Finally, Cobalt smiled.
“All right, Thystle. You have my permission.”
I was delirious with joy. I’d never been so happy in my life.
After getting his green light, I ran down the hall back to my room with a skip in my step. Even in my human form, I felt like I could fly.
When I reached my room, I threw myself onto my bed. I hugged the CD player with the TalonStorm album inside close to my chest, squishing it affectionately.
“I did it,” I breathed. “I’m really gonna go!”
A burst of pure bliss made me kick my legs and laugh. I glanced backwards at the poster of Aquila hanging over my bed. He looked down at me proudly.
“I did it, Aquila,” I breathed, tears brimming in my eyes. “Just wait. I’ll see you soon.”
“Who’s laughing like a maniac in here?” Aurum asked as he strolled inside.
Crap. I’d run back to my room in such a hurry I forgot to shut the door. It didn’t matter, though. Not even my most annoying brother could bring me down right now.
A second, similar voice joined Aurum’s. Saffron gawked at me. “Whoa, is Thystle actuallysmiling?”
“And why’s your mouth covered in blood?” Aurum asked. “Are you in, like, a vampire phase?”
The golden twins stood by the bed and exchanged a startled glance, as if me smiling was some freak occurrence.
Unlike any other time, I didn’t even care that they were bugging me. I was too happy.
“Yeah, I’m smiling,” I said wistfully, ignoring the blood comment.
Aurum snickered. “I didn’t know goths could smile.”
Since I was on cloud nine, I didn’t bother correcting him for the billionth time that I was emo, not goth.
“Uh huh,” I murmured, still grinning.
The twins shrugged at each other.
“Hey, uh, Thystle?” Saffron began. “Are you okay?”
“Mhm. I’m the best I’ve ever been,” I said.
Hesitancy crept into Saffron’s voice. “Uh, are you sure...?”
“Yeah, what’s with you, dude?” Aurum chimed in.
I sat up, still holding my CD player close. My brothers looked unnerved at my unusually happy expression.
“Cobalt’s letting me go see TalonStorm in concert,” I told them.
I expected to see shock and jealousy on their faces. After all, they were still stuck here. But Aurum and Saffron almost looked sad.
“Hey, it’s okay, guys,” I reassured them. “If you wanna go somewhere, all you have to do is ask.”
That didn’t help. They were even more distressed and uncomfortable, like their dog died. And we didn’t have a dog.
Saffron rubbed his arm. “Um, Thystle...”
He shot his twin a glance, as if wantinghimto take over, but Aurum blanched like he was about to be sick.
