Royal Affliction (The Anti-Princess Saga)

by Jennifer Marsh

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  I awoke the next morning sandwiched between Kafkus and Clifton. Both of their arms were wrapped around me, reassuring me. Loach was curled up at the foot of the bed looking a lot like a sleeping dog. I was feeling much better, not sad, but more uplifted, with the desire to prove myself.

  I carefully moved the arms that were weighing me down and Kafkus and Clifton both jumped, their eyes open wide in instant alertness.

  “I am just trying to get up, if that’s alright with you two,” I said giving both of them a weird look. “You alright, Clifton?” He lifted the sheets to show me his healed stomach and I smiled. “I’m starving, let’s go out to eat.”

  “Out? Out where?” Kafkus asked looking bewildered.

  I sighed and explained to him again what restaurants were and the two left the room to go get dressed.

  I began stripping down, preparing to get dressed for the day, when I felt hot, intrusive eyes upon my exposed flesh.

  Loach was now sitting at the edge of the bed, looking wide-awake. I’d forgotten that he was in the room. His flames were back, but they matched the color of his fake, pasty-white human skin. There was an unmistakable look of yearning in his cold eyes. “It has been so long.” His words were a low growl.

  I grabbed the closest thing I could find to cover myself. I stood there, rooted to the ground, unsure of his intensions.

  He slowly rose to a standing position, still not taking his eyes off of me.

  I saw my sword lying on the floor by my nightstand, but it was too far. I tried with all my might to make it come to me. But it just sat there, mocking me. I felt like a trapped animal. If I moved he would attack. If I screamed he would attack. I would have to reason with him. It seemed to be my only option.

  “Loach, you do not want to do this.” I tried so hard to keep as much fear out of my voice as possible.

  He said nothing. He just glared at me with those hungry eyes.

  You do know that they will kill you, right?” Tactical fear.

  “It would be well worth it to sample some of the royal goods.”

  I couldn’t hide the panic that was growing inside of me now.

  He came at me in a blur of motion, knocking me to the ground. He climbed on top of me, pinning me beneath him. He was strong for his size, much stronger than me with the ring on.

  “You swore that you would protect me.” Tactical guilt.

  He laughed. It was an evil, merciless cackle that shook me to the core. “I promised to help you find the Boru, and I have. I swore no oath of protection.” I didn’t recognize the voice that came out of him. It was rougher and more malevolent than the one that he had previously used. “I was sent here for the witch. But now that my job is done I can indulge in the fruits of my labor since you have given me this prime opportunity.”

  I felt betrayed. He was sent by the Boru, not hiding from them. He had probably handed them the ring on a silver platter. I felt myself grow furious that I had trusted him and that he had taken Violet from me. Adrenalin pumped through my veins, though I still wasn’t able to break free of his grip.

  The sounds of approaching footsteps sparked a glimmer of hope, but it died when Loach raised his arm and the door slammed shut. I heard a loud bang as someone hit the door from the other side. It didn’t budge.

  “Quartessa, what is going on?” Kafkus shouted through the door.

  “Loach isn’t on our side! Please help me!”

  Loach placed his hand over my mouth. I struggled under him, trying my hardest to break free. For such a small person he was extraordinarily strong.

  He pulled away the shirt that I was using to cover myself and threw it aside. I was left exposed and vulnerable beneath him.

  I heard more strikes against the door and I begged for them to break it down and rescue me. I gasped against his hand as I felt a cold finger slip inside of me. Tears leaked from my eyes and I knew what was going to happen next, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  “You are not wet.”

  “Blow it out your ass you piece of shit!”

  “You do not need to enjoy it.”

  I closed my eyes tight, willing myself to leave my body and the floor rumbled under me.

  “What was that?” Loach asked, sounding a little unnerved.

  Another shake came, and I couldn’t help but grin. I knew exactly what it was, and who was doing it. I knew it would work. It just had to.

