...73...
CRYSTAL BANE đ„č
Her quarters were pleasant, extremely pleasant, surpassing.
It was luxurious compared to the cave home she'd been used to for thirteen years.
She fell across the bed the moment she was alone and sighed pleasantly.
She was convinced her stay in the Bane Manor would be anything but unpleasant.
Her quarters were better than her former spelaean residence.
She stood from bed and began to examine everything with her eyes.
When it seemed like her eyes wasn't enough, she migrated to touch, her fingers pinpointing everything possible.
There were jewelries, dresses, books and other more appealing things.
Her new father was thoughtful to have all these sitting ready for her.
Though, she was more a weapon person than a jewelry or dress fawner.
The large looking glass sitting quietly at the corner of the room called to her.
Her eyes never left the piece which was edged with what she suspected was pure gold.
She sat in front of the mirror and looked at herself, her hair to be more precise.
The edges-which was now down thanks to Gideon-was kissing the floor in her sitting position.
She fingered strand after strand while absentmindedly pondering Gideon's advice.
Without thinking, she took a scissors from the table, intending to cut it short.
A knock came, stilling her.
She turned towards the door, staring at it for a moment.
The knock came again.
She returned the scissor and went to the door, taking the spear she had dropped carelessly earlier.
She was still on her guard when she slowly opened the door to the bedroom.
"Hi!"
A brunette stood at the other side, waving and smiling radiantly at her.
"Urm, hi?" She answered back.
"I'm Crystal Bane," she said.
Sisi's gaze rounded.
Bane?
That means she was Lynn Bane's daughter and her new adopted sister.
She flashed her a small smile.
"You're Crystal, my new elder sister?"
The brunette nodded.
"Yes I am."
"Oww, I see," she mused.
Crystal stepped forward.
"Can I hug you?" She asked.
Sisi nodded.
She balanced her spear against the wall and spread her arms towards crystal who stepped into the embrace happily.
"You're so warm and cuddly," Crystal said, sniffing her hair with a sigh.
"I can say same for you," Sisi laughed.
Crystal pulled back to look at her face, not leaving the embrace.
"Oh, I finally have a sister," she told her. "And she is so pretty."
Sisi felt her face flush.
"Come in," she said when they disengaged.
Crystal came into the room.
She shut the door behind her.
"I'm sorry I came too soon-but I was too excited to wait until you settle in. I've been too lonely for so long," she apologised.
"Nonsense," Sisi told her. "I appreciate the quick visit. I was wondering if you would take kindly to me sharing your father," she told her.
Crystal laughed softly as she shook her head.
"No I wouldn't," she said. "Please, take as much of him as you want. I'm so lonely in this huge edifice," she confessed.
Sisi was amused.
"I definitely wouldn't care if you took him totally to keep me company."
They both laughed at the confession.
"You're no longer alone then."
"I am nineteen years old. How old are you?" she asked her with curious eyes.
"I'm sixteen. You have three years on me," she pointed out.
Crystal nodded, her lips curling up with what Sis could tell was mischief.
"Then you must call me Senior Sister Crystal," she ordered in a mock jussive voice.
They burst into laughter again.
"I can tell that we will highly enjoy each others company," she mused.
"Yes, we will," Sisi agreed, nodding.
They sat on the bed, quiet for a moment.
Crystal's eyes darted around the room and Sisi was convinced she hadn't been there before.
Her eyes fell on Sisi's spear before her head spun to look at her.
The glint in her eyes spelled curiosity.
She opened her mouth to speak, probably to ask about the spear.
But Sisi beat her to it.
"Can you fight?" she asked.
Crystal's eyes lit.
"Off course I can," she said.
Her face dulled.
"But father wouldn't let me spar with anyone except him or Somer."
Sisi's brow quirked.
"Who's Somer?"
"Somer is my aide, my shadow. She goes everywhere with me-I had to lose her to come here. She'll be searching for me now," she explained to her.
They laughed.
