The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil

by K. M. Randall

  “You sure you’re okay?” he asked, his eyes roaming over my face.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” I said stiffly. A flash to the side made me wince. Blaine took my hand and lifted it up to his mouth.

  “For the cameras,” he said as he pressed his lips to my knuckles. He didn’t actually kiss my hand but I imagined it looked like he did. How cheesy. I blushed and amusement flashed in his eyes.

  “That was lame as hell,” I stated. “Nobody does that in real life.”

  “I just did,” he replied smoothly. “Goodnight, Princess.”

  “Night,” I mumbled. He shut the door once I was in the car. I watched as he made his way back to his own car.

  “He seems really nice,” Terry mumbled.

  Chapter 7

  “Whoa,” I said when Terry stumbled out of the bedroom the next morning. “You look rough.”

  “I feel rough,” she said hoarsely. I grabbed a glass of water and pushed it under the nozzle on the fridge. Once it was full I handed it to her as well as a packet of paracetamol.

  “Take them. Trust me.”

  She popped some pills into her mouth and swallowed them with water.

  “Thanks for letting me stay,” she said. “My mum would’ve killed me if she saw the state I was in.”

  “It’s okay,” I said with a small smile. “You got it all in the toilet.”

  “I threw up?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s fine. You wouldn’t believe the amount of times Rick threw up here.”

  I had barely slept, replaying the awkward conversation I’d had with Rick. I’d messaged him several times and still hadn’t had a reply.

  “You hungry?” I asked to distract myself. “Toast will help.”

  I popped some bread in the toaster and picked up an apple off one of the fruit bowls. We had three in the kitchen. Fae lived for fruit.

  “What happened with Rick last night?” Terry asked as I washed the apple in the sink. I didn’t answer immediately, irked that she remembered.

  “He was in a mood,” I said vaguely as I turned the tap off.

  “Because of you and Blaine?”

  “Something like that.”

  “I always knew he had a thing for you,” Terry said as I slid onto one of the stools opposite her.

  “Yeah,” I mumbled, turning the apple over in my hand.

  “You’re still friends, right?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted, staring at the apple intently.

  “He’ll come around. Boys always do eventually.”

  I lifted my gaze to her.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  It took nearly two days before Rick finally answered me. Seeing his name on my phone screen relieved me but reading his message only annoyed me more.

  I’m dealing with shit atm. Talk soon

  That was all he said. I replied, asking him to call me or come over but he didn’t reply. Dad had a good idea what had happened though he didn’t pry.

  I was meant to go on another date with Blaine on Monday but he rang me an hour beforehand.

  “Hey, it’s me,” he said when I answered the phone. We’d exchanged numbers on our first date, not that I made a habit of texting him.

  “Hi,” I replied. “What’s up?”

  “I’m going to have to cancel tonight,” he said. He sounded stressed and I could hear voices in the background.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “A new tear up in Birmingham,” he replied. “The attacks are under control but they need us up there until the veil is repaired.”

  “Oh,” I frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. No casualties as far as I’m aware but there’s a good chance more could come through. I’ll call you tomorrow to reschedule.”

  “No worries,” I said. “Be careful.”

  I knew it was stupid to tell him to be careful but it felt like the right thing to say.

  “You worried about me, Princess?” I could almost hear him smirk.

  “Worried that they’ll see your big head coming from a mile away,” I replied. He chuckled.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  He hung up, leaving me to stare out the window, wondering what the hell I was meant to do with my day now. At least my date with Blaine would’ve distracted me from my troubles with Rick.

  I ended up reading some of the books dad had given me, though it was hard to concentrate. It wasn’t until evening fell that I gave up and decided to watch some TV.

  I was just walking back to the living room with a tub of ice cream when the doorbell rang. I walked into the hall and opened up the security camera.

  It was Rick.

  I opened the door.

  “Hi,” I said. He didn’t look me in the eye, just stared at the mat beneath his feet.

  “Hi,” he muttered. “Can I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  I held the door open for him and he walked in, looking deeply uncomfortable. I closed the door and led the way into the lounge, dropping my ice cream onto the table.

  “I thought you wanted space,” I said as he settled on the chair, away from me.

  “I thought I did,” he said, scratching his head. “I’m just… I don’t know.”

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t,” he said, putting his hand up. “Don’t apologise. I’m the one who lost my shit.”

  As much as I wanted to make things right between us, I didn’t want to address the elephant in the room. How were we supposed to go back to normal when he had feelings for me that I didn’t return? Was it even possible?

  “I just saw those photos and got… jealous.”

  I guess he was willing to talk about it.

  “I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I made such an ass of myself.”

  “You normally do after a drink,” I said, forcing a smile. He sighed.

  “I don’t know how to deal with all this,” he said, ignoring my joke.

  “Me and Blaine?” I guessed.

  “God, even hearing his stupid name makes me angry.”

