billion book
Chapter-51. Balance between
[Xanthea]
My eyes fell towards the breakfast table where Asher, Raven, and Ezra sat together.
Ezra almost spilled the coffee while placing it on the table, but Raven saved it with a deft swoop of his one hand, balancing the mugs on the tray.
"Woah, Raven. Have I ever told you that you should join the sin circus? You'd be a hot deal there just like your coffee," Ezra clapped as though Raven had just shown a magic trick.
"And have I ever told you that you should join the mental asylum for deranged demons? I can book a bed for you there in no time at all," Raven glared at Ezra.
"You think I am mentally sick?" Ezra growled, and there was a sudden shift in the gravity around them. The air seemed to have thickened with their overpowering auras.
"You can't do one thing properly. There's nothing about you I can say is perfect. You are full of flaws. So maybe, who knows?" Raven grunted with a scowl.
Ezra clenched his jaws. Glaring, he squared up before Raven. Breaking into a cold sweat, I stared at them, apprehension tightening in my body. And just when I thought Ezra was about to punch Raven across his face, Ezra grabbed the coffee mug from the tray in Raven's hand and sat on the chair.
The bloodlust vanished from the air like it never existed.
"Well, at least I am perfect at being flawed..." Ezra sipped in the coffee, making loud slurping noises which was clearly annoying Raven even more. "I am flawlessly imperfect." He continued in a dreamy tone, like he was reciting the hymn of the universe. "Imperfectum est perfectio. Perfectio est illusionis. Imperfection is perfection and perfection is illusion. So, you are an illusion, Raven." He pointed his finger at Raven.
Ouch. That must have hurt, and it clearly did. I gaped at Raven.
"Oh, cut the crap!" Raven banged the coffee tray on the table.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down, brother. Calm down. It's not my fault. It's not your fault. It's all a predestined distraction." Ezra looked at the ceiling and I followed his gaze.
"Leave my ceiling alone," Asher cut in and I let out a silent chuckle.
"It's all her fault!" Ezra pointed his finger towards me and my reaction was so fast that I didn't even know when I turned my back towards them and concentrated on boiling the tea. "I was distracted because of her." "Leave my wife alone as well. You are just clumsy. End of argument," Asher said. I sneaked a glance at Asher.
Ezra opened his mouth, probably to argue more when Raven stuffed bread into his mouth.
Ezra sulkily chewed on the bread, the tension dispersing gradually. Raven's chuckle broke the remaining tension, and when Asher smiled, shaking his head in amusement, I knew I had nothing to worry about.
I smiled at the chaotic scene that felt so... peaceful. It was a sight that warmed my heart and twisted it with an inscrutable ache at the same time. But I knew why there was this ache in my chest and I knew exactly where it was coming from. As much as I disliked admitting it, I couldn't deny that I had been alone for as long as I could remember. I had a father, but I always felt like an orphan and the family's touch, siblings' bond was a luxury orphans can't have no matter how badly they crave it.
During my stay in the Virgo palace, I often found myself pondering what it would be like to be Nathalia. Would I have a family that loved me unconditionally? Would I have a father who spoiled me, a mother who cherished me, and a brother who cared for me?
Regardless of how Nathalia and Nikolai treated me, their sibling bond was something I always envied. Nikolai always looked out for Nathalia. He protected her, creating a safe space for her. It was heartwarming to see how happy, carefree and fearless she was because she knew her brother was watching out for her.
I took a deep breath to ease the heaviness building in my chest.
Why is it that whenever we see others have something we desire, we feel its lack even stronger?
I have yearned to belong somewhere with someone way too long, and now that longing was crashing on me all at once, threatening to drown me within my own emotions.
I shut my eyes, clenching my jaws. Swallowing the tightness that built in my throat, I smiled to myself. Forget about putting up a facade for others. I often did that to myself because, whenever thoughts like these encased my mind, deep down, I felt pathetic.
I hated feeling inadequate when I was blessed with things that many only dreamt of having. Food, water, clothes, home. And I always earned enough money to sustain myself. Pouring the tea in three cups, I placed them on the tray.
