Hey guys...sorry this one is a bit short. I had to cut the ending off a little bit, because I'm literally having to run now, to a college counseling meeting (eep.). I don't even have time to make an edit. I might enhance the ending one day soon...sorry for the shortness! !

Please VOTE and COMMENT!

xXSierraXx

Chapter Nineteen: To Ardhigiza Again

~Thea's POV~

Ardhigiza is almost exactly what it was like last year, except there's a soft blanket of snow on the ground. I'd forgotten that the seasons here change like the seasons in Asgard- unexpectedly- so when Thor and I step out of the portal, I'm instantly jumping up and down, trying to warm up in my stupid tank top and shorts.

It's no lie that Ardhigiza's beauty is just as stunning as Asgard's. In a way, Ardhigiza is more wild and in its own way, more exotic. Even though there is snow on the ground, most of the trees are perfectly green, and I still hear birds calling loudly.

The palace is decked out with gray, which I find out is the Velah's mourning color. They're still grieving for Archer and Linthria, and probably Lifolas, who everybody respected and at least most people loved.

While Thor takes on the challenging task of persuading the council leaders that have taken over Videl's throne, I take on the even more challenging task of finding Videl. Thor leaves me near the throne room cloister, which is designed to look like a circle getting smaller and smaller until your eyes get crossed and you're completely confused. Thor had told me this is the place traitors were kept before execution. I think he'd been joking.

I climb down some stairs, jumping off of the powdery snow and onto the grass. I'm in a courtyard now. It is surrounded by tan and brown columns with intricate carvings, laced together with ivy and moss. Above and around me, there's a second story of the palace, completely inclosed, like this place is a little oasis filled with vibrant green plants. Iron chairs are placed around the grass, and small streams trickle through the cobblestones, all leading up to a large fountain in the middle, which lets off a slight mist that makes me even more freezing. I'm surprised the water's not iced over.

Two figures walk out from the columns and around the fountain, a young man and woman. They look alike, with identical almost-yellow eyes, elongated like cat's. The young woman is roughly Angelique's age, and has long dark hair. She's carrying in her belt the same type of hooked dagger that Videl uses. The young man has messy black hair, and is slouching next to his twin sister.

"Hello, Thea," says Amara, giving me a chilly smile. "We didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah," I say, trying not to take notice of her brother. Jijah is looking at me the way a ghost would look at its murderer. With hatred and depression. "There's been stuff coming up with the compass, and I need to talk to Videl, so Thor brought me along."

"How is the news from Earth?" asks Amara, "It's been chaotic?"

"Very," I say, wondering if it would be rude to edge out of here, because Jijah has curled his lip by now, and his fangs are gleaming. "The rondayven are giving us problems."

"Is the compass to be taken from here?" asks Amara. I notice she talks more formally than Videl, who's gotten very American-casual-with-a-British-like-accent. I probably rubbed off on him.

"Maybe," I reply, "I'm not sure, I think Thor's talking to your elderly crowd. They've not been very nice, have they?"

Amara shrugs, "It's hard to trust Videl. I do, and Jijah does, because we have grown up with him and know when his actions are not his own. But the council...they're not so lenient."

"Plus they probably like all the power too," I reply.

"Perhaps. But they have also lived longer than most Videl, and survived much. They're only trying to do what is best for our people."

"Right," I say, doubting it completely. "Have you seen Videl by chance?"

"No," Amara shakes her head, "Not all day."

"Great," I mutter, then say louder, "Have any idea where he could be?"

"Victoire was near the orchards earlier," says Amara, speaking politely but coldly, "She was looking for him too. You could start your search there."

"All right, thanks," I say, high-tailing it out of there before Jijah can completely lose it and sink his teeth into me or something.

In my haste to get away from the twins, I'd forgotten that I actually don't know where the orchards are.

I meander around the palace a little longer, through hallways and up stairs and across overpasses. The time here is something around five hours earlier, so even though Max's triathlon watch reads 8:00 New York time, the sun has barely begun to move to the east in Ardhigiza.

"You killed him."

The voice is low, choked with emotion.

I turn around. It's who I expected. Jijah, walking towards me.

"Jijah," I start, but that's all I get to say before he runs me into the wall. His sharp teeth are very close to my neck and his fingers are tight around my windpipe.

"You killed him."

"I...I'm...I'm sorry..." I gag.

"Why did he have to die and not you?" demands Jijah. "Why?!"

His fingers are digging into my skin. I can't breathe, even though I'm scrabbling to get away from him. He's too strong. "Ji...Ji..."

And then, he lets go of me and vanishes in a column of black mist. The only things I remember are his pained yellow eyes, full of grief and anguish.

*

I don't see many Velah around, but the ones I do see aren't very chatty. I know why. If Jijah blames me for Lifolas's death, then the entirety of Ardhigiza probably blames me for Archer and Linthria's deaths.

Maybe Ardhigiza wasn't the place to go.

I find the orchards a while later, back behind the palace near where the forest begins. I stomp through the snow, holding my arms close to my chest, and walk towards the huge collection of trees, which despite the cold and the frost dangling from their branches, still have plentiful supplies of colorful fruits.

I hadn't thought that the Velah consume anything but blood, and Videl had told me that, but evidently, he'd been wrong on purpose, because I'd discovered that Velah eat several types of fruits and plants, but absolutely no meat or anything else. It's like Angelique said; they're basically vegetarians except for the blood.

