As expected my mother was waiting for me back at the Varemont estate. I thought she would be angry that I had disappeared without permission but I saw no anger nor concern in her features.
She was standing at the foyer, with Lady Varemont next to her. August's mother had a sweet disposition, with her soft eyes and round cheeks. Her hair was as dark as coal, glimmering like onyx beneath the chandelier. I heard she was a ground-wielder, although not as gifted as her husband and son.
"Where have you been, young lady?" asked Mother, her hands on her hips. "Wait a minute. Lily, is that—"
Lady Varemont gasped when I arrived in front of them. "Blood! Oh, dear Lily! What happened?"
I paused, reaching for my forehead. I discovered that the blood had crusted on my skin.
Mother crouched, gripping my shoulders gently. Worry scrunched her brows. "Tell us, Lilibeth. Who hurt you?"
The scenes by the bank returned to me, raw and fresh. I was already guilty enough, now I was ashamed of what I'd done as well.
My cheeks burned at the images in my mind. "It was nothing, Mother. Lady Varemont, forgive me for worrying you. I only bumped on a wall on my way back. And I'm sorry too, Mother. I sneaked out without telling you. I was only curious."
Lady Varemont's shoulders slumped with relief. But it seemed my mother was not at all convinced. "Shall I call one of our healers?"
"I appreciate the offer, my lady." I curtsied. "But I'd prefer my father doing it."
"Very well, then." She smiled sweetly to me and my mother. "As long as you aren't hurt badly."
Yeah, right. It was my chest that was hurting. The look that Niko gave me earlier . . . it hurt worse than a cut from a blade.
After thanking our host and bidding her farewell, my mother and I rode our carriage back home. The sky had gone completely dark, specks of stars scattered on it like sparkling powdered sugar.
"Lily, I don't want you lying to me." My mother caught my attention. The greens of her irises brightened with concern. "Tell me the truth?"
My fingers fumbled on my skirt as I fidgeted, my gaze cast on my shoes. I sighed, tears threatening to spill at the corners of my eyes. "I got into a fight."
I told her everything. Of how I lost my temper, my head hot like always. Of how weak and stupid I was to let rage conquer me so quickly. And of how I messed up Niko and mine's relationship.
My mother chuckled. "Oh, Lily. Your blood burns with the flames of our ancestors. We redheads always get irritated easily, don't we?"
I lifted my head to gaze at her directly. "You're not mad about what they said about you?"
She laughed. "No, dearest. Of course not. They are kids who don't know any better. But I do understand that you got mad on my behalf. It took me a while to fully control my temper, Lily. I don't expect you to be the same."
I leaned deeper into my chair. Outside, there echoed the clicks and clacks of horse hooves against the cobblestone street.
"What am I going to do?" I groaned. "I messed up big time, Mother. Niko won't talk to me ever again."
She giggled, leaning toward me with her chin planted onto her knuckles. "You must really care for this Niko's opinion of you, hmm?"
I averted my gaze to the sides. "Well, yeah. He's the only one who ever treated me like a normal person. Not a girl who's too strong or too extreme like all the other kids say."
"Indeed. The captain's son is a gentle child as I've observed. Even when you lose to him, he offers his hand to help you up. He doesn't even act smug every time he beat you. He is very much unlike the sons of most nobles."
I sat up straight. "You saw us?"
"Every time," she said, chuckling. "Lady Varemont's parlor provides a scenic view of the courtyard and the knights' training grounds."
I folded my arms, inclining into the seat. I pouted. "Whatever, those days are long gone anyway."
"Don't you give up so fast." She winked. "You can just go and apologize to him and his friends, Lily."
"Like it's that easy." I sighed for the thousandth time tonight. "You should have seen the way they looked at me."
She tilted her head, a sharp gleam passed her eyes. "So you will simply back down? Will you not take this as a challenge, Lily?"
I put my hands at the edges of the seat, trying to focus. "What do you suggest I do, Mother?"
"I have an idea." She said, just when a servant opened the carriage door. We had already arrived. I didn't even notice the time passing. "But we'll talk about it once we have your wound all cleaned up, hmm?"
I grinned. "All right."
When I entered the house, it was Father I instantly sought to find. It didn't take long, he was sitting in the living room with Erilyn.
Upon seeing the dried up blood, he spat his coffee and dropped the newspaper he was reading. Erilyn squealed, going pale.
"That's quite a reaction." My mother said as she shrugged off her coat and slung it on a maid's waiting arms.
"Lily! What happened, my daughter?!" Father was shaking my shoulders. At the sides, Erilyn was covering her mouth, about to cry. I swear, this duo just loved to overreact.
"Father, it doesn't even hurt anymore." I said truthfully. The sharp pain had subsided and was left like a dull throbbing beneath my skin. "Hurry up and heal it so I can tell you what happened."
"Lily, are you sure?" Erilyn came to me and picked up my hand. "Did some random boys bully you again?"
True enough, boys bullying me was not new to me. Others either felt threatened of my presence or got jealous that I was much stronger than them. Until meeting Niko, I'd preferred to be in the company of girls. They loved to squeak and jump around, but there was no trouble with girls.
"I'm fine, sister." I offered her a reassuring smile. "It's not like I can't fight back."