My Sister, The Chosen One

Thirty-Three

The Slow Readers Club- Forever In Your Debt

Ericson:

"Are you okay?" the King asked when Sasha went over to her bedroom once we tucked my brother in. Elias said he had a date. He took Breeze with him.

"She ever hit you?" I asked.

"Not like that," he smirked. I sneered at him catching on to his implication. "s**t, no not like that either," he laughed. "We've sparred. I grew up with Sage. My parents and hers wanted us to be friends. You know bloodlines and all,"

"Right," I sat down moving my jaw around. "Was she always like this?"

"Yeah, but it was a lot different then. She was a completely different person. She was sweet and loving. The kind of girl that would have saved this realm without the guns,"

"She became like this after her parents died?"

"No, no. It was what happened after, man. Rumors of her mom turning traitor. She was thrown out into the street. She was a little girl in charge of a toddler with nothing. That first year was the worst. She left Breeze with my family and she disappeared into the badlands. When she came back she took Breeze back and she set them up in the building they were in when you got in. She worked three jobs and went to school full time. She was also student body president and captain of the fairy ball team. None of it stopped her.

"Our last year in school, she snapped. These guys were f*****g around and she slaughtered them. Ripped them to shreds. After graduation, she belonged to him and he f*****g twisted everything that was good about her. It sounds impressive when you say it like Sage took over the Aldrich Fae Underworld.

But those of us who watched it from the outside watched a beautiful soul die. There was no one to save her so, she saved herself. I'd like nothing more than to offer my wings up to her as our Queen but after everything she's done, everything she still has to endure. Aldrich is not going to be enough for her"

"You don't think her war ends here?"

"I don't care what happens here, I'm going with her wherever the f**k she wants to take me. Anything less than what she has to offer doesn't mean s**t compared to what's to come," he laughed. "I feel like this is what it feels like to find religion. Love comes and goes but this is something else. You think you like her but I see it in your eyes. You're hooked,"

"You sound insane," I shook my head trying not to laugh.

"I know. I f*****g know. But there is nothing else. I have a brother who changed his last name because he's embarrassed to be part of my bloodline. No parents. Nothing to believe in just like she did and she believed in herself. Why the f**k wouldn't I believe in her too? She made me king. Do you want to know what I'm going to do next week?"

"What?" I humored him.

"I'm going to execute two generals, their teams, and three High Elders in the capitol for treason against the Realm. If I would have gone off on my own, I know for a fact that I'd be dead by now or sitting behind some bullshit desk doing some f*****g boring job. So, call me insane but I know where I stand,"

"This is the first time you talk about Sasha. You've refused to open up about your breakup,"

"I'm gay," he blurted out. I figured. It's the only explanation left. "I think your brother is insanely hot. I mean you're handsome but you kind of terrify me. He has the noble facade down to the cufflinks on his sleeves,"

"How drunk are you?" I asked.

"Drunk? No. Sage would kill me if she caught me drunk on the job. I pissed off a blossom fairy earlier,"

"Captain Airstrike," I laughed. I should have recognized her work right away.

"Yeah, her. He's probably going to ruin her too. The more the merrier," he held his hands up and wiggled his fingers about. "Laters Redwood. You're the best man standing. Make sure you win,"

"How did I not notice you were high before?"

"Oh, I used to do this all the time. A lot. I almost died a couple of times. It's easy to hide with smaller interactions but you're doing that whole Elder thing," he nodded. "Is this an official session or can I go?"

"You can go. I think we should talk more when you've sobered up,"

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No,"

"Too bad. I'm going to make some food," he walked away.

"This is a madhouse," I shook my head.

"You have no idea," Bruce walked in with his wife.

"Trying to reign in these delinquents is like trying to trap pixie dust with a net," Starstream greeted me. I bent down to hug her and shook Bruce's hand.

"You look a little stressed, Eric," he laughed. "I told you no take backs,"

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh, they're rubbing off on him. I win," she poked his side roughly. He laughed helping her take a seat.

"You do," he kissed the top of her head. "We had a little wager. I bet you wouldn't be phased,"

"I bet you would be a little phased," she laughed.

"She's doing better. What happened to your face?"

"I don't know that she is. I feel like every step forward we take she regresses fifty miles," I ignored his question.

"That's how you know," Starstream looked back rubbing her very pregnant belly.

"Uncle, Aunty," Sasha appeared at the door holding an ice pack.

"Sasha," they greeted her, brightly.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just brought this for Elder Redwood," she held the ice pack up before coming over to try to put it on my face.

