A Coalition Story

Pride, Folly, and Other Faults Ravyn Struggles With

"Ravyn," Atticus greeted with a terse tone. She lifted her chin, nose a little higher in the air. Her move was subtle, but they had both been trained to notice the subtleties of life. He could tell she wasn't eager to see him. Ravyn knew this, but she didn't care for once that he could read her like an open book.

She didn't care about a lot of things right then.

"What do you want, Atticus?" Ravyn asked, confident he was about to tell her to stop avoiding his sister. But she'd do that when Alice stopped dating Lev. Which was definitely going to end horribly. Alice was too innocent, pure, and kind-hearted for that.

"You need to stop avoiding Alice. You know she sees you like the older sister she never had. It hurts both her and me when you won't talk to her because of a boy," he spoke sternly.

"And it hurt me when she started dating the guy I've liked for the last year," Ravyn spat out at him. Ace tensed.

"Is your friendship with her, with me, not stronger than your pathetic obsession with Lev?" He was challenging her, baiting her, even. Atticus wanted a reaction, and she wasn't about to let him have one.

"Not everything is what you think it is, Blackbourne." He stiffened fully, glaring at her with what appeared to be vitriol in his eyes. Crap. She'd ruined more than she probably knew just then. But Ravyn kept her exterior icy and cold, hiding her care for him and their friendship. She could cry to Torin later.

"Then I guess I was wrong about you being a good friend." His calm whisper struck fear into her heart, causing it to race. Had she just lost her best friend? Because it was starting to feel like she had.

Before she could reply with a witty comeback, Ace stalked away. His heavy steps and balled fists gave way to his anger from a mile away. And Ravyn knew she was officially royally screwed.