And we both jolted a bit when, apparently, King Zeller was speaking to both of us, directly in our ears from the trundle behind Cain’s, muttering, “That’s sweet and shit, but you’ll both need to try to relax, cut it off, and go to sleep before anyone other than Sin figures it out.”
Sin chuckled quietly behind me…so apparently, he’d heard, too, only snuggling closer, whispering softly, “Agreed, love.” A pause. “We probably shouldn’t do anything too freaky with others in the room.”
Elder Bridges groaned loudly, sounding pained across the expanse of the trundles. “I had better not see any leaves or stars floating in the damn air!”
Sin laughed outright when a few others groaned their tired agreement. “Who said I do leaves? It could be prairie grass or sunflowers or,”
“It was just an assumption,” Elder Bridges cut him off, growling crossly. “And unless you want your neck slashed I wouldn’t start any freaky shit with her tonight.”
Elder Farrar deadpanned on a yawn, “Especially, as loud as she screams.”
King Zeller started choking, and I heard him turning on his trundle.
“Leave. My. Prodigy. Alone.” My King sounded grumpy, and tired, as hell. “Now, all of you, shut the hell up!”
A deep snore echoed from Brann.
I think we all peered at him for a moment, seeing him utterly conked out.
Elder Samson muttered in tired awe, “How in the hell…?”
Flopping my head back on the pillow, I stared at Cain with an amused gaze, even as he stared back, eyes crinkling, still holding my hand while answering steadily, “The absence of the shift, then abrupt change, probably wore him out.”
My King growled, “Or it’s the simple fact it’s three o’clock…in the fucking morning!”
There was a minute pause, then Sin moaned deep and soft, “Just a little faster, love.”
I started laughing silently, my shoulders shaking.
Dry words from Elder Samson. “Someone please tell me I didn’t just hear that.”
Sin’s voice sounded breathless. “You’ll thank me once you’re sleeping under the stars.”
I kicked his shin hard, enjoying his grunt, no longer laughing. “That’s not funny.”
“You know…” Elder Samson muttered, interrupting us as Sin tried to soothe me, rustling on his bed. “I actually wouldn’t mind some stars on the ceiling. Can you work that, Ms. Jules?” A pause with chopped, choked words. “Without a climatic end?”
I grinned softly as Cain started rubbing his thumb back and forth over mine. “I can do you one better.” I let myself glow, then tilted my head, studying the ceiling before pushing my power, brushing my free hand wide, creating a large version of the screen right before calling someone outside the Temple, expanding the entirety of the ceiling above, the cosmos shimmering down on us.
There was silence all around, except for Brann’s quiet snoring as I cut my glow off, but left my Core open, eyes glowing dimly, to allow the best vantage point as everyone stared at the beauty above us.
Time slowly ticked away, then Sin mumbled, staring at the ceiling, “Love, I have a serious question.”
That was never a good thing. “Hmm?”
“You know how we all grow more powerful with age?”
“Yeah.”
“Well,” he flicked his hand at the ceiling, then lowered it back to my waist, “Do you think since you’re going to own all that damn galactic power eventually in your crown,” yeah, they had asked that one the third night they were here, “that when you climax, later in life, it won’t just be the stars that manifest from your body?” Another wave at the ceiling. “It’ll be that?”
“For the love of God, Sin!” My King barked, waving his hands at the ceiling. “We’re staring at all this goddamn beauty and that’s all you ask?”
I cleared my throat delicately, and knowing Sin was actually asking a serious question, just curious for my input, I murmured, “I believe some of it already is.” I pointed to one of the planets that looked like Mars. “That was there the last time.” I rubbed Cain’s hand soothingly with my thumb when it tightened marginally on mine, obviously not liking me talking about our private affairs…but it was Sin…so my finger flicked to the far left where a planet with two moons rotated. “So was that one.” I dropped my arm. “A few others were, too, but they weren’t in your field of vision.” Had to keep with this mindset that Sin was my lover around this group, thanks to Leric’s outburst. “So, yes, as I get older, and gain more power, I believe that’s what will happen.”
