by Anna Sanders
“Actually, he did,” London corrected her. “He knew you wouldn’t come without a lot of difficulty. We were at a loss as to how to convince you to come.”
“And you actually went through with it? What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m not defending my methods. I’m simply saying we were after your best interests.”
“Then you must be psychotic. Both of you, out of my room.”
They each bowed before they left. Genevieve watched them go with a narrowed stare.
Really. It was one thing to request her presence to meet with her uncle. It was quite another to force her into it. What had gotten into them? Nobody would deny that these were desperate times. But to poison her body would not gain her compliance. They had to know that.
She stayed in the room those first couple of days, uninterested in exploring the rest of the palace. Food was brought to her four times a day, finery befitting only the highest of royalty. When the savory platters were first introduced, she was more than distrustful about the fare. But that didn’t last long. Soon, she sated her appetite without fear. They wouldn’t have the gall to poison her twice. Not now that they had her where they wanted her.
It was hard to negate the lavishness presented to her in general. Yards of pastel dresses cinched in her size filled a walk-in closet. Using the hot springs to soothe her travel- and battle-weary body was far better than the brisk washes she’d endured at the bandit campsite. And having entertainment of any kind was easier on the mind than the steadfast worry of savage attacks. Easing back into the life of a princess wasn’t hard at all. Still, Roy or London attempted more than once to apologize further or even to attempt genial conversation, and Genevieve remained uninterested. And every now and then, the idea of escaping would flit across her mind. But she couldn’t navigate herself back to Colorado without assistance even if Winx and Keaton were still there. And besides, the holding was guarded. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Orion wanted her secure.
And yet, now that she knew firsthand what evil was out there, she could not shake it off. Winx and Keaton had been left alone in that B&B with nothing more than a note of apology and no further resources or aid of any kind. How furious they must be with her, if they were even still alive! Winx was still weak from her injuries and Keaton was currently irrational, operating on impulse. They would be easy pickings for Chavez and his gang. And what of Stori and Tipping?
She didn’t want to break her silent streak to ask London about them, but Genevieve just couldn’t stop the fear that bad news was on its way.
Orion Merrick didn’t look any different than the last time Genevieve had seen him. Her uncle still had an overly tough exterior with a pudgy face, the jowls hanging just the slightest bit. His dark hair hadn’t changed an inch, his clothing was as imposing as ever, and his stare was aristocratic. When he hugged her, it was a show lacking affection and warmth of any kind. It had always been that way, but now that Genevieve had been gone for so long, she’d expected to feel some sort of compassion.
“My niece. You have no idea how worried I have been!” He looked her over. “You seem very well. That sky blue suits you.”
The blue lace stitched dress did suit her, flaring about her knees and tucking around her buxom body in a way that wasn’t obscene. She thanked him for the compliment with a demure smile.
Orion led Genevieve down from the entry hall over to an elaborate dining hall where the banquet on the table seemed to go on for miles. Her uncle helped her into a seat, and once she was poised just on the edge, he sat across from her, leaving the head of the table empty.
“Your journey must have been an exciting one, Evy,” Orion began as he poured her a glass of water. “Judging from the details London and Roy have given me, you’ve proven yourself to be quite the able individual.”
Genevieve was at a loss to reply. Her uncle placed the water before her empty plate before pouring his own glass.
“All of your recent trials have not been in vain. I want to assure you.” He took a swig of water. “But now your place is at home. Where you belong.”
He clapped sharply, and five servants in the finest livery emerged in unison. They each walked to a covered dish and began to serve both of the diners. Genevieve’s heart quickened when she noticed the utility set on the belt of each worker. It mostly contained carving and serving tools, but each servant also had at least one firearm. Was that to protect, or to guard?
It wasn’t until after their plates were filled with each succulent dish that Genevieve looked at Orion again. He was staring at her in an uncomfortable way, his fingers clasped beneath his chin and his elbows on the table.
“Uncle Orion. Did you order London to drug me in order to get me here?”
“Yes.”
The verification didn’t settle her mind at all. Genevieve felt tears pool in the back of her eyes.
“Why?” she asked. “When you could have requested my arrival in any other manner?”
“We’re living in urgent times, Evy. That sometimes calls for actions that we would normally shy away from. I had to ensure your safety as well as your punctuality.”
“Uncle. Surely you can understand that resorting to such measures doesn’t exactly put me in a trusting position.”
“Even if I reiterate that it was done with nothing but your best interests in mind?”
Genevieve’s chest heaved with barely suppressed indignation. Was she really having this conversation? She’d never been treated in such a way by anyone in her Queendom. To disregard not only her well-being but her faith…
Orion grinned and adjusted a cloth napkin over his lap with a flourish. “Okay, my dear. It may take you longer than I would like to see that I have done everything I can for you. I have secured this palace, which was not easy, and I’ve had it decorated without sparing any expense. It is guarded day and night so you can rest easy without thought of the savage epidemic. But if I need to continue to prove my loyalty to you, I will do so.” He cut his knife into a premium slice of meat. “This is all for you, niece. You know the danger that is out there. If something were to happen to you our future would be compromised.”
