by Jaymin Eve
“So, the three of you are all...?” I trailed off.
All of them nodded.
“Lexen’s dragon soul chose me as a mate. They only have one in a lifetime,” Emma said.
“Daniel tied our souls together when Laous killed me,” Callie added. “So now I have to stay around him and the House of Imperial land or my soul starts to fade.”
I blinked at her. “Uh, killed … what?”
She smiled, which turned her face from pretty into breathtaking. “Yeah, it’s a fun story, but suffice it to say I’m doing great now. I’m very happy with my fate.”
She looked like she was doing great, definitely not like someone who had been killed recently. Her platinum blond hair was thick, her skin was glowing, and she looked healthy and fit.
“I’m really glad Laous didn’t succeed,” I told her sincerely. I wasn’t sure if it was the electrical shock we all generated, or whatever bond they were talking about kicking in, but the kinship I suddenly felt was very real ... and a little scary.
“I’m glad too. Missing out on knowing Daniel is something I don’t even want to think about,” Callie told me. “Not to mention finally finding a family with all of you.”
It warmed my heart to be included like that. I could tell she meant it as well, and my stupid emotional tears were trying to surface. Forcing them down, I turned to Maya. “You and Chase ... you’re bonded as well?”
She nodded, her long, wavy, purple-streaked hair tumbling across her shoulders. “Yes, he is from a land where the trees are gods, pretty much. They tethered our souls together. It’s a forever sort of bond.”
My throat felt full, my chest felt tight, and I was trying to figure out if I was about to have a full-on breakdown. “Xander,” I spluttered, shaking my head. I couldn’t get any more words out, and suddenly Emma was wrapping me up in a hug.
“Don’t worry about Xander,” she whispered to me. “He is part of our group, the same as you are, but it doesn’t mean that you two have to be together. That’s not how it works. You’re free to make your own choices.”
I sort of snorted, and when she pulled away I quirked an eyebrow at her. “You three had a choice?”
“Yes,” Callie said without hesitation. “The connection to our guys was there from the start, especially for me and our soul-bond. But I chose to be with Daniel. We could have just stayed friends. Or allies.”
Maya distracted us then when she attempted to jump up to sit on the sink. She was so tiny that her butt just skimmed the edge and she tumbled down. Callie managed to grab her before she hit the floor.
“Dammit,” Maya groused. “This is why being short sucks. Especially when I’m surrounded by all you supermodel types.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Girl, I’m so far from a supermodel.” I waved my hand at her, letting them all see the scars. For some reason I knew they wouldn’t judge me. That was rare, and I really hoped I wasn’t wrong.
“That’s from the shark?” Emma asked, wide-eyed as she reached for my hand.
I nodded. “Yep, just a baby one, thankfully.”
Maya and Callie both leaned over for a closer look.
“The scars show how badass you are,” Emma said as she stepped back. “Don’t ever doubt how gorgeous you are. You’re probably the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a supermodel. No one cares about a few marks on your hand. You are perfect.”
“How tall are you?” Callie asked. “I rarely meet women taller than me. It’s a nice change.”
“You’re definitely beautiful,” Maya put in quietly. “Honestly, you didn’t see Xander in the boat because I could tell you were trying not to look his way, but he didn’t take his eyes off you the entire time.”
My heart swelled, and I realized the strength in a group of strong, confident women who weren’t trying to tear each other down. Support and encouragement. They were straightening my crown rather than trying to steal it, because they all wore crowns as well.
Until this moment I would have been that chick who said they preferred to have male friends. Dudes were chill; we’d surf together, drink together, and be mostly drama free. But I knew now that I’d been missing out by not having girlfriends.
“You three are … so nice,” I said, sounding like the biggest loser, but wanting to express my feelings anyway. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted before.”
“We’re a team … a family,” Maya said, her voice wavering. “A bond that is beyond any normal human friendship. The four of us might not have been physically together for that much time, but our souls have been connected since birth.”
