Free Kastori Revelations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 1) by Stephen Allan Page B

at the third branch.
    “What about the big monster in the sky?”
    “Better up here surrounded by vegetation than out in the open,” Crystil said, knowing that just meant terrible odds became marginally bad odds.
    She climbed what felt like a hundred feet before stopping. The branch provided plenty of support, and she knew as long as she laid on her side she wouldn’t fall. Cyrus scaled ahead of Celeste and settled in ten feet below Crystil. By the time all three of them had rested on their back, the sun had disappeared, leaving behind some light on the west side of the planet but a growing darkness on the east. A disquieting silence set in as Crystil waited for the creature to appear.
    “Crystil, how often do you think of Monda?”
    Celeste’s question mercifully distracted Crystil.
    “More than I care to admit,” she said, trying to sound warm. “Honestly… I sometimes think of Dyson and I back at home.”
    “Sometimes?” Celeste asked innocently.
    Crystil smiled and acknowledged the underselling of the statement.
    “I try not to. I can’t bring him back. But…”
    She sighed. Fighting her feelings was pointless.
    “I just think of the time we went to the Reygar Mountains for our honeymoon. Let me tell you, Celeste, that is a gorgeous place with beautiful views.”
    “I know!” Celeste said excitedly, and for just a bit, Crystil enjoyed reminiscing. “My father took us when we were kids. He loved that place. Well, if he’d seen what we have here, he’d think that wasn’t even a warm-up!”
    “It’s a warm-up for me,” Cyrus said.
    Celeste and even Crystil laughed. Their laughter slowly died, leading to a pleasant sigh from Celeste.
    “Cyrus, I don’t know what I would do without you here,” Celeste said. “I would’ve probably just quit a while ago. But you’ve always been there for me, and I know you’ll be there always.”
    Crystil listened intently. It was a different kind of love, sibling love, than romantic love, but the commitment and bond were just as unbreakable.
    “I know, Celeste. I’ll keep making jokes that upset Crystil and hold you tight when you need it.”
    Crystil smiled and laughed to show her appreciation. She rolled over as the two siblings continued talking and yearned for that connection again. The connection from deep love.
    As it stood, only two people were going to be able to give that to her. One of whom she was getting close to, but in the big sister role.
    The second was more bizarre. Just thinking of Cyrus in that amatory light felt so odd it felt gross, perhaps a bit unfathomable. But she knew just a few days before, she could’ve killed him in anger if Celeste hadn’t expressed so much horror. She no longer wanted to do that.
    She turned her attention to the stars, focusing on trying to create constellations from her new vantage point in the universe. She could imagine balicaes, gigantes, lupi, and many other creatures. If she tried, she could even imagine Dyson up there, smiling down.
    Despite not believing in the afterlife, with so much destruction and ruins in her life, even Crystil could let her mind imagine her deceased husband in the sky.
    No monster appeared that night. The stars never disappeared from view. Aside from some gentle animal vocalizations on the ground, no growls or cries reached Crystil’s ears. Within just a couple hours of the sun setting, Crystil drifted into her dreams, where she didn’t have to imagine Dyson—she could actually hug him and touch him.

 
     
     
     
    13
    Cyrus slowly woke up with his head pressed against the tree to see Celeste and Crystil had already descended. He looked below and saw the two women talking and joking. He wished that he could have that amusing, intelligent, and funny banter with Crystil, but couldn’t see a way to get there.
    He rose, imagining himself doing acrobatic flips and landing on the ground with an exaggerated bow.
    “Yo ladies!” he said. “Wanna watch me be Anatolus’ greatest