The Crystal Trials

61 Nik

The day before the final trial, Taury and I visited my mom and Ahren to remove their gauntlets. We waited to go after our classes just in case it took too long. She gave Garren a sweet kiss and we were on our way. I eyed her with a smirk earning a shove. I laughed and shoved her back.

"So, you and Ameer huh?"

Taken aback I missed a step. After regaining my balance and glaring at her, I replied, "No. We're just friends."

"Ha! Friends don't act like that. Haven't you seen Alden sulking about?"

"He's sulking because I caught him telling Dath that I begged him to fuck me when they were having a pissing contest."

"What! Can I kill him? Please?" I shook my head with a smirk. "A little stab? A splinter? Anything involving pain?" I laughed fully at that.

When I finally calmed down, I told her that Dath had punched him. She said, "Huh. Didn't know he had it in him."

I rolled my eyes, approaching my mom's apartment. Taury took it upon herself to pound on the door. Mom smiled, wiping her hand on her apron. Mmm cookies! Taury and I raced to the table where Zayden was already standing on a chair, holding them out of our reach. Ahren walked out from the back hall leading to the bedrooms laughing at our antics. He joined in by picking Zay up and making the plates higher.

I scrunched my face in mock anger and cast a small air pocket to make them float. Zay squealed as I lowered the cookies and shoved a whole one into my mouth. Ahren placed him down and I was surprised to see my brother give him a quick hug. I made eye contact with mom try to communicate to her that she was crazy if she didn't make Ahren a permanent member of our family. She shrugged and blushed as she turned to face the fireplace. Yes! I knew there was something going on! Proud of myself, I ate another cookie, smiling with a full mouth.

"What brings you by?" Ahren asked sitting at the table, munching on his own cookie.

The smiles fell from our faces and mom turned around, sensing the change of atmosphere in the room. I gestures for mom to come join us and once we were all seated, Taury and I spent the next few hours telling them everything. We spoke about Volar and Ameer, and discovering the tome called "The Consideration of the Ninth Element". About Erix abusing his sons. Rion working with the false Axion. And lastly, the gauntlets. Neither looked entirely surprised about the shadow magic by the time we ended our retelling. Taury showed them our "fixed" gauntlets to disguise them from Rion.

My mom already knew a little bit about the gauntlets since she helped remove them from the infected students. She hadn't attempted to remove her own worried she would fall ill the way Garren did trying to remove his own. Taury was the only one successful at that attempt. We replaced their dead quartz with the ones we stole from Jorah, a wave of guilt came over me from what we had to do to him.

They invited Taury and I to stay for diner since we were already there. We agreed and sat by the fireplace. Taury went behind me and braided my hair while Ahren drank a cup of Mom's tea. Zayden went to his room to play. Ahren swirled his tea and took a sip but kept looked over at the kitchen.

"Have you talked to her yet? I asked him boldly. Taury pinched the back of neck like a bee bite. It only made me grin.

Ahren balked, "About what?"

"How you feel?" I smiled at him knowingly.

He looked down and shook his head smiling. "That obvious huh?"