With only a short walk after escaping Crysilla's grasp, Vallerian stumbled through his third door of the night. This one was in the Red Curtains though. A warm lantern flickering in the entryway beckoned his weary bones home. Trying his best to keep quiet, he slipped the door closed and slid down onto the floor. The pain in his shoulder had slowly faded to just a dull ache, some healing in the morning with a suitable excuse should take care of it if he washed it before bed.

“What am I doing?” He asked himself for the first time in too long. Pulling the vials from his coin purse, Vallerian stared at them. Royal blood in his hand. If anyone knew he had this... No. not now, don’t think about that now. Glancing over at the empty vial, he couldn’t help be more scared of it than the first.

“Where have you been?” Valleresa's voice snapped Vallerian back to reality. He quickly pocketed the vials before she could see. Valleresa stood on the staircase across the entry chamber, looking down at him with bags beneath her eyes and disheveled undone hair. She wore only her shift and looked all the more furious despite it.

“None of your business.” Vallerian moaned, forcing himself to rise.

“Like the Chaos it's not!” She responded, taking another step down the stairs. “What happened to your shoulder? Whose blood is all that?” She bombarded him with questions. Vallerian rolled his eyes.

“Drop it, Reesa.” Pressing his back against the door for support, he was able to rise in what was hopefully not too pathetic a sight. Vallerian's whole body felt numb, and it was his sister of all people keeping him from the warm embrace of his bed.

“Do you think I haven’t noticed you sneaking out at night? Even back at Brother Gardinal's house?” The damned woman persisted with her nagging. “You think I didn’t see the scraps of bloody clothes in the hearth? What are you doing?”

“I thought I told you to drop it.” He grunted, stumbling across the room. Unfortunately, she was directly in the way of him and the stairs.

“I am a handmaiden of Her Radiance Celeste, sworn servant of the First Mother. What makes you think that I would just stand by and let you slink around at night murdering people.” She roared at him, a bitter edge to her words.

Reaching the base of the stairs, he looked up to her with exhausted eyes. “You don’t understand.”

“So it is murder.” She shot back before he could continue. “Who set you up to this Vallerian?” She took a step down the stairs, a trembling hand holding onto the railing. “Father made you into a dangerous man, but I know you. You’re no murderer.” She reached out a hand towards him, her eyes glistening in the low light. Vallerian batted her hand away.

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“Leave it alone Valleresa. We’re not children, stop poking your nose in business that has nothing to do with you.” He stepped up the stairs, trying to push past her. She pressed her hand firmly on his chest and shoved him into the railing.

“Don’t you dare say that this has nothing to do with me!” She yelled. Time may have made a priestess of her, but Reesa’s famous temper would never change. “How dare you walk in here covered in blood like it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh, drop your piety Reesa. I know who you are. I know what you’ve done.” He bit back. He was too tired for her hypocrisy right now. Her hand kept him firm where was though, hurt plain across her face.

“Why are you here Vallerian? And don’t lie, I know it’s not because me.”

“You’re right, it’s not you. So leave it alone.”

“Stop lying!” She hissed, trying with effort to keep her voice from getting too loud. “If it’s her, then it is my business. It’s all of ours.” Her arms outstretched to hold him back.

Vallerian felt his stomach drop. It was Celeste after all, it always had been about her. Those eyes. What had Crysilla found out?

“It.. it is her…” Valleresa gasped, stepping back and loosening her grip. “What do those filthy Theremya want with the Prophetess?” she asked, pressing her back into the wall.

“It’s the lost heir they want, not the Prophetess.” He whispered. The words exiting his lips before he could catch them. Tired, so tired.

Valleresa’s eyes went wide. “You…” She began in shocked tones. “You bastard. How dare you?” She stepped back into his space, grabbing him by the collar. “You’ve spent how long with her? She is so much more than just those eyes. You may be my brother, but if you even think about…” She shoved him against the wall, his back hitting the wood railing hard.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!” He shouted at her, smacking her hand away. The whimper his sister made as she grabbed her hand and fell back into the wall made him swallow hard. No, she had gone too far this time. Damned stubborn Reesa. “Do you have any idea what it’s like living with them? You think father was bad?” He raged at her, stepping over her as she slid down the wall, looking up at him with wide, trembling eyes. “I’m just trying to survive, Reesa, and I certainly don’t need your newfound devotion getting in my way.” The words seeped through clenched teeth.

Staring up at him, Valleresa clenched her fists. “If you dare put her in danger Vallerian…”

“If I put her danger?” he laughed, his exhaustion bringing him to the edge of delirium. “I seem to be the only one trying to keep her alive!”

“I mean it.” She continued, ignoring his response.

“Oh just shut up.” He spat. “You think you had it hard? You got out of that house easy. I got tossed from a viper’s den right into the spider’s web.” Vallerian shook his head and turned away. Tired, far too tired for this. With a heavy tread, he began up the stairs.

“Don’t you think you can just walk away from me Vallerian.” he heard her begin to rise as she called after him. “If you think…”

“I am, Valleresa.” He cut her off, slowly moving up the staircase. “And sister, don’t get in my way. Killing you would be… rather inconvenient.” Necessary. It was all necessary. All of it.