Chapter 22 He's your brother!

With Ravel Phenex…

Ravel was reeling. The world seemed to have turned on its head and she couldn't tell which direction was up anymore.

Riser was gone. They'd searched everywhere, but no one had been able to find him. Her mother's rash decision to trade away Clarissa – a decision that irritated Ravel because now she would never be able to learn from the century-old witch, though her feelings for Clarissa's fate were vastly overshadowed by the concern she felt for her brother – had ended horribly. Riser left in a rage, taking his queen with him. Ruval had disappeared shortly afterwards, heading into the city to search the few areas Riser ever visited during his rare excursions into the outside world, hoping to turn up anything that might help him locate their lost brother. Both Riser and Ruval had been gone for two days.

An illogical part of Ravel's mind couldn't help but think part of this fiasco was her fault. She wasn't much younger than Riser and ever since she was born her parents had doted on her constantly. She always felt a smug amusement when her mother would read her stories late into the night, indulging her love of attention. She hadn't thought Riser was affected. All the youngest of her brothers ever seemed to care about was training.

She'd heard the rumors that circulated among the servants, that Riser spent all of his time locked behind doors with his queen. What else would a young, hormonal Pillar Devil who had everything be doing but having never-ending sex with his abundantly beauftiful queen? Ravel knew that wasn't the case, and she'd thought everyone else did too. Her brother loved to train. Yubelluna was with him because she trained with Riser. Yubelluna's growing affection for her brother had been clear to Ravel for some time, but romance was the furthest thing from Riser's mind. He was too focused on finding new and exciting ways to use the Phenex family's magic. Why was that fact in question? Her brother was a strength nut, not a horndog. She didn't think everyone was really so out of touch with Riser's interests to think he'd be so…base.

Now, watching as her mother and father prepared to receive Lord Gremory, she couldn't help but think maybe she should have said something. Maybe she should have sacrificed one of the nights spent with her mother so that Riser could be with their parents too. Maybe instead of chuckling at the absurdity of the rumors, she should have put a stop to them.

"I should have traded that witch half-a-century ago!" Ravel's mother said, her voice a hiss of fury. "Where does she get off raising my son in my place? My boy would never have disrespected me like that without her poisonous words whispering in his ear."

Raycal let out a dramatic sigh as he lazily straightened out his jacket. "Riser is just trying to garner attention. Leave him be and he'll be back when he gets hungry. You know as well as I do that he's too lazy to keep this up for long."

"He is not lazy!" Ravel shouted as she stormed to her feet, tears gathering in her eyes. "He's your brother! How do you know so little about him that you think he's lazy?"

Raycal smirked at her over his shoulder as he popped up the collars of his jacket. "I understand you are a little young to understand this, Ravel, but–"

"Not you too!" Ravel said, her voice cracking as the tears began to fall. How did Riser's brother buy into that asinine bullshit? Did Raycal really know that little about Riser? If he was that out of touch with Riser, what did he think about her?

"Ravel, what's wrong, my little hellion?" her mother said as she bent down, holding her arms wide to hug Ravel.

Ravel threw herself back out of her mother's reach, glaring hatefully at her parents and her older brother. "This is all your fault!"

Before anything else could be said, a bright red flash of light illuminated the courtyard in front of Phenex Castle. Their guests had arrived.

"If we're interrupting we can come back later." Lord Gremory said, his keen eyes scanning over the assembled faces of the four present members of the Phenex Family.

"Not at all." Ravel's father said, stepping in front of the rest of his family, giving them a chance to compose themselves as he held his hand out to shake Lord Gremory's hand. "Thank you for coming. I hope we are able to come to an agreement that satisfies the interests of both of our Pillars."

Ravel turned her back to the Lord and Lady Gremory as she wiped at her eyes, trying to hold even more tears back from falling. Her brother was missing and her family thought now was the time to play politics?

"I must admit," Lord Gremory said with an easy smile as he shook Lord Phenex's hand. "I was surprised to hear from you so soon after Riser's visit. I certainly hope he hasn't come to regret our transaction."

Ravel whipped her head around to face Lord Gremory. Her mother and father's eyes narrowed at Lord Gremory's words, but Raycal just seemed amused.

Chuckling, Raycal said, "Did my brother come to beg for the contract to be reinstated? I knew he'd regret his actions once he was finally able to comprehend the true scope of what he'd lost."

Lord Gremory's eyebrow rose, his expression turning thoughtful as he said, "You weren't aware of his visit?"

"What did that stupid boy do now?" Ravel's mother said, her shoulders sagging as she sighed in exasperation.

"My apologies," Lord Gremory said, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "I thought you had sent him to recover the witch as a means of smoothing things over between our two Pillars."

"He did what?" Heat waves began to radiate off of Ravel's mother as her gaze locked onto Lord Gremory.

Seemingly loving the spectacle before him, Lord Gremory held his hand up with a dramatic flourish, a mutation bishop appearing atop his palm. "Riser traded me his mutation bishop for your former bishop. Am I to assume this was not done on your orders?"

Want to read 20+ chapters ahead from here or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.

Link ---> patreon.com/Real28

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

P A T R E O N

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

patreon.com/Real28

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