I scratched my chin with my middle finger. Glancing back to his injuries I saw that at least half of them had been healed now with Bindi’s experienced hands.
He snorted, watching me, then he stated very calmly in a cool rumble, “I will have it back.”
I hummed, rubbing at my abused hand and watching Bindi’s work. “So…did you get any useful information or did you just go there for the prostitutes and bullets?”
King Collins muttered in a sharp reprimand, “Caro…”
“What?” My voice still void of emotion, I jerked my head at Elder Zeller. “He’s not feeling anything right now, and Bindi’s doing a fine job.” I glanced to her. “Although, she could fix that one down by his waistline next.” My eyes returned to King Collins. “So he’s fine to question.”
King Collins glared, but the One’s voice stopped everyone in the room but Bindi. He quietly cleared his throat, stating cautiously, “I didn’t go near any prostitutes.”
Elder Farrar made a gurgling noise, putting a bloody fist near his mouth.
He wasn’t the only one in the room making some type of noise. Others were grunting or choking as they tried not to laugh outright at the bold-faced, horrible lie.
I peered back to his nose. “And you said I was a bad liar?”
His lips thinned. “Fine, there was one I used to gain access to the back rooms.” Another clearing of his throat. “She wasn’t very pretty.” Then he spoke words that were more confident. “I didn’t touch her, though. And I managed to keep her fucking slippery hands out of my pants the whole time before I was able to sneak away.”
I blinked at him, not needing to hear the muffled laughter inside the room to know he wasn’t telling the truth. “You really suck at lying, you know that?”
His eyes narrowed directly. “It must be the blood loss. Because it can be an art form of mine.”
I only stared.
He sighed heavily. “Fine, she was decent looking.” He shrugged a shoulder from his prone position. “And I managed to find out where they are.”
My brows rose. “And that would be?”
His lips curved slightly. “I said I would get my diamond back.”
“I’m done,” Bindi stated efficiently. My head snapped up to his body, seeing no more gaping holes in his torso. “He’ll need to rest for the remainder of the day before his body fully recovers.”
“Thank you,” Elder Farrar stated steadily.
I continued to stare at his well body, Bindi’s words repeating inside my mind he was going to be fine.
“You’re sure he’s all right?” I questioned coolly. “You didn’t miss anything?”
Irritated words from Bindi. “Of course I didn’t.”
“All right,” I murmured, my voice suddenly breathless. I couldn’t breathe, and my eyes blinked quickly. “Thank you.” The world skewed as my facade shattered. I was hyperventilating, my heart thumping painfully against my chest. I tilted, unfortunately falling off the table, the room spinning in a feverish blur. Through the whirl, Elder Merrick lunged in my direction, his strong arms surrounding me just as my eyes rolled back into my head, consumed.
“I. Am. Fine.” We stood in the formal Elemental living room, and my eyes burned in irritation as my arms crossed. “Quit asking that damn question.” You would think after seven hours of ordered rest, when I had felt perfectly fine after waking from the sleep I had fallen into, would be enough for my King. “You’re becoming a damn worrywart.”
King Collins sighed heavily, his own eyes narrowing. “Excuse me for caring about my Prodigy when she can’t tell me shit about her physical or mental limits.”
I waved a hand, then I quickly recrossed my arms. “I really am fine.”
Brown eyes appraised me, like, for the millionth time. “I’ll trust you for now.” A finger pointed at me. “But if you faint again—”
“Sleep,” I interrupted. “I didn’t faint, I just slept.”
He glowered. “If you faint again, then you’re going back up to your room and Bindi will examine you.” He muttered a curse under his breath. “What you’ve been through in the past month would put most people under for a year.”
I pointed at myself and with dry words stated, “Clearly, I’m not most people.”
He sat on a green chair. “Yes, well, either way, my ruling still stands.”
“I’ll endeavor to stay vertical,” I muttered, which earned an incredulous grunt from King Collins. I rolled my eyes and flopped onto a love seat next to Reese, sharing it comfortably with him. “Mind, come back from the gutter.”
