The Golden Core | Secrets of the Core #1

Chapter Five - Part Two

He didn't seem aware of what was happening as he just stared into the distance. Maybe he was watching the same thing she was, but he wasn't giving it away. She thought he might help her to earn her trust, but that was clearly out of the window. She needed to go find out for herself. Moving a few steps closer, she finally realized the shadow was exactly what she thought it was. "Summer!"

He jumped. The fire that was once bouncing around in between his hands disappeared. "Winter...I-I can explain."

"You scared me! What are you doing here?" Winter sighed, placing her hands to her side. All the built up anticipation made her heart skip a beat.

Summer looked everywhere except at her, twiddling his fingers. "I was practicing my training from Mother."

Winter's eyebrows raised. "In the park? We have a huge backyard at the castle you could practice in. Isn't that where you usually train?"

"M-mother told me to do it here," he stuttered. "I don't know why."

Looking over her shoulder for a second, she realized Phoenix was still sitting on the bench. "She probably wanted you to spy on Phoenix and I and make sure everything was going well, didn't she?"

Summer shook his head but didn't say a word. Something was off. He always talked to her when they were together. Was he lying? She didn't want to think so. What kind of reason would he have to lie to her? It seemed like Mother put him up to this.

Phoenix walked towards the two of them. "What's going on over here?"

How could he not notice her and Summer talking? She rolled her eyes. He really was stupid.

"Summer's here," Winter said. "I'm just trying to figure out why he's here." Her hands rested at her sides while she looked at her brother, wondering what was really going through his mind.

Phoenix nodded. "I'm sure everything is--"

His words were interrupted by a flame bolting towards him. He ducked and rolled to the side as another bolt of red came towards him. Phoenix jumped up, holding his hand out as a tiny block of wind rested above it.

Winter gasped.

She took a few steps forward to try and stop it, but the wind left Phoenix's hand and headed towards Summer's head. Her brother ducked, but he still lost his balance too easily.

At this point, Summer had both his hands out as he started to create a wider amount of fire. While spreading his hands apart, the flames dropped, bit by bit, forming a wall around him. Then, he placed one hand behind the wall and pushed, telling it to leave him and head towards Phoenix.

Bracing himself with more wind, Phoenix stood tall, letting the fire get close then quickly moved it away as the wind redirected it. "You can't beat me, boy. I'm stronger than you are."

Summer threw another flame at Phoenix, trying to catch him off guard, but Phoenix was still too quick. He ducked as the flame flew past him.

"Stop!" Winter yelled. She got in between her brother and Phoenix.

Phoenix's wind missiles were already heading toward Summer though and Winter couldn't get out of the way quick enough. Five huge blasts of air headed straight for her, knocking her down. For a few moments, she couldn't catch her breath.

Her brother glanced at her, dropping his hands to his sides, but walked over to help her up. He was breathing heavily.

It was silent for a little while before she was finally able to breathe correctly."What is this about, Summer? I know you started the fight. Tell me."

He inhaled a breath, his hands were shaking. "I-I don't know, Winter. I don't start fights like that. Mother told me to come to the park, so I did, but that's all I really remember."

"So, you don't remember our conversation or the fighting?"

While he placed his hands in his pockets, Summer sighed. "Not really. I remember some, but not everything. I don't know why it happened."

"Interesting..." Turning her head towards Phoenix, she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"

Phoenix huffed. "Why would I? He was the one who attacked me. What makes you think I was expecting that?"

Why would her brother just randomly attack someone? Did he not like Phoenix and that was his way of showing it? If that was the case, he could've just told her. But it seemed like there was something different going on. Mother had to be up to something because Summer definitely acted strange earlier. She knew he wouldn't normally lie to her. He wasn't that kind of a brother.

"Well geez," she retaliated. "Sorry for even asking you."

Summer walked towards her and Phoenix. "Sorry for attacking you. I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, yeah." Phoenix waved him off.

Winter replied, "You could at least accept it. He was trying to apologize." She sighed. "Well, we should go back and talk to Mother about what happened. I have a feeling she knows something."

They both nodded, though Summer looked a bit confused with what happened. Who knows what Mother would've done to him to get whatever she wanted. She kept reassuring herself that her brother would be fine, but if Mother didn't get her way, she could do the same thing again. Winter already felt bad enough that Summer had to deal with their mother all the time, let alone doing whatever she said.

She made it to the castle a few minutes later with Phoenix and Summer behind her.

Mother was standing in the living room with her hands on her hips, as if she was waiting on the three of them to return. A small smile spread across her lips. "How was your day out?"

Winter couldn't believe it. She hadn't even acknowledged Summer and she was smiling. What was her mother up to? It was clear that something was going on, but she couldn't figure out what.

"It was fine, I guess. I have a question to ask you."

"What is it?" Mother's smile was immediately gone. It was like she already knew the question.

She walked forward and stared at her mother. "What happened with Summer at the park?"