"Videl!" I call, walking through the trees, making sure not to step on some of the fallen frit. "VIDEL I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!"

A tiny snowball comes running towards me, blonde curls bobbing. It's Victoire, in a poufy white dress. Her red eyes are just like Archer's, but much larger and rounder. When she grins at me, her small fangs stick out like itty bitty needles.

"Tee," she says, still grinning up at me, dancing back and forth. She's called me "Tee" for as long as she's been able to talk.

"Hi Victoire," I say. She's really cute, I've got to admit, with her rosy red cheeks and curled fists. Based on all the leaves mixed with the snowballs, she's been playing out here for a while.

"Tee!" She wraps her arms around my leg. It's great being taller than someone for once.

"Victoire, do you know where Videl is?"

"Tee." She points to a particularly large pile of snowballs that she's evidently been dragging over to the stump of a tree.

"Yes, yes, I'm here," I say, "Videl. Where's Videl?"

"TEE!" She jumps up and down, still pointing.

My eyes travel to the tree, then up, and in the next second, I realize that she'd been trying to say "tree" this time, not "Thea". True to her almost one-year-old word, Videl is lounging on a high branch, his head against the trunk, one of his legs dangling, and his eyes shut.

I bend down and pick up a snowball, making sure to roll it extra tightly.

"If you even think about throwing that," says Videl, eyes still closed, "I will hurt you."

Victoire giggles, running circles around me and then looking up at the tree.

I put down the snowball, "Will you get down here?"

He opens one eye and looks down at me lazily, an eyebrow arched.

"Veel!" squeals Victoire, running over to the tree, "Come pwease Veel."

I smirk, crossing my arms and waiting.

He rolls his eyes. Then, with a bound, he jumps down onto the powdery snow, not making a sound. He looks exhausted, even though Velah don't even need much sleep. His amber eyes are slightly red, and his hair looks messier than I've seen it in a while.

Videl gently tugs one of Victoire's curls that mimic his own, "I thought we said that we weren't going to tell anyone where I was."

"Tee," laughs Victoire. She raises her chubby hands to him, "Up, Veel, up!"

He rolls his eyes again. "You are not worth my time, you know that right, Scorpion?"

"Why do you call her Scorpion?" I ask as Victoire keeps chanting "up!"

"Because she's a stinging pain in the bum," he replies as he bends to lift his niece up. He sets her on his hip and as she squeals with happiness, burying her head in his neck, he turns to me, eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry about it, Victoire," I say, reaching up to tickle her side. She, not even understanding an insulting nickname when her uncle calls her it, giggles. "He calls people mean things when he actually cares."

"Do I actually?" asks Videl, tilting his head away from Victoire, who is trying to pull his curls. He lifts her higher, and turns to give her a stern look. She just laughs again. I swear, this child is like a giggle machine.

"Well you call me idiot," I point out.

"And my next question would be if I actually care about you," he retorts.

"You care about Angelique," I say.

His eyes narrow even more severely. Then, he sighs, "Fine, what are you here for?"

"Angelique wants to talk to you, but because you're pouting in Ardhigiza, you don't know that."

"Ooh," Videl dramatically puts his hand to his chest, "My heart aches in pain from your scathing words."

"All right, Shakespeare," I say, "But seriously."

"Do you know why she wants to talk to me?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Not even-"

"No."

"I'll-"

"No."

"Is it-"

"No."

"What about a bribe?"

"I'm listening," I say, raising my eyebrows and leaning against the trunk of a tree as Victoire begins to play with Videl's fingers. "You better make it worthwhile."

"I'll bow down to you."

"Mm, tempting but I'm a princess, I'll get that anyway."

"Cheeky fire freak," mutters Videl.

"Cwoss!" says Victoire, putting Videl's tattooed finger in her mouth.

"Lord, Victoire," says Videl, pulling out his finger. "I'm not a chew toy, or Thea's face, whichever one you prefer."

"If you're trying to bribe me, you're doing pathetically," I say.

"Cwoss!"

"That's a tattoo, which I don't ever want to see on your skin," says Videl to Victoire. He rustles her curls and begins to set her down, but she lets out a scream and nearly suffocates him by throwing her arms around him. "Victoire!" he untangles her from him, "Do you want me to choke?" He pokes her cheek. She coos.

"Hey, you're halfway sweet," I say.

"Shut up."
"I take it back."

He groans, "Tell me about Angelique, what does she want to talk about? I'll literally do almost anything."

"I'm not going to tell you, I never was," I smile sweetly, "I just wanted to see how much you'd bribe me, and how great it'd be."

He scowls. Then, he looks at my neck, "What happened?"

"Jijah happened."

His eyes darken. "Did he hurt you?"

"Well besides trying to collapse my trachea, not at all."

Videl shifts Victoire as the little girl tries to fiddle with his curls again, "I need to talk to him. He can't-"

"He's grieving. He stopped. Leave him alone, or he'll just get more upset at me," I say, privately hoping that I'm right.

"Thea, he's a Velah. He could kill you in an instant and then regret it later, when it's too late."

"And I'm Asgardian. I can take care of myself, Videl. And I thought you didn't care about me, softie"

"Shut up, I'm not a softie," he says, shoving me towards the palace as he kisses a still-giggling Victoire on the cheek.

LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY

Sierra