Revealed (Unbound, Book 5)

Chapter Eleven

"That doesn't have to be with Devland!" I felt bad for her, but I couldn't feel bad about helping. It wasn't my fault her family's foundation was lies. "Leave. Come back to Calin's with me. I'm your sister, Maible. That's family too."

"I..." Maible licked her lips and shook her head. "I... can't."

"Why?"

"I..." Maible blinked, seeming confused. She blinked again and the anger returned. "Look, I can't talk to you about this, okay? I am here, and I want to get to know Devland. He's my father as much as he's your father, and I deserve the same life as you."

"You want my life?" My eyes widened and I had no rebuttal. Maible wanted to grow up hating magic and then having her mother die? It was ridiculous. Finally, I snorted as I realized what she meant. "Everyone wants what others have. Nobody realizes that that means you want to swap your problems with theirs."

"You think you have problems?"

I turned and left the suite to head back downstairs. Arguing with Maible meant she was at least speaking to me within prompts from Calin or Brant. The improvement made me happy. Realizing that only made me remember what she'd done. It was like a wave pulling me under by surprise without allowing me one last gulp of air. Upstairs was too stifling. The farther I backtracked to the front door, the easier breathing became.

"What problems do you actually have, Nora?" The floorboards creaked as Maible stomped after me. "I know about the presents in your closet, and you have a brand new car. I didn't get anything. So, I'm asking. What makes you more worthy?" Maible's breath was heavier by the time she reached the landing after rushing to keep up and talk at the same time. "I grew up where we went out only on special occasions because we couldn't afford it. Have you ever had to think about something like that? Where you'd get your lunch money or, if the buses weren't running, how you would get to school?"

"Now who's jealous?"

"It's not that!"

"Could have fooled me." I reached for the door handle. Hearing Maible tell me her families struggles would have made me sympathize for her a week ago. That was before discovering we were sisters. Now, her woe-is-me attitude grated on my nerves like a fork scratching against a dinner plate.

Before making contact, the door swung open towards me. I jumped in surprise, then stepped back in time to avoid the wood striking me. Seeing Devland, I took another stride backwards to increase the distance between us.

For a moment, surprise lit his eyes. It faded in seconds, his expression morphing into a smug smirk. "Nora! What a welcome surprise."

I rolled my eyes. "Hardly."

"You aren't staying?" he asked.

"Nope." I shook my head and popped the p.

"Then why...?"

"She came to get things from her room," Maible said. "She thought we wouldn't be home because of the tour."

Devland stared at Maible for a minute and then looked at me again. "So you were trying to sneak around?"

"I'm getting my things." I shrugged. "I'll have to get someone to get my stuff from the art studio. All those canvases won't fit in my car and I don't have time. Otherwise, I have nothing left to bring me back."

"You're staying at Calin's?"

Once again, I shrugged. Watching the irritation creep into Devland I managed to contain my smirk. It was an artform to hunch and have perfect posture. I found it funny to see him narrow his eyes, straighten his spine, and hunch his shoulders. Was he trying to be intimidating? Or was he unable to hide how much I frustrated him whenever we spoke?