“When we all touched,” I told them, “I felt that. Whatever nerves I had about being in this world … they’ve almost completely faded away. I never would have believed it could happen like this … but here we are.”
The next knock on the door was not quite as heavy. I still jumped of course, because it felt like I was in a bubble in this room. A warm, sweet bubble.
“We have food out here,” Chase said. His voice I would recognize anywhere, it was so damn smooth. “Whenever you’re ready.”
My stomach growled in response, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten at all today. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt like hours since I woke for my swim.
“I could eat,” Callie admitted, laughing. “This soul-bond thing is kind of draining on me, especially when I’ve been away from House of Imperial for an extended amount of time.” She met my eyes then. “Are you okay to come out now? Because we can totally stay in here longer if you need more time.”
“I’m hungry too,” I decided. “Let’s eat.”
Emma clapped her hands and the other two threw indulgent smiles at her. “Emma is our cheer squad,” Maya told me with a huge grin. “Even though I’m the one who was the actual cheerleader, Emma is the one who rallies us all together.”
“She’s the best,” Callie added.
Emma’s cheeks went very pink and she waved them away. “I’m just all about showing people how much I care about them. I lost my family—I felt lower than I ever had. I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again. But I am.” Some of the joy filtered out of her eyes. “Even though I miss my mom and dad so much. God … so damn much. It still hurts to even think about them. I know they’d be so happy if they could see my new family, and that makes it a lot easier. Every day it gets easier.”
Maya let out a strangled sob. “We need to leave before I start bawling. It’s going to happen. I promise.”
I was right there with Maya; my eyes felt damp and hot. Thankfully as we all started to file out of the room, I managed to get my emotions under control. I also felt … better. Truly calm and content for the first time in a long time. Of course, the moment I came face-to-face with Xander—leaning against a nearby wall, staring in our direction—all the confused emotions from before smashed right back into me.
I need the ocean. It was the best thing to clear my head.
When he walked over to us, my chest got tight. I tried to figure out what he wanted. Wait, are those sweats in his hands?
“They’re going to be way too big for you, but I figured you might want some … pants,” he said, holding them out.
His eyes were filled with humor, and I was pretty sure he was checking out the long length of my bare legs. Reaching out, I worked very hard not to snatch the clothes out of his hands. I seriously didn’t want to wear his pants, but I also didn’t want to keep walking around in my underwear.
I quickly shimmied into them, tightening the drawstring as much as I could so they stayed up. “I have clothes,” I told him as I rolled the legs up a few times. “They’re at the lifeguard tower back in Lanai. They keep my bag for me when I go swimming.”
Xander shrugged. “You’re going to have to say goodbye to that bag for now. We can’t risk going to any of your normal hangouts.”
When I was clothed and upright, Callie reached out and linked her arm with mine. “It’s okay, we’re practically the same height.
I’ll share until we can get you your own.”
Thankful for her intervention, I turned my attention in her direction. Together we moved over to the table. I could feel Xander’s eyes on me, but I was determined not to look back.
When we reached the food, Callie released me and I mouthed a thank-you to her. She just smiled. Trying not to act like a starving weirdo, I took my time looking everything over, when all I really wanted to do was grab as many things as I could and stuff them into my mouth.
“Swimming at the speeds we do burns a lot of calories.”
I knew it was Xander; I could feel the energy running between us. It had been there from the first moment in the water together. When he touched me it increased greatly, but I would be stronger than it. I knew now this was just a byproduct of the secret keeper thing. Nothing more. Wearing his clothes was literally the only time I was getting into his pants. End of story.
“I already know that,” I told him. “Generally I have to eat five or six full-size meals a day. Otherwise I lose a lot of weight.” Not to mention I was six feet tall—I had a lot of body to fill up.
“Take as much as you want,” Emma said, shooting everyone a look. “Let Avalon go first,” she told them.
