Dark Princess: Shadows (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance #89)

9. Brandon

9

brANDON

B randon was slowly starting to relax, though his heart was still racing from the initial shock of Ell-rom's entrance. The words that had popped into Brandon's overactive mind upon seeing the prince enter Morelle's room had been chilling—the Grim Reaper, the devil, a demon.

Ell-rom had looked truly terrifying when he'd thought his sister was in danger, and the sight of those fiery eyes would surely haunt Brandon in his nightmares for days to come.

Now, he had no doubt Kian was hiding Ell-rom's true abilities, and he was doing so because the mellow-looking, genteel prince was potentially far more dangerous than he seemed.

The transformation had been startling—one moment a creature of nightmares, the next a confused and concerned brother. It was a jarring juxtaposition that left Brandon feeling slightly off-kilter.

After Ell-rom had ascertained that Brandon posed no danger to Morelle, the prince had returned to looking like he had on the podium earlier that day—a nice guy who wasn't quite sure of his footing and was looking to Annani, Jasmine, and Kian for direction.

Talk about misleading appearances.

Brandon found himself wondering just how much of Ell-rom's gentle demeanor was genuine and how much was a carefully constructed facade.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Did Morelle know what her twin was capable of?

If she retained her memories, she had to know. The siblings had had only each other for company, and unless they had been kept apart for some reason, they must know everything about each other.

Whatever Ell-rom's talent was, Brandon was sure it was nothing good. He hadn't imagined the raw power he'd glimpsed in those few tense moments, and he made a mental note to speak with Kian about this later.

If Ell-rom posed a greater threat than they'd been led to believe, the council needed to know.

Despite the jarring experience, he maintained his outward composure. Years in the entertainment industry had honed his ability to project calm and warmth even when he felt anything but.

He smiled pleasantly at Ell-rom, still working on winning the prince over. Given his wish to stay with Morelle, it was crucial to stay in Ell-rom's good graces.

"I believe that I can change enough of your story so it would be unrecognizable. Of course, it would need to be handled with care, combining the right balance of truth and fiction, just enough detail to make it feel real without risking exposure."

Ell-rom chuckled, the sound at odds with the fearsome creature Brandon had glimpsed earlier. "I wish I remembered more about my sister's personality. I don't know if she would love the idea of our story being turned into a fairy tale or hate it."

Brandon recognized the deflection for what it was. What Ell-rom was really trying to say was that he didn't know if he hated the idea or loved it. Brandon had a feeling that deep down the prince was intrigued by the concept, but he wasn't willing to take even the smallest risk.

It was understandable, given their precarious situation.

Truthfully, Brandon had no intention of turning the twins' story into a script. The idea had merely been a tool to make Ell-rom shift his attention away from his initial suspicions and focus it on something else. It had worked beautifully, perhaps too well. Now, Brandon found himself trapped in his own web and needed to untangle it with all the grace and elegance he had honed over the years.

"I didn't mean to overwhelm you, Ell-rom. It's just an idea, one of many I spout nonstop throughout my waking and slumbering hours." He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I am cursed with an overactive mind that sees everything in movie format. I really need to shift gears to social media productions, but as the saying goes, teaching an old dog new tricks is difficult."

Ell-rom's brow furrowed in confusion, his head tilting slightly to the side. "I'm sorry, but some things get lost in translation. What does a house pet have to do with movies?"

The prince's genuine bewilderment caught Brandon off guard, reminding him of just how much of Earth's culture and idioms were foreign to Ell-rom.

Brandon laughed, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. "It's just a saying. It means that it's difficult to teach new things to those who are entrenched in their old ways."

"Oh." Ell-rom's face cleared, and he smiled. "Now it makes sense." He turned to look at Morelle, his expression softening with concern. "I should get back to Jasmine. I didn't mean to be away from her for so long."

Brandon rose to his feet. "I hope it's okay with you that I stay a little longer. I was in the middle of telling Morelle a story."

To his surprise, Ell-rom extended his hand. "Stay as long as you wish. If it helps draw Morelle out of her coma, I will be forever in your debt."

Brandon shook the offered hand. "Thank you for allowing me to stay."

Ell-rom nodded, giving Brandon another hesitant smile before turning to leave.

As the door closed behind the prince, Brandon let out a long breath and sank back into his chair beside Morelle's bed.

The glimpse of the power he'd witnessed was terrifying, and he wondered now whether he had imagined it. The prince was half Kra-ell, and the Kra-ell's eye color changed according to their feelings. Brandon didn't remember what all the different colors signified, but red was probably anger and aggression.

Not that Ell-rom's eyes had been red. They'd looked as if they were reflecting the fires of hell.

Brandon chuckled, blaming his overactive dramatic imagination.

His gaze drifted to Morelle's peaceful face. "Your brother certainly knows how to make an entrance." He shook his head. "I have a feeling your story is going to be even more interesting than I initially thought."

He needed to talk to Kian and tell him what he had seen. Kian was a straight shooter, and if there was something he knew about Ell-rom, he might try to hide it, but he wouldn't lie about it when confronted.

It just wasn't how Kian rolled.

If he confirmed Brandon's suspicion, the council needed to be informed about Ell-rom's capabilities.

For now, though, he had a story to finish.

"Where were we?" he asked Morelle, his voice taking on the warm, engaging tone of a storyteller. "Ah yes, I was telling you about the first moon landing and the origins of the conspiracy theories the event provoked."