after Azrel was born, making this White Warrior
younger, more new than Azrel. Also it was Azrel’s hatred for her
magic that made her bury it so deep that it became a completely
other person, making Azrel stronger than the White Warrior in that
way as well.
“What? No witty comeback, Acalith?” Azrel
asked.
Azrel was still advancing when she yanked out
her sword with such quickness that if I had blinked I would have
missed it. Acalith jumped and started to back away, only to be
stopped by a tree.
Azrel placed the tip of her sword at the base
of the Deralilya’s throat. “I’ve put up with enough people like you
my entire life,” she growled. “People who hate me because I’m
different or odd. People who laugh at me because they think they’re
better.” Azrel put more pressure on the sword so that it deeply
indented Acalith’s clothes. “People who underestimate me because
they’re fools.”
I was holding my breath by this point. I
wanted to jump in and help, but I felt like I would be betraying
Azrel if I did. Rabryn was standing just as rigid as I was,
apparently feeling the same way.
“I won’t put up with it anymore. I’m sick of
it!” She held her chin high. “Dislike me all you want, but stay
away from me while you do! If you don’t”—Azrel added more pressure
to her blade and a small drop of blood seeped through the tan
cloths—“the White Warrior will have a position to fill.”
“Forgive me, Azrel.” Acalith breathed deep,
completely terrified.
“Stay away from me,” she said slowly and
firmly, then turned away and sheathed her sword. She walked towards
me with a gentle, but clearly forced smile as she took Cairikson
from me. Resting him on her hip, she started to walk away. “How
would you like to meet my talking horse?” she asked sweetly.
“Talking horse?” he replied excitedly.
“Yup,” she said, her voice fading in the
distance. “Of course he doesn’t talk to me , but he talks to
the White Warrior.” Cairikson’s laughed floated over the air, and
then they were gone.
I blew out the breath I’d been holding and
looked at Rabryn as he did the same. We both looked to where
Acalith had been. She was gone.
“That was close,” I said.
“Sure was.”
“So,” I said and began gathering Cairikson’s
and my old clothes up. “The window is open?”
“Yeah,” he responded, also stooping and
gathering the clothes and Azrel’s vials of liquid, which were
already full again.
“So she can use her magic at will?”
“Some of it, but not much. She said it was
her doing when she killed the last Legan’dirs, and the cake
appearance was probably her too, but that might be about all she
can do on her own.”
“And of course threaten the Deralilya’s
life.”
I said that to maybe get a chuckle out of
him, but he suddenly looked sad. “Yeah.”
My brows dropped. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I twisted my mouth to the side and looked at
him. “I’m not stupid, Rabryn, and I’m insulted you think I am.”
He gave me a small smile but it quickly
faded. “I don’t know. It’s just…” He sighed and rubbed the back of
his neck with his free hand. “I feel like I’m losing my mind. I
can’t stop thinking about those green eyes.” I found myself
grinning, knowing where this was going. “It seems every waking
moment I’m thinking and wondering what the Deralilya’s face looks
like, her hair, her smile. It’s so aggravating how she comes and
goes. She doesn’t say two words to me and she leaves. I just…I
don’t know. I’d just…” He sighed. “I’d give anything to sit down
and talk to her.” He sighed again and shook his head. “And I’d give
everything else to see her face.”
My grin widened. “My friend, you have a love
bite.”
He looked at me skeptically. “A love bite?
How can I love her? I don’t even know her, in case that wasn’t too obvious.”
I chuckled. “A love bite doesn’t mean you’re
in love. It just means
younger, more new than Azrel. Also it was Azrel’s hatred for her
magic that made her bury it so deep that it became a completely
other person, making Azrel stronger than the White Warrior in that
way as well.
“What? No witty comeback, Acalith?” Azrel
asked.
Azrel was still advancing when she yanked out
her sword with such quickness that if I had blinked I would have
missed it. Acalith jumped and started to back away, only to be
stopped by a tree.
Azrel placed the tip of her sword at the base
of the Deralilya’s throat. “I’ve put up with enough people like you
my entire life,” she growled. “People who hate me because I’m
different or odd. People who laugh at me because they think they’re
better.” Azrel put more pressure on the sword so that it deeply
indented Acalith’s clothes. “People who underestimate me because
they’re fools.”
I was holding my breath by this point. I
wanted to jump in and help, but I felt like I would be betraying
Azrel if I did. Rabryn was standing just as rigid as I was,
apparently feeling the same way.
“I won’t put up with it anymore. I’m sick of
it!” She held her chin high. “Dislike me all you want, but stay
away from me while you do! If you don’t”—Azrel added more pressure
to her blade and a small drop of blood seeped through the tan
cloths—“the White Warrior will have a position to fill.”
“Forgive me, Azrel.” Acalith breathed deep,
completely terrified.
“Stay away from me,” she said slowly and
firmly, then turned away and sheathed her sword. She walked towards
me with a gentle, but clearly forced smile as she took Cairikson
from me. Resting him on her hip, she started to walk away. “How
would you like to meet my talking horse?” she asked sweetly.
“Talking horse?” he replied excitedly.
“Yup,” she said, her voice fading in the
distance. “Of course he doesn’t talk to me , but he talks to
the White Warrior.” Cairikson’s laughed floated over the air, and
then they were gone.
I blew out the breath I’d been holding and
looked at Rabryn as he did the same. We both looked to where
Acalith had been. She was gone.
“That was close,” I said.
“Sure was.”
“So,” I said and began gathering Cairikson’s
and my old clothes up. “The window is open?”
“Yeah,” he responded, also stooping and
gathering the clothes and Azrel’s vials of liquid, which were
already full again.
“So she can use her magic at will?”
“Some of it, but not much. She said it was
her doing when she killed the last Legan’dirs, and the cake
appearance was probably her too, but that might be about all she
can do on her own.”
“And of course threaten the Deralilya’s
life.”
I said that to maybe get a chuckle out of
him, but he suddenly looked sad. “Yeah.”
My brows dropped. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I twisted my mouth to the side and looked at
him. “I’m not stupid, Rabryn, and I’m insulted you think I am.”
He gave me a small smile but it quickly
faded. “I don’t know. It’s just…” He sighed and rubbed the back of
his neck with his free hand. “I feel like I’m losing my mind. I
can’t stop thinking about those green eyes.” I found myself
grinning, knowing where this was going. “It seems every waking
moment I’m thinking and wondering what the Deralilya’s face looks
like, her hair, her smile. It’s so aggravating how she comes and
goes. She doesn’t say two words to me and she leaves. I just…I
don’t know. I’d just…” He sighed. “I’d give anything to sit down
and talk to her.” He sighed again and shook his head. “And I’d give
everything else to see her face.”
My grin widened. “My friend, you have a love
bite.”
He looked at me skeptically. “A love bite?
How can I love her? I don’t even know her, in case that wasn’t too obvious.”
I chuckled. “A love bite doesn’t mean you’re
in love. It just means
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