How to Make a Sinner Sleep - Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Skye Chauvet had been dreaming lately.
It was odd, normally greeted by a brief of pitch black, a memory non-existent before waking. The dreams had started as blurs of colours, the outline of shapes he couldn't recognize or decipher.
He'd woken in a confused state, staring at the empty wall as the dream slipped from his mind, long forgotten. His fists curled in his ivory blankets, frightened by his own waking.
Recently, he could remember them. The terrible snippets of a Kingdom—his Kingdom—and its streets riddled with rotting bodies and a crimson that ran through the streets, polluting the water.
The stench of violence and a murky fog that rested over the lands, a despairing time for all those living.
Then there was the body—
—Kaden's body.
Familiar pale pink hair mottled with clumps of dried blood, sunken cheeks and open green eyes that gazed at a sky he could no longer see. It was vivid, every line that made his face too real to be anything but.
It was strange, because in those dreams, Skye wasn't sure if Kaden were alive or not. Was he dead, or was he living in a dying body?
Skye, curious and intelligent as he was, knew that under Reed's hands, the Kingdom would likely fall to ruins. He didn't understand really, certain that at one point, his eldest brother had been kinder, softer.
Although from the beginning, their relationship had been strained. Skye was like dirt against a white backdrop, he was different in a way that people could tell.
To the baby that never cried, Reed had been kind, but his eyes looked at Skye with the same distance of looking at something strange, eerie. As if there were something inside of Skye that was disturbing.
That's why he didn't care what Reed did, or how far he fell.
If it was merely the Kingdom that ended up falling, a miserable heap of rubble and corpses, then he wouldn't care.
But it was more than just the Kingdom.
It was Kaden.
A poor, miserable child that had been pulled from the streets—Reed had treated him with a gentleness that he gave no other, before their relationship abruptly changed.
Kaden had been pathetic, foolish. A stray pulled from the streets that Skye had watched with indifferent blue eyes. Skye enjoyed his solitude—it was easier existing without those surrounding judging.
The young child had gazed at Kaden's shivering body from the railing of the staircase coldly, watching as Reed walked a careful distance near by, smiling softly.
It wasn't any of his business, whatever strays Reed had chosen to pick up.
And then things changed, in a jerking twist nobody predicted.
Reed and Kaden's relationship collapsed, spinning their bond from found siblings to master and servant. Skye didn't know the reasons for the change, watching the abuse that begun on the child from a distance.
It was better not to be involved in the tricky business of relationships. It was better to live from a distance, never involved.
The young child had slipped into the library, a grand thing filled to the brim of its towering ceilings with bookshelves and knowledge. With a bland expression that only knew how to smile when asking for something, the blonde-haired boy wandered to a ladder leaning against one of the shelves.
A small foot carelessly stepped up, and then another until he was high and stretching for the book he thought looked interesting.
He couldn't reach it.
A scowl had appeared on the child's face as he debated calling somebody for help—if things were difficult, there was no shame in asking somebody else to do it.
His feet raised until he was standing at the tips of his toes, shakily.
Skye was a child used to getting what he wanted.
Stubborn pride fueled the small boy, the tips of his fingers slowly curling around the book's rib. He clutched it, satisfied before the ladder wobbled, and so did his body. The boy's eyes widened as he glanced back, calculating.
A fall from this height wouldn't necessarily kill him, but an injury was highly likely. A broken bone or two.
He could stay inside and not bother with all his annoying lessons and play dates with other children that were actually attempts from other nobles to have a connection to the royal family.
It wasn't bad.
The initial surprise quickly faded.
From the corner, a shadow shot across the room, slamming into the falling boy. Skye winced in surprise as he tumbled, held closely in a bony pair of arms. They skidded, and when they stopped, Skye tossed his head up with irritation, a pout on his lips.
It wasn't comfortable at all. And his plans, they were ruined!
The older boy let out a breath of air that he'd been holding in, groaning in pain. His pale pink hair was tangled and overgrown, covering his eyes.
Skye felt a touch of wetness, and glanced down, noticing a smear of red on his clothes. "......" The boy silently traced the blood to a wound, clearly re-opened, an ugly gash that ran along the other's arm.
The older boy's voice was tired, hoarse. He was slightly taller, but skinnier, a thin layer of flesh coating his bones. "In the future... you should ask for help." His eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of scolding took into his tone. "That was dangerous, geez. What if you hurt yourself? You're just a kid."
