Crystal Kingdoms • Book 1 Of The Crystal Trilogy | ✔️

-| 25 / bad news |-

Cheryl wasn't prepared to bump into Violet on her way past the border.

"Violet! What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the palace!", she asked in surprise.

Violet ran to hug her. "Lux was there. I had to leave."

"Of course she was...", Cheryl grumbled, holding her tighter. "Are you okay?"

The younger witch pulled away. "Yeah, just tired... I haven't been in the woods in a long tim o it's been rough.", she shrugged. "Oh, I almost forgot. Cheryl, these are Charles and Jackson. Guys, this is my friend, Cheryl.", she introduced them.

"Nice to meet you!", Charles extended his hand.

"You too!", Cheryl smiled, shaking it.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys, but I really need to talk to Cheryl.", Violet said urgently.

"Alright. We'll keep up with the introductions later.", Charles shrugged. "Jackson, come on! I wanna see what this part of the kingdom looks like!", he grabbed his boyfriend's hand and dragged him along.

"Okay, okay! Damn, you're enthusiastic about this!", Jackson laughed as they ran off.

"V, what's going on?", Cheryl asked her worriedly.

"You might want to sit down for this...", Violet sighed.

Violet started pacing around as Cheryl sat down on a stump.

"Well?"

"Okay, so remember when you sent me to the palace to keep an eye on Tristan? Well... I did. The thing is that we got quite drunk one night and cast a binding spell.", she rushed and gulped.

"Violet!", Cheryl shot up. I only know of one more person who's ever cast this spell successfully...

"Wait, that's not what I wanted to tell you!", Violet said defensively.

"There's more?!", Cheryl's eyes widened.

"Well, Alastor found Crystal and she was at the palace even after she ran away, Caroline got her out but her father and Lux found out and were blaming her and Tristan for bailing Crystal and her friend Scott out of the dungeons, but I was going to leave anyway to tell you about Lux, so I took the blame for them.", she rambled.

Cheryl ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm herself.

"Anyway, Tristan left the palace a couple of days after I did. He overheard Lux and Alastor talking in the cellars. Something about Alastor planning to take over the rest of the kingdom. Tristan is making his way to Daniel's palace as we speak, but he's going to need your help in convincing him."

"Tristan can't go to Daniel. Not yet.", Cheryl muttered.

"I know, but I couldn't really stop him! We spoke last night through the link created by the binding spell. You need to talk to Daniel!", Violet urged her.

"I can't and you know it! Goddammit, things just got way more complicated..."

"People will die if you don't! Tristan doesn't have to be there when you tell Daniel, you can go yourself!"

"Violet, you don't understand! The same way Daniel and Tristan can meet up yet, I can't talk with Daniel either!"

"Why the hell not? Are you really ready to sacrifice all these people just because you're not ready to talk to your husband yet?"

"I promised I'd return when everything was over. This is only getting started."

"So you mean to tell me that you didn't drop by Daniel's palace at all while you were in this part of the kingdom, huh?", Violet crossed her arms.