“They are probably right.” Heck found his composure first. “Everything to protect our Maray.”
“Right.” Jemin chuckled darkly.
With a swift motion of his hand, Jemin closed the door and peeked out the window before he pulled the silken curtain in front of it. “Let’s get this over with, then.”
Jemin
Jemin watched from the corner of his eye how Maray slid out of her cloak. How he wished he’d have a moment to brace himself, but her scent flooded the carriage as she swung the fabric off her shoulders and folded it on her lap. He closed his eyes for a brief second, handing himself over to the illusion that they were alone in the vehicle. The slow rocking movement made by the carriage gave the impression he was resting in a boat with her.
But just as his mind was drifting, someone cleared her throat.
“Thanks, Seri,” Jemin murmured, inaudible to Maray and Heck. Seri and been his ally in learning how to deal with his Yutu-instincts. Now that his senses were amplified by a thousand or more, every trace of Maray’s scent brought him back to the last time he’d felt her lips on his. He was aware that he couldn’t think of her that way anymore, and he had tried, countless times, to see other girls through those eyes, Seri even, but he was ruined. The second he’d laid sight on Maray, he’d been ruined. Jemin ground his teeth and opened his eyes.
Heck’s eyes were resting on Maray’s face, concern decorating his young features and making him look like a stranger. The Heck he grew up with never looked like that. At least, not until Maray had come into their lives.
“Where exactly are we going?” Seri asked, diverting Jemin’s attention from the obvious—that Heck was sitting where he should be.
“Not far,” Jemin answered curtly and fixed his gaze on the branches carved into the table, which was so conveniently separating the two sides of the carriage. “We need to go around the castle, then exit the palace grounds near the safe house, and continue a little bit south.”
Jemin’s mind wandered ahead to the place where Maray would be facing her people. He knew what it meant to the people of Allinan that their future queen made the effort and went to them rather than make them come to the palace. It was riskier than inside the palace walls, though, and Neelis was right to have sent him along with the others—even when now that he was in the same room as Maray, he felt that self-control may slip him.
“A coffee house,” he clarified for Seri, who knew very well herself where the carriage was headed, and rested his arm against hers the way they did when they were communicating in their Yutu-shape. Being a shifter didn’t come with convenient tricks such as mind-reading. As Yutu, they had to rely on body language and howls. Seri returned his gesture of comfort, and Jemin’s side warmed despite the suddenly icy atmosphere in the carriage.
Heck’s eyes were sending little daggers toward him while Maray had gone rigid in her seat. As much as he wanted Heck to look away, and as much as he was aching for Maray’s gaze to meet his, she was keeping herself busy, watching the winter landscape as it rushed by now that the carriage had entered the wide road, seamed with bare trees and hedges on each side, leading to the southern gate.
“A coffee house,” Heck repeated. His gaze was now resting on Seri for a change, who was leaning away from Jemin, trying to get Maray’s attention.
“You guys should really talk about it, whatever it is,” she threw into the cabin with a breezy tone.
Jemin bit back a growl. How could she? He had partially confided in her how difficult it was for him to accept that Maray was going to marry Heck and that staying away was the only way he could avoid losing his mind. Seri didn’t seem to care how painful it was and seemed to have her own type of therapy in mind.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Maray shot at her before either of the boys got a chance to open their mouths.
But Maray’s gaze betrayed her. She knew exactly what Seri was referring to. Even if Maray and Heck were human, it was impossible not to notice that Heck seemed to want to punch Jemin in the face almost as much as Jemin wanted to do the same with Heck. Jemin’s hand began to tingle as he entertained the thought.
“Me, neither,” Jemin agreed, his eyes searching Maray’s for any sign her feelings for him hadn’t changed, but Maray had returned to scanning the landscape slowly rolling by.
“Same,” Heck added matter-of-factly and crossed one arm over his chest while the opposite hand clasped Maray’s.
Maray flinched at the touch, her eyes for the first time zooming to lock on Jemin’s as if anxious for his reaction.
