cricket and winter court heir frenemies to lovers? 👀
Nah, Andri is kind of a dick to Froggy and Cricket won't ever forgive that. Here are some bits from an old, abandoned WIP.
"You shouldn't have done that," Nyx snapped as he spun around, "she's only six! She hasn't done anything to you!"
Andri rolled his eyes, "She's such a baby! It was a joke."
"Pushing a little girl into a shallow tide pool isn't funny." Nyx shoved Andri, hoping for a fight.
It had happened down at the tide pools. Froggy had been quietly watching star fish and seas sponges in the shallow, clear water. Nyx and Cricket were dristacted by a fat sea lion when they heard the splash and scream. They found Andri standing over the tide pool and Froggy who was soaked and bleeding from a cut on her face where she hit the rocks. In an instant, Nyx had pulled Andri back, while Cricket had winnowed her sister away.
"I didn't know it was that shallow," Andri protested, "besides, she can get healed. She'll be fine-"
Andri abruptly yelped in horror as a blur of red snatched his neck back, throwing him to the ground. Nyx could barely react.
Tufts of Andri's snow colored hair were clenched in Cricket's fist as she dragged the Winter Court Heir across the ground, towards the small cliff that dropped into a rocky cove. For as short as she was, Nyx wasn't fast enough to stop Cricket putting Andri into a headlock and pushing him dangerously close to the edge as he bucked and struggled. Nyx spread his wings, lifting himself slightly off the ground, ready to catch both of them.
"If you ever touch my sister like that again, I will skin you alive, do you understand?" Cricket snarled, her voice sharp with power. Daylight radiated from her body. Rays streaking from her eyes and fingertips, blinding Andri and Nyx.
"I was just joking," Andri wheezed, shutting his eyes against the sudden burst of sun.
"I will skin you and then I will take you to the Middle and let whatever is there eat the meat off your bones," Pure rage shot through Cricket's voice, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Ye-s," Andri squeezed out with the last breath he had, "I'm sorry."
With one final move, Cricket slammed Andri to the ground, "I'm done with him," she said to Nyx as she walked away.
Froggy nearly beats Andri's ass after too much teasing and discovers she has the autumn flame.
“I’m not dumb, and I’m not a baby!” She shrieked.
The boys whipped their heads around, and she met Andri’s eye. Froggy could feel fury rising in her chest. She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to scream.
“I found the map first! I got it translated! And I found the cave mouth! You just messed around and complained the whole time! Then you told everyone you worked out what the map was. You can barely spell your own name!”
She stared up at his big stupid face, looking at his white eyelashes that made it seem like he had rolled in flour.
“You're a nasty cheat!” Froggy stumbled back as Andri shoved her back with his big meaty hands.
Nyx flung himself forward trying to catch her, and she could hear Cricket's footsteps and snarls behind her. She flailed her arms, balancing herself on the slick rocks. She felt hot, suddenly. Hot, and angry.
“Leave me alone!” She screamed. Clenching her fist, she raised it into the air, aiming for Andri’s stupid flour face.
Her sister caught her by the elbow, stopping her arm from striking. Sweat dripped down Froggy’s face. It was so hot. Turning her head, she saw it.
Flames, in her tightly clenched fist. Blue and orange licked at her fingers and heated her veins.
Wrenching her arm from Cricket's grasp, Froggy opened her hand, as she watched the flames flicker across her palm. It tickled, she thought, as the anger in her chest lifted. She heard Nyx and Cricket gasp from far away. Warmth replaced the rage within her, as autumn flames danced in her hand.
However, Nyx and Andri have a bromance to end all bromances.
“Introducing, High Lord Kallias and the Lady Vivianne of the Winter Court!” The herald tapped his staff as the Winter Court procession. Figures of white and light blue poured in, led by the white haired High Lord and Lady. Nyx flashed a smile to Vivianne, who threw him a wink. The High Lord stared ahead, but Nyx had moved on. Craning his head over the crowd, Nyx finally spotted who he was looking for.
Andri, the heir to the Winter Court and Nyx’s best friend stood in the center of the room, arms spread and hollering into the sky. “THE ICE MEETS THE DARK MY BROTHER!” The adults whipped their heads around in confusion.
Nyx leapt off the table, flapped his wings and cawed in response. “THE DARK DESCENDS UPON THE ICE!”
Nyx and Andri tumbled into each other, their embrace quickly turning into their ridiculous handshake. Two hand slaps, double fist bump, and finally, butting their foreheads together like rams.
Andri, much shorter and stockier than the tall and lanky Nyx, lifted him into his back, wobbling before he regained his step. “Come on Bat Boy!” he yelled “Let’s fly!”
Nyx flapped his wings as hard as possible, attempting to lift himself and Andri into the air. They managed to get some lift off the floor as they steered towards Cricket and Froggy, who were slumped in their chairs. Cricket's face red with embarrassment, while Froggy had slid down so far, only the top of her head was visible.
