I checked my anger, since I didn’t want the Vamps scenting it, and rolled my shoulders just as Vivian mumbled from behind me, “Isn’t that…” She was quiet for an extended moment, and then she stated heatedly, “Dear, you are going to have a talk with your son about circumspection.”
It sounded like Cahal chuckled quietly.
“Cahal,” Vivian grumbled in a warning tone.
“Let him have his fun,” Cahal murmured softly. “He’s only young once.”
Vivian sniffed, but didn’t argue that point.
I, on the other hand, stopped eavesdropping and plastered a blank expression on my face when King Kincaid glanced my way. His damn grin was still in place. He stated, “It looks like King Cave is treating our Prodigies well.”
Respectfully, I managed a decent nod.
Almost as before, except that this time it was with Ezra and his King, King Venclaire stepped forward, brushing passed King Kincaid and me, and called loudly, “Ezra!”
Ezra’s head snapped back from the woman, who blinked open slow lids, as his attention swung in our direction. His lips were swollen, his cheeks flushed, and his spikes mussed. He even had a few red marks on his arms and back where she had obviously dug her nails in. His gaze probably appeared much as mine had earlier as he caught sight of King Venclaire: his eyes widening marginally, and a look of barely masked frustration beginning to harden his jaw. It was only then that he seemed to notice everyone else behind his King, his spring green gaze swinging to each person.
Ezra wasn’t doing a fabulous job hiding his emotions. King Kincaid got contempt mixed with respect. Antonio received watchfulness. His mom, embarrassment. His dad, acquiescence. A passer-by moved directly in front of me a second later, and Ezra didn’t notice me.
“King Venclaire,” I heard him murmur evenly as I moved from behind another individual walking in front of me. That’s when Ezra saw me. His gaze stilled for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between mine and his nostrils flaring, before he turned his attention back to his King. “Is there something you need?”
King Venclaire rocked back on his heels, placing his hand in his pant pockets. “Since we’re heading to lunch, and you appear to be almost free, we thought you might join us.”
I watched, my anger slowly building again — which I could hardly keep banked and appear peaceful at the same time — as Ezra extracted himself from the woman with the remarkable dark eyes. He yanked his shirt over his head when the woman appeared steady on her feet, then…good God…began zipping his fucking jeans and fixing his belt. Nostrils flaring, I glanced away and stared across the cave’s abyss, more than pissed. He had let me down. Even if he needed to let off sexual tension, he could have fucking waited until I came back to watch over Jack and Pearl.
Not to mention, the damn woman. My nose crinkled. Her scent was cloying, and it was mixed with him. The two scents didn’t mingle together well. I wiggled my nose, then rubbed it as my wrath bubbled. Pretty sure I was interrupting them — and not giving a shit — I stated, “I’ve got to go.” I glanced at Ezra from under my lids as everyone went mute. “Jack and Pearl might need something.”
Ezra’s lips only lifted at my covert, cross glance. “Their parents hijacked them.”
My foot literally stopped in midair as I froze. “Oh.” Said foot lowered to the ground, but bizarrely my temper didn’t lower any. Turning to everyone who was staring, I tried to push the attention from myself, asking Ezra, “Who’s your friend?” Honestly, I was a little curious. I had never seen him kiss a woman like he had been doing her. Normally, he immediately left them after fucking them, not lingering as he had been doing.
Adjusting his belt so it was straight, he stated absently, “This is Jessica.”
I blinked, my attention swinging to the woman, her own natural scent bugging the hell out of me. My gaze roamed over her, taking in her disheveled appearance, which did nothing to distract from how gorgeous she was: her large dark eyes, her skin tone close to Ezra’s, her plump lips swollen like his, her cheeks still flushed, the fitted navy silk robe she wore that accentuated her large, full breasts and perfectly shaped hips. One of her long, shapely legs was showing through the slit of her robe while she rested against her doorframe. My gaze went beyond her into her room, where candles were lit and her bed, like Finn’s, in perfect view, the red satin sheets rumpled, not torn to bits as ours had been. Unlike Finn, she didn’t shut the door to hide the evidence of their time together. My gaze met hers, and I already knew what I would see there: confidence that she had screwed him and screwed him well.
