The girls and I arrived at Icefall City’s gates a little before the airship did, thanks to the House Sturm carriage. We weren’t the only ones there. Someone must have seen the airship approaching from the south and spread the word. A small crowd of people gathered outside of the city gate, though the House Icefall guards managed to maintain order.

The crowd watched as the airship landed, their faces filled with awe and trepidation. Given how Icefall City was located along the outskirts of the Solarian Empire, and many considered it outside of civilization proper, it was likely that most people here had never seen an airship before, let alone an expensive one like this.

Since we had all lived near the imperial capital, where airships were a lot more common, Annabelle, my sister, and I were less awed by the airship. Still, I could appreciate the craft’s beauty. It looked more like a piece of art than something meant for travel. Leroy wore a neutral expression. My other two disciples, on the other hand, stared at the airship with undisguised awe.

“It’s beautiful,” Lorelei whispered.

“I wish I could fly like that,” Corie said.

Annabelle and I shared an amused look at this.

With my divine sense, I noticed Lord Icefall rushing towards the city gate, though it looked like he wouldn’t make it before the airship landed. Someone must have told him about what happened. Given his current state, it seemed that the airship’s arrival caught him off guard. I guessed that the representative from House Solaria hadn’t sent advanced notice, which was poor manners on the man’s part.

Perhaps the representative had wanted to see what would happen if they just showed up without prior notice?

Guildmaster Sinclair wasn’t that far behind Lord Icefall.

I also sensed my parents arriving, coming in on Father’s flying feathered fan. Given the strength of their spirit sense, they must have sensed the airship just now. Sturm Hill Hall wasn’t that far from Icefall City, and the spirit sense of a Fourth Circle wizard wasn’t to be underestimated. However, like Lord Icefall, they would arrive after the airship had landed.

That meant that Annabelle, Kaylee, and I would be the first ones to greet the representative from House Solaria, letting us set the tone for this whole visit. This was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. Few people ever gained the chance to make a connection with House Solaria. Granted, if we made a mistake, things would go downhill fast. Still, there were a lot of potential rewards, if we didn’t screw things up.

Hmm, this was also an opportunity to declare my intentions towards my sister, and let her know my feelings regarding the succession of House Sturm. This was something my parents and I had discussed yesterday, after we had talked about my status as the Chosen of Master Tempest.

My decision surprised Father, but Mother understood. She knew why I had made the choice that I had. After I explained my reasoning, neither of them objected, however. They accepted my decision.

“Kaylee, you are aware of the situation with House Icefall, correct?” I asked.

Kaylee rolled her eyes and snorted.

“Of course,” she said. “I made sure to keep abreast of the situation.” She gave me a sideways glance. “You did a…serviceable job.”

Since that was the closest thing to a compliment that Kaylee had given me in a while, I would take it.

“In that case, I think you should be the one to greet the representative of House Solaria,” I said. “I think this is a great opportunity for you.”

Kaylee started and stared up at me in disbelief.

“But-…What-…Why?” she asked.

I tilted my head.

“Why not?” I asked. “You’re the heir to House Sturm. It’s only appropriate. And before you ask, yes, Father and Mother are aware of my decision. I discussed it with them yesterday. They plan on making it official when they return to Sturm Manor.”

It wasn’t that big of a deal to me. Temporal power was useful, but mattered little when compared to personal power. I would rather have the latter than the former. Besides, all the work involved with running a House would take time away from my cultivation and training.

Kaylee’s eyes widened at my words. I caught Annabelle’s eyes. From the twinkle I saw in them, I guessed that this was the right move to make.

I leaned towards Kaylee.

“You can do this, Sissy,” I said, using my nickname for her. “I believe you.”

And I did. If I believed Kaylee was incapable of leading House Sturm, I wouldn’t have stepped down, no matter how badly I felt for her. The welfare of our House took precedence over her feelings, at least in this case.

Kaylee stared at me some more, and her eyes started to tear up, before she looked away and wiped her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

The airship landed, and our group walked forward to wait for the representative to disembark.

“I wonder who it is,” Annabelle muttered.

“Prince Eugene Solaria,” I said, turning to her. “I recognize him because Father introduced me to him when I made my debut in House society.”

