The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 12

"I can't believe you pulled that one over on me!"

Rath was blocking the doorway to Char's room, his arms crossed over his chest and his blue eyes flashing, but Char didn't want to talk about Iris. He didn't even want to think about her. He just wanted to go to sleep.

"Get out of my way."

"We've never kept secrets from each other, Char. What else are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing. Move."

"I don't even understand how I missed it."

Char turned away and went to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle at random and taking it to the sofa. Rath wouldn't drop this until he was satisfied. Maybe getting drunk would help.

"I mean, you were so convincing. I really thought you hated her as much as I did."

Char had only taken one swig before Rath took the bottle from him.

"Use a glass like a civilized person."

Char exhaled a single loud, irritated breath and dropped his right arm to the cushions as Rath retrieved a pair of glasses. He watched his brother pour, sloshing the clear liquid against the walls of each glass, and he contemplated picking up one of those glasses and throwing the alcohol in his brother's face. Or snatching the bottle away and smashing it over his head. Rath had a thick enough skull to take it.

But then Char would have to face their mother.

He grabbed his glass and knocked it back in a single swallow. "Maybe if you'd stopped talking about killing her for two seconds, I would have told you."

Rath watched him with a raised eyebrow. "This is really bothering you."

Char slammed the glass down so hard it shattered and cut his hand. He swore and licked the blood from his finger. "I made a mistake. It's over and done with. Can we just drop it?"

"You really don't want to talk about this."

"Finally figured that out?" Char grabbed the bottle this time and took a long swig. His finger was still bleeding. He didn't care.

"What did you even see in her, anyway?" Rath asked, refusing to drop it. "She's pretty and everything, but she was just a frightened little mouse."

"She wasn't like that before."

"What was she like?"

Char shot Rath a venomous glare. "It doesn't matter what she was like, and it doesn't matter what I saw in her, because she doesn't matter. Got it?"

Rath scowled at him. "If she doesn't matter, why are you getting so worked up about this?"

"Because my brother is an idiot who won't leave me alone."

"Well, my brother is an idiot who goes off falling in love with random women and then doesn't even have the courtesy to tell me. Women who are also the enemy, I might add."

"I'm not in love with her," Char ground out through gritted teeth.

"You always risk your life for a crush?"

"Kelnor wouldn't have killed me."

"Kelnor was ready to fry you to a crisp and trample you underfoot until you were just a pile of ashes not even an hour ago."

"I'm done with this." Char slammed the bottle down and stood, storming into his room and hoping for once in his life, his brother would leave him alone.

He was not so fortunate.

"It doesn't bother you that the mage took her?" Rath persisted. "You know what they'll do to her at the magic school, right?"