by Jadyn Chase
Flexing my fists, stretching my fingers out before pulling them in, I could feel the memory of them pounding into that Onyx Skull’s face. I shook away the image, turning to them, “Yeah, just following orders.”
Dad rolled his eyes, “I told you to find her and keep her safe, not start a war with the Onyx Skulls.”
“I didn’t start a war. Besides, Skinner was there and knows very well that Mig’s the only reason Lorna went to that damn party anyway. He knows that wherever she goes, I’ll show up if necessary. He knew what he was getting when I showed up and honestly, he should be grateful it was me and not Argos.”
“Ugh,” Celia scoffed, “Miguel, Mig?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“He’s still traipsing around here,” Grady chuckled, “I thought he’d kill Skinner by now and take over.”
Dad shook his head, “No, Mig doesn’t have it in him. If it isn’t handed to him, he won’t go after it.”
“Probably why he isn’t all that interested in your princess,” Celia quipped.
“He didn’t know,” I told her.
“What?” they all said collectively.
“He didn’t know who Lorna was until I got there. Only Skinner knew, but you know how Skinner is,” I shrugged.
“Is he still being creepy? He’s taking this pet thing to another level,” Celia replied.
“Yeah, but he’s harmless. He was so wrapped up in his own, um, guests and the whole party with the pet’s thing that he only dealt with Lorna and me after I blacked out on one of his guys. After last night, they’re all aware to expect me or worse if Lorna shows up there again.”
“Where is she now?” Dad asked with actual concern in his eyes.
I hated having to lie to him, so I didn’t, “Well that’s the reason for my eventful night. Mig left her to fend for herself at the party, and some big guy named Jax tried to grab her and pull her into his playroom. I fought him off the first time, but the second time was after she attacked him, he twisted her ankle. He nearly snapped her leg in two.”
“Is she alright?” Celia said turning to me.
“I guess so. Aya gave me something to fix up my hands, and it made me pass out. I’ve never been in that kind of pain ever-”
Grady twisted his face in disgust, “Sounds like she gave you the Golden Siren concoction. I’ve heard it’s insane to take it, but you get immediate results. She probably figured you’d have to be ready to work as soon as you got out of there.”
“Probably, but when I woke up, Lorna was gone, and I came here. I think she went back home. I don’t think she’d go back to Skinner’s place. She’s probably done with Mig and the entire clan of Onyx Skulls too,” I told them.
Celia grinned, “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Mig has a way about him.”
“And what way is that?” Grady turned to her with his head cocked to the side.
“He’s cute. He’s tall. He speaks with this air of confidence that makes women fall all over him. It doesn’t hurt that most people believe he’d be in charge if Skinner weren’t. Don’t you remember when he had that Scarlet Wing chick circling the sky?”
We all looked at each other in confusion.
Celia threw her hands up, “You guys are oblivious. You should pay attention more! Don't you remember that huge red and maroon Scaler circling the city for like weeks on end? She would only scale down to eat, talk to Mig, and then hit the skies again. He’d told her that even if she scoured the skies for a million nights he’d never mate with her. And when she asked if she tried would he change his mind, he told her he’d think about it. What an ass! He had that poor girl up there for days and nights scouring the skies so that she could prove to him how much she wanted to be with him.”
“Are you sure that’s what it was? Can you imagine what it would have been like if he hadn’t told her something that ridiculous?” Grady said, “She’d be obsessed with him. And could you imagine the mayhem if he behaved as he does now after mating with someone he doesn’t truly love? She’d go off something like Argos. I wondered what happened to her?”
“She fell out of the sky. I think your friend Bart would know better than I do,” Celia admitted, “I’m not one for gossip or stories, but it’s been said she left and found herself a colony of Scarlet Wings.”
“That’s what I want for Black Harbor!” Grady said excitedly.
“What?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I pulled a chair out instead of heading to my room. Sitting across from Grady, I asked him again, “What is this you’re talking about?”
“I want Black Harbor to be like Empyrean but for Black Sapphires. Let’s get rid of everybody else and rule this city like the true masters we are!” he shouted.
It took a bit of restraint to hold back my laughter as I realized he was serious, “Grady, we don’t have the numbers for the kind of onslaught it would take to uproot everyone from this city. You’re talking about fighting everyone, Anthros included. I think we should consider working together with the other clans to keep the city in our grasp. We can still oversee everything. We’d lose too many trying to fight a war that big and for what? So you can call Black Harbor the colony for Black Sapphires?”
“Yes, and I’m willing to go out and search for others to bring here. We have the perfect position by the water,” Grady began to explain.
I looked to my Dad, who sat there with his arms folded across his chest. Celia was even less amused as it became clearer that this was Grady’s brainchild.
“You’re talking crazy. It was a bloodbath when Scalers decided to come out of hiding and if you want to add to that. Reconsider this, please. Dad, talk to him!”
“Lucas has already voiced his concerns,” Grady spoke for him. Celia touched his arm lightly. Grady snatched his arm out of her grasp, “This is how it’s going to work. We will organize the heads of each clan and come up with a standard operating procedure to manage Black Harbor. Celia and I will head out to gather as many Black Sapphires as possible, and when we return, they will bow down without a fight.”
