Protector (The Full-Blood Book 1)

by Serena Nova

  “This one.” I touched the navy blue.

  “Yes, that will do perfectly, pairing it up with this silver one.” The woman was still stroking the silver fabric. “You will have a dress fit for a Queen,” she mumbled.

  “Sorry?” I asked her. She ignored me and grabbed the navy blue and the silver fabrics, moving them to another table, one that was holding a sewing machine. She placed them next to it and turned around. Her eyes moved over my body, one hand moved towards her lips, and she nodded at me.

  “Easy dress, but it needs to move around you and with you. Not against,” she started, her eyes still moving over me. It made me nervous.

  “Long enough to flow behind you. You will wear heels, right?” she asked me. The question had totally come out of nowhere with her rambling.

  “Yes,” I answered quickly.

  “Good, a bare back and support for the front. Do you mind silver or gold?” She was now looking at the fabrics.

  “No, I don’t mind. Why?” I asked her.

  “Don’t worry,” was what she answered.

  “Who are you?” I asked her, I had never heard her name, and she kind of freaked me out. I liked to know the names of the people who freaked me out.

  “Oh, girl, sorry. I’m Stella.” She held out her hand to me, and I reached over and shook it.

  “You are Isadora.” She winked at me before she dropped the hand.

  “You heard?” I asked her, curious about what she had heard.

  “Some things,” She answered while she turned around to the sewing table. “Other things I have seen.”

  “What do you mean, seen?”

  “Seer,” She answered shortly, when she sat down.

  “Why are you here then?” I asked her, my arms folded in front of me. I didn’t understand why the Kings would have had a seer working as a dressmaker. It was one of the things I couldn’t do, see into the future. It was something you were blessed with, or cursed, depending on how you looked at it. Always knowing things before they happened, it must not be great.

  “I love making dresses.” She pulled out needles and scissors, having already started to work.

  “Wouldn’t your powers be more useful advising the Kings?” I still hadn't wrapped my mind around her.

  “Yes and no. I’m not that strong, and when I get them, I inform the Kings. We seers can’t see on command, girl.” She’d answered my next question, too.

  “Okay.” I pulled up my eyebrow at her and started moving towards the door. Before I reached it, something popped up in my mind.

  “Don’t you need my size and stuff?” I asked her while I turned back to look at her.

  She giggled, and shook her head. “No, silly girl. I already have them. I’m the best you know. That is why I make the clothing for the Kings and their Queen.” She smiled at me.

  “Don’t you mean ‘Queens?’”

  “No, no, girl. I will deliver the dress to your room. And yes, there will be slits in the sides, so you can access your knives.” She winked with that, and my mouth dropped open in a silent o.

  “Thank you,” I stammered out and walked out of her room.

  “Chief,” someone said when I stepped outside Stella’s room.

  I looked up, finding a Protector in front of me. “Don’t call me chief,” I grumbled out at him.

  “Yes, chief. Miss,” He answered. “I was sent to get you; the Kings are announcing something in the Throne room. All the Selection members need to be there.” He had started to walk away with that. There was one option and that was to follow, the Kings had summoned, and we would go.

  We walked towards the main hall and then into the Throne room. It was already filled with the Witches of the Selection. I saw some Council members standing at the side of the raised dais. Violet was one of them, she saw me entering and lowered her eyes. It made me smirk, I moved towards Astra who was standing a little to the side. The other Witches were all huddled together in the centre. The Kings weren’t there yet.

  “Do you know what this is about?” Astra asked me when I reached her.

  “Yes,” I grumbled out.

  “What?” She arched an eyebrow in question.

  “You will find out soon enough,” I answered her when I saw the Kings walking into the room, they had walked out of the office from behind the dais.

  “Hello, ladies,” Rayan said, he winked at some of them. I heard them swoon. It made me roll my eyes.

  “Where is Thalia?” Astra whispered at me. She had distracted me from the jealousy that came rushing up at seeing Rayan flirt with them. I looked around the room. She wasn’t there, indeed, and I hadn't expected her to have really left. I had expected her to make a bigger scene out of it all.

  “Gone,” I said to her. I didn't try to keep the smile off my face. I looked back to the dais. The four Kings stood in the centre then.

  “We will be having a ball in three days.” The girls all giggled at that. Averey held his hands up to motion them to silence.

  “There, we will introduce the Witches for the Selection to become Queen.” His eyes moved towards me, and I stared back.

  “Also, that Protector bitch?” one of them said. I recognized her as the one who had helped Thalia.

  “Don’t speak about her like that,” Flynn growled out. I saw the Witch's face pale.

  “Everyone here is a Witch, and you will treat all of them like equals,” Averey said to her, causing her to nod back.

  “In three days, we expect you all to be dressed in your best dresses and on your best behaviour. This will be sent out live to the rest of the world, everyone will know who you ladies are.”

  Some of the girls giggled again, making me roll my eyes. Again.

  “Then, there is one other thing, we will add new Protectors to the castle’s defences. They will help with the protection of the ball.” Averey moved his hand towards the row of Protectors. I scanned them, I hadn’t noticed them at first. I squealed when I saw three faces I knew. I ran towards the girls.

