The World Wanderer Chronicles

Chapter 2 (or the one where the younger sister is wiser than her brother)

Liliana walked furiously to the library. Only her brother could calm her down in a moment like this. While she was the equivalent of a fuming fireball that could explode at any second, Jameson was more like a calm, unmoving body of water. He could keep his sister grounded, and that's exactly what she needed right now, before she blew the whole castle away. Just so her brother could be prepared, she sent out a private message through the air route.

Servants and guards alike stepped aside and didn't dare hinder her as she rushed through the palace halls. When she finally arrived at the court's library, she threw the double-winged doors with such aggression that a few books toppled from the higher shelves.

'Gods above Lil! Just because Father is making you angry again doesn't mean that you can behave like a barbaric ass.' So much for needing the composed and grounded brother that would calm her down. Jameson was, meanwhile, scrambling around, picking up books and inspecting them to see if they were seriously damaged.

'I'm going to die,' she whispered after closing the doors. Her brother didn't respond. As she walked closer to him, she heard him muttering reassuring words to the books.

'Jameson.' Hearing his full name, he finally looked up.

'What?' He was annoyed. Understandably. Her message was probably interrupting his reading flow. It only consisted of two words. Coming. Now! It's not like she could send more than a short sentence, but the privatization made receiving the quick note more intense. She was also very mad, which added another powerful knock. An air message would normally feel like a gentle brush on the receiver's soul, followed by a slight invasion into one's outer thoughts. With how she had sent the note, she was sure it was anything but gentle. More like a full-blown push at his soul and a loud, piercing scream. She would have laughed at that thought on any other day, but not with the news she just received.

Avoiding eye contact, Liliana picked up a book and held onto it.

'I'm going to die,' she repeated.

'You're being dramatic.'

'I'm not.'

While her brother shelved the books back to where they belonged, he glanced back at her. 'You say that literally every time Father sends you on a mission. It concerned me the first eighty years, but not anymore.' She walked further into the room and sat down on a divan. Liliana smiled absent-mindedly as she let her hand run through the brocade material of her seat. She could see her first missions clearly. How her older brother was more nervous than she was. Always running around to make sure she had everything packed. He was also the only one who always waited at the gates to welcome her home. The only one who sat next to her, whenever she finished a task and needed a safe place. Not that her other brothers didn't care about her; they just didn't think about it. But Jameson knew. He always knew that her missions were sometimes different from theirs. After putting the last book away, he strolled over to her and sat down. Close, but not too close.

'Where is he sending you to this time?'

'Vesta.'

Utterly terrified was the right way to describe his face. 'H-he can't. You know that-'

'He can, Jay. And he did. There is no way out. You're looking at the new Aracian ambassador.'

Jameson was still shocked to the core. Like he was thinking about everything and nothing at once.

'Hey,' Liliana said, bumping her elbow against his, fearing he would implode if she didn't interfere. 'I'm going to be okay. I will come back. I always do. Besides, who is going to kick your ass in affinity training if not me?'

His forced smile made it even harder for her to stay strong, but she was right. Seeing her brother made all the anger disappear. Instead, she felt renewed strength.