He glowered, his body actually trembling.
Pearl and Jack didn’t offer any support, either.
I pointed the gun out the window. “I killed him. As you can see, he has a hole in the middle of his forehead. The situation has been taken care of.”
“You should have fucking told us about him,” Jack hissed, so furious he threw his hands out and stalked away, spewing curses the whole while. I felt bad for Nikki.
“I’m so bloody upset with you right now,” Pearl said through clenched teeth. “I…I need to walk away before I say something I’ll regret.” She pivoted, and started marching, taking three steps. Stopped. Clenched her hands, and put her feet into motion again, going clear across the room from me. I felt for Gideon.
Gazing after her, I really didn’t want to look at Ezra with that soft Vampire’s growl emanating from his chest. This one wasn’t as chilling as the one before, but he was ticked. If any of my besties had hidden an abusive, adoptive relative like I had…well, I wouldn’t be pleased with them, either. I would have wanted blood for them. Lots of it.
I peeked up. Quickly glanced away. Christ, he was upset.
“Sweetheart,” he snarled on a mere breath, which sounded more Vampire than not and almost hypnotic in tone, but not quite there, his predator only peeking, “you keep something like that from us again, and I will—”
“Goddamn it! I fucking killed him! Alright?” I shouted, interjecting, done with the verbal attack from my friends after shooting my bastard uncle dead.
Unbelievably, his expression actually turned even more furious as he shouted, “No, it’s not alright! That fucker lived how long past his expiration date? And never once did you tell—”
King Venclaire, abruptly next to us with glowing eyes, jammed his hand on Ezra’s shoulder, stopping him. No words emitted from his pinched lips — the room had gone silent — but the warning stare he gave us was enough.
Ezra and I glared at one another for a moment longer before we jerked on our heels, turning from one another and stalking away.
Bumping against someone in my haste, I muttered a half-hearted apology, but the person placed a huge hand on my bicep, stopping me from moving along. Instantly, I stepped back from the hold, and had to blink a few times until the red haze disappeared.
Ah, perfect.
Cahal Zeller, himself. Daddio. I wasn’t in the mood. “You know, don’t feel bad you didn’t know who I was before, because I didn’t realize who you were, either.” My wolf growled a bit. “Your son never mentioned that one, and yet, he gets all pissed when I keep a secret?” Belatedly, I realized I was wildly swinging a loaded gun with silver bullets in a room full of Mysticals. Staring at it a second, I quickly lowered it. “Anyway, sorry we had to meet with me offing someone not ten minutes after I shook your hand.” I shrugged. Nothing I could do about that.
Mutely, he was still staring with his hard gaze as his wife held out…my envelope.
I quickly snatched it from her hand, mumbling, “Thank you.”
She nodded, silent.
They stared, their heads cocking.
Well, alrighty then.
Antonio slung an arm over my shoulder. “You like the gun?”
Huh? Oh. I nodded. “It fires straight. That’s what important.”
“It’s yours.” He smiled. “I spelled the clip. It’ll never run out of silver bullets.”
My eyebrows rose. “You know, Antonio, I always thought for graduation I’d get, like, a car, or a vacation to someplace warm, but no, instead, I get a letter willed to me from the grave and a gun that always fires.” I paused. “I am a woman. Chocolates or roses…” I trailed off as he pulled Rolos and a small, single red rose out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. I bit my lip, taking the gifts when he held them out.
He kissed my forehead softly, whispering, “Your mother would have been so proud to see the woman you’ve become. I am too, Lil. So very proud of you.”
Vivian deigned to speak, instead of ogling. “You two know each other?”
Antonio nodded. “I raised her, with her late mother.”
Cahal blinked, also deciding to speak. “You raised her?” He paused. “Then, how did she end up with that asshole?”
Keeping his arm firmly around me, Antonio stated, “Before her mother passed away, I left. I had to search for someone who was lost. You might know him. His name’s Ezra.”
I knew that was why he had left me. The timing fit perfectly.
Vivian jerked, her mouth thinning, but, little by little, she bowed her head to him.
