They stared at each other, none too bothered to speak first. Cyrdel and Ravalee's eyes whipped from Nyxis to June as if there's some sort of silent argument between two boys. Kennen, sensing the tension, wisely backed a step and excused himself, muttering about an urgent matter coming up in the Council.

Nyxis didn't even hear half of it, not when his ears were ringing as if someone had set off a flare inside his head. He clenched and unclenched his fists by his side, forcing himself to look June in the eye. "What are you doing here?" Nyxis hissed.

June narrowed his eyes but ducked his head not long after. "I could ask you the same question."

Nyxis clenched his jaw. "Where's Xanthy?"

"Now, Nyxis," Cyrdel stepped forward with his arm extended as if he's afraid of how Nyxis would react. "This is not the perfect time for—"

Nyxis strode forward, crossing the distance between him and June in two small steps. "Where is Xanthy?" his tone was honed to an unfriendly edge. He kept his gaze straight. If something went wrong with Xanthy—

"She is gone," June met Nyxis's eyes. "I had to give her form away as a distraction to—"

Nyxis grabbed June by the collar, swinging his arm forward. His fist connected with the half-blood's jaw. He shoved June against a wall, his blood a roaring heat against his skin. June did what? He promised he'd protect Xanthy. He promised—

"Nyxis, what are you doing?" Cyrdel's voice speared through Nyxis's ears. Hands clawed at his arms in an attempt to push him back. June slid against the cold wall with a hand clutching his jaw.

"Let go of me," Nyxis growled at Cyrdel who was holding him back. The brownie was wise enough to oblige.

June picked himself up, urging Ravalee to go behind him. Nyxis scowled.

"Look, Nyxis," June put his arms forward as though he was taming a wild animal. "I did all I could. I had to do it or else Kymalin and the others would find out about the Ice Capital. I had to distract them."

"Still spouting out lies and excuses, are you?" Nyxis stalked towards June again. June stepped back. "Xanthy is not a distraction!"

"I know, but—"

Nyxis waved his hand in the air. "You just threw away her form. We have no way of reviving her now that her form is separated from her soul! You vile, wretched son of a witch. Do you know what you have done?"

Fear flickered in June's eyes but something else joined it. Was that...regret? What a load of dagrine crap. It's not like this liar could feel regret. If anything, he's probably leaking information to the enemy about the ice sprites. Why would he be here other than that?

June stepped back further, still ushering Ravalee behind him. "Come on, Nyxis, hear me out—"

"I am done listening to you," Nyxis's magic flared to the surface. Xanthy didn't deserve to be thrown away as a mere distraction after all she did, after everything she sacrificed to give this piece of lint a second chance at life. June should pay. He should—

"Stop it, Nyxis!" Ravalee's heavy northern accent blasted through the bare corridor. He froze. Did Ravalee just speak? Out loud? Ravalee pushed June back and stepped forward, bracing her hand on her chest. "I can bring her back."

Ravalee's words didn't quite register well in Nyxis's mind. He was jostled aside as Cyrdel burst past him. "Ravalee, what do you mean?" the Alkaran heir said.

"We still have my form," Ravalee said as if that explained everything. "We could use that."

Cyrdel stalked towards Ravalee. "Absolutely not—"

"It is not your place to decide, Cyrdel," Ravalee glared at her fiance before facing Nyxis again. "It is not June's fault we lost Xanthy's form. Please do not go off on him. He has had enough to deal with already."

Nyxis frowned. June has things to deal with? Really? How did he get Ravalee into his lies? How vile was this person?

"He is not vile, either," Ravalee snapped. Oh, Ravalee was a thyminka as well. Totally slipped his mind. She massaged the bridge of her nose and blew a breath. "Just...stop this. We do not need division especially this trying time."

Of course, Ravalee was right. Even then, Nyxis wouldn't let June off the hook that easily. He crossed his arms. "Fine," he said.

"Are we good?" Ravalee turned to both June and him. Both of them bobbed their heads without much words. Ravalee clasped her hands together with a small nod. "Good. Now, could we move forward and—"

"No, we could not," Cyrdel interjected, getting in the way between June and Nyxis. "Ravalee, what are you talking about?"

Ravalee stared Cyrdel down. "I will speak to you about this matter later," she said. "I wish to shed some light on how things are so that Nyxis would not need to chop June's head off of his neck. I will meet you in the common room."

Cyrdel's glare told Nyxis enough that more drama was bound to follow. The Alkaran heir threw his arms up and stalked off to the corridor where Nyxis and Kennen originally came from while muttering under his breath. Nyxis watched him go as Ravalee turned to June. "Find Airene for me, will you?"

