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Mira had never played a part in a battle with so many casualties- if being used as a hostage counted as playing a part. For a palace with so many injured riders, the Riorson house was quiet.
It was too quiet for Mira's liking- but what could be done? It was almost 3 in the morning now.
The halls of the Riorson house were well constructed. The high ceiling and the many rooms reminded Mira of King Tauri's palace- but Riorson's house was simply better.
The mage lights were kept in black metal lanterns, with vine-like spirals towards the bottom and like a sealed box on the top. Mira hated it. To her, it felt like someone had trapped these massless balls of fire against their will. As it is, the design of the lanterns was not a good idea- the shadows of the vines were trapping the light from reaching the floor- anyone could hide easily. Precisely why Mira never let her guard down.
Mira wasn't a stranger to being ambushed by people- surprise assassination attempts, fliers, and venin sneaking up on her- she was well equipped with their ways now.
However, being ambushed by Theopanie had almost cost her Teine and her own life. How could she live with that fact?
It had been 3 hours since she had woken up in her room. She was heartbroken to find no one there- only two guards at her door. Violet wasn't there, and neither was Brennan. It had hurt her a lot, to say the least. They had other priorities, unlike her.
She had lost all her squad members way back- some died fighting alongside her in the Battle of Basgiath, some died in a skirmish with the fliers, and some never made it to the graduation.
Violet had her squad- most importantly, Xaden, who was now a venin. Had Mira not been sure of the fact that Xaden wouldn't cause Violet any harm, she wouldn't have left the responsibility of keeping her alive to Xaden. Mira had to begrudgingly accept that Xaden wouldn't hurt Violet- not intentionally at least.
Brennan on the other hand, was happy enough as one of the Assembly members, as a mender. Mira had been nothing but hostile towards him since she saw him after six years. Could you blame her though?
Brennan wasn't just Violet's brother- he was Mira’s brother too. He had not just helped Violet when she was in pain- he had helped Mira too. However, since he had supposedly come back from the dead, his only concern was Violet. Or at least that's what he showed.
The only two people Mira had left were slowly drifting away from her and she couldn't do anything. Worst of all, they didn't consider her important enough to tell her about their plans, or anything important at all.
But then again, she too hid the fact about Violet's sacrifice.
“Can you stop talking to yourself in the third person?” Teine's voice interrupted her overthinking session. She had booked an appointment, for God's sake. “It's annoying. Also, your shields are down. Go to sleep, Mira. You need to rest.”
“Oh, don't let my wallowing trouble you, Almighty. Please continue with your beauty sleep session,” grumbled Mira, slamming her shields shut. She could still feel Teine at the back of her mind.
Her shields were another problem that she was facing. The place that used to keep her grounded- a valley at Calldyr, where her parents had gotten married, was fumbling.
Mental shields were supposed to be a place that grounded people- something that was their safe place, where they would let their guard down- but like people, what if that changed too?
Since she got to know about what the leadership was hiding, Mira's shields would fumble occasionally, like she was a second-year cadet once again. However, after their ‘trip’ to Deverelli, they would be down for long periods.
The fields were where she had spent some of her best memories from childhood- racing with Brennan, learning about the plants with Dad and Violet, and training with Mom- her family was the best part of her childhood.
But her parents were dead and her siblings were falling apart- that place lost its charm now.
The bittersweet memories brought tears to her eyes. She focused on what was around her, to stop the intricately built dam from breaking- she was doing this a lot now. She could see the beautiful paintings on the walls, the mage lights flickering, the pillars in which runes were secretly hidden, Syrena Cordella wearing an apron and holding a sandwich, staring at Mira, the smell of something burning- wait what?
Mira and Syrena had crossed paths multiple times, back when almost everyone was in Aretia. Whenever they ended up in the same room, they were always stealing glances at each other, but no one seemed to make a move. However, who could blame them? What was the point of getting attached in the middle of a war when any breath could be your last?
Mira broke her trance, her gaze focusing on Syrena, who was wearing a grey apron with a LOT of pockets- definitely not one owned by any chef in Aretia. But gods, had she not been Syrena Cordella, the second-in-line to the throne of Poromiel, she would have wasted no time in licking the ketchup off her lips with her tongue and carrying her to her room on her very broad shoulders.
It was common knowledge that the Cordella sisters were ravishing, to say the least. However, Syrena had a different charm than her sister. Her apron hugged her curves in all the right places. Her long black hair was in a low ponytail, her dark strands reaching her waist. What would Mira not give to run her fingers through Syrena's silky hair? Her dark brown eyes could be mistaken as black by anyone- Mira wasn't anyone. She had spent more time fantasizing about those pools of rich, melted dark chocolate on her even in a crowded room than actually communicating with her. Syrena's eyes were what fascinated her the most.
