12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Z ylus

Today has been more fun than I've had in years. Despite our busy schedule, we managed to laugh and have fun in between errands.

There were some tense moments in the attorney's office as we hashed out the specifics of our partnership. Perhaps I wasn't totally forthcoming about how much I want to buy her out at the end of the one-year contract.

The arrangement we worked out was fair. I certainly won't be taking advantage of her. It's just that she thinks I'm eager for her to eventually buy me out. I didn't have the heart to tell her I have no intention of renovating this place and then walking away.

I feel good about the terms we agreed upon. She'll be handsomely reimbursed when she returns to Earth after the B&B is up and running, plus she'll receive a percentage of the profits forever.

Although we were starving, we avoided restaurants and ate on the go so we could get more done. We even found a moment to slip into the Paws and Claws Pet Store to get some food for the creature she calls Vortex .

"Because everything he finds gets sucked into his vortex," she'd explained with a bright smile.

Even though she's low on funds, she insisted on buying the critter a soft bed. I tried to convince her he'll just tear out the stuffing like he did the couch, but she refused to budge on the issue.

It's late afternoon by the time we return to the Interstellar Inn, the truck bed filled with materials we sourced from the quarry.

As we ease to the ground in front of the inn, our gazes meet. All our kidding fades away as she looks at me with fresh eyes.

"I have to admit, you even made a trip to that dusty quarry fun today." For the tenth time today I catch her gaze dipping to my mouth.

"Yes. I know how to make things fun ." My tone dips on that last word so it's clear we're no longer speaking about home improvements.

"I'm beginning to believe you, Zylus. Uh." Her eyes widen as if she's just remembering something important. "Can I borrow the hover? There's an errand I need to run."

Despite a few follow-up questions, Misty is tight-lipped about what she needs. I don't argue too vigorously. I need to find my brother and, if there's time, I'm going to beat the shit out of him for scaring my female. Wait. My female? What am I thinking?

Ten minutes later, Misty is on her way. The more she evaded my questions, the more curious I became. I didn't push it too far because I'm going on my own secret excursion.

Once I'm certain she won't return to the house because she forgot something, I perform my spectral shift and pay a visit to Nivar. It's only when I arrive at his house and see it's empty that I realize he probably used his newfound ill-gotten gains to upgrade to something even more impressive.

After checking the Arixxia Fields address directory on my wrist-comm, I shift again and navigate to his new house in the trendy Avalon section of town. Because of our ability to become formless as we spectral shift, Astralites have a strong code of social expectations about privacy. It would be considered polite to regain our form at the front door and use our hands to knock or ring a bell.

I feel no compunction to be polite to the male who terrorized Misty and took such joy out of denying me the inn, so I materialize in the middle of Nivar's ridiculously opulent living room. The molded red plaz couches that look uncomfortable as hell and the glaring estron lights are a stark contrast to the homey warmth of the Interstellar Inn. Fitting, considering the only thing my brother and I still have in common is our last name.

The sound of giggling and a rhythmic thumping draw my attention to the sweeping staircase. I roll my eyes. Typical Nivar, always thinking with his dick.

"Hey, asshole!" I bellow, not bothering to keep the anger from my voice. "Get down here. We need to talk!"

The giggling cuts off abruptly, replaced by sharp whispers and rustling clothes. A moment later, Nivar appears at the top of the stairs, hastily belting a silk robe around his waist.

"Well, well, well." Nivar's voice drips with condescension as he descends toward me. "What a surprise." Funny, he doesn't sound at all surprised. "Did you come to make an offer on the Interstellar Inn again? Too late. It's been given away in the raffle."

I don't give him a chance to say more. In an instant, I'm across the room, my hands around his throat, pinning him against the wall. His eyes widen in shock and fear.

"Listen closely, brother," I snarl, my face inches from his. "Your little scam ends now. You're going to leave Misty alone, and you're going to stay far away from the Interstellar Inn. Do you understand?"

Nivar tries to smirk, but it comes out as more of a grimace. "Or what, little brother? You'll tell on me to mommy and daddy? Oh wait, you can't. "

Something inside me snaps. Years of pent-up anger and resentment come flooding out. I release his throat only to grab him by the front of his robe, lifting him off his feet.

"You want to know ‘or what'?" I growl. "Or I'll expose every dirty little secret you've been hiding. The fraudulent business deals, the tax evasion, the bribes to local officials. Oh yes, I know all about them. I've been keeping tabs on you for years, waiting for the right moment."

The color drains from Nivar's face. "You're bluffing," he whispers, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

I laugh, cold and humorless. "Am I? Care to test that theory? I wonder how your high-society friends would react if they knew the truth about the great Nivar. How quickly do you think they'd abandon you if you wound up in prison?"

I release him, and he stumbles, barely catching himself on the gaudy end table nearby.

Nivar is sputtering as he clutches his throat. Not so high and mighty now.

"Here's what's going to happen," I continue, my voice low and dangerous. "You're going to sign over any remaining claim you have on the Interstellar Inn to the rightful owner, the woman who won the lottery. You're going to make a sizable donation to the Arixxia Fields Children's Hospital—anonymously—so you get no glory from your ill-gotten gains."

He takes a step toward me, then thinks better of it. The male spends his days getting manicures and looking over spreadsheets. I lift heavy things for a living. We both know who will win if he escalates this into a physical fight. I'm not the helpless younger brother anymore.

"And you're going to stay the hell away from me, Misty, and anyone else associated with the inn. If I so much as catch a whiff of you near the property, I'll burn your entire life to the ground. Are we clear?"

Nivar, for once in his life, seems at a loss for words. He nods, a jerky, panicked movement .

"Good." I straighten my clothes as I consider any other threats but oddly, I have nothing left to say. "I'll have my lawyer draw up the paperwork. Expect it within the week."

As I turn to leave, Nivar finds his voice. "You… you've changed, little brother."

I pause at the door, looking back at him. "No, Nivar. I've just stopped letting you push me around. It's time you faced the consequences of your actions."

With that, I shift into my spectral form and vanish, leaving Nivar alone in his ostentatious, soulless house. As I make my way back to the inn—back to Misty—I feel a weight lift from my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I've stood up to my brother, and it feels damn good.

The Interstellar Inn isn't just a building to me anymore. It's a symbol of everything I've fought for, everything I'm becoming. And I'll be damned if I let anyone, especially Nivar, take that away from me or Misty ever again.