When Genevieve looked at her uncle again, angry tears were streaking down her freckled cheeks. Orion continued to give her the same uncaring stare. It fired her up even more.
“I have put everything on the line to be out there!” Genevieve’s tirade came out as a high pitched squeak, her breath shortened. “I helped organize the defenses, and I worked myself ragged to recruit more! How can you justify what you have done to me? Your methods were villainous!”
“Please calm down.” Orion barely paused eating to speak.
“You may stop pretending that I am overreacting. I do not appreciate your carelessness in the slightest.” When she still didn’t get so much as a look from Orion, Genevieve was reduced to slamming her fist onto the table.
The sound didn’t exactly steal his attention, but he did lower his fork. His eyes remained on his overflowing plate as he said, “You’ll thank me for what I’ve done one day. I’m sure that you don’t believe me. But in the end, this is for the best.” He gestured his hand toward the head of the table. “You did not question why I did not sit there.”
“I was not interested in why.”
His jaw worked from side to side before he looked at her sternly. “I am not the only one who wanted you here.”
Genevieve felt her frown fade. Her fist eased its clench as well.
Orion saw her change in manner and nodded. “Yes. She is here.”
He nodded toward the doorway, where a figure stood. Servants bowed as Genevieve looked over her shoulder.
All of Genevieve’s hopes had rested on this for so long. Could it be?
“Mother?”
When the screams started and didn’t stop, Winx peeked her eyes open. It was late afternoon, and she had been dozing in and out for hours due to sheer boredom. But now that people were screaming, she should probably wake up.
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br /> The bandits were losing their minds as Winx made for the front porch. All of them were in a frenzy, some zipping around with their superior speed and others frozen in terror. Winx scanned the area for the source of their panic.
A savage. A savage. As in one. It had a broken leg and was dragging itself into the clearing on the leg left intact. It wasn’t fast enough or smart enough to nab one of the quick prey zooming around it.
But this savage looked… new. Like someone who had only been dead for maybe a week. The dead that she’d encountered lately had been dead a lot longer.
As Winx stepped off of the porch, she flitted through its mind only to find that ever-familiar nothing. But she also found that no one was controlling it. Isolated incident confirmed.
“Stop,” she commanded. The savage did so without any complaint.
The bandits stopped when they saw the daevor was standing in front of the savage unharmed. They stared on at the situation with confusion. But at least they had stopped screaming.
“Really? Do none of you know what to do when a savage shows up?” Winx’s tone dripped with repugnance. “Not even a hoard, just one?”
Nobody answered her.
“Do you know how to kill one?” She changed her question. “I’m guessing by what I’ve seen, you don’t know to destroy the brain or the brain stem. Do you?”
Nothing.
She let out an aggravated breath. “You aren’t the only ones who’ve seen fucked-up shit. But so far, you’re the only cowards I’ve come across.”
“You brought it here!” a girl in the crowd shrieked. “This is your fault!”
“There will be more!” someone from the tree line shouted in agreement.
“Since you did this, you have to kill it!” a butch guy demanded.
Useless. All of them. Winx looked again at the savage. It still stood there awaiting any orders.
“What if I forced you to deal with it?” she said loud enough for them to hear. “After all, you’re right. There will be more of them. Maybe I shouldn’t take care of this for you. Maybe everyone should stop treating you with kid gloves and let you actually learn something!”
That started another rousing argument. Some bandits left, still afraid even though Winx didn’t relinquish control over the savage. Other began screaming again, like that helped with anything.
“We know you can kill it! Kill it!”
“Where’s Sabrina?” someone asked.
“She and Keaton went into town to buy food!” someone else answered. “We’re stuck with her!”
“Just kill it! Stop stalling!”
“And what if I do kill it?” Winx crossed her arms lazily. “What will that do? Will that change anything? Will any of you have grown the balls to handle your own problems? Or better yet.” She laughed mirthlessly. “Will that make any of you treat me with an ounce of respect?”
They quieted again, at a loss for words.
Winx continued. “You’re not the only people afraid. And you don’t even know what threats to be afraid of! There are probably thousands more of these creatures, and a hell of a lot scarier. They’re conducted by intelligent beings who use them as a war tactic. These savage hoards that have been milling around? They’re just as effective as a gun in the middle of a crowd. Instead of relying on anyone else to pamper you, maybe you should learn how to fucking protect yourselves!
“Because guess what? This isn’t going to stop just because you’re afraid. It gets much more real than one person who had an unfortunate accident in the woods.” She looked at the savage in emphasis. “It’s worse than someone who didn’t mean to do any harm. So you should get your threats straight.”