When House Sturm lost its Great House status, many of the other Houses treated us with contempt and disdain, especially the remaining Great Houses. They hid this behind a mask of politeness and civility, but we could tell that they looked down on us. However, unlike the other Great Houses, the members of House Solaria continued to treat the members of House Sturm with courtesy and respect.

This was because our ancestor, Sturm, fought alongside the Sun Emperor and helped forge the Solarian Empire. House Solarian had never forgotten this. And so, a member of House Solaria always attended any major event revolving around House Sturm. Marriages, funerals, debuts into society, etc.

When I debuted into society, at age fourteen, a small entourage from House Solaria had attended. Prince Eugene was among their number. I only talked with each member of the entourage briefly, but that was enough to make my launch into society a great success.

Unfortunately, courtesy and respect didn’t translate into friendship and support. House Solaria might give House Sturm face, but they wouldn’t bail us out of our troubles. Still, they treated us better than most of the other Houses did.

“Oh god,” Annabelle groaned. “Please tell me the twins aren’t with him.”

I snickered.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “Prince Eugene is here on his own.”

“Good. I can’t stand those two.”

Kaylee looked between the two of us in confusion.

“Prince Eugene is the father of Prince Everard and Princess Evelynn. Annabelle caught their attention last year, a few months after she joined the Solarian Imperial Academy.”

Understanding lit up Kaylee’s face.

“Oh,” she said. “Them.”

Prince Everard and Princess Evelynn were a pair of well-known eccentrics within House society. Interacting with them was…an experience. When Annabelle caught their eye, that was one of the few times that old Lord Gabriel felt pity towards her, rather than envy or jealousy.

Kaylee patted Annabelle on the arm.

“You have my condolences,” she said.

Annabelle gave her a grateful look.

A gangplank lowered from the ship, silencing all conversation. About a dozen men and women marched down the gangplank, before splitting off to form two rows. They all wore gilded armor that gleamed in the sunlight. Each set was engraved with a stylized sun with nine points, the symbol of House Solaria. They all also wore red scarlet capes, which looked dashing and dramatic when paired with the armor.

Each and every single one of them was also a wizard in the Third Circle.

The Sun Guard, members of the Sun Emperor’s personal army.

The members of the Sun Guard watched our group with hard looks on their faces. If any of us made a move that was even the slightest bit threatening, they would kill us without hesitation.

Kaylee trembled next to me. I put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. Annabelle did the same from her other side. My sister gave us both grateful looks. That was all we had time for, before Prince Eugene appeared at the top of the gangplank.

Prince Eugene was a man in his mid-forties, though he looked younger. He was handsome, with aristocratic features and long hair the color of burnished gold. He had sun-kissed skin, and golden eyes. A trimmed beard adorned his face. He wore an expensive looking gold and red outfit, though it came across as tasteful rather than gaudy.

Gabe, do you think this man is wearing enough gold? Aurora asked. My eyes hurt just looking at him.

I resisted the urge to chuckle.

‘Quiet,’ I told her. ‘You’re going to make me laugh.’

In terms of magic, Prince Eugene was in the Fourth Circle; weaker than Father but stronger than Mother. He had an affinity for Sun magic. I could almost feel the heat and light radiating off of him.

Prince Eugene walked down the gangplank, an amiable smile on his lips. That fit with the little I knew about the man. There was something bright and cheerful about him, as if he lit up the room just by being in it. This was a result of his personality, rather than his magic. His children certainly hadn’t inherited this trait from him, and they also had an affinity for Sun magic.

When Prince Eugene approached, walking between the two rows formed by the Sun Guard, my companions and I all gave him deep bows. Lorelei and Corie were a bit slow on this, but Leroy was there to help them out.

Prince Eugene returned the bow, though he gave us a much shallower one. He gave us a lot of face by doing so. Given the difference in status between us, he could have gotten away with a simple nod. The difference between us and him was like the difference between the heavens and the earth.

The funniest part was that he was considered a lesser member of House Solaria.

“Greetings, Prince Eugene,” Kaylee said after we all rose from our bows. No trace of her earlier nervousness remained. My sister had one hell of a poker face “Though we have yet to be formally introduced to each other, I am Lady Kaylee Sturm of House Sturm. Welcome to Icefall City.”

