CHAPTER 32: SUCCESS

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"We learn from failure, not from success."

― Bram Stoker

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SHE STAYED WHERE she was for four hours straight, trying to do what Legion was instructing except it was too hard. Her focus was somewhere else and all she wanted was to sleep.

"Focus," Legion murmured, sweat collecting near his brow, "You need to push me out as hard as you can."

Helene narrowed her eyes as he entered her mind once again, scratching her walls as she tried to block him. She imagined shutting him out, pushing him with all her might in her head. She furrowed her eyebrows further and with all her might she shoved.

And sent Legion sprawling backward.

Helene's eyes widened in horror and she ran to him, sitting down beside him, "Shit. Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Legion rubbed his forehead, blinking his eyes open, looking at her with a small pained smile, "No problem. At least you got it."

"I think you should rest," Helene helped him to his feet and let him compose himself for a second before leading him to his room. On the way, Helene sneaked a look at him, "I feel so bad now."

He managed a smirk as he kept massaging his forehead, "Don't. At least you can shove someone out of your head plus scramble their brains. Speaking about scrambling brains, how did you do that? I think I lost control of my magic for a second there before you let go and pushed me out."

"I-I don't know," She frowned, "Maybe you were lousy there for a second?"

He shook his head with a small smile and they stopped in front of his room, "I'll see you later in the meeting room. Brenna told me that we needed to discuss strategy and make use of our time on the ship. And while you have nothing to do, I think you should talk to Cas."

"Why do you read me so well?" Helene groaned. "He hates me."

Legion rolled his eyes, "Dramatic. And no, he doesn't hate you, Hel. He's pissed you never came to him to tell him about your brother in the first place. As your best friend he feels like it's his duty to make sure you're okay, no matter what."

She sighed, knowing he was right no matter how much she wanted to deny it, "I don't really know what to say to him."

"Tell him the reason why you didn't tell him," Legion shrugged, "And plus, he can't really blame you because you were shaken after finding out about your brother. I'm sure he'll understand."

Helene looked sympathetically at his forehead which he was still rubbing, "I'm so sorry for keeping you here still when you need to be napping. I'll leave right now-"

"Wait!" Legion grabbed her arm as she stepped back, ready to go find Cas and explain a couple of things to him.

"Yeah?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, as if suddenly nervous. Since when was he nervous?

"Are you okay?" He asked finally.

Helene frowned, biting her lip, "After I messed up your brain, I think I should be asking you that."

"No, not that. I mean about...your brother." He seemed hesitant to ask, as if he was ready for Helene to shut him out. Like he expected her to.

Helene felt herself shrink back a little, trying to buy herself some time to think. She wasn't the one to talk about feelings or anyone's feelings for that matter. She kept things to herself, and didn't bother saying them outloud to anyone, knowing they would probably mock her for it. But Legion seemed genuinely curious. So she told him the first thing that came to her mind, blurting it out without meaning to.

"I-I don't know." She wanted to cry all over again, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, close to bursting. "I just want to go home. I w-want to-" She paused, not quite knowing what she really wanted but she knew she wanted it badly.

She felt herself being crushed into a tight hug, hands closing behind her, telling her that she wasn't alone in this. She returned the gesture, resting her face tiredly on his shoulder, smelling him with a loud sigh. It made her very happy just standing there.

She couldn't help but love what was happening. Helene forgot where she was, she forgot about Grave, the world still spinning around them. The voices blurred and her heart raced a hundred miles per hour.

And then the moment was over.

Legion smiled softly at her before giving her a small kiss on her forehead and disappearing into his room. Helene stood where she was, frozen.

And then, she gulped, realizing what had just happened. Slowly, very slowly, she stepped away from the door and walked away, her expression still frozen.

I have to find Cas, she told herself, looking around, trying to get Legion out of her head, I have to find him.

Everywhere she looked, she didn't find him. He was probably with Brenna, making out somewhere in the dark. They were probably laughing and talking somewhere she couldn't go. Cas had probably forgotten all about her.

She wanted to do nothing more than everything to go back to normal, when she didn't know Legion, when she hadn't met Brenna. When everything was okay, and they were only training and fighting Creatures who passed their territory. But that was a long time ago, and it would never come back.

Where was Cas?

Helene was so tired. She wished to lay down in bed, and go to sleep. A nice sleep with no nightmares, a place where she could dream of something other than darkness taking over her and that cursed voice telling her to remember something she didn't know of. Had no hints of. Had literally no memory of.

She made her way towards the edge of the ship so she could look over it, exhausted from searching for Cas who was probably busy with Brenna, burying his worries somewhere she couldn't help him pull them out.

