Chapter 18 - Y
I couldn't believe he chose to go with Syrenne over me. Going with Dagran would be one thing, but Syrenne?! Really? Maybe I was being too much a jealous futz.
When Dagran opened the door, we only found one guard, who was taken down easily, and a door with red markings on it, but I didn't really pay any mind to it. As the man hit the ground, something shiny fell from his armour.
"What's this?" Dagran picked it up. "It's a key. We better go back and show the others." I nodded, trying to hide my irritation, and we went back out to the hallway, but on the way out I tripped over something, probably the guard, and fell against the doorframe. No-one saw that. I stood up quickly and attempted to regain my composer.
"Dagran!" Zael jumped as they ran into each other around the corner. "We found a locked door."
"Funny. I just happen to have a key. Now, only one door left." He walked passed them and into the other room.
"Awe, you two are like brothers. Brings tears to my eye." Syrenne said sarcastically.
"Give it a rest, Syrenne," Dagran smiled. He actually knows how to smile? Wow. "There's something I want you two to take a look at."
"Okay, let's go check it out." Syrenne followed behind him into the room Dagran and I had just come out of. He smiled….. I shivered. He showed them the other door in the room. There was a big red pentagram on it. "Here it is. There's got to be something in there."
"It seems like it, but there's no way we're getting in through here," Zael pushed against the door. The magic must have been a sort of barrier spell.
"Then we'll have to find another way in," Dagran retorted.
"How about trying the door that Zael and I found?" Syrenne sounded like it was the obvious choice.
"Let's go then," Dagran shoved passed everyone again and led us to the door in the back of the other room.
Sure enough, the key worked and the door swung open.
Zael peeked his head through the doorway. "Nobody here." We started to move through the door when he put an arm out in front of us. "Wait, the shutter's moving."
"Zael, we might be able to get to the next room from the outside," Dagran followed him.
Syrenne put a hand on her hip. "Quite an... acrobatic plan, don't you think?"
Zael opened the window and jumped out. I jumped and ran towards the window thinking 'My god, what an idiot!' I leaned out to see where he was and saw that he had grabbed onto the ledge underneath. He was already making his way towards the next window over. He's going to scare me to death one day.
It was already dark outside. I couldn't believe we had been there for so long.
"Get in from the outside and open the door for us," Dagran told him from behind me, then he and Syrenne had already started running around to the previous door.
I whispered, "God damn it, Zael," out of frustration then turned to exit the room. I thought he had fallen two stories and broken a leg, or worse. That bastard makes me crazy. I swear I'm losing my mind.
When I reached the pompous idiot and the drunken woman, they were making their usual jabs at each other about drinking and being self-absorbed, etc. I leaned against the wall and rolled my eyes. Seriously, I'm the youngest here and yet I act more mature than they ever will.
"Somebody, help me!" It sounded like a little girl's voice. It was muffled so it must have been coming through the door. The three of us stood at attention and waited for Zael to open the door. Then we heard her scream.
"Damn it, Zael, open the bloody door!" Syrenne yelled, banging the hilt of her sword on the door. Just as she hit it for the last time, the seal faded and the door flung open to reveal a small blonde girl. She was terrified out of her wits, as she should have been. We rushed in quickly, but only helped take out one last guard.
"Zael, are you alright?" Dagran ran straight to him, completely ignoring the girl that was shaking behind me.
He nodded then pointed to the girl, who apparently had grappled onto my cloak. "The question is, is she?" She was definitely scared.
"Th-thanks for saving me. Wh-who are you?" She was looking at Zael and Dagran, but it seemed like she didn't even notice I was there, except to hide behind.
"Your dad asked us to help you," Zael extended a hand to her, but she didn't take it.
"Oh," she looked at the floor, "I see. I'd better get home and let him know I'm alright. He must be so worried." I could feel her grip tighten and she bit her lip. Then she looked up and around at all of us.
Dagran cast a sigh of what I assumed was relief. "Then we're off, too."
Then Syrenne said something about drinking her spoils and began to walk downstairs, I assumed, to get that brandy she saw earlier. Dagran followed after her, but Zael and I had a moment of awkward silence there alone. I stared at him with an irritated glare. Then the little girl half dragged me out of the room backwards before I could speak my mind. Zael gave me a smile, which I quickly returned hoping it looked as genuine as I meant it, then followed after us.
When we got down the stairs, an extremely difficult task going backwards I might add, she let go of me just enough for me to turn around, then she grabbed my hand. I gave her a comforting grin and let her stand as close as she wanted to me. I really didn't like kids, but she was decently calm for someone who was just kidnapped and used in some crazy ritual. Then I felt a tingling in the hand that she held. She smiled up at me as I looked at my hand. There were blood stains, but no wound. Then I felt it. She was a healing mage, like Mirania. I nodded at her in thanks. When did I cut myself? I remembered when I fell against the doorframe. Oh… then. How embarrassing.
We walked the girl home and she finally let go of me to run inside and jump into her father's arms. After making sure she had arrived safely, we went back to our tavern. Zael and I walked a little slower than the others.
"I'm still displeased with you," I said with a huff. He had left me that morning without telling me where he was going, when I found out where he was he was being reckless, and he barely acknowledged me the whole time we were in that dump of a tavern. Then he jumped out of a window and scared me half to death.
He completely ignored my statement. "I didn't know you were that good with kids," he smiled.
"Yeah, neither did I- Hey! Don't change the subject!" I snapped at him.
He walked closer to me making our shoulders rub together. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you today."
I pushed him away from me slightly and yelled in a whisper, "First of all, wake me up instead of moving me next time. Second, thanks for not telling me where you were today! It's not like I was worried or anything, especially because you were injured yesterday. Third, you chose to go with Syrenne? What was that about?"
He put his index finger to my lips before I could continue and rested his other hand on my shoulder, stopping me from walking. "First," he said with a slight grin, "I didn't want to wake you 'cuz you looked too cute sleeping there, but I'll wake you up next time. Second, I'm sorry for not telling you and thank you for caring about me." He dropped both of his hands and just looked down at me. His eyes are so beautiful. "Third, I chose to go with Syrenne because she has needed a break from Dagran recently."
"Don't we all," I muttered.
He gave a slight nod of agreement followed by a second guessing look, which I assumed meant he was thinking 'wait, he's my brother and I shouldn't be mean'. He pulled me into his arms and tilted my chin upwards, leading to a very warm and passionate kiss. I was surprised he kissed me in public. I knew it was dark, but there were still people passing by. Then again, I didn't care that much so I closed my eyes and pretended like we were the only ones there. When we broke apart he smiled and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Still upset?"
I smiled back with a glare and held up my thumb and forefinger showing that I was still a little upset, but now I was just teasing him. How in the world can he make me calm when I angry with him? It's not fair.
"If you two are done mackin' on each other, can we go back now?" Syrenne had been a few meters in front of us and had left Dagran walking by himself. She smiled, waved us on, and turned around. I found myself blushing as I walked towards her and away from Zael. I put a hand to my lips. I still felt the warm tenderness of the kiss. I smiled.