About three minutes later Isa’s heels could be heard clicking on the tiled floor, and I placed my hands behind my back. I was pretty sure I knew what was coming, and I was not going to fight it because it was deserved. She muttered not a word as she walked straight up to me and planted a side hook straight into my cheek. I grunted, twisting to hit the wall with my front, and shook my head past the dizziness of her violence and the alcohol. “Fuck,” I muttered on a groan, resting my forehead against the wall. “You’re definitely stronger.” It felt like she had damn near broken the bone. “That was a freebie, Isa. Don’t ever hit me again unless you want me to hit you back.”
“Oh, fuck off, Caro,” she practically shouted. “You fucking lied to me. You deserved it.”
“Like I said, it was a freebie.” I pushed off the wall, rubbing my cheek and turning to face her. “I did lie to you, but I’m not sorry for it. I had to leave that night and I wasn’t coming back.” I held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “I don’t really want to go into the details, but someone I loved was in trouble, and I was being blackmailed into service for their safety. I came there that night to break things off so you would move on, but it didn’t exactly work out the way I planned and I had to improvise. Cheating was the only thing I could think of that would make you not love me or go searching for me when I left. It was cruel and mean, but I had to do it.”
Isa’s jaw began to clench and unclench repeatedly as she stared me in the eyes for long moments. Her nostrils had remained flared the entire time I spoke. “Who was the person they were blackmailing you with?”
Although she asked that question, the answer wouldn’t make her feel any better. But fuck, I couldn’t lie as she had that damn Shifter nose now. “Sin.”
She snorted a laugh. “The sometimes boyfriend. He’s the one you left me for?”
“Isa, Sin and I have known each other ever since I can remember. I love him. I’ve always loved him.” It would always be Sin. “They were going to kill him. Saving him trumps a relationship any day.”
She growled quietly under her breath…and it sounded a little like a tiger. She started pacing the hallway.
I pointed an absent finger, murmuring, “You need to be careful with that.”
She waved an aggravated hand. “It’s harder to control than I thought.” She ran a hand over her face, feet eating up the floor back and forth in front of me. “Fuck, Caro, I’m so fucking pissed at you.”
I nodded once. “I know.”
“I…I need…dammit, I need some fucking time to process this,” she muttered, shaking her head as she stared at the ground, very much reminding me of a tiger stalking in a cage. She waved a hand down the hallway. “You should probably go before I start yelling again.”
Sounded good to me. “I can do that.” I started walking, but I glanced over my shoulder. “You know, Isa, I won’t tell—”
“I know,” she grumbled, cutting me off. “I know you won’t. The one thing you’ve apparently always been is loyal.”
“Yes, I am,” I stated quietly and turned to walk back to the entertainment room because I wanted that decanter of vodka before I went to my bedroom. Entering the room, I noticed every single Vampire turned to stare at me. My steps faltered for a moment, and I blinked, muttering a curse under my breath, realizing they had all heard. But there wasn’t much to do about it now, except for possibly staying clear of Torrie. She was practically shooting fire from her eyes at me, so I walked around the table to the bar in the direction farthest from her. Grabbing the decanter, I turned to tell them, “I believe I’m done for the night. And I’m taking the drink with me.”
Sin chuckled quietly under his breath, but Brenna’s eyes were huge as she asked, “What the hell happened to your cheek?”
I blinked, and touched it absently, flinching at the discomfort there. I came up with the only truth I could, muttering, “I hit a wall.”
“A wall,” she murmured slowly, sniffing covertly.
“Yep, a blue one. Hurt like hell, too,” I mumbled, then I glanced at King Zeller, who was looking damn amused. “Can I bum another cigarette?”
“You may,” he murmured, his voice deeper than normal as I walked toward him.
When he pulled them out I snatched the entire pack from his hand, placing it in my pocket, then I grabbed his lighter from the table, placing that in my pocket as well. “Your generosity is duly noted.”
His spring green eyes sparkled up at me. “I’ll want that lighter back tomorrow.”
I snorted and turned on my heel, but Leric stopped me as I started to pass him, placing a hand on my arm and stating, “I’d like a little more vodka before you leave with it all.”
