Lexi didn't despair just yet, but she felt hopeless and listless. Her excitement at visiting Zach and summoning a familiar to show off yet again how talented she was had completely faded. She sighed and put the egg in a pocket.
Zach put a comforting hand on his big sister's shoulder. All of a sudden, she didn't seem that much older or taller than him.
"Lexi…"
"..."
"Maybe this experience has taught you some humility," he said in a low voice. There was not a word of comfort in what he had just said. He was kicking someone who was already down. But it was his sister, so it was fine.
Lexi's head rose and she looked straight at Zach.
The hand on her shoulder was solid, noticeably so. It wasn't blocky like Leonidas' or their fathers' hands, but it was broader and sturdier than it was just a couple of years ago when Zach was even more of a brat than he was now.
It was proof that he had worked out regularly and intensely lately.
