“We had a long day,” she said with a shrug as she sat down, “but food always wakes me up.”
“Didn't used to,” he said, and she stopped eating.
“I'm sorry?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He smiled. “You don't remember anything about your previous life, do you?”
“I remember bits and pieces,” she answered, meeting his eyes. “The wings on the side. And that we were friends.”
“Sure,” he said, taking another helping of food. “We were friends.”
She heard an edge to his voice and avoided his eyes. There was something about his voice that made her shiver.
They had been friends, hadn't they? Was there something she was missing?
Katianna closed her eyes, searching her mind. She was looking for a memory – anything that didn't fit into her current life. He was friendly, sure, and he was handsome, but that didn't mean anything, did it?
When she opened her eyes, he was looking right at her. His yellow eyes sparkled as he broke the gaze. Katianna felt ice go down her spine.
“Were we more than friends?” she asked.
Cole smirked. “Well, if I told you, that would be cheating, wouldn't it? Or is that how Spencer has been telling you things?”
She took a deep breath. “Why are you being so mean to me? Even if I turn out to be not who you all think I am, what have I done to offend?”
“Nothing, love,” Cole answered. “But you have to figure it out for yourself, don't you? I can't tell you, and neither can he.”
“But I know what I feel,” she protested.
“Aye well,” Cole said, holding her gaze again, “love works in mysterious ways.”
“How…” she fought for calm. “Didn't you fall in love with your wife almost by accident?”
“That I did,” he replied. “She was supposed to be the key to my success and my destruction. Instead, she saved my life.”
“That's quite a story,” she said. “So why is my story so unlikely?”
“Hmm,” he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. There were no servants today, no beautifully dressed butlers and charming maids. It was just the two of them, and she felt the expanse of the room. “I suppose it's not. But I've never heard of it before. And I know everything magical.”
“No one knows everything,” she stood up. She had thought that it would be pleasant, but he couldn't stop attacking her. She couldn't sit here and listen to this, not when she wasn't quite sure herself. The truth was, she had doubt deep down in the pit of her stomach. And the last thing she wanted was anyone exploiting it.
She had thought that she was happy in her life. But she didn't know happiness until Spencer was at her side.
“Ah, love, don't mind me,” Cole said, indicating she should sit back down. “That's just the way I am in the morning.”
She paused, her hand trembling. He had made her angry, it was true, but his smile was disarming.
“I'm sorry,” he said, honestly. His eyes were sincere, and she sighed, sitting back down.
“I accept your apology,” she said, at last. He nodded, pointing to a platter of eggs.
“These are good, you should try some.”
“Cole!”
Both of them jumped as Nicholas burst into the room. Cole scrambled to his feet, looking like he had been caught at something.
“Did you invite Evan Moonlit here?”
“What?” Cole answered in shock. “Why would I invite the wolf king here? He's Alexander's best friend. Why don't you ask him?”
“Alexander isn't here right now,” Nicholas said , through clenched teeth. “And Evan is asking if he's here, with a trunk at his feet. He's been invited by someone, and it wasn't Alexander.”
“But I didn't,” Cole said. “We don't have anything ready, security wise.”
“What's going on?” Katianna couldn't help but ask, looking between the two of them in confusion. Cole glanced to her and then decided that there was no harm in telling her.
“Evan Moonlit is the wolf shifter king. He's an ally, very close to my brother. But when a king visits from another realm, we have to up security, make sure that he feels safe. God damn it, nothing is ready,” Cole ran a hand through his hair. “He's going to think we're a raggedy bunch.”
“Even more so if we don't figure out who invited him,” Nicholas said. “Never mind that we don't have a room for him.”
Those words perked up Katianna 's ears. “I can help,” she said, standing up. Both brothers turned to her in confusion. “My parents run a hotel, and I'm studying tourism. Stalling a VIP guest while we scramble to figure out what the hell is going on is my specialty.”
The two looked between each other, and then Nicholas shrugged.
“Better than what I could come up,” he said. “Come with me then. He's an easy fellow, but we need to make preparations.”
“Right,” Katianna scrambled after them. Nicholas said something to Cole in dragon lore, and it made her gasp. “Does he speak English?”
“He speaks dragon,” Cole said, glancing to Nicholas. “Does he speak English?”
“Why are we arguing over this when your wife is a translator?” Nicholas asked. “Go get her, and we'll make it right.”
A blast of trumpets made them all tense. Nicholas' eyes widened, apparently listening to the notes that were played.
“That's…” he said, and Cole filled in for him, equally shocked.
“The lion queen?” he asked. “Tahitian hasn't been here for a year, and suddenly she shows up unannounced?”
“Are you sure you didn't invite a mass convention of rulers and forget about it?” Nicholas asked.
“Why would I do that?” Cole shot back. Katianna was about to speak up when they rounded the corner.
