shit on the planet right now.”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I already told you what happened yesterday, but you weren’t listening very well.”

“Oh, I was listening. I just couldn’t believe my fucking ears.”

I was going to say something, but he raised his finger to let me know he wasn’t done talking. “Let me get this straight. You’re pissed off at Q for not telling you about some beef he had with some Skai a trillion years ago. Is that it?”

“You don’t think I had the right to know that danger was out there?”

“What if you did? What exactly would have changed Jacob? Explain that to me because I don’t get it.”

Again, I was going to say something, but Arsen kept going.

“Let’s pretend Q told you about this Kaylec guy on day one. How would this have played out any differently? Just knowing that he’s out there doesn’t make him magically disappear. So how would you have been more prepared?”

He paused to allow me to answer this time, but I had nothing.

“Exactly,” Arsen said with raised brows. “Unless you tell me you wouldn’t have joined The Brotherhood had you known this from the start? Or you never would have fallen in love with Q if you knew he had a past? We both know the answer to these questions. So basically, you’re acting like a little bitch for no logical reason. Knowing or not knowing about Kaylec wouldn’t have changed a damn thing, Jacob. You know this.

“And you’re mad because he didn’t tell you about the ring? Do you know when we all found out about the ring? Last night when you told us what it did. So, no one knew. Now, I admit I’m a bit surprised no one mentioned it. As I see it, someone seriously dropped the ball, and they need to update their training manuals to include this information.

“This morning, I asked Shaun about it. Do you know what he said? They don’t tell our human Brothers that the rings alert the Nave when we’re hurt because we’re morons. They found that humans tend to act way more recklessly when told. Why? Because they knew a Nave would show up to save their asses. For fucks sake, they can bring us back from the dead if they get to us within thirty-three minutes. So yeah, fuckers were doing all kinds of crazy shit, so The Brotherhood decided to stop pointing it out. I sure as hell don’t blame them. You know damn well if CJ knew he’d be jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Tell me I’m lying?”

Okay, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the imagery created in my head. Aside from that, I didn’t have anything to contribute to this one-way discussion. I admit I was beginning to feel like shit.

“But let’s get down to brass tacks,” Arsen continued. “Q fucking loves you. Do you know that? He loves you more than I love peanut butter, and that’s saying a lot because I fucking love peanut butter. So, let’s be real here. This has nothing to do with Q. You know that too. Look, I get it, Jacob. You’re pissed and have every right to be, but you’re not mad at Q. He just happened to be in the room when you needed to blow your top. You’re angry at Kaylec. You’re angry at the Skai. And if I had to guess, I’d say you’re angry at yourself too.”

I didn’t confirm or deny anything he said. I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around my legs.

“I bet back home if some punk got in your face, you’d smash his face in, but this time you’re the one who got smashed, and there was nothing you could do about it. But taking it out on Q? Come on, Jacob. That’s not fair, especially when Q - according to you - was ready to start World War 3, 4, and 5 over you. Fuck me! What more do you want from him?”

I still didn’t have an answer for him. All I could do was sit there and let his words sink in.

Arsen got up from the bed and stood over me. “So basically, what I’m trying to say, in case you missed it, is to pull your head out of your ass, put on your big boy pants and fix this. Q deserves better.” Arsen didn’t wait for me to say anything. He just walked to the door.

“What did Lady White say?” He paused for a moment to recall her words. “Oh yeah, that Q would move heaven and earth for you. Heaven and earth, Jacob. I had a girlfriend once who wouldn’t give me five bucks for gas, and you’re going to get mad at Q? Seriously?”

Arsen closed the door behind him.

He was right. I had no excuse and no words to launch in my defense. God, I felt like shit. All I wanted was for Q to show up and hope that he’d forgive me for being such an asshole. I turned on some music and waited. He never showed, and I ended up falling asleep.

Around 3 am, I woke to an empty bed, and my heart sank. Q was always on time and would be in bed snuggling me close. If he wasn’t here tonight, it was on purpose and my own doing.

I went to the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed properly. I came out toweling my hair dry and sat on the bed, looking at Q’s empty desk.

“I’m sorry,” I said to his empty chair; my eyes watered a bit. “I don’t know what got into me. I guess Arsen was right. I was angry at the world; you just happened to be in the room. You gave me an easy target when you said it was your fault.” I paused for a bit before continuing. “That wasn’t fair to you, and I’m so sorry for treating you like that. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I just want you to come home to me.”