As she tried to bury her own worries somewhere deep, she heard footsteps coming towards her, soft and slow. Not hurried as if the person coming towards her knew she wouldn't leave. It made her calmer. The sound of someone approaching her, as her body tensed, ready for a fight that never came.

Instead, Cas leaned over the railing from beside her, his hair flying with the wind. It was dark now, the sun was long gone. Helene crossed her arms over her chest to stop from shaking slightly as the chilly wind passed through her, sending her hair flying back with the breeze.

"Hi." Cas muttered, looking down at the water, his eyes watching something invisible.

Helene smiled at their awkward way of greeting, something that had always been their thing all those years, "Hey."

They both waited for the other to say something first, just watching the water calmly. Everything seemed calm, as the water rolled on in the night sky and the moon reflected in the water, sparkling more than it usually did.

Helene broke the silence, "I'm sorry for not telling you first." Her voice was silent against the crashing waves, hiding the slight waver in her voice but Cas caught it, turning his attention to her, "It's just that when I saw his picture, everything that I ever thought of him as my elder brother just vanished. It was like I didn't know him at all as if he was some stranger to me all of a sudden. And now that I think about it, if things go wrong, and he does take over, he's going to think I'm on his side. And making him believe so would be too hard for me. I'm not capable of tricking people like that, especially not my older brother who has watched me for years as I grew up. I just-" She sighed when she saw the shocked look on Cas's face, "Look, I know I'm not like this usually but-"

"Woah, woah, woah. You are forgiven. Don't worry." Cas held out his hand to stop her, "But all that? Are you okay?"

She rolled her eyes, "You aren't the first person to ask me that. In fact, you probably won't be the last."

"Does this mean this is the new and approved Helene Seelie Galane?" Cas seemed to shudder at the thought.

Helene narrowed her eyes at him, "A couple of months ago you were calling me a cold hearted bitch, so yes I hope you like this."

Cas sighed dramatically, "What I must go through to make my dear Helene feel better."

"Douche bag." She muttered, sucking on her teeth to keep from smiling.

There was a comfortable silence that hovered over them before Helene broke it as gently as she could, "We have a meeting to go to at 10. As much as I want to stay here and watch the waves-"

"-and sleep," Cas grinned.

"-yes," Helene rolled her eyes skyward, "we must be there because it is important and Brenna will kill us if we don't get there." And then she paused, especially at Brenna's name.

Cas noticed and groaned, "Nooo. God save me!"

"Care to share what's going on between you two?" She smirked, pretending to stuff a mike in Cas's face as if she was interviewing him.

He sighed, "She knows I like her. I wonder how."

"Whoops," she giggled, "But good thing I found out that she likes you too-"

As soon as Cas's eyes widened in absolute horror and then they softened into happiness, someone cleared their throat behind them, "How very nice of you Helene. Spilling all my dirty secrets to him. Anything else you would like to share?"

Helene bit her lip to keep from grinning like an idiot. She knew what Brenna was doing, trying to lift the mood. That was what she liked best about her team, they knew each other well. They knew what to do to cover each others backs so they wouldn't get stabbed. It made her feel safe when she was around them.

"Blah blah blah. Just kiss already," Helene waved her hand as if she was bored. "The sexual tension just gets thicker everyday."

Brenna narrowed her eyes at her, ready to pounce at her, "How dare you-"

Before a play fight could really start, Cas came in between them, holding out his hands, "Ladies! Ladies. Shh. Relax. Deep breathing, in and out. Just keep breathing-"

"Oh shush Cassy." Raylan snorted, moving him out of the way, "You see dear brother, you don't know the true way of-"

Ella planted her hand on Raylan's shoulder and pushed him back, "Shut up. We're here to remind you of the meeting."

"Oh, we know about that. I was just busy trying to not rip Helene apart-"

"She succeeded in controlling her inner beast by the way," Helene clapped her hands as if she was so proud, "What a feral beast you have chased after my dear friend!"

"Please leave out the dramatics, we have bigger things to worry about." Ella snapped, always so grumpy.

Cas was standing there, apparently still shaken at what Helene had told him. He was still gawking at Brenna.

Brenna sighed, "Alright everyone. We're using my room. Helene go get Legion and everyone else follow me. Let's go."

As Helene started to move, but she snuck a small glance back. She saw Brenna taking hold of Cas and muttering, "Let's move lover boy." The others trudged after her.

Helene smiled, and made her way back to Legion's room to wake him up. And then the meeting would begin.

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Alright, next chapter is also up so keep reading.

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