you stay.”
Shimma let go and caught Krishani facing her from across the room. It was only for a second and he didn’t even look in her direction. His entire focus was on Kaliel. “How so?”
“If he is happy, he should remain that way,” Kuruny muttered.
Shimma scoffed and plopped down, her legs straddling the bench. The silver platters and mugs jangled around. “You think I should let it go?”
Kuruny smirked. “You’re right, Kazza. She’s hopeless. We should leave her so she can see what will happen when she interferes with the two of them.” She sounded bitter, so bitter that Shimma remembered something from long ago, before the enemies ravaged Avristar and the volcano exploded. She stopped, her hand resting on the table, her fingers trembling. She had forgotten all about that night, all about what Kuruny had done.
“I didn’t even think. I’m sorry,” Shimma said.
Kuruny set her jaw. “You forget that I have seen the extent of his anger. That night on Avristar aside, he has extraordinary power.”
“You mean the beach?” Shimma asked, her eyes darting across the room. She caught the bards in their familiar formation, playing to their hearts’ content. They weren’t half as good as the bards on Avristar. She almost wished she could live a nomadic lifestyle like they did, traveling, not staying for long in one place. Trekking to safe places with her sisters and always running from something was destitute. She wanted to have a reason to belong, not just a warm bed for a night while she figured out where to go next.
“Not the beach. You forget that I knew almost everything that happened on Avristar. Krishani hurt someone else, someone in Hawklin. Istar was too much of a coward to admit it publically.” Her eyes filled with fiery stone, ringlets of deep purple skirting the pupils.
“You didn’t tell us,” Kazza interrupted. She sounded annoyed. Shimma let out a breath and was glad that she didn’t have to say anything for a change. Facing Kuruny while she was near her maximum strength was a difficult task. She didn’t want to anger her sister.
“I thought you would use it to gain leverage with our father,” Kuruny said.
“I would have!” Kazza rebutted.
“Yes, but you saw what happened. Istar wiped his hands of Krishani after Kaliel awakened Avred. There would be no boon to gain once Krishani was exiled.”
“So why keep the truth to yourself?” Shimma asked. She tapped her foot on the ground nervously, her knee bouncing with it. She wanted to chew her fingernails but they were caked with dirt.
Kuruny looked distracted for a moment, letting a lull fall between them. She looked at Shimma. “I kept it to myself so he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Shimma slumped. Kuruny said it like it was obvious, that Shimma should have realized Krishani wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her if she got too close. Shimma shuddered at the memory of Aulises. She was the only one to see that atrocity and she hiccupped. She pressed a fist to her lips, biting her knuckles.
“So now you see why you cannot stay?” Kazza interjected.
Shimma took her fist out of her mouth and swished her blonde hair behind her shoulders. “He might need me again as a healer. He can’t expect to not be what he is.”
“A Ferryman?” Kazza asked.
Shimma nodded. “He may not like it, but that’s what he is.”
Kuruny scoffed. “Kaliel can heal him.”
“She doesn’t have any training!” Shimma shot back with a tinge of jealousy. Kuruny smirked and Shimma flushed scarlet.
“Maybe we should stay and let her stupidity prove us right,” Kuruny said with a chortle. Kazza joined and Shimma turned, burying her head in the circle of her arms.
“I think you’ve upset her,” Kazza said mockingly.
Shimma didn’t say anything. In the dark of her arms she seethed with both anger and envy. She couldn’t help it; she had never experienced love in her life. Seeing Kaliel and Krishani together confounded her. On the one hand,
Shimma let go and caught Krishani facing her from across the room. It was only for a second and he didn’t even look in her direction. His entire focus was on Kaliel. “How so?”
“If he is happy, he should remain that way,” Kuruny muttered.
Shimma scoffed and plopped down, her legs straddling the bench. The silver platters and mugs jangled around. “You think I should let it go?”
Kuruny smirked. “You’re right, Kazza. She’s hopeless. We should leave her so she can see what will happen when she interferes with the two of them.” She sounded bitter, so bitter that Shimma remembered something from long ago, before the enemies ravaged Avristar and the volcano exploded. She stopped, her hand resting on the table, her fingers trembling. She had forgotten all about that night, all about what Kuruny had done.
“I didn’t even think. I’m sorry,” Shimma said.
Kuruny set her jaw. “You forget that I have seen the extent of his anger. That night on Avristar aside, he has extraordinary power.”
“You mean the beach?” Shimma asked, her eyes darting across the room. She caught the bards in their familiar formation, playing to their hearts’ content. They weren’t half as good as the bards on Avristar. She almost wished she could live a nomadic lifestyle like they did, traveling, not staying for long in one place. Trekking to safe places with her sisters and always running from something was destitute. She wanted to have a reason to belong, not just a warm bed for a night while she figured out where to go next.
“Not the beach. You forget that I knew almost everything that happened on Avristar. Krishani hurt someone else, someone in Hawklin. Istar was too much of a coward to admit it publically.” Her eyes filled with fiery stone, ringlets of deep purple skirting the pupils.
“You didn’t tell us,” Kazza interrupted. She sounded annoyed. Shimma let out a breath and was glad that she didn’t have to say anything for a change. Facing Kuruny while she was near her maximum strength was a difficult task. She didn’t want to anger her sister.
“I thought you would use it to gain leverage with our father,” Kuruny said.
“I would have!” Kazza rebutted.
“Yes, but you saw what happened. Istar wiped his hands of Krishani after Kaliel awakened Avred. There would be no boon to gain once Krishani was exiled.”
“So why keep the truth to yourself?” Shimma asked. She tapped her foot on the ground nervously, her knee bouncing with it. She wanted to chew her fingernails but they were caked with dirt.
Kuruny looked distracted for a moment, letting a lull fall between them. She looked at Shimma. “I kept it to myself so he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Shimma slumped. Kuruny said it like it was obvious, that Shimma should have realized Krishani wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her if she got too close. Shimma shuddered at the memory of Aulises. She was the only one to see that atrocity and she hiccupped. She pressed a fist to her lips, biting her knuckles.
“So now you see why you cannot stay?” Kazza interjected.
Shimma took her fist out of her mouth and swished her blonde hair behind her shoulders. “He might need me again as a healer. He can’t expect to not be what he is.”
“A Ferryman?” Kazza asked.
Shimma nodded. “He may not like it, but that’s what he is.”
Kuruny scoffed. “Kaliel can heal him.”
“She doesn’t have any training!” Shimma shot back with a tinge of jealousy. Kuruny smirked and Shimma flushed scarlet.
“Maybe we should stay and let her stupidity prove us right,” Kuruny said with a chortle. Kazza joined and Shimma turned, burying her head in the circle of her arms.
“I think you’ve upset her,” Kazza said mockingly.
Shimma didn’t say anything. In the dark of her arms she seethed with both anger and envy. She couldn’t help it; she had never experienced love in her life. Seeing Kaliel and Krishani together confounded her. On the one hand,
Similar Books