Cahal’s eyes narrowed. “What are you really doing here? I haven’t seen you since we passed on our reign to our Prodigies.” Yeah, that was the history lesson I hadn’t put together. Ezra’s dad had been a scary-ass King during the war, right alongside Antonio.
Antonio jostled me inside his side. “Watching over this one. She can be a handful.”
Cahal grunted, his narrowed gaze finding mine. His eyes didn’t soften, either. “She appears to like trouble. It figures you had a hand in raising her.”
Antonio grinned.
Cahal’s attention returned to him, and his brown eyes ran over Antonio’s face, his words slow. “Since you’re here, I may stay awhile. See what happens.”
Antonio nodded. “Might as well.”
They stared at one another.
Mrs. Jonas called loudly, “It’s time for the Prodigies to head out. Once they’re gone, you’ll all want to take your seats down the hill. There’s a special area reserved for you behind the students.”
I twisted under Antonio’s arm, hugging him. “Wish me luck so I don’t trip and fall in front of everyone.”
“You won’t trip and fall, Lil.” He kissed my forehead again, squeezing me tight. “Besides, even if you do, you’re going to be Queen soon. Blame it on the person who put the stage together.”
I chuckled, swiftly pecking his cheek, and inserted my rose in his lapel buttonhole for safekeeping before covertly opening a drawer to Mrs. Jonas’s desk and placing my new gun at the back. I couldn’t exactly carry it down the school hallway without worrying people. This was a happy day, after all. I would just jump through the window later and get it back when it was time to leave after the Awakenings.
Antonio shooed me off, and I turned, running smack into Ezra’s back. Seriously, I had run into walls that were softer. Ezra grunted and growled under his breath, not even glancing backward as I shoved away from him, rubbing my forehead and growling in return.
Mrs. Jonas gave us a disapproving look. “I know you two aren’t in attendance anymore at this school, but if you both keep up these shenanigans,” she paused, “or if the four of you have planned any pranks for the graduation ceremony—”
“We need to go,” Pearl interrupted from where she stood in front of Ezra, her tone clipped. She was still irritated.
“Now,” Jack said very quietly, which was never a good sign.
Mrs. Jonas glared at the four of us, her eyes roaming down the line until she got to me. She pointed a finger. “You are trouble.”
“You’re the second person to say that to me today, so it’s not really breaking news.”
Her face scrunched in aggravation.
King Nelson cleared his throat quickly, offering, “Mrs. Jonas, I’ll take this unruly bunch where they’re supposed to go. You just relax before you have to go onstage.” He motioned for us to follow him, which we did.
Although, we still heard Mrs. Jonas hollering after us, “There had better not be one person flying through the air, a wet t-shirt contest, wild animals roaming about, or an unwilling flash mob during the ceremony!” She must have paused for breath, because there was a gap of silence, then she shouted, “This is going to be on live television, so don’t ruin it!”
Hell, I had only done the wild animal party once. I’d had to have a little fun with that part of my power, since I knew I could do it now. It wasn’t my fault if one of the pythons was last seen entering the adm
inistration building and never found. That could have happened to anyone. The bugger had just slithered away when I hadn’t been looking. Other than the fact the python was hard to control, like the alligators had been, I blamed it on the goat that had been giving me a lot of trouble. It had kept eating everything in sight, including the sandals I’d had on that day, which I had been in the process of pulling out of its mouth for the second time when said python disappeared. At least the python wasn’t that big. Yet.
I didn’t trip and fall. Thank God for small favors.
I sat with my diploma for Political Science in my hand as the last of my classmates were walking across the stage. We were in alphabetical order, so I hadn’t been able to sit next to any of my friends. Not that I had really wanted to but, sadly, once I had calmed down during Mrs. Jonas’s droning on — and on — behind her podium onstage, I felt I should apologize again. My abusive uncle had been another secret I had kept to myself, even when they had held nothing back. At times, I definitely acted more Com than Mys.