The soft white light came first; his voice followed.

“I never left you, Jacob…and I’ll always come home to you.”

That was all he said. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulled me into his embrace, and laid in each other’s arms for a while. He never said a word about how I treated him, not that night or any other night. To him, it was like it had never happened. That shows how amazing he is, which made me feel worse. But that was on me, and I had to deal with that alone. It also made me realize how stupid I was for fighting him because I had never felt so safe in his arms.

I’d always wake up to Q getting dressed, save for the weekend when I’d sleep in late. I told myself I’d try hard to wake up early so I could see him off, but that never happened. I loved Q and all, but sleep was a rare commodity and in high demand at the time.

I never expected him to show up on the weekends for lunch, but he came that Saturday afternoon. I was outside throwing the lion around with some of the Brothers because it was a nice cool day out. I think the Brothers felt I needed to feel normal again, to do something normal again, and so they insisted I go outside.

Oh, the lion was just a Frisbee we tossed around with a picture of, you guessed it, a lion’s face on it. Well, anyway, Shaun threw it at me, and I set myself up for the perfect catch when the damn lion jumped out of the fucking frisbee at me. I heard the growl seconds before it jumped out at me like a jack in a box. Of course, I did what any sane person would do and dove for cover, screaming like a bitch.

Everyone exploded in laughter.

I looked up from my manly fetal position and saw Q holding the Frisbee.

“Lunch?”

He created the illusion!

I wanted to kill him! I screamed bloody murder and started chasing him around the grounds. Here’s a pro tip for everyone. Don’t try tackling someone who can become ethereal. It doesn’t end well. As I walked away with Q, I looked over my shoulder at Arsen and mouthed, “thank you.”

He simply smiled.

We had a very interesting lunch. Many “I’m sorry” were thrown around. Now, I wasn’t all that upset about it. It was funny, but I wasn’t going to tell Q that. I knew having Q feeling all apologetic and whatnot was a once-in-a-blue-moon type thing, so I was going to milk it for all it was worth. But only for a limited time. He was Q, after all, and I’m not that crazy.

That same night the guys decided to take me out to the local bar and grill for food and to play darts and pool. Again, this was an attempt from the guys to get me back into the swing of things and help put the “Kaylec incident” behind me. I began to appreciate their efforts instead of always wanting to be alone. Arsen commented that he was sick of seeing me moping around the house because I missed my “boy toy,” as he put it.

“First of all, I never moped,” I corrected as we walked into the bar. “Secondly, I wouldn’t let Q hear you call him that.”

“Yeah…good point,” Arsen conceded. “You were definitely moping, though. This is funny, considering you were all like, ‘Q get away from me’ not too long ago. I don’t want to see you again because I’m a little bitch….”

“Screw you!”

It was nice being out with the gang again. We saw each other on campus and back at the house throughout the day, but it wasn’t the same. Once we became Brothers, everyone seemed so wrapped up in their lives with school and TBH stuff that we rarely saw each other.

We walked in, and the large crowd gathered around the corkboard immediately got our attention. What was so interesting everyone was laughing and snapping pictures with their phones? Putting on our detective hats, we went to investigate what the commotion was all about.

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, people got out of our way once they recognized the letterman jackets we were wearing. Horrified does not begin to describe what I felt when I saw what was posted on the board. There, for the whole world to see, were several 8x10 pictures of me in various stages of undress. I had my shirt off in one shot and nothing but trunks in another. Those were no big deal. The ones showing me completely naked, sporting eight inches of major wood, and cumming on my chest were a big deal to me. And these weren’t the standard headless shots you can brush off because no one can prove it’s you in the picture. It was me from head to naked toe.

I was fuming and embarrassed. I could feel the heat coming up from under my shirt.

“Dude,” CJ said and got up close and personal with one of the pictures. “I’ve seen your shit, and these pictures don’t do you justice.”

“My god,” one girl gasped.

“Who put this up here?” Arsen asked one of the guys standing next to him.

He had no idea, but I dd. The only person on the planet with pictures of me in all my glory. It took only a few seconds of scanning the bar to find her sitting in a booth with her girlfriends on the other side of the bar. We locked eyes for seconds, but she had this pleased look and a sinister grin. She dismissed me completely and went back to talking to her girlfriends without a care.

Bitch!

But once again, being a member of The Brotherhood has its perks. The laughter subsided rather quickly when everyone realized I was the one in the pictures. Some guys even went to take the images down from the corkboard without being asked. The one who handed them to me even apologized for something he had no part in. I thanked him and shook his hand as I took the pictures from him.

