Chapter 26

It wasn't just the pale way he looked which made Lilac's heart half stop dead in her chest as her brother made his way across the garden towards her and her mother; it was the way the air moved around him. Just as she'd never seen him so pale and sickly looking before, she'd also never seen the air move around him in this manner. Or rather, not move. The air which was usually too chaotic to read was almost completely still. As he reached them he fell wordlessly to his knees, then exhaustedly onto all fours. For a few moments he just remained there, panting heavily, before completely collapsing.

'Crovell,' her mother breathed fearfully, before glancing towards her, 'Lilac, I want you to go get your father. Now.'

More aware of the seriousness of the situation than even her mother was, Lilac took off in search of her father. She'd known from the changes in the air earlier in the day something had happened to Veronie and even though she knew she couldn't prove anything, something told her these incidents were connected somehow. It didn't take her long to find her father and when she did the look on her face must have said more than words ever could.

'Show me,' her father's voice was calm and level, sounding before she even had a chance to utter a word.

Nodding, she turned round and led him back outside to where her mother and the collapsed Crovell still where.

'What happened?'

'I don't know,' her mother shook her head, as she cradled her son to her, 'he just…'

'We need to get him inside,' her father carefully lifted Crovell up into his arms.

He then carried him inside, with Lilac and her mother following closely after. Her father took Crovell straight to his room and placed him down on his bed. He then tried to assess exactly what was wrong with him

'He looks so strange,' his words were soft and almost inaudible.

'I know,' her mother's voice trembled, but…'

'Oh, he's definitely alive. Just out cold and…'

'And the air around him isn't moving the way it should anymore,' Lilac couldn't help but interject.

She knew her big brother wasn't exactly on anyone's most loved list at the moment. And she knew he'd done something completely unforgivable. But he was still her big brother, no matter what. She couldn't help but look up to him and admire him.

'I'm going to get Jo,' she turned to leave the room.

'What?'

'You know she's not allowed in here Ly,' her father shook his head.

'I don't care,' she challengingly met her parents' gazes, 'Jo loves him more than anyone else in this place, you know that. She has a right to be here.'

'But Ly…'

'No,' she made her way out of the room before her parents could make any more sounds of protests.

She then made her way quickly through the Southern Palace, searching for Jo. She eventually found her brother's sister with Mai, in one of the smaller rooms. Since she'd gotten her powers back Jo looked a lot more radiant than before and the air around her moved in stronger, more confident circles, but everything else about her remained shallowly thin. Seeing her for a moment Lilac couldn't help but think there was something in her appearance which was now echoed in her brother, although she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

'Jo…' Lilac half breathed, 'it's Crovell.'

'I thought something had happened,' Jo slowly pulled herself to her feet and stepped away from her mother. 'I just got this feeling like… How is he?'

'Unconscious.'

'I have to go to him.'

'Jo, no,' Mai's voice was stern, 'you don't want to jeopardise your trail period any more than it already is by…'

'He's unconscious Mum, it's not like we can… And anyway he needs me.'

'Jo…'

'Don't worry,' Lilac felt strangely calm, despite everything that was going on, 'I'll act as chaperone to them; I won't leave Jo's side the whole time they're together.'

'I don't know Ly.'

'You can trust me.'

'Lilac, you're just a kid.'

'I know and that's exactly why you can trust me. Jo sees me as being her little sister just as much as Crovell does. That means they're not likely to do anything in front of me which will corrupt me. Surely that makes me a much better chaperone than anyone else.'

'I…'

'Look,' Lilac suddenly found herself becoming strangely commanding, 'right now Crovell's not well and Jo has every right to be with him. So I suggest you let me take her to him.'

For a few moments Mai silently evaluated her. Then she lowered her gaze and turned away.

'If I hear you've left them alone for so much as half a second Ly, I swear…'

'Don't worry,' she assured Mai, 'I won't.'

With that, she turned and left the room, with Jo following closely behind her. For a few moments the two girls walked along in silence, but before they even entered the corridor Crovell's room was on, Jo stopped her.

'I know he needs me right now, but we're not going to see him.'

'What?' Lilac couldn't help but gawk at her.

'We have to go after the person who put him in that state,' Jo's face was gravely serious.

'Who put him in that state…' her frown deepened, 'what are you saying Jo, that someone…'

'Exactly,' she cut her off, her manner unnervingly cool, 'and I know exactly who it was. I got this feeling at the time, I was just waiting for someone to confirm it.'

'Why didn't you…?'

'Oh please Ly, my mother all but refuses to let me go to the bathroom on my own at the moment. There was just no way she was going to let me do something like this without her watching my every move. But you Ly, you're not going to so strict.'

'You sure about that?'

'Oh, I'm certain. You can sense what's happening to him almost as strongly as I can and you know he needs real help and fast. This is the only real way to help him.'

For a few moments Lilac lowered her head in thought. She wasn't much of a one for abiding by rules, she knew that, but that didn't mean she was a trouble maker like the trio had been in their youth. But it also didn't mean she wasn't averse to going behind peoples' backs about things.

'Alright,' she nodded, 'I'll help you. But only if you come with me to check on Crovell first.'

'Of course,' Jo's face filled with a warm smile, 'I know you're worried about him and if I were you I would be. Someone has stolen his kingdom.'

'Ah… so that's why the air is so still.'

'Yes, that's why the air is so still,' for a moment her features tightened. 'Someone has stolen his kingdom. Someone has stolen his Chaos.'