Heat simmered down Jemin’s neck as the jealousy and desperation he’d been suppressing for weeks broke through the wall of indifference he’d built with effort and dedication. His frame began to shake ever-so-slightly, but before anyone could notice he was losing control, Seri grabbed his hand in an attempt to calm him.
A sigh escaped Jemin’s mouth, low enough so only Seri could hear it, and Maray’s eyes widened just enough for Jemin to notice but more than sufficient for him to understand that she disliked Seri’s hand on his even more than Heck’s on hers.
They rode in silence, each of them standing their ground as they stared at each other. And with every passing second, Jemin felt his position was becoming more and more dire—because it really wasn’t any position at all. He was a shifter, a loan to Maray’s personal guard by the grace of pack-leader Neelis LeBronn, whose beta, Seri, was challenging him to lose control in one moment then helping him to keep himself together the next.
“Oh, good, we’re here,” Heck announced when the carriage slowed and slid further toward the door as if suddenly in a rush.
As they stopped and Heck pushed the door open with almost violent force, fresh air filled the cabin, and the heat in Jemin’s body subsided. He pulled his hand out of Seri’s, took a deep, cleansing breath, and jumped out behind Heck, whose need to leave the crowded space seemed to be even stronger than Jemin’s.
Heck was talking to Pia and the other guards when Seri followed Jemin’s lead. She rolled her eyes at him, taunting as she slid out. “Careful, soldier,” she whispered as she passed Jemin, “You might want to choose to keep your distance from her.” Seri nodded backward with her head. Jemin clenched his teeth and watched Seri join Heck and the other guards who were now just a couple steps away, screening the coffee house with concern.
Jemin’s eyes, however, had only one direction they wanted to look. He gave in to their wish and let them anxiously stare at the open door, waiting for Maray to emerge. However, she took her time.
“Everything okay in there?” Jemin eventually asked when his skin started to itch from impatience. What could be taking her so long?
When Maray didn’t respond, he popped his head back into the cabin to check. The same second Maray bent forward, moving toward the door to get out, and Jemin found himself an inch from the eyes he could lose himself in. Time seemed to slow as Maray came to the same realization at human speed while Jemin’s shifter senses had given him an advantage, a gift. He could marvel at her for an unnoticed second before awkwardness filled the space between them.
“I apologize, Your Royal Highness,” he breathed out, clearing all the air from his lungs so he could refill himself with her intoxicating scent before he moved back, making way for her to exit the carriage. He held out one hand, the way it was expected of gentlemen in Allinan court, equally hoping and fearing she’d take the offer.
But Maray dismissed his apology and his hand with a simple shake of her head. She gracefully stepped down the wrought-iron steps, not wavering once, and walked to Heck’s side without another glance at Jemin. Her cheeks, however, betrayed her cool. They were the most delicious pink Jemin could remember having ever seen on the Princess.
“I miss you,” he whispered so low, not even Seri and Pia would pick it up with their shifter ears, and followed Maray at a healthy distance.
His stomach didn’t unclench when the guards escorted Maray and Heck into the coffe
e house. Jemin spotted the curious crowd through the windows, and when he entered the room, last of the royal envoy, he exchanged a nervous glance with Seri, who was at the front with Pia.
There were too many people in the space. The brownish marble tables and red velvet-covered benches had been pushed toward the walls and were hardly visible behind the spectators who were eagerly cocking their heads to catch a glimpse of Maray and Heck.
“It’s true,” someone whispered beside him as he passed. “She looks like Queen Rhia, God bless her mortal soul.”
“Look at her,” a woman sighed in awe, subconsciously smoothing out her plaid cotton dress. “Isn’t she the most beautiful creature in Allinan?”
Jemin smiled to himself. The people loved Maray for the simple fact that she looked like the iconic picture of Queen Rhia. But they had no clue about her true beauty.
“The Jewel of Allinan,” someone spoke a little louder, a child, maybe ten years of age. He pushed through the rows of people to get a better view on Maray, who had made it through the narrow corridor separating the audience and was now climbing onto a small podium at the back of the room where mirrors lined the wall under a white ceiling.
