by Erin R Flynn
“Or you accept my son’s oath,” Matilda added, but gently, like she wasn’t judging me, but she understood I was in pain.
I sighed, nodding and letting them whisk us off to the house in Montana. I didn’t even bother with a swimsuit, stripping off my clothes and getting right in the pool.
“Do you still not know how to swim?” Lara asked as she got in as well, handing me a jar of moonshine.
“In my spare time,” I grumbled, sighing when a few people chuckled. “Hey, I asked for someone to teach me, but Jaxon kept… Not teaching me to swim. I doggy paddle just fine in emergencies.”
“So, what is this rift I’ve sensed with Darius?” Nora asked once we were all lounging, enjoying the summer night in the cool water while drinking good booze that made us feel warmer.
“You guys talked, right?” Hope added.
“Sort of. Yes, finally.” I sighed and took a huge gulp before leaning my head on the ledge. “He spun out on something, the what doesn’t really matter as he’s fine with it now I guess. He just walked away and was… Gone.”
“While building you a castle and doing all the work he does?” Hanna asked, her tone implying that didn’t sound feasible.
“He was,” Trisha defended. “He didn’t run off and join the circus, but he was never at group meetings unless it was about the construction. I barely saw him at meals. He never helped her with the ghosts—”
“No, he ghosted her when he didn’t agree with her,” Lara bitched. “Now he’s back and he’s saying he didn’t abandon you? What is that? What did he even say to defend that?”
“He didn’t really,” I whispered, staring up at the stars. “He blinked and it was two months. I don’t know—it felt like he washed his hands of me, but then I keep wondering if I’m a hypocrite. Didn’t I get upset that they didn’t come back and try to make things right after I told them to leave me alone?”
“That’s different,” Maggie defended. “They messed up and you told them to piss off until you were ready to hear their apology. This was him walking away from you a few times when you tried to fix things or make him understand. That’s not—I wouldn’t have chased after him. Maybe if it was that first night or even week, but he knew he was dodging you.”
Lara nodded. “Yeah, and with his shit about you having a line waiting to replace him, it was especially shitty to just walk. I honestly don’t know how to reconcile this time or the path to forgive him and get back to being you.”
“I don’t know that I want to,” I admitted, tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. “I get spinning out, even it was over something stupid. I did that. I get it. We’re in the fucking apocalypse and everything is more serious and crazy compounds.”
“Then what’s stopping you?” Hope asked softy.
“He left me,” I rasped. “He just left, gone, poof.” I wiped my eyes and took another drink. “I lived so many years on my own, giving up on people as they always hurt or betrayed me, and I knew nothing. He was the one to reach out to me and be there, show me someone could really care and think I was someone special, not just a commodity. And then he just left and I thought I would die.”
“You’ve been grieving,” she surmised.
I nodded. “Why the fuck would I ever risk going through that again? I don’t want to feel that again or be alone and it’s not about replacing him, but why would I ever see if he’d stay for real this time? Falling in love and being together is one thing, but letting that love back in when it abandoned you like that for two months seems the stupidest thing ever.”
“Is that what your heart or your head is telling you?” Trisha asked.
“Both.”
“Shit,” she hissed.
Yeah, that about summed it up.
9
Petre
I was totally sunk on Inez. At first, I thought she was a bit bratty, but I could understand that given Safie kidnapped her and was trying to force her to agree to be adopted. That would make the best people brats.
Then, I was impressed. She was powerful, young, but incredibly powerful. And kind. That was a new one when thinking of a princess.
Yes, she was gorgeous, all princesses were, but she had a pure wildness about her that captivated me in a way I couldn’t explain. I understood why Vitor loved her. She was the exact opposite of the house of Darbandi and even his own family who had offered him up to the monsters to be saved.
And yes, I loved how she was with her nobles and others she cared about. She was ridiculously sexy and passionate in everything she did. I adored her for all the reasons others did.
But, it was the times she was alone that made me completely sunk on her. Acting as her guard and hanging back, I had a unique perspective as to the woman she was, and after two months of seeing that, my heart was hers.
All of me was.
I think I knew it from the moment she went off to cry alone at her pain of losing Darius so she didn’t upset anyone else or turn them against him.
I’d never seen anything so tragically beautiful, her big green eyes dulled for once and red as she hugged herself and tried to believe everything was okay. The young noble was a moron, as any man would be blessed to have a fraction of the love she had for him, and yet, he was letting it go.
It left me conflicted. I hated she hurt, but there were only so many she could truly love and she had several interested in her. If Darius didn’t fix this, that was one less to compete with.
Horrible, but such was life. She had the heart to love many, but everyone had realistic limits.
After that kiss though, I didn’t care if I was one of a million if I was hers. Even if it was a small sliver of time or her attention, I now understood how nobles offered themselves up completely for the right princess. I would for her.
“Why are you not with Inez?” Kristof demanded when he saw Vitor and I arrive with the others for his bachelor party.
“Women only,” I told him, shaking my head when he went to object. “Hanna is pretty damn old, and several of their ladies are, which we both know are their hidden female noble guards. I also know those from our previous coven who are attending and they like Inez very much. She’s safe.”