  A massive third shake rattled the ground hard, and with it, the door crumbled away into scraps of wood.

  Clifton stood alone in the doorway, his red diamond-shaped pupils present again. He sprinted across the room and grabbed Loach by the back of his neck, pulling him off of me. Loach dangled in the air like a doll. His eyes were filled with absolute terror. Kafkus and Quino entered the room, brandishing their weapons, but they didn’t have time to react before Clifton ripped Loach apart, literally, limb from limb.

  I watched in horror as his arm twitched on the ground inches from my face, detached from its body. His head lay a few feet from me. He seemed to be looking at me, though I knew that no life remained within him.

  Clifton approached me, his eyes returning to normal. “Are you alright?”

  I looked down at my body. I was coated with splatters of blood, none of it my own. “I, I think so. He said that he was sent here to steal Violet.”

  The look on Quino’s face was a look beyond rage, a look of purest hatred and loathing. He kicked Loach’s severed head hard and it hit the wall with a squashy splat.

  I didn’t know what to do about the mess. If Violet were here she could have cleaned it up easily, but none of the rest of us had that power.

  “You two get cleaned up,” Kafkus said to Clifton and me. “We will take care of the mess.”

  I was starting to find it a little eerie how Kafkus always seemed to know what I was thinking. It was though he really was able to read my mind. It was not a very common power for my kind to possess, but I found myself wondering if he had that rare ability.

  “Yes, Quartessa. But only after you had accepted me into your heart.”

  I jerked my head up to look at him. So he could listen to my thoughts.

  “What did you mean by that?” Clifton asked Kafkus.

  “It is of no importance. Go, get her cleaned up.”

  Clifton flashed a bemused look at Kafkus before helping me up and guiding me into the bathroom. He was bothered by what Kafkus had said, or more, what he hadn’t said.

  Clifton cleaned the blood off my body for me. I pretty much just stood under the cascading water. I couldn’t think, and I had to force myself to move. I wasn’t sure if I was in shock or just depressed after what had just happened to me, probably a little of both.

  “Do you still want to go out to eat?” he asked trying to sound cheerful as he dried me off.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to eat. I will fix you something then.”

  He wrapped me up in a towel and carried me out of the bathroom. He walked fast through the bedroom, probably trying to spare me the site of it again, but I saw anyway. While the pieces of Loach were gone, there were still pools and splatters of blood everywhere. Kafkus and Quino weren’t in the room. I figured that they must have been out disposing of the corpse, but I didn’t really care. I didn’t care about anything at the moment. My mind was blank. I felt numb.

  He laid me down on the couch and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek before he headed into the kitchen to prepare food.

  Kyle was passed out on the recliner. I glared at him. How did he sleep through the commotion? I couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be the next to turn on me. I had always gotten a good vibe from him, but I had also trusted Loach. I had let three strangers come into my life, and two of them had deceived me. Kyle was the only one left. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had just been toying with me like Loach had. Kyle’s story was pretty convincing, but I had no way of knowing if it were true. He could
just be buttering me up for some other plan that the Boru had cooked up. How could I know if he was truly on our side? I really needed some advice. I wished that I could speak with my father or Violet, options I no longer had.

  Clifton returned from the kitchen with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. He held it out to me. “Please eat something.”

  I took the plate from him with no intention of eating. I pushed the eggs around the plate with my fork without interest. I knew that my body needed nourishment but I didn’t think that my stomach could handle it at the moment.

  Clifton sat at the other end of the couch, eating his food silently. He made no further attempts to encourage me to eat, but I knew that he wanted to. He kept steeling nervous glances at me every few seconds to see if I was eating.

  The front door opened and Kafkus and Quino entered. They were both covered head to toe with dirt. They must have buried Loach. I didn’t ask nor care.

  “What do you use for cleaning?” Quino asked.

  “Supplies are under the sink in the bathroom.”