Skye squinted at the bony child, wanting to retort that he had a better chance of surviving a fall than the other boy would.
Then, as he parted his mouth to complain, a hand ruffled his hair.
The older boy—who Skye had finally recognized as the stray picked up by Reed—sighed in exasperation. But there was no hesitation or judgment, no trace of fear that the maids and butlers often gazed at the intelligent prince with.
Kaden shook his head, running a hand through the long strands, smiling wryly. "You're not replying? Did you hit yourself? Or are you throwing a tantrum that you were saved by a stray?"
Skye shut one eye, head tilted by the movements of the older boy's hand. He said nothing in response, staring up at the other.
Kaden, covered in bruises and tired, grinned with a cheekiness that Skye had never seen before. "What's up? Am I good looking?"
The smile was a little strained, in some ways forced to appease Skye, but it wasn't a bad smile. Skye realized two things at that instant. The first, that this bruised older boy wasn't scared of him.
And that second, he didn't realize Skye's identity yet.
A brilliant smile bloomed across the beautiful, youthful features, and Skye swung his arms around Kaden's neck. "En. Very good-looking!"
The large eyes watched the other's reactions carefully.
Kaden laughed lightly. He scratched his chin with some awkwardness, clearly not used to interacting, and there was still a hunch to his shoulders as if he wanted to hide away. Despite that, he ruffled Skye's hair again.
It was quite nice, the young prince decided. Nicer than it would've been to be injured, to avoid all bothersome things for some time.
It took three days for Kaden to realize Skye's identity.
And it took two for Skye to decide that he couldn't let the other go.
It had been a coincidence, unplanned, as Reed encountered the pair in the library with a seething scowl, disgust coating his gaze. Skye caught the slight wobble in his step, masked as soon as he saw company.
"Having fun playing with our stray, Skye? You've never taken much interest in him before." The young teenager sneered mockingly, books stacked in his arms.
Skye felt a twitch of annoyance, having been exposed. The blonde-haired child turned to look at Kaden, the older boy's wide gaze reflected. Surprise, fear, sadness, horror—Skye wondered what Kaden was thinking.
Kaden trembled, opening his mouth as if to speak before clamping it down again.
Skye smiled, but for the first time, he felt uncertainty. "Kaden, Kaden," the child spread his arms wide, as he'd done often in the past three days. "Hug?"
Kaden stared, bewildered before he swerved his gaze sideways, covering his mouth. He shook his head, frozen in place. In the next second, he staggered on his bony limbs and darted out of the library.
"....." Skye's arms dropped helplessly at his side.
Reed glanced sideways, frowning. "What games are you playing? Whatever it is, don't involve my dog in your nonsense."
Skye glared at his older brother. "It wasn't a game!"
"Drop the act. Kaden isn't yours to mess with."
"Isn't it you, big brother, who is ruining him? He smiled at me—before. You came, and he ran away."
The teenager slammed his books on the table, suddenly hissing in pain as he clutched his head. "Do not interfere with my things, Skye. Even if it's you, I won't forgive you, understand? Do not involve Kaden in your games—even if he's the only thing resembling a human in this dreadful place."
"I'm not—!"
"If you like him so much, then take him away! Set him free!" hissed Reed. "If you can't do that, you're just a brat who can't do anything."
One boy and one teenager stared at each other. There wasn't a hint of affection in their gazes, blood-bound obligations long faded.
To the noble sons who were used a life of false smiles and obligations, Kaden's appearance was a striking contrast among the gold of the palace. He was filthy, pathetic and miserable—yet his eyes continued to burn with determination.
More than them, bathing in luxury, it was the orphan that really lived.
Skye was desperate to possess that flame, the warmth he'd only just learned.
And Reed...
Skye rubbed his head painfully, the memories mixing with his recent dreams of Kaden's death, of the destruction of the capital. A light sigh left him, and those passing would mistaken him as a beautiful youth simmering in thoughts.
It was the second evening of their visit to the Land of the Fae, and he'd failed to encounter Kaden even once, despite confirming the other's appearance.
He'd run into the cheerful friend of Kaden's, the blue-eyed boy who seemed happy and joyous, but alone, without a smile to mask his thoughts, there was a sharpness to his gaze.