"Stop," I pulled away trying to take it from her.

"Hold still," she said through her teeth while she tried to push my hands away.

"Sasha, I can do it myself,"

"I didn't say you couldn't, did I?" she growled.

"Sasha," I tried to reach for it again.

"Fine, here," she threw it at me hitting my chest before she stormed out. The pack hit the floor and rolled across the room.

"Eric, did she take lightning into her void?" Bruce asked. I nodded. "Oh, s**t. Baby, why don't we go back to the room so you can elevate your legs and be as far away from here as you and the baby possibly can?"

"Why?" she laughed. She's been laughing this entire time.

"Lightning fairies have spirit magic and spirit magic is the least patient type of magic there is. There's a reason why they're the gods of war," he helped her back onto her feet and led her out of the room. "Good luck, buddy. You're going to need it, son,"

I grabbed the ice pack off the floor and stepped out into the hallway. She has my brother's lightning inside of her. It's easy to track. I raised my hand letting a small surge of static catch on to the residue of the spirit magik in the air. It crackled leading back up the stairs. I followed it to her room. She just casually leaves her door open.

The changes are subtle. She changed the white accessories and exchanged them for silver ones to match the gray fur rug framing her bedside. The white tinted glass tops were replaced with white and gray marble. She doesn't paint anymore but her creativity is now expressed through photography. The pictures on the walls are of her and her family. They're all black and white, however, there's one thing in each frame that has color. A picture of her and the king, a red rose. A picture of all of them in the barracks, the golden Royal pins. She highlights these small mementos to explain the importance of the picture itself.

"I felt that," she's referring to the way I tracked the lightning inside of her.

"These are amazing," I pointed at her pictures.

"That one's my favorite right now," she pointed to the other side of the room.

It's a picture of our first date. It's the only picture in here that's not black and white. It's stunning. The color, the way she blurred the scene behind us. Like the world around the two in the picture didn't matter at this moment. My heart began to beat the same way it had when this picture was taken. Like reliving that moment through this single picture. I looked back at her.

"This is beautiful," I blurted out. She smiled coming closer.

"I'm glad you think so. I got this for you before you went all you're nuts on me," she opened her vanity desk and produced a gift. It's wrapped in gold and topped with a red bow. Do they all wrap gifts as elegantly as this? Is that a thing for them to go the extra mile?

"Why is everyone giving me presents?" I asked taking it from her.

"We know who you are," she answered. My eyes snapped back to her. "Your real birthday is tomorrow, right? Uh, everyone knows who you are now. The Aces I mean. Just the Aces. No one else needs to know,"

"How do you all know that?" I demanded.

"Come on. We run a huge underground empire that needs to be divided and run by four different bosses in the most powerful realm in the faery universe. Only Aldrich can make the remnants of a royal bloodline like the Lightstorms disappear without a trace,"

"Everyone knows who I am? Who my family is?"

"No, not if you don't want them to. You're protected under the Spade King's laws now. This realm, any realm. If you wanted to completely disappear, we could make that happen. I know things are happening a little fast. That's how it works here. I made you a guide to what you can and can't do. Lilly told me you do better with instructions on your own,"

"Is that what this is?" I asked holding up the gift.

"No, it's in my study. Come on. You can open your gift in there," the air around her swirled with a little static in it. She bent her knees slightly as she danced with the air over to her study. I followed her. She sat at her desk and placed a leather journal in front of the seat she wants me to take. "Open your gift,"

"All right," I removed the bow and unwrapped the paper.

"You are a terrible gift opener," she shook her head.

"There's a different way to open gifts?"

"Yeah, you tear the paper apart,"

"Just like that? Rip it?"

"Yes,"

"What about all the time and effort you put into wrapping it?"

"What the f**k? Who cares about that? If you go around worrying about other people's feelings, you are going to drown in them. Trust me I drained the flame of that from my void,"

I removed the tissue paper to find a black frame. This one isn't like the one on her wall. Nothing is out of focus, the scene is zoomed out, and the background is completely black and white. The two of us are the only two in color. It's a different version of the same picture. A wider angle.

"I didn't see you take these pictures,"

"I didn't. I got these off the videos from the lightning tulip blooming. It caught a video of us right before it started. I got some screenshots and cleaned them up a little. I'm not done with the others you're going to have to wait for those," she came around the desk a reached for the frame. She turned it over to show me a little switch. She flipped it and gave me back the frame.

The pictures are moving.

