FOURTH BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘈 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘈 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦.
Xanthiene Vivenca, a fairy with a bounty for her soul, is caught between...
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Nyxis whistled. "That went well."
Xanthy glared at him before turning to the water. Her reflection was nothing but a dark silhouette of what should have been the state of her hair. She sighed. Gods, she's a mess. A realization sank in her mind. Did she just meet a monarch with this hair? Unbelievable.
Nyxis chuckled as he stalked closer, taking her gaze's direction into account. "You know," he sat next to her and raised his hands to her hair. "You would not see your reflection in that murky water even if you burn your eyes out."
Xanthy clenched her jaw but she let him run his hands through the length of her locks. Her heart twinged at the memory of June doing the exact same thing before all this went down. She was tempted to pull away but Nyxis finished early by tying her hair back with a piece of twine. He scooted a few inches away from her.
"So," he crossed his legs, sending the pad they're seated in bobbing. "We should talk."
Xanthy's mouth dried up. That was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Couldn't she just sleep and pretend everything that had happened ever since her house got ransacked by Civil Guards was just a bad, bad dream?
She raised her eyes to meet Nyxis's. She forgot how beautiful they were. Then again, looks were the last thing that mattered in this world Xanthy found herself in. Right now, Nyxis was the only solid wall keeping her steady and sane. For that, she was grateful.
She reached up to twine a lock of hair around her fingers but all she found was air. Oh, yeah. Nyxis tied it up for her. She sighed. This wasn't going to end well.
Nyxis played with his fingers; his lips were pursed. Xanthy understood the hesitation. There were a lot of things between them that needed addressing. She, too, wouldn't know where to start. There's a ton of questions she had been deferring to answer, and ones that she, herself, needed to ask.
"What is the plan?" Nyxis's voice echoed weakly inside the dim room enclosed by branches. Xanthy sighed, matching the fatigue laced in his tone.
She needed Nyxis's help for what she's about to do. She was asking Nyxis too much for this but not once did she hear a complaint from him. Nyxis was even willing to set aside his resentment towards June just for her. Why?
"I am going after the chalice," she gritted her teeth as she forced herself to meet Nyxis's eyes and hold his stare. "No matter the cost."
Nyxis's face crumpled into what looked like anger and confusion, like he couldn't bring himself to be angry but he still was and he couldn't stop it. "Xanthy, why?" his tone dropped into a harsh edge.
Xanthy didn't speak. Nyxis scoffed. "Why would you even consider doing that? Why are you wasting your energy for him?" his voice rose a few notches. "Why do you have to throw away your chance in helping in the war in exchange of being with this pathetic vegetable who betrayed you for his freedom? He almost got your legacy taken by the Heiress. He traded you to the High Queen like a bargaining chip. He lied to you, hurt you, and treated you in a way you do not deserve."