“Good evening, and welcome to the best bachelor party ever,” James greeted, smiling brightly as he rubbed his hands together. “I will be your cruise director. We are starting this evening with some casual, but tasty, grub before all the fancy, fancy of the weekend. We ask you hold off drinking until later in the evening as we have lots planned and clear heads are needed for some.”
“It’s going to be awesome,” Simon agreed, about bursting with excitement. I really liked the young shifter, and he was completely loyal to Inez, one of her closest friends even, so I made sure to always look out for him when I could.
We started at Salt Lake City where one of the resorts was having a huge cookout for the party. They told us all the families and kiddies were eating at one of the other places for the night, so it was just us.
Once, not all that long ago, guests from other courts would be looking down their nose at the burgers and ribs, but now everyone appreciated it.
It was sad it took the apocalypse for people to truly appreciate what they had, but it gave me hope for the world now that it had a reset.
Maybe?
“I’ve never had a smoked burger before,” Sebastian, Jaxon’s father, said as he took another bite. “It’s quite good.”
“They are,” Jacob agreed. “I’ve never seen such a large rib rotisserie for grilling and smoking. I wonder if we can find another or ask Princess Inez for one, along with those boilers I saw her chef and his staff using for crabs and shrimp.”
“I don’t know about the rotisserie, but we found a whole warehouse of those boilers,” Jaxon told them. “I’m sure she’d be fine with it.”
“Yes, she is fine with much,” Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. “She could be the most spoiled and greedy princess with all she has, and yet, she’s always allowing more and more.”<
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“She believes generosity breeds generosity,” Vitor said. “And given she only deals with certain people and covens, she’s right. Even your own cunning and sly princess has moved past the normal court hoops when dealing with Inez. I’ve never known Nora to be cruel when not deserved, but sometimes all it takes is another person to drop the bullshit for others to do the same.”
“Mostly, it’s because Inez doesn’t care what people think of her,” Kristof explained. “She doesn’t care if people whisper she’s a fool for being nice or look down at her that she’s being stupid. It does not bother her one bit. As long as people keep their end of the deals, she truly ignores what is said.”
“That sounds like a lack of pride, mate,” Ceawlin cut in, looking amused just to have snuck into the party and ruin some of the fun for Cerdic.
What an asshole. He really was Cerdic’s evil twin.
Kristof shrugged. “She knows who she is, and those of us who love her know. She’s not insecure to worry over pride. She values integrity and her morals more.” He narrowed his eyes at Ceawlin in warning when the man opened his mouth. “She has not screwed over or sold out one person who didn’t deserve it. How many princesses can say that and accomplish so much?”
“How many of us can say that?” Sebastian echoed. “And it’s not because she has others do the dirty work. No, she refuses to allow it and finds another way.”
James chuckled. “Yeah, and she punches you if you even suggest it or test her.”
“Yes, she is rather violent,” Ceawlin drawled.
“Like you didn’t deserve it, you git,” Cerdic drawled. “Stop shitting on my princess because she’s not interested in you. Identical looking we may be, but we’re not the same people and she prefers me. Get over it.”
“You sound jealous because I got the last one,” Ceawlin purred.
Cerdic focused on this twin and burst out laughing. He kept laughing which confused most of us there. Finally he went over to Ceawlin and hugged him, lots of us having wide eyes at that one. He kissed his shocked twin’s cheek.
“I’m so fucking grateful she wanted you as it kept me from being tied to someone that dark and twisted. It was your betrayal that hurt because I loved you, maybe most of anyone. Now I’m just happy it happened because it put me on the path to finding Inez. Even if I hadn’t accepted your princess, if you had not hurt me so gravely, I wouldn’t have run from every court. I wouldn’t have waited for her.”
“You really are the Zen master,” Jaxon chuckled. “Not sure I could look at it that way, but I’m glad you have such healthy perspectives on life. It helps Inez. You help Inez in a way only you could.”
“She carries a lot of darkness for one so young,” Sebastian agreed, shaking his head. “It’s hard to see the bigger picture on losing her memories.”
“You don’t even know the half of it, mate,” Cerdic said as he went back for his plate. “She has years of ghosts haunting her and I mean literally. While she’s willing to work through it slowly, she won’t share the burden as she doesn’t like to burden people.”
“Okay, this isn’t bachelor party conversations,” Tyson cut in, always cautious on who was listening or overhearing what they shouldn’t. “We’ve got a big night ahead so eat up.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant but I was in. I could definitely use a night off.
“You kissed Inez?” Vitor asked me at a volume most couldn’t hear.
I sighed, knowing he wanted her too. “I can’t apologize, but I am sorry she doesn’t look your way as well. It will take time, my friend. Even if an accident, you almost killed her after abducting her.”
“I know this,” he hissed, rage boiling in him. “My jealousy didn’t make me ask. I hoped such a wonderful princess would look your way. I wanted to wish you luck.”
“Thank you. She’s very clear that anything will be slow, and she’s spun all around so often, I understand that. I’ll wait. I simply needed to know there was something there on her side too.”