  “You always knew this would happen,” I said quietly. “I was always going to be married off to someone.”

  “I was hoping it would be me.”

  I leaned back against the sofa, taking a deep breath.

  “That was never going to happen.”

  “But if it did, would you have been happy?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. He finally met my gaze.

  “I always thought… I guess it was just in my head.”

  I rubbed my eyes, exhausted by this awkward chat already.

  “You know you’re my best friend,” I said, my voice coming out unsteady. “I don’t want this to ruin that.”

  “I don’t want it to either,” he said. That didn’t mean it wouldn’t.

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen with Blaine,” I said stiffly. “We made an agreement the last time I saw him. I told him that if we kept it up until the Impius attacks are over and he wanted to walk away, then he could.”

  I thought that would make Rick happy, but his expression didn’t change.

  “And then what?” Rick asked. “You’ll marry someone else?”

  “I guess.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you?” he asked. “You don’t have a choice.”

  “I do have a choice,” I corrected him. “And besides, this will be your future too. Your dad will find you someone.”

  “He already tried,” Rick mumbled. “It didn’t work out.”

  I knew he was talking about me. I took a deep breath.

  “I know this isn’t what you want to hear but I have to do this. Yeah, the Council chose Blaine, but I’m choosing to go along with it. I don’t know if we’ll actually get married but for now it’s important that we try.”

  “Why? Why do you have to try? I’ve heard a lot of bad stuff about him.”

  “What? From old articles? You’ve read some of the
shit they’ve written about me.” His lips became a thin line. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not about him. It’s about the situation we’re in right now. The media has been fearmongering and scaring the public with their articles. If this gives them something new to write about for a while then I’ll do it. I know you don’t get it but please respect it.”

  “I do understand,” he said impatiently. “I really do. But I hate it. I hate the thought of you being with another guy. Even if you’re just pretending. It makes me sick.”

  “I don’t want you to feel that way,” I admitted. I really didn’t. I wished he didn’t have feelings for me. It would make this so much easier.

  “Well, I do.”

  I stared at my hands for a few moments, not sure what to do to make this better. Then a crazy idea popped into my head.

  “Why don’t you come with me?” I asked him. He frowned. “When I next meet Blaine?”

  “Why the hell would I do that?”

  “Because then you’ll meet him and talk to him and understand what we’re doing.”

  “I don’t want to be a third wheel to your lip locking sessions, thanks.”

  “It’s not like that. We mostly talk about how to sell our relationship. And argue about stuff. You can bring someone too.”

  “Who would I bring?”

  “What about Terry?”

  “Terry?”

  “Yeah… She stayed over the other night. I think she’s a bit lonely. And I also think she has a thing for you.”

  He blinked, clearly surprised. I knew it wouldn’t completely erase his pain but maybe the idea of someone having feelings for him would distract him.

  “She barely talks to me.”

  “Trust me. She’s interested. I don’t know how interested she is but there’s definitely something there.”

  He pondered that for a moment.

  “It would make it a lot less awkward for me too,” I added. “I’d really like it if you were there.”

  He contemplated my offer for a while. I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

  “I guess… maybe.”

  “That’s a yes?”

  “What have I got to lose?”

  Chapter 8

  I turned my cup around in my hands as the silence continued. Terry was sat opposite me, looking just as uncomfortable as I was. Blaine was sipping his coffee while Rick stared daggers at him.

  “So,” I said when I couldn’t take it any longer. “This is fun.”

  Rick glanced at me and Terry laughed awkwardly. Blaine rolled his eyes.

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Terry said to Rick. He gave her a quick smile before returning to his scowling.

  “This your first date?” Blaine asked.

  “It’s not really a date,” Terry said, turning crimson. “Just… a coffee.”

  “Uh-huh,” Blaine said. He gave me a questioning look, clearly confused why I’d insisted on having them join us.

  “I thought it would be nice for you to meet my friends,” I said.

  “Right.”

  I sipped my tea, hoping someone else would pick up the conversation ball.

  “So, Blaine,” Rick said, stirring his coffee with a wooden stirrer. “I bet it feels pretty good to be engaged to the future Queen of Avaria.”

  I shot him an annoyed look but he kept his eyes on Blaine.

  “It’s okay,” Blaine replied easily, though he was eyeing Rick suspiciously now.

  “How did you react when your father told you the news?” Rick pushed. Blaine leaned back slightly.

  “I just said okay,” he said in the same disinterested tone.

  “That’s it? I would’ve thought a bigshot like you would love to have such a boost to your rep. Bet the guys in your unit already look at you like you’re the King.”

  I kicked Rick under the table, making him jump.

  “He’s joking,” I said, my tone sharp.

  “I’m sure he is,” Blaine said dryly.

  “Were you in Birmingham on Monday?” Terry squeaked, trying to change the subject. “I saw the news. It’s so scary.”

  “I was there,” Blaine said. “Mostly as security while they repaired the veil.”

