Page 41 of Realms of Shadow and Sun

“Cyrus will use his magic to transport Phillippe and I to Renya's room in the castle. Cressida has magic protecting her entire castle, but Cyrus said he can break it.”

Cyrus bobbed his head in agreement. “Her magic leaves a trace, and since I am familiar with it, I can undo it.”

Grayden continued. “Once we have her, we'll head to the Spring Lands at the border. They are expecting us, and will provide us shelter. Then, we will all head back to the Snow Lands and Cyrus will perform the protective magic on the lodge. Once that's done, he and Sion will go back through the portal to try and locate Agatha. The rest of us will continue to plan and train.”

“Why do I have to leave tonight then?” Selenia whined a bit, not eager to start the journey back.

“Because you need to take the horses back, and I don't want you or Sion anywhere near Cressida. Once she finds out the blood promises are broken, she will kill Sion on sight and use you as bait. Now, finish your dinner and go get ready.”

Selenia slammed her fork down in annoyance. “Stop bossing me around,” she threatened, storming out of the dining room. Before she reached the door, she decided to backhand Grayden on the back of his head. He jerked forward, but made no other response. Satisfied, Selenia left the room and made her way up the long staircase into the guest wing of the palace. Unlike the tower that contained Renya's room, the rest of the castle was in immaculate shape. Everything was dusted and polished, clean and orderly.

Selenia found her room and closed the door tightly. She didn't fear retaliation from Grayden; she knew she hadn't hit him hard enough to cause any sort of significant pain, but she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts.

It annoyed her to no end that Grayden thought he was responsible for her in all things. She was nineteen now, and fully capable of caring for herself and making her own decisions.

She collapsed on the soft bed, feeling the mattress sink down a bit with her weight. She stared up at the ceiling, and like most nights, she thought of Jurel. The days kept her busy enough that she didn't dwell on it all the time like she did at the Twilight Kingdom, but the nights were harder. Quietly tucked away, she remembered the look on his face, the one that haunted her dreams. His mouth slightly agape as his life's essence pooled behind his back. Selenia could still smell the blood, and sometimes it was so thick in her dreams that it choked her, and she woke up breathing hard, trying to pull air into her greedy lungs. If only there was a way to forget about him. A way to break the spell he had over her.

A knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts. She opened the door, expecting to see Grayden. Instead, Phillippe stood there, bulky as ever, with a concerned look on his face.

“What do you want?” she said, a bit harsher than she meant to.

“Selenia, I just wanted to let you know that Grayden and I care about you deeply. We couldn't bear to see anything happen to you. We've already lost our parents, we can't lose each other too.”

Selenia's face reddened slightly with shame and embarrassment. She knew her brothers considered themselves to be her caretakers. While they were overbearing at times, Selenia knew they had her best interests at heart.

She sighed deeply, wanting to collapse onto the bed and put this day behind her. “I understand. Tell Grayden I'm packing and I'll be ready to go in a couple of hours.”

Phillippe nodded and shut the door behind him. She could hear his boots thump against the stone floor as he stomped back to his room.

She glanced at the small traveling trunk she brought with her. She left most of her things at the Twilight Kingdom with Julietta, knowing that they'd be traveling light to the Sun Realm. It didn't take her long to toss in the few clothes she brought with her. She had tucked in her cloak and gloves, knowing she'd need them once they crossed into the Snow Lands. Finally, she carefully placed Renya's wedding dress inside the trunk. As soon as she was finished, she dressed in the lightest gown she could find, and headed downstairs, lugging the trunk behind her.

She found Grayden in the entrance hall, looking into the fountain absentmindedly. He didn't even see her approach.

“Are you okay, Grayden? I'm sorry I hit you.”

He looked up at her, and Selenia could see the heaviness in his eyes.

“I'm just...eager to get going. The closer I get to getting her back, the more nervous I get. I've also...been feeling her more.”

“That's great, Grayden!”

But the look on his face was not one of happiness. “What is it?”

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “She's...happy, at times. I'm not sure why or how, but there hasn't been as much sadness coming through. And a few nights ago, I woke up and I could feel her...” he trailed off and looked down, embarrassed.

Selenia understood his meaning, and while she wasn't exactly sure what transpired, she imagined that the physical loss of Renya was taking its toll on him.

“Do you want her to be miserable, Grayden?”

He looked at Selenia, struggling to vocalize his complex emotions. “No, of course not. But, Selenia...what if she wants to stay?”

“Stay? Grayden, of course she won't want to stay.”

“Her mother...it's her family. She's always envied us for our family, and now she has one.”

“You're right, Grayden. She does have a family. But it's us. You, me and Phillippe. We are Renya's family. She's just there, playing a role. As soon as she sees you, she'll run into your arms and it'll be like you've never been apart.”

Grayden looked at her, emotion right underneath the surface. His eyes softened. “You're right, Selenia. I'm just being crazy...”

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