Star Side

Chapter 61

Rikek came back from his journey to the Black Back country to find that his trip to educate himself on the other nations he'd have to negotiate as chief had become a waste, as his missing brother, the only sibling who had inherited the royal purple, had returned not only alive, but having grown wings. It was the one thing Rikek lacked that he thought he might never have to address. No one enjoyed the cold, stinging air of the peaks. And while he had interest in being chief and feared nothing, he did not like pain.

Inflicting pain, however, was a different story, as the moment he saw Gilrack he was all claws and poison spines upon his wings.

His stupid younger brother got in a good few gouges in his tender membrane before Gilrack managed to fling him off into the wall. The hardening of his body had given him greater strength in return for losing his flexibility, but Rikek was sticky like a cave newt when he wanted to be.

Before Rikek could get his legs under him to attack again, the royal guard near the entrance of the royal hall had reached him and had hold of him. Rikek strained against them but a moment before settling for hanging from their arms and glaring daggers at Gilrack. Bits of his purple mane stuck against his bared fangs.

"You said you had no interest," he hissed.

Gilrack flicked his injured wings, spraying specks of blood on the polished floors.

"Still not," he growled. "Though I'm thinking of being chief out of spite now, you violent bastard."

Attracted by the scent of blood, more guardsmen appeared from around the corner, falling in line with Gilrack. From above landed his father, Horack, whose pupils had narrowed and ears flattened. His lip curled at the sight of his son's injured wings.

"Rikek, what is this? What did your brother do to deserve this?"

"He lied!" he screeched. "All my effort, all my—I was going to become chief! He said I could! Two-faced! Hypocrite!"

"You don't know the story," started Horack.

"What other possible reason would he have to go to the peak!?"

"I didn't go to the peak," said Gilrack.

"Worm shit!"

"He didn't," said Horack. "He was taken to the heavens."

Rikek stared. Then started to laugh. The guards holding his arms were so put off by this, their grip slackened enough for Rikek to tug his bronze arms from their grip. He clenched his dark, violet fists.

"Now you're just mocking me."

"I can explain it all or you can ask the chieftess when she returns, but it's truth. He brought back a divine being for a mate."

Rikek stared. Then he snarled.

"You're mad." He looked to Gilrack. "The peak air muddled your brain."

But Gilrack had run out of patients for Rikek's drama. His wings hurt, and he didn't have the climbing abilities of his father to get back to Jolene's nest. If he so much as struggled to reach his mate, becoming chief would be the least of Rikek's worries.

Thankfully, while painful, he was still able to fly and managed to reach the landing while his father and the guards dealt with the snarling Rikek.

The moment Jo saw him, her eyes went wide and her fearful alarm stabbed into his brain, making him wince. Perhaps he should have at least cleaned up before coming.

She scrambled out of the nest. "What happened?"

"My brother is displeased with my wings," he said simply, moving to the sink to grab a rag and possibly a sewing kit to do up the holes in his membrane. "He thought I lied about not wanting to be chief and climbed the peaks to grow wings."