I gaze up at James, studying his sincere, protective expression. It's always been Cass and me with the unbreakable sibling bond. My relationship with James was always a lot more playful, a lot more casual, not as close-knit but he was my brother all the same. The one who settled countless silly quarrels between Cass and me, the one who protected me when Cass wasn't there, the one who comforted both of us when we were lost in grief. I seldom think about what it was like for him to watch his two younger siblings completely disintegrate into shells of themselves, yet be unable to do so himself.
...more