"You wanted to impress me?" I asked. She stepped closer.

"Yes, I did," she smiled.

"So, are you impressed?" she asked.

"This is the coolest present I've ever been given," I nodded. She laughed.

"Good," she placed the journal on top.

"I was thinking about the part in the journal where it says you need to find a balance," I looked up at her.

"Okay,"

"What if it means that you all have to connect somehow? What if the balance is being one element but having all of them at the same time?" I pulled it out of my the inside of my coat.

"You keep it on you?" she giggled. "Awe man, that is cute,"

"What?" I chuckled feeling embarrassed.

"What?" she asked dismissing it. I rolled my eyes and opened it to the tab she labeled balance.

"The legend says that the void fairies all represent an element right? But that they were all the same. It's what makes them equally powerful as a light fairy. You have had how many elements since activating your void?"

"Three now," she answered. "Air, fire, and spirit,"

"And you've accessed three different personality traits. You're not processing everything the way you're supposed to because you're incomplete. The balance is that you're complete and at your strongest with all the elements. You all are. It's why my brother can't control his anger. Why you're always going. Your air abilities are as destructive as Ishtar's black lightning. If we can get you all to synchronize somehow, we can create a balance,"

"That journal came with a weird thing," she nodded.

"A weird thing?"

"Yeah, like a star," she got up and went over to the cabinets at the far end of the room. "This thing,"

Sasha is holding what looks like an elemental rune. Five swords are welded into a star to represent all five of the strongest natural elements. Fire, Earth, Air, water, and spirit. She handed it to me. I looked down at the book to see that the symbol is there.

"Were you going to tell me about this?" I asked.

"I didn't know what it was," she crossed her arms over her chest, using her serious tone. Do I sound like that? Do I pick a fight about everything?

"Right, I mean there's only one way to find out. You didn't see anything about it in the book?"

"It's Elven. I mean I'm decent at it but I think this is the language of the Elder Elves. The Alchemy part anyway,"

"What makes you think it's Elven Alchemy?"

"This metal isn't fairy. It is fae but nothing from our realms. The runes used for the elements are high elf runes. They describe the element. Fire is Saroir for eternity and passion. Air is Senlui for swiftness and accuracy. Spirit is Senthoi for unity, loyalty, and broken promise. Earth is Yenlui for balance, harmony, and chaos. Water is Cynath for chill, death, silence, and loneliness,"

"Water sounds like a nightmare,"

"It's the easiest compared to the rest of them. Water is those things because they're things we can't change about ourselves. Things we should just let go of," she explained.

"Where did you learn Elven?"

"I went to Aldrich Prep. It's given as an elective. My dad knew it too so I took it so we could talk Elven to each other. It was like our secret language,"

"What was he like?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Stern. He was a little bit of a perfectionist. Had a really bad temper but he made up for it with patience. If he got upset it was because he was really fed up. He rarely lost his patience and when he did it was-"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I shut the journal.

"My parents always fought over my sister and me. My mom only hung out with me because of my art. She loved the finance stuff it brought. She was my lawyer more than she was my mom but her heart was always with my sister. They were more logical whereas my father and I were slaves to our creativity. I mean yeah, he was deep in politics but he was in love with fae creatures. He published eighteen volumes of the deadliest creatures of Aldrich. I have some of his handwritten sketchbooks," she went around her desk and picked a book from the bottom shelf. She opened it to reveal a very realistic sketch of an air diver. "This is an air diver," she flipped through the pages. "From the moment it's born to adulthood and finally death. This one died protecting his young,"

"These are beautiful,"

"Don't tell my sister I have these displayed in plain sight. She'll want one and I don't want her to ruin the pages," she shut the book and put it back.

"That's a little unfair,"

"She has my mother's complete file system hidden in her closet and has never told me about them so yeah. It's fair," she sat down. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Are you?" I countered.

"A little. It's been a long time since I've sat at a desk," we both looked around her desk. "To work. I study and play on my computer mostly. I love to procrastinate. There's something thrilling about waiting until the last minute to see if I'm going to be good at something or not,"

"What?" I shook my head disapprovingly.

"What?" she grinned.

"Yes, I am nervous. It's all happening kind of fast,"

"For you, maybe," she nodded. "Elder Redwood, you're jumping into a plan that's been twenty-odd years in the making mid-start and you're doing amazing. You're really picking up on things I missed the first eight times I visited them,"

"We're you really going to miss this entire step?" I asked holding up the swords.

"No, we would get there when we got there," she shrugged.