"Is she good?"
"She is good. She knocks me out before I begin. I can only take her on with fists. I'm a wild witch you see," she whispered the last sentence.
They laughed again.
"I can't take her on with weapons. I learnt alone. Which are you good at?"
"Everything," she said. "Fists, weapons, all of it," she added after a thought.
Crystal's brow narrowed.
"How good are you?"
Sisi shrugged before she spoke.
"I can take on seven good assassins," she said in a matter-of-fact way.
Crystal's eyes widened.
"That good?"
Her brows lifted.
"So I'm told."
She gasped in awe and Sisi wondered if it was gasp worthy thing to know.
Crystal spoke after a pause.
"What's your best weapon?"
Sisi didn't have to think.
"My spear. I prefer it to a sword."
Crystal nodded.
Suddenly she looked up.
"Why?"
Sisi paused to think for a minute or two.
"It's quicker!"
"Oh," Crystal nodded.
"Well, just a few thrusts-" she stood up to demonstrate "-and it's all over."
"You havegood techniques!"
Crystal clapped.
"You've to teach me sometime!" she pleaded.
Sisi's chest swelled with pride.
"That is not a problem," she said as a bashful smile overtook her visage.
"Thank you!" Cystal said, excited as she embraced her once more.
"It's ok," Sisi replied.
"I'm so happy to have a sister like you, an intelligent one," she praised Sisi.
Her head swelled the more at the praise.
She was about to speak when a knock on the door interrupted them.
They drew back from each other.
Both turned to the door.
"Who is it?" she inquired ouv loud.
"It is I my lady," was the reply to her question.
Crystal's face fell.
Sisi instantly knew who it was.
The party pooper.
"It's Somer, isn't it?" Sisi whispered to her.
Crystal nodded.
"Yes it is. She has found me."
Sisi swallowed.
"Should I dismiss her?" She inquired, unsure of what to do at this point.
Crystal shook her head.
"Let her in."
Sisi made to speak but halted.
She stared at Crystal.
"You could hide and I could send her away you know?" She suggested.
Crystal stated to giggle.
"That will not be necessary," she told her. "I am sure she's heard my voice already."
Sisi sighed.
"Besides she's supposed to be at my side at all times. She's just doing her duty."
Sisi nodded, just as the knock came again.
"Come in," Crystal called.
The door opened and a tall well built lady of about twenty six years came into room.
Sisi instantly noted she was kind of beautiful, in a masculine way.
"My lady," she greeted both.
Somaer turned to Crystal.
"You shouldn't run off on me like that," she scolded her ina stern voice.
Crystal started to sulk.
"You follow me everywhere!" she protested.
"I do that because I am to protect you from any kind of harm, my lady," she added.
"I'm fine with my new sister."
Somaer glanced at Sisi.
The way her brows lifted was enough to tell Sisi that the guard didn't rate her.
"Your new sister is just a child."
Sisi let out a dry scoff.
"I will protect my sister from now. You don't have to babysit her anymore."
Somaer's lips lifted in a smirk.
"Protect?" Somer asked her.
She eyed the Sisi slowly, looking from up to down, studying her in amusement.
"Yes," she answered her, a challenge in her eyes. "You don't think I can, do you?"
Somaer snickered.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen?"
The female guard scoffed.
"How little. You aren't even up to Crystal's age? How can you protect someone when you can't protect yourself?" she asked.
Anger-hot and jagged-bubbldd up inside of Sisi at the statement.
She felt insulted.
"Shall we see about that?" She challenged the guard, standing abruptly.
Somer sized her up once more.
"Are you challenging me?"
The amused glint in her eyes caused rage to rose dutifully in Sisi's stomach.
She hissed, hating it.
"Yes."
She turned to Crystal.
"You have sparring ring here, don't you?"
Her adopted sister nodded.
"Yes, we do," Crystal said.
She turned do Somaer.
"Then I challenge you to a duel."
...OmaPhinaPhiređ„