Zara barely had time to react before her brother pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, so tight as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would slip away from his arms.
"You idiot, why did you run away without informing anyone?!" he said through gritted teeth, his voice crackling with raw emotions.
Zara opened her mouth and closed it again like a fish, as she had nothing to say. She missed her brother just as much as he missed her. This was the first time in her life that she had stayed so far from him.
Since they were young, the two had always stuck together, even though Drake was older than her by about four years. Countless times, she had doubted herself, thinking she was making the wrong decision and wanting to return, but it was only her strong conviction to grow stronger that kept her going.
"I tried going after you," Drake rasped and hugged her even more tightly. "But Father… Father stopped me."
"Let her be. Her leaving can actually be a blessing in disguise as a curse."