  “I’d better help them. I don’t want them to kill us all with fumes. Will you be ok out here?” I nodded.

  I turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels indifferently, not really watching it. I heard Kyle stir, and my body tensed.

  “Morning, Tess.”

  I said nothing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Loach tried to rape me.” The words seemed to spill from my mouth without effort.

  He sprang to his feet, a murderous glint in his eye. “Where is he?”

  “Dead. You’re a hard sleeper.” It came out more accusing than I had meant it to, but maybe it was better that way. We could get this all out into the open.

  “I always have been. You can trust me.” His voice held just a hint of desperation.

  “I haven’t had a good track record with trusting people lately.” I was taking my anger out on Kyle, who had done nothing to me, but I couldn’t help it. The rage just poured out of me like someone had flicked a switch on in my head. “How do I know that I can really trust you? Prove yourself!”

  “What are you asking from me?” He dropped to his knees, cowering at my feet.

  Quino walked into the room, his arms covered in blood. “You ask too much of Kyle. I know that this business with Loach has probably compromised your trust, but Kyle proved an asset on our quest last night.”

  My anger directed itself at Quino since he had decided to butt in. “This is none of your business.”

  “He had nothing to do with Loach, or in aiding his father in the stealing of my Violet.”

  “Your Violet huh? I always thought of her as my Violet.”

  “She is mine in a way that she will never be yours.”

  I leaned forward, very interested in this new subject. “Do you plan to marry her?”

  “So what if I do?”

  “Just wondering.” I looked down at Kyle. His head was lowered so I couldn’t read his emotion. “I am sorry Kyle, and I do trust you. I didn’t mean to take my anger out on you but I have just had a really bad week. I’m sorry.”

  He lifted his head to look at me and I saw great pain and sadness behind those eyes. “Thank you, Quartessa, I promise never to test that trust.”

  I believed him. There was something about him that I couldn’t help but trust, something in those soft green eyes that called out to me.

  “Quino, would you get me something to wear please?” He left momentarily, and returned with the golden gown that I’d brought back from Kortis. I sighed. “Why that dress?”

  He shrugged, flashing me a handsome grin. “Royal garments are meant for royalty.” And back to cleaning he went.

  I pulled the gown over my head and slid the towel out from under it in a skilled maneuver and finished my plate to make Clifton happy. Kyle was still kneeling before me. I didn’t think that he was sure just what to do after my outburst. I patted the seat next to me on the couch, urging him to join me. He sat down looking stiff and uncomfortable. I nudged him playfully with my shoulder, trying to get him to loosen up, and he smiled and relaxed a bit.

  “How’s your arm?” I asked while eying the blood soaked bandage.

  “Alright I guess. It still hurts though.”

  “Least they were able to save the arm.”

  “I guess.”

  “What do you want to watch?”

  “Wait, go back!”

  I gave him the remote so that he could find what he wanted. I recognized the show as it was one of my favorites. “Steve Carrel is hilarious.”

  “Well we are in luck then. It looks like they are doing a marathon on TBS.”

  I got comfy, laying down on my side and used Kyle’s lap as a pillow as we watched the show.

  I had thought I’d been with a human once, but that had turned out to be a lie. The thought did intrigue me. Kyle was cute in a way that no Zolera man was. Zolera men pride themselves on looking fierce and deadly. Kyle was filled with innocence and unknowing, qualities that I found very refreshing.

  My three handsome, and clean, men finally came out of the bedroom. They looked exhausted. It must take a lot of effort to clean blood out of carpet and walls. I didn’t know as I had never had to attempt it.

  Kafkus flashed me an unsure at the way I was laying on Kyle. But a knock at the front door caught his attention. I jumped up at the sound but Kafkus stopped me from opening the door with a motion of his hand. Clearly, he thought it was an enemy.

  “Hello, my name is Officer Michaels. I am here to speak with…” there was a short pause, “a Miss Tessa Turner. Is she in?”

