Heirs of the Gods

Ch 64: Drowning

It took Ella a moment to process what had taken place. The resounding smack of the door and the yells seemed to linger even after they'd gone.

Ella blinked owlishly. "What just happened?"

"I've absolutely no idea." Even Aedion had been stunned into uncharacteristic silence. "I knew there was tension, but I didn't think they outright hated each other."

Her gaze darted towards the poorly lit alleyway, where her friends had disappeared. Worry knit her eyebrows close. "Should we go see if they're alright?"

"I don't know, maybe they need to work it out? Perhaps it's best we leave them to it."

Sparing the alley one last glance, his hand, which was still braced around her, tilted her chin up as he lowered his head again. Ella raised a palm and shoved his face away.

"Cad," she slapped his chest. "You ought to be worried about helping Val. Honestly, men."

Aedion grinned sheepishly, not even attempting to defend himself.

"Come, before they break out into a fistfight." She grabbed Aedion's hand and tugged him along.

"I'll have you know, I'm not careless," he huffed, following along. "I'd obviously step in if I considered it was getting out of hand, I just don't think it's that serious. They're not going to hit each other, Val wouldn't do that. She'd hit a man, no doubt, but she wouldn't hit Briar."

"Val might not, but Briar isn't above a few petty slaps. And I'm not hearing any yelling, maybe they've managed to knock their skulls together and fainted."

Aedion snorted. "You read too many novels. I doubt they're killing each other, it's probably just a little quarrel--"

They rounded the corner and halted in their tracks, twin expressions of astonishment. Aedion quickly covered Ella's mouth, muffling her before she could let out a squeak of surprise.

Oh, dear. That was definitely not what she'd been expecting to find.

She'd expected yelling, flying insults, maybe even Briar swatting at Val. Certainly not the sight she was met with. Briar up against a grimy wall, one hand bunched up on Val's collar, the other one buried in her midnight hair as if she'd yanked her closer. Val's taller frame leaned over her, hands braced on her waist, mouths slotted together in quick, bruising kisses. They were utterly unaware of their audience, lost to the world.

Aedion and Ella retreated, slowly, so as to not startle them. That was a conversation no one wanted to have right now. Ella thought she might implode of embarrassment. She could still remember how mortified she'd been when the messenger boy walked in on them, she'd probably have dropped dead of mortification if one of their friends had caught them red-handed.

They practically ran at least two blocks, exiting the bar and restaurant strip, before collapsing into a fit of laughter, like deflating balloons.

They slumped against a wall, their laughter loud in the quiet and dim street, barely illuminated by the street lanterns.

"Oh, dear," Ella fanned her hot, pink face. "That explains everything."

"Val, you absolute dog," Aedion grinned proudly, shaking his head. "Not that I ever want to walk in on my sister doing something like that again, mind you, but I have to hand it to her."

Ella rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his arm. "Don't be crude." Still, she couldn't hold back a grin. "I've got a feeling that's not the first time that's happened."

"That's quite a leap of logic there. Whatever gave it away, detective obvious?" he deadpanned, avoiding her slapping hands and scowls.

"That explains all that tension." she mused with a light laugh. "You know, good for them. I'm happy they're..." she waved a hand, flushing. "Getting along. Although, they could have just foregone all the insults and glares and jumped right to it."