She wasn't sure who moved first. Her body reacted to Syrena like a man in the middle of a desert when he saw an oasis, worried that with one more step towards the water, it'd disappear. But gods, if Mira wasn't willing to take the chance to drown herself in the same eyes again.
Before either of them could touch, the smell of something burning broke their trance. They both turned towards the chicken in the furnace, which was too roasted to be edible.
“Just what I needed,” Syrena mumbled under her breath, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. Mira was sure that if she touched those soft cheeks, she would feel the warmth radiating from them. Maybe Syrena would let her if she asked her- no gods . She was behaving like Xaden does around Violet.
“You want a sandwich? You look like you could use one right now,” offered Syrena, her eyes assessing Mira's body in a way that left goosebumps down her arms.
Mira simply nodded, taking her place beside Syrena near the kitchen counter, chopping the vegetables while she put another chicken in the furnace, throwing the burnt one away. The domesticity of the situation wasn't lost on them.
As soon as the sandwiches were made, they sat down on the floor, enjoying each other's company.
“So, how's the whole second to the throne of Poromiel thing turning out for you?” Mira attempted a small talk. She was nibbling the edges of the bread, her throat hurting too much for her to properly eat. But she wouldn't let the sandwich go to waste. Syrena had made it, after all. Also, it reminded her of her Dad.
Syrena sighed. Mira was immediately taken aback by how close she was to her when faced her to talk. She kept her eyes on her sandwich.
“It's too much. I'm just glad Catriona does not have to worry about this right now, especially after losing Trager so recently.” Mira smiled. She wished her sister could get a break as well.
“Thank you for looking out for my sister, by the way. I owe you one.”
“You would've done the same.” Mira chuckled. “She is a strong lady when she is not waiting to bite Riorson’s head off, no matter how much he deserves it.”
They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Neither of them knew what to say, or what to do, so they finished their sandwiches and got up at the same time, almost bumping into each other.
Mira chuckled nervously while Syrena looked down at her shoes. Her eyes then landed on the ketchup on Syrena's lips. She gently wiped it off, biting her lip. Syrena’s pupils dilated, her breathing turning erratic each second as if waiting for her to make a move. Mira’s palms were sweating. Gods, where was her courage when she needed it the most?
At that moment, Syrena raised both of her hands to Mira’s throat. They were inches apart now, only their chests touching- with leathers and an apron separating them. She gently used the pads of her thumbs to trace the scar and apply gentle pressure on it. This sudden movement took Mira by surprise, who then tightened her hand on Syrena’s waist- when did she hold her?
“It hurt, didn't it?” Syrena elaborated after noticing Mira’s confused gaze, “When you ate the sandwich- it hurt you. You have no sense of self-preservation, just like your sister.”
At the mention of Violet, Mira's eyes widened in panic and desperation. “Is she okay? I have not seen her since, well- where is she?”
“No one told you?” Syrena asked, confused, her hands dropping on Mira’s shoulders. “She is married to Riorson now. He turned venin- wait, when did you wake up?”
At Mira’s failed attempt to avoid Syrena’s gaze, she understood what was up. She exhaled and took a step back and Mira cleared her throat. “With little to no sleep, you will be no better than a drunk venin leading your squad.”
“Well, I could say the same about you,” Mira said, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest, trying to look unbothered. “Roaming around, when your title just makes you even more of a target- isn’t a smart move, darling.”
Syrena took a step towards Mira, once again extremely close to her. “I can take care of myself as well as I can take care of others, if not better.” Before Syrena could move away, Mira wrapped her arms around her, holding her close and flushed against her chest. Syrena was only slightly taller than Mira, less muscular, and more lean.
Mira had wrapped her arms around her thin figure easily and lowered her head so that her mouth brushed the shell of Syrena’s ear. “Do I take that as an invitation?”
Syrena took a sharp breath and held Mira’s face in her hands, the bridge of their noses brushing. “Take it as you may. I don't care,” she said, her voice breathy.
“Mira Sorrengail, where are you?” Brennan’s voice came booming down the hall and Mira cursed under her breath. She then turned to Syrena, who smirked, stepping out of her arms- Mira instantly missed her warmth, but she had a brother to deal with. Why could he not stay dead when he should be?
“You can rest now,” Syrena said and left. Mira could swear she saw her looking back for a second.