Sin and I stared at the door for long moments before I made my way back to the bedroom, our bed, not really wanting to discuss what King Collins might possibly have a point about. Lying on the fluffy mattress with my Vizoac on my chest, I stared at the ceiling, petting her furry head absently. Sin followed, falling on the bed beside me, and also stared at the ceiling, just as mute as me. He was smart enough to know I couldn’t talk about my fears, even if I wanted to.
But my Vizoac had other plans, wiggling out from my hands and jumping onto the bed, and literally appearing as if she were hopping over the thick folds of the comforter she was so small. Sin froze when she took a mighty leap and landed on his stomach, and started trotting up his torso…to lick his frozen chin. She then turned in circles before snuggling up on his chest, bitty chin on her paws, her eyes closing peacefully.
I stared, then I blurted, “It’s because I love you. It has to be.” The conundrum wasn’t that hard to figure out for anyone with half a brain.
Unhurriedly, Sin lifted a hand, head cocked as he carefully began stroking her back while he stared at her. “A Vizoac is partly the essence of the owner’s soul.” Humored eyes glanced at me. “Not much of a mystery, huh?”
I shrugged a shoulder, grabbing another tissue before rolling closer to them, resting my head on his shoulder. “Maybe we should act as if we don’t know for a while? Let the King think he’s one-upping us so he’ll leave us alone on something else.”
“Decent idea,” he murmured, resting his head on mine as we stroked her soft fur. After a few minutes he yawned sleepily, asking absently, “I think we already know her name, don’t we?”
I chuckled quietly, letting my eyes close. “Of course.” It was a given.
In unison, we mumbled tiredly, “Isolde.”
Because…shit was going to hit the fan.
Chapter Ten
As I rushed down the marble stairs to the main Shifter foyer, my yellow fuzzy slippers slid along the slick surface, almost taking me down more than once, but I pressed on, wondering if it would be safer and faster to mount the curved railing and slide down. Almost four full days after getting sick, I was nearly fully recovered, but I still had a cough that I was beginning to think antibiotics would be needed for. I also had a dripping nose that was more of an annoyance than a hindrance. But when London had come by the room to check on me a few minutes ago while Sin was gone, his blathering gossip had lit a fire under my ass, sparking energy into my mending but drained body. My current mission was to find King Collins, despite looking as I did — like hell — in one of Sin’s t-shirts, which was so long it hid the pair of short cotton shorts I had on, my fuzzy slippers…and a day or two without a shower so my hair was in hideous disarray. But I didn’t give a flying fuck what the housekeepers or anyone else thought as I flew past them.
London had been delivering a message from King Collins. I was to make myself presentable and attend dinner tonight. Because we had guests arriving. Important guests that apparently the Rulers had been hush-hush about for the last couple of days, holing themselves up in conference rooms to discuss anything pertaining them. But London had done some digging today, and apparently the housekeeping staff gave up the goods — as he had excitedly whispered to me — that the many rooms they had been preparing were in the Elemental section of the castle.
The rooms decorated in…white.
Which could mean only one thing.
Spirits.
As soon as I had heard that, I had bounced from my bed, anxiety and fear pushing me past my current ill limits to find King Collins. One of the house staff had kindly told me where she thought the other Rulers were, and now I was trying to find the damn room inside the Shifter area, wiping my nose as I dodged a few Shifters in their shifted forms of a jaguar and a buffalo. The buffalo was a bit harder to maneuver around since the Shifter himself was trying to turn in the hallway, but I ducked under his body and continued on my way, peering into each room I passed.
I struck gold at one end of the hallway where the door was closed. Not bothering to knock, I threw the door open, barging inside and my attention instantly swinging to the right where King Collins was speaking. All four Rulers were standing beside each other dressed in their finest clothes — for their own taste, anyway — and I ran inside the finer Shifter living room I had seen before to stand not too far in front of them. I waved an arm as I hunched over, trying to catch my breath, wheezing, “King Collins, I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
King Collins’s eyes were huge on his face, and his jaw was gaping a bit as he stared at me, but I waggled my hand again with the tissue, trying to stand straight with the stitch I had in my side. I rubbed at it absently, breathing heavily, and I started rambling as fast as I could since this needed to be said and I needed to get out of this. “I can’t go to dinner tonight. London said it was probably spirits coming.”
