Isolation

Shutting the door behind him, Theo placed his hand on the nearest wall and lowered his head. 'That was close.' He was an inch close to fucking it all up and placing his lips on her again. She was driving him insane with those looks and that pained expression in her eyes.

He had found her shaking, in the middle of a horrifying panic attack and the sight was almost enough for him to puke. The memory of the past few minutes made him want to let out everything that he had eaten for the past few days but he only shook his head and tried to stable himself before going downstairs to breakfast.

They had locked her up and she might appear brave, but she was breaking down from the inside. If nobody noticed it, he observed her clearly enough. She was putting on a show to appear firm just so that she could assure the others but she couldn't fool him.

His hands which were on the wall clenched themselves. He wanted to tear Isabella's Kingdom into pieces and then rip her apart limb from limb with his very own hands. She and Asher were going to be careful now. They knew what he was capable of and how much blood he had shed all these centuries. They would be idiots to just march in and attack his land.

Even if they managed to destroy everything he had, they would have to get through him to get to Eva and what remained of his family, just his friends.

Deep down, Theo was aware that they felt confused and betrayed that he had isolated himself from them when they had wanted to help. After his parent's death, nothing remained the same for any of them. If he had let the others out of Eden, his people and his friends would have been in danger.

The current biggest danger was neither Isabella nor Asher. It was the Fates and Theo knew that Isabella would head to them after seeing his actions regarding Eva. He hadn't gone to visit again after the last time and he didn't plan on leaving. He had grown strong enough and so did his companions. Eden, the Court, Xandria, and Lorvil wouldn't fall that quickly. Over the dull decades, he had appeared to be nothing but Estella's whore but behind the scenes, he had been strengthening his fortresses and borders.

If his father was here, he would've sure been hella proud, Theo thought to himself with a small smirk. 'I hope mother never forgave you for what doom you led us into.'

Exhaling, he ran a hand through his hair to make it only messier. He still had to take Eva to that bastard for the questions they needed to ask and he had to be available to oversee her training for the first time. She looked frail in her physique but he was fully certain that the fire inside her wouldn't let her give up. And if that fire ever threatened to burn out due to exhaustion, he would always be there to alight it once again.

Digging his hands in his pockets to stop them from fiddling, he stepped down the staircase as quickly as he could. The sight that met his eyes made a flood of memories invade his mind.

It had been half a millennium since he had eaten breakfast with his only living family. As children they were all mostly inseparable, Gwen being the mother and caretaker appointed by his mother since she was the only one who could be trusted with the three infamous trio of mischief makers.

Every child and babe in Eden knew who Kai, Sebastian, and Theodore were and while they respected them, people mostly tried to avoid the chaos they brought along wherever they went together. Ignoring the discomfort growing in his chest at every passing minute, he cleared his throat to draw the attention of the residents who were currently busy stuffing themselves with food.

"Look who's graced us with his presence." Kai drawled away and Sebastian only passed a fleeting nod in his direction. Gwen was the only one who looked as if she had enjoyed his arrival but his two closest male best friends seemed as if they were barely tolerating him around.

If only they knew...

No. If they all knew what "the three she-devils" had done to him, they would probably drown themselves in regret every day of their life. Telling the truth wasn't worth his friends' happiness.

So he only smirked, pushing away the hollowness in his voice, and answered, "Glad that my presence is so honored among you all."

Sebastian rolled his eyes while Kai scoffed. But Theo didn't miss the small flicker of joy across their eyes. However, it vanished as quickly as it had arrived to his disappointment.

"Where's Eva?" Gwen asked as he made his way to the seat opposite the one where Eva was most likely supposed to sit. She had no choice, it was the only seat that was left empty unless she wanted to eat her food sitting on the floor.

"Getting ready for her training session." the darkness inside him provoked him to order Kai to go easy on her today. But he resisted the urge and instead started filling a plate with food to distract himself. He wasn't going to remind her of that hell-like week she had spent all alone, trapped inside that bitch's castle.

"You seem hungry. No, scratch that." Kai chewed thoughtfully. "That plate looks like it was meant for a ravenous dragon."

He was exaggerating but Theo doubtfully glanced at the plate in his hand. Was it too much?

'Ah, well. It wasn't going to go to waste anyways so why bother decreasing the amount now?'

"She needs the food," Theo spoke and Sebastian raised a brow in question.

A cry of pain resounded from Kai's mouth and Theo glanced toward Gwen. She probably kicked him under the table with those heels she liked to wear because they made her look more "fierce."

"Dumbass. He's taking it out for Eva of course. The smell coming out from you sometimes seems like it's your brain rotting inside that head of yours."

Sebastian choked on his food and Theo's lips unconsciously curved up. Gwen had suffered through shit just like each one of them did and it had only made her stronger and impossible to mess with. Not even Davina could make Gwen relent in any matter. He was proud of his cousin more than he showed though the matter between a certain King and her still managed to make him curious. He had never asked his friend and neither had he bothered to interfere in Gwen's matters. In the end, they both would have to solve it themselves.

"Where's Davina?"

"Out scaring the crap out of every living creature dwelling in Eden. It's one of her hobbies unless you've forgotten," replied Kai and Theo remained silent. He didn't have the power to retort or come up with an appropriate answer. He was right, of course. It was his fault that he wasn't there for his friends when they needed him the most.

Like they always said whenever he visited,

It was his fault...