*Kryzen*
“I’m sorry about my sister.”
Roy and I glanced at Kai, who was looking out the door where Briella had disappeared.
I let out a deep sigh. “Don’t worry about it, Kai,” I said, looking at the guy who had just been a boy the last ti I saw him.
Kai was the youngest child of Noah and Zara Black. I always saw him as just this shy little kid who used to hide behind his siblings. He clearly wasn’t a kid any longer. I marveled at how long I had known this family and how, for so reason, our paths were forced into each other’s once again. I had just assud now that we were adults and too old to be dragged to each others’ hos, that we would never et again.
The Goddess had other things to say about that it seed.
“We really are just here to help,” Roy said, standing from the bed as well so he could be taken more seriously by the younger Black sibling. “We were just in Celestial City, and we have reason to believe that the illness that was there could very well find its way here. We are concerned for your realm but for ours as well. Please let us help.”
That got Kai’s attention. He stared at us with large green eyes so similar to Briella’s that I found myself staring for a second too long.
“I have no issues with you attempting to help us,” Kai said. He winced slightly. “My sister, on the other hand...”
“She hates ,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
Kai shook his head, his expression suddenly adamant and hard. “Briella doesn’t hate anyone,” he said firmly, and his tone was impossible to doubt. “She just has a hard ti letting go of the rivalry you two built over the years.”
I laughed out loud at his wording. It sounded almost serious. Although I wouldn’t say he was wrong, I was tempted to point out that I was willing to let it go. It was Briella who was refusing to grow up.
Roy and Kai were both giving funny looks due to my sudden laughter. I cleared my throat and looked away. “I’m willing to put our childish differences behind us if she is.”
Kai didn’t look optimistic, but he nodded. “Maybe you could talk to her then,” he said. “Later,” he added quickly. “She left quite angry, and I know her well enough to know that she won’t be very willing to chat at the mont.”
I nodded in understanding even though I was inwardly rolling my eyes at Briella’s childish behavior. She had stomped out of there like a spoiled teenager. “I will speak with her tomorrow,” I said decisively, not looking forward to it in the slightest.
I slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning as I mulled over what the strange turn of events could an. It seed like a little more than a re coincidence that Roy and I got sucked into a portal and dumped exactly where we didn’t want to be. I wondered idly if this could have been my grandmother’s doing but quickly dismissed that thought.
She had no way of knowing what we had done and was far too old to be conniving like that.
Roy was eting with Kai to help him with so important research, so I was left the next morning to confront Briella. I left the healers only to realize I had no idea where to even begin looking for the girl.
Celestial Valley wasn’t as large as its sister city from another realm, but it was beautiful and lived up to its nasake. The buildings were made of a shimring white stone that seed to glow in the morning light. The architecture was both elegant and grand with graceful bridges that spanned crystalline walkways winding through the streets.
Thankfully, Briella was well-known in the city. Supposedly, her grandmother was soone famous, a beloved priestess who was as powerful as she was kind. I rolled my eyes a bit as I approached the grand library where I was told Briella spent a lot of ti.
It was too bad so of that kindness hadn’t rubbed off on the priestess’ granddaughter.
It took a little while, but I finally found Briella on one of the upper floors at a large desk tucked into a corner. We were on the top floor with light streaming in through the do ceiling, which had stained glass covered in star and moon patterns. I studied the images as I crossed the room to the girl who had books strewn all over the desk in front of her.
I wasn’t sneaking up on her. I could tell by the way she stiffened that she knew I was walking over to her. Her long, wavy hair was spilling over one of her shoulders, the dark strands like a veil, hiding her expression from .
I clenched my jaw as she ignored . “We need to talk,” I told her in a tone that broached no argunt.
Briella didn’t look up right away. When she finally did, she glared at before giving a look up and down. “You should be resting,” she said flatly before glancing away from again and going back to her books.
She was clearly still mad at for our little fight back at the healers. Even so, her bright green eyes were filled with curiosity, her full lips tightening as she waited for to speak.
I smirked. She couldn’t hide her true intentions from .
“It appears that I am fully healed,” I told her. “But I thank you for your concern.”
Sothing in my tone irked her. Her head shot up, and she narrowed those erald eyes at . “So is it finally through your thick skull that the people of the valley have more important things to do than suck your energy out?”