In the front hallway, waiting to be served, were clearly two rulers. Evan was dressed sharply, a middle-aged, lean man with kind eyes and long hair, the way werewolves were portrayed on television. Tahitian was stunning, with strawberry-blonde hair and a sleek figure. Both of them were accompanied by an entourage and trunks. They had clearly been invited, but it bothered Katianna that no one knew by who.
She searched her mind, trying to remember what her parents had done when someone had shown up without a reservation. Nicholas made small talk for a few moments while Cole scrambled off to get Enya. It seemed the two youngest dragon princes were a bit of a loss without their older brothers.
Enya scrambled into the room, looking exactly like she had just been dragged from bed. But Nicholas introduced Katianna, hoping she could take over while the princes scrambled, and Enya translated for Katianna who bowed deeply.
“I'm new to the palace, but I'm happy to welcome you,” she looked between the two of them. It took a while for Enya to translate, as she had to try a few languages before she found a common one. Finally, both of them smiled. “It's so wonderful you could both make it. Were you aware that you were both invited?”
Tahitian said something, and Enya raised an eyebrow, turning to Katianna.
“King Richard must have planned this well, for the note was postmarked nearly ten years ago.”
“What?” Katianna hissed to Enya. “Isn't that king dead? How…?”
“She thinks that the note was old,” Enya replied. “A delayed email if you will. I wonder what the hell it says?”
“Ask them if we could have the note,” Katianna thought fast. “For his sons would be grateful of anything that their father wrote. For memories.”
“Good thinking,” Enya said, and turned back to the royals, translating.
Katianna was so busy practicing her tourism smile that she didn't realize until after they were settled just what had happened. Werewolves were real, dragons, lion shifters, and who knew what else? Everything she had been told was fake was a lie. She was starting to question her own reality. Was Santa Clause real as well?
But then, it seemed questioning things was what people did around here, given how Cole had been so harsh to h
er at breakfast.
She was grateful that Spencer found her shortly after the incident. She had perched on a windowsill, fiddling with her phone and staring out into the majestic countryside.
“My love,” he said. “I'm sorry. I didn't realize that they had gotten you involved. They shouldn't have done that.”
“It's fine,” she replied, reaching her arms up for a hug. “How are you?”
“I'm fine,” he said. “I was sorting through a few things for Nicholas, and I got carried away. But you are all right?”
“I'm fine,” she said with a smile. “It's not my hotel, so I don't have to worry about a lost reservation. But it does seem odd. They say they are here, invited by a posthumous letter from the old king.”
“And did it say why?” Spencer asked. “That's not like King Richard. He was not that organized.”
“I didn't know him,” Katianna said “But I was thinking, what if it's just meant to look like an old letter? And he's back?”
“They killed him,” Spencer replied, flatly.
“You buried me,” she said. “And yet here I am. What's the difference?”
Spencer leaned back against the windowsill, his chest sinking as he thought about that. She was right.
If King Richard was back, it meant this planet was going to go to war in a way no one had expected.
“Thank you,” Cole said to her that night at dinner. He said it in passing, but his voice was kind. “For fixing that, this afternoon. One would almost think you belong here.”
“Maybe I do,” she said, and he smiled.
“Maybe you do,” he said. “Or maybe you've done it before.”
She winked at him, and he chuckled. All was forgiven, at least for now. Dinner was full of the nobles that had arrived by the late king's letter, and while everyone was on edge, they were also reveling in each other 's company. And for the first time in Katianna 's life, surrounded by lions and witches, dragons and wolves, she felt like she belonged as well.
Chapter 9
The headaches started on her third visit to Umora. She had been with Spencer for nearly nine months, and she was glad for an escape to the dragon planet when her school holidays came up. Exams had been stressful, and her parents had basically put her on the front desk every moment she wasn't in class. They also were suspicious of Spencer's extended stays, despite his charm. They knew she was with him, and they chose to just shake their heads quietly. Romance with guests was a faux pas, even if they respected their daughter's choices as an adult. Still, she was grateful for the break from her hotel world, even if it meant packing a suitcase full of Tylenol.
“I'm just going to sit in the library for a while,” she told Spencer when they got there. “It's dark and quiet there, and it helps.”
“I need to be in the throne room,” he said worriedly. “But maybe I can–”
“No, you have work to do,” she said to him, giving his hand a squeeze. “I'll still be there when you get back. Don't worry.”
“You summon me if you need anything at all, all right?” he made her promise. “Someone can get me in an instant.”
“I'll be fine,” she assured him. “It's just a headache. Too little sleep.”
“We will make sure you turn in early tonight then,” he said, kissing her head. “If I see any of the princesses, I will send them to you.”
“I would love to see them, regardless of my head,” she said, splitting off from him in the hallway.
Entering the library, she just wanted to sit by the fire and read a book. It was usually empty during the day, with everyone scrambling around for work, so she was surprised to find Cole going through the shelves, looking confused.
“Hey,” she said, and he looked up.
“My favorite hotelier,” he said with a smile. Since the first visit, they seemed to be on better terms. She quite liked him, texting when they were away, and speaking with him and Enya frequently.