  What were the police doing here? I silently prayed that Loach’s blood was gone, especially since I had no bedroom door to block it out.

  I walked over to the front door trying to look as nonchalant as possible. “Yes officer? What can I do for you?”

  Officer Michaels was a very attractive man. He wasn’t tall, an inch or two above my own height. His hair was short, black and parted off to the side in a very businesslike way. His eyes were a golden brown color that lit up his face. He was clean shaven and was looking very serious at the moment.

  “You are Miss Turner?”

  “I am.”

  He looked a little abashed. “Yes, well, we are trying to track down the friends and family of a Mister Brent Fowler. You know him right? He is your boyfriend?”

  “Ex-boyfriend.”

  “Oh, be that as it may, I still need to ask you a few questions.”

  “Of course, Officer Michaels was it?”

  “Yes ma’am, may I come inside?”

  I moved aside and held my arm out in a welcoming gesture. “Of course Officer Michaels, please come in.”

  I felt my men tense as he crossed the threshold. Kyle stayed on the couch and busied himself with pretend-watching TV, though he did look a little antsy. Clifton went into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. Kafkus and Quino however, remained in the living room looking suspicious and angry with this strange man in my apartment. I was grateful that at least half of my men knew how to act around the police, the ones with human experience anyway.

  Something had come over me. I felt remarkably suave and charismatic. I sat down on the sofa and got comfortable. I patted the seat next to me, trying to get him to join me.

  He looked cautiously at Kafkus and Quino, who were both eying him in the same manner: threatening.

  “Don’t mind them, they’re harmless, my cousins here on a visit. They are not accustomed to American civility.” I threw my gaze at them. “If you are just going to stand there and stare you might as well make yourselves useful. Why don’t you take Kyle with you to the store and get some food. We’re running low at the moment.” I grabbed my keys and debit card from the coffee table and handed them to Kyle. “Use it as credit and sign for me.”

  Kyle could take a hint, he stood up and walked to the door, Quino followed him.

  Kafkus stayed where he was. “I do no
t wish to shop.”

  I fixed him with a “do as you are told” stare.

  He looked angrily at me while stubbornly staying where he was. He obviously didn’t want to leave with this strange man in my home.

  You may cause more problems for me if you stay, I thought. Clifton will be here if I need any assistance. I love you, and if you love me you will do what I ask of you, knowing that it is for the best.

  I saw in his face that he had heard my message. He sighed and then left with the others.

  “Where did you say they were from?”

  “Russia,” I said quickly, saying the first place that came to mind. “Please, have a seat.”

  He sat down next to me and scoped the room. His eyes lingered for a moment on my missing bedroom door, but he didn’t ask me about it or comment.

  “I am sorry for my cousins. They have no manners. Can I get you anything, coffee or tea perhaps?” It was necessary for him to trust me. I didn’t want him to think that I was involved in Brent’s death, especially since I wasn’t.

  “Some coffee would be nice, thank you.”

  “Clifton, would you make this nice gentleman some coffee please?”

  “Sure thing, Tessa.”

  “So, Officer Michaels, what would you like to ask me?”

  “Please, call me James.”

  “Alright, James, what would you like to know?”

  He looked down at his notepad. “When was the last time you saw Brent?”

  I fake thought for a moment before answering. “It was about a week ago, I think. He came into my work to see me and I asked him to leave. I haven’t seen him since.” I was sure that I was convincing, but just in case I added, “What did he do? It must have been pretty bad to have you hunting me down.”

  His face fell. “I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but, Brent is dead.”

  I faked a look of shock and surprise. “When did it happen?”

  “A couple of days ago by the coroner’s report. We are trying to track down his killer, but so far we have no leads.” He looked desperate for any help that I could give him.

  I, of course, knew what had happened to Brent, but I couldn’t tell him. “I am sorry James, but I cannot help you. I have not been in contact with him for some time.”