The Lightning Queen

Chapter 17

Maven

Everytime I close my eyes, a perfect picture of her abandoning me replays itself within the saddest corners of my mind.

As we're back at Whitefire, I see Cal discarding his blood stained armor. I don't know how much guilt and anger I've been marinating in the past few days but I feel sick, sick from all these terrible ugly emotions.

As the healers work on my bruised face and scratched neck and- broken bones on my upper back and shoulders cause by the falling debris of the explosion, the infirmary smells so medical and I smell hints of chlorine. The lights are bright and the beds are hard and I may have a concussion.

If we pretend that the events of this year didn't happen; Cal and I could pretend that we didn't fall in love with the same girl, collaboratively kill the king and queen of Norta- our parents; but that not the case here, there is so much anger and sadness to fill an ocean. We could've been family again. I wish I had more support than I do but I don't, Cal has Julian, grandmother and he has a piece of Mare, but then again so do I.

I think the difference between Mare and Cal and I is the fact that she has a guilty conscience. She could spill blood and feel terrible. I could spill and Cal could spill and we would feel as though we did nothing but only good.

"Do you remember when we we're kids and you branded your toys with an M, so I wouldn't touch them?" I nod and he seems bitter but not just at the thought of the memory.

"You were more respectful of my property back then." My tone is dry.

My mind hates me, so it chooses to replay Mare and Cal that's night, kissing. Dancing lessons he called it. I can help but frown, but my fist clenches.

"Say your sorry." He looks taken of gaurd.

"For what, I may ask?" He chuckles lightly, but I give him a stern look.

"For kissing her when she was my betrothed." I think it's time to pony up an apology tibby.

He chuckles again but this time darkly.

"I'm sorry I betrayed you that night, I should've put whatever feelings I had for here aside but I'm not apologizing for falling in love with her." Indeed you shouldn't, those warm brown eyes contain claws that keeps pulling you in.

"You hurt her pretty bad Mavey." Now it's my turn to laugh bitterly.

"And Cal, the perfect prince was there to pick up the pieces. To comfort her while she read my notes and wore my brand."

"Why are you picking a fight with me? And I was never the perfect prince, not by a long shot- you were but I guess that to was also a lie." He crosses his arms and adds.

"And I guess I could've comfort her in ways she found pleasurable." He smirk only grows as a blush appears on his cheeks. I can't help but sneer as I narrow my eyes.

"Are you sure it was you she was thinking about?" As fast as the smirk came, it fell of his face and probably died on the floor. I don't miss the anger in his expression. The air grows hotter. He throws a pillow at my stomach.

"Ah, how you wound me Cal." I say half chuckling. As if on cue Evangeline and Ptolemus enter, I rise from the bed.

"The Lakelanders launched that last missile, it killed twelve silvers and over two dozen reds." Ptolemus says in his usual sharp tone.

"It almost killed Mavey." I hear the tremor in my brother's voice.

"Pity that it didn't." Evangeline guffaws.