I sighed heavily, but I bent over him, pouring…a few drops in his glass. “There ya go. A little vodka.” I lifted away from him, holding the vodka out of his reach. “The rest is mine.”
His tanned face looked down as he stared into his glass, swirling it to see the bitty amount I had given him, and his shoulders shook a bit. “I guess I’ll have to be more specific next time.” He tilted his head back, silver eyes sparkling at me in the light. “Goodnight, Sprite.”
A warm, heavy body brushed my leg, resting heavily against me, and I glanced down to see Tristan there, apparently having been roaming the hallways. I petted his head as he nuzzled against me, then I glanced at Leric. “I’m stealing him for the night. Deal with it.” I grabbed Tristan’s diamond studded collar, guiding him, my bottle of vodka in the other hand, as I left Leric wide-eyed at my demand.
A moment later, he barked loudly, “Do not feed him any damn chocolate!”
“A little never hurt anybody,” I muttered.
“I can still hear you!” he shouted. “I’m serious. Don’t feed him—”
“Yeah, yeah,” I griped over my shoulder. “I heard you the first time.”
“Goddamn insufferable pint-sized pain in my…” He continued griping, but I exited the room, turning down the hallway with the tiger and the vodka, unable to hear him anymore. I was more than ready to curl up in bed with Tristan, and drink and smoke the night away.
Chapter Sixteen
My head shattering with lashing drumming, I shaded my eyes even over the black sunglasses I wore against the morning light coming in through the window. Crooking my elbow on the table, I rested my forehead on my hand and stared down at the steaming coffee I had poured. Breakfast was sans food today, but it didn’t help my hangover since everyone else was eating all around me. The smell was making my stomach churn so badly I placed my free hand over my mouth and swallowed down the bile that rose for, like, the millionth time this morning.
“What’s wrong with her?” Torrie pseudo-whispered to someone, her tone clear that she thought I was a freak. “She’s supposed to be a Prodigy.” She snorted, her voice a bit louder, speaking in my direction. “The Elemental’s selection must be damn weak this round, because her cheek hasn’t even healed.”
“Torrie,” I flipped a finger at her, “I know you don’t like me. And I really don’t give a shit. What I do care about is peace and quiet right now.” I peered up at her, baring my teeth. “So shut the fuck up.”
“Excuse me?” she said very slowly, appearing mightily affronted, her eyes narrowing.
“I don’t repeat myself, so don’t act as if you didn’t hear me,” I muttered, leaning my head back down on my hand. “And can everyone else please quit hitting their forks or spoons so loudly on their plates?”
Leric chuckled very softly at the end of the table. “Sprite, did you drink the whole bottle last night?”
Oh boy, did I.
“Shh,” I hissed, bringing my other hand up to rub at my temples. “Your voice is shaking my brain.” Since I sat down, his deep, menacing purr had vibrated like a rocket straight to my skull.
“Well, since she’s extremely ill-mannered, what’s the matter with you, Sin?” Torrie asked, her voice purposely louder than normal, and I bared my teeth again at my coffee.
“T
ristan is what’s the matter with me,” Sin growled quietly, his head resting on his crooked arm on the table next to my elbow as he rubbed his eyes.
Measured, low words from Leric. “What about my Tristan?”
Sin groaned quietly as he popped his neck before closing his eyes. “He wouldn’t let me on the damn bed. He tried to bite me every time I tried to lie down. The only reason I’m not missing a limb or throat right now is because Caro was passed out on top of him, and he appeared quite content to stay right where he was, even though she was drooling on his head.” He yawned severely. “So I slept on the damn couch, which is as hard as a rock after an hour or two.”
There was a beat of silence, then King Collins asked gradually, “Dare I ask where Isolde was?”
Sin snorted, mumbling sleepily, “On my pillow, yapping in her sleep.”
There was another beat of silence, and I mumbled, “I don’t drool.”
“When you’re drunk you do,” Sin mumbled, half asleep, “but whatever you say, love.”
There was quiet for all of a heartbeat before King Collins started laughing his butt off so loudly I gritted my teeth, covering my ears at the sound, and he choked, “Christ, I wish I could have seen that.”
