by G. Bailey
“This way, your highness,” Keeper Grey says as he gently touches my arm to snap me out of my gawking and dark thoughts of things I can’t change just yet. When I get the throne, I will find a way to help the demons, to make the laws fair and just. There will be an end to hunting demons because of who they are. I only have to convince the rest of the Protectors that demons aren’t the enemies they fear. That Hell has much worse things than demons who only want to be free and live. I freeze for a second, feeling unsure if a blessing for someone like me is a good idea, and overall just start to panic until I feel Star press her head into my side, and I glance down at her. Star is proof I am meant to be here. She is a royal familiar, and I know she wouldn’t just come to anyone. Erica doesn’t have a familiar, so doesn’t that say it all? I’m not the outsider anymore, and I need to start acting like it.
“Princess Evelina?” Keeper Grey lightly asks as I stare down at Star, feeling her protectiveness and almost her comfort before I look away to Trex and Connor who wait just behind me. They nod once, and I take a deep breath before looking back to the archway and starting to walk forward without a word. I try not to look at Erica, who stands in a black dress with a fancy black head piece on that has lace covering her eyes as I see her start to clap. She looks like she is attending a funeral. I bet she is hoping she is anyway. I can’t help but hope one day I will attend hers and wear something similar to spite her.
“The people are very happy to see you here today,” Keeper Grey points out from where he walks at my side. With the people still cheering and the light sound of music in the background, it is hard to hear what he said. I glance around me on instinct like I always do before I answer Keeper Grey. I see that Star is on my other side, Nix is walking in front of me, and Trex is protecting my back with Connor. They worked out this protection duty well.
“I don’t get why they are so happy,” I reply, relaxing a little as I know I am safe for a moment.
“Maybe it is because they see what I did when I first saw you. A real queen to follow. One that hasn’t been around since your mother’s rule,” he replies quietly, his words filling me with a confidence I didn’t have a moment ago. It also makes my heart ache for a mother I have to one day accept I will never be lucky enough to meet. I look back just as Nix gets to the archway, and everything seems to slow down as an arrow flies through the air towards Nix’s head.
“NIX, DUCK!” I scream, running towards him, and thankfully my warning makes him drop to the ground, the arrow just brushing past the tip of his ear, cutting it. My heart pounds against my chest as Nix pulls out his swords in a swift motion, swinging them hard to block two more arrows shot his way. The crowd of people drop to the floor, holding their heads with their hands as I search around the crowd and spot the shooter just as he aims for me as he releases Nix is too quick. An arrow flies through the air at me, and I duck quickly just as I see Nix drop one of his swords, sliding out a dagger and jumping in the air. He powerfully throws the dagger with his jump, and a few moments later, there is a scream from a man, and I know Nix hit his target.
“Evie, get back here!” Trex demands, but I don’t stop as I get to Nix, just as two large figures step over the rope, daggers in their hands. Seems the archer wasn’t alone. Nix stands up with me, and I nod once at him before charging at the figures, who I guess are men from their size. I duck as I get to the man in front of me, his dagger going around above my head as I charge into his legs, knocking him onto the floor. I jump on him just as Connor gets to me, grabbing the man’s arms and kicking the dagger away. I use my legs to hold the man’s down as I check that Nix is okay. He has his man in a chokehold, and the man is slowly going limp. I look back to see five more men on the ground, Trex holding a bloody sword, and Keeper Grey next to his side with daggers in his hand. I look down at the man under me and pull his hood off. The man is middle aged, I would guess, with a shaved head, and he glares at me with a look of pure disgust that you couldn’t make out as anything else.
“Kill me, assassin. Get it over with,” he spits out, his angry words barely recognisable. Keeper Grey gets to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder, and making me look to him. Every part of me wants to kill the man under me, but I know I’ve killed in front of the Protectors before. I also know I am not a killer unless I am forced into it. The man under me wants me to kill him, which makes me think this is all just a show for someone else. If I kill him, I play straight into their game, and from one look at Keeper Grey, I know he is thinking the same.
“Let us deal with the traitor, princess. Remember who you are now. This fool wants you to kill him at a blessing and prove you are nothing more than a killer. I know you’re not, let us deal with him,” Keeper Grey suggests. I glance up at a very worried looking Connor, who nods in agreement with Keeper Grey’s words.
“He has a point, Blue. Don’t let him ruin this day for you. Plus, we can find out who sent him if he is alive,” Connor points out. I have a funny feeling I know who sent this idiot after me, and there is no way he will say a word.
“This man will be punished though?” I ask Keeper Grey because I don’t understand Protectors’ rules all that much, and he nods with a relieved, tense smile.
“This fool attempted to kill a princess. And royal guards. The punishment will be dire and in line with our laws,” he tells me. I nod before lifting my fist and punching the man in his shocked face, hearing the satisfying break of his nose even as it hurts my knuckles. The man passes out as I hear gasps in the crowd of people and Connor’s light chuckle. I’m sure I hear him mumble something about “that’s my girl,” but I’m too busy looking around the people. They slowly stand up off the ground, and they all seem to look relieved that I am okay. None of them are running away. They are standing, looking stronger with a proud look on their faces.
