by Erin R Flynn
“I feel like I should check if I’m drunk,” I admitted.
“Yeah, me too,” Callum muttered, several others echoing him. “Wow, Inez, just wow.”
It was something to pat myself on the back for… Or be completely freaked out by because that was fucking freaky and the applications of being able to do that terrified me. Which was why I closed the box and handed it over to Darius, all of them figuring out to leave that can of worms alone for a while or I’d get overwhelmed again.
Or maybe lose my damn mind.
18
We headed up to Cleveland even if there wasn’t anything to retrieve because, why not? The guns were pretty well picked over, probably by the settlement we found an hour outside the city. We cleared out a lot of corrupted, raided what was worth it, and added supplies or upgraded. What we didn’t take we hid in trailers for later.
And then we moved on.
We did the same in Pittsburg, and I got what I needed, burying it outside the city as was now the plan. We found some good stuff there, but it was pretty picked over by people fleeing the East Coast where bombs had hit bad. Then we moved out.
It was a good flow and something to work towards. We headed to what was next in West Virginia, and there wasn’t much there to raid. Same with the one thing to pick up in Virginia, given Norfolk and DC were taken out. That whole line up to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City were just gone. Even getting close when a nuke had hit DC and NYC was stupid even if they said it wouldn’t hurt us.
Yeah, that wasn’t a theory I thought smart to test.
But that took all of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey basically off the map. It made the mood severely morose when we’d been working towards a future. I mean, how could we just ignore all the hurt of the past?
We couldn’t. We had hearts.
But we moved on. What was the other option? Give up? No thanks.
Instead, we headed back up through Pennsylvania to Buffalo, New York. We found a bunch of not much and really picked over, but killed corrupted and moved on to Rochester and Syracuse. There were a few settlements around there, so not much, but we killed baddies.
We got what I needed in Albany and then swung over to north of Hartford. That was as close as I wanted to get to the potential nuclear fallout, and the others agreed when I reminded them there was a lot of North America to go.
And we could always road trip to kill corrupted. No one was against that idea if we did it safely.
Next was a quick race in and out of Providence, Rhode Island, and there were a few populated areas there, probably figuring that was the next safest area after the fallout. And the coasts meant water and food, so it made sense.
We drove through that night and scouted out a good place to set up camp outside Boston, Jaxon and Darius saying it was teaming with corrupted and hopefully a lot of everything we could use. It was a big enough city where most wouldn’t dare risk it, and unlike Columbus, it had a lot of suburban area that had been densely populated as well. So the plan was to take our time and do it right, be smart.
And of course that went right out the window moments after we arrived at the shipping terminal with all the trailers and crates we could ever need.
My rifle was up and ready to go the second I felt Darius and Jaxon racing closer to me. I almost shot Clarence just on principal for being an asshole, but he had four guys with him and I didn’t want a fight that I didn’t even fully understand.
“So she was going north, huh?” Clarence asked Darius, rage in his eyes.
“Hey, I’m north of where I started,” I defended, not wanting Darius to lose his noble badge or whatever. “And I’m caught up now, and my answer is no. Fuck no even, so piss off.”
That gaze locked on me, and honestly, if I didn’t have the others with me and trusted them, I would have taken a step back, he was so full of hate and everything bad. “They aren’t allowed to interfere.”
“They haven’t. They’ve been very clear that—”
“I just want to talk to you,” he said in a placating tone.
“No, Darius wanted to talk to me. You’ve been stalking and hunting me for five mother fucking years,” I seethed, lowering the rifle before I pulled the trigger. “He managed to find a way to talk to me in a damn day and after I shot him, so don’t try that next.”
“I know this is confusing, and I apologize that we inadvertently scared you but—”
“Inadvertently?” I blanched. “There was no inadvertently about it, asshole. I might have been ignorant, but I’m not stupid. You were terrorizing me on purpose.” His eyes flashed shock, and I snorted. “You’re not the only monsters who pull that shtick in the apocalypse. Hell, I hear guys were pretty into fear mongering even before. Don’t go there, it’s scary, stay here and do what I say and you’re safe.”
“Let’s just have—”
“My answer is no. I get you’re not into women who disagree with you, but my answer is no and leave me the fuck alone. Got it?” I swallowed a shiver when that rage flared hotter.
“That isn’t how this goes,” he snapped.
“It is,” Jaxon argued. “She said no, and now we can interfere all we want. Your bed was long made before we came along.”
“No, I spent five fucking years chasing after her and now she’s going to—”
“Try it,” I hissed, raising the rifle again. “Fuck, please, I want to shoot you. Do you know how much harder you made my life? The answer is no, no, no, and noooooo.”
He swallowed down whatever he wanted to say next, something bad dancing in his eyes I didn’t like. “Fine, I understand, of course. However, you don’t have a full court, and as a noble, it is my duty to accompany you and your party for your safety. We all will.” That bad stuff flashed again with a bit of glee. “Unless you renounce the old ways, of course.”
“She—” Jaxon started but stopped when I held up my hand to him, lowering the rifle again.