The truth was, although she didn't have too much in common with Enya, she felt it was proper to speak to his wife more than him. She didn't want Enya to think that she liked Cole a little too much.
“What are you looking for?” she asked, settling down in a chair. It was so different from the first time they met. Before, they couldn't speak without snapping at each other.
“When you are royal, everything is documented,” he said. “People take pictures, they make paintings, they write about every appearance that you ever made.”
“Sure,” she responded.
“So I'm looking for photos of my father, records of if he has ever been to certain places, even briefly.”
“Shouldn't all that be digitized?” she asked as he opened and closed books.
“Not all of it,” he gave her a smile. “Umora is a funny place. We're lightyears ahead of Earth in one way, and behind in others. Most of the royal records are still here.”
“Why are you even looking?” she asked, confused.
“Because there have been more reports of his appearances. There have been photographs coming from unknown settings, letters, but something about them doesn't fit.”
“Is this about the letter from the first time?” she asked. “Didn't they say it was arranged before he died?”
“My father was not that organized,” Cole snorted. “Not organized enough to send letters arranging regular meetings between rulers at regular intervals ten years in the future.”
“So, you think he's back.”
“Except,” Cole answered, “I saw him die.”
“Well,” she drew up her feet, “Spencer saw me die.”
He didn't say anything to that. She knew the topic of whether or not she was Spencer's first love was still up in the air, at least on Umora. Cole opened and closed another book or two before he turned to her.
“There's something I want to show you,” he said after a while. “This can wait.”
“What could you possibly want to show me that is more important than your father returning?” she smiled.
“Come with me,” he said, beckoning her. “Don't worry about my crazy father for a moment.”
She laughed at that and pushed herself up. It took a moment for her head to stop pounding, which it often did when it was like this. She winced, and Cole put out his hand.
“I'm all right,” she said. “It's just–”
“I know you're all right,” he said, “but there's no reason to suffer stubbornly.”
He took her hand before she had a chance to react and pushed magic into her. It was something that Spencer did on occasion. She knew it was temporary, but it was a better pain relief than Tylenol and Advil.
She was grateful for Cole's persistence and took a deep breath.
“Thank you,” she said. He met her eyes, looking down at his hands and then back at her. The moment lasted a bit too long before he beckoned her into the hallway.
“I'm surprised your boyfriend didn't do that,” Cole said, as they walked down the hallway.
“Sometimes, I feel like I've built up a tolerance to him,” she said. “His magic isn't always effective. Is that possible?”
“Maybe,” Cole seemed half distracted as he walked. “Or whatever is going on with your head is getting worse. I can't cure Enya, and it's harder to push magic when it's on Earth. He could have run out at the time or not been strong enough to push it properly. But most supernatural beings respond quite well to magic.”
“Maybe I'm just tired,” she said, with a shrug, missing his meaning. “What are you showing me?”
“Just something you left here last time,” Cole said, as he took her down a flight of stairs. He pushed open a door, and she gasped.
Inside was a room packed to the rafters with treasure. There were gold, jewels, tiaras, and swords. This was clearly their treasury room. What baffled her the most was how there was no guards at the door.
“It's spelled,” Cole said. “Only those of the throne's bloodline can get in here. If one of us breaks in and steals things, that's
on us. But otherwise, no one else can so much as set foot in here without one of us.”
“This is so much,” she spun around, looking at the hordes of treasure. “You really are a prince.”
“In case you doubted the palace setting,” he said, as he went to a chest. He opened it, and she watched as he pulled out a small, white box. Turning back to her, he placed it in her hands.
“What's this?” she asked. He smiled, crossing his arms.
“If I told you, that would be cheating,” he replied. “Go ahead. Open it.”
Katianna cracked open the box with curiosity to find a plain gold band staring back at her. There was nothing special about it that she could see. It wasn't extravagant or particularly large. It had no jewels, no markings. It looked as if it were bought at any generic jewelry shop on Earth.
That thought hit her like a smack on the face.
“Is this mine?” she looked up to Cole. “This is a wedding ring. Is this my wedding ring?”
“What do you think?” he asked, leaning against a pillar.
“Why would I leave it here?” she asked. “Was it an accident?”
His yellow eyes flashed as he shifted positions. He looked so handsome standing there, watching her.
For one moment, Katianna saw what she thought was the past. Cole, standing in the hallway, his arms open as she flew to him.
She took off the wedding ring, pushed it to him, and shook her head.
“Did you give me this?” she asked, her voice a whisper.
“Did I?” he asked, his voice also low. “Or did someone else?”
“Did Spencer…” she put a hand to her mouth. “Did we…?”
“You always said your connection to Spencer was the reason you believed him,” Cole replied, standing up straighter now. “What about your connection to me?”
“I…” she trembled under the weight of the memory.
“Do you feel nothing, Katianna?” he asked.
“I came to love you,” she said. It slipped out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.
They stood in silence for a long moment. Her hand closed over the ring box, her knuckles white.
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