Riley Nyt and The Mortal Order

Chapter 7 - Missing

Alexandra was not so little anymore and Riley found herself struggling to keep up with her sister as the scurried through the hallways like mice in a maze.

"Alex!" Riley cursed as she slipped in her stupid sandals that clacked painfully against her heels, "Alex, wait!"

"Open!" Alexandria zipped between the slow-opening front doors that the guards tugged apart, letting the biting night air in.

Riley leapt through, her shoulder banging a door and she stumbled down the stairs, that ground stinging her palms as she barely managed to keep herself from eating the pavement.

"Alexandra Nubia Nyt, stop."

Alexandra stopped to both of their surprise and slowly turned, "Don't speak to me like you're my mother."

Riley put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath, "Thank the gods I'm not," she wheezed.

"Pathetic," Alexandria looked down at her, "you used to be a respectable soldier."

"I was seventeen," Riley straightened up slowly, not wanting to alarm her sister as if she were a cornered animal, "I should never have been a soldier."

Alexandria sneered, "We're vestrals, you were a hero. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

"Being a child soldier, fighting adults' battles and dying for your mission is not cool or enjoyable."

"That's literally what we're raised to do."

"Pretty stupid, right?"

Alexandria frowned, caught of guard.

Riley pressed on, "I'm sorry about Ava missing. I'm sorry that I left you but-"

"-But none of this would have happened if they-" Alexandria pointed at the palace, "-hadn't raised us this way. Right?"

Riley nodded and Alexandria rolled her eyes.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't left me- us," Alexandria crossed her arms and turned away. Riley tried not to smile at the childish stance, seeing her little sister and not a young soldier in front of her.

"I didn't leave you," Riley said softly but that only caused Alexandria to scowl, "Neither of us meant to leave you."

"But you did, you and Ava left me to become our people's champions."

Riley laughed, "I'm no champion, the doharee is overrated."

Alexandria stamped her foot, "You don't get it do you?" Riley frowned in confusion and Alexandria muttered idiot under her breath before continuing, "Ava is the leader of the Mortal Order, the group of young, heroic, powerful vestrals who go on grand adventures and save the world in their free time. You laughed in the face of the Supremes, the smartest of our people, and executed a jailbreak from the vestrals most secure prison for the sake of true justice."

Riley shifted uncomfortably as even the winds seemed to quieten down to listen to Alexandria. There was the crunching of gravel underfoot and she knew the others had joined them but she kept her eyes on her sister.

"Ava is the vestrals greatest hero. You are the vestrals greatest rebel. She is beloved and you are feared," Alexandria looked past her, "you know what I'm talking about."

Grayson appeared at Riley's side, his expression tense in the dim light of the courtyard, "People like to exaggerate stories. Some say Kelsey Nova killed a village but history shows that she was the greatest healer of our people, a kind and merciful soul."

Katherine appeared on Riley's other side, "Some say Darius Vale willingly worked for criminal empires but history shows that he was an advocate for justice and that's why he created the Valere Corps – to bring criminal empires to down."