House of Imperial

by Jaymin Eve

  “Me neither,” Xander said.

  Emma clapped her hands together. “Well, it’s settled, then. Tomorrow at school, we’re sitting together at lunch.”

  She looked so excited, and the four overlords were clearly enchanted by the human in their midst. Before I could let jealousy rear its ugly head – because I’d always been an outsider – Daniel turned to me, changing the subject.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, and I was so disarmed that I forgot how to speak for a beat. Did he ask that because he cared? Had anyone ever asked me that before?

  “A little tired, actually.” I realized how true that was as soon as I said it. There was this weight pressing down on me. I’d been ignoring it pretty well, but it was getting a little more uncomfortable now.

  He nodded. “We need to get you back. Say goodbye to badass, you’ll see her tomorrow.”

  I tilted my head in Emma’s direction. “Badass?”

  She threw a withering glance at Daniel. “I impaled myself on a tree when I fell into the first level of the justices. And didn’t die. He’s been calling me badass ever since.”

  On instinct, I reached out and grabbed her hand. I had no idea where it came from, I wasn’t a touchy sort of person. I’d grown accustomed to never being touched. Had to be the death thing again. “You were in the justices?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, Laous tried to kill me blah blah – we both have that badge. I only survived because of Lexen and Daniel. Together the three of us made it to the final level. Redemption.”

  I shook my head. “I’ll be honest, that world scares me. Those justices were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I can’t even imagine being stuck trying to navigate through them.”

  “Let’s hope you never have to find out,” Lexen said smoothly. “But if you do, Daniel and I will come for you as well. We’re a team.”

  “We’ll be there as well,” Chase added, gesturing to himself and then Xander, who was nodding resolutely.

  My heart stuttered. It took everything inside of me not to cry like a baby in front of them all. What was this world I was in now? What was it?

  Daniel’s chest rumbled at my side, distracting me from the overwhelming emotions. When I lifted my head to see him, his expression was hard, eyes swirling. I raised one eyebrow in his direction – a skill I’d been perfecting over the last two years; it was cool to have a chance to use it.

  “You will never end up in the Cascading Justices,” he told me, his voice almost as hard as his face. “You’re going to live for as long as I do, so you have no need to fear death. Not to mention that I’m the acting overlord major. I control that land, and I will not let you suffer for even a second in that place.”

  Well, I guess that answered my question about my lifespan. Those tears I’d been trying to hold back surged forward again. A huge ball of emotion lodged in my throat; it was only years of control that stopped the waterworks.

  Even harder to control though was my urge to reach for Daniel. Something strong stirred in my chest every time I looked at him now. No doubt the soul link, tying us closer. Whatever it was, resisting him was growing harder.

  I had to though. I knew touching him would tip me right over the edge into obsession. And the last thing I needed was to grow obsessed with a guy who was only around because he’d literally been forced to tie our souls and life forces together to save me.

  He was definitely a good guy, and would make a perfect mate one day to some Imperial Daelighter. I’d have to be satisfied with the friendship which seemed to have sprung up between us.

  Forcing a smile across my face, I said, “Thank you. Thank you for protecting and saving me.”

  Xander interrupted then, his voice deep and smooth: “What exactly happened with you and Callie? How did you two become bonded?”

  Daniel explained it, starting from the moment he found me in NOLA, my mom’s disappearance, Laous’ attack, and finished up with the details of my death and our new bond.

  I tried to block most of it out again. It was bad enough going through it the first time, so I instead focused on the House of Royale territory, or sector, or whatever they called it. My obsession with the beach started during a three-month stint in Los Angeles. I think I was about five years old at the time. Mom would walk me to fight class along the beach, and I would be staring at the water the entire time we traveled. By the end, she knew to never let my hand go or I was likely to wander right off to sit on the sand.

  Something about the play of light and color in the waves, the way the water moved and mingled together, so fierce and yet also able to be perfectly calm. Sometimes it felt like my soul was born of the ocean. At times there was no emotion inside me at all, and then other times everything crashed together, unable to be contained.