“Greetings, Lady Kaylee,” Prince Eugene boomed. Oh, right. I had forgotten about that. The man had a loud voice, though not loud enough to be obnoxious. “Thank you for coming out to greet me.” He looked around. “Though I am surprised. I had expected Lord Icefall to be here, not a scion of House Sturm.”

“That is because we were already near the gates of Icefall City when we spotted your airship,” Kaylee said. “We thought it would be best to keep you company while we waited for Lord Icefall to arrive.”

I gave Kaylee a mental thumbs-up. Her words made it seem as if we were here out of consideration to Prince Eugene, and Lord Icefall to a lesser extent, instead of using this as an opportunity to form a connection with House Solaria. From the twinkle in his eyes, I guessed that Prince Eugene saw right through this, but didn’t make an issue of it.

“Let me introduce you to my companions,” Kaylee said. “You have already met my brother, Lord Gabriel.” She gestured to me, before gesturing to Annabelle. “And this is my friend, Lady Anabelle Thorne of House Thorne.”

“Greetings, Lord Gabriel,” Prince Eugene said. “It’s been some time since we last spoke. I believe it was when you debuted into House society, was it not?”

“Yes, it was, Prince Eugene,” I said. “I am honored that you remember me.”

“Of course. Others may have forgotten about the services your House has rendered to the empire, but House Solaria has not.”

His eyes narrowed a fraction.

“However, I am a bit confused. Why is your sister the one greeting me, and not you? You and I have a prior acquaintance. Not only that, but you are the heir to House Sturm. While I have heard the rumors regarding House Sturm’s succession, your father hasn’t made any official announcement regarding the matter.”

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His eyes narrowed even further.

“Though, from what I can tell, that won’t be necessary.”

I gave him an enigmatic smile. It was clear that he was curious about my Circles, but wouldn’t ask about it. Instead, he wanted me to bring it up. Rather than indulge his curiosity, however, I ignored it altogether.

“Let me clarify matters for you then,” I said. “My sister is now the heir to House Sturm, not I.” I grimaced. “When I lost my duel with Lady Annabelle, I came here to the Icefall Region to reflect upon my actions. After giving it much thought, I decided it was best for my House if I stepped down as heir. While I will do everything I can for my House, I will not do so as its Patriarch.”

Prince Eugene studied me for several moments, a puzzled look on his face.

“I see,” was all he said, before turning to Annabelle. “And Lady Annabelle, the Otherworlder adopted by House Thorne. While I have not had the privilege of meeting you before today, I can see that the rumors about your beauty are true.” His smile grew wider. “Of course, I am a bit biased. My children have told me all about the time they spent with you.”

Annabelle made a visible effort not to wince at the mention of Prince Everard and Princess Evelynn. If Prince Eugene noticed, he pretended not to.

“Thank you, Prince Eugene,” Annabelle said, her tone a little stiff. “I am flattered by your words.”

“You’re welcome, Lady Annabelle.” Prince Eugene glanced between the three of us. “I’m glad to see that you and the scions of House Sturm are getting along so well, especially given the recent…unpleasantness between you and Lord Gabriel.”

“Yes,” Annabelle said. “We wished to avoid things from escalating further, so we made efforts to mend things between us. Lady Kaylee has become a dear friend of mine. As for Lord Gabriel…” She reached for me. I grabbed her hand, and pulled her closer. “…he managed to find his way into my heart.”

She smiled at me as she said this. My heart skipped a bit, and I gave her a goofy grin in return. Kaylee rolled her eyes at this, not even hiding her disgust.

Huh, Aurora said. Love does turn men into idiots.

I ignored her.

Prince Eugene’s eyes widened at this, and his jaw dropped. I didn’t blame the man. Given what happened between Annabelle and I, her words must have come across as quite the shock.

As far as anyone in House society knew, the two of us were mortal enemies. If we were any other couple, not many people would care. However, as a scion of a former Great House and a scion of a current Great House, our relationship would draw a lot of attention.

“Forgive me for asking,” Prince Eugene said, after he recovered his composure. “Are the two of you courting now? I only ask to avoid any potential misunderstandings.”

“Yes,” Annabelle and I said at the same time.

