Chapter Eleven: The Cracks

Brooke stepped through the kitchen as the morning sun rose, following James as he lead her to a private staircase leading to the roof. Dark orange light filtered through and onto James' bare skin, causing his tribal tattoos to appear even darker. He held her hands as he led her up.

Brooke looked around at the beautiful area. A small building sat on the far end, windowless and apparently locked. A large padlock barred any access to the room. Across from that was a large planter box, filled to the brim with a beautiful array of colorful flowers. Hanging on the wall of Trip's Pawn Shop and Lodging was a large target, several arrows sticking out of the red painted circle in the middle. A chest sat next to it, over flowing with arrows, a bow and more archery supplies. A second stairway led down into a separate apartment.

"It's beautiful," she commented, letting James lead her to a seat that over looked the city below them.

"I share the roof with Willa and Mona but they never come up here, so I have a place I can go that helps me cope," James said, sitting down. He reached up towards the vine that covered the small room, tugging a flower free. He handed it to Brooke. "Lucy and I used to plant colorful flowers all over the city to make it a little prettier." He looked across to the garden. "I still do it sometimes."

"See? She's still with you," Brooke said, holding his hand. He smiled softly and brought her knuckles to his lips, lightly kissing them.

"I'm learning to let go of the painful memories and hold onto the amazing ones... I was never able to do that until you showed up."

Brooke smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling warm feelings bubbling inside as James curled his arm around her shoulders.

They sat together in silence, watching the sun rise together over the murky bay of Santa Monica. Everything was beautiful and peaceful, and it appeared the sun felt the same way. It dipped Santa Monica in gold and red as it slowly rose.

As the glow became brighter, Brooke's pocket vibrated. She ignored it and curled further into James' side. Here she stayed, bliss filling her consciousness.

Her phone buzzed again, this time followed by the sound of Red & Violet by Kidneythieves, a band she'd found and fallen in love with. She rolled her eyes and sat up, retrieving her blasted device from her pocket.

April Calaway (S?) flashed across the screen.

"Hi, April," she greeted, gesturing to James that she was going over to the target. He nodded and leaned back in the seat, casually watching her.

"Morning. I take it you didn't get Xander's text?"

Brooke looked at her phone, going into her messages.

New Message: Xander Levesque
6:56am, April 27th, 2012

Hi Brooke. I know it's early but you need to come to the cafe. It's urgent.
Xander: Every Moment I'm With You, It's Like I'm Holding On To Heaven

"I just saw it. How urgent are we talking?" Brooke said to April, looking over at James. He smiled at her, turning his head to face the sun rise.

"Well, he's basically sweating bullets and my father is here. You better come quick."

"I'm on my way."

She slipped her phone back in her pocket and went back to James. He turned and smiled at her, only for that smile to slip away.

"What's wrong?"

"April just called to ask me to go to the cafe."

"But you don't have work today."

"I know. She said it was urgent though."

James thought for a moment before he stood and took her hand.

"I'll drive you. No point in me going to sleep now if my beautiful protector isn't here."

Brooke grinned and jabbed him in the ribs, curling her arms around his waist.

~X~

April was just setting up the umbrellas outside when Brooke and James arrived. She threw James an ugly glare, only for her expression to flip to shock when Brooke dismounted the bike and kissed him, waving goodbye as he sped off into the streets.

"I'm gonna pretend you guys aren't sleeping together," she said as Brooke sidled up, stupid grin on her face. The blonde shrugged her shoulders.

"I know you don't like him, but I do and it's my decision."

April nodded, popping the umbrella so it spread and covered them in shade.

"I never said I don't like him, Brooke. I hate him. Big difference."

The dark haired beauty stepped into the cafe. It was empty, save for Xander, Cooper and Mark who were sitting down. Mark and Xander sat at a table while Cooper sat on the counter, legs swinging, the older two looking very ashen in the face. She stopped, watching them all. Mark looked up at her, green eyes boring into her as if she weren't even there. Xander gave her a sympathetic smile as he sipped at his coffee.

