RECONCILIATION

RECONCILIATION
Adrian’s POV

I traced back to the witch’s castle from dropping Seraphina in the snow when I saw Cassian fighting her.
As always, Cassian charged head-on for her—as the ignorant daredevil he was, or I’ll say, a proud and arrogant fool. He didn't read her movements, didn't study her, and didn't try to find a weakness he could manipulate. He didn't plan.
But I wouldn't judge him. Not because he was my brother. But because I know even though he had such flaws, like everyone else, he had his strengths too.
I stood away from the fight, hidden in plain sight. Cassian was too busy charging madly for her to see me, and she was too busy avoiding him to be interested in me.
Which gave me the privilege and time to observe the fight unhindered, undisturbed. Still, I couldn’t risk being seen, so I phased through the room, blurring out of existence. I spotted a dark area in the room, where the fire-touch was put off, unlike the others. And I stood, not only suffused in the darkness but also phasing through it. Practically, I was in the room, and at the same time I wasn't. No one could see me in the room because I was partially existing in it.
I slipped my hands into my coat pockets, and I watched, following each movement, each sequence, my eyes picking up on every detail. Cassian would charge madly for her, swinging his fist for her face, and she would melt into the air, becoming a trail of smoke, only to appear behind him later in her full form.
In the immortals world. The fastest were the vampires, the werewolves were the strongest, and the witches were the craftiest and sleekest. And being a pure blonded vampire, Cassian was the fastest vampire alive, and only I could rival him in speed—almost rival him, because he was faster than me.
So there was no way she could be faster than Cassian. She could only be craftier. Which means there was a trick to how she could avoid him by melting into smoke before he reached her.
She kept avoiding him, and at some point, Cassian summoned every strength he could muster in him and converted it to his speed, beating her this time before she could melt again.
His fist folded tight around her small neck, and he threw her against a wall, pinning her to it. His thick fingers folded tight to her neck, strangling her.
He had gotten her, finally. But somehow, I couldn't shake off that feeling that something was off. That ominous feeling that breathed within me, tying my stomach in knots. This was far from over, I could tell.
I felt a movement around me, just as Cassian kept strangling her. A trail of smoke materialized from the darkness, floating into the light, and gradually, it strung around itself, and then it became her—her copy, or perhaps her real self. Slowly, she crawls through the air for Cassian.
She eventually stopped behind him, watching him strangle her copy.
“Cassian, look out,” I yelled. But he didn't listen. He just shrugged his shoulders and continued strangling the copy whose neck he had locked between his fingers. 
The copy behind Cassian turned around sharply, throwing her eyes around to find me. But blanketed by the darkness and just phasing through the room, she couldn't spot me.
The copy Cassian was strangling quickly dissolved into a trail of smoke and melted away, fading into the air. Usually, she would dissolve into smoke, trail through the air in a thin strip, and merge behind him. This time, she just appeared to melt away. Which confirmed the version behind Cassian was the real one.
She bound Cassian’s feet with magic, and she grabbed his neck, preparing to enchant him. Without Seraphina to use to control us, that was her best option. I don't know if it could be reversible, but one thing I know is I wasn't letting her do it to my brother, to anyone.
I traced fast to a pile of wood on the floor from a broken wooden cabinet. I snatched enough wood from the floor, as much as I could carry, and I hurled it in the air at her.
She turned to find the sticks coming for her and dropped Cassian's neck, melting away again.
I traced fast for Cassian before he could drop to the floor, and he dropped into my arms, his whole big, burly weight. He was a little cold in my arms, his eyes shut close, unconscious. I laid him on the floor gently.
She shouldn't have gotten into his mind yet. I slapped him gently on the cheeks. He gasped, startling up from my arms.
He was panting when he turned to me. His lips curled tight in disgust. “Where is that bitch?” He growled.
“She is hiding in the darkness…”
He didn't let me finish. He jumped fast to his feet, staring into the dark areas of the large hall. His whole body trembled, the muscles of his big body rippling against his tattered shirt. He jammed his fist onto his palm. “I am going to kill that bitch.” He grunted.