I pointed at my face, using expressive gestures. “I’m still not feeling up to it…and there’s no way in fuck they will understand this. And besides,” I shook my arms at him like I was directing a plane, to emphasize my point, “I will appear weak. You don’t want that do you?” I sucked in a big breath, my gaze darting to each of the Ruler’s faces, each of them quickly turning blank — that perfect card-playing face Sin had mentioned. “Seriously! You four have to understand this. Me meeting with other spirits right now,” I waved a hand at myself from head to toe, “is not a great idea. I’ll just…stay in my room.”
King Collins closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them as if they weighed a hundred pounds, stating slowly, “Caro, you need to—”
“No, I don’t need to.” I cut him off, pointing at him. I started to say something else, but I paused to sneeze a whopping three times into my tissue, which gladly was less than I had been doing. “I don’t want to meet them.” I wiped at my watering eyes and used them to beg with him. “Please, just trust me on this. The other spirits will not understand why I,” I shook my hands, “am what I am right now.” I threw my hands in the air. “Come on! Don’t make me do this!”
I froze when a cold nose and a huffing breath jammed between my legs from behind — something sniffing me extremely rudely. I yelped, jumping to the side to stare down at… “Oh, holy shit.” My eyes were huge, jaw gaping as I stared down at the most beautiful white tiger I had ever known, its black stripes vivid across its pure as snow coloring.
Which could mean only one thing.
Of its own accord, my hand lifted to the platinum collar around the beast’s neck that dazzled with the huge sparkling diamonds decorating it. Queen Ruckler made a noise in her throat and started to step forward, but I held my other hand up to her instantly as the handsome tiger nuzzled his head against my hand. I murmured softly, more than freaked the fuck out, “Hello, my handsome devil. I’ve missed you, too, but you need to give me a moment while I speak.” I paused, holding his fur tightly. “And sniffing me like that is very impolite, so don’t do it again.”
He snarled a bit, not liking my order or being ignored, but I quickly placed the palm of my hand against his nose and mouth. “Hush, Tristan. I need to talk.”
He opened his mouth, sliding my hand inside and skimming it along his sharp teeth. He released it just as quickly, but he was letting me know in his own way that he wanted attention soon and wouldn’t wait long.
Placing my hand on top of his head, petting him gently, I turned my attention back to the Rulers, who stood utterly still with faces that could have been etched in stone as they stared between me and the tiger, and I quickly stated, “I’m not going to dinner. My point is valid. So are we all in agreement on this?” God, please tell me it was okay, especially with Tristan roaming their hallways. I would really have to be careful getting back to my room and actually watch where I was going this time.
Queen Ruckler blinked at me. “You do know that isn’t a Shifter, right?” Another blink. “You called him by name.”
I nodded once, not really caring about th
is conversation except for the answer to my plea that I wanted to hear come out of their mouths. “Yes, I know he’s not a Shifter, and his name’s Tristan.” Tristan chose that moment to start rubbing around my legs, knocking me from side to side a bit as he tried to get my attention. “And I won’t be able to hold him off for long.” I waved my hand after wiping my nose. “You see, from what I’ve heard, his conceited, strict bastard of an owner never lets him have treats. Keeps him on a strict diet.” I shrugged a shoulder even as their eyes widened. “When I first met Tristan, he stole the candy bar I was eating right out of my hand, so now,” another shrug, “he associates me with candy.” I blinked. “But he does do a few tricks for the treats. I make him behave before I give them to him.”
