So You Might be Soulless

19|| Damned Reject

Caspian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps you saw her at school–"

"No! Well, yes, but it's more than that. I feel... like she's someone I've known for a very long time."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?"

"If you're not going to believe me, you might as well go!" Sebastian glowered.

Caspian held his hands up, palms faced out in mock surrender. "Fine, fine! I believe you. Where do you think you might have seen her?"

"I don't know."

"Okay... when do you think you might've seen her?"

"Uh... some time in the past– ow! You would hit an invalid?"

"I would when he's being an idiot." Caspian seethed, retracting the magical flare of energy he'd sent out. "What do you mean some time in the past? Could you be any vaguer?"

"It's just a feeling right now! Plus, she did save my life- twice. This is a small price to pay!"

"Oh yes, you've reminded me of another thing I wanted to talk to you about- who the hell gave you the right to use your Etheri?"

Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath and ducked his head to avoid his brother's glare burning into the side of his head. "It's my Etheri. I can use it when I want."

"No, you can only use it when your life is in danger! C'mon, Sebastian, you know the consequences of– wait." Caspian squinted and his eyebrows furrowed together. "A few weeks ago, you didn't come down to dinner because you weren't feeling too great. Don't tell me- oh no, tell me you didn't use your Etheri on that Reject."

"I didn't use my Etheri on Diya."

"Sebastian!" Another flare.

"Ow! Stop hitting me! I said what you wanted me to," he mumbled, casting his gaze down and fiddling with the edge of his sheet.

"But why, why, would you waste your power like that? Why would you use it two days in a row–"

"Because I wanted to, okay?" Sebastian shouted, the tips of his ears red as sparks flew from his fingers. "Diya helped me a lot with controlling my magic. With her help, the Fjardka was defeated and thousands of deaths were averted–"

"But that's no excuse to put yourself in danger!"

"Didn't you notice something, o' wise elder brother?" Sebastian's voice was quiet and hummed with a single note of authority. He clenched his right hand into a tight fist, as if the ghost of a sword lay in them. "How she freezes at even the name of the Elshers? How terrified she seemed at my birthday? Her request to leave them- so desperate that she's willing to risk her life working for the Imperial Family?–"

"That doesn't prove anything," Caspian said coldly, ignoring the tiny voice demanding to be heard in his head. "She could be acting. Don't you think it's a little too coincidental that the damned Reject is always there whenever things go wrong?"

"Don't call her Reject!"

"But that's what she is!"

Sebastian let out a derisive bark of laughter, shaking his head. "You are blinded by your prejudice, Second Prince. I will be looking forward to the day you realise how dangerous that is."

A heavy silence hung between the two Princes, broken only by the fervent murmurs of Healers as they rushed to help a patient, and the scratching of pens on worn papers as reports were filed and neatly put away.

"Excuse me, Your Highnesses." A Healer emerged in the hallway and gave a short bow, dark hair brushing over her forehead and nearly covering her eyes. "Doctor Khasia has asked me to inform you that Lady Elsher, the Imperial Bodyguard, has been admitted into the Intensive Treatment Area."

"What?" Sebastian threw off his covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed, already reaching for his jacket. "What happened? Is she okay? Did something happen?"

"We... are not entirely sure. Doctor Khasia suspects that she had exhausted her mana. However, she is not experiencing the usual symptoms."

"Take me to her right away," Sebastian commanded, shrugging on his jacket, a strange look in his eyes that killed the protest bubbling up in Caspian.

"Yes." Caspian stood and leaned heavily on his cane. "You heard the Crown Prince- lead us to that damned Reject."

**************

Qotc: 

1. What do you think of Caspian? 

2. Where do you think Sebastian has seen Diya before? 

3. What's your favourite book on Wattpad?  

I hope you guys liked it! 

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)