“The princess is like an action figure!” a little boy near the front says. I laugh a little before shaking my head at the boy who smiles back at me. I’ve never been a fan of kids, but that one is cute.
“Fine. He is all yours,” I say, standing up off the passed out man. He looks like a Protector who used to come after me as a child. He even wears similar clothing.
“I will take him to the dungeons,” Connor says, picking the man up like he weighs nothing and throwing him over his shoulder. Nix does the same to his man, coming to Connor’s side.
“You okay, love?” Nix asks me as I pause, lost in my own thoughts.
“Yeah, are you?” I ask back, and he rubs his ear.
“Nothing a little healing won’t fix. I’m going with Connor to put this asshole away with his mate,” he explains, and I nod in understanding. Trex comes close to my side, with Star following him, licking her bloody lips. Seems she protected Trex this time, which is kinda what I would have asked to her do anyways. Maybe she just knew.
“I will stay with Evie to guarantee her protection. Come back as soon as possible,” Trex says, his arm brushing against mine as he is so close. I glance up at him, seeing little cuts on his cheek and a nasty looking bruise appearing. I know he wouldn’t let me heal him, but part of me wants to. Connor and Nix look at me once more, their eyes clearly checking I’m okay again before Connor opens a portal, and they both walk through. I look over at the dead guys behind us and see that three keepers are making their bodies vanish one by one until there is only blood on the floor. Neat trick.
“Please excuse the attack. Princess Evelina is new to our world, and yes, she has a troubled past in which she had to learn how to keep herself alive…but she is the child of Eella Ravenwood. So there is no reason to believe anything will go wrong if she is queen, and I hope no one else will be foolish enough to attack a princess again. Let’s continue with the ceremony,” Keeper Grey suggests, and there is hushed whispering in the crowds. I walk up to the archway with Keeper Grey at my side, pretending the silence in the crowd is completely normal.
I slowly walk up the steps of the square, raised platform, and see that in the middle is a pure
white crystal basin with swirling water in the middle of it. The water looks like a storm of gold and silver glitter, and it’s truly amazing to look at. I do pull my eyes away from the strange water when I feel like someone is watching me, only to see Erica who smirks at me before placing an innocent, worried expression on her stupid face.
“Oh, sister. I was so worried. I do hope you’re okay!” she exclaims, still playing the innocent little bitch. I take a deep breath, calming myself before answering her.
“I’m fine. That was nothing. Whoever sent those idiots after me could have done a better job. A few Protectors against a rightful heir who has trained to fight her entire life? Doesn’t seem logical,” I say, shrugging a shoulder, and she tightly smiles back at me.
“I’m just glad to see you are well. I am sorry I couldn’t help you, but my guards protected me,” she replies, but I know she means the opposite and was hoping I got hurt. Keeper Grey flashes me a slightly annoyed look before stepping right in front of the crystal basin and waving a hand for me to come closer.
“Welcome, Protectors, to the royal square. We are all here today to witness a royal blessing and welcome a new princess into our city and into our lives. Evelina Ravenwood is the youngest daughter of our beloved queen, Eella Ravenwood, and a rightful heir to our throne. As you all know, a blessing usually takes place around the age of three to five, so this is a very unusual day and something I believe will never be witnessed again. For those who have never witnessed a blessing, I believe a little history lesson on the place we stand today is needed. The blessing water is directly pulled from the cavern below where we stand, a place of pure magic, and only a royal or keepers can enter. The water can only be consumed by a royal, and it is said to offer them protection not only in this life, but the life after,” Keeper Grey’s voice echoes loudly around us, so that everyone can hear. “Please come to the water, Evelina.”
I do as I’m asked and walk the little steps right up to the crystal basin until I’m standing over it, looking down at the swirling gold glitter mess of water. That cannot be healthy to drink. Let’s hope they don’t tell me that’s what I have to do.
“Evelina will now drink the water as we chant the sacred words. As Evelina does not know how to speak runes, perhaps we should say them in the common tongue for a change,” he says, and there is murmuring around us that I try not to concentrate on. I really need to learn how to read and speak runes. Keeper Grey steps up onto the other side of the crystal basin and offers me a small silver glass. “Reach in and fill the water. You must drink an entire glass without pause,” he explains quietly to me as I accept the heavier than it looks glass. I reach the glass into the water, surprised to feel how warm it is around my hand before pulling out a full glass of it. I move the glass closer to me so I can see how the water is still swirling inside the glass. Creepy.
Keeper Grey nods once at me, and I place the glass at my lips before drinking the water. I’m surprised when everything goes fuzzy as the sweet taste of the water hits my mouth, and I find myself only being able to focus on the chanting of the crowd around me.
“Our people rise from the ashes. We rise from the dust. We are the Protectors of the Earth from which we rose. Time is pointless. Love is a price. Protecting those who are weaker is the only cost. Protectors will stand when no one else does. We are the Protectors who are blessed with the sacred runes…” I gasp as the water runs out, and my blurry vison fades as I lower the glass with my shaky hand.