A gaze that seemed to see through everything as they swept over the corridor, briefly landing on Skye. For a second, they narrowed before Niklas pretended he saw nothing and turned the other direction.
Skye sulked by himself, alone. There was often an absence of people around him.
Deciding he didn't feel like sleeping—at that his own room mate gave him odd, disturbed looks—he expertly maneuvered through the changing pathways until he escaped the tree that housed the Fae.
As soon as his foot landed onto a soft patch of grass, the opening in the trunk weaved itself together, leaving behind a rough surface with no entry.
There was a rustle in the bushes, and the youth spun, bright blue eyes eerie in the night. He slipped forward, masking his movements among the rustling leaves as he reached for the shadow facing the other way.
In an instant, the shadow spun around and grabbed his wrist, expertly flipping him over. Skye's eyes brightened as he was flipped upside down, quickly slamming his palm to regain balance as he hopped back into a standing position.
Kaden wilted at the sight of him. "...Skye."
Tense, always not knowing how to behave. That was how Kaden Chauvet begun to behave after learning of Skye's identity.
"Kaden!" exclaimed Skye happily in return.
The youngest prince jumped closer, looping his arm around Kaden's stiff, hanging arm. Kaden stiffened even further, but didn't push him away.
"Are you running away, Kaden? Let me help! I'll go with you, I'm good at escaping!" said Skye quickly before he could be pushed to the side. "Please?"
Kaden, who'd been about to tell the prince to go back, closed his mouth helplessly. "I'm just exploring the nearby town. It won't be anything interesting."
"But I want to spend time with you!"
Kaden lowered his head, conflicted. Skye's affection was overwhelming—and he could not return them. He couldn't be the older brother that Skye wanted, nor a family to the younger man.
The precious genius of the royal family, so endearing, and ever so selfish.
Resigning himself, Kaden nodded quietly and allowed Skye to cling to him until they arrive at the town's border. He'd followed the pathway Noah sketched out for him, though refusing the dragon's company.
Noah had only stared at him solemnly before closing his eyes and nodding.
Skye pulled lightly, insistent. "Kaden? Is this the town?" He gazed up at Kaden, a bright smile still on his face. And Kaden knew best that this silly appearance of Skye wasn't anything fake.
Kaden stepped further into the town, scrunching his nose. A smog that wasn't visible, but heavy and suffocating, weighed the air. Filth and the stench of misery ran along the paved streets.
The faeries had been aiding this town, for whatever reason. A common illness that they needed the Fae's help to overcome.
He moved his arm slightly. "Please stop clinging to me."
Skye's eyes immediately turned down, like a scolded puppy. "But... I've been practicing!"
"Practicing? For what?"
"How to glue myself to you!"
Kaden felt speechless. "...please don't."
A low laugh reverberated from the darkness behind them. Kaden clicked his tongue in recognition, wondering why his luck was so poor this evening.
"I have a suggestion. Why don't we all glue our hands together and stroll along the streets?"
The casual words drew a picture of the three—Lux included—swinging and holding their hands as they lightly skipped down the streets. Disgust transformed his face in a moment.
Lux let out a puff of laughter, amused at the reaction.
"That doesn't please you, little puppy?"
"Kaden can only hold my hand!"
'Kaden actually just wants to go back now,' thought the sinner as his mind spun. Of all the people to be stalked by... these were the most troublesome.
"What a headache." He muttered, whispers not unheard by the other two.
Lux smirked at the words. "Are we troubling you, puppy? Can you really be mean to your mini master?"
Kaden glanced at the man coldly, unbothered. He tilted his head slightly, a vague smile on his lips. "You're a walking headache. And that mini master you refer to, how would I dare think anything of my owner's brother?"
His words had targeted not only Lux, but Skye who bit his lip, clutching Kaden's arm more firmly. Of course, even after all these years, all he could be was the brother to the person Kaden despised most.
But even if that was all Skye could be, so long as Kaden was forced to remain at his side, then he didn't care about anything.
Kaden glanced down at Skye's twisted expression, and closed his eyes briefly.
Still, he didn't shake off the younger man's hand.
Kaden spoke briefly, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation more than he had to. To Niklas, he joked and mocked, to Noah he teased, but to these people related to Reed, he could feel nothing but discomfort.
"Let's go, if you insist on following. Don't disturb me. I'm following the tasks of my dearest master, after all."
Into the town's dark fog, the three students took a step.