  My insides were definitely tumultuous now. It started in New Orleans – that damn music. Then Daniel was the icing on the cake. He’d ignited emotion inside of me from the first moment his arrogant face appeared in my condo doorway. Then he saved my life. Now my ocean was raging at me, wanting to be released, wanting to flow toward this male.

  Dammit, just stay where you are.

  “Callie?”

  Shaking my head, I focused on the group again, only to find that everyone was staring at me. I’d clearly missed something important. Deciding I didn’t care if they thought I was a weirdo, I just shrugged. “Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?”

  Daniel took a step closer to me, and before I could protest, he swept an arm around me. My legs gave out, like they’d only just barely been keeping me up. “You’ve been away from Imperial for too long,” he said, a rumble in his voice. He lifted me with ease, holding me close to his chest.

  With almost laughably pathetic strength, I pushed at his arm, before letting out a sigh and falling against his hard chest. “How is she going to function in Astoria?” Emma asked, and even though I couldn’t see her face, I could hear the concern in her voice. “She’s only been away from Imperial for about an hour.”

  Daniel shifted me higher on his body. I realized my eyes had closed. I tried to pry them open, but I couldn’t.

  “She almost died today. Her body and energy need rest. Tomorrow she should be able to stay away for a lot longer.”

  I missed more of what was said, as that heaviness which had been pressing on me increased. I regained some consciousness as we started to walk again. Part of my brain was screaming at me to get down and walk on my own, but there was no way for me to fight against the fog in my head and body.

  For the first time in my life, I was going to have to trust someone other than myself to take care of me. In some ways, that concept was scarier than the fact I had died today.

  7

  Awakening in a strange place was becoming part of my norm lately. So when I opened my eyes to find myself in a bedroom that wasn’t mine, my heart barely skipped a beat. Scooting higher on the pillow, I looked down the bed. It was huge, bigger than any I’d seen before. I ran my hands across the navy comforter, thick and luxurious, enjoying the high quality and silky feel of it. Sign me up for a year of sleep in this bed. Not only was the bedding quality, the mattress might have been made from magic. Alien magic.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t in my nature to laze around, so I pulled myself up even further, sitting up straight. It looked as if I was still dressed in my bloody clothes from yesterday, which was totally gross, but I was also glad Daniel didn’t undress me without my permission. I appreciated that about him. Even if he would have to change his sheets now.

  I stretched my arms above my head. I had a few aches and pains, but nothing to indicate I’d died yesterday. Standing, finally, I gave the rest of the room, which was as large and decadent as the bed, a quick look. There was a seating area filled with cushy couches, two dressers, a tallboy, and multiple other heavy, dark, wooden pieces.

  Noticing a door, I dashed toward it, hoping it was the bathroom. I needed to pee. Badly.

  Success!

  The room, tiled i
n white with charcoal accents, had a shower and a deep tub. Ignoring these, I hurried to what looked like a toilet. It was different to what I was used to, smaller, lower to the ground, and square. But it was the closest thing to a toilet in the room, and I was at desperation level.

  When I was done, I looked around for some paper. There was no holder or rolls that I could see. Just when I was about to give up searching, resigning myself to the old “drip-dry” method, there was a whoosh and the toilet flushed. Before I could move, a blast of icy water shot at my bare skin from all sides and I let out a low shriek as it hit me.

  What in all the worlds?

  That was the opposite of paper. I was now soaking wet.

  Warm air followed right after, and just like that I was dry and clean and completely freaked the hell out. Scrambling off the alien toilet, I pulled my pants up and backed away from it slowly. I had no idea how it did that, because I sure as hell didn’t press any buttons or anything. I was hoping it was a sensor, and not some robotic-toilet coming to life thing. That would be really shitty. Pun intended.