King Collins gestured to the room with only Elementals. The One sat on a blue chair, appearing well, his color returned. Roselle stood close behind him. Elder Jacobs sat on a white chair. One of my King’s blue eyebrows rose. “I’ve called you downstairs to discuss what the One has offered in exchange for the return of the Primal Diamond.”
I stretched my feet in front of me, crossing my booted ankles, and stared at them. “He wants my Primal Diamond in exchange for the information he discovered today. But since he didn’t divulge the information instantly, Philip Masterson and Jacob Angel have probably already switched locations. And since he was obviously caught, they’ll try to alter their plans because they know someone infiltrated their hiding spot—which doubtlessly contains cameras, so they’ll figure out who he is. They’ll also increase their security, pretty much guaranteeing that if anyone tried to use the Primal Diamond again, it would be a one-man suicide mission.” I tapped my toes together. “So, pretty much, to sum it up, his information is shit and he wants to trade nothing for something.” My eyes went to my King’s brown ones. “Correct?”
The King’s lips pinched. “Your assessment of the situation is correct, except for what he’s offered in exchange for the diamond.”
My gaze returned to my boots. I was not really surprised the One was a few steps ahead of me, though it was slightly irritating. “And that would be?”
The One spoke bluntly, “I will offer the services of a few of my more powerful Guardians—giving them the choice, of course, to come here—so each of the Prodigies have greater protection in exchange for my Primal Diamond.”
“Hmm.” I again tapped the toes of my boots together. “I have a counteroffer.”
There was a small pause, then he drawled lazily, “I’m listening.”
There was more tapping of my boots as I quickly thought through my offer. “You do as you offered with your Guardians, and we’ll allow you to stay here with your people until this issue with Philip Masterson and Jacob Angel is resolved. I do believe you want them dead for what’s been done to you.” For the first time, I lifted my gaze from my boots and slowly leveled it on—Christ—silver eyes. I faltered for the barest moment, my breath hiccupping in my throat, before I inhaled heavily and bore down, staring calmly into his gaze. “From a purely political standpoint, I barely know you, so therefore I don’t trust you one hundred percent. I shouldn’t have handed the diamond over to you in the first place even under my King’s order. Giving you a possible weapon of mass destruction in exchange for,” I gestured air quotes, “‘protection of each of the Prodigies’ by men under your ruling and your orders, is utterly foolish.” I paused, staring into his now hardened, but intensely intelligent gaze. “I won’t do it.”
My attention moved to King Collins. “I’m truly sorry if this contradicts anything you may have already promised the One, but I don’t believe it to currently be the best course of action.” A shake of my head. “I won’t blindly follow along anymore. The Primal Diamond stays with me. If anyone is worried that I’ll be caught with it, just know it’s safe. I can’t be broken, because God knows that would have happened a long time ago if it were possible.”
“I do not agree with this,” the One stated fluidly. “She’s prejudiced against me, influenced by the previous actions of Jacob Angel. She has my property in her possession, and all I am asking for is that it be returned while giving you all benefit of protection for your
Prodigies. I do not see how this cannot be beneficial for all of us.”
“Get out of the Temple more often, into the real world, then you may see the point she’s making,” Elder Jacobs countered steadily before his dark eyes turned to King Collins. “I retract my previous decision and stand behind Ms Jules’s counteroffer.”
My lips wanted to lift but I held them steady. I had won this battle. Not only was it two against one between King Collins, and Elder Jacobs and myself, but it was an Elder telling my King—politely—to agree with me. The Rulers were the heads of the people, but many times they were persuaded by the more experienced Elders when making decisions.
King Collins’s gaze ran over my face, and his lips twitched the barest bit so that no one else could see him. He turned his solemn attention to the One. “The counteroffer my Prodigy offered is our treaty. If you would like to continue staying here as our guests, and also be a part of the investigation into Philip Masterson and Jacob Angel, then we would like the use of your Guardians for the protection of our Prodigies. This is non-negotiable, and if you do not agree, then we would humbly ask you to leave within the next hour so that we may get back to business as scheduled.” A pause. “And we do thank you for your assistance thus far in the investigation.”