“It’s okay,” I cut in. “Seriously, don’t worry about me. I don’t need any special treatment ... and it’s just Ava,” I added.
“I’m Lexen, it’s nice to meet you,” the dragon lord dude said. The gorgeous, intimidating, scary overlord.
“Nice to meet you, too,” I managed to chirp back.
“Daniel,” the shaved-headed one said. “Overlord of House of Imperial.”
He was blunt. He suited Callie, who I felt had the same honest bluntness to her—from what I had seen in the ten minutes I’d known them all, of course.
All eight of us were standing around the table now; no one had moved toward the food. It almost felt like … we needed this moment. The eight of us together.
“It feels different now.” Maya broke the silence. “The energy between us. It’s stronger. More complete.”
Emma quickly jumped in then and told the boys what had happened when the four of us touched. No one spoke, even when she was finished. I wondered if they were unhappy about it, but I wasn’t quite confident enough in this group to ask.
“That’s what I was talking about before,” Chase said finally. “About how we’ll find the map Ava possesses. It’s something to do with the connection that the secret keepers have to not only Overworld, but also to each other. I think we need to go to the legreto of Royale, all of us together.”
Lexen shifted forward, his eyes intense and focused. “This is a good theory. We should head out tomorrow.”
Chase nodded. “Yes, we have no time to waste. The only reason Laous hasn’t ordered his human army to level Hawaii to the ground is he doesn’t realize we have Ava yet. The second he does....”
“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Daniel said, sounding very boss-like. I remembered from Maya’s update in the boat that he was the only one to step into the overlord major role, and I could see the authority written all over him. “The plane is ready to go. I suggest we leave here about 3:00 A.M. Let the dark cover our tracks.”
“I’ll make sure the helicopter is ready,” Xander said, closing off the conversation.
Holy crap. They have a plane and a helicopter?
Then I remembered they were royalty in their land, and it all made sense.
Everyone focused on the food then, grabbing a paper plate each. I waited my turn, perusing the large selection. It consisted mostly of salads, sandwiches, fruit, and very little meat. Which was fine with me. On occasion I would eat raw seafood, but other than that, I wasn’t a huge fan of land-dwelling animals. Not for food anyway.
I grabbed a garden salad with a creamy mustard dressing, two salad sandwiches, and a fruit cup and small tub of yogurt. Pretty much all of my favorite foods. Fresh salmon would have topped my salad off, but I was definitely not going to complain.
This place seemed to be only partially set up for living; there was no table to eat at, so I just slid down against a nearby wall and put my plate beside me. Everyone sat on the floor, spreading out across the wall, and ate with me. I tried not to get excited about something that was not a big deal. Probably not to anyone else, anyway.
While I was eating, I took some time to observe them all.
Emma and Lexen sat close together. She picked at his food and he just shook his head with a brooding but indulgent expression on his face. Eventually he handed her his entire pasta, and she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. Callie and Daniel were a little different; they sat close as well, but each ate their own food quickly and without fuss. Maya and Chase were so sweet. She had her legs draped across his and he had an arm wrapped around her. They seemed far more interested in each other than food. Actually, all three couples were far more interested in each other. Food appeared to be a secondary need.
I tried really hard not to look at Xander, even though there was a bit of a third-wheel feel in the group, and it would make sense for me to gravitate toward him. Thankfully, there were four people between us, so I didn’t even appear rude by not talking to him.
Why do I keep thinking about Xander?
I forced myself not to do anything except focus on each bite and enjoy the fact that I wasn’t alone. Outside of eating with Doc last night, I hadn’t had dinner with people for days, so this was a huge deal for me. I wouldn’t let any guy, even one who pretty much looked like a water god, ruin it for me.
6
“Tell us about your life, Ava?” Emma asked, leaning over Lexen to see me. “Have you always lived in Hawaii?”
