There's a moment of stillness before my brother nods at Jordan in greeting, his movement so stiff my neck hurts for him.
"Nice to meet you." The words sound forced. "I'm Bryan Banker."
"Jordan Lukewarm." Jordan stretches a hand, and Bryan eyes it for a second before taking it. The handshake is awkward enough to give me second-hand embarrassment. On the bright side, if Jordan has noticed my bro's odd behavior, he doesn't show it. His voice is as gentle as ever when he says, "I hope you enjoyed the meal."
"Oh, I did." Bryan's smile cracks slightly, and he releases Jordan's hand. "It was delicious."
"Glad to hear that."
Then, a silence falls on us, and I'm unsure what to do. The kids have run to the entrance hall, waiting for their mother to arrive. This morning, she promised to bring them some gifts on her way back from the trial, that is, if they listened to me, were good to their uncle, and didn't run amok in their parents' absences. Perhaps that's the main reason why the kids have been so well-behaved all evening.
That's not exactly important. The thing is, it's only Jordan, Bryan, and me in the living room, and the silence feels suffocating.
I glance back and forth between my husband and my brother. It lasts until Bryan turns his head toward me. There's a twinge of nervousness in his voice that makes it tremble when he asks, "I'd like to talk to you in private, if possible. I still need to take your statement from yesterday's events."
Jordan quirks an eyebrow, but doesn't probe.
As for me, I frown.
Bro, you're being weird. Very weird.
Well, Bryan does have to take my statement, but it sounds like an excuse to flee right now. Whatever. I can ask him what's going on once we're alone.
"Sure."
I peer at Jordan, whose face betrays nothing. Although his true form does tell me his curiosity has been piqued. He's just polite enough not to pry. I'm going to tell him everything later, anyway. "Can we borrow the greenhouse?"
The indoor greenhouse is the only place on the first floor where we can have a bit of privacy. The den upstairs would have been better, but it'd require Bryan to somehow walk up a flight of stairs to get to the second floor. Not sure that's a good idea, considering he's wheelchair-bound today.
"Yes, of course." Jordan nods. "Just be careful not to wander into the last section."
I kinda don't want to be eaten by demonic carnivorous plants, so no worry, I won't.
"If you need me," Jordan smiles tenderly, "I'll be in my office. I have to go over a few files before heading to bed, so take your time."
Workaholic.
"Don't worry, I'll call for you if needs be," I wave my husband away and gesture toward a corridor to my brother. We might as well talk while the kids are busy, and Eve is away. Not sure we'll have the opportunity once these leeches latch onto us, so…
***
The greenhouse is gigantic and stretches three stories high. It has to be; it's full of plants from the demon realm. Jordan had it built to grow fruits and vegetables for his kids. It's also for Ellena and Elois to enjoy a scenery that reminds them of their home. The human world is, in the end, a foreign land to them.
As a precautionary measure, there's a disguising spell cast on the greenhouse, so it looks like a relatively normal greenhouse in a human's eyes. It's supposedly full of exotic plants—not like I can tell, thanks to my ability. The dream-like greenhouse is in full bloom for me, and I can see all of its wonders.
"So, my statement, right?"
My smile feels stiff on my lips as I lean my butt against a working table, crossing my arms in front of my chest. For the record, Bryan's smile looks as stiff as mine.
"Yeah, your statement…"
I narrow my eyes, my index finger tapping on my arm. I'm torn between prying or pretending to be dumb. Something's clearly troubling him. He doesn't seem to know how to bring it up, though, so I can only sigh.
"Bryan, what's wrong?"
His shoulders jolt slightly, and he pinches his lips. He refuses to meet my gaze, staring at a potted plant instead. I don't press him. He's the one who wanted to talk, so he's bound to speak up at some point. I just need to give him time.
"…What do you know about your husband?"
The question makes me arch an eyebrow. The answer isn't exactly black or white, as I know a lot and know nothing at the same time. I'm not sure what kind of answer he wants, but I decide to go with something close enough to the truth.
"Nothing much, actually."
Jordan's species is shrouded in mystery, for one.
"Is that so?" Bryan clears his throat. Another moment of silence passes before he says, "You should try to get out of this house and away from him as soon as possible, for your own safety. If needs be, I can shelter you. I've got a spare room in my apartment you could use, and—"
Wait, wait, wait. What the hell is he saying?
"The offer is kind, but I have no intention to leave. Not today, and not tomorrow." I don't want to imagine the kids' tantrum, thank you. "And why are you suddenly worried about my safety? You couldn't care less about my husband and living arrangement until now. What prompted the change?"
My tone is more accusatory than I'd have liked. Well, I can't help it. Bryan didn't try to meddle in my marriage even once. Yet, now that he has met my husband, he's somehow decided that I must get away at any cost? What the heck.
"Scott!" My brother looks at me with something akin to despair in his eyes, and when he speaks again, there's a sort of urgency in his voice. "I'm sorry, according to the report, your husband was supposed to be a noble demon with a low lineage and a mild personality! Not…" He gulps and lets out a self-loathing scoff. "Well, not that kind of monster!"
I feel my frown deepen. Something is off. Terribly off. My heart is thudding in my ears, and Bryan gives me a pleading gaze.
"Please, trust me and don't ask questions." His hands are trembling. "You have to leave now."
My heart is about to leap into my throat when I hear footsteps. The door is slammed open, and I instinctively snap my head around toward the newcomers. Here comes Eve, with Jonathan in her arms. For once, the vampire patriarch is awake, and the shadow of his blood-red eyes shines under the bright light of the greenhouse. Lucy appears behind them a second later, propping her chin on Eve's shoulder.
"There you are, sweetie!" Eve chuckles, lifting a bag full of wine bottles with her free hand. "Drag your brother to the living room! We've got to celebrate a successful trial and drink to our hearts' content to—eh? Is your brother alright?"
I peer at Bryan, whose face is livid.
The bad premonition gets stronger, stirring up my stomach. My grip on my forearms tightens.
Pushing down the feeling of dread, I shift my attention back to Eve and offer her a smile, "He ate a bit too much during dinner, and his stomach is kinda protesting. We'll be joining you soon."
"Alright…" She nods. I'd bet my hand that she's noticed my lie, but she's pretending not to have. "Be quick, though! Or there might be nothing left for you to drink!"
"I know, I know."
Like often, I wave her away, and Eve lets out a loud chortle. A second later, she's gone, and so are Lucy and Jonathan.
I eye my brother. The cat seems to have gotten his tongue. I pinch my lips. It's going to be a hit or a miss, but whatever. I trust my gut feelings.
"You know, Bryan." I start with a voice that I hope doesn't betray my inner turmoil. "For the longest time, I thought that the nurse had mixed us up when we were babies and that I was actually the oldest between us."
Bryan slowly turns his head back toward me, a look of uncertainty flashing across his face.
"But perhaps I was wrong." My smile trembles. Maybe it'd have been better if I hadn't realized, but it's too late now, and my heart feels crushed. Please, please, let it be nonsense to him. "Lucy's eyes are terrifying, aren't they?"
My brother forgets how to breathe for an instant.
That's all the confirmation I needed, and a laugh escapes me. It's not a happy laugh; it's a wry and desperate laugh. For if my brother is also a Seer, something that shouldn't even be possible, then that changes everything I know about our past, and everything I know about our relationship.
I want to cry.