The Awakening

Chapter Twenty Seven

Avelon sprinted back to her room. Each step felt like a mile, as if the distance had grown longer with every heartbeat. Her stomach churned violently, as an uncomfortable edge of nausea gripped her. Bile lingered at the back of her throat, its acrid taste mingling with the unsettling memory of Lugh's lips pressing against hers. The sensation of the kiss, so unexpected, clouded her thoughts and overwhelmed her senses.

The door to their room slammed open, and Brianne's head jerked up from the bed, her expression shifting from groggy confusion to wide-eyed alarm as she took in the sight of Avelon. The blood drained from Brianne's face, her eyes darting behind her as if seeking some hidden threat to come.

"What happened?" Brianne rose warily from the bed, silently assessing her. Luckily, Jeera was nowhere to be found.

"Oh Gods!" Avelon's voice was a mix of disbelief and distress as she frantically wiped at her mouth, as though trying to erase the memory of the kiss.

"Slow down, what happened?" Brianne's voice trembled, her hands instinctively raising in a calming gesture. Her brows furrowed, and she took a hesitant step closer. "Did Ernin do something?"

The mere mention of Ernin made Brianne's face flush with a mix of anger and concern. Avelon could almost feel the ground trembling with the intensity of Brianne's rising tension. The sensation was alarming.

"No, no, shit not Ernin. It's Lugh," Avelon blurted out, throwing her hands up in frustration. "And his brother—Balor has two sons. TWO!" She shouted, and she cast a frantic look around, as if searching for an escape from the chaos inside her head. "Why didn't I listen to you? Why didn't I think for myself?"

Avelon's words came out in disjointed pieces, her fingers continuously scrubbing at her mouth as if trying to rid herself of the taste of regret. Brianne had her gaze fixed on Avelon, while trying to piece together the fragmented story. Her eyes widened with dread as she took in Avelon's distress and made the connection.

"Lugh..." Brianne's voice trailed off, his name tasting sour and strange on her tongue. "He's Balor's other son?"

The slow, deliberate pace of Brianne's words cut through Avelon's chaotic rant. She blinked, trying to clear the fog from her thoughts as she focused on Brianne's expectant face. Only then, did Avelon notice that Brianne wore a vibrant and elegant deep maroon tunic and beige tights- something she had not seen before. She tucked away the questions regarding her new attire while sorting through her own mind.

Avelon winced, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I kissed him—well, he kissed me," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. The admission hung between then, and Avelon felt a deep blush creep up her neck. Brianne's eyes widened as she choked on her breath, her face reflecting a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You kissed him?" Brianne screeched, her voice trembling.

Avelon winced again, her face contorting with discomfort as she tried to explain. "Unfortunately. But that was before I knew who he was related to." Her words tumbled out.

"Oh Gods, Avelon." Brianne covered her face with her hands, her fingers pressing into her temples as she tried to process the information. She bit down onto her lip, trying to stifle her growing anxiety.

"I know, Bri. The worst part is that I liked it." Avelon's sheepishly admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor in shame. Brianne's reaction almost made Avelon burst into a fit of laughter as she gagged at the admission, her face twisting with disgust.

Yet Avelon did not laugh, rather she groaned deeply, her eyes rolling up to the ceiling in frustration.

"How did you put two-and-two together, though?" Brianne paused her exaggerated retching.