I swallowed the last of my sandwich, pushing the plate to the side. “Yep.” I nodded. “Pretty much. For as long as I can remember, anyway.”
“What happened with your parents?” Callie asked.
I pursed my lips together, trying to think of a way to explain my family’s dynamics without making myself sound utterly pathetic. “They’re not terrible people, just … uninterested. In me, mostly. They’re scientists, all about the stars and way less about their kid here on Earth. Seemed the moment their responsibility to keep me alive was over, they decided to head out on a long holiday. Some sort of expedition cruise that will take them stargazing across the world. I have no idea if they’re planning on coming back or not. All they said was the full circumnavigation would take a year.”
“How long have you been on your own?” Callie’s eyes were dark, her expression filled with understanding.
“Since June, so almost six months.”
It felt longer, and yet at the same time I could barely even remember my parents. They’d checked out long before they actually left me.
“How did you survive on your own?”
That question came from the end of the row. I turned toward him because I just had to look. No matter how much I tried to ignore Xander, something kept tugging me back in his direction. “They left me a little money, and I have two jobs. When they first took off I ended up living with a few friends, but then we had a falling out. So, from then I’ve just been sleeping on the beach. You know ... surfer life.”
Homeless surfer life. His eyes narrowed on the “falling out” part and I prayed he wouldn’t ask me to elaborate. There was no way I wanted to go into the almost rape I’d experienced at the hands of one very drunk roommate. Joseph had given me the creeps from the start with the way he stared and brushed against me. At the time I decided it was fine to put up with, because at least I had a roof over my head. I just went out of my way to avoid him as much as I could. Unfortunately, one night he got wasted, and the lock on my door had not been enough to keep him out.
I’d bailed that night and never looked back.
“You’ll never be alone again,” Emma promised me, and with relief I turned away from the intense, probing gaze of the blond Daelighter at the end. “Despite everything Laous has taken from us, and the loss of .
.. Marsil….” She choked on his name before recovering. “There is one good thing to come from all of the bad. Us. The eight of us are a team.”
Maya and Chase had touched briefly on Lexen’s brother, who had been killed in a battle with the resistance. The catch in their voices told me it was a very hard loss. It scared me to think that maybe one of the people in this room could be hurt while we tried to wrap this entire Laous mess up. I’d only known them for a short time, but already I knew I would mourn their loss.
“I’m really overwhelmed,” I admitted, unable to keep the truth inside any longer. “Despite the Laous situation, meeting the rest of you feels like one of those ‘too good to be true’ situations, and that makes me want to keep pushing you all away. But ... I’m tired of always having to fight.”
Letting them see me vulnerable was scary, but I felt like the only way to know their true intentions was to put myself out there fully and see what happened.
Emma was draped completely across Lexen now. She crawled over his legs so she was close enough to hug me.
“There was probably an easier way to do that,” Lexen said with a shake of his head.
Emma tilted her head around to stick her tongue out at him, then shimmied back to her spot beside him. When she was there, she leaned out and said, “We have your back, Ava. Fighting is not so bad when we share the load.”
Callie snorted from my other side. “Dibs not sharing my section with Emma. Girl can trip over literally anything.” She softened those words by blowing Emma an exaggerated kiss.
Emma just laughed, seemingly completely unoffended. “So true. I feel sorry for anyone who has to be next to my uncoordinated self, but I promise you won’t be alone. Or have any feeling in your toes.”
“I’ll stand with you,” I said in a rush. “I can handle it.”
Before she could reply, Lexen made an intense rumbling sound and then Emma was in his lap. He moved her so quickly I literally didn’t even see it happen. “I have enough coordination for the both of us,” he told her, and she practically melted into him. His eyes met mine then, and for the first time the endless darkness in them didn’t freak me out. “Em is right, you’re not hefting the load on your own anymore. No longer will any of us walk this road alone. The eight of us are meant to be together. We’re meant to rule Overworld together.”