by Ravyn Fyre
“Get to the point. Jade’s little excursion should have eliminated the threat against her . . . so even though I’m disappointed in the method she took, I’m pleased she’s taken herself out of the line of fire,” Kalen spit out harshly.
“Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, it might have only delayed their plans. I mean, in the end, they have no idea you sent Jade to the dungeons for a time out. No, instead, they saw a crazed Strix flashing away with a woman he’s been sniffing around like a crazed male. Admit it, Kalen, would you expect anything other than a claiming if one of your men did the same. Regardless it doesn’t matter, not with what I saw this afternoon,” Levi stated bluntly.
“I feel like a broken record, and you are trying my patience. What did you see this afternoon that would make me change my mind?” Kalen countered with a growl of frustration.
“I spotted the doppelganger on the dock this afternoon and followed him to the palace. If that doesn’t pique your interest, then maybe knowing he was meeting with a few of your councilmen would do the trick.” Levi stated bluntly.
“Let me guess, one of them was councilman Bastian,” Kalen said in a tone that sent shivers down my spine. Even though I knew he had access to my memories, it surprised me when he trusted my thought process concerning Bastian and Onyx. I knew I didn’t have all the answers, but I appreciated his willingness to trust my theories.
I tried to pull away from Kalen’s neck to add my two cents only to have him cradle the back of my head, locking me gently into place. He whispered words of encouragement until I resumed my suckling, although with less enthusiasm than the first time. I felt healed from my earlier consumption and wondered if he needed this more than I did. Stroking my hair softly, he made me want to forget everything and just feel, but Levi’s next statement was hard to ignore. “Bastian was there, but so were Fansa and Clary.”
“Well, that was unexpected,” Kalen responded with a pensive air.
From my memory, I tried to recall why those two names would cause my mate fear until he pushed the faces of Anolla and Castice to the front of my mind. Pulling back, I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped my lips. Pushing against his chest with a strength I wasn’t aware I had, I sought Kalen’s eyes, finding solace in the bewilderment that matched my own. I searched his eyes as I questioned my train of thought. Were Anolla and Castice killed to make Fansa and Clary cooperate with the coup? Were they victims in this scheme like the rest of us? Was I even the target? Damn, had my insecurities and jealousy blinded my judgment? And if it had, could I step in and be the bigger person if Onyx’s life was in danger? The bitch in me wanted to sit back and watch it all unfold, reveling in the fact that Karma would have a chance to make her presence known. The minuscule portion of me with a conscience, wanted to give her a chance. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to find out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As question after question bombarded my thoughts, it made me wish I had an emergency brake to end the onslaught. Whoever said knowledge is power obviously wasn’t missing important information. Because partial knowledge that only brought about more questions should be considered dangerous. It was like trying to complete a puzzle with pieces missing; only you wouldn’t know which ones were missing until the end. It felt overwhelming when I considered how much I didn’t know until Kalen's voice broke through my thoughts, “Tell me, Levi, if I hired you to find the doppelganger, why in the world are you standing in front of me now?”
“You could say I got distracted. Jade’s ridiculous disguise was driving you mad, which I can’t deny piqued my interest even further and made me want to find out what she was up to. Imagine my surprise when I watched you throw her into the dungeon. I might not have a mate of my own, but even this recluse knows better than that,” Levi declared with a devilish smirk.
I felt Kalen’s body go rigid as he warred with himself on whether or not he should put me down so he could teach Levi a lesson. Taking the decision away from him, I twisted in his arms to face the giant shifter. “Ridiculous? Hardly! It worked on everyone else. Why not you?”
“I have the power of true sight, lass,” he responded frankly.
“Is that your answer to everything?” I challenged with a snort.
“My gift allows me to see past any trickery, be it magic or potions. So even though I could see the skin you showed everyone else, I was also able to see the real you hiding underneath. Personally, I like you better as a brunette,” Levi answered with a wink. Kalen’s answering growl was the only warning I had before he flashed in front of me, dropped his fangs, and roared, “Jade is mine! If you value your life, you’ll not speak of her that way ever again.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve witnessed a newly bonded male. I forget how easy you are to provoke. I’ll do my best to temper myself around you, but you're going to need to learn to check yourself in the future. I highly doubt others will give you the same courtesy,” Levi warned before adding, “I’m sure you are well aware flying off the handle doesn’t bode well for people in positions of power. Someone is always waiting on the sidelines to take advantage of your misstep.”
Kalen seemed to sober with Levi’s reminder, which gave me the courage to squeeze him from behind before moving to his side and changing the subject. “How did you make it so Kalen could see me? My potion shouldn’t have worn off for another twelve hours by my estimate.”
“The moment I touched you, your outer shell ceased to exist,” Levi answered, followed by a shrug that spoke of his remorse.
I nodded Levi’s way to let him know his guilt was unnecessary before it hit me; there might still be time to interfere with Anolla’s death. There were so many variables to identify, but I couldn’t let it overwhelm me if I wanted to make a difference. We just needed to digest each tidbit we were fed and make the best-educated guess possible. If only we knew how fast-acting the contagion was. Then we could determine what kind of a timeline we were working with, which would inevitably lead us to other people of interest.