“Ha, ha,” Sin rumbled sarcastically. He mumbled something else unintelligible, and a second later he was snoring very quietly, totally passed out at the breakfast table.
King Collins thought that was really funny, though I didn’t think his piercing laughter was, and he asked me through his hooting, “Do you have a hangover, Caro? Is that what’s wrong?”
“A hangover,” Isa muttered, sounding confused as hell. “You mean like a Com gets after drinking too much?” A pause. “Like a headache?”
I kept my mouth shut since I couldn’t say anything anyway, and I sighed in relief as everyone was blessedly mute for a half-minute. Then King Collins went and ruined it by clearing his throat and murmuring, “Yes, well. It appears she does have a hangover.” A pause. “And yes, Isa. A headache.”
I could just imagine Isa’s face as she asked, “How is that even possible?”
“Isa, that’s enough questions for now,” Queen Ruckler stated quietly in a mother’s reprimanding voice. “And finish your food. It’s getting cold.”
Everyone continued eating around me while I tried to keep last night’s drink down, which was still coursing through my veins in my half drunk, half hung-over state. Their not so quiet talking was interrupted when Aria said loudly over everyone, “I think there’s an issue coming our way.”
I glanced up at her because words like that were never good, and I saw her staring at the door with her head cocked, same as Elder Zeller and King Zeller were doing. Everyone’s attention — except for Sin’s, who was still passed out — instantly snapped to the door, the room silent now. We all blinked then stared in surprise as Isolde raced into the room, her continual bitty growl barely heard over her tiny claws scraping on the tile as she lost her footing for a moment rounding the corner before gaining it back to dash across the room. Her claws tinkling and growl unending, she was running as fast as her little, fluffy white body could take her out the other entrance, though she was hampered with the thin, long chocolate bar larger than her whole body that was tight in her jaw’s grip.
“Oh, no,” I mumbled as she disappeared out the other entrance.
Not even a second later, all of our heads snapped back to the other door as a much louder scraping on the tiles sounded. Tristan raced into the room, also losing his footing to smash into the potted plant in the corner, the greenery tipping and crashing to the floor, which woke Sin. Ignoring the mess, Tristan snarled in the direction Isolde had run while he caught his footing and started to race after her…and all of it was made even worse because the white fur around his mouth was coated dark brown.
“Tristan!” Leric barked loudly, making my brains vibrate as he instantly stood. “Stop!”
Tristan came to a skidding halt, snarling and growling in the direction of the disappeared Isolde. He did not chase after her any longer, but instead he raced like a deranged devil around the breakfast bar in continual loops. We all stared in shock while he banged and crashed into the cabinets, the food and drinks on top vibrating.
Even as I felt Queen Ruckler’s Shifter magic float across the room toward Tristan, Leric’s furious silver gaze swung to me as he growled over the noise, “Dammit, Sprite!” He started stomping toward me and I quickly stood from my chair, backing around it as he followed. He stalked me around the table, jamming a pointed finger in my direction and completely ignoring his unhinged tiger. “You gave him chocolate!”
Um, yeah, that was pretty obvious, but… “Not much.” I waved my hands. “I only gave him a little.” I pointed my own finger at Tristan as I scooted past Elder Farrar’s chair. “He must have gotten into the rest of it. He was still sleeping when I left, and I told Isolde to watch over where I had it hidden.” I waved my hands above my head. “I had it up high! I have no clue how he got into it!”
“I can’t control him,” Queen Ruckler muttered as I passed her, sounding confused, and she glanced at Brann. “You try.”
“He. Is. Going. To. Be. Sick,” Leric bellowed at me, punctuating each word with a finger-jab in Tristan’s direction as he continued stalking me. “I don’t like him ill!”
“I think I got that,” I muttered under my breath, but when his white eyebrows furrowed even further, his furious silver gaze actually glowing a smidge, I realized he had heard me, so I quickly stated, “Maybe Bindi, the physician, can fix him up if he gets a stomach ache.”
“I can’t either,” Brann stated to Queen Ruckler, sounding awed. “What the hell’s going on?”
Circling the table as we were, I instantly felt everyone’s magic, except for Reese’s and Roselle’s, trickle in Tristan’s direction, testing him. I ignored them, as did Leric because he growled at me over the sound of a platter falling to the ground, “I wouldn’t have to take him to a physician if you had done what I said!”