“You can't kill her. Nor can you defeat her,” I told him. I threw my hands into my pocket, walking closer to him.
He spun sharply to me. “You don't know what I can do,” he grunted.
“Yeah, I know. I don't know what you can do,” I yawned out of boredom. Talking with him always bored me out. He had a one-track mind, and he was extremely stubborn. “I know one thing for sure. You can't beat her. You will only keep getting your ass whooped.”
He grunted, gnashing his teeth noisily, and he whirled around to me. He grabbed my collar, riding me to the wall fast. He slammed me against the wall so hard pain shot down every nerve in my back. I just raised up my face to him, the pain burning off inside of me. “We can only defeat the witch by working together.” I told him.
“I am not working with you.” He screamed into my face. “And I am never going to work with you.”
“If you are still angry about the throne, then you can have it.” 
“I don't need it.”
I grunted so hard, I felt my insides vibrate. I was tired of all this nonsense already. I pushed him away from me. He might be bigger, but I was stronger. He staggered back from me, his face darkening, as he struggled to recover his footing.
“Then what do you fucking want, man? An apology,” I grunted. “If that's what you want to hear, then I am sorry, man. I am fucking sorry. Even though I have never done any wrong to you.”
“Coming from someone who stole my throne.” He sneered.
“I didn't steal your throne.” I retorted. I wanted to speak, but I hesitated, and my lips sealed shut.
I bumped past him, walking away. If he wouldn't help out, then I would find someone else who will. Roman, Sigurd, and Fabian were all fast, and if I combined their strengths and speed together, they should all equal his—Cassian.
I was about to trace away when his voice stopped me. “Why did you save me earlier? You could have just let me die, and then no one would have challenged your claim, and you would have had Seralyn to yourself.”
My boot scratched the floor noisily as I froze to a halt. I threw my hands into my pocket. “That's because you are my brother, Cassian. Even if you have been acting like a complete asshole and see me as the enemy, you will always be my brother.” I responded over my shoulders, refusing to turn to him.
“If you were the one in that position, I probably might not save you. I probably might let you get enslaved to the witch. Would you still have saved me even if you knew that?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Why?” he demanded. His voice sharp.
“Because you are my brother, and even if you don't love me, I love you, and I can't watch you die or something bad happen to you while I do nothing.”
“You got a sweet tongue on you. You're just trying to get me to trust you, telling me all I need to hear.”
I scoffed heavily, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of his speech. “To hell with you, Cassian.” I yelled at him over my shoulder. “You can damn well believe whatever you want to. I don't give a damn what you think again. I am done trying to convince you of anything.” I traced from the room.
But then, his thick hand grabbed my shoulder, and he drew me back to the witch's hall. “Where are you fucking going? We have a witch to kill.” He said.
I turned to him, but he turned his eyes away instantly, as if afraid to meet mine. 
“I thought you wanted to kill her all by yourself.” I teased him. Though I kept my expression impassive, I was smiling underneath. Finally, the big bastard had tried to see past his stubbornness. Perhaps I can have my brother back.
He turned to me, deliberately making his eyes colder than they usually were. “I changed my mind. I can defeat her alone. I just want to do it the easier way. That's why I stopped you. I am also doing this because of Seralyn. Of course, I know she loves me more than she loves you. But since she wants us to be together, perhaps we will give it a shot, and perhaps we can try ruling together too, since she wants that….”
I didn't let him finish as I threw my arms around him, pressing his large body to my lanky one. Even though his gaze had been cold, some part of me told me he was back, back to my twin brother.
It took a minute, but finally, his hand folded around my body too. But he was pulling away instead. “Stop being emotional, Adrian.” He grunted. “Let's just defeat the witch.”
“Okay.”
The witch trailed out of the darkness then, a wisp of smoke, reforming itself into a humanoid form.
She grinned down at us. “Thank hell. I thought your reunions would never end.” She said, stifling a chuckle. “Well, since you both have reconciled, you would make better slaves. I would be able to control one better by using the other.” She grinned to herself. And then she floated fast for us.