  “What do the tears look like?” Terry asked, sounding genuinely interested.

  “Like normal portals,” Blaine said, glancing over at Rick again. “With rips in them.”

  “Terry’s dad is on the research team,” I offered. “He helped stabilise the portal in Croydon.”

  Rick refused to join in the conversation, choosing to pout and judge Blaine silently. I kept shooting him glares but he remained grouchy.

  “Why don’t we go for a walk?” I suggested.

  “Yeah,” he piped up. “No point being out if there’s nobody to photograph it, right?”

  I scowled at him as I pushed my chair back. Blaine said nothing as we left and started down the street towards Hyde Park.

  “What’s his problem?” he muttered to me as we fell a few steps behind Rick and Terry. I didn’t answer, not really sure what to say. “Does this have something to do with why you two were arguing the other night?”

  “It’s complicated,” I said weakly.

  “He likes you,” he stated. I nibbled on my lip. “So he hates me. Not exactly complicated.”

  “He’s my best friend.”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  “No.”

  “There’s the complication,” Blaine said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Is that why you brought him with you? Not exactly a great idea.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t want to lose him.”

  “And the girl?”

  “I think she likes him.”

  Rick glanced over his shoulder at us. I narrowed my eyes at him, letting him know I was pissed at his behaviour. He gave Blaine another glare before turning away.

  “You shouldn’t have brought him. You know we have to act like a couple in public.”

  “Well… he’s going to have to find a way to deal with it. I figured it would be better for him to actually be here than sitting at home imagining it. Or reading about it.”

  “You were right about the front page,” he said, sounding a little annoyed.

  “Told you.”

  “One of my colleagues shoved the paper in my face on Saturday morning. They found it hilarious.”

  “Why?” I frowned. He shrugged. “Well… welcome to my life.”

  “Doesn’t it get annoying, being watched all the time?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “Like the other night. They were all taking photos when I was trying to talk to Rick. It’s… frustrating.”

  “Makes you miss Avaria.”

  “I always miss Avaria.”

  He gave me a sideways glance.

  “I thought you loved it here.”

  “I do… most of the time. But Avaria will always be home. It’s where I grew up. It’s where my mother is buried.”

  “Sorry,” Blaine said quietly, “about what happened.”

  It suddenly became hard to breathe.

  “It’s fine,” I managed to say. “I’m actually sick of hearing people feeling sorry for me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because nobody really knew her. If they did, it was as their Queen, not as a person.”

  “I met her a few times, you know. She visited the barracks in Avaria when I was training. Told me she could beat me in an arm wrestle.”

  I laughed because that was exactly the kind of thing my ballsy mother would’ve said.

  “We’re getting ice cream,” Terry called from in front of us. We’d fallen a little further behind so they waited for us to catch up. Rick glowered at the floor as we joined them.

  “My treat,” I insisted as we entered the shop. Rick sulked behind us, refusing to choose anything so I got him his favourite flavour and shoved it in his hands.

  “No charge for you, your highness,” the man behind the counter said. I was used to people offering m
e freebies or discounts, not that I liked taking them. This man was quite old, with wrinkly skin and a big, wide smile. I reached into my purse anyway and stuffed a twenty into the tip jar. I gave him a smile before leading the way out the shop.

  Terry began browsing the magazine stand next door and Blaine had to answer his phone, leaving me alone with Rick for a moment.

  “Are you trying to make this harder for me?” I asked him quietly.

  “I’m just getting to know him,” he retorted. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “You’re being an asshole. I’m not asking you to be best buddies but don’t be so awful.”

  “If I’m so awful, why bother inviting me?”

  “Because you’re my best friend. You’ve got to help me out here. I’m trying to make this work. Don’t make me choose between you and my duties to Avaria.”

  “This isn’t about your duties. It’s about who you’re going to marry.”

  “I’m not talking about this anymore.” My patience was worn thin now. “Either you support me or you don’t. But if you keep making digs at him, you’re going to push me over the edge.”

  I stalked across to Terry. She was flipping through a fashion magazine. I studied the display. There were a couple of magazines that had photos of me and Blaine on the cover. I picked one up and turned to the page the article was on.

  It was mostly just speculation with a few quotes of witnesses. Even though they’d made big news out of our few dates, there wasn’t really much depth to the actual articles. I frowned as I read it.

  “That’s my bad side,” Blaine said, appearing beside me. I smirked and put the magazine back.

  “I reckon we’re going to have to do an interview at some point,” I said. “They’re asking a lot of questions in these articles.”

  “Sounds fun. You know, I can feel your friend’s eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. Rick was leaning on a streetlamp, glaring in our direction. He’d tossed his ice cream away.

  I sighed.

  “I hate to say this Princess, but you can’t fix it just like that. It’ll take time.”

  “I just want my friend back.”

  He gave me a sympathetic look but was distracted by something behind me. I followed his gaze and saw a reporter hovering at the end of the magazine rack.