I wasn’t wrong.
I sniffed, turning my attention to Ezra’s green gaze, keeping my voice cool. “Same woman as yesterday.” My eyes flitted to the healing marks I could still see on his arms that peeked out from beneath his shirt’s sleeves. “Impressive.”
I felt satisfaction seeing Jessica bristle next to him.
“Yes, it was,” Ezra murmured, cocking his head.
Scenting the air without making a production of it told me he was telling truth. “Good for you.” I couldn’t have meant it less at that moment. Rolling my shoulders, I turned and brushed past King Venclaire. “I’m going for a run if Jack and Pearl are fine.”
“What?” Ezra drawled lazily from behind me. “Finn didn’t wear you out?”
I flipped him off over my shoulder, not even bothering to glance back.
“Really fucking mature, sweetheart,” Ezra called loudly after me, his voice rising the farther I moved away. “Maybe one day you’ll learn to count past one on your hands.”
I pivoted, walking backward. “Look at that,” I yelled, throwing up both middle fingers, staring at them in mock shock, and then glaring at him. “I can count to two.”
His cheeks flushed in irritation, just as I knew they would. “I didn’t realize you turned into a bitch after a bad lay!”
I snorted and shouted, “That’s fucking priceless coming from the man who puts gigolos to shame and wouldn’t know a bad lay if his cock was buried balls deep in it.” Getting a great view of his infuriated expression, I turned on my heel and continued to march away.
“Lily!” he bellowed. “Get back here, goddamn it!”
By now, everyone was mute and watching the scene unfold.
I continued marching at a fast clip, perverse righteous anger making my eyes glow.
“We are not done with this conversation!” Ezra roared, sounding like he was about ready to pop a blood vessel, he was so livid. “Lily, I know you can hear me!”
“All I hear is the gibbering of a pompous asshole,” I screamed over my shoulder.
We had definitely caught not only this level’s attention, but also the few floors above and below, everyone peering over the railings to see who was making the racket.
Wonderful.
My eyes still glowed as my gaze shot to him across the expanse, keeping my pace forward, now having rapidly made it across from him. His eyes were glowing too, and he appeared so pissed he wanted to pummel me. I grinned, more of a baring of teeth, and waggled my fingers in goodbye when I saw his own teeth bare, before taking off at a light jog, more than ready to strip down and race through the forested area. I wasn’t really surprised when everyone moved out of my way, even those on the upper floors, who hadn’t heard our argument.
Chapter Six
“Let me down!” I punched on Antonio’s back, my head spinning.
Antonio slapped my rear end. Hard. I jerked at the contact where I lay like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. He shouted, “Shut up! Or I swear, I’m going to bend you over my leg and properly spank your ass like you deserve!”
Ezra wobbled drunkenly behind us. “God, I would,” a large hiccup, “love to see that.”
King Venclaire smacked the back of Ezra’s head. “I told you to shut up, too.”
I grinned, even as the passing black wall spun.
It had been one week since our first meltdown. We’d had many since then, some of them p
retty damn epic and probably going down in a King Cave book somewhere, but tonight’s had… “Okay! Let me down,” I slurred. “We went too far. I’m sorry.”
King Venclaire snorted, dragging Ezra, who had stopped and wavered, and then started moving again. “Too far? Yes, I would say so. You two started a damn brawl in the only bar inside King Cave. Everything is smashed and broken.”
Ezra lifted a finger while I blinked blurry eyes, having to tilt my head to see him. “Not the far pool table.” His sloppy grin was unrepentant. “It may be a little off-tilt. Two women were dancing on it for me, but it’s not broken.”
I snorted. “You mean the two sluts you fucked earlier in the bar’s bathroom?”
Ezra growled. It was Vampire. “Better than you fucking Finn in the bar’s supply closet.”
