AT OUR THROATS

Alexa was screaming as her eyes started turning black, then them on her chest made a burst of colourful energy, and a creature was formed around her, a giant spider.

The thick smoke started absorbing the spider too till it fought back as Alexa did the same.

It shot a web string at the eyes of the smoke, releasing a potent venom through it, which burned through the glowing spheres as the smoke yelled, then Alexa stretched her arm and the smoke started to get stirred, obviously hurting it.

It screamed in agony as Alexa was crushing it with her new found telekinesis, then the spider pierced one of its legs into the condensed smoke then it began to turn green and purple, before decaying before our very eyes, as we had all been freed.

Alexa looked at Curtis, who looked shocked, then she held either side of his head gently and placed her head on his, then spoke with him telepathically, then he slowly opened his eyes and said,"Thank you."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek as the gem began to disintegrate, then she fell into his arms.

My gem and Indigo's stayed behind though, I think it was because we didn't forcefully awaken them, as in, we killed the previous owners or they preferred us to them.

Indigo turned around to look for Alena then saw my mom smiling at him, with the child toddling towards him and calling,"Iddigo, Iddigo."

He smiled then picked her up then said,"Alek, did you hear that? Your little sister just said her first word."

"Well she's our sister too."Alex said.

Indigo smiled at him then said,"I said your as in the plural form."

"No you didn't."Alex said.

***

After Alexa woke up shortly after, Curtis was the first to see her and they both remembered exactly what the gem told Alexa.

"Dragons?"Alex asked.

"In those brief moments..."She said,"... the gem told me it was made of the concentrated power of the goddesses of wisdom and spiders; Arna and Arachnida."

We all looked at her, wondering why she was making up names and unmatching titles.

I went forward and asked her,"Alexa, are you sure you have fully recovered from your concussion, haven't had a bad dream or something?".

"No..."Curtis butted in,"... she's perfectly fine and right."

"And how would you know?"I asked again.

"Because I saw it myself and trust my wife."

"Did you by any chance get the truth revealed to you by that kiss?"

He frowned at me and Alexa had to but in, but was angry...at me.

"I thought you said your gem never lied to you, so why do you think mine will lie to me?"She asked.

"Maybe because it was formed only when that wizard tried taking over your mind and corrupting you."

"That wizard was Darlok."

"That was him?! Then he should have kept warming his throne because I've strangled pigs far bigger than him."

"Actually you didn't do anything but get your butt kicked and mind corrupted, it was Alexa's gem which saved you."

"Curtis... please."Alexa said then he calmed down as I told Alexa to finish with her story, and so she continued, obviously not without comments from me and painful woops from my wife, for instance, at Creativita, the Dwarven dragon who supposedly brought forth Alchemy, construction and mechanical work, I said,"The name check like some bad multivitamins advert I watched bi."

After Anneliese had given me the tasing of my life, Indigo pulled me up from the floor and said,"I didn't know you spoke pidgin English."

"There's a lot you don't know about me dad, a lot."

Distracting everyone.

Indigo and I were intentionally doing this as we didn't want anyone to be deceived, especially our sweetest and most innocent sibling and child, I really had a soft spot for Alexa even though I never showed it, but I wasn't going to let her future be ruined by some voices in her head, I had been deceived by some too...

***

I walked over the Sandy beach then Curtis asked coldly,"What do you want?"

"I come in peace princess."I said.

He frowned at me and I was almost turned to solid ice by the cold stare he gave me as I took a seat besides him.

He eventually turned back to look at the waves and the rising red moon before him then I spoke,"Curtis, I..."

"Just don't."He interrupted.

"I don't remember the day you became the boss of me."I said.

"And I don't remember the day you decided to become the pain in Alexa's life."

I was silent for a few seconds as he hadn't looked at me then sighed, looked at the horizon, then said,"I'm not trying to hurt Alexa."

"But you seem to be doing a marvelous job at that."He said then stood up and walked away.

I sat down alone, then banged my fists on the rock, intentionally not causing a tsunami, then called for Curtis and followed up.

He groaned then asked,"Are you so daft that you can't tell when someone just wants you to buzz off?"

"I can but don't always listen."I said, stubbornly.

"You don't get it, do you?"

"You're not even listening to me, I'm trying to make things up but you're just pushing me away!"

"You broke my wife!"

"...what?"

"Now Alexa is going out of her mind searching for answers on those stupid pendants you wear, she doesn't eat or talk and the kids are scared as she always wakes up screaming from a nightmare and this is all your fault!"

"Do you have any idea how I feel?! I sense all that everyday yet when I try to help you just freeze me out,(with those words, frost, ice sludge and snow began to form on the waves as the sub zero wind spun around the both of us) you don't even care about anything but what you want, if you want to be right, then you're right, if you want the earth to stop then by heaven, it should stop, you are nothing like Trevor who actually cared about other people, say what you want, but I know the truth."

Curtis's eyes were glowing brightly as he glared at me, but he just stormed off...

***

"I think you're both right...and wrong."My mom said.

"That's not how arguments work mom there's a preacher and a seater."I said.

"But have you ever considered the outcomes of your actions?"She asked.

I frowned at her and said,"I was only trying to protect you all."

"And there you go, I never said what you did was wrong, but your very reaction proves that you believe that... Curtis is a complex person, with a different way of expressing his emotions, especially to those he loves, you should try to understand him better."

"But I just tried and he blew me off."

"I mean, try and understand him, not try and make him think you're right, come on, this has happened before, remember?"

I didn't want to say she was right, but she was waiting for an answer, and when I looked at her adorable eyes, I had to.

"Yes..."I mumbled.

"Between which two people?"

"Curtis and Trevor."

"And what happened?"

"Curtis had Trevor killed which shows how much of a bad person he is!"

"But Alex used to be that way, yet look at him now, serving me breakfast in bed and sitting by me till I fall asleep, people seek redemption only if you give them a reason to, maybe all Curtis needs is a true friend, and all you need is some tolerance."

I looked at her then kissed her on the cheek then left after thanking her, then the gem began glowing again, it had stopped for a few days and I couldn't tell why, till now...