The One eyed him steadily. “Even if we choose to leave, she currently has my property, which I would like returned promptly.”
Blue eyebrows rose slowly. “I saw her steal nothing.”
“And if I press charges?”
“One, she technically already handed over any goods she may have stolen from your bedchambers five years ago. Today I believe she found an item, not stole it, unless you have proof of purchase.” He shrugged a nonchalant shoulder. “Two, I’ve gotten her off death row before. It won’t be difficult to clear her of a minor theft charge even if she was found guilty. In that case, you still wouldn’t have the Primal Diamond since she said even you can’t pluck it from her, and she would be free of jail time. Any charge would be a waste of time.”
Silver eyes stared calmly at King Collins for very long moments. The time seemed to stretch, a silent tension filling the air as we waited to see what he would say, or more importantly, do, because he was more powerful than every single person in this room combined. The truth was he could kill all of us with barely blinking an eye, and Elder Jacobs, King Collins, and I knew this. Time slowly ticked onward, dragging almost painfully. Until in a soft drawl—surprising us all—he murmured, “It’s about time you backed your Prodigy.” Fingers tapped on his mouth. “All I had to do was argue a decent case yesterday and you gave me the diamond without hesitating.” He dropped his hand and stretched his legs out in front of him, slouching his bulky frame more comfortably on his chair. “Moreover, I respect the counteroffer even if the bias behind it is unflattering, and I will agree to it.” Silver eyes flicked to mine, holding steadily as I sat frozen in place. “But, so you know, Ms Jules, I will have my diamond back eventually.”
I gave an instant reply, even if I was more than shocked. “My diamond.”
His lips twitched. “I believe this is what they call a stalemate.” Silver eyes returned their gaze to King Collins. “The Guardians will be here by morning, which should satisfy your demands.”
There was no hesitation on King Collins’s part. “That will work for us.”
“I should think so,” the One stated before he stood fluidly, showing no signs of his earlier injuries. He glanced to Reese and Roselle. “Watch over them while I’m gone.”
In a blink, he had left, going to the Temple in search of Guardians.
Chapter Twenty-Five
More than dead tired and doused with bad dreams for at least half the night, I did not appreciate King Collins knocking on my door early in the morning. I was still in my damn towel as two Guardians entered the room behind him. I was not expecting them, and my eyes popped wide. I quickly held up a hand and scurried into my bedroom, leaving them in the retiring room. “Give me two minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later, I hurried outside the bedroom. King Collins was glancing at his watch with an exasperated expression, stuck entertaining the Guardians. From the sound of it through my bedroom door, his entertainment had been more of an interrogation. When I entered he stood and gestured to the Guardian on the right. “Caro, this is Farley.” A gesture to the left. “And Frost. Your new additional guards.” Both of them were wearing probably more clothing than they were used to, being dressed in white leather pants and simple white cotton button-ups. “Gentlemen, this is Caro Jules, the Prodigy Elemental.”
I dipped my head to Frost. “Thank you for coming, Frost. Your protection is appreciated.”
His own head dipped, and he replied in a baritone, “You’re welcome, Ms Jules.”
That left the other one.
My eyes slowly slid to him, and I eyed him carefully. “Are you going to try to chop my head off again, Farley?”
King Collins instantly stiffened, his attention snapping to the Guardian who had stopped me from climbing the stairs to the throne the One had been sitting on at the Temple.
Farley stared over my head, at attention, but damn if his lips didn’t curve the barest bit. “Ms Jules, I was only warning you, otherwise you would be headless.”
A deep, unexpected laugh rumbled from my chest. “Now wouldn’t that suck?”
Deadpan words from the staid Guardian. “If you were headless, I don’t believe you would care.”
I continued chuckling and nudged King Collins, whispering, “I like him. Calm down.”