Jemin’s eyes screened the room restlessly. If there was any danger here, he needed to spot it and neutralize it. His eyes flickered to Seri and to the other guards, communicating he hadn’t noticed anything suspicious; neither had the others. Everything was going smoothly.
“My dear Allinans,” Maray opened her speech, instantly silencing all noises in the room as she spellbound the crowd with her charismatic nature. “A month has passed since the tragic loss of our Queen and our Crown Princess. And as personal as the loss is for me, it is equally as personal for you. What my mother and grandmother left behind is an Allinan which is stronger than ever—” There were some sounds of agreement in the crowd, “—but also an Allinan which is more desirable to dormant threats than ever. “
Beside Maray, Heck’s face twitched as he noticed the turn Maray speech was taking. Jemin stifled a grunt of satisfaction. Despite the years of friendship with Heck, Jemin couldn’t help enjoying seeing how uncomfortable he was in his role. And, putting all love for his best friend aside, Heck deserved to suffer at least a little bit for being allowed to stand beside Maray.
Jemin touched his chest and slowly rubbed over his sternum to ease the ache for Maray. It was getting worse the closer he was to her, and it didn’t matter how many times Seri had explained to him that his shifter-nature demanded for a mate, this particular mate was out of the question.
“There will be days when we will face challenges, and who would I turn to for support than to the people who love Allinan as much as I do—my Allinans.”
Jemin only partially paid attention to Maray’s words. It was the sound of her voice, soothing and gentle, yet fierce in its own way—
An elbow nudged him, and he started.
“Easy,” Corey whispered. “Just me.”
Jemin swung around and hugged her. Wil was standing behind her and laid one hand on Jemin’s forearm, greeting him.
“What are you doing here?” Jemin asked, recovering from the shock.
“I miss her,” Corey admitted in a whisper, Wil nodding in agreement.
From his chats with Pia, Jemin knew that Corey had hardly spent any time at the palace other than to check up on Ambassador Johnson before his leave to the other world. He didn’t know whether she and Maray were on speaking terms after Corey hadn’t been able to save Rhia and Laura as she undid the binding spell.
“How is she?” Wil asked, and Jemin’s heart felt like it was about to bleed.
He was supposed to know—every little mood, every whim, every tear, every smile.
He shook his head. “I haven’t spent time around her much.”
Both Wil and Corey lowered their gaze for a second to show they understood. When they looked up again, their faces were full of pity.
Cheers erupted from the crowd around them, saving Jemin from having to acknowledge that this was the way it was going to be from now on. He stood quietly in the shadows while the people of Allinan cheered for Maray and Heck. Jemin turned his attention back on his task, searching the crowd for anything suspicious, but his eyes inevitably found their way back to the front of the room where Maray was smiling, dignified and unreachable for him as she inclined her head, letting the cheers wash over her.
“Long live the Queen.”
Maray
Maray jumped out of the carriage the second they arrived at the palace. This time, she had chosen to sit by the door. She had readied herself for Jemin’s presence and for Seri’s glares which seemed to skin her every time she took a breath.
“The people of Allinan love you,” Heck summed up the event, making Maray nauseated. “They are already calling you their Queen.”
Maray tried to focus on the cobbled streets and the families which were streaming out of the building, waving at the carriage as they passed by. A smile, cold like hardened clay, was frozen on Maray’s lips. She lifted her hand to wave back the way Pia had taught her—just enough motion to make her hand move and use the entire forearm. It was supposed to look graceful and dignified, two words Maray could hardly find in her vocabulary when she thought of herself.
Jemin made a strange sound on the other side of the table, making Maray’s head turn instinctively. His eyes were on the crowd, face alert.
“What’s wrong?” Heck asked, relieving Maray from having to ask.
“Did you see that?” Jemin ignored Heck and spoke to Seri instead, who nodded, eyes turning even darker than usual.