He blinked at the two of us.

“And your parents are aware of this?”

“Mine are,” I said.

“I still need to inform mine,” Annabelle said after some hesitation.

Prince Eugene frowned.

“I plan on asking for Lord and Lady Thorne’s blessing when I return to Sturm Manor,” I said, putting emphasis on the word “blessing”.

Prince Eugene didn’t say anything for several moments, before his lips tilted up in a small smile.

“Well now,” he said. “This trip is turning out to be more interesting than I had expected.”

Before he could say more, however, Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair arrived. Took them long enough. My parents arrived not too long after. Since the adultier adults had arrived, my companions and I stepped back and let them take things from here. Annabelle and I continued to hold hands. From time to time, Prince Eugene glanced at us, a gleam in his eye.

I put a hand on Kaylee’s shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“You did well, Sissy,” I whispered.

“Yes, Lady Kaylee,” Annabelle whispered. “You kicked ass.”

Kaylee nodded, keeping a composed expression on her face.

“I thought I was going to pass out from nervousness,” she admitted. “I don’t know if I’m capable of being the heir to House Sturm.”

“Of course you are,” I said. “If you hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have stepped down.”

Kaylee didn’t reply right away to this.

“Elder Brother, I’m-…”

I gave her shoulder a brief squeeze.

“Later, Sissy,” I said. “Now isn’t the time for this.”

Kaylee nodded. Personal conversations could wait. Right now, we had a prince to butter up.

----------------------------------------

I yawned as I sat atop the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. Today had been a busy one for us. After greeting Prince Eugene, and showing him around for a bit, Lord Icefall invited us all to attend a dinner at Icefall Manor that night.

It turned out that Prince Eugene had sent a notice ahead of time, but came a day early to surprise House Icefall. That was why Lord Icefall hadn’t been there to greet him. Thankfully, most of the preparations for the dinner had already been made, otherwise things would’ve been a bit awkward for House Icefall.

My family and I, plus Annabelle, had to head back to Sturm Hill Hall in order to prepare for the dinner. My parents took that opportunity to question us about what we had talked about with Prince Eugene. We gave them a brief rundown of the conversation, including my declaration that Kaylee was now the heir to House Sturm.

Given Prince Eugene’s status, the only way that could have been more official was if Father had said it himself.

When they heard how Kaylee had comported herself, they praised her for keeping her cool even though she had been thrown into the deep end. Kaylee beamed at their attention and approval. I smiled when I saw this.

Yeah, stepping down as heir was the right move. Kaylee needed our parents’ attention and support more than I did.

My parents scolded me a bit for throwing Kaylee under the bus like that. However, they also thanked me for giving Kaylee the opportunity to shine.

I also took this opportunity to warn my parents about the old man I met in Icefall City, and gave them a summary of my conversation with him. Afterwards, they shared a glance and said they would look into it. I found this odd, but left it alone. Since they had been warned, they could be prepared for whatever this old man tried to do.

The dinner itself was a pleasant affair. True to form, Prince Eugene conversed with everyone there and livened up the atmosphere. While none of the conversations lasted too long, it was clear that he wasn’t just going through the motions. He even engaged in a debate on magical theory with Lady Calla, Lord Icefall’s daughter; a debate that went right over my head.

While I had the memories and life experiences of a reincarnated Immortal, and enough cultivation knowledge to fill entire oceans, I was lacking when it came to wizardry knowledge. I mean, a fifteen year-old girl knew more than me. To be fair, she was a genius when it came to magical theory. Still, it was a humbling experience.

There was some overlap between them, but wizardry and cultivation were like two branches that split off from each other a long time ago. Hmm, maybe it would be more apt to say that they were two different trees whose seeds came from the same source.

During the dinner, we learned that Prince Eugene didn’t plan to stay in the Icefall Region for long. He would check out the mythril deposit, confirm Lord Icefall’s claims, and finalize any remaining paperwork. After that, he would head back home and report to his House. In a few weeks, a contingent of the Sun Guard would arrive to protect both the mythril deposit and Icefall City.

Prince Eugene also planned to do a bit of sightseeing. The Icefall Region was a rough, desolate place, but it had plenty of natural beauty. The Icefall Mountains in particular were majestic to behold, even from a distance.