Not even a second later, sounding a tad awed, Elder Farrar mumbled quietly, “He’s magic. He feels similar to a Vizoac, but…different somehow.”
All the testing magic quit the room at his words, but that wasn’t news to me. I already had a finger pointed at Leric, and my mouth was already opened, so I growled, “I. Did. Not. Give. Him. A. Lot.” My finger swung at the out-of-control Tristan. “He got into my stash himself!” My finger waggled. “He stole from me!”
Leric threw his arms wide, his stalking steps becoming faster while he laughed cynically. “My Tristan is with you for one night and you’re already rubbing off on him.” Glowing silver eyes pierced through my black sunglasses as he slashed his hand through the air. “He is not to sleep in your room again!”
I lifted both hands in a stopping gesture since he was gaining on my back-stepping. “You’re overreacting, Leric. Bindi can heal him if he gets sick.”
“That is not the point!” he shouted, now directly in front of me as we stopped to the side of the head of the table. He loomed over me like a tiger to a mouse. “I told you not to feed him chocolate, yet you still did, even if a little! He is my Tristan, not your fucking pet, and it was not your decision to make!”
Gritting through my teeth, I growled, “A little chocolate wouldn’t have hurt him.”
His nostrils flared wide as his jaw clenched. He was clearly holding on to his last shreds of patience as he dipped down, placing his face directly in front of mine. He snuck up a quick hand and snatched my glasses off my face, making me squint bloodshot eyes at him in the morning light. He locked gazes with me, hissing, “If I had your Isolde under my care, I would not purposely give her something I had been told repeatedly would make her ill, no matter my opinion on the matter.” I heard my glasses crack inside his fisting hand. “It’s about fucking respect, Sprite, and you goddamn obviously have none for me.”
I went quiet, my mouth shutting with an audible clicking noise as I stared into silver ey
es. I finally understood his real point, why he was so furious. Sure, he cared deeply for Tristan and his welfare, most definitely not wanting him ill, but the real point was much more complicated. This morning’s episode with Tristan was just a breeze to an already kindling fire, making sparks ignite into a flame. The fury driving his anger went back to my pulling a gun on him and the fact I had been willing to pull the trigger.
He was still hurt by it.
Just as I was by him giving me the boot.
Which, if I was honest, was why I had given Tristan chocolate last night to begin with. I had adored every bit of vengeance with each tiny choc I had placed in Tristan’s open mouth, each one a tiny ‘fuck you’ to his owner.
As I saw another pan crash to the floor behind Leric, the only sound in the room being Tristan’s destruction, Leric’s furious gaze flew across my face at my silence. Then gradually his eyes stopped glowing altogether, his brows unfurrowing. His shadowed lids instantly hooded his gaze, and he stood with a fist on his white cotton panted hip, my glasses crushed inside his grip. He was running his other hand over his mouth, then his chin, then to his stomach covered in a billowy white silk shirt, his arrowhead diamond ring catching the sunlight. He finally rumbled quietly, “You shouldn’t have used him in this.”
My jaw clenched as I turned my face away from everyone, pissed off, hurt, and feeling damn guilty now. But that didn’t last long because I saw a flash of white fur in my peripheral coming too fast behind Leric. I jerked my head around with my mouth opened to warn him, but Tristan slammed against Leric’s back. He almost appeared playful but, fuck, he was a huge-ass tiger on a relaxed, unsuspecting individual, all of Leric’s real threats at the table on his right.
Leric’s eyes flew wide in surprise, and my broken sunglasses soared from his hand as he flew right at me, grunting heavily, “Shit, Tristan!”
It wasn’t going to end well. I knew that much as Leric’s enormous, rock-solid, heavy body crashed into me, knocking the air from my lungs on a shout as all footing was lost. His massive hard arms wrapped around me, squeezing me close as he muttered another curse, twisting us right before we hit the ground with me on top of him. Freaking Tristan lay over us diagonally — gratefully, not with all of his weight — directly against my back, with his face turned toward us, tongue lolled out. I was pretty sure he was grinning.
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