“Just like the one in the woods,” she noted, and her body shook slightly.
“We need to get you out of here–quick,” Jemin told Maray, his own frame distorting ever-so-slightly, for the moment, all awkwardness gone from the carriage.
“Just don’t transform in here,” Heck asked. For the first time, Maray noticed fear in his features, and she remembered that Jemin had scratched Heck’s shoulder the last time he’d encountered Jemin in his Yutu-version.
“Don’t worry,” Seri spoke for both of the shifters. “Not in here.”
She grabbed Jemin’s shoulder for a second before she dove for the door handle and tore the door open, launching herself out of the driving vehicle and leaving Maray gaping. As Jemin noticed her expression, he shrugged. “Heck will take care of you.” He swung out the open door, hand clasping the frame above his head, and without another word, he let go, landing amidst the spectators who were watching the scene wide-eyed.
Heck reached over Maray’s lap and pulled the door shut with a rough movement while Maray kept staring after the two shifters. He pulled the lace curtain in front of the window, covering Maray from the outside world’s view. But Maray hardly noticed.
The image of Jemin’s eyes as he’d jumped out of the carriage didn’t leave Maray’s mind for the rest of the ride. She answered Heck with nods or unidentifiable sounds as he asked what was going on, if Jemin and Seri were going after whatever they’d seen. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Jemin was again putting himself at risk for her—and the flicker of bloodlust in his eyes told her he was looking forward to the hunt. What had happened to the cautious, controlled Jemin she’d met a couple of months ago? Was it all because of his transformation into a Yutu-shifter, or was there more to it?
Only when the carriage came to a halt under the archway that led from the servant quarters to the palace, and the guards from the vehicle behind them joined them, did Maray focus.
“I think I can still hear them cheer,” Heck joked as he stretched his long body immediately after getting out of the cabin.
“Quite a spectacle,” Maray agreed absently. Her eyes were on her father, who was rushing toward them from across the yard, his ambassador’s cloak fanning out behind him in the biting wind.
“How did it go?” he asked when he was a couple of steps away. “Let me guess,” he smiled. “My little girl blew them all awa
y.”
Maray smothered the impulse to inform him that calling her ‘his little girl’ in public wasn’t exactly helpful since she was still struggling to earn all the nobles’ respect. As she faced him, ready to give a brief summary, she found that her father’s smile was as superficial as the illusion of peace in Allinan. “What is it, Dad?” she whispered, hooking her arm into his instead of Heck’s, and he fell into step behind them as Gerwin led them back to the palace.
Gerwin frowned into the bare bushes behind the archway and pulled Maray forward so the guards wouldn’t be able to overhear them—the human guards. Pia would hear everything. And she would give her opinion later whether Maray wanted to hear it or not.
“Scott told me about the Shalleyn in the woods.”
Maray’s stomach instantly knotted at the thought of Shalleyn roaming the woods of Allinan freely. Even if this one might have been only one spy, how could they know there weren’t others?
“Scott is right to put more people on guard duty,” Gerwin continued and glanced over his shoulders with an unreadable expression. When he looked at Maray again, his eyebrows were raised. “Where is Jemin?”
“He and Seri jumped out of the rolling carriage on the way here.” Maray eyed the autonomous vehicle with wonder as it crossed the courtyard and disappeared behind the servant quarters. In the world where she grew up, billions were being invested in technologies that allowed for autonomous driving. If only the magic from Allinan worked there, there might be an end to pollution and horrible accidents…
“They spotted something in the crowd. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but it must have something to do with the Shalleyn they saw in the forest,” Heck said beside her, tearing her from her thoughts. He had caught up with them, his quick strides less bouncy than usual and his hand on his sword just as if he was still an average guard, and not the future king of Allinan.
“We really need to do something,” Gerwin stressed, sounding less and less like a diplomat. “If Scott is right, and Shalleyn are trickling into Allinan, that would mean I was wrong before. It’s not only the beginning. It’s the beginning of the end.”
Two Worlds of Dominion Page 4