The Lightning Mage

16 | The After Party, Part II

Irene blinked. It took her some time to register what she had heard before she exploded. "You what?"

"Yeah, I don't know why I—"

"Why the fuck would you do that?"

Irene's outburst caused Lyn to lift her hands and cover her head instinctively.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I- I was so angry that I... lost control of myself. Those scars felt so bad that I lost control. I- I wasn't thinking. I even lost control of my magic for a bit... and then Cinna slapped me and ran off after that..."

Her left cheek was still stinging. She wondered if there was a mark; if so, she probably deserved it.

Irene ground her teeth and punched her in the arm. "What the fuck, Lyn... You're terrible."

"I know I am..." Lyn winced as she put her arms down. "What should I do, Irene?"

"What kind of question is that? Go apologize to Cyd first!"

"Of course I'm gonna do that. I mean, what should I do about her scars? I don't think she's gonna tell me where she got it but I want to find out who did—"

"Oh my God, Lyn, shut! The! Fuck! Up!" With every sentence, Irene whacked Lyn on the head.

Lyn yelped in pain. "Dude, what the h—"

"No, you keep your mouth shut! First, you kissed her without asking? Then, you pulled up her clothes? Now all you think about is her scars?"

"I told you, Irene, you don't understand. You haven't seen them for yourself—"

"It doesn't matter if I've seen them or not! All I know is that it's all your fault Cyd is hiding her scars!"

"What? Why would it be my f—"

"Because you're so fucking whiny about Cyd all the damn time! You think you're trying to protect her but you're literally just being so goddamn annoying and coddling, always blowing everything out of proportions! Look, if you don't want to see her get hurt ever, then why did you even let her into the team in the first place, huh? Why did you even ask her to leave her safe little cafe job?"

"I... I just..." Lyn felt her face turning hot as she whispered, "I just wanted to be with her."

"Oh wow, you're doing a great job then, really, 'cause you literally just chased her away forever!"

Lyn let out a soft whimper before burying her head in between the couch cushions.

"I did chase her away forever, didn't I..." she mumbled, a lump of dread growing inside her chest.

A knock came at their door, and they exchanged an inquisitive look.

"Who's here on a Saturday morning?" Lyn asked.

"Could it be Cyd?"

The possibility of Cydney being at the door drove Lyn to leap out from the couch and fly to the door.

"Cin— Oh, Millie? What are you doing—"

"Explain yourself, Lyn!" the tanned-skin woman demanded. Her usual cheerful face was distorted with anger, and her brown, curly hair looked like it was trembling along with the rest of her body.

"W- What?"

Lyn had never seen Millie angry before. In fact, she had never seen her even get mildly annoyed over anything before. But now, as she quivered under the conjurer's enraged glower, Lyn made a mental note to herself to never, ever, piss Millie off.