I walked to the table. I didn't know if Raven and Ezra would drink the tea, but for some unknown reason, I thought it would be intelligent to brew them a cup of tea as well.
***
"About what you sent last night. Why are you doing it?" Raven asked.
"Why? Do you have a problem with it?" Ezra asked Raven.
"Why would I have a problem? Enjoy yourself. It's just that they are not worth the time and attention you are giving them..."
Ezra glared at Raven. But Raven's tone immediately turned defensive.
"Hey! If their suffering soothes your heart, make them suffer hell on earth, man. I am with you. I have some funny poisons you could try on them. Would give you a good laugh for sure." Raven said.
Ezra chuckled. "Sure! Hey! How about I suck life right out of their soil? Let them starve till death."
"Ezra." Asher's tone was charged with a subtle warning. "Do not toy with nature. You can make them suffer by staying in the limits the universe has defined for our kind. Like light and shadows, good and evil must persist together in the world. The universe always tries to keep the contrasts of life in a balance. Whenever there's an imbalance, incidents happen which force the balance. And when the balance is forced, be it good or evil, both suffer."
Ezra stared at Asher blankly. I could feel a subtle tension building between them. It wasn't threatening like the strain between Asher and Raven, but it was just as heavy, even worse because it wasn't completely comprehendible.
"Yeah. Yeah. He'll stay within his limits. No tampering with nature, Ezra. Just those vermin. So the poison I was talking about..." Raven interrupted, distracting Ezra with his conversation of poisons.
Asher seemed to have no problem with their poisoning schemes. But I was curious.
What were they talking about? Who were they plotting against? And what did these people do to turn the demon lords into their nemesis?
I placed the teacup on the table in front of Asher.
"Thank you," Asher said with a subtle smile.
I smiled back at him softly.
Just as nature kept life in balance, I had noticed the triplets also kept each other in balance. When two were in conflict, the third would pacify the situation. I didn't even want to imagine a situation where all three of them were in conflict. I hesitantly went round the table and placed the teacups before Raven and Ezra. Thankfully, they were too engrossed in their poison talk to pay attention to me.
I walked back beside Asher and retreated from them.
Even with all their conflicts and disagreements and clash of thoughts and ideologies, they shared a bond among themselves, a connection that made them touch their humane sides.
As an outsider, I was glad to see this side of the demon lords.
"... that would be fun. Give me all those poisons," Ezra smirked with a menacing glint flickering in his eyes.
"I'll get them delivered to you. Share their videos," Raven said.
"Will do," Ezra chuckled and looked at Asher. "You want their videos?"
"Wouldn't want to miss out on the fun," Asher said and then turned his head to look at me. "Xanthea, is something wrong?"
I shook my head, confused.
"Then do you need a special invitation to sit?" Raven looked at me and then at the empty chair.
They want me to sit with them?
"Pardon my rudeness..." Asher got up from his chair and pulled out a chair for me beside him.
Caught off-guard by his gesture, I widened my eyes, my cheeks flushing up as I looked at them nervously.
"Please have a seat," Asher stretched out his hand towards me.
"No Alpha, you don't have to do this... I-I thought... how can I sit with-"
"Don't make a big deal out of it, just sit down," Ezra said, and somehow tried to reassure me with his twisted words.
Feeling like a blithering idiot, I looked at Asher.
"It's ok," he smiled, holding my gaze.
Embarrassment mixed with the flutter in my heart as I placed my hand in Asher's outstretched palm and slowly lowered myself onto the chair.
My heart scrambled in my chest as shame and discomfort weighed down on me so heavily, I couldn't even lift my gaze.
Fidgeting with my fingers and the shirt's fabric beneath the table, I sat with a stiff body.
"Did they never let you sit with them?" Ezra's question hung in the air between us. It took me a few seconds to realize who he was talking about and then he confirmed. "In the Virgo pack, didn't you eat with your family?" His tone softened. It was unlike Ezra, so, I could be wrong, but I sensed a hint of concern in his voice.