I had read my mom’s letter while I sat on the slip-covered folding chair, instead of listening to Mrs. Jonas. She hadn’t written a lot of words. But it had made me misty-eyed, and I had quickly blinked back my tears, not wanting mascara tracks staining my cheeks. The gist of it was that she hoped and prayed I forgave her for sending me to her brother, but that there had been no other choice. She wrote that if I was reading this, then it was my graduation day and she was proud of me and my hard work, and she knew in her heart and mind I would go on to do great things and live a life full of happiness and love. Under her signature, she had, once again, asked me to forgive her.
That was all. It was enough. The letter rested in my pocket now and, as soon as I got home, I was going to put it in the scrapbook in my closet that she had started years ago of us. The only thing, other than her money, I had left of her.
Sighing quietly, I rested further on my chair, ignoring the gazes I felt on me from the audience. When Pearl, Jack, and I had gone across the stage at our separate times there had been freaking standing ovations. Nothing like a little early sucking up from Mysticals who don’t even know me, or them. Ezra’s name was about to be called, and I cringed, ready.
“Ezra Zeller, Bachelor’s Degree of Political Science,” Mrs. Jonas stated loudly.
Boom. The applause was almost deafening as he began sauntering across the stage.
I stood, clapping right along with everyone else, mine less polite than the roar, since I also blew through my index finger and thumb, whistling loudly, just as I had for Jack and Pearl.
In due progress, the ceremony was over. In Commoner school, the graduates threw their caps in the air but, since Mysticals wore robes with hoods, that didn’t even cross anyone’s minds. Instead, we cheered with our hands in the air as the fire Elementals of our class shot sparkling fireballs above our heads from their palms, the air Elementals blowing them high into the air, and then the water Elementals putting them out, keeping us safe. Not too shabby, and pretty damn cool to witness.
Afterward, we only had a half-hour to talk with each other and celebrate.
Following that, we were to go inside and get changed into our snazzy attire, then return to the field to mingle.
I went straight to my friends where they were already standing together to the side of the stage — away from everyone — and I kicked the grass a few times, mumbling, “I’m sorry. Really. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn straight,” Pearl grumbled, arms crossed over her chest.
Ezra’s lips were thinned, but he finally nodded.
Jack took a step closer, and bent to peer straight into my eyes, hissing, “Why the hell didn’t you tell us?” His blue eyebrows were together, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Glancing away, I asked, “Haven’t you ever had a secret you were ashamed of?”
A quiet pause, then he softly whispered, “Yes.” Another break, then a gruff command, “Ashamed, or not, you tell us in the future so we can rip his head off. Alright?”
I nodded, glancing to the side. Nikki and Gideon were heading our way, so I quickly said, “Ezra, I’d like to have that conversation tonight that you offered before.” The one about us sticking together. Living under the same roof, or whatever his idea was. Just so we were all close. Looking away from Nikki and Gideon, I peered up into his spring green gaze. “I’m in, if you’re serious.”
Unhurriedly, he nodded, his spikes styled wildly chaotic today.
“Me too,” Pearl whispered softly, sounding nervous.
The three of us turned to Jack.
He was rubbing his chin, blue eyebrows lowered, and right before Nikki arrived at his side, he stated, “I’m in.” No nerves. Just resolute calm.
Ezra crossed his arms, saying simply since Gideon and Nikki were now with us, “We’ll discuss it tonight after the Awakenings, but before the dinner King Kincaid is holding for us and our families.” This was desirable, because I still hadn’t met Jack’s or Pearl’s relatives. After what they had witnessed this morning in Mrs. Jonas’s office, they probably thought I was a barbarian Prodigy Shifter, and I would like the opportunity to prove I wasn’t. At least, not all the time.
We nodded. Decision set.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Henry?” Pearl asked, reading the name on the tiny slip of paper.
“Toss,” I muttered, silently reading the name on the top paper I held.
“Jasper?” Jack asked, eyeing a scrap of paper.
“Toss,” I muttered, throwing down the top slip I had read.
“Love doctor?” Nikki asked with a snicker, eyebrows raised and holding up a napkin.
“Does it really say that?” Gideon asked, yanking the napkin out her hand. He nodded, chuckling. “He’s probably compensating for something.”
