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

Y’all want the shoulder? That’s the meatiest part.”
    “Please,” Crystil said, more insistent than polite.
    Pagus smiled and dropped the piece in Crystil’s hands.
    “Pretty lady,” he said to Celeste. “How are you?”
    “Doing well, thank you,” she said as she hugged Pagus, much to the chagrin of Cyrus. Of all people, she winds up hugging Pagus. I mean, granted, not a lot of options for her here, and really only one good one for me, but still. Pagus? Really?
    Pagus dropped a slightly larger piece onto her hands, and Celeste joined Crystil out in the field, about halfway between the remains of Omega One and the tent Cyrus had pitched.
    “And my brother,” Pagus said as the two exchanged hugs. “I hear you are the greatest tent pitcher on Anatolus.”
    “It’s a title I take great pride in,” he said. “Give me the biggest piece of meat you got.”
    “Well, unfortunately, your sister and your dream girl got that already.”
    “She’s… you know what, just give me whatever,” Cyrus said, drawing a hearty, short laugh from Pagus.
    Cyrus took his cut from the ribs of the beast and sat down with the two girls. Their expressions reflected what they looked like after Cyrus’ tent pitch—and really, what they looked like most of the time. Celeste is happy, cheerful, and best in peace. Crystil is tense, unsure and looking for excitement.
    “Oh, so good,” Cyrus said to fill the silence as he took a bite of the food, not bothering to wait until he swallowed the food.
    Celeste started to scold him but stopped. She knows I am who I am!
    “It’s not quite as good as Dad’s cooking,” she said with a nostalgic smile.
    “You’re nice, Celeste,” Cyrus said, having finished his bite. “But even Pops would disagree with you.”
    “What if we combined Dad’s cooking and an ursus?”
    “Then I could die happy since I’d be back on Monda,” Cyrus said laughing.
    But he cut short his chuckling when he looked over at Crystil. Her eyes were focused on her food, but she wasn’t laughing or even smiling. Talk of Pops. Monda. Death. It’s probably all reminding her what she’s lost. We should stop.
    “But I’m good on Anatolus,” Cyrus said, but it didn’t seem to help, as Crystil remained focused on her food.
    She finished before the siblings had even finished half of their meat, and she stood up.
    “I’m gonna go rest a bit in the ship,” she said. “Come find me if you need anything.”
    You’re always resting on the ship. Come rest with us.
    Come rest with me.
    He liked her and had images in mind, but in that moment, Cyrus just wanted to comfort his commander. If nothing else, he’d learned that a lifetime soldier didn’t handle peace well. She needed to find a new purpose—one that had yet to show itself.
    “Think she’ll ever be comfortable here?” Celeste asked as Crystil disappeared from view.
    “She could,” Cyrus said. “Dunno how, though.”
    Celeste took another bite of her ursus, and suddenly it didn’t seem quite as tasty as before.
    “Should I, I mean we, go check in on her?”
    Celeste shot Cyrus a knowing smile.
    “Let her be. When she’s ready, she’s ready. If she doesn’t want to see us, she won’t come to us.”
    Cyrus could easily pick up on the double meaning, and he went back to eating. Really don’t know why I’m attracted to her. Well… I know why. Her beauty. Her awesomeness. Her loyalty. And, let’s be real, her being the only real option here.
    Wonder if she feels the same way back to me. Based on options, she’s gotta. But is she past Dyson? Could she look past all our past transgressions?
    Should probably just focus on the magic for right now. She’s gotta turn around.
    Someday.
    Hopefully.

 
     
     
     
    5
    Just outside the entrance of Omega One , Crystil gazed up to the golden evening sky of her new home. The sky was clean, cloudless and full of radiant colors that the greatest artists on Monda had never reproduced. It was a testament to