FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘦-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯. 𝘈 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳.
Xanthiene Vivenca's life drones on in a cycle of finding her next meal, ensuring...
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"Are you guys alright?" Xanthy asked. The dark tunnel seemed to stretch on. Straight ahead, Xanthy recited to herself. Just go straight ahead and ignore the corners. They should make it to the Magic Road any time soon.
No one answered her. Marin's stare was passive as she ran her hands along the walls while they walked. Xanthy should share June's enthusiasm about his shoes.
She blew a breath. "Look, I am sorry," she blurted.
June looked up. Xanthy noticed that the dark of his hair had ebbed to the ends and that his snow-white roots were showing. "For what?" he blinked.
"F-for everything," Xanthy sputtered. He just had the nerve to ask what she was apologizing about when saying the words were already hard enough. A lump formed at her throat. "For being a hypocrite. For saying the things I said. For...what happened. I am a horrible creature."
A soft chuckle made Xanthy turn to June. He brushed a hand at the back of his neck. "Everyone is a horrible creature, if you think about it," he smiled thinly at her. "I am sorry too. It is not fair of me to say that."
Xanthy blew a breath. It seemed like a huge block of stone was removed from her shoulders. She laughed. "So, are we good?"
"Good," June flashed her a thumb-up sign. "You are not a hypocrite, Xanthy. Please do not take what I said to heart. None of this was your fault, either."
"I know," Xanthy hugged herself. "But words have a way of lingering in places you do not want them to, you know?"
June's face darkened. "Yeah, I do," he sidled close to her to give her a playful bump on the shoulder. "I missed you, Xanthy."
Heat rose to Xanthy's cheeks. Then, she bit her lip. Don't think more into that. Just don't. She cleared her throat. "I missed you too, June," she replied with a wink.
"Please, just kiss already," Marin said from behind with a roll of her eyes.
Xanthy coughed into her fist. "Sorry."
"Stop saying sorry, will you?" June said.
"I'm—" she caught herself. She cleared her throat again. The sound bounced across the walls. Light from June's splayed palm shone around at the rocky walls and the occasional crawling insects and snarling cleret.
"What happened in the tower? To the Queen?" she blurted.
Silence.
"Guys?" Xanthy turned to them to find both Marin and June pale. June's lower lip quivered. She knitted her eyebrows. What's wrong?
June shook his head. "I need more time to process that," he clenched his fists at his sides as he clenched his jaw. "Please."
Xanthy nodded. "Of course," she nodded. "Was it that troublesome?"
June opened his mouth to speak. His eyes widened. What...?
Her world spun as June pushed her down. They landed on the ground, stirring up dust that invaded her nostrils. Xanthy whirled. "June—"
