They Lied (Liar Duology #1)

Chapter 9 / Neva

"I can't believe you're here, Via!" I said, giving my cousin a hug.

"But... But... But you died, Neva," she spluttered.

"In that fire, I encased myself in a thick layer of ice," I said, "And I kept replacing the layer as it began to melt. I was so scared that you would try to save me and die..."

"But, Neva, why didn't you contact me? It has been ten years!" she screamed in half-ecstasy half-anger, "And you were a baby!"

"Goddesses are never truly children, sister. We always have the heart of a lion. The reason I did not contact you was because I needed Akantha to think you were the only heir of the House of Juniper. She's in Juniper's prison hold, now," I replied, "It's so cold there she could never make the smallest flame, especially because it's full of Cee-Oh-Two."

"How did you manage that?" she asked, in awe. "And did you tell Aunt Khione about this?"

"I wrapped around her such cold frost that she could never think of a warm thought to save herself - literally - and I took her frozen form to Antarctica, to Mrs Anna, the prison guard. And, no, my mom does not know, but she will find out soon," I replied. "Do you know how to fight yet?"

"About that," she chuckled, "I know it kind of... But kind of don't and..." I gave her a pointed look, "No, Neva, my long-lost cousin, I don't know how to fight."

"Well then," I said, laughing, "I challenge you to a fight to the pinning down!"

"What?" she asked, just as a panel of blue came between us and had the words, 'fight to the pinning down' written on it in Queen Snow's cursive.

"One of us has to pin the other down," I explained, "No injury will last, don't worry."

And, the panel split into two from the middle, and disappeared into thin air. All the ladies began clearing out, wanting to be spectators in the battle of the heirs of the House of Juniper.

"And, now!" came Queen Snow's voice.

The rush of adrenaline was uneclipsed as I shot an icicle at Olivia. True, she was my cousin, but in the arena, she was my enemy. She merely brought her hands to cover her face, and a screen of ice pulsated from around her, deflecting the icicle.

That seemed to have given her a lot more confidence, though, and she shot snowflakes at me like bullets. I tried my hardest to deflect them, and I almost did, but a voice from the stands distracted me.

"Look! There's Big Foot!" came a voice which sounded like a male version of Akantha's. In the stands, I saw her twin brother, Atlas. 

I fell to the ground by the power of the North Winds just as I was going to shoot icicles at Atlas. How dare he show his face in here? But, I was most surprised when Olivia rushed to the stands and hugged Atlas as if they were long-lost lovers. What had gone wrong with the world in the ten years I wasn't there?

I winced as I stood up on my right foot. I had twisted my ankle badly. I generated some snow and wrapped it around the ankle before going to Olivia and inquiring what had just happened.

It was more like I screamed my head off.

"Olivia! What the hell are you doing with the heir of the House of Agni? He is dangerous!" I screamed.

Immediately, women began inching away from Atlas.

"Neva, he is my best friend," she said, her face contorting in anger as she protectively pulled him behind her, "If you have a problem with him, you have a problem with me." 

"How long have you known each other?!" I continued, feeling like my cousin was way more naïve than the last time I'd seen her.

"Five hundred years!" she screamed back, her face tinged with pink, "That's way longer than I've known you. And you know what? We are engaged, too!"

The whole arena drew in a collective breath. Everyone was as shocked as I was. An engagement between the House of Juniper and the House of Agni? It would almost surely be disastrous.

"What?" said Atlas and I together.

"Atlas, honey, you've forgotten it. Just let me handle this," she said, and then turned to me, "I have the ring in my locket, see," she said, opening her locket and showing me the silver ring before slipping it on her finger.

"Prove it," I said, feeling as if she just wasn't listening. "Prove that he's your fiancé."

"I..." she began.

"I vouch for her!" shouted someone from the crowds, pushing people to come next to me, "I vouch that Atlas Liam Matthews is her fiancé!"

"Mom," I sighed, hugging the woman.

"Neva?" she said, shocked, but then she just melted into my embrace, "I knew you survived. I knew it in my heart."

"I'm disappointed in you, Neva," said Olivia, grabbing Atlas's hand unknowingly for comfort, "I don't know how many tears I've shed because I thought you died, and then you repay me in this way? By doubting every word that escapes my lips? I'm sorry, Neva, but you're not welcome in my home anymore." 

"Your home? Who has been taking care of it for so many years? You? I don't think so. It was my mother."

"And my aunt," she retorted, "Come on, Atlas, let's go."

Whispers began spreading through the arena, no doubt about my cousin's engagement to the heir of the House of Agni. But, they were silenced with Olivia's glare as she went out the door.

"Mom, I've done something terrible," I whispered, hugging the woman I had missed for ten years.

"Oh, sweetheart, I would sugarcoat it, but you really have done something terrible. You've lost the most loyal friend you could possibly have," she replied, kissing my forehead as she soothingly rubbed my back, "And you can never get her back."

And that statement, more than anything else, made me snap.

Dear diary, today I made a friend an enemy, and I'm going to make an enemy a friend.

Akantha Agni, here I come.