That candy would be handy right now since I was getting shoved toward the other end of the room, his weight heavy against me. I raised a quick hand and ordered gruffly, even if I still sounded a bit pathetic, “Tristan, sit!” White fur stopped rubbing against me, and he sat prettily, and proudly, in front of me, staring up at me expectantly. “Ah, sweetie. I don’t have a treat with me, but will a kiss do?” He instantly opened his mouth, tongue curling out, and I chuckled, utterly amused by his loving nature. “Not like that.” I patted his chin. “Close it up, mister.” His jaw snapped shut and I bent over to kiss his nose softly, earning a panting purr from him, his breaths fanning my face with every exhalation. “I’ll get you a treat later, my handsome devil.”
“No. You won’t,” came a deep baritone from behind me, a ticked off demand.
I froze as I was, bent over with my face directly in front of Tristan’s, and my heart rate, which was already thumping too fast, took off in a wild gallop. My eyes flew to King Collins as my panting breaths now fanned Tristan’s face, fear and shock consuming me. Because that voice, the voice I had only ever heard once, couldn’t be forgotten. It was half rumbling purr, half menacing growl as it had been years ago when I had been digging through his belongings after sneaking into his room in search of a spelled item that would take me home. But I had been interrupted by him, and only chance had saved my ass because my actions sure as hell hadn’t.
The brown eyes of my King stared back into my wide gaze, but I scrunched my eyes closed, trying to gain a modicum of control before I had to confront what was behind me. Luckily I was still frozen in shock so I wasn’t trembling, and I didn’t instantly start blathering, years of experience having taught me that much control.
So focused control was what I tried for as the man behind me stated in his shiver-inducing, menacing purr, “His conceited, strict bastard of an owner — me — doesn’t allow him treats because it upsets his stomach.” I bit my lip, remembering I had, indeed, said that. “And although your tricks may be cute, he is my Tristan, and my favorite cute trick is when he kills anyone, if I just give the order.”
Realizing I was wheezing a bit, I stood straight, opening my eyes to stare over King Collins’s head as I thumped on my chest a few times. I blinked slowly and let the white solace of nothing, the only thing that was going to save my dumbass, enter my system. It was a place I didn’t enjoy but knew well. The wintery shower of coolness I had perfected years ago as protection, and it had never failed me if I focused hard enough. Quickly, my heart rate decreased, evening out, and my pulse no longer thrummed like rapid fire, making my limbs tingle. I rolled my shoulders, working the kinks out. When I blinked once more, I knew all that stared out of my eyes was a cool reflection of the life I had been born into. The life of maneuvering that I had mastered. And no one, or nothing, was going to crack me…or make me act like a fucking girl ever again.
My eyes dipped to King Collins where he watched me mutely along with the other Rulers, his gaze intense, and I stated evenly, “I’m very sorry for the interruption. I obviously didn’t realize your guests had already arrived.”
Quietly, he nodded his head slowly, still watching me with barely concealed interest.
“And obviously my reason for missing dinner is moot. I’ll be attending.”
Nostrils flaring a bit, I took a shallow inhale, then I turned. I hid my surprise at what I found by wiping my nose once and blinking twice. Because I had walked into not a meeting with only one man, but a meeting with — I counted quickly — seven spirits in total, who were all standing at the back of the room. It appeared four of them were guards, dressed completely in buttery soft white leather, two swords at their back with the white handles sticking up over their shoulders, and guns on each thigh. The ones with longer hair had it pulled back, and their sizes varied from large and lethal to intimidatingly large and deadly.
The other three, who stood in front, all appeared in their early thirties in Com years, meaning they were between a hundred and a hundred and fifty years old. The guards, while deadly, were just eye dressing, and these were the ones with the real power. I hadn’t ever met the two on the left and right, but I could guess who they were from the talk I had heard once upon a time. To the left stood a man a bit over six feet tall with ice white hair, which was cut short but styled in individual spikes. His skin was peaches and cream, like mine, and his eyes contrasted it, they were so dark and intense. He wore what most spirits wore in their place of sanctuary: white leather pants and a simple white linen shirt that was open, baring his muscled chest. Honestly, I was surprised he had even put on a shirt, especially since he was shoeless, as was normal, but he must have found it a bit nippy, or added it just for the sake of others.
I bowed my head to him once. He was Reese, second in command.