  “Banu, DeeDee, Lena. What are you girls doing here?” I asked while I hugged them all.

  “We passed our test and were chosen to come and work at the castle.” Banu lifted her eyebrows at me, the question clear.

  “No, it wasn’t me.”

  “I did,” Astra said, and I turned to look at her. Her face was a little flushed.

  “What do you mean?” I asked her.

  “I found out that they passed their test. I asked the Kings if they could be brought here. It would make you happy,” she said. She didn’t add that it would have made her happy, too. She kept glancing at Banu.

  “Girl, you are the best,” I told her and hugged her.

  “We will start with the dates today. We want to begin the Selection process as quickly as we can,” Averey said, interrupting my happy reunion.

  He explained to the Witches, that the dates were to find out if they would be compatible for a Bonding ceremony. It had me fuming inside. They thanked the Witches and told them they would inform them when their dates would be and with whom. Some of the Witches had started whispering to each other, glancing over to the Kings. Rayan moved off the dais, towards us. I looked at him. He gave me a wink and still smiling, he said, “We have a date tonight.”

  “Oh,” I answered. I wasn’t sure if I had wanted to go on a date with him then. He must have seen my doubt.

  “You want to, right?” he asked me.

  “Uh, yeah. Okay,” I answered, I really didn’t know. I knew that it would have given me a chance to be with one of them that night. Maybe I could ask him more about the flirting. I knew he was hurt when he was younger, but it hurt me when I had to watch him flirt with others. I so hated jealousy.

  “Okay,” he said slowly. “I’ll pick you up around six.” He moved back towards the other Kings who were still on the dais. They all looked at me when Rayan had probably relayed the things I had said.

  “What was that about?” Banu asked me. I shrugged at her. I looked to the Witc
hes, they all were silently watching us.

  “Come, let’s go to my room.” I told them, I didn’t want to stay there any longer. And those Witches, they hadn't looked too happy. I showed the others the Castle as we walked back towards my room. We talked about what had happened after Astra and I had left the school. They had passed their exam without any problem. Banu even joked that it had been too easy. Banu was the best Protector after me, DeeDee and Madalena came close to her.

  “Nice room,” DeeDee said when we entered the small living room.

  “Thank you.” I waved at the sofas with my hand, indicating they should sit down.

  “What was that with the King?” Madalena asked, Astra nodded at me.

  “Nothing,” I grumbled back. What could I have said? They were my bonded, we had this pull, or I couldn't seem to resist? I totally hated it when they flirted with someone else. Astra had noticed it and saved me from more questions.

  “Thank you for coming,” Astra said.

  “You know, we couldn't say no to an invitation to the Castle, to be part of their security,” Banu answered Astra.

  “I know you girls all wanted to do something else after graduating. Still, I’m happy that you are here,” I said to them, giving them a smile. I was really happy they were there. I needed some more help with finding things out, and they were perfect. It also meant I didn’t have to ask Astra for it all the time.

  “Girls,” I said, because it was time that I told them a few things. They would find out soon enough, and I’d rather have them finding it out from me than one of those Witches.

  They all looked at me. I was still standing behind one of the sofas, my hands resting on the back. “I need to tell you something. Important,” I said. It took me a moment to gather my balls together and say it out loud.

  “You need to keep this a secret,” I warned them, before I blurted out. “I’m Isadora Seraphina Savill Royal.” I squeezed my eyes shut, didn’t want to see their reactions. It was silent for a few minutes until one of them said something.

  “Okay.”

  I opened one eye and looked at them, then opened my second. All four of them were watching me, nothing but love reflected on their faces.

  “Uh, you know what that means?” I asked them.

  “Yes, that you are a Full-Blood, the rightful heir to the throne,” Astra said.

  I let out a breath and moved to sit on the sofa.

  “Yes, and there is more,” I told them. I explained the pull I had felt towards the Kings, that I was reacting to it and hadn't known how to handle it. I told them about the night Astra was kidnapped, how I got her back, and about the little sister of Flynn.

  “I haven’t heard from her yet.” I bit on my lower lip, worried for her.

  “Isa, she will be fine. She is a ghost, after all,” Lena said.

  “Yeah, you are right. Still.” I looked absently towards the fireplace, almost if she would be standing there.

  “What do you want us to do?” Banu asked, back to business as always.

  “I need you girls to protect Astra at that ball. And before that, I want you to find out as much as you can about Icas Nox and the Ranteau family.” They nodded at that. I was happy that Astra hadn't gone against having protection.

  “Who will protect you?” DeeDee asked me, and I rolled my eyes at her.

  “You know who you are talking to.” I smiled, and she laughed. “Okay,” I said. “I’m going to take a quick shower, and then we talk some more.” When I got back all clean and in a new outfit, I sat down, and we talked, a lot. You would think we hadn’t seen each other for years and not for just a few days.

  We ordered some food and had a great day. Then, someone knocked on the door. I knew it was Rayan, I could feel his magic behind the door. I sighed and walked towards it to open it.

  He stood there, his face in that beautiful smile, his eyes twinkling. “I’m here to pick you up for our date,” he said, and his smile got even bigger.