“You answer for me and his next move will be to say you’re forcing me or something and they’re going to rescue me,” I warned, rolling my eyes at Clarence when that shock came back. “As I said, not stupid.” Then I smirked at him. “I dodged you, asshole, for five years, and I didn’t even know shit, so yeah, you’d save me from shit.”
“That’s not an answer,” he snarled.
I shrugged. “I haven’t renounced anything, though a discussion would need to be had as to specifics, as it would be a fair assumption to the ‘old ways’ and that vagueness varying widely from coven to coven and century to century.” I adjusted my neck as my adrenaline built for the fight or to flee like I was so used to. “However, I’m pretty sure there’s a safety clause built in.”
“Like what?” he chuckled dismissively. “We could protect you fine.”
“Well, I just stated why I don’t buy that, so keep up,” I taunted him. “But also that I feel unsafe with the nobles forcing themselves on me.” I raised an eyebrow when he opened his mouth to argue. “How’s Princess Eliza?”
Clarence’s gaze snapped to Darius. “You broke the oath and—”
“No, he didn’t even after you didn’t keep your oath to protect her,” I snapped. “I asked. I asked how he knew you as he explained you weren’t trying to kill me. So he actually defended you to me. He told me the truth.”
“I did not break my oath nor—”
“Lie!” Jaxon bellowed. “You just broke your oath now, as the rules are you can’t lie to her. You cannot tell a princess you’re courting anything but the truth. No lies shall pass between a noble seeking a spot in a court or to a princess they are sworn to. You just broke the rules, so don’t give us anymore bullshit!”
“You guys are too nice and assume he’s courting me, but that was never his plan,” I muttered, smirking at the guy. “No, you were planning to be the boss and me serve you, so it wasn’t breaking your oath to lie, as you wanted no place in my court.” I shook my head when that shock came back. “Just go. It’s your fault you invested f
ive years in a plan that had no chance of working. My answer is no, so just go.”
“No, it will not end this way,” he seethed, steam about coming out of his ears. “No, I won’t let another of you dictate my life to me and—learn your fucking place like the other sluts should. You are a child, and you think to tell me what to do?”
I wanted to point out the hypocrisy there of him wanting to boss me all around, but he was clearly full of hypo-crazy, so there was no point. I narrowed my eyes at him and flicked him off.
“I won’t ever, not ever give you what you want. I won’t bow to you, or learn my place, or so much as let you fucking touch me, you piece of shit. You can’t even talk me into the ‘discussion’ you were planning, which I can tell you have such a high opinion of women in general you were just going to give me some blood and figure I’d agree to anything, so fuck you, you tiny dicked loser who cheats to even compete.”
I let my anger take over and let out all the venom I felt for him, throwing gas on the fire instead of trying to back it down, but I thought I got a pass after years of being terrified of them and hunted. I saw him react, but the instant he moved to come at me, he jerked like he’d been stabbed in the back by something. I gasped as blood poured out of his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, watching it gush all over him.
Jaxon and Darius didn’t even have time to react and block me, and it was over. Clarence dropped to the ground either dead or he could live without all the blood in his body. I wasn’t sure that was possible, but there were a lot of things that I hadn’t thought possible happening the past few weeks.
“Well, that was not what I expected to witness when I was pulled here,” a deep voice said from on top of one of the trailers. “Shocking that still works.”
“She said no,” Jaxon told the guys who’d come with Clarence. “You’re dead if you try for her. Aether won’t allow it even still.”
“We weren’t going to hurt her, and we didn’t know he was so—” one of them started to argue.
“Bullshit,” I snapped, hearing it echo so I wasn’t the only one.
The man from the trailer dropped to the ground and shot the other strangers a warning look. “Run along, young, idiot nobles. You lost your chance and in my opinion, broke your oath of following the rules, so I would run fast before I get annoyed.”
I blinked and they were gone, just gone… Which really worried me who the new guy was. I focused on him now and understood why the others ran.
Because I wanted to run from him too. He was beautiful, more than handsome, but actually a beautiful man, though like a tiger is beautiful even as it’s eating you. And this guy was the predator and top of the food chain for sure. Everything about him screamed power and the ability to crush all of us, and I didn’t even know how to feel and understand that sort of stuff.
He moved closer to me, and Jaxon and Darius blocked me, Jaxon speaking. “Please don’t hurt her.”
“You have my word,” he promised, and they moved back, not seeming like they wanted to. The guy moved until we weren’t even a foot apart. He wasn’t tall, maybe five-nine or a bit more. He was stocky, not fat, no, and not ripped bulky, but more how adult men just fill in and he had such presence, which made him almost seem bigger than he was.
It was his light mocha eyes that pulled me in. Again, beautiful like a tiger, but still as alluring as the coffee I was now addicted to. His hair was a darker brown, cut short and messy like he didn’t care, same with the long stubble that was a few days’ growth but not a beard. He was ridiculously sexy with it.
I suppressed a flinch when he reached up and pulled out my hair tie, letting down my messy bun.
“You are a beauty,” he praised, sliding the band around his wrist before touching my hair and then cupping my cheek. “But why am I here, young princess?”