Pointing an instant, furious finger, I hissed, “No one went in there! It had a lock on the door, unlike the bathroom where everyone went in and out to use the only other stall! The whole bar was telling stories of what they could hear going on!”
“Shut up!” Antonio yelled at the top of his lungs. He shook me on his shoulder so fiercely I had to slap a hand over my mouth to keep the alcohol down, which was trying to reappear. “I lied, Lil! Children fucking suck.”
“You know,” Ezra murmured as if he hadn’t heard Antonio, his blinking eyes turning toward King Venclaire. “We didn’t technically start the fight. Lily and I never once touched each other with harmful intent.” Innocent eyes. “Everyone else started throwing punches.” He smiled and patted the back of my head. “I even saved her from being impaled by a flying bar stool.”
“I ducked,” I muttered.
Instant. “With my assistance.”
“You tripped into me,” I stated heatedly. “I saved your ass by pulling you down.”
“That was the second bar stool,” Ezra griped, trying to bend to peer into my eyes, but was yanked up by King Venclaire. “I was talking about the first one.”
“There was only one bar stool, you idiot,” I muttered. “Now you’re imagining things.”
“No, you just don’t remember because you didn’t actually see it.” His resulting grin was ridiculously smug. “I’m that good.”
I peered at King Venclaire. “Will you smack him again, please?”
“Only if he speaks.” King Venclaire’s features were of mixed amusement and irritation.
Alright. I glanced at Ezra. “Man-whore.”
“Bitch,” Ezra grumbled.
King Venclaire slapped Ezra upside his head.
I grinned lazily. “Thank you.” I patted Antonio’s back. “I want a different room.”
“No,” Antonio stated promptly. “Work out your issues. Quit running from them.”
“We’re not running from them,” I slurred, letting my head hang in defeat. “We’re yelling and drinking them away.” In the past week I had figured out what my issue was, and I didn’t want to confront it.
“Lots of yelling,” King Venclaire muttered. “Lots of drinking.”
Ezra chuckled, and I saw his feet wobble from side-to-side before moving straight. “We fight pretty well together.”
“Yes, you’ve entertained many this week,” Antonio grumbled dryly. “You should be proud of the fact your future subjects have gotten a firsthand look at the Prodigies losing it.”
Shame filled me knowing I was behaving like a child. Frustration ran through me like toxic waste because I didn’t know what to do. Add in my alcohol consumption tonight and, well, I started bawling. Giant, hot tears blinded me and sobs started racking my frame. I hated fighting with Ezra. I detested feeling this way, everything jumbled and screwed up. I was so confused it was becoming debilitating.
“Hey!” Ezra roared. “She’s crying!”
I heard a grunt, and then a thud, while I let out all my emotions flowing through my wretched tears. Only a beat later, strong hands were ripping me away from Antonio in a blur, even as I heard another thud. Then Ezra’s bloodshot eyes were staring down at me, his protective warm arms wrapped around me tight, holding me close. Worry etched his tone, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “Did he hurt you?”
I sobbed and shook my head, the action making his face waver for a moment.
Ezra’s nostrils flared and his eyebrows slanted together until his attention slammed over my head. His predator growled. “Stay the fuck back.” He wobbled and blinked, still holding me close, and then slipped his hand away from my waist to bend and tuck it under my legs. He lifted me in a blur.
We were flying.
It truly felt as such while Ezra used his Vampire speed, running so fast I wouldn’t be able to track him. Less than ten seconds later, he thumped against the wall directly next to his door, having evaded Antonio and King Venclaire, wherever they were now. Although, getting inside our room took longer than the trek there did. He couldn’t easily get the key out of his pocket while holding me, and since I was still clinging to him while I wept, he wasn’t putting me down.
When we finally got inside, I cried as quietly as I could, since Jack and Pearl were asleep. Earlier, Ezra and I had left them after making sure they were out. Tucking them into bed had become part of our normal nightly activities — recently alongside drinking and arguing — after taking care of them.