"Sorry if we woke you, B," he said, offering for her to sit down. Cooper smiled at her.

"Honestly, you don't look like you've slept."

"I haven't," Brooke replied as she sat down across from Xander, looking at Mark. He was watching her, his eyebrow slightly quirked.

"I'm just gonna come out and say it," he said, leaning forward. "You really need to go home."

"That's one way to put it," April said from behind the counter. Brooke looked over at her. The older woman shook her head and rested it against her hand. "My father has the worst way of doing things. He has severe foot-in-mouth syndrome."

"Shut up, I do not," Mark replied, laughter touching his voice. He smirked at April then looked back at the blonde, resting his jaw in his hand.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked, more confused than before. Mark was telling her to go home but they'd barely spoken before. How could be tell her that without really knowing her?

"I know who you are, Brooke, and I also know that if you don't go home and explain everything, your mother is going to wipe out the entire city looking for you."

Brooke swallowed back the lump in her throat. The ring around her finger gripped tighter to her skin, forcing her powers even further down until all she could feel was a tiny flame as opposed to the inferno that raged normally. She blinked and looked at Mark.

"I don't want to go home. I like my life here and I could never have it there. I won't go back."

"You won't have a choice if she has her way."

She was about to open her mouth again when Xander stood from his seat. He paced back and forth before looking over at April.

"Isn't there something we can do to keep Brooke here? Strip her of her powers?"

April shook her head.

"I can do it for a demon or witch, but not a God, or demi-Goddess in this case. Even if Abs and Annie were here to help we couldn't. Our powers wouldn't be strong enough."

"Whoa, hold on. Who said I had powers?" Brooke blurted, looking between April, Xander and Mark. Mark shook his head and leaned closer.

"Like I said, Brooke. I know who you are. I know you're really Brookai, Crown Princess of Caina. I know you have a twin brother named Blakius, I know you're Serenity's daughter, and I know your father is her Guardian."

Brooke blinked, her jaw dropping open. How did he know? Had Sam told him? Daniel and Willa knew too, was it one of them? Someone had confessed her true identity and...

"How do you know that?" Brooke whispered, defeat forcing her shoulders to slump.

Mark sat back in his seat and smirked.

"Because I'm Lady Serenity's Guardian. You think I don't know my own daughter when I see her?"

A square, red coaster flew across the room and hit Mark in the side of the head, causing him to jerk his attention to April who stood glaring at him.

"What was that for?"

"If you've known all along who she is, why the fuck didn't you say anything?!" She threw another coaster at him, only for him to block it with his hand. He hissed in pain. "You have so many secrets, Dad, that you could fill a library."

"I couldn't say anything until Brooke knew, April," he said, standing. He stood eye to eye with his offspring, glaring at her from across the cafe. "It just so happens you found out at the same time."

April's eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at her father. The air seemed to shift from confusion to rage as she did. Xander stepped between them as if to stop her from obliterating her father with more flying coasters, only to explode into a shower of silver lights.

All activity in the cafe stopped. Cooper blinked, looking between Mark and April. Mark relaxed, look of confusion on his face. He looked at April. April continued glaring, but chose instead to look away. Brooke blinked.

"Did anyone else just see Xander explode?" She asked, her words falling on deaf ears.

"Did you just try and use your powers on me?" Mark asked April, causing her to jerk her head in his direction.

"Of course I did! It's the least of what you deserve, you self-entitled asshole! You hide everything from us! It wasn't until you were supposed to die that you told us you sold your damn soul, and you kept Brooke from us for as long as she's been alive! How did you think I was going to react?!"

"She has a point, Dad," Cooper added, earning himself a glare. He scowled. "I mean, you kept me from them when I was younger for fear of ridicule. Imagine how we feel. You have to know everything about us but we barely know you."

Brooke stood, stopping Mark from replying. She'd gained the attention of everyone in the room.