It had to be nerves or the adrenaline leaving me, or the new adrenaline coming from fear, but I burst out laughing. I laughed so hard, I was gasping for air and trying to apologize. “I am the wrong person to ask for answers, as I’m about forty miles behind on all of this.”
“Not something most would admit,” he muttered, studying me carefully.
I shrugged. “Only stupid people pretend to know things they don’t.”
His full lips twitched. “And you are not stupid?”
I bounced that around. “I never assume I’m the smartest person in the room, but I try never to be the stupidest.”
He stared at me as if I’d said something interesting. “And what if you’re alone? Are you not the stupidest person in the room then?”
“Yes, but I’m also the smartest person then and they cancel out, so I’m just me,” I threw right back.
“Who are you?” Jaxon interjected, his tone respectful but a bit firm as if saying it was time for names.
“Kristof of the house Priest,” he answered.
“I thought that house was no more,” Jaxon muttered.
“I am the last,” Kristof replied, his tone clear to drop it.
“You stayed at my family coven for many years when my great-grandmother ruled,” Darius said, dipping his head. “She spoke very well of you according to my mother. I am Darius of the house Katz.”
He glanced at Darius and nodded. “Your great-grandmother was a lovely woman. I was never of her court, but I respected her. How is your mother… I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. I may be the last too,” Darius whispered, giving something away as to his grief that the guy sensed.
“It is a heartache and burden I would wish upon no one.”
“Jaxon of the house O’Cleirgh,” Jaxon introduced.
“Another impressive house,” he muttered, looking at me again. “And yet they are not sworn to you and protect you so.” He glanced at the leopards. “And you have knights in this century? How did that come about?”
“That’s a long story,” I answered, not sure what was going on here at all.
“Interesting. You are very interesting,” he murmured. He held out his hand to me. “Come, I wish to speak to you privately.” He gave a warning look to the others, and I hurried to slip my hand in his, which shocked him it seemed.
“Don’t hurt them, please, they’re just scared for me,” I whispered, feeling like prey again now that we were past the banter.
He didn’t respond, pulling me against him, and then we just suddenly weren’t there. It wasn’t even like when Jaxon ran with me where I felt the wind or air move around me, no, this was almost too fast for that like he was so fast he came with his own fucking wormhole.
“It takes a minute for people not used to that,” he warned, holding me tightly until I was steady. But he still kept his hand on my cheek, running his fingers lightly down my neck. “You would be the rare one with a chance to seduce me. Is that what you wish? To snare me into your court with the heaven I am sure is between your legs?”
I moved to pull away, but he kept me there with just that light touch. Crap, I was like ant level of prey to a huge ass whale. “I don’t know why you’re here, but I would never snare someone or whore myself like that.”
“Well, you are a rare princess on that for sure. I have questions for you, and you will answer me.”
“I would have without the implied threat,” I grumbled, but then cleared my throat. “Just don’t hurt them, okay? Please? I don’t get what’s going on either, but you’re scary powerful, and I don’t want them harmed.”
“Most would not admit they were outmatched in power.”
I snorted. “We both know I’m the prey here, so what does denying the truth or lying about it do besides upset you that I lied to you?”
“Not a damn thing, but most still would.” He leaned in like he was going to kiss me, and I closed my eyes, not because I wanted the kiss no matter how beautiful he was, but just to get it over with. “Interesting indeed.” He stayed a breath apart from me. “Would you kiss me if I promised their safety?”
My eyes snapped open, and I saw the challenge in his gaze
. “Yes, of course.”
“What else would you offer?”
“Anything. I’d give you anything to protect them.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Would you kneel before me?”
I knelt, staring up in his shocked face. “Yes.”
“You have no honor to kneel,” he muttered, giving me a disappointed look that irked me.
“I’m honoring what I said to them that they’re mine. I care for Jaxon and Darius, and what good is my honor of not kneeling when you ask if we’re all dead? The leopards swore to protect me, and how could I not do the same? They’re my friends. Fuck, I’ll kneel here as long as you want to keep them safe. So what, I’m kneeling?”
“I agree,” he praised, holding out his hand for me. “But I am a noble who would never have a princess kneel before him.” He pulled me to my feet and opened his mouth to ask more questions, but I flinched, realizing it was that time of the morning.
“I’ll answer whatever you want, whatever I can, I promise, but the ghosts are going to start coming, and it will get bad fast because we’ve been hunting a lot of corrupted,” I rambled, seeing another appear. “So, um, can we call a time out? Don’t hurt them, and we’ll explain.” I blinked at him. “Maybe you were called here to see this? I don’t know, but I’ll tell you whatever, but we have a system.”
“You are very afraid. Why? Others have seen ghosts too.”
“Yeah, well, I get the ghosts of my kills plus the five leopards, and it’s severely complicated from what even Darius and Jaxon say.” I leaned into him as more ghosts appeared. “Please? There’s about to be a shit ton, and then I won’t hear you and they’ll make me faint.”
“Interesting indeed,” he muttered again, wrapping his arm around me before we were suddenly back by the others.
“The ghosts started appearing, and I didn’t tell him anything yet,” I blurted, glancing between Jaxon and Darius. “And Clarence fucked everything up and we don’t have it set.”