King Collins grunted but did not calm much, hearing that his Prodigy had been threatened.
I did ask King Collins seriously, “Did Queen Ruckler give them her scent approval?”
The Guardians didn’t even flinch at the question, and King Collins nodded once.
“All right.” I turned my attention to Farley, dipping my head toward him. “Thank you for coming, Farley. Your protection is appreciated.”
His head dipped toward me. “You’re welcome, Ms Jules.”
I clapped my hands once. “Now that’s completed, I want to do something. I was trying to figure out a way to make sure I’ll always know you two are you, since I can’t smell what the Shifters do. I came up with a simple but effective idea.” I pulled out the two items from my jeans I had been searching for in my bedroom, the reason I had been longer than the two minutes. “Since almost all spirit Elementals would never wear one of these, I’d like each of you to wear one.”
Both pairs of eyes flicked to what I was holding…and instantly their faces weren’t so blank, scrunching before they could hide it. They quickly stared above my head again.
My lips twitched. “It’s not that bad.” I paused. “Plus, I think it’s more humane than the other idea I had of stabbing you twice a day to make sure you are who you’re supposed to be.”
They contemplated the choice between being stabbed, and wearing the items I held.
King Collins’s eyes were even amused for a moment, glancing at me covertly.
I peered back to the items. “Or maybe you would prefer hot pink, since that’s the only other color I have available—”
“I’ll wear it,” Frost interrupted, the thought of hot pink apparently undoing him. He held out his hand, taking one of the braided black leather bracelets I held.
I nodded curtly. “Just keep your sleeve over it so that no one will see it.” I dangled the other, identical bracelet in front of Farley’s contemplative eyesight. “Black, hot pink, being stabbed…or you could always go back to the Temple if this detail is too much for you.”
His lips pinched. He hesitated, then he stated in a rush, “I’d actually like the hot pink. My daughter might like it for her dolls when I get home.”
I blinked at him in the silence. “All right.” I wasn’t going to question if that statement was the truth or not. I turned back to my bedroom. “One hot pink bracelet coming up.”
Instant. “Her name’s Chloe.”
I heard him growl quietly, but he didn’t say anything else behind me.
As luck would have it, I found a hot pink bracelet with a ‘C’ on it—her first initial and mine. I gave him that one because I believed him. “Since she likes colors, tell her the outlaw Prodigy Elemental gave that to her. She’ll probably think it’s cool.”
“Thank you,” he stated humbly and placed it on his wrist carefully. “She’s…unique.”
My lips lifted. “Her differences will liberate her.” I flicked a finger at him. “Just make sure she has at least one good friend amongst the herd.”
That night, shouts and the sounds of breaking items twirled through my mind, becoming a part of my frenzied dreams, but when the bed under me began shaking, my eyes shot wide open, staring into my dark bedroom. With my breath caught in my throat, I managed to grab my gun off the bouncing nightstand before it fell to the ground. I tumbled out of bed to the shaking ground, which stopped quaking when I heard multiple gunshots.
From my retiring room, King Zeller bellowed, “It’s Sin! Don’t kill him!”
Eyes still huge, breathing not yet normal after the furious rumbling that had awoken me, I jumped to my feet and raced through the room, falling down once as I tripped over a shoe before I got the damn door open. I rushed out with gun in hand, eyes darting across my torn up retiring room. I noticed Frost first, lying on the ground with his eyes closed and a bloody nose, a cell phone still gripped in his hand. Farley was sprawled over the crooked couch and the broken wooden coffee table. His head was bleeding, and his eyes were closed. Furniture had been tossed everywhere and bullet holes peppered one wall.
King Zeller had his hands up, his expression calm as he stood inside the opened door of my room. He spoke in a smooth tone, “They’re still alive. I’m sure he didn’t realize they were protecting her. From what I heard, they attacked him as soon as he walked into the room.” The eavesdropping Vampire had been hard at work.
I turned to where he was speaking. My gaze stalled on the other side of the room.
Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore Book 5) Page 22