"I repeat, did anyone else just see Xander explode?"

Mark nodded slowly.

"April is a witch. She has powers of destruction."

April appeared beside Brooke and wrapped her arms around her.

"I know you like Xander. He'll be okay."

"How?! He exploded!" Brooke all but screamed.

She was about to continue her rant when the silver lights appeared again, glittering and shining in the morning light. They hovered for a few moments before Xander's voice echoed around the empty cafe.

"Is it safe to reform or am I going to explode again?"

"You're fine, babe," April said, turning to the lights.

They twirled and bounced, moving to form the shape of a human figure. After a second or two, Xander's coughing form appeared. He slicked his spiky black hair out of his face, covering his mouth. The lights faded away, leaving behind the man that had been standing there beforehand. He grinned, coughing again.

"I know I can't die, April, but that's no excuse to blow me up," he said, stepping over to kiss her on the temple. She smiled at him.

"That wasn't aimed at you," she replied. She looked back at Brooke. "I really am sorry you had to find out this way."

"If it helps," Mark interjected, looking at the blonde. "No one can get into or out of the palace right now since your mother threw her last tantrum, so you'll have some time to get your affairs in order."

"What do you mean no one can get in?" Brooke asked, shock rocketing through her system.

Nothing could close the gates in Caina except the Queen. Did that mean Blake was trapped below unable to contact her? It explained why her birthmark was darkening. He was trying to reach out to her but couldn't. His birthmark would be so dark and it would be starting to freeze, if the warmth in her arm was any indication.

Mark smiled sympathetically.

"I spoke to Blake. He's in Frostbite with no way to get into the palace."

"Who is Blake?" April asked. She looked at her father, her eyes narrowed and angry, though her face was soft and confused.

"My twin. He's in the Underworld with my mother," Brooke answered. She turned to Mark. "How are you going to get to my mother?"

Mark sat down again, running his fingers through his hair. He sighed, thinking.

"I have to run the Trial of Champions, but I need a partner."

"Not it," Xander and Cooper said together, grinning at each other. Mark snorted laughter.

"I wasn't going to ask. I can't ask anyone I love because I don't know what the trial entails. They could die."

"They won't," Brooke said, smiling slightly. Finally, something she knew. She'd been in Inferno long enough to know the rituals that went into earning ranks among Iremia's armies and council. She and Blake only had noble titles due to their birth; they had yet to earn any other titles.

"What makes you say that?"

"You'll need someone strong to run it with you. Someone you can trust, but also someone you're not afraid to fight. The Trial of Champions ends in the arena in Caina, where the two participants must fight to become Lady Iremia's Champion."

Brooke felt herself smirking at the dumbfounded look on her father's face. Even as Guardian to the Queen, he knew absolutely nothing about her Queendom.

She looked over at April who was smirking at her father.

"Dad, you know as well as I do that there's only one person you can ask who would actually accept the offer."

Cooper nodded beside her.

"And the only reason he will is because it means he can beat you into a bloody pulp with no repercussions."

Mark sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't look happy at all. Brooke looked between her father and siblings, hoping one of them would explain. When no answer came, she sighed.

"I'm not a mind reader, people. Someone explain who-"

Mark held up his hand, cutting Brooke off. She gave him her most appalled expression as he picked up his jacket and swung it around his shoulders, stalking out of the cafe. Her gaze followed him before she turned back to Xander, Cooper and April who were all grinning.

Cooper's face contorted as he tried to hold back laughter. His wall fell and he fell backwards onto the counter, laughing so hard she thought he might explode.

"What's so funny?"

Xander rested a hand on her shoulder before disappearing onto the patio, flipping the open sign over. As he did this, April pulled Brooke into her arms, hugging her closely.

"The funny part is Dad is going to ask someone who wants to kill him to help him."

Brooke blinked.

"Who wants to kill him?"

April unwrapped her arms and smiled at her, a soft smile that seemed to make her eyes twinkle.

"Kane."