Now that I couldn’t be sure my supposed archenemy was guilty, it would be stupid of me to bury my head in the sand and ignore other possible suspects. I couldn’t afford to be ignorant. If I wanted to stop future deaths, I needed to be willing to think outside of the box. Anything should be possible in a world where the impossible happens every day. Even if that anything . . . meant something I was uncomfortable with. We just needed to be in a place where we could interfere with our enemies’ plans. “What time is it?”
“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” Kalen rumbled from beside me.
“Depends on what time it is,” I teased, looking up at him flirtatiously. When he scowled down at me in response, I quickly added, “Sorry, I guess that was a bit too soon. I don’t have anywhere to be per se . . . but as you’ll recall from my memories, Anolla died at the dinner celebration, and I wanted to be there to see if my going back in time changed her fate.”
“Still have a couple of hours until we eat. I know you believe Onyx is to blame, but I saw little proof in your memories to justify apprehending her. An accusation like that needs to be supported by ample evidence,” Kalen chastised before turning his attention to Levi, “Now that we’ve sated your curiosity, I think it’s high time for you to do what I summoned you here for. I want the doppelganger brought in alive so we can find out who hired him. The sooner, the better, in my opinion.”
I expected Levi to argue, but with a nod, his body shimmered out to be replaced by his water form. I watched in fascination as he walked to the sink and poured himself down the drain. With his exit, I was even more aware of the pissed off Strix behind me. Wishing I could delay our confrontation for a moment now that we were alone, I examined our surroundings. While we weren’t in the dungeon anymore, the room was simplistic, and besides the sink, it was empty. Which didn’t give me a lot of time to search for the right words to make him understand why I did what I did. Perhaps now wasn’t the time to present my case. I’d make him s
ee it from my perspective when this was all over.
With a big sigh, I turned to face him and addressed one of the issues that took me back in time in the first place, “Could we at least grab Anolla and Castice and hold them until their time of death expires? If we remove them from the equation, it might just save one or both of their lives. Since their time of infection is unknown, it might help us narrow the timeline. Do we know when Castice died?”
“We can arrange that. I’ll send Tanen to pick them up immediately,” Kalen replied, staring at the wall above my head as he sent the mental command. When he finished, his eyes sought me out. For a second, he let me see the anguish my actions brought him before Kalen buried the look and gave me a version of himself that brokered no emotions. I knew he was hurt, but I had hoped he’d see how much he meant to me and would be able to forgive me. I searched his eyes a second longer and then dropped my eyes to the ground when it appeared he was shutting me out.
“As for your question . . . I have no memory of that time, except for what I could see in your memories. Don’t worry, though, I’m highly aware of someone who might know. I think now would be a good time for us to visit her. Perhaps Natashia will also be able to explain to me how she thought sending you back in time would go unpunished,” Kalen replied with a sneer.
My head snapped up at his comment. Pinning him with a death glare, I yelled, “Now wait just a damn minute! Natashia didn’t send me anywhere. I sent myself, and you know it. I was the one that came up with the idea and practically manipulated her to help me. If you want someone to punish, you’re looking at her!”
Kalen flashed to my location in an instant. With a squeak, I tried to step back, but he stopped me as he pulled me roughly into him and snarled, “Believe me, I plan on it.”
I shivered with awareness as my body melted the moment our bodies made contact. It was easy to recall how good we felt together when we touched, and it made me furious that he would use that against me during a fight. How were we supposed to have a rational discussion when all my brain could think about was running my fingers and mouth over the male specimen I was attached to. My struggle only made the delicious, hard lines of his body more apparent. Especially when he swiveled his hips into me, reminding me of what I was missing. Unable to contain the moan that escaped without warning, I barely stopped myself from grinding against him. Panting and out of breath, I rested my forehead against his chest in defeat and said, “I’m begging you to leave Natashia out of it. If you feel she must learn a lesson, then make her watch you tan my hide. At least then, I’ll be able to say I protected her, and I won’t lose her friendship.”
“And you were worried you wouldn’t make a good queen. Only those truly meant to lead would martyr themselves to save those they are in charge of,” Kalen whispered before he flashed us away.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I’m sure with a little more practice, I’ll get used to flashing, but it takes a second for my brain to catch up with reality every damn time. It probably didn’t help that the second we were on firm ground, Kalen released me to pace about the room like a caged lion. Thankful I didn’t stumble and make a fool of myself. I gave myself a mental slap when his absence made me feel bereft and alone. I just had to remember our distance was temporary. My only consolation was I didn’t feel the need to hurl after touch down. Hating the physical and emotional distance separating us, I glanced at our surroundings before I gave into my need for him and edged closer.
If I had to guess, we were probably in Natashia’s quarters, but when it became evident we were alone, I tugged on Kalen’s arm to get his attention. Frowning up at him, I was just about to ask him what we were doing in her quarters when Natashia walked out of the bathroom to the right of us. Dressed in a robe, fresh from a shower, she froze mid-step with her mouth wide open. At first, I thought it was due to the shock of finding us in her room but knew differently with Kalen’s next statement.
