"So we aren't following them?" Rayni asked for what felt like the hundredth time. She just didn't get Mereria's point of view at all. How could she just let Nira and Nef go along whatever stupid idea they'd come up with?

Rayni wasn't even sure why she thought it was stupid, but she could tell. There was no way they were looking for Yorin for a different reason than wanting to join this fight somehow. And it wasn't their fight. Rayni had no clue whose fight it actually was because she didn't know who they were up against, but she knew she would be involved somehow. Also that there was no space for civilians in battles, no matter how small.

"No," Mereria answered, stirring her coffee with her spoon. It was something fancy too, the name of which Rayni couldn't even pronounce. Of course Mereria liked fancy coffee. Rayni was now convinced that the actual reason Mereria and Kaleth hated each other was because of how similar to each other they were. "It's not our business what they do."

"Of course it is. Someone has to watch them," Rayni grumbled, refusing to look at Mereria.

"Trying to stop them will only make them want to do it more. Whatever that might be. Just let it go, Rayni," Mereria said, taking a sip of her coffee. "We have more important things to focus on."

Rayni sighed, sagging into her chair. "Fine. I just don't get why you are so calm about all of this."

Mereria looked over at her, a slight smile on her face. "A few days ago, we managed the impossible. What are a few machines compared to that? These are clearly Tharos' Eternals who never accepted that I killed their original master. As much as I disapprove of how powerful Kaleth has become, I know losing this battle with him on our side is very unlikely."

Oh, right, Mereria had killed Enor. Rayni had almost forgotten about that, and now, with the added information that he had meant a lot to her.... Rayni fought the urge to at least give her a pat on the shoulder, no doubt an awkward one.

"You really think winning this will be easy-peasy, huh?" Rayni asked, some of the weight on her heart lifting. She used to have some ability of estimating these things, but now there were immortal, super powerful beings involved, and she hadn't fought enough Eternals to have any accuracy.

"Yes, I do," she said, that damned fond smile on her face again. At least it didn't look that sad anymore. Which meant it just warmed Rayni's heart. Stupid heart. "The only thing I worry about is.... Well, you know."

Rayni grimaced. She couldn't bring herself to deny Kaleth possibly going supervillain in the future, but she strongly disagreed. Kaleth was prissy, kinda arrogant, and a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he wasn't evil. She'd seen how he acted around her brother, and that was genuine love.

Perhaps a bit ridiculously sappy given both their ages, but either way, Kaleth wasn't faking that, and Rayni didn't care how much of a good actor the guy claimed to be. She knew what she was seeing.

"You don't have to worry about him. If something's up, Mel will tell me," Rayni replied, trying to indicate there should be no more discussion of this.

Mereria didn't say anything to that, only frowned at Rayni with clear skepticism before tending to her coffee again. "You've really bonded very quickly with your brother."

Not it was Rayni's turn to frown. "Huh?"

"I've kept you separate for centuries. And all you needed was a month," Mereria continued as Rayni continued to frown, this time with annoyance. Mereria had sounded regretful for what she'd done, but that still didn't fix anything. Rayni knew that there was no fixing this—she understood why Mereria had done what she had, but that didn't make any of it right.

But naturally Rayni was angriest about the fact that Mel was the way he was because of Mereria. If Mel had had someone to lean on, things would have been much different.

"Yeah, well, I liked him even before I knew we were related," Rayni replied, folding her arms. "He's a cute little dork, of course I like him."

"He's actually quite tall," Mereria corrected, the tiniest smirk curling the corner of her mouth. Rayni rolled her eyes. "No, but in all seriousness, the two of you are unusually tall for your century."

"Huh." Rayni got up and frowned at her feet. "I didn't even think about that. Now that you mention it, some of the Umbra are really tiny."

"We aren't—" Mereria cut herself off, sighing. "They aren't tiny. Though their size has usually been an advantage."

Rayni nodded as she sat down again, crossing her legs under the small coffee table. "Right, right. Hit and run."

Mereria actually let out a little laugh at that. "You never did like that tactic. But you liked me enough to stick around."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Rayni narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe a part of me still remembered Mel and didn't want to leave him," she shot back. Mereria only looked at her with amusement.

"What? It totally could have," Rayni grumbled, glaring at the table. No, she wasn't blushing, she was just—it was really cold outside, dammit.

"I'm sure it did," Mereria replied, her voice gentle. "You did defend him several times for, at least to you, no apparent reason." Then she frowned again.

"What is it?" Rayni asked when the other Eternal didn't say anything for a while.

"It's just...perhaps it would be beneficial to keep your brother away from danger. If he dies, so does Areon."

Rayni smirked. She always loved pointing out contradictions and hypocrisy in people who thought they knew better than anyone else. She liked to think she'd made Kaleth a better person through this. When they'd started working together he had been impossible to discuss plans with.

"Or he doesn't, and instead—"

"First off—just try to keep them separate, it won't work," Rayni cut in, "and second—I thought you wanted him dead."