“How sure are you about that?” I wondered if he contemplated his lunacy. “Or what if you find a place that you like more than Black Harbor? Are you willing to give up this plan for you two to find your Empyrean somewhere else?”
“I hadn’t thought about, and I agree it deserves some consideration. After all, this place isn’t as developed as our golden sister in the sky,” he muttered with disdain. I didn’t like Grady after that. I didn’t care what he had to say. The night and now this conversation was weighing on me, and I had to lay down.
“You know what,” I let out a heavy breath of exhaustion pushing myself away from the table. “I’m done. You can have Black Harbor and kill everyone here.”
“Let’s not be drastic,” Dad sighed.
“No! What happens to those of us who are friends with other clans? I get along with other Scalers just fine. I know we can overpower them with the numbers but what does that do? We’ve already fought a battle-”
“YOU HAVEN’T FOUGHT!” Grady shouted, “You speak like you were on the front lines when you weren’t even a thought; not even a twinkle in your father’s eye! He was a mere babe himself, and you talk about a battle and wars that have been fought that you’ve never seen!”
“I don’t need to see them see what they did! Look at Black Harbor! Compared to Empyrean, we’re in shambles! We need to work together to build this place back up, not leave in search of more people to come here and decimate it!”
“Calm down, Preston,” Dad urged me, “None of this is set in stone. Why don’t you go lay down and get some rest? We’ll talk about this more another time.”
“We don’t have to,” I told them, “I want to be left alone. Do what you want with Black Harbor, don’t expect any help from me.”
7
Lorna
Days passed, and the celebration went off without a hitch. Mona’s sculpture was stunning. Two Anthro bodies were sprouting w
ings that arched up toward the sky. It stood centered in the ballroom until after the party ended and then moved out into the courtyard. I couldn’t stop looking at it. Peace and tranquility engulfed me every time I looked at it.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” my mother spoke softly from behind me. “Mona truly outdid herself this time.”
“She did. She does a lot of things around here, beautifully. She told me it’s because you and Dad saved her life.”
“That we did,” she acknowledged. “That was a long time ago, but her gratitude is never-ending. So?”
“So?”
“Are you going to tell me what happened in Black Harbor that night or do I have to ask Aya?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.
She giggled softly, which turned into a light cough. She smiled through it, “You’re limping. It’s not because anything’s broken but because your mind hasn’t quite grasped that yet. How did you get hurt?”
I toggled between complete honesty or the sheltered lie. I didn’t want her to worry about me. Something was going on with her that she didn’t want me or anyone else to know about. I imagine Dad knew, and so did Aya. But was I protecting her health by lying to her?
“I got hurt, yes, but I’m fine now,” I told her settling for the vague truth.
She wouldn’t have that, “All of it Lorna. Tell me all about it.”
“Fine,” I sighed sitting down on a stone bench in front of the grey sculpture. She sat down next to me, and I kept it as brief as possible, “I snuck out to see Miguel.”
“What clan does he belong to?” she asked me.
“He’s an Onyx Skull.”
“You can do better, but go on,” she mumbled.
“I went to this party, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, so I decided to leave. On my way out, another one of his Scaler clan members decided to try and take me as a pet. When I told him I wasn’t for the taking, he took it personally and attacked me. Preston, of all people, showed up right in the nick of time to save me. They scaled and fought, but Preston got the better of him. Unfortunately, the asshole couldn’t keep his mouth shut even after losing, and he said something treacherous to me. I let my emotions get the better of me and attacked him. I underestimated him, and he caught my foot before it could connect and twisted it. Preston took me to Aya and well the rest you know.”
“So what did this Miguel have to say about the guy who insulted you?” she asked. Curiosity got the better of me as she completely ignored the part about me getting hurt.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “He didn’t have a chance to since Preston showed up.”
“Well I know how Preston feels about you, I want to know what this Miguel feels about you since he’s the one you’re sneaking out of the palace to see. What did he say to the guy who spoke out of turn to you?” she asked again.
“Nothing. He didn’t have to. Preston pounced on the guy. You should have seen the guy’s face. He won’t be saying anything else disrespectful to me or anyone else for a long time.”
“You’re missing the point, Lorna,” she shook her head stroking a piece of hair out of my face, “The man who defends you effortlessly will be the same man who protects your heart fully.”
“Preston?!” I scoffed letting out an obnoxious laugh, “Preston is not guarding or protecting my heart. He’s just following orders.”
“You think he needs to be given orders to protect you, Lorna. The two of you were bound at birth. Whether either of you likes it or not, there’s a connection between you two that will not be severed easily. I’m not saying to run into his arms so you two can fly off into the sunset. I’m simply saying pay attention. Pay attention to the intentions of those who show interest in you. You’re not any Golden Imperial. You are the daughter of Argos.”
“And Lavender, the great and powerful Lavender Ornopolis,” I smiled.