Ezra didn’t take us to the bed, instead placing me on the black couch and smashing me against the back of it when he lay down, too. It felt right, him keeping me warm and safe as I wrecked his shirt with my tears and grasping fists. He didn’t say anything — he was never one for words when I cried — only running his fingers through my hair, keeping me close. We fell asleep that way, curled around one another as we had done before everything had shifted.
The morning started out oddly.
Ezra and I were woken by Pearl and Jack…taking showers and getting ready…to actually leave our bedroom without being forced by their parents. Silently, we watched them while they — also silently — moved woodenly throughout our room. But they actually moved without the intent to throw or blow something up. Neither one of us wanting to disturb this new development, we didn’t move or speak, only watched, still wrapped in each other’s arms, keeping the other warm. Then…they left the room about three minutes apart from each other.
We stared at the door. Both still mute. Hopeful, but worried.
Ezra and I continued waiting.
Watching the door for them to storm back inside, unable to handle the populace.
Five minutes turned into ten.
Ten turned into twenty.
Once forty-five minutes rolled around, and Jack and Pearl didn’t show, it was pretty obvious they weren’t immediately running back here.
More than a bit of relief filled me with the thought.
Ezra was the first to break our mold, turning his face toward me.
Gently, he murmured, “Are you ready to talk about what happened last night?”
My lips pursed, and I shook my head.
He was quiet, his watchful eyes on me. His thumb brushed lightly over the curve of my jaw, making my jaw clench. He whispered, “Are you sure?” I couldn’t move or speak if my life depended on it right now. Sighing softly when I didn’t respond, he stated, “No matter what, I love you, sweetheart. Nothing will change that.”
My eyes darted between his, searching his open green gaze for the truth, since I didn’t dare breathe for fear I might start blabbering. Or worse yet, cry again. His gaze seemed to speak of honesty, but still my lids hooded instantly as I peered away. I wasn’t ready to speak about my issues. But it didn’t mean we couldn’t talk about his. “Why have you—”
Cutting me off, he placed a quick finger against my lips. “Don’t expect me to dish out the goods when you’re hoarding your own.” He pushed off the couch and stalked toward the bathroom, leaving me feeling cold and empty, and my stomach churning. “That’s not the way we work.” He disappeared around the corner, only to reappear a moment later, one of his black towels and his bathi
ng suit in hands. Gruffly, he muttered, “I’m going to the pools.” The door slamming closed was his goodbye.
Like a girl, not like a Prodigy-almost-Queen, I lay on the couch and cried quietly.
Uncertain of what I wanted to say to Ezra, but knowing something needed to be said, I showered quickly, put on a black bikini courtesy of the enchanted mirror, grabbed my Snoopy towel from the linen closet, and set out for the pools. The cave’s floor was chilly under my feet, which meant it was pretty cold down here since Mysticals can handle cold climates better than Commoners. As I trekked toward Ezra, butterflies fluttered incessantly inside my stomach. I actually stopped three times, debating turning around, before setting my feet back into motion.
He had said he would love me no matter what my issues were. I trusted that. My hold up was that silence, or even aggression, was so much easier than speaking the truth when the stakes were high for wrecking perfection.
But our relationship wasn’t perfect anymore, and here I stood, scanning the inside of the foremost pool area. It was pretty packed. Mysticals had clambered to be here at King Cave once the Mages’ spelled messages had reached them, praying for safety when the world outside hadn’t become any kinder toward Mysticals, only worse. Ezra wasn’t in the main room, but I saw the Kings in one corner; apparently this was today’s meeting place for whatever they were discussing. Worse yet, when they took notice of me, I also knew they were speaking about me, their eyes startled, then blank.
Perfect. Not what I needed right now.
After moving past them quickly and skirting where the crystal blue water met the sloping black floor, dodging various Mysticals of different factions all laughing and enjoying themselves in our sanctuary, I took the right entrance to the back hallways, heading for the adult pools. There were three, varying in temperature.
King Cave Page 10