Page 85 of Of Realms and Chaos

“Well, that is…um, unfortunate.” Rubbing my temples, I groaned at my own stupidity. Unfortunate? Who says that? I walked forward, quickly swinging my legs over the edge and sitting beside her. Leave it to Lara to comfortably sit hundreds of feet in the air, by choice no less. “Listen, Lara, we are so glad to have you here. Your presence has been so…interesting. But I think—”

“That I am upsetting everyone?” She said it with little emotion, sounding detached from herself. I leaned forward slightly, noting the way she stared off blankly at the mountains, her small blue eyes unseeing. I reached my hand closer, ready to catch her if she jumped.

“No, not at all. I think we are simply unused to having someone like you around. Perhaps if you had something to do that you found fun, then you would find new ways to relate to others? I know it is hard. Life has not been fair to you, and you deserve more than forced joy. If there is anything I can do to help you acclimate, let me know.”

If my words registered, she did not show it, instead continuing to stare off. My shoulders fell, the defeat sinking in. Despite knowing she had quite literally murdered innocents for vengeance, I could not help but feel sorry for her.

With the failure now heavy on my chest, I nodded and turned to get up. Before I could, she reached out and grabbed my wrist, tugging me closer. Her eyes were still vacant, but her pursed lips and the deepening of her dark cheeks made me believe that she was feeling more than she usually did.

“I like flowers. They are the only things that die when they should.” Despite the horrid reasoning behind such a hobby, I smiled, eagerly nodding. Lara did not smile back, but her returned nod gave me hope.

“Luckily for you, I am incredibly adept at gardening. Tomorrow, we will pick a spot, okay?” She did not respond, opting to turn around and face the mountains once more. After a moment, she leaned forward and promptly fell off the edge.

I shouted in horror, running to grab her, but my hands had nothing to grab onto, because Lara had shifted. Now hundreds of bubbles littered the air, blowing in the breeze.

She remained too high to harm anyone, but even I could see the melancholy in the beauty of such a thing, a self-imposed isolation.

Progress was progress.

With that done, an even more daunting task lay ahead. It was time to talk to Adbeel about Malcolm. Something that I was working hard to put off, as if that would make it go away. But avoiding the truth did not change it—nothing could.

Pike was normally far too large to walk through when in a hurry, but of course, I was quite admittedly unexcited to be in a hurry, which meant I was prepared to stall in any way I could. Leisurely, almost carelessly, I made my way through the halls and down the many stairs, aiming for the training yard on the ground floor.

The stone steps were sturdy and less than a century old, but I always felt as if they were ancient. Like a worn pair of shoes, they carried a tale only those who walked them would understand. Pike’s story was, to me, lovely. We started as a small military force full of demons who enlisted out of desperation or duty, none interested in doing much more than existing. And then, with an immense amount of effort and a truly heinous first few years, I expanded. Joining our ranks became something to be proud of. One did so not only for honor, but for skill and friendship.

Now, they fought for their realm, and I feared what that would do to them. Those who survived would never be the same, coming home from every battle with new scars and deeper traumas. War did that, altered one irrevocably, hardened them in the worst way.

This would be my first war, but I had seen what it did to Adbeel, to the many others who fought the last time. As much as I hated to admit it, I saw what killing did to me, too. Every time I fought the Golden Guard when trying to save a fae during a meet, all the moments of fury that led to me slaughtering those I believed deserved it, made me something new—something evil.

When I nearly slipped on a concrete step, I realized just how little attention I had been paying. So little attention that I did not notice Ray until I slammed into her as I tried to right myself, sending me stumbling once more and falling down the steps. Her body disappeared into a nearly clear puff of liquid, which soared to the bottom of the stairway and materialized once more, catching me with a loud grunt.

“Hello, Sir, I am so sorry.”

I steadied myself, standing on shaky but strong legs. Ray was dusting off my arms, looking as if she might go off on a tirade if I did not stop her. Like Cyprus, Ray had deep russet skin and warm hazel eyes. They both had thinner lips and strong jaws, the only major difference being that Ray’s brown hair was cut to her chin, the shorter look more convenient according to her.

“It is fine, Ray. Honestly, it was my fault. I am headed to the training yard, so I will get out of your way.” Side-stepping her, I tried to make a hasty exit. Naturally, the little pest did not accept that.

“Well, Sir, I will follow you, then. Perhaps we can further discuss decorations and meal plans?”

Internally groaning, I turned and faced her, offering a tight smile and a stiff nod. Ray was not deterred, instead opting to smile widely and stick closely to my side.

“Please, Ray, you know you do not need to call me Sir.”

Instead of answering right away, she pulled out paper and a pencil from her leather satchel. “Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Anyways, I have taken the time to survey the soldiers, and they all agree that the chicken and roast, as well as the omelets, are—to be frank—disgusting. But I know you are busy, so I have made a list of other options that I think will be far more favorable!”

Ray had the ability, much like Cyprus, to talk without breathing. It was a talent that seemed to get her whatever she wanted, including a job as my so-called assistant. As we passed through the final wooden door, the two of us stepped out into the bright spring day, the sounds of sparring and running and classes filling the air. Ray’s nose scrunched in disgust as she watched her brother run our way, his shirtless form drenched in sweat.

“Little sister, what could you possibly need in the training yard with those noodle arms?” Every crumb of my restraint was needed to stop me from laughing, especially when Cyprus’s smirk was met with a glare from Ray. However, when she promptly stomped on his foot, twisting her heel into the toe of Cyprus’ boot, I simply could not hold back.

I burst into hysterics when he yelped, grabbing his foot and bouncing up and down. Ray gave him a mischievous smile that was a mirror of his own, but I saw the way her eyes darted to me in pride. The little menace was determined to be useful, even if it was just to get me to laugh. I could not help but smile back, thankful despite my eternal annoyance with her.

“Ray, I actually could use your help with something rather important.” Her tall and lanky form straightened, eyes wide as she faced me. It was rare that I gave her specific tasks, and it seemed she was prepared to take advantage of this instance. “Tomorrow, I am going to be working with Lara to craft a flower garden because she says she enjoys them. But, until then, would you mind keeping her company?”

Cyprus, who had slowly stopped hopping, froze. Before he said anything, I knew that he was angry. These moments were as rare as my need for an assistant, but they were always easy to point out. His nostrils flared, brow pinched together as he stared me down.

“She cannot watch that thing! What if she is hurt, or worse, killed? She is practically still a youngling!” His shouts drew the attention of nearby soldiers, all stopping what they were doing to look at the three of us.

“I am nearly half a century now, you cannot still call me such a thing!” When Ray stepped into Cyprus, nearly pressing her chest to his, I grabbed both of them by the shirt and dragged them away. In moments like these, I found myself thankful to be without siblings. Neither protested, though both looked at the other with quiet anger.

---