Crowned in Crimson Cinders

Chapter 46: The Note

Brylee and I had retreated to the sanctuary of my room, losing ourselves in conversation and laughter as we awaited Brock and Darian's return. It felt, for the first time in my life, as though I had a sister.

"So, tell me about Darian," she mused, taking a sip from the cup of water she'd filled herself. When the cup was empty, she simply twirled a finger over the rim, and it refilled, the water shimmering. Sometimes, I forgot about her powers, forgot how deadly she was, how deadly we all were. We hadn't truly needed to wield our abilities in years. Only my brothers, fighting on the front lines daily, had been forced to rely on them, their supernatural strength the sole reason the lines had held for so long.

I remembered Clif, home on a rare week's leave, telling Father how our soldier numbers were dwindling, supplies vanishing, and only their extraordinary gifts kept them from being overrun. Brock would recount tales of conjuring earthquakes on the battlefield, tearing chunks of rock from mountainsides to hurl into enemy ranks. I'd forgotten the sheer scale of his power, his capacity to control the very earth, and to kill. My brothers had always boasted about each other, humble in their own might but proud of their kin. Sebastian would speak of the awe he felt watching Clif unleash a tidal wave of fire. Clif would brag about Brock effortlessly flinging boulders like pebbles. Brock, in turn, would marvel at the destructive power of Sebastian's water surges. I loved their camaraderie, but a part of me always envied it, wished for that same bond with my sisters. Thinking of my brothers again, that familiar hollow ache returned, a void where a part of my life should have been, even though they'd rarely been a constant presence. They had, however, always looked out for me.

"What?" I asked, snapping back to the present.

"I said," Brylee repeated, leaning forward, elbows on her knees, cup held in both hands, "tell me about Darian."

"Oh," I stammered, too quickly. "I mean, he's... you know, he's good."

A knowing smile played on her lips as she leaned back, placing her cup on my desk. I took a sip from my own, then choked, a fit of coughing seizing me. Brylee dissolved into laughter.

"What are you laughing about?" I managed to gasp, setting my cup down.

"It's obvious," Brylee declared. "You two are clearly a thing now, or at least you're something."

I remained silent for a few seconds, my cheeks warming. Brylee leaned in again, her eyes sparkling. "Did you guys... like," she gestured, bringing her two pointer fingers together, mimicking a kiss.

My face burned. I looked down, unable to meet her gaze. "No," I lied.

"Yes!" Brylee shrieked, shooting up from her chair and bouncing like an overexcited puppy with a new toy. "Yes, you did! Why didn't you tell me?"

It had only been a day since Darian and I had decided to make our relationship real, yet the memory of our first kiss felt like an eternity ago. I would never forget it. "We only made it real yesterday. And I didn't want to tell anyone because I wasn't sure of anything." I wasn't sure if what we felt that day was genuine, or just a fluke. Perhaps we were both desperate. Perhaps agreeing to be with him was a mistake on my part. My brothers had just died, and I was desperate for a friend, for a family. And when we kissed, Amora had just cornered me in the hall, and all I wanted was safety, someone I could trust to protect my heart.

"Well, you may not know it," Brylee said, her voice softening, "but you're the only thing Darian cares about. He's one hundred percent into you."

My face reddened further, a blush I couldn't control. Brylee seemed amused. Before she could say anything else, a sharp knock echoed from the door, startling both of us. We jumped in our chairs. Brylee was the first to rise, moving towards it.