  Crossing to the sink, I had to search again for a way to turn the water on. Eventually I figured it out. One thing learned, twenty million to go. When my hands were washed, I lifted my head to the mirror.

  My gray eyes were brighter than usual, the streaks of blue in them quite prominent. My skin, which was normally quite pale, looked positively ghostly. I was probably anemic after losing almost all of my blood yesterday. I’d always been tall and thin; athletic stuff came easy to me – I was generally healthy and well-toned. Today I looked frail. I didn’t like it.

  A knock at the door startled me. I turned and rested back against the bench. “Yes,” I called out, hoping it was Daniel and not some rando. I did not feel up to dealing with an Imperial alien today.

  The door cracked open and my heart did that stupid fluttery thing when a familiar face appeared in the open space. Daniel was dressed all in black, the slightest of dark stubble on his face, adding even more sexy to his appeal.

  “Hey, was just checking in on you,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. He focused completely on me, eyes intense on my face. “We need to head to Astoria soon if we want to make class today. If you feel up to it.”

  I forced myself to stop staring at him like he was a cool drink of water in the desert and rubbed a hand across my hair. “I feel fine, so far. Being here seems to have restored my energy.” Clearing my throat, I added, “And thanks for looking after me yesterday. You know, putting me to bed.” Dammit, that sounded far sexier than I had intended.

  “I wanted you in my room, so I could keep an eye on you.” His voice was a caressing whisper across my senses. “I trust most of my people, but we know there are traitors. Logic says that a lot of those will be Imperial. Until I weed them out, I’m going to be keeping a close eye on you.”

  Daniel’s bed! No wonder it was so awesome. Overlords probably got all the awesome things.

  I must have been glaring and blinking rapidly, because Daniel lost some of his cool and actually smiled at me, that damn dimple creasing his cheek and sending my insides crazy. “I slept on the couch. No need to worry.”

  He had it all wrong, I had not been worried about that at all. My mental images had gone straight to me sharing a bed with Daniel, and worry had not been the emotion that thought evoked.

  Shaking it off with a grin, I tried to lighten the mood. “You don’t have to do that on my behalf. If we need to stay close for awhile … well, your bed is huge. I’m sure we can share. Just don’t hog the covers.”

  The gold rings in his dark eyes felt like they were burning into me, raising my body temperature. And, of course, in that moment I lost my mind completely.

  “I need a shower,” I blurted out.

  Smooth, Callie. So freaking smooth. God, I was a moron at times. If only my mother had cared as much about my people skills as she did about my ability to roundhouse kick a dude in the head. She should have made it a priority to not make me this awkward.

  Daniel didn’t react, even though I knew he was laughing at me. His lips might have been pressed in a firm line, but his eyes were sparkling with mirth. “I’ll show you how to use the shower. I’ll leave some new clothes and such outside the door.” He pointed to a low white cabinet just before the stall. “Everything you need to wash is in there. We use toothbrushes here as well. We stole the idea from Earth. There are some new ones in there.”

  Daniel soon had cascades of water and steam filling the glass cube of the shower, and he turned to leave the room.

  “Hey,” I called out, halting him. When he turned back, I smiled. “Thank you for not removing my clothes while I was asleep, even though I’m sure you didn’t want these disgusting rags on your sheets. It’s just that I … I was in a vulnerable position, and you didn’t step over the line.”

  His eyes burned into me, leaving me feeling as if I was completely naked and exposed in front of him. How did he do that?

  “Trust is more important than a bit of blood on my sheets,” he said, words deep and low. “I would never risk yours.”

  Then he left the room, and I wasn’t sure if he might not have just taken a small piece of me with him.

  When I finally pulled myself together – and it took way longer than it should have – I wasted no time stripping off my filthy clothes and tossing them as far from me as possible. I never wanted to see them again. On top of the fact they were beyond yuck, they also represented everything that had been taken from me over the last few days. My mother and life topping the list.