Since this was an opportunity that didn’t come all that often, my parents invited Prince Eugene to dine with us at Sturm Hill Hall before he headed back to Sunheart. To their delight, he accepted.

All in all, today had been a great success, at least when it came to socializing and playing the House game. My training and cultivation suffered a bit, but I could make up for it in the future. Perhaps I would go into seclusion for a bit longer than I had originally planned. While it wouldn’t be ideal, I could winter here and head back to Sturm Manor just before spring arrived. That was when the social season started for the Houses.

A sound interrupted my thoughts. Kaylee climbed onto the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. I noticed her earlier, but pretended not to. While she wasn’t as physically strong as me, she wasn’t weak. Like the rest of our family, she had kept herself in shape. A healthy body housed a healthy mind. She was more than capable of climbing onto the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. If she fell, I would catch her.

Originally, I had wanted to spend more time with Annabelle because I had a feeling that our time together would end soon. It wasn’t anything definite, but my intuition told me that she would soon leave me. However, Annabelle thought that Kaylee might want to talk with me, so she gave us the time and space we needed.

Personally, I thought it was just an excuse to cultivate, because as soon as she said that, she locked herself in the meditation chamber. I smiled at that.

“Kaylee?” I asked, pretending to be surprised. “What are you doing up here?”

“Trying…to find you…Elder Brother,” Kaylee panted. “How…do you…manage to climb up here…every night?”

Ah, so Father and Mother hadn’t told her about cultivation and my reincarnation yet. Hold on. I thought back to my conversation with them yesterday. I don’t think they ever said they would tell her about my reincarnation. I guessed they left that up to me.

“Practice,” I said. “That, and I’m very strong.”

Kaylee gave me an annoyed look.

“Are you calling me weak?” she snapped out.

I smirked at her.

“Well, if the shoe fits…” I said, trailing off. I chuckled at the look she gave me. “I’m joking.”

Kaylee plopped herself down next to me, and spent the next few minutes recovering her breath. Afterwards, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

“Elder Brother,” she said. “Gabriel. I’m…I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted towards. Not just here in Sturm Hill Hall, but back at Sturm Manor before you left.”

She started to say more, but I held up a hand to halt her.

“There’s no need for you to apologize,” I said. “I understand why you acted the way you did.” I flinched. “And to be honest, I know I deserve it. Not only did I almost cause a conflict with House Thorne, but I also hurt our family’s standing. I hurt your standing, and caused your friends to abandon you. Worst of all, instead of staying to help fix what I broke, I ran away north, leaving you to fend for yourself. I had good reasons for it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. My actions hurt our family, hurt you, and for that you have my deepest apologies.”

Kaylee stared at me for several moments, before her eyes teared up.

“Why do you have be so…so…,” she said in a thick voice. “Now I feel even worse for the way I treated you.”

I put my arm around Kaylee’s shoulders. She stiffened at the contact, but soon relaxed and leaned into me. Tears streamed down her cheeks, though she didn’t sob. Instead, she cried in silence for the next several minutes.

“I’m sorry,” Kaylee said again, after she finished wiping away her tears. “I was just so angry with you. Everything was going well for our family. The three of us were supposed to be the hope of our family; you, me, and Roland. After graduating from the Solarian Imperial Family, you were supposed to lead our family to greatness. And then you had to ruin it all by making an enemy of Lady Annabelle.” She took a deep breath. “Why, Gabriel? Why did you do it?”

I winced at her words.

“Envy and jealousy are ugly, poisonous emotions,” I said. “If left unchecked, they can cause a person to do terrible things; things they might not have done otherwise. This isn’t me trying to excuse my behavior. I take full responsibility for my actions.” I squeezed Kaylee tighter against me. “But that’s not the real reason why you were angry with me, is it? Rather, it’s not the only reason.”

Kaylee paused before responding.

“Did Lady Annabelle tell you that?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I figured it out on my own, though it took me a bit. See, I never really thought about what it meant to be born a spare. Until I came to the Icefall Region, I never thought about what it would have been like to live in my shadow.”

Kaylee leaned her head against my shoulder.