He hummed quietly, kissing my neck softly, and then stared silently at the ceiling.
Elder Bridges cleared his throat after a silent moment, muttering, “I know I’m not the only person in this room wondering what damn position he was in that those weren’t in his line of vision.”
King Zeller grunted, stating smoothly, “Blindfolded, for one.”
Snapped fingers from the Vampire Elder. “Dammit, that was too easy.”
“Yep.” King Zeller chuckled quietly. “Losing your touch for the dark side, Elder Bridges?”
“No,” arrogant words, “But, I just couldn’t visualize…never mind, they just seem too cute for the darker arts.”
I murmured slowly, getting my point across, “How about we all go to sleep now?”
“Best idea yet,” my King muttered on a yawn.
Elder Farrar spread his arms wide, staring up at the ceiling, mumbling absently, “Does anyone else feel like they’re going to be sucked into the big, black chasm?”
No one answered, and my lips trembled.
He brought his hands back to his chest. “Guess that’s just me.” A flicked finger up at the ceiling. “It’s like a bad acid trip the harder I stare.”
“Actually,” Elder Samson mumbled, his words muffled on his pillow. “I believe that’s exactly what Ms. Jules warned us would happen if we touched the screen during our private calls a few weeks ago.”
A tense pause, then Elder Farrar griped loudly, “She didn’t fucking explain that to me!” An irritated huff. “All I had to go off was the previous call at the manor!”
I cleared my throat once. “Oops.”
Cain started chuckling silently, shaking his head at me, eyes crinkling again, appearing all types of amused, even as Elder Farrar muttered a few curses under his breath, fluffing his pillow again by punching it.
My King’s reprimand was quiet. “Caro…”
“What?” I asked innocently. “Some like to blather endlessly…while others prefer silence.”
My King wasn’t stupid as I quietly snubbed Elder Farrar. “Caro…”
“Fine,” I cleared my throat, “In the future, Elder Farrar, never touch the screen.”
“Caro…”
Dammit. “And don’t get too close to it.” Only I could do that.
“Caro…”
I sighed heavily. “And never try to send anything magical through it.” The results were not pretty for the sender.
My King cleared his throat when Elder Farrar muttered another curse under his breath, hearing of the ways he could have been injured. “Apologize, my Prodigy.”
I snorted, snuggling my head further on the pillow. “Not happening. And besides, he knew the worst of the dangers.” The others would have just hurt him…a lot.
“Caro…”
I intoned deeply, “My King…”
King Collins growled quietly, but didn’t try again, muttering, “One day, Caro…you’ll have your own Prodigy to deal with.”
As one, everyone but Sin, Brann, and I started chuckling quietly.
Gaze still on Cain’s, I scowled, and he promptly tried to bite back his mirth, snorting with the effort, and appearing better, I chose that time to cut off the peace I was sending him, which only seemed to affect him a little, his own soothing peace quietly diminishing while the others laughed it up, not noticing any fluctuations in powers, our fingers still intertwined, just holding the other’s hand in the dar
kness.
“Keep laughing…because,” my lips tilted evilly, “a Prodigy under my training…only means another similar to me to deal with in the future as Elders.”
King Zeller coughed hard, muttering, “Jesus, she’s right.”
I crooned grandly, “And with that lovely thought, I bid everyone goodnight.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Exiting the meeting with elite Guardian representatives—whom my Lajaks had not enacted retribution on yet—that morning, I learned Cullo and Jeria had been seized completely by the Guardians. The two new elite Guardians, which were currently in Eski and Nosa helping to keep the peace, were being given their orders to start their reign in their designated city, to start the city afresh, Guardians to stay posted within both city limits for no less than a year to help maintain the peace. No new information was reported on who the leaders of the rebellion were. We had high hopes the Guardians had killed them off in one of their raids, but Mr. Damon was still leading this search, continuing on under Leric’s and my orders for more intel, since Leric had done a bit of digging when we first arrived at the Temple, and discovered it had not, indeed, been Reece who had fueled the flame—not everything could be blamed on the silent traitor.