  “Okay,” I said, I waved at the others, grabbed my swords, and moved with him, still unsure if I should have been happy with it or not.

  23

  We walked towards their Quarters where he gallantly held open the door for me. I waited for him, not knowing where we were going.

  “This way,” he said, and we moved towards the library. He held those doors open, too, giving me a soft smile, not his cheerful happy one. It made my jealousy and anger lessen a little. I had it all cropped up inside me.

  “Where are we going?” I asked when he grabbed my hand and started moving to the back of the Library.

  “You will see,” he said and kept pulling me softly along. I kept silent, not knowing what to say and too curious about where we were going. We walked to a door I hadn’t noticed the first time I was in the library. He pushed it open, and it revealed a stone staircase. I looked up, not seeing anything at the top. He held out his hand, and a light appeared. He held it out in front of him, and we moved up the stairs. Eventually, I saw a door. He let go of my hand to push open the door, it creaked a little. We entered a small balcony where I looked around. I saw that we were on the roof, I could see the whole castle’s roof, the forest that stretched behind it, and then the city.

  There weren’t many tall buildings. It gave us a perfect view of the sun which hung low in the sky; it was ready to go down. I looked towards Rayan as he moved to a table against the balcony’s railing. It was set for two people.

  “I thought, we could have a private dinner, while the sun was setting?” He motioned to the table, a shy smile on his face. I nodded at him and moved towards the chair he had held out, I sat down and he pushed me towards the table. That was when I noticed the maid standing next to the door, we had come in. She smiled at me.

  “She will be serving us.” He motioned for her to come closer. She was holding a bottle of wine. Rayan started talking while she poured a generous amount into my glass.

  “How are you?” he asked, his voice soft, and doubt had seemed to seep through it.

  I chuckled a little with his question. “I'm okay,” I said to him, waiting for the servant to go away. When she did, and the door closed with a soft thud, I looked at him.

  “Why did you flirt?” I asked him, he seemed to be taken aback by my sudden change in mood.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Those Witches, you flirted with them,” I growled out, I would become a bear if I kept that growling up.

  “I would never,” he said, while he held his hands up.

  “You winked at them,” I told him.

  “Babe, it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Yes, it does.” I cringed at my own whining voice. I really hated the jealousy, it wasn’t me, and I had wished I could push it away.

  “Babe, listen.” His blue eyes totally focused on me, a soft twinkle lighting them up. “I’m here with you, not them. I don’t like them, I’m . . . I’m pulled to you.” He ended on a soft breath.

  “I am, too.” I answered him. It was the first time I had admitted to the pull in front of one of them, and his face lit up with that. Before he could say anything more, the door opened, and the servant walked in with a plate of bread and some butter. She placed it on the table and walked away again.

  “Can’t she knock?” I said under my breath.

  “She did,” Rayan answered, that everlasting smile back on his face.

  “Why do you flirt with everything?” I asked him, while I took a sip of my wine. I looked at the glass in my hand. It was really good wine, not that I’d had much in my life till then.

  “It is who I am,” he answered. “It is not something I can do anything about. It is my personality.” He leaned back in his chair.

  “Okay, I can understand that. But, if what you say is true, with the pull and all,” I waved my hand in the air, “then why still flirt with them?”

  “Babe, I flirt with you more.” He gave me a wink, and a soft blush appeared on my face. “You never notice it.” He laughed
at what he said.

  “Oh,” was the only thing that I could say.

  “Now it is my turn.”

  I pulled my eyebrow up in question.

  “You asked me something, now I can ask you something. That’s how it works, right?” He winked again though he didn't let me answer before asking me. “Why were you trained as a Protector and not a Witch?”

  I took another sip of my wine and thought about it.

  “Gran told me to.” It was the only answer I could have given that was the truth. I was eight, what the hell did I know then?

  “Why did you agree to it?”

  “Nuh-uh, it is my turn.” I gave him a smile.

  “You told me you were hurt, when you were younger.” His face fell a little with that. “Can you tell me more?” I added softly.

  He nodded, still, he stayed silent for a moment.

  “It was a few months before I became King. There was this girl I had met. Sweet and funny. I met her one weekend when the guys and I were out in the city near our school. We were in a club, so we danced, talked, and after that we decided to see each other again.” He drank some wine before he continued.

  “We were together from that moment, when I wasn’t in school, I was with her. I was in love, totally in love. Thought she was my Natural Bonded.” He looked up at me.

  “I know now that it wasn’t true. It never felt like this.” He motioned to me. I remained silent listening, while eating the bread.

  “Then the trials for King came, and we entered. She cheered us on, became really fanatic about it. She pushed us, and me, to become better. She turned into something else.” He looked towards the setting sun, his mind in the memory.

  “We were close to winning, there were four other guys who were strong, too. One day, I wanted to surprise her.” He looked at me, a sad smile on his face. “I went looking for her, except I found her in bed with one of the other contestants. Do you know what she said when I found her?” I shook my head.

  “Sorry, honey, you aren’t good enough to become King and get me as your Queen. She just turned back to the guy she was riding and went on.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed.