The Twisted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 3)

Chapter 24: The Fallen

Scotty lounged on the sofa in Sabrina's sitting room, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, watching Mara pace. It seemed an eternity but had only been a few minutes since Mara had jumped out of her seat with a squeak of protest during a meeting with Minister Ketel. For a few seconds after ascertaining that she wasn't hurt, Scotty was glad for the distraction that ended the boring economics discussion, but now, watching Mara pacing stiffly with her arms tightly crossed, her face pale and tense, he would have given a great deal to be back in that meeting.

He was trying not to think about what must be happening aboard Khediva. It did no good to speculate, as Mukryilla, like Rayland before her, always said. He had to trust that Tirqwin, Khediva, and Sabrina knew what they were doing and were capable of handling anything Homeworld chose to throw at them. If he didn't believe that, he would go mad, and he had to stay sane for Mara's sake. Sane and calm, to counterbalance her growing anxiety and frustration.

It wasn't fair, he mused, that Mara, without even trying, called attention to Sabrina's deficiencies as Regent. Even the mourning color, which made Sabrina look pale and insipid, brought out Mara's violet eyes and the luster of her blue-black hair. And Mara carried on meetings with confidence, as well as walking through the halls without shying at shadows that might hold assassins. It all came so naturally to her, whereas the same life had made Sabrina embattled and perpetually nervous. Until he'd seen Mara at work again, he hadn't realized how much of a toll the regency had taken on his sister. Gotta get her out of here for a while when it's over, he thought.

The door opened a bit, and Scotty eyed it narrowly until he recognized Reauwina peering around the corner. He shook his head at her, and the lady-in-waiting withdrew as silently as she'd come. Better for Mara to fret in private, without worrying about an audience. And if the tragedy they feared occurred and the Guardian lost control of herself, far better to have no one around. Scotty wasn't sure how he felt about that prospect. If Sabrina, Tirqwin, and Khediva were dead, he might welcome a quick, accidental death at Mara's hands. No, he thought. I promised Rina I'd take care of Mara. And I will. No matter what. He set his jaw in determination.

Mara ran her hands through her hair in frustration; it came cascading down from the pile of curls Reauwina had so carefully pinned up that morning. Scotty was glad to note that the hair wasn't moving of its own accord, always a bad sign. So far Mara, caught in the love and fear of other mortals, was reacting in a personal way, without reference to the Great Crystal.

With a barely vocalized mew of frustration and despair, Mara sank onto an ottoman and put her face in her hands. Well, actually, she plopped onto it, Scotty thought, in a way Sabrina would have severely disapproved of in her best Aunt Euphrasia manner. Despite everything, he grinned.

Unfortunately Mara chose that moment to look up at him, and her expression snapped into a frown he'd lately seen used to bully Imari into silence, if not submission. "What are you smirking at?" she demanded angrily. "Can you not grasp the situation we are in? Do you not realize the danger?"

Scotty let his grin grow wider. "Sure I do. But I was thinkin' how irritated Rina and Tirq are gonna be when they get back and find out what a fuss you're makin', like you don't think they can handle things."

Mara's expression twisted into something between a grimace and a sneer. "You don't understand! You can't understand how this feels!"

"Maybe not," he agreed, tired of that observation. "But I do know what it's like to be on another planet and get a call sayin' my sister's been knifed by an assassin at a dinner party, and they don't know if she's going to live long enough for me to get home."

Mara, who had stood up again and was hugging herself, looked at him, startled. Then she said dismissively, "I would not have let her die."

"I didn't know that," Scotty argued.