  Stepping into the warm spray, I let out a low moan. It was steamier than I expected, but Daniel had explained that the water here – the legreto – was not exactly like Earth’s. Something I had learned yesterday, but it was even more different when heated – thicker, becoming an even mix of steam and water.

  I found it quite soothing, and it cleaned so well, without me even using soap or anything to wash myself. The water that ran off me was red at first. The sight of that sent me into a bit of a frenzy. I attacked my body with a coarse scrubbing block that had been in the new supplies Daniel pointed out. Then I used a minty smelling wash for my hair and body, and by the time I was done, there was no blood – or layers of skin – left on me anywhere.

  Stepping out, I grabbed the large webbed material that they used here to dry themselves. It absorbed the water quickly, much better than the ragged towels we had back in the condo. My hair fluffed out around me, thick straight strands falling naturally to my shoulders. I cut my own hair most of the time, and I’d gotten very good at mimicking simple but fashionable hairstyles.

  When I was dry, I crossed to gently ease the door open. A pile of clothes was sitting in front it, just as Daniel promised, so I quickly gathered it up and shut the door again. A black bra and panties were on top, and I stared at it for many long moments.

  Okay, how the hell had he managed to find me underwear? Was this some stranger’s underwear? Could I be picky and not wear it? I mean, it looked clean – it looked brand new actually – but it seemed kind of weird.

  As I lifted the bra up, a white piece of paper fell out. Bending over, I picked it up. It was folded in half, and when I opened it I realized it was a message, hand written. The flowy words did not work well with my stupid inability to read like a normal person, but after about ten minutes I figured out that the note was from Emma and she was writing to tell me about the clothes. I managed to read the entire thing and by the end, I was more than a little impressed with myself.

  Hey Callie, Emma here, it started.

  Dan asked me to send some clothes over for you, but of course I am in Astoria, not Overworld, so I asked Star, Lexen’s sister and a great friend of mine, to procure something. She’s always giving me clothes. Somehow in my size. I hope you like what she sends.

  p.s See you in school

  p.p.s The underwear is brand new. It freaked me out at first, too.

  The warmth in my chest was strong
enough to be worrying, but I was starting to recognize the sensation. Friendship. It was nice.

  I slipped the underwear on, marveling at how comfortable they were. The material was very fine, almost like silk, but it wasn’t shiny or slippery. I personally had never been a fan of silk, not in sheets or clothing. I didn’t like the texture. This was the perfect mix, though, just smooth enough to be the most comfortable thing I had ever worn.

  The clothes were very similar to what I wore yesterday. Jeans, which somehow fit me perfectly, just as Emma had said. And a simple white shirt – also in a similar high-quality material to my underwear. There were socks, but no shoes. Which was fine, because I was not giving up my Converse. They were a staple in my wardrobe.

  One last glance in the mirror was enough to show that I no longer looked like a murder victim. I ran my hand across my throat again, images of Laous’ blade slamming into my mind. I wondered if I would ever forget that sensation of being cut, of the fear and cold which filled my body as the blood dripped out of it.

  “You ready to go, Callie?” Daniel called through the door, startling me from the memories holding me in their thrall.

  With a shake of my head, I turned from my reflection and hurried across to open the door. Daniel must have been right on the other side, because we were suddenly face to face. I tilted my head back. “Oh, hey,” I said. “All ready to go. Just need my shoes.”

  He didn’t say anything, but he did run his gaze over my newly-washed hair and face. When those pretty eyes settled on mine, I sucked in a low breath, hoping he didn’t notice anything odd in my gaze. I didn’t want to talk about what happened yesterday, I just needed time to deal with it. In my own way.

  “You look a lot better,” he said, a husky murmur of words.

  I swallowed roughly. “I feel better,” I mumbled, awkward as always. “Thanks, again.”

  He nodded, taking a step back, and I felt like I could breathe again. How did he take up all the space and air in the room when he was in it? It wasn’t possible for people – even alien people – to do that, right?