Tasting Drakness

Chapter 17

Darius POV

Lycus was in a terrible mood when I came up to the room. Pushing the door open, Lycus was yelling at Kalen, which was rare; he tried to never raise his voice around Kalen. We all knew how fragile he was. We had all had to pull him back from the brink at some point, yet walking in, I had no doubt that Aleera was the reason.

“What’s going on?” I asked, opening the door and shrugging off my Jacket. I tossed it over the back of the chair by the fire. Turning around, they were both glaring at each other, yet neither answered.

“This has something to do with Aleera?”.

“Who else, she needs to go,” Lycus snaps at me, finally turning away from Kalen.

“What is this about? What did she do?” If she has disturbed the peace, she will be back in the cells.

“She did nothing; Lycus is the problem,” Kalen says before storming toward the door to leave.

“Where are you going?” I asked him.

“Out,”

and he stopped with his hand on the

mates. You don’t get to

it is to do with your safety, I do. You leave this room before I know what is going on. I will have her placed back in the cells, now sit your ass down,” I growl at him. Kalen’s knuckles turn white on the door

bed. Finding a bed that fits four men was impossible, so we made one. Lycus watches him and moves to the couch by the fireplace. Despite his

in bed and sulk or stare off blankly when he is depressed, clinging to our pillows like they were a safety net. I watched, amused as he

Kalen, and I shrug, and he rolls his eyes before climbing on the bed and sitting next to him. Kalen

Tobias and I look at Lycus, knowing it is coming from him. Kalen was our weak spot in more ways than one, and we hated upsetting him. His mind was fragile. One minute he was fine and overly excited and bouncing around. The next, he refused to get out of bed, would harm himself, or try and kill himself. I lost track over the last six years of the number of times he wanted to end it, the number of times he actually did, and we had to pull back from death, each time we brought him back, each time he was

hung from the rafters unmoving. I had all the cameras pulled down that week. When I checked the footage, it sickened me. I couldn’t unsee

didn’t see the rope around his neck until he jumped

the last class of the day. He planned it perfectly. He knew no one was in the castle watching. He knew we wouldn’t get back in time. Luckily, Lycus went back feeling sick. Kalen was dead before he walked into the castle, and Lycus found him hanging from the second floor. He

never been happier until we

bed beside him before tucking his arm

taken his magic, it always made him worse, and I couldn’t believe I was stupid enough to take it

and sighed. “Come here,” I tell him, but he doesn’t budge, just stares

heal her?” I asked him

at Lycus

at her,” Kalen

did the wrong thing,” I tell