“Don’t do that,” she smirked, “You’re trying to distract me while I’m trying to teach you about the men after your heart. Your father will not be as calm talking about these matters.”
“But you’re talking about Preston! Preston is not after my heart. I can promise you that,” I told her adamantly.
“You can’t be sure, because you’re not, and never have, looked at him in that way. He will always protect you whether you realize how he feels or not. Just don’t take it for granted.”
I watched her get up slowly, very deliberate as if she were guarding her body against whatever was attacking her. I wasn’t going to let her walk away, “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you?”
She turned to me, “It’s best we do not lie to each other. So I will tell you that I’ve seen better days.”
“The vague truth?” I mumbled sadly. “How long before you see better days again?”
“Hard to say, but I do know that I would love for you to be happy here until I do,” she said with finality. I watched her turn around to head back inside. It irritated me that she didn’t tell me what was going on. I had to find out, and if she wasn’t going to say it to me, then I knew exactly who I had to go and see.
I waited until after she’d gone upstairs before I made my way through the halls in search of my father. Something odd was going on. I felt it in the air. The guards were zipping up and down the walkways while I headed toward his chambers. By the time I made it there, I saw what the fuss was over. Mig was on his knees with three guards behind him and two on the side with my father holding him by his very blonde hairs.
“Who are you?” he growled.
“DAD!” I ran toward them.
“I’m Miguel, Sir, Miguel Reed. I’m an Onyx Skull here to court your daughter,” he said smoothly. There wasn’t a tremble in his voice or anything. He wasn’t scared. It intrigued me.
“Court my daughter?” he asked him before turning toward me. He yanked Miguel up by the strands forcing him to grimace in pain as he pointed him toward me. “Is this who you’re sneaking into Black Harbor to see?”
“No absolutely not, Sir,” Miguel stopped me from answering, “I do not condone the direct disobedience of children who live with their parents and as a matter of fact, if that’s what she did then I insist she apologizes to you, Sir.”
Intrigue lost.
“Who do you think you are?” I snarled, “You do not get to come here, to my home, and request anything of my father, let alone in regards to me. Not after what you did!”
“What did you do?” Dad asked him pulling him in close with one of his gold talons to his jugular.
That made Mig nervous. He began to stutter and stammer, “I simply told her to leave a party that she shouldn’t have been at. It was beneath her as a Golden Imperial, and as your daughter, I wanted to be sure that she stayed out of trouble.”
“Lorna, is he lying?” Dad asked me with his claw protruding increasingly close to piercing his skin.
“Just put him down, Dad,” I ordered rolling my eyes. The last thing I wanted was Onyx Skull blood permeating the halls of where we lived.
“Are you sure?” he asked me again.
“Lorna, please,” Mig began to beg. He was losing his cool. The calm and relaxed demeanor faded away with every minute my father had his hair grasped in his fingers.
I stared up at the ceiling pretending to contemplate the decision again. One of the guards jumped in to insist they dispose of him, “He landed unannounced and tried to make his way through the palace without an escort. How do we know that he’s not here to do you or your family harm, Argos?”
“Oh relax,” I shouted, “Let him go! He’s not staying! I’m flying to Black Harbor with him, Dad.”
“Jake and Brock will go with you,” Dad commanded.
“No, they won’t,” I replied holding my hand out to them, “I will fly back to Black Harbor where Mig and I will discuss our future, alone! I will be perfectly safe as Preston happens to be my bodyguard whenever I’m down there. I’m sure that’s your doing.”
<
br /> “That’s his oath you have to take up with him,” Dad said matter-of-factly.
I’m not taking anything up with Preston. Right now, I had to get Mig out of my house and out of Empyrean.
“Let’s go Mig,” I told him leading the way to the roof. It was the first time in a long time that I took off the mountaintop without having to sneak and fall over the wall. The winds whipped around us viciously. It was perfect. I didn’t warn him as I scaled and took off into the night sky. Air circled under my golden wings as they cut through the clouds. I wished I could stay up there forever. Hell, I almost forgot what I was doing and where I was going.
I chose to land near the docks, not wanting anyone listening to our conversation. As soon as Mig scaled down, I grabbed him by the throat, tripped him behind the knees, and slammed him onto the ground.
“How dare you!? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t slice your throat open from ear to ear?” I hissed.
He stared up at me with a broad smile on his face, “Because you just saved my life. You care about me. I know I haven’t shown it much in return, but I think we can have something here.”
“I didn’t save your life,” I spat releasing my grip from him, “I saved the palace floors from your poisonous blood staining them. What do you want Mig? You’ve got some balls going to my father without speaking to me, and after the way, you treated me that night!”
“Relax, Lorna,” he whispered rubbing his throat, “There is an opportunity here for us to start new and build a beautiful bond between Empyrean and Black Harbor. We can be the ones to place that link between the cities once again. With me by your side, showing you the way, we could be something great.”
“We can’t be anything because you don’t want to be with me. I don’t even think you like me,” I told him with disgust, “You’d rather have orgies and have those pets suck your dick. I snuck out of my house to spend time with you, and you treated me like I was one of your fans.”