“Welcome to the Protectors, Princess Evelina Ravenwood,” Keeper Grey says, and there are cheers from the crowds after his words. When my vision is clear, I open my eyes to see Erica smile once at me in a seriously creepy way before she turns and walks away.
Sixty-Five
Evie
“Really, I couldn’t eat anymore, but thank you,” I say, rejecting another cake that is offered to me as I walk away from the stands of food with Trex following me around. After the ceremony, the people set up a band, games and food. Keeper Grey has introduced me to dozens of people who I really wasn’t sure what to make of. I have always thought Protectors were stuck-up people in suits, but these people are pretty down-to-earth. They love nature, being Protectors, and each one had a story about my mother to tell me. Not one of those stories was anything but public things. The real things I want to know, like how my mated mother fell in love with an angel, I likely will never know. My father—if you can even call him that—clearly will never tell me.
I already have a plate full of food as I try to escape to the tables, but the lady offering me the pink cakes looks heartbroken by my rejection, and I sigh. “Actually, I changed my mind. I would love one.” I don’t know when I decided to be nice, but I’m not sure I like it.
“They were your mother’s favourite,” she carefully says as I try to place the cupcake on my overflowing plate. I pause at her words, paying more attention to the older Protector in front of me. She has long blonde hair that hits her waist, an older style dress with yellow flowers on it, and a bright smile. Trex stands a distance away from me, like a guard dog instead of my friend. A grumpy one at that.
“You knew my mother?” I ask.
“Not exactly. I used to work in the kitchens, and your mother used to sneak down to steal cupcakes and pepperoni out of the fridge often,” she says gently.
“Sounds like an odd mix,” I say, chuckling a little. Though as I look at my plate of bacon and cakes, I can’t say much about odd food choices. I look back up at the woman who smiles sadly, before bowing her head.
“I once saw her sneak an angel through the kitchens. They were very in love, she was happy and laughing. I didn’t say a word until this moment to anyone. I just thought you would like to know.” I don’t get to reply to her as she quickly walks away, leaving me staring into the crowds of Protectors she disappears into. I guess my mother and father were happy at some point. I figure she loved him, but how did that even happen? I know my mother fought in the angel war a long time ago, could she have met my father then? The more I stare into the crowd, the more I know there are no answers here. I search around the crowd until I find an empty table, then quickly walk over to it and sit down. I nibble on some bacon before eating the cupcake and looking over my shoulder as I put the wrapper down.
“Sit down with me. Come on, it’s weird to have you just standing there,” I say to Trex, who is stood with his arms crossed, his sleeves rolled up and his jacket nowhere to be seen. The way he stands is imposing…and sexy. It’s pretty distracting until I look into his eyes and see how cold he is still acting. Like we aren’t friends and this is just a job to him.
“After this morning, I think I should stand and keep an eye out, princess,” he says coldly, and I glare at him.
“You’re going to make me eat on my own?” I ask, and he ignores me to stand straighter, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Trex was always the serious, never-break-the-rules type. But I would never let a gorgeous princess like you eat alone,” a charming voice says, and I turn to my right to see a man smoothly slide into the seat next to me, his body extremely close to mine. This man looks like a model, a picture perfect one at that. His blond hair is styled to the side, his brown eyes are clear and almost sparkle, and the sleeves on his shirt are rolled up, showing off his muscular arms as he holds a hand out to me. “I’m Lance. Nice to meet you, gorgeous.”
“The princess does not want you here,” Trex possessively states, and I’m surprised to see him leaning over me, his hands pressed into the sides of my chair as he glares at Lance from above my head. Wow, so one minute he won’t even sit with me and the next he gets to play the jealous boyfriend card? Uh-huh. No way.
“I don’t want to eat alone, so why can’t Lance sit with me?” I innocently ask Trex, turning to look at him and regretting it when our faces are inches away and he looks murderous. Maybe winding him up wasn’t the best idea.
“Fine, I will sit with you. Now he can leave,” Trex growls out. He moves back to pull
the seat out next to me and sits in it, arms crossed.
“Lance, lovely to meet you, but Trex is grumpy as fuck today, and it might be best if you find someone else to flirt with,” I suggest, and Lance laughs as he lifts my hand and kisses the back of it before letting go. Trex places his arm around my chair at the same time, and I just roll my eyes.
“Of course, I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable. Keeper Grey has asked me to be your attendant at the ball, as Trex refused and you need a high powered Protector at your side. I thought we should meet before the ball where we will spend the night together. I will see you around, princess,” he says with a cheeky grin, confusing me and making Trex growl at him before Lance slides out his chair and walks off into the crowd. The moment he is out of sight, Trex moves his arm away and leans back in his chair with his arms crossed.
“What is Lance talking about?” I turn to ask him, crossing my own arms.
“Nothing,” Trex snaps, and I raise an eyebrow at him. “I made a mistake and thought it would be stupid for us to go together to the royal ball next week because of Erica. But there is no fucking way Lance is taking you, so I will instead,” he snaps.
“Why don’t you want him taking me to this ball?” I ask instead of calling him out on his bullshit excuse. He just doesn’t want to spend time with me, and it hurts like a bitch that he doesn’t.