“Natashia, I hope you understand my reservations around you for the moment. I’ll unfreeze you when we can come to an agreement. I need your vow that you will refrain from using your power in any way that will make me lose my memories. If I let you go and you do it anyway AND I subsequently find out about it, I will consider it an act of war. If it comes to that, nothing my mate can say will stop me from punishing you. That is my vow. You may speak now, but considering our friendship’s longevity, let me give you a final warning. You will face my full wrath if you cross me.”
Natashia blinked once and closed her mouth, which was the only indication that she was alive and in complete control of her actions. She blew off his powers with a poise that belayed her predicament as she stood to her full height. Drawing in a deep breath, she answered him with an air of royalty I hoped one day to possess, “Your Highness, I can’t say I’m surprised to find you here after your display this afternoon in the training room. Alright, that’s a lie. I am surprised to find you in my quarters. You should know there was a part of me that considered skipping out on this conversation, but the larger part of me figured our friendship deserved better. While I refuse to apologize for helping your mate, I want you to know I felt like I had no other choice.” She winced in my direction at her admission, but I didn’t hold it against her. It was the truth, and he was more than aware of that fact. I mouthed the word sorry, and when she mouthed back, ditto. I knew no matter what happened; we’d have each other's back.
With a shy smile, she cleared her throat before she continued, “I know a part of you respects my loyalty to your mate, and with my next promise, I hope you know that trait also extends to you. “From this moment forward, I will not interfere with you and your mate unless your very lives require it. That’s the best I can offer you, my liege, because even though my actions don’t make sense to you now, I only did what I thought was best for you, her, and our people. We can’t afford to lose you as our leader. Bastian would destroy everything we’ve ever built with his greed.”
I released the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding when Kalen conceded a cease-fire with a single nod before he said, “Very well. We have questions, of course. I’m hoping you can fill in the blanks concerning the death of poor Castice.”
Natashia looked between Kalen and me before she nodded and said, “Of course. I’ll tell you whatever I can. What details are you wanting?”
I had to give it to Kalen. He was a man of his word. I watched his demeanor switch from dictator to collaborator with her promise, “You arrived before we did. Were we given a precise time of death?”
“Not to the minute, but his roommate reported it shortly after four in the morning. He was apprehended as a suspect when he started demanding money for his troubles. I’ve kept my eye on him today, and for the life of me, I can’t see how he might have poisoned the poor kid.”
“Who was his roommate?” I demanded.
“I didn’t catch his name, but he’s Ranik’s second cousin or something like that. I’m sure you noticed him out of all the recruits. He was the tallest and biggest tribute sent to us. If I’m honest, kinda hard to miss, with all his goldenness,” Natashia finished, ducking her head to hide the blush threatening to take over her face.
“Golden Boy?” I blurted out and instantly wished I could take it back when Kalen stiffened and moved out from under my hand. Turning to face me, I could see the anger threatening to consume him before he spoke.
“His name is Kaspen, not Golden Boy!” Kalen roared.
“Are you serious! You're mad because I called him ‘Golden Boy?’ His fucking skin shimmers with gold. What else was I supposed to call him? The guy with gold skin? My lord, jealous much?” I spit out, folding my arms over my chest protectively.
“I’d prefer to be called Kalen, but Lord works just as well,” Kalen answered with a smirk.
“Pompous jerk! You’re not helping!” I screamed, feeling like a toddler as I resisted stomping my feet. Giving him my back, I turned to Natashia and tried to get our interrogation back on track, �
��Everything happened so fast when she collapsed. Do you remember if Castice was seated near Anolla during dinner?”
“Far from it, actually. Castice was late to dinner and was near the dining hall entrance when the poor pixie started having convulsions,” Natashia answered.
“Damn. I was hoping we could make a connection between the two, besides the fact that they knew each other,” I responded.
Chewing on my lower lip in concentration, I bit down on it with surprise when Kalen grabbed me from behind and whispered in my ear, “By the way, in my world, we don’t call it jealousy.”
Gah! The insufferable male was driving me insane! His proximity was wreaking havoc on my ability to function, but even I knew now wasn’t the time to talk about our issues! Plus, it didn’t matter what he called it; jealousy under a different name was still jealousy. I took a step forward and peered at him over my shoulder. I was sure the look plastered across my face was more than enough to clue him in on how I felt, but just in case, I added a bit more stink eye as I tapped my foot, waiting for him to continue.
An idiot should have clued in on my annoyance, but my mate must have decided to test me when he ignored all the signals I sent him and proceeded to march toward me. Flipping around to face him head-on, I couldn’t help but take a step back as he crowded my space. Before I knew it, I was cornered and wished I could hide how turned on I was. I mentally groaned at how weak I was in his presence, when I practically panted like a dog in heat from his nearness.
“In my world, there is no such thing as jealousy. Instead, we prefer to call it territorial because make no mistake you are my property!”
I wanted to assure him I was just as much his as he was mine, but he never gave me a chance.