“Come on, bro, let’s get some food,” Arsen said, rubbing my shoulders and guiding me to the tables. “Forget that bitch. We’re here to have a good time.”

“What’s the big deal?” CJ asked, throwing his hands up in the air. “I always send Christmas cards out with my cock on them.”

Okay, even I laughed at that.

Ant grabbed CJ by the neck and pushed him forward. “You would, freak!”

I loved my crew.

The rest of the night was uneventful. We ate some good food, played darts and pool, and got a chance to catch up. We talked about class, our professors, and who was trying to get with whom. It should be no surprise that CJ got more ass that first week than the pledge group combined. He slept with three girls, got head from two guys, fucked four guys, and was in a foursome with two other “straight” dudes and a chick. He made the air quotation gesture because the girl was just his way of getting into bed with the two hot guys he had his eyes on. According to CJ, the girl was only around for thirty minutes before she had an “emergency” and had to go.

Hearing Ant and Alessandro talk about being able to be together again only made me miss Q even more. Don’t get me wrong. I was so happy they were able to be together. And seeing how much in love they were, gave me that warm feeling inside, but it also saddened me. They picked up on it because they changed the subject to something completely random.

Suddenly I felt someone standing on my right staring down at me. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. I knew having a good time would drive her insane, and it would only be a matter of time before she felt the need to try and ruin my night…again.

“So what?” Alex said. “You’re a fag now?”

“Whoa!” I couldn’t even tell you where that came from because pretty much everyone at our table was taken aback by her comment.

“Excuse you?” Paul exclaimed.

“Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” She went on completely ignoring everyone else. I did her the same courtesy and ignored her back. “You like dick now? Is that it?”

She wasn’t exactly whispering. Every comment got louder and louder, and eventually, the bar went silent. All eyes locked steadily on us.

Cue CJ.

“Well, in all fairness, he doesn’t like just any cock,” he said under his breath to Alessandro. “He likes the cock.”

“CJ shut up,” Ant said.

“What?” He kept talking under his breath as if the whole table couldn’t hear him. “I’m just saying it makes a big difference. Not all cocks are the same in the grand….”

Ant finally muzzled him by placing his hand over CJ’s mouth.

“Since when do you like taking it up the ass? Were you fucking other guys while you were fucking me? I think I deserve to know that much.”

She didn’t let up on the onslaught. Even if I wanted to answer her, I wouldn’t have been able to get a word in edgewise. Alex tried to humiliate me so I would never show my face again. Unfortunately for her, she failed to realize one thing…

No way in hell was I going to give her the satisfaction.

“Yes!” I finally yelled and looked up at Alex. I was so loud my voice carried over the music.

She looked confused about what I was saying “yes” to, so I clarified things for her. She deserved that much, right?

“I like cock!” I got up from my seat and stood on my chair. “You hear that, everyone? I like cock! No, not true. I love cock! All cocks! Big ones, medium ones, and even little ones, but not too little because you need something to work with.” I looked out to the bar and threw my hands up. “Am I right?”

“Amen to that, brother,” one of the girls at the bar yelled out. “Preach it!”

“Lucky for me, I found myself an extra-large cock.”

The bar just exploded in cheers and laughter.

“And as CJ said, it’s not just any cock. It’s the cock! The cock every girl up in here, and hell even some of the guys, wish was coming home to them at night.”

“You ain’t lying!” A voice yelled out, and it didn’t belong to a girl.

“Is that what you wanted to hear?” I looked down from my chair at Alex. “Were you hoping to embarrass me or some shit? Is that it?” I gestured to the crowd cheering on my behalf. “Well, take a good look around, you spiteful bitch, and tell me how you’re feeling now.”

She was speechless.

“Now get the fuck out of my face and go suck a cock!” I grabbed my crotch, which was pretty much in her face since I was still on the chair. “But not this cock because it belongs to someone else now.”

Again, the crowd just lost their fucking minds. The only thing Alex could do was leave the bar in a hurry. Even her girlfriends had the good sense not to follow her out. I’m glad I didn’t see much of Alex after that; she avoided me like the plague.

I have to admit, I had a did I just do that? moment when I sat back down.

The cheers I got from my bros at the table confirmed it. I got wasted that night again, but only because everyone in the bar and their grandmother bought me drinks.

It was a good night out.