But, today was the day we were finally leaving the city where I had recovered from my injury, and I couldn’t say I was any less thrilled than my Lajaks were to be moving out of the hotel suite where, I swear, the cushions were beginning to have permanent indentations, showcasing where everyone’s favorite spots were, which meant we had been there way too damn long for anyone’s liking, everyone itching with cabin fever at this point. Luckily for them, the ride on horseback was going to be a three day stretch to the next major city, only cabana style rooms available along the lush, but deserted stretch of traveling, giving them a chance to unwind. Unluckily for me, I knew I was going to be sore as hell, since yes, I was healed, but no, I wasn’t a hundred percent. But, it didn’t matter. We were moving out.
I had handled the first stretch of the day…decently. I hadn’t whined or complained as I was apt to—at times—when I was ill. I knew everyone wanted to move, so I had. And I had kept moving…until the latter part of the day, when the world seemed to dim on me, tilting, appearing all askew. I had waved a hand then, telling them I needed a moment. To which, when I had felt I was far enough away from the mass, I had promptly puked my guts up all over very beautiful violet flowers, managed to wipe my mouth off, took a small sip of water before the world completely dimmed on me, and I had passed out in exhaustion and soreness.
Not entirely sure what had happened following those lovely moments, I only knew I had woken at some point in Leric’s arms while he was riding his horse…to promptly pass out again. The next thing I knew, I was being laid on a soft bed, the smell of succulent, sweet flowers filling my senses, Leric tucking a blanket around me, barking at unknown individuals, “Find me if she gets worse.”
A door somewhere slammed, then I felt Sin’s familiar warmth behind me as he brushed my hair from my damp cheek, crooning softly, “You were strong today, love.”
Closing my eyes, I breathed out a tired exhale. “Tell that to those poor flowers.” My white, satin skirt and top felt a bit rough against my skin as I snuggled against the bed, but I quickly forgot the oddity as a warm hand lifted mine from the bed, placing a cool glass in it.
I peeked my eyes open, and saw Cain squatting next to the bed, holding the glass steadily in my hand, face neutral as he stated evenly, “You’re dehydrated. You need to drink this.”
I blinked slowly. “You need a shower.” He had dirt and mud all over his face, hands, and black clothes. “What happened?”
“Her antibiotics,” my King mumbled at the end of the bed. “She needs those. Where the hell are they?”
Elder Samson voice was bland. “Her bag, I think, which is still tied to her horse outside.”
“I’ll get it,” King Zeller murmured, the door opened and shut not a second later, only to re-enter a moment later digging through my bag, a breeze wafting in with him of succulent flowers.
My slitted eyes narrowed further on Cain who was trying to get me to sit up to drink, noticing blood dried lines on his forearms. “Explain, please.”
Sin brushed hair behind my ear, also keeping a steadying hand on my back, and I noticed he also had some dirt on his clothing, the stuff flaking off on the white sheet over me, the room appearing to be a small cabana, the enormous bed taking up more than half of it. “You see, love, where you decided to…rest…was actually a very dangerous location. Underneath all those pretty flowers surrounding you, the ground was uneven. We raced after you when we heard a splash, and followed the crumpling of the flowers where you had apparently rolled…right off a rift.”
I choked on my water, my hand shaking to where Cain grabbed the glass from me. “What?”
My King was scowling, also wearing some dirt as an accessory. “Luckily, there was a lagoon at the bottom of it.” A hand ran through his neon blue hair. “I was able to pull your body up from the water while Sin and Elder Merrick went down the ravine to retrieve you, but you’d already swallowed too much water, so Elder Merrick gave you mouth-to-mouth until Sin brought me down to get the water from your lungs. You woke up briefly then, but passed back out. By this point, the One had caught on something was amiss…” he trailed off glancing at Elder Farrar in the corner.
The Elder cleared his throat. “He raced like a damn bull through us, saw you down there with the three of them, and apparently, couldn’t reach you through your connection, and,” he waved his hand high, then plummeted it quickly, “he jumped off the damn ravine into the lagoon.”
I blinked slowly. “You’re all lying.” They had to be.
