Lord of the Night Realm: Reunion [Preview]

Chapter 34

"Stop bouncing, Lillian."

Irwin snatched his sister's arm as the carriage swayed to-and-fro. It was no surprise — their luck being what it was — that the siblings were forced to stand, considering every seat was taken by the time they'd hopped aboard.

"You're gonna slip and fall off," he added.

"You don't understand!" Lillian squealed. "I skipped dinner and breakfast to make room for all the festival food. I'm hungrier than that fat-ass raccoon we found in the produce bin that time we forgot to weigh the lid with the rock."

"Oh, I remember that!" Ellie chimed in. "I also remember Mum shrieking at you to stop chasing it after it finally flopped out."

"He was a big boy and I wanted to keep him."

"Your dangerously sloppy attempt to trap a wild animal aside," Irwin groaned, "I want you to at least try not to spend all your coins on just food, Lillian."

A dozen mouthwatering aromas filled the air, making Lillian yank her short, auburn hair as she resisted launching herself from the carriage and bolting down the street. Ellie and Irwin each wrapped an arm around their sister for stability, but when the carriage jostled to a stop at the street corner, Lillian wiggled free and leapt into the crowd circling the city square.

"Lillian, get back here!" Irwin yelled.

"It's all right," Ellie said, hopping off the carriage. "She's done this before, remember? shouldn't be hard to find the short girl dressed in all black with a face stuffed full of food."

The pair merged with the crowd walking along the first of four streets framing Phiana's central commons. As it was every year, the path was lined with food stalls and ropes draping colorful streamers and flags. Hanging above and stretched across the street were cloth murals depicting the Sea of Clouds and the known Shards — which also provided frequent shade from the sun.

Aside from the smaller stalls — where customers could purchase smoked or grilled food on skewers to-go — there were a few larger ones sheltered by tents that functioned like standard eateries. Ellie pointed out a few that caught her eye, selling grilled beef and vegetables, grilled perch, fried and sugared pastries, and smoked cheeses. They purchased as much as their hands and stomachs could carry, then began the search for their stray sister.

Ellie led her brother to the commons across the street, brimming with wide Hawthorne trees and hosting the enclosed jousting arena. Laying stomach-up in the grass further down the way, among the people enjoying shade and solitude from the crowd, was Lillian.

"Well, would you look at that," Irwin said, laughing, and trotted alongside Ellie to meet their little sister. Beside her were several empty skewers, plus one she was still gnawing on. "You absolute monster," he said, plopping down beside her.

"I am a monster. Queen of the frog monsters!" Lillian cackled, then took a bite.

"How appropriate for the tree frog, herself." Ellie sat on her knees by Lillian, carefully balancing her meal as she stretched her legs out in front of her.

The siblings relished the shade of the low boughs and the jaunty music performed elsewhere in the commons, all while chatting about the food and making plans for the rest of the day. To Ellie, it felt like everything was falling into place; her apprenticeship, the wonderful afternoon with her siblings. Yet in her heart was a gaping hole, not unlike the one in her memory. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't shake that hollow feeling, even for just one afternoon.

"Ellie." Lillian's tone was stern as she backhanded her sister's arm. Ellie thought at first she was just playing around and grinned at her. But when she saw how Lillian's eyes bore into whatever had caught her attention, her smile morphed into an apprehensive frown.