The half-blood couldn't have gone as fast as he did. That left Nyxis and Ravalee alone on the icy corridor.

"Did that punch feel good, at least?" Ravalee leaned against the wall despite it being cold.

Nyxis squared his shoulders and emulated the thyminka's stance. "Very," he said. There's no use in lying to her anyway. "Took a bit of the anger off. It was not the right thing to do, right?"

Ravalee chuckled. "It could be better," she cocked her head to one side. "But who can blame you? You have been itching to give June a piece of your mind for quite some time now."

"I think he knows it too," Nyxis said. "Has he said something about Xanthy recently?"

Ravalee's eyes flashed towards the direction June had just gone. "He didn't. But he does think about her often. All I can say without violating my oath is that he regrets that things have become this way."

Nyxis pursed his lips. So what he saw being reflected on June's eyes...was true? Xanthy's words flashed in Nyxis's memory. He faced Ravalee. "Has he told a lie recently?" he said.

"No, not once," Ravalee said with a deep sigh. "When he doesn't want to talk about something, he stays silent. But he doesn't lie. Not anymore."

"That's a good thing, I suppose."

Should Nyxis forgive June for what happened? He had spent days watching Xanthy grapple with questions Nyxis wished he could give her answers to. He watched her crumble after June betrayed her. He saw her question her place in the world after the person she loved most was revealed to be someone who was destined to throw away everything they had built.

Nyxis saw every moment that led Xanthy to choosing to discard her life just to give June his. She thought that she was running away from her duty but all this time, she just couldn't stand the unfairness June had to live through. That, Nyxis could understand. He, himself, would never think twice in helping someone get what they wished for most. It's the most basic thing he could do as a person.

But to a person who had betrayed, lied, and killed his way to escape his destiny, what's the use of helping them to the point of ruining your own life? If Xanthy knew of his thoughts right now, she would have chided him for pronouncing judgement on a person that was just caged by his present circumstance. That's just how Nyxis was. Judgement awaits those who were morally wrong.

"Does it ever occur to you that judgement might come to you as well?" Ravalee asked aloud. Of course, Ravalee knew. She knew everything anyway.

"If it comes, I will accept it," Nyxis shoved his fingers into his hair and gave it a light tousle. "I would not run as he did."

Ravalee tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It hurt that Nyxis thought she'd start twirling it around her finger and she didn't. "He is not running," Ravalee said. "Perhaps, judgement has already come for him in this lifetime. Do not be an addition to that."

Nyxis stared at Ravalee. She just looked and talked like Xanthy that if Nyxis didn't know what happened to their souls, he would have assumed they were twins and not halves of the same soul. But all the differences glared at him now. Xanthy relied on her feelings when deciding things. Ravalee was more on the practical and the logical side. Xanthy was a bundle of emotions. Ravalee was the patron of calm, almost rivalling Kennen. Xanthy was easy to understand. Ravalee was a complex train of thought Nyxis couldn't quite fathom.

Nyxis faced the thyminka. "Are you really sure about what you said?" he stared after the direction the Alkaran heir had gone. "Cyrdel seemed against it."

"I will make him understand," she said in a firm voice. "To answer your question, I am willing to do that if the need arises."

Nyxis pursed his lips. "Let us just hope that it does not come to that."

"And Nyxis?" Ravalee held his gaze. "Please do not oppose my decision."

"I do not think it is my place to oppose either," Nyxis said. "I wanted Xanthy to come back but I would not want it to be through you. Think of Cyrdel. He was not going to take this lightly."

Ravalee blew a breath. "I know. That is why I ask you to help him see. When it comes to that, please let him know that he still has a family in his friends."

Nyxis didn't speak. This was another responsibility being thrust into his arms. As much as his conscience kept telling him to accept, he just regarded Ravalee. "It would not come to that," he said. "I am going to make sure of it."

Ravalee exhaled through her nose. "Promises are a dangerous thing, Nyxis," she straightened her skirt. "Know that if ever you need the Virtakios, I will gladly help you."

Nyxis stuck his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Of course."

As an answer, Ravalee winked at him before disappearing into the corridor Cyrdel had just gone to. Nyxis was left alone between the ice-blue walls, looking this way and that. He shouldn't have let Kennen disappear. He needed a guide.

"That went well, I assume?"

Nyxis flinched as the ice sprite appeared behind him. Had he been there the whole time? The ice sprite flashed him a smile as he stepped to face Nyxis. "Would you care for some tea?"