Elder Samson snorted. “No. They’re not.” A dirty expression. “I almost fell off when the One rammed us.”
My King rubbed his chin. “Next…came a bit of a…brawl, I guess you could say.”
“A brawl?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Brann hummed, appearing mighty amused. “From our angle up top, it appeared pretty brutal.”
Elder Farrar snorted, glancing at Sin. “You…are surprising.”
I glanced hurriedly to Sin, wondering…but, he only gave me a look, calming me. “So…” I rolled a finger, glancing at everyone’s clothes, Cain appearing the dirtiest, “what happened during the…brawl?”
King Collins ran a hand through his hair. “Sin, the One, and I, all believed we had dibs on you, our protective nature, and all that shit, since you weren’t conscious.” A shrugged shoulder.
“And?”
Elder Bridges lips were trembling where he propped the wall up. “None of them won the prize.” He flicked a finger to Cain, who was making me take another drink. “While they were fighting it out against one another, he pulled you from the fray, tossed you over his shoulder, and snuck around a boulder and started climbing up the ravine.”
My eyes shot wide as I drank, again glancing at Cain’s previously injured arms.
Sin cleared his throat next to me, rubbing my back. “I did notice what he was doing.”
Dry words from Elder Farrar. “Yes, I believe that was about the time you started to create a mini-avalanche from the side of the ravine until you noticed…they were on said ravine.”
“I stopped it,” Sin stated instantly, then rubbed at his jaw. “Took a punch, too, during it.”
My King cleared his throat. “Yes,” flicked finger, “not really one of my finer moments.”
Sin shrugged. “I buried you. We’re even.”
Elder Samson gestured to Cain. “Elder Merrick made it to the top quickly, and I healed the arm and leg you had broken, probably during your fall.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t break your damn neck,” Cain stated steadily, calmly, as he straightened, carrying the water glass with him, refilling it, and taking the pills King Zeller handed him, making me take those as he eyed me pointedly, navy blue eyes hard. “The next time you’re too ill to carry
on, you need to say something, so cases like this don’t occur.”
My face fell a bit, feeling guilty and nauseous and tired. “I knew you all wanted to leave.” I jutted my chin up even though I was feeling none of it. “And I didn’t want to be a pain in the ass, as so many of you have complained about. I’m not weak, but I’m not fully recovered, either. It was hard going, but I managed. For all of you.” I drank the rest of my water, not glancing at anyone, handing it back to Cain. “I’m going to sleep now, so I’m ready for tomorrow.” I lay down grumpily, hiding my face from all of them by turning to face Sin. “Thank you for saving me today. And I’ll try to not let it happen again.” There was quiet for a long moment, no one moving or speaking, so I murmured, “Good night, everyone. Enjoy your night in your own rooms.” Hell, they’d probably all love some privacy.
My King cleared his throat. “This is actually our room.”
I blinked slowly, then lifted my head, peering about the room again. “No way.” It barely fit everyone standing, much less lying on the ground. “There’s not enough room for everyone.”
Elder Bridges sighed heavily, appearing pained. “There are only four rooms to the place, since we’re in the middle of nowhere, and all of them are taken with the rest of our group.”
My head flopped back on the pillow, groaning in frustration. “Sin and I can share the bed.”
My King hummed happily. “It does look soft.”
“It is,” Sin muttered grouchily as he helped me move to the center, grabbing the pillows, claiming the ones we had already started using, resituating them and the blanket. “Anyone who gets in this damn bed wears clothes.” ‘Cause some of the men slept in the buff, which I had unfortunately learned one morning, yanking the cover off Brann.
Then, it became a contest of who could speak fast enough…
“Dibs,” my King muttered hurriedly, jumping like a kid, and landing next to Sin.
“Shoes!” Sin and I both shouted at the same time, and I waggled a finger at my King’s dirty as hell boots. “Take those off!”
Even as King Collins started taking his boots off, King Zeller moved forward quickly, arching and popping his back, muttering swiftly, “I call dibs, too.” He pointed at his dirtless attire. “And I’m even clean.”
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