She was still mad about accusing the priests and priestesses of using their magic on us. “Maybe I said that just to see if you were truly loyal to them,” I said, not quite ready to apologize for my unfair accusation. I decided changing the subject was a better way of dealing with the situation. “Now, as I’ve said, we need to talk.”
“Yes, so you’ve said,” Briella said stiffly. “And yet you aren’t really saying anything.”
This was a familiar dance between the two of us, one that I never grew wary of. She could annoy to the ends of any world, but I did enjoy getting to go head-to-head in a battle of wits. She was one of the few people who was a worthy opponent.
She wanted to get straight to the point. I could do that. “Prince Roy and I will be staying here to investigate the strange disease that threatens the valley.”
Briella’s jaw clenched as she glowered at . “Well, you’ve made it abundantly clear that you’re just going to do whatever the hell you want, so you might as well leave alone.”
I inhaled deeply through my nose, not wanting to let on that my patience was starting to wear down. I stepped closer to her, the front of my legs nearly touching the desk she was occupying. “If we want to save both of our realms, we are going to have to work together.”
Briella clearly wasn’t convinced. If anything, she was even more skeptical, her thin eyebrows knitting toward each other as she stared down. “You hate ,” she said in a tone that indicated she was discussing the weather. “Why would you want to work with ? If you’re so smart and capable, you could find the solution all on your own.”
“Oh, believe , I wanted to do just that,” I admitted in a flat tone. “But it would appear that my grandmother had other ideas.”
Briella’s green eyes widened. “Eva Stormfall?” she asked. It was easy to detect the awe behind her tone.
I smirked, wishing I had led with my grandmother. “Yes,” I confird, watching Briella’s expression carefully. “I know she has ntored you in the past. For so reason, she finds you promising or sothing like that. It would be a sha for you to disappoint her by refusing my help.”
It had clearly been the wrong thing to say or maybe it was just the way I said it. Briella’s bright green eyes flashed angrily, and her nostrils flared. “I can’t believe that Eva Stormfall is actually related to you,” she ground out, looking hatefully at . She stood up from the desk, the chair nearly falling from the force and speed. “You are nothing like her.”
I tried not to let on how her words affected and just glared at her.
She started to angrily gather up the books she had been reading. “I don’t have to do anything, and I certainly don’t have to stand by and let you make my life a living hell again.”
I actually laughed, my temper rising at her words. “I made your life a living hell?” I demanded, stepping around the desk to get right in her face. “You were the little goody-two-shoes who tattled on and got in trouble, claiming that I cheated whenever we were sparring together. You got grounded for a whole month once.”
Briella had the nerve to scoff. “I can’t believe you are bringing that up. We were just kids.”
“Hey, we’re in a library,” said an angry voice.
Briella and I whirled around and shrank back at the livid librarian lady in front of us.
“I would leave you with a warning, but there have been multiple complaints. Please leave at once,” she ordered sharply.
Briella and I glowered at each other, but we quickly apologized and stepped around the woman so that we could leave the building.
The two of us were quiet as we descended the steps of the library. Briella refused to look at as we walked. I could tell that it embarrassed her to be asked to leave like that.
We had acted like children and were even kicked out like we were nothing but a couple of naughty kids. The sha of it filled as we silently stood in front of the building, the only sounds coming from the wind rustling the nearby trees and so birds chirping their little song.
I half expected Briella to run off in a huff and for to have to wait another full day to speak to her but she surprised by whirling around to face , and it wasn’t anger on her face.
It was defeat and reluctance.
I felt the shock on my face, but I wasn’t able to mask it before Briella spoke.
“Fine,” she said, the one word strained as if it was extrely difficult for her to say.
I raised an eyebrow, thoroughly amused by her struggle. “Fine?” I repeated, trying and failing to keep the mocking out of my tone.
She nodded curtly and looked away from . “I will allow you to help us figure out what is wrong with the valley,” she said, each word pronounced but spoken through her teeth. “But you have to agree to stay out of my way.”
I blinked down at her in surprise before holding out a hand to her so we could shake on it. She eyed my hand suspiciously for a mont before reluctantly taking it.
I gave it a firm shake. “Deal.”
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