Brother (Short) Read online

BROTHER

  Book 2 in the Aberrant series.

  By Jo-Anne Sieppert

  * * * * *

  Published by

  Copyright © 2013 by Jo-Anne Sieppert

  All rights reserved.

  * * * * *

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to my husband Scott Sieppert. Thank you for supporting me, listening to me ramble on and on, reading my manuscripts over and over again and not getting annoyed when I bring my computer to bed. I love a little more every day that goes by.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to Eren Wiebe for editing and encouragement.

  * * * * *

  Prologue

  Rules

  “And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this evening Bartholomew? It is rather late after all.”

  “Late it may be August, but this cannot wait until morning I am afraid.”

  “Well then, it sounds like this may require a drink. Gretta, pour two drinks, then fetch our guest something from the kitchen.” The young servant curtsied, kept her eyes on the ground and did as she was told.

  “Nothing from the kitchen, a drink will do just fine.” Bartholomew said. The two men then waited for the servant to be clear of the room. August listened to the sound of her footsteps retreating down the hallway from his study, while staring at a large tapestry that hung above the fireplace.

  “Your new piece is finished I see, it does look grand indeed. I must have one of my own made for my wall.”

  “I shall send the women your way. She is quite talented.” When they were sure the servant was clear of hearing their words, Bartholomew turned his eyes from the exquisite tapestry of August and began to explain the reason for his late night calling.

  “I’m telling you August, when rules are broken, trust is broken. Without trust we have nothing left.”

  “I simply cannot believe it to be true, he is our friend Bartholomew, we have known the man for hundreds of years. I cannot believe he has broken of all rules, that rule.”

  “Well it seems as though we don’t know Nathaniel as well as we believed we did. He has indeed Fathered a mutt. Rules were broken; he is broken. August, Nathaniel is not the same man, as we once knew. He has changed. She has changed him.” August downed his drink with one gulp. Placed his glass down and paced the floor, his finger tapping his lips as he pondered over the information before him.

  “Bartholomew, you are talking about Nathaniel, his wife Emeline is also Aberrant they could not have given birth to a mutt, and if my memory is correct I have seen Emeline on more than one occasion over the last while and I do not believe she was with child.”

  “Do not be so foolish August, a man is more than capable of fathering a child with a woman other than his wife.” August stared at Bartholomew, this situation would need to be dealt with carefully, and how he would proceed would change everything.

  “Are you certain your information is correct? The informant, he is reliable?”

  “August stop pacing, you will wear through the floor. The informant, you tell me if he is reliable.”

  “I could tell you if I knew who he was.” August poured himself another drink. Drank it in one gulp and poured another.

  “I had thought he would have told you himself. Isaac is the one who confirmed it was in fact Bartholomew who fathered the mutt.”

  “Isaac? How could Isaac have such information?” Right on cue there was a knock on the door.

  “Hello Father, Bartholomew.” A young man entered the room dressed as smartly at August yet his shoes were covered in mud. August glanced at the young man’s feet with obvious disapproval.

  “Good evening Isaac, I was just informing your Father of the situation with Nathaniel.”

  “I believe I have spoken to you before about the state of your footwear when you return home.”

  “Sorry Father, it won’t happen again.”

  “Bartholomew explained that you are the one who confirmed that it was in fact Nathaniel, and that the rumors about the mutt are true.”

  “That is correct Father. I witnessed Nathaniel speaking to the mutt myself.” The young man stood confidently as he explained to his Father. “I overheard them speaking. I had my suspicions so I followed him. They met in an alleyway beyond the market. He gave the mutt a small package, and what looked like a jewelry box. I heard him mention the name of the whore who gave birth to him as Josephine Wells.”

  “That woman died Isaac, some years ago, she was found in the streets.” August said, refilling his drink. “The rogues were attacking all the whores and the homeless in the area. We covered her murder up.”

  “I have not forgotten Father.”

  “Nathaniel took care of her body. He was the one who found her, and he was the one who disposed of her.” Bartholomew said.

  “Nathaniel told the mutt to disappear, he said there was enough in the package to take care of him for now and that he would find him when he could.”

  “Isaac you have to be sure son. Did Nathaniel say anything else?” August said as he placed both his hands on Isaac’s shoulders, he looked into his eyes.

  “That is all that I heard Father.”

  “August what more do you need? We cannot put this off any longer. Once we deal with Nathaniel, Aberrant’s will once again have faith in the power of their Elite. We must restore order within our people, dealing with Nathaniel’s mess is the first and most important step to doing that.”

  “And we are certain this is the reason why others are going rouge? I wasn’t aware that so many were aware of the mutts’ existence.”

  “Father, people saw what happened when they boy was protecting his mother; that fall should have killed him. Yet he walked away, unscathed.”

  “We must get a handle on the situation, August.”

  “What other choice do we have then, order must be restored.” August sat in a chair facing the blazing fire. Defeated he hung his head.

  “You know there is only one way this is to be handled August. We are the highest members of the Elite, if we start making exceptions for our friends the others will believe we have faltered. The rogues will gain even more followers, they will begin to challenge our authority, and they will risk exposure. We have no choice, he must be killed along with his mutt.” August simply nodded. Rules are rules, after all, and this particular one must never be broken”.