For a woman with a plan, she doesn't seem too worried about the details. She really did come up in the underworld of this city. It's the only explanation for her behavior. She has no discipline at all. I know I had established that the moment we were properly introduced but it's not just her social etiquette, it's everything. How she lives, her personality, it's all painted in the colors of the wind.

"Thank you," I smiled at her.

"You're welcome and Happy real Birthday. You should expect more gifts tomorrow. Like a lot of them. The Aces spare no expense when it comes to its kings,"

"I didn't think they liked me,"

"Like you?" she laughed. She took the frame and the journals and placed them on her desk before sitting on my lap. "They don't have to like you to give you things. It's about respect. The Aces are like a family. We choose only what we deem worthy and once we share it with the others there's no going back. I respect you and I trust you. They respect me and trust me. Now, all of that is extended to you. It's all in the guidebook. I drew pictures,"

"You drew pictures?"

"Yeah, I don't paint anymore but I still like to doodle," she shrugged. Her legs are barely touching my own. She's on my lap but she's not really sitting on me. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you the other night. One thing about my kind is that we're impulsive. I know what you're trying to do and as someone who has read some of the psychology books from your office. I want to point out that maybe helping me deal with my pain is your way of saying that you're not ready,"

"I'm sorry? Ready for what?"

"To completely let go of your past. You're healing and moving forward with your life but you're not ready to do that. I respect you enough to take these extra steps if it means us moving forward. However, that's what it has to be. Us moving forward together. I don't want to get to the finish line and look back at you on the other side. I'm no one's rebound girl,"

"I have ex-girlfriends," I shook my head. She sat up straight. Even her wings widened a little.

"You do?"

"Yes, two. I'm not sure if they were serious but they exceeded the two-month booty call limitation,"

"The two-month what?" she laughed. "Rain. She taught you that, didn't she? You took dating advice from your little sister,"

"Yes, have you seen some of the women she's dated?"

"Yeah, and she dates beautiful, spoiled, princesses that are way out of her league," she laughed. "Oh, my god. You and your little sister have a type,"

"I'm not ashamed of that," I laughed. She grinned wrapping her arms around me.

"You know what I like about this room?"

"That it's frustratingly clean?" I asked unable to take my eyes off of hers.

"Okay, second thing. Thank you for noticing that. I have a dust spell but the guys always track it in here,"

"What's the second thing?"

"That I can do this," she reached for a little keyboard with buttons on it. One says lock. She pressed it and the door shut behind us. "Every time we have a moment, someone walks in without knocking. Now they have to,"

"You're right," I pulled her to me, taking her weight off her wings and onto my lap.

"About what?" she asked flirtatiously.

"You're way out of my league but that's only because you have a head start right now,"

"You can potentially travel at the speed of light. I doubt you'll have difficulties catching up,"

I reached for her, pressing my lips against hers. As soon as our skin met a bolt of electricity rushed through us. We pulled apart when it stung. She let out a low snicker before leaning in to kiss me again. Neither of us held back this time. She lifted her legs and turned her body to face me so she's straddling my lap. We moved in sync to one another with the same hunger.

"Sage, are you in there?" a knock made us both jump.

"f**k," she shouted pulling away. I laughed when she stood up and angrily pressed her fingers into her temples frustratedly. "What?"

"It's Elias. He wants to know if you're going to the library," Rey called back. She took a deep breath and composed herself before pressing a button on her keyboard. The door opened. He looked between the two of us. "I didn't know you had- I can come back,"

"No, it's fine. I forgot about Elias and Breeze. Is he on the phone?"

"Yeah," he came over and handed it to her.

"I'm really sorry, man," the King laughed under his breath as Sasha talked to Elias.

"Here, take that. Get the hell out," she handed him his phone back.

"Do you want me to call the car?"

"Nope. I'm not going today. Elias said she wants to inspect the entire building before we activate it,"

"She needs you for that?"

"Yeah, she does. Get out,"

"Okay, my bad. I didn't mean-"

"Get. Out," she repeated a little more aggressively. He turned around and left. "Why does this always end up being awkward?"

"I have no idea," I admitted. "But I'm starting to find it a lot more fun,"

"Get out. Go read your book. I have to go over some stuff for tomorrow," she laughed. I got up going around her desk. She looked up at me when I leaned in to give her a peck. "You guys have to be home for our first family dinner,"

"What time?"

"Seven. We all have to be seated by seven. My uncle and his wife have a thing about punctuality,"

"I know," I nodded. "Seven it is,"