“I loved you,” she said. “Looked up to you. But I also hated you. You’re right, envy and jealousy are ugly, poisonous emotions. You had everything. More magic, more talent, more of everything. Our parents paid more attention to you, and gave you everything you needed to grow your power. Roland and I were just an afterthought. At least, that’s what it felt like.”

She lifted her head from my shoulder and rested her chin on her knees.

“I know that wasn’t the case. Our resources are limited. Since you were the heir, and had more magical aptitude, it only made sense for our parents to focus on your growth and development. I understand that. However, sometimes it felt like Roland and I mattered less to Father and Mother. Sometimes it felt like they didn’t care as much about us. About me.”

Kaylee buried her face in her knees, as if trying to hide from me.

“When I heard about what happened to you, I was shocked and horrified. I was afraid that you might die. However, a part of me was glad. A part of me wanted you to die. I thought that if you were gone, our parents would focus on me. I thought that it would be my turn to shine. And I hated myself for having those thoughts.”

It seemed as if self-loathing was something my sister and I had in common. That thought made me sad.

“To make matters worse, I was wrong. Even when you were gone, our parents focused more on you than me. After everything that you had done, even with your Circles shattered, that hadn’t changed.” She lifted her head and glared at me, tears streaming down her cheeks again. “When they heard about what you were up to, they dropped everything to come here. If I hadn’t insisted on coming along, they would have left me behind. When I saw you again, and saw that your First Circle was restored, I was afraid that things would go back to the way they were. You would get everything, while I would become an afterthought again.”

“Kaylee,” I began to say, but she interrupted me.

“I know what you’re about to say, but it’s true,” Kaylee said. “Father and Mother do care more about you than me. So does Lady Annabelle. You had everything, and now you even wanted to take my best friend away from me. It…It drove me a little mad.”

I mean, if that’s how she wanted to see it, far be it from to correct her. Honestly, her behavior was mild compared to what I would have done. Her actions, while a bit annoying, were childish at worst. Mine were too at times, but she had the excuse of still being a child.

Well, a teen, but teenagers were known to be emotional and immature. Gotta love that cocktail of hormones and insecurity that came with puberty.

“So, there,” Kaylee said, turning away from me. “That’s everything. Are you happy now, Elder Brother?”

Ah, so we were back to “Elder Brother” now, were we?

“You know,” I said, speaking in a teasing tone. “I’m surprised you’re so opposed to my relationship with Lady Annabelle.”

Kaylee turned towards me, an affronted look on her face.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. “Lady Annabelle is my friend, and she told me about all the horrible things you did to her back in the Solarian Imperial Academy. How could you, Gabriel? What were you thinking?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing you say can excuse your behavior. I don’t know what Lady Annabelle was thinking when she decided to court you. She deserves someone who will treat her better.”

I paused, before nodding.

“Well, you’re right about that,” I said. “She deserves someone who will treat her better than I had back then.” I lowered my voice. “However, there is one crucial aspect that you’re overlooking, Sissy.”

“What’s that?” Kaylee said, a faint sneer in her tone.

“When Lady Annabelle and I get married, the two of you will become sisters.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened at this, and she stared at me for several long seconds.

“Gabriel,” she said, after clearing her throat. “I wholeheartedly support your relationship with Lady Annabelle, and I wish the both of you a long and happy life together.”

I grinned.

“I thought as much.”

The two of us fell silent as we sat on the rooftop, lost in our own thoughts. I looked up, towards the heavens.

“Gabriel, how did you and Lady Annabelle end up courting?” Kaylee asked. “While I would love to have her as my sister, I don’t understand. From what I heard, the two of you hated each other. You said it yourself, and I heard it from Lady Annabelle as well. How did you two go from that to courting?” She lowered her voice. “Is it some kind of ploy on your part? Hers? The both of you? If so, that would explain everything. It would also explain why Father and Mother are so accepting of it. A marriage with House Thorne would be a great boon to our family.”

I smiled at that. While I could leave her in the dark, I decided not to. At the very least, I would tell her about my life as Brandon Norwood. As for Immortal Celestial Thunder, I would wait until after our parents had told her about cultivation.

“Actually, the answer is much simpler than that,” I said. “Let me tell you about a boy named Brandon Norwood, and the angel who took his heart.”