His white eyebrows raised a smidge, but he nodded back at me, mutely.
I glanced at the woman on the right, a beautiful woman of average height for a Mystical, around five foot ten inches. Her white hair reminded me of Queen Cooper’s in its luxurious light waves, but it went all the way to her waist instead of the middle of her back like Queen Cooper’s did. I could see plenty of her sun-kissed, creamy skin since she was showing a bit of flesh, her satin linen top crisscrossing over her breasts and paired with a matching floor-length, flowing skirt that exposed her thigh the barest bit through the slits on the sides. For some this would be an eye-catcher, but I knew the slits were only there so she could move faster. I noticed the green-eyed beauty was also shoeless, her ensemble extremely reminiscent of a spirit at sanctuary.
I dipped my head to her. She was Roselle, first in command.
Her lush pink lips pinched, but she also dipped her head to me quietly.
Gradually, I let my gaze move between them, and pretty much ended up staring across the room at an enormous, golden-brown muscled chest. He wore an unbuttoned, floor-length white coat with a thick white fur trimming its edges that covered his enormous arms. Only his tan fingers peeked out from the cuffs, a few platinum rings decorating their lengths, including the diamond ring on his index finger I remembered, shaped like an arrowhead and menacing in its own right for what it could be used for. Eyes skimming past what appeared to be iron-hard abs, hills and valleys of perfection, I saw he wore flat-fronted white linen pants that pulled on his muscled thighs and rested gracefully on the tops of his bare feet. Jaw clenching, I reminded myself I was the damn Prodigy to the Elementals, and I made myself lift my gaze to stare the man in the face.
Proudly, I didn’t faint dead…even though I could have because he hadn’t changed. He was still as awe-inspiring to behold as he had been years ago. His hair was white-on-purer-white, the trademark of the One. He wore it in large twists, similar to thick dreadlocks, but they glistened with their obvious softness under the lighting, making his golden skin appear to sparkle. His eyes, which I had dreamed about, were either done in heavy kohl, the black coming to a point on either side of his eyes, or they had been tattooed. Either way, it made him appear like an Egyptian ruler of old. His nose was perfectly straight, even if his nostrils were flared as he stared at me. His high cheek bones showed in sharp relief as his thick red lips pinched and his angular jaw clenched, the muscles ticking at the sides as we evaluated
each other.
I inhaled slowly as I peered into his eyes.
Molten mercury.
Hypnotizing, beautiful, mercury stared back at me.
And…I smiled inside as I dipped my head to him…not acting like a girl. Although, a little dance later might be in order, since I had, apparently, really mastered the art of deception. Now I had to make sure I didn’t let him know how much his appearance unnerved me as he began stepping forward. His coat dragged behind him and revealed more of his God-worthy body: the tiny piercings in his brown nipples, the diamonds on either side, shimmering in the light.
“Have we met before?” he rumbled bluntly. “You’ve obviously been to the Temple since you’ve bewitched my Tristan, but,” his head cocked slightly as he moved closer, “you seem familiar somehow.”
Breathing steadily, I twisted his words, stating, “If we have met, I’m sure I would remember you.” I patted Tristan’s head as his owner stopped directly in front of me, silver eyes penetrating my features as my head tilted all the way back to stare up at him. “I apologize for what I said earlier. It was inconsiderate and rude. And I also didn’t know candy upset Tristan’s stomach. I’ll try not to do it in the future.”
His nostrils flared as his jaw clenched, and he patted his leg once and Tristan instantly moved behind him, standing proudly. “You won’t try not to do it. You just won’t.” A brusque order that had my own jaw clenching, but I didn’t argue because Tristan wasn’t mine…and what the owner didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. After all, it was only a little chocolate. A thin, sharp, white brow lifted slightly at my silence as he continued studying my face, but he switched topics. “You must be Caroline Jules, the Prodigy and next Elemental Queen.” He held out his right hand. “I’m Leric Damon, the One,” again his head tilted as he rolled smoothly, “but I’m fairly sure you already knew that.”
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