I agreed. “Toss.”
“Here you guys are,” Ezra griped quietly, ducking behind the tree line where we hid from the onslaught of Mysticals vying for our attention. “I’ve been looking everywhere.” He appeared haggled, his black dress shirt cockeyed, spring green eyes wide, but he asked calmly enough, “What are you doing?”
Pearl waved her wad of papers as I tossed another one of mine on the ground, and she explained, “Going through the numbers passed to Lily.”
He blinked, then reached into his pockets, pulling out fistfuls of tiny papers. “Guess I’ll go through mine, too.”
We gaped.
Gideon asked carefully, “You’re not going to keep all of them?”
Ezra glared at the polite question, waving a fistful of papers, some of them blowing away in the breeze, which he didn’t seem to notice. “I’m turning over a new leaf.” He peered down at his first slip. “Try not to be such a,” a glower at me, “man-whore.”
I shook my head, going back to my own papers. “Don’t blame that title on me. I just call them like I see them.”
He grunted, tossing a slip on the ground without further comment.
“BJ?” Jack asked, head cocked, staring at a pink paper.
“Confused or an idiot,” Pearl mumbled, answering for me. “Toss.”
He tossed.
As a pile grew around his feet, Ezra slipped a torn scrap back into his pocket before continuing to examine the rest.
Huh, perhaps he was serious.
“Tiffany?” Nikki asked nonchalantly, face almost blank. I merely glanced at her and she tossed it, mumbling, “I’m so happy I’m not single anymore. This is ridiculous.”
Jack kissed her cheek, then asked, “Ivan?”
“Oh…” I nodded, holding out my hand. “That one’s a keeper.” I smiled. “He hardly speaks any English.” I slid the paper into my purse for safekeeping.
Pearl snorted hard, shaking her head. “You’re bad.”
“And, he looks oh-so-good.” I wiggled my shoulders, winking. “Powerful. Hot. No English. Equals perfect.”
Ezra blinked at a slip. Chuckled. Tossed it. Didn’t want to know. The next one we
nt in his pocket, which made two out of, like, twenty. Not bad.
Gideon asked, “The Twins?”
I blinked. “They’re vulture Shifters.”
Without looking, Ezra reached out a hand and grabbed Gideon’s slip. Tossed it.
“Squawk,” Jack teased quietly.
“Whatever. I learned my lesson.” I shuddered. Ugh. I still had nightmares.
We all paused, hearing a song start on the sound system. Music. They had finally gotten the DJ set up for dancing. Each of us glanced at the other, then hurried through the rest of the papers. It was time to boogie.
I ended up with five numbers and Ezra ended up with seven. Go figure. Even being picky he still ended up with more than me. Oh well. At least, I had some choices.
Brushing my hands down my bright red dress — it matched my hair — I made sure there were no lingering leaves or dirt on me from trekking there, and followed my friends out from behind the tree line.
We tried to stay inconspicuous, but we were who we were and some noticed. Mainly, the Kings, Antonio, and a few of the parents. The Kings’ expressions were cross, but also amused, at seeing us hiding from everyone. Most of the parents appeared curious.
Antonio just pointed at me, then his hair, a video camera in his free hand.
I quickly found a stick in my hair where he had pointed. Seriously? I was the shortest one of the bunch. How did I end up with a stick in my hair? I tossed it, sighing in defeat, and then was hauled by Nikki toward the makeshift dance floor. The organizers had put it there so the grass wouldn’t become mush.
We stuck close in a tight circle on the edge of the dance floor so no-one would try to barrel into our group, and I was quickly tossed in the air by Jack. I squealed, laughing as he caught me then twirled me with a dip. I had no clue how he and Nikki still stepped on each other’s feet because he was a fine dancer.
Shaking my body to the beat, I spun to Pearl, and we started bumping hips, generally making fools out of ourselves, incorporating fifties-style moves to the funky retro music. I twirled her, imitating what Jack had done, which was a little awkward since she was so tall, but when I dipped her, my strength held her easily. She laughed, her golden hair dangling to the flooring before I lifted her with one arm.
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