The Lazy Prince

Chapter 8: Avoid your Problems.

Valdis Spyridon Aritiri

Present

Kyro corners me in the woods on my walk back after my Extra Lessons Wednesday afternoon.

"Why won't you let me heal you?" He asks me point blank. Golden gaze blazing. I look around the foliage searching for the other Princes. Kyro lets out a sigh. "It's just me, I'm alone."

I nod and step around him. "Why should you waste your magic on me. It's not like any of you actually care about my well being." I say flippantly. He jogs up to me and cuts me off.

"It's more than that." He stares at his hands, the five layered pentagram on his left palm. "You actively avoid my touch."

"No I don't." I scoff. When I try to step around him again he reaches his hand out to grab me and I jump back.

"You do." He gives me a bland look and I run my hand through my short curls.

"Look." I start already hating myself for what I'm about to say. "I'm not here because I want to be." Kyro flinches at my words. "I'm here because I was forced into a bond I never wanted. I'm here because you all would rather torture me than let me go. All of you think I caused Atlas's death. News flash Kyro. I had no part in his decision. I wasn't even there. I never would have let him go through with it. " I rub a hand against my face. "It would hurt more if the person healing me, hated me." The Iron Coffin can't be healed and I'd rather not face the disappointment. "I have enough to deal with." My shoulders drop, feeling the weight of everything.

I step past him, but freeze at Kyro's hateful words. "Of course you weren't there. You were never there when he needed you." The venom in his words poison me. Reminding me of why I wasn't there. Why I couldn't be there. I spin around and face him ready to shout but instead.

"Where were you?" I whisper the question to him. Tears fill his eyes and he looks down.

"We didn't know." He whispers back.

"Then how could I?" I don't wait for an answer. Instead I turn my back and head home. I ignore the others and head straight upstairs.

Once I'm in my room I strip out of my uniform except for the sleeveless turtle neck, boxers, and socks. I throw on a black sweat set and open my window. I sit at my desk and pull out my assignments and get started before my body demands sleep. I'm in the middle of a paper for War & Strategy when I feel it.

The Bond.

The Quint bond has been intact long enough for the connections to form. I can feel them. All four of them. And it's not the vague sense I had of them earlier. It's a tsunami of emotion, confusing and overwhelming.

If I can feel them they can feel me.

Nope. I shut that shit down at lightning speed and lock it up tighter than my metal spine. Anger. Grief. Disapproval. And curiosity are the last four emotions I feel before it's gone.

An angry pounding sounds on my door moments later and I swing out of my seat. I unlock the door and rip it open blocking the doorway. They aren't welcome in here.

"The connection finally forms and you immediately shut us out?" Silas question's with anger. I obviously know which of the four emotions was his. I'm a little shocked to see Lucian behind him.

"Bonds aren't meant to be closed." Lucian rumbles. I think his emotion was disapproval.

"You don't get to tell me how to exist in a Quint I don't want to be part of." I slam the door in their faces locking it. I really don't have the energy for their shit right now.