“Patience is a virtue you have in spades,” he sighed, knowing he didn’t. “Just put in a good word for me if you can, okay?”
“Deal.” That I could do. Vitor was a good man who had been abused all of his life, especially by women, so the fact he wanted one for real was a miracle in its own, but he needed time to heal before trying to be the noble for another princess.
So did I, which was why I didn’t have a problem with slow and being patient.
We headed to Texas where something was set up and waiting, everyone giving James curious looks.
“There is an overpopulation of wild boars, feral hogs, or whatever else they’re called,” he explained. “I overheard Princess Nora talking to Sebastian that she was going to ask Inez to handle it. Our princess will most likely agree, but either way, we’ll have to handle it, so we thought why not have some fun with it.”
“We have thirty empty shipping containers lined up for each team,” Simon said as he took over, gesturing behind him. “Team Cerdic will battle Team Kristof for the prize of our final stop on our party tour. It’s awesome, trust us.” He looked over to Jacob and Winston. “I would assume all of the Wessex covens here would be on Cerdic’s team?”
“We’ll join in the fun,” Henry Wessex, Cerdic’s father, answered with a nod. “The first to fill up the thirty containers with dead boars wins?”
“Yes,” Simon answered before looking at Kristof. “So they have more, but you have older if everyone else is joining your team? Or do we need the O’Cleirghs’ on Cerdic’s side?”
“Line up so we can see who’s where and try to even it out a bit.”
I wanted to roll my eyes when Ceawlin went on Kristof’s side.
“I don’t want your disloyal ass on my team,” Kristof warned him. “Why are you even here?”
Ceawlin shrugged, but I saw the anger in his eyes he tried to hide. “I find it amusing. Fine, I’ll stay here and keep tabs that everyone’s playing fair.”
The amount of snorts or snickers that he would act as referee echoed through the night.
There was a bit of back and forth, but finally the teams were mostly even. They definitely had more, but we had the age.
“If they’re smart, they’ll have people load these totes and their oldest bring the totes back to unload,” Vitor muttered as he held up the massive totes made for forklifts to move. They had to fit like a ton of weight at least.
“That’s not a bad strategy instead of dragging these around all over,” Kristof agreed. “Does that work? You, Petre, and Tian run the totes?”
“Do we know if this prize really is awesome?” Tian asked, always the distrusting and cynical ball of sunshine.
Kristof nodded. “Inez was up to something with Simon and James, and if she was involved, it will be good.”
“Right, you’re not biased,” I drawled. He didn’t disagree but he also wasn’t wrong.
Simon gave the countdown and then we were off. We picked the best spot for the totes, and just as we did, they were bringing in boars with snapped necks to load up. Kristof was in fine form, like he was competing for more than the prize, but Inez herself. It wasn’t long until the first tote was full, Vitor heading off with it.
I went next and snagged a boar on the way, snapping its neck before tossing it into the container. I emptied the tote and headed back. A few more rounds of that and I saw we were already a container behind.
“Go, we’ll run totes,” I told Tian when I got back. He nodded and took off. It was the better plan as we had several totes that we could have waiting instead of standing there on hold until they were loaded.
But we got a workout. I was actually a bit winded after fifteen containers.
“Switch, we’re faster, but the weight is tiring us,” Vitor told Tian and Moon since they were the next oldest.
I was glad, but also because I wanted to do some hunting. I hadn’t hunted as I once did in so long, and even if our nature was to hunt evil humans to feed from in ou
r princess’s lands, hunting of any kind helped. I found myself moving faster and faster, wanting to catch the piggies fleeing now that they knew predators were in the area.
We were predators for sure.
“Done!” someone bellowed in the quiet night.
I froze. No way. No way they beat us! I took what I had and went right to the containers, growling when I saw we had two more to go and they were finished.
“Hey, ours are overflowing though,” Kristof bitched. “You’re a bit light on some of those tops there.”
“Agreed,” James called. “Get back to it and don’t waste space. Go!”
Still we lost, but barely. We were one tote shy really, in that last container. Fuck.
“What’s the prize?” Cerdic asked, waggling his eyebrows at Kristof. “What did I win from my princess that the old, old fart didn’t get?”
“Only she gets to call me that,” he growled in warning.
“We’ll show you in a bit, but we have something else first,” James cut in. He looked over to a bunch of guys that had been there when we arrived. “Two are going to that settlement and the rest are meeting up with the train in Amarillo to head to St. Louis. We checked and Inez made a deal with Nora and Hanna, so they go.”
We ended up helping them attach up the containers that were on trailers to the semis, each one taking two with the note that there were twelve containers done towards the next deal of one to twenty-four, so Nora had a huge haul already.
That was a lot of fucking wild hog for sure.
Next, we headed to Albuquerque where the Air Force base was that they now used as their main military hub since it was in great shape. They seemed relieved to start having places to bring things instead of just loading it all up so others didn’t get it. I could understand the need to feel more settled. They were using Seattle for all the vessels, but Albuquerque was closer and worked for the coven.