Changing the Equation

"Do you hear that shouting? What's going on?" Syrana asked and stood up to go near the door to listen to the cheers that echoed up from the levels below them.

"Sounds like a party - or some good news" Jyriah piped up happily. They must have responded well to Metas' speech, and that only made him feel more confident that their plan would work.

"Well they're loud, so it must be a great party. We should crash it," Myranda suggested lightheartedly.

"No, that will just cause problems with the textile clan. Not happening. We'll have our own things to celebrate soon, I'm sure of it" Syrana reassured with a smile, and reached out to put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

Jyriah broke up the awkward moment and asked, "hey Myri - do you have any bread left over for the day? I'm starving, and I really want a snack."

"I'll go look. I doubt it, though - I gave a few loaves away. Let me check the back so you can throw food into the bottomless pit called your stomach" Myranda grumbled, but it was of feigned annoyance. She really didn't mind.

Once she disappeared, Jyriah made his way to Syrana quickly and muttered, "Don't tell Silas about what happened here. He'll talk to the higher-ups and they'll just forbid Metas to see Myranda...or worse..."

Her defense was immediate to his request. "What? He wouldn't do that. I don't understand why you hate him so much," Syrana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"'Rana... Please, for once can you just not share something with your mate? It needs to be a sibling secret. I'm invoking sibling secret rights. Not a word to Silas, please" he plead more than he asked as his eyes looked deep into hers for affirmation.

"Uhg. Fine, whatever. You really need to get over your hatred of Silas - he's trying to help us" Syrana argued, and crossed her arms indignantly.

He was ready for her usual words, and immediately refuted her. "No, he isn't. He's Harbinger's little puppet and he's informing high society about our little sister's whereabouts when it comes to Metas. He's trying to make life easier for you and your family - definitely not for Myranda or myself" Jyriah challenged her with a growl to his voice.

There was an audible gasp that left her lips and she hissed. "How dare you. He's a good wolf, and a fantastic mate and father. I'm not going to tell him anything, okay? You don't need to talk shit about Silas to get me to not talk. I'm done with it, and I won't have it anymore." Now she started with a grumble from her throat as though to warn him.

Myranda came out with a loaf of 'twisted bread' (we humans would call it a giant soft pretzel) and quirked her brows as she watched her siblings argue about something. She would get closer before she would interrupt.

Ah. No surprise here... 'Ah, same thing as always - Silas', she rolled her eyes and approached the two of them with bread in hand as she cleared her throat.

"Stop it. Enough of the arguing. We all promised to leave Silas out of our sibling things - so let's do that right now - and here you go, Jerkiah" Myranda glared at him as she shoved the treat into Jyriah's chest.

The eldest sibling looked hurt and offended all at once. "Are you serious? I'm not taking anymore abuse tonight. I'm going to go see my mate who actually loves me. Goodnight, mean sisters. I'll get over it in the morning, hopefully." He was being a little bit honest and even though he was angry at both of his sisters, he still offered them a limp hug anyway before he left.

Syrana followed up with regret, "I have to go, too. I'm sure Syri is home with Silas by now and I need to make them a meal. Do you need anything, Myri?" her older sister asked with kindness in her eyes.

"Nah. I'm fine - thanks. I'm probably going to eat some fish or something and go to bed if they stop the noise down there," Myranda paused and groaned as the sounds of instruments wafted up the halls. "Sounds like they're not stopping anytime soon. I'll probably take a sleeping drought or something."

"Alright - but you're welcome to come home with me if you'd like," Syrana offered.

"No, I have lots to do in the morning. Love you, mean it, bye" Myranda said with affection and gave her sister a tight hug.

"Love you, mean it, bye - see you soon" Syrana replied in kind, and with a hug before she left.

Once the door closed, she let out a squeal of excitement from being able to hold Metas' hand earlier. She still felt the spark between them - and knew he hadn't rejected her now.

She still wished she could be at his side, but for whatever reason - he wasn't ready to be with her (or so she thought). Myranda was still convinced that Metas considered other options, and that perhaps if she showed any sort of distrust towards him, he would reject her.

She also didn't want to do something foolish, even if it was tempting.

If it wasn't for their earlier encounter, she would have marched down there and demanded answers - but the air around him was warm, and his eyes were steady when they touched. As much as she desired to, it was best to stay put and focus on making herself something to eat.

*******

It became late in the night, but for whatever reason, she couldn't sleep. There was something dangerous that prickled at the back of her neck that told her to keep her eyes open. She sat in bed and tried to focus on a book, but the words jumbled in her mind, and instead she focused on every little sound.

'I don't need this. I'll just go up and turn the lights on in the front, and that will make me feel better, I am sure' she thought stubbornly and pushed herself out of bed with annoyance.

The sound of the front door knob being jangled stunned her. "Jyriah, that better not be you - this isn't funny," Myranda spoke into the darkness as she fumbled to press her palm to the mechanism that lit up the other crystals in the room.

"I'm telling Syrana," she jested and as the heat of her skin ignited the magic within the 'switch' and in a chain reaction turned each light around the room on, one after the other.

It wasn't Jyriah.

It was worse.

"Silas. What are you doing here!?" Myranda demanded angrily.

He avoided her question and instead sighed with exasperation and followed up with his own inquiry. "...Why do you make everything so damn difficult?" 

"What?" She returned half insulted and half confused.

Silas smoldered with deep emerald eyes filled with rage and contempt for her. His blonde hair was disheveled and blocked his vision a little bit as he stalked towards her. She could even swear they glowed with a faint green light...but that couldn't be true. "You were supposed to be sleeping. This was supposed to be easy. I gave you warnings. I told you to stay away from the prince, didn't I?"

His insults continued. "I am trying to make life better for Syrana, my child, and your brother -- and you were supposed to enjoy it by proxy. Instead you're still trying to thrust yourself into the position of Luna. You don't belong there, Myranda. You're weak, ugly, and lacking in intelligence. You didn't even finish secondary. Why are you sabotaging your sister's well deserved happiness?" He demanded with a growl and advanced towards her, which caused her to step backwards into the wall.

The atmosphere overwhelmed her, and sent her back to when she was a young girl. Her parents had used the same tactics - and either Silas knew to exploit that, or he was lucky that it happened to paralyze her in the moment.

"W-why..?" She managed to ask.

"You have made everything in my life difficult. Syrana put off accepting me because of you - she felt she had to take care of you and protect you. She put off moving in with me to stay close to you. She didn't want a pup at first because you were already work enough...and now, you want to try to take away the rightful place she belongs. You stunt your sister's growth and beauty - and it is time for that to stop," Silas sounded crazy. It was clear to Myranda he had harbored these deep feelings of contempt for her for a very long time.

"..Then why didn't you leave me in the forest?" She inquired further in her attempt to stall him with questions in instinct, as though she waited for someone to come to her rescue.

"Your siblings were there. They're always there. You're an anchor weighing them down. How do you not see that, or feel guilty? You're the most selfish person I've ever met, and if you won't behave, I will take you out of the equation. You've annoyed me enough, and you've slowed me down enough," Silas snarled and pulled his hand back, and let it fly forward into her cheek wit full strength

It took her off-guard with how much force he used, which sent her towards the ground as her fingers failed to grip the wall to slow her descent.