Mereria froze, staring at Rayni for a moment. Rayni's smirk turned sharper as Mereria cleared her throat and looked back at her cup of coffee. "I don't want him dead. I didn't say that."

"No, you're just worried he'll become Enor point two," Rayni shot back.

"Well, can you blame me?" Mereria asked, sighing. "Your brother might be the only one that stands between him and madness, while at the same time being the catalyst of it all."

Rayni's smile disappeared. Mereria was right. That had been the reason Enor became insane, wasn't it? The death of his girlfriend, or whatever. No, wait, his mate. That was what Mereria had called it. Was that what she and Rayni were? Because if that was what Mereria thought—just no.

"How did Enor get rid of his emotions?" Rayni asked, trying very hard to ignore the way her insides twisted as she said it.

"He told no one, as far as I know," Mereria replied, scowling. "But he had labs all over Asharia, and some here as well, I believe. One could possibly be hiding the way to do the procedure. Thankfully he hid his labs well, but that's no guarantee."

Her mouth suddenly dry, Rayni shook her head. "I don't think Kaleth would do it anyway."

That was where the discussion ended because as Mereria opened her mouth to reply, a loud thump sounded above them, followed by the unmistakable noise of shingles breaking and sliding down the roof, presumably ending up in the rain gutter because they never fell down onto the street.

Rayni and Mereria looked up, though Rayni was much more startled than the other Eternal, as the people around them gasped or quickly started walking away, probably not running only because of how crowded the street was and they physically couldn't.

On top of the roof was Mel, partly hiding himself with his wings and even in his dragon form looking noticeably embarrassed, with Kaleth sitting on his back in the armor he got from Relioth—minus the crescent moon symbols on the shoulders—and his goggles over his eyes.

"Um, sorry!" Mel called out, looking sadly at the damaged shingles. "I didn't mean to. I'm just heavy like this."

For a second, a lopsided grin formed on Kaleth's face—something Rayni couldn't have missed even if it disappeared a second later. There was no way this guy would ever go to team bad guy. No way.

"Fascinating. We were just talking about you, Areon," said Mereria. Even though he had goggles over his face, Rayni could tell Kaleth rolled his eyes.

"Only good things, I'm sure," he replied, all remains of his earlier smile gone and buried. The common folk seemed to have calmed down for now, though they were still passing through faster than necessary. Rayni was sure she'd actually seen some accusatory glares shot their way now as well, but she wasn't really paying enough attention to get angry.

"You sure know how to make an entrance, man," Rayni said, raising her empty glass at him.

Kaleth sighed the kind of sigh he always used when he was pretending to be exasperated. "Thank you, Rayni. We're just here to tell you that we'll be flying to the southern coast now. If you would like to join, that would be greatly appreciated."

Before Mereria could reply, Rayni was already talking. "Yeah, of course, Kal. Mereria just needs to finish her coffee." Then she smirked and put a hand to her face, pretending to whisper. "It's way fancier than even you are."

"Dammit, Raynimara," Mereria said, shaking her head. "Yes, we will come join you in a short while. You can fly ahead."

They really hate each other, Mel's voice said in Rayni's head, and she did her best not to start laughing. Mel was now staring at her with confusion. It's not funny. It makes me sad. I want them to be happy.

They're incapable of being happy all the time. Kaleth gets grumpy for no reason sometimes. Just gotta accept it, bro, Rayni replied.

Rayni had never seen a lizard look more like a puppy. Mel completed the look by having his ears droop all the way down to his neck. If that didn't make her want to grab his hand—er, paw, claw, whatever—and buy him ice cream, nothing would.

"If someone could notify Yorin, as well..." Kaleth continued in the meantime. Rayni wondered if she'd missed something or not.

"I will tell him," Mereria said, staring into the remainder of her coffee.

"Thank you, Edras," Kaleth replied, his voice just as neutral as ever, and Mel actually turned his head back as much as he could to give him a disapproving frown.

Good on you, little brother, Rayni thought to herself.

Mereria in the meantime just silently glowered at Kaleth. Apparently done with his scolding, Mel turned back to Rayni and nodded at her before spreading out his wings and jumping off the short roof, immediately gaining altitude and quickly disappearing from sight.

Why can't they just leave? Rayni overheard someone's very resentful thoughts and snorted. It was a balding guy in his forties, currently passing by.

"Trust me, pal. We want to be here even less," she told him, which prompted the man to stare at her with wide eyes for a second before hastily making his way to disappear in the crowd, clearly embarrassed.

"You really need to do something about this, Raynimara," Mereria said, finally finishing her damned coffee. And she was definitely being smug too.

"What, it's fun," Rayni said, redoing her ponytail. She wasn't sure why—she would be the one flying, which meant shapeshifting—but it felt all over the place suddenly.

"It will drive you mad," Mereria replied ominously.

They stared at each other for a moment. Was Mereria joking or not? Rayni could never tell. Then she shook her head. They had other problems right now.

"Fine, whatever. Are we gonna get going already or what?"

"Yes. Let's."