🔥 The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) 🔥

Chapter 5.2: Older Siblings Are the Same

"I hoped that I would never have to go back to that place." Leena said softly. "I don't know if I can. Why am I telling you this? You could probably care less..."

"You're right." Turrent said, picking his fingernail with a dagger. "I could care less about you being afraid. This is something you should have done a long time ago." He looked up from his distraction. "What do you have to do?"

Leanna shook her head, wondering why she had come to Turrent. They were in Kianna's home waiting for some ceremony involving Kianna to be completed, which gave her too much time to think. Sabin was in the back playing brother to Alaina, which left her alone with Turrent and the ghost of her brother.

Not ghost. Memory. He is alive.

Is he?

"You enjoy bothering me, don't you?" Leena said. She stood to leave. Storming out wouldn't solve her problem, but it would feel nice to irk Turrent.

"I do," Turrent said, not rising from his chair. "The more you focus on me, the less you focus on your doubts."

Leena paused for a moment, tugging at her hair. She hadn't expected that answer from Turrent. And it sounded genuine, no less. She sighed, turning back towards him. "Look, my parents died when I was young and I haven't seen my brother for years. In fact, I don't know if he's still alive." She turned away from him then, wiping away the tears that were threatening an appearance.

There was an honest tone to Turrent's voice this time. "So what do you have to do?"

"When we're done in Covica, I need to go to the Estalan base in Seris to pay my brother's bounty. My hope is without it he'll resurface."

The tears began to flow in earnest then and she made no move to wipe them. "Part of me believes he didn't make it. I don't want to be right. I don't. But there is this nagging feeling in my gut."

Turrent rose and stormed to Leena. He was face to face with her and his black eyes burned into her blue. "You're a coward. If I believed for one second that there was any chance that my mother, father or sister were alive I'd take it."

Turrent turned to leave, but held at the door. "I am sorry. Those were the words of a dead man. Edward died in that fire." After that, he left.

I guess he has his own demons.

Leena resolved to talk to Turrent more seriously. He was right; she should be grateful there was a chance her brother was alive.

"Why are you just standing there?" Sabin asked her.

He seemed cheerful. Somehow that kid managed to form bonds with all of them. She hadn't said more than a few words to Alaina, the Serien of Wind, and he'd already gotten her to open up to him. She'd ask him about Turrent later. May he knew more than she about the man.

Leena wiped her face a few times and took a deep breath. The last thing she needed was Sabin going hero on her right now.

"I'm fine," she lied. She turned to him and was greeted to one of the most ridiculous scenes she'd seen in a while.

The boy's cheeks were reddened with blush and he wore purple lipstick. Sabin's eyelashes were naturally curly, so the effect of the whole thing was probably magnified.

"What in the world happened to you?"

Sabin shook his head. "I'm going to wash up now."

"No you're not." Leena laughed. "You're going to tell me why you look like that."

"Don't tease him," Alaina said. She held her hands in front and walked next to Sabin. "I thought he'd make a pretty girl."

"Amazing one, I'd say." Leena smiled. "You do this often?"

"A few times with Kaita," Sabin admitted. "Where's Turrent? Actually, I'd glad he's not around to see this."

"He left a little while ago to get supplies," Leena said. He doesn't need to know.

Sabin nodded. "I'm going to wash. You should get some rest."

"Of course." Leena laughed again. "Thank you, Sabin. I needed that."

"Why?" Sabin asked. When she didn't answer, he shrugged and continued towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Kianna's voice called. "We need to discuss our trip."

"We?" Sabin asked. "You can't come with us. It's too dangerous."

When Leena turned, she saw Kianna was in the doorway, preventing Sabin from leaving.

"Too dangerous?" Kianna spat back. "You're taking my sister who's not yet a cycle-year old and it's too dangerous for me to come along? The moment I knew she was going with you I was coming along.

"Besides, the blush undermines the whole 'protector' thing you're going for."

Sabin frowned, which from Leena's perspective didn't help his case in the slightest. With the makeup, it made him look like a low-zen rent boy.

"I'm taking your sister because I have to," Sabin said. "She's a Serien. You are not. There is no point in you going."

Kianna said stared into Sabin's eyes. "It's my sister. You can't stop me from looking out for her."

Leena had seen that look in her brother's eyes before. Sabin could say no until his face turned blue, but Kianna wasn't going to back down.

Older siblings are all the same I guess.

The look was enough for Sabin. He nodded and a grin plastered Kianna's face.

"One last thing." Sabin touched Kianna on the shoulder. The woman blushed at first, but quickly got her face under control. Leena was sure Sabin didn't catch it, because he continued on.

"What happened in the church? They were very adamant about not letting us in."

"The Grace of Rianna," Kianna said and walked away, as if that explained everything.