"Terranus, it's not fair that you stole from Animus," I said, looking up at the scowling dragon.
"Life is not fair, little mortal."
"Maybe not," I admitted. "But that makes family even more important. Family is there for you when you need them. You can trust and rely on them. So, as Animus's brother, I think you should—"
Terranus swung his thick tail. It crashed through the trunk of a nearby tree, making it snap and groan as it fell. The loud, sudden noise sent a jolt of discomfort through me. I clapped my hands over my ears.
"Animus has been feeding you lies if he told you I am hisbrother," Terranus said irritably.
I frowned. I didn't think Animus would lie about that.
At the same time, Animus scoffed. "Please. You and I both know it's the closest mortal term for what we are—whatallof us are. Four beings manifested from stardust and magic at the same moment in ancient time."
There were four of them, including Animus and Terranus?
A sudden thought came to me. If they were both spirits, and there were four in total...
Were Nautilus and Mistral the remaining two brothers?
"What is your point?" Terranus demanded.
"The point is, brothers shouldn't fight, and they shouldn't steal from each other," I said, getting riled up now.
Terranus's narrow eyes glinted like cold emeralds. He looked at me like I was less important than a speck of dirt.
"I will never understand your soft spot for these creatures," he growled to Animus.
"That makes two of us," Animus mumbled.
My hope faded. I thought this would be easier. Talking things through always helped. Why wasn't it working? Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
"Whatever you took from Animus, please return it," I called to the earth spirit.
"Leveret, that's enough," Animus said under his breath, a panicked edge to his voice.
"But it's not right," I argued.
He grimaced. "Trust me, I know. But Terranus is a hard-headed bastard. He won't change his mind, so let's—"
The sun was blotted out a second before Terranus's claws descended around me like a cage and stabbed into the earth. The ground beneath me rumbled and scraped past me; I was pulled closer to him, like a fish in a net.
"You were barren of magic after we got through with you, wretch," the earth spirit growled, "but we all know where you're getting your fresh magic from now."
"Leveret!" Animus called, terrified.
"It's from these pairs of creatures," Terranus rumbled. "Thesefated mates.You pry it from them and use it for your own purposes."
Pry? That wasn't right. I'd heard my cousins discuss Animus enough to know that he didn't take anything from them. Whenever magic was created by their union as fated mates, Animusalwaysasked for their consent to harvest it. Animus's brothers had stolen from him—he wouldn't make others go through what he had.
Animus didn't reply to the taunt, even if it was untrue. Maybe he knew there was no point in arguing with the earth spirit.
He ran towards me. Even now, trapped by dragon claws, I was awed by the fluidity of Animus's movement. He seemed to glide, like his feet barely missed touching the ground. It was surreal watching him run, so unlike a normal creature. He fascinated me in every possible way.
I nearly blinked and missed it—Animus slipped between the claws, caging me in a puff of black smoke.
"Are you all right?" he asked, his face paler than usual.
I was a bit scraped by the rocks, but I nodded.