The Secrets

Evander nodded as Iris took her position at his head her hands either side of his temple. “Just so you know this will take over your memories by removing this bond it will cause severe pain, to both you and your sister are you okay with that?”

"You can do this," Catalina encouraged softly, squeezing his hand.

Iris glanced to her before she looked to Evander. “This is your choice Evander, whatever you and your sister have fell out over will not be worth this.” She told him.

“Do it.” Evander told her after a few minutes. “Just tell Nereus that I’m sorry.” He told her even now he was still sorry for his sister, and Iris shoved a piece of wood in his mouth for him to clamp down on instead of them as she started to get to work and true to her word Evander nearly broke the table with his free hand when the pain hit him.

Catalina reached her other hand across so she had a hold of both of his now. Squeezing them tightly, "I've got you, you're doing so well."

---

Maxwell was moving through the darker alleyways of the town, sporting a few fresh bruises from returning home with his brothers body. A bag hanging off of one shoulder stuffed with supplies as he headed toward the dock.

“Don’t worry if he looses consciousness, he did it last time.” Iris warned her, and soon enough Evander lost consciousness when his mind realised that he had had enough. “So, are you two not together then?”
______

Nereus was hiding in her hiding place, the sculpture still stood where it had been left, but she was on the other side of the hideout trying to be quiet and not scream so loud as she felt her bond to Evander breaking but occasionally screams would slip through her hands and head already bloodied from where she tried to keep herself quiet or at least lose consciousness

"Yes? No... I don't know. Not officially." Catalina whispered, brushing her thumbs against Evander's knuckles gently.

---

"Oh, oh. It's you..." Maxwell frowned as he slipped through the gap to the huge out, having followed the sound of the screaming. Lowering himself onto his knees in front of her and cautiously touching her shoulder, "What's happened here? Can I see.... I can patch you up."

She moved away from him not fully in her right mind because of the pain and everything that had happened with being in captivity make her more cautious and on fight of flight mode. Only when she had stopped what she was doing with Evander did she calm down to soft sobs and sniffles. “I’m sorry I won’t hurt anyone again.” She whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask to be made like this.”
_____

“Well I think you two would’ve a good match….while he restated I can do a little future reading for you if you want.” She offered. “It’s 99% accurate, and I think you’ll like it.” She told her when she finished her work, letting Evander sleep.

"I..." Catalina grimaced, leaning back in her seat before giving a nod. "Okay then, sure. Why not..."

---

"You haven't hurt anyone, no one is hurt other than you." He assured softly, edging forward once again to gently take a hold of her wrists. "Nereus. That is what you said your name was, right? Do you remember me?"

She looked to him, and now the bond was broken she looked slightly different her eyes which were once the same colour as the ocean were now joined with a black almost web design. “They told me I did, your government told me I’m better off dead.” She was crying as she told him.
_____

Iris smiled and she gestured for her to follow before she walked over to a small table. “Take a seat.” She told her as she made her crustal ball appear.”let’s have a little look shall we.”

Catalina got to her feet and cautiously followed, careful of where she stepped and how her weight fell as she lowered herself down onto the chair. "Not going to curse me, are you?"

---

"They are scared of things they don't know, that's all. It is ignorance, and fear." Maxwell whispered, pulling a silk handkerchief from his backpack and using it to wipe her tears.

“He’s kill me if I hurt you,” she told her. “So don’t worry I don’t plan to do anything bad to you.” She told her as she taped the crystal ball and soon a scene could be seen. She and Evander were walking along a beach, they looked happy, even occasionally sharing the odd kiss . Then Evander shot forward on the sand colliding with two small people, but it was an occasion of fun and laughter as it appeared that the two small people were their children.
______

She looked at him. “Why are you being so nice?” She asked

"Parlour tricks." Catalina denied quietly. "This is generic, I do not believe that the future can be told."

---

"Why do your eyes look different today then they did yesterday?" Maxwell hummed. "See, I can ask questions too. I am being nice, because I am. Your eyes are different because they are. We don't have to know everything all of the time, do we? Things can just be."

“Tell you what, you come back to me in about five years? If it happened and you two aren’t happy together then I owe you something.”
_____

“Last person nice to me tried to kill me,” she told him. “I only met you yesterday, think I’m allowed to ask questions of the brother of said person who tried to kill me.” She told him, she made a move as if to move away .

"Okay," Maxwell sighed, leaning back to sit down more comfortably. Crossing his legs beneath him.

---

"Or you can show me something less generic, more specific that'll happen in the next month or so."

“Hmm, something more specific,” Iris looked to the crystal ball tapping it gently and another scene started to play and it was her and Evander they looked to be living on a ship in the middle
Of the ocean.
_____

She looked over to him. “I thought you would have already left.”

"I had to bring him home and.. and that meant well...." Maxwell grimaced, briefly motioning to the bruises and small cuts on his face. "No big brother to take the punches for me now, is there? But uh..." He glanced over his shoulder to look at the sculpture of the swans. "He built that, right? He was always talented."

---

Catalina wrinkled her nose and gave a shake of her head, hard to please and still not impressed.

She looked at it and she nodded. “Yeah he did.” She smiled slightly. “When do you leave?” She asked nodding to his bag.
______

“Surprised you’ve settled for Evander if you’re this picky sweetheart.” She told her. “Just so you know if you hurt him I will curse you in such a way that you will never be able to escape it.”

"Settled for? It sounds like you are the one who needs a curse if you can speak about him in that way. The fact he has been used as some kind of calming remedy for his sister for years is fucking disgusting too, all that strain and stress. I am eager to see him happy for once, instead of always having that expression in his eyes. I told Nereus a long time ago that Evan always had a sadness to him. Now I know the cause of it."

---

"As soon as I get to my boat, I'm not hanging around for anything."

“Could I go with you? Just till you stop?” She asked. “I’ll spend it in the water if it makes you feel better, I just need a way off this island and I can’t ask the other sailers without being verbally abused and things thrown at me.” She told him.
_____

“I’ve looked after Evander since he was born, I know who Evander is much better than you give me credit for.” She reminded her. “And it worked whilst they were children his parents obviously didn’t expect this to happen.”

"Well they were stupid then, as are you. You do not put that amount of pressure on someone, especially not as children. One person does not exist to keep another calm." Catalina hissed, getting off of the chair and walking back to where Evander was.

---

"You can come with me, sure."

“Don’t forget whose house you’re in little siren I’ve seen more in this world than you can imagine and I have more power than you can fathom, do not bad mouth me or his parents to me especially not when he can hear you.” She warned. “He held his father and more on a higher pedestal than he will ever hold anyone.”
_____

She smiled slightly. “Thank you.”

"He won't be surprised by my opinions, and I do not quieten myself for anyone. You can threaten me all you like, it doesn't bother me."

---

"I don't know where I am going yet though,"

“Anywhere is better than here.”
_____

“You even he will only take so much sweetheart, maybe stop being a notch for once and trying to alienate him from his life, it’s worked with his sister but it won’t work with everyone.”

Catalina just let out a short laugh. "Make me your villain, I don't care."

---

"Okay,"

“Don’t worry I can see that.” She told her.
___

“When do we leave? Do I have time to grab a few things?”