Kastori Devastations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 2) Read Online Free

other side of the tent did not shoot out of the ground.
    “Haha!” he yelled in triumph. He looked at Celeste and Crystil and flexed, drawing good-natured eye rolls from each woman. He turned to Erda, who wore a guilty smile.
    “You better not have supplied any magic there, I’m gonna tell everyone that I did this myself.”
    “You can tell them that,” Erda said with a smile impossible for Cyrus to interpret.
    “I… ugh, you know what, I have no way of knowing,” he said with unintentional exaggeration on the last four words. “So I’m just gonna say I did it myself unless you decide to ruin my parade.”
    “No one’s stopping it, Cyrus,” she said with a nod and a gentle hand on the shoulder as she passed him and headed toward the rest of the Kastori tents.
    He turned back to Celeste and Crystil, each with bored faces. Celeste’s shoulders remained tension-free, an ever-present smile curved on her face, and her eyes wide with curiosity and anticipation of a promising future.
    Crystil, on the other hand, didn’t smile, crossed her arms, and narrowed her eyes. It’s like she’s still expecting a battle to come.
    I wish she’d just give it up. She could be so fun to hang around—no, she is so fun to be around. I see it, I know it when we’re together. But every time I look at her from afar… I wish I could help. I wish I could be with her, just… just together. No secrets. No lies. No walking out or kidney punches.
    “Ladies,” he said, puffing up his chest and shoulders to look bigger. “I truly appreciate all of the support that I got from you. I’d like to give an acceptance speech and thank the two of you for supporting me in my quest for ‘Best Tent Pitcher.’”
    “I’m sorry, but who went and helped grab an ursus to celebrate our new home?” Celeste asked, poking her brother in the chest. “Who’s the one that ensured that after your heavy blood, sweat, and tears, that you could eat some meat to refuel yourself?”
    Cyrus let a grin form, and he could see Celeste’s smile narrow and her eyes go wide in anticipation of a smart response.
    “The Kastori?”
    Celeste bit her lip, knowing she—they—could not say everything truthful.
    “Teamwork, Cyrus,” Crystil said gently as she walked over to the two siblings. “We’re all in this together.”
    “True,” Cyrus said, drawing out the word as he turned to the tent for dramatic effect and back. “Except for this one tent. In that case, my hands were in this together.”
    “Oh, whatever,” Celeste said. “You had the easy part. Pitching a tent, oooh.”
    “It’s not exactly hunting wildlife,” Crystil deadpanned, a calming smile on her face. “Pitching a tent sounds about as hard as climbing a tree.”
    “Hey, when you’ve got an angry woman chasing after you, trust me, it becomes the easiest thing in the world.”
    “And how often does—”
    Erda interrupted their banter by calling their names near the center of the outpost. Around them, about a dozen tents stood, including the red one Cyrus had just raised and Erda’s golden tent at the back between the two rows of red, white and black tents. It looked similar in structure to their refugee camp underground, but the context felt like the difference between the slums of Capitol City and the Imperial Palace.
    “We’ve prepared the ursus. I trust—”
    “See you guys there!” Cyrus said, about to sprint when he felt two stronger-than-expected hands stopping him. He turned to see both Celeste and Crystil holding him back, at which he mockingly pouted.
    “Wait,” Celeste said.
    “I trust you guys to share equally,” Erda said, shooting an amused look at Cyrus.
    Cyrus turned back, and each woman shook her head no. Cyrus threw his hands up, only to see the two women sprint ahead of him. Cyrus ran to catch them, but they had gotten such a head start that they easily beat him to Pagus, who was slicing the meat with his magic.
    “All right, pretty ladies get first dibs.