Oh, what the hell was she doing? These bandits didn’t care about what she had to say. They would never try to understand. If that meant they all died, then why did she care? She did not need them. Forget it.
Winx walked up to the savage. Its blank eyes took nothing in, so it didn’t feel anything when Winx twisted its neck and let it fall dead to the ground.
There were a few gasps around her. She didn’t pay any attention except to say, “Since I cooked, you can clean.”
With a wipe of her hands on her jeans, Winx stamped up the porch steps and disappeared back into a place where no one would bother her.
CHAPTER 8
The tale of Winx chastising the bandit group was the only topic being discussed the next day. Winx’s prediction that nobody would appreciate her speech or her killing the savage went exactly as she’d thought. She got an even wider berth than before and even more sneers in her direction. Ignoring it was a power she had yet to develop.
Sabrina was livid. She would not thank Winx for destroying the savage, but she also could not convince Keaton to make the daevor leave. Keaton did agree to speak to her, however, and made it a point to corner her when she was in her spot in the backyard.
“I guess you started a sort of riot,” he accused mildly.
She stared at him from the expanse of a long wool blanket. The snow had finally decided to fall, and she was no longer immune to the bitter weather.
When he didn’t back off, Winx shrugged and looked away. “These animals are idiots.”
“These animals, as you call them, are scared.”
“And that excuses everything?” she spat, perturbed. “They don’t know anything. And they refuse to educate themselves.”
“We are supposed to be helping them,” Keaton said. “Let’s face it, nobody knows as much about the enemy as we do. And this isn’t exactly a group of fighters.”
“Sorry. I’m not wasting any more of my time.” Nobody wants me here, Keaton.”
“I want you here.” He lowered himself down to his haunches, meeting her at eye level.
She glowered at him. “Yeah? And who are you?”
“I’m your friend,” he answered quickly.
“It wasn’t that long ago that you wanted to take off and see your own pack. You wanted nothing to do with the savage problem anymore, remember? What changed?”
“Nothing changed. I still intend to go to Washington. I haven’t stopped thinking about my family!”
“But Sabrina is a ripe little distraction, isn’t she?” Winx sneered. “Face the music, bandit. She wants you to stay here, and you’re considering staying. What other reason could there be for our open-ended criteria?”
Keaton gave her a deer in the headlights look before shifting his gaze. “It’s not really about her.”
“What?” Winx leaned forward. “Keaton, she hasn’t really made her intentions secret.”
“What if they’re all dead?”
The question cut through her defenses. Her eyes widened.
“Finding Stori…” His voice didn’t break as much as it lost a touch of candor. He cleared his throat. “It confirmed my worst fear. What if I go to Washington and they’re all dead? What if I’m the last Silver?”
Winx didn’t know what to say. She touched his shoulder in a show of support. He looked back at her.
“I know it’s hard, but that’s exactly why we have to go. After losing Stori…we absolutely need to know what happened to Ottanu and the others. The war isn’t here, Keaton. We need to move forward. Even if forward means following Iragall’s last instructions.”
“So, you’ve forgiven the lixyns for abandoning us?” Keaton asked to change the subject.
“No. But I’m willing to accept the option that they didn’t know the B&B would be attacked, if for no other reason than they brought Genevieve there.”
“But Genevieve wasn’t there when the B&B was attacked,” Keaton pointed out.
Winx grunted and sunk lower into her seat. “No. She wasn’t.”
Keaton cracked a reluctant smile. “You’re still as suspicious as ever. You just don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Look!” Winx hollered. “I’m done with this place. If that means going to Washington to make sure Iragall made good on his promise for your pack, then so be it. Besides…I may
have a lead myself.”
“The lixyn you ran into at the B&B.” She’d told him already. He sighed. “Are you sure that wasn’t just someone trying to push your buttons? It’s no secret that you’re a ticking time bomb.”
“He knows something about Deja,” Winx insisted. “About how and why she was killed. I can’t ignore this.”
“You don’t even know who he is.”
“No, but why would he go out of his way to taunt me with information? Especially after his hoard was destroyed. He had no reason to do that, other than—”
“To rile you up? Make you do something stupid, like follow him in the night to a secluded road where he could sic more savages on you?”
Winx frowned, but then she shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah, okay. Probably.”
“I think you’ve been beaten up enough to last you the rest of your life.”
“And it ain’t over yet.”
“Well. I guess we are out of here, then. Let the beatings continue.” Keaton held a hand out to her.
She was far from optimistic, but she still took his hand, chuckling when he tugged her up roughly.
The two of them bumped chests when Keaton’s trajectory continued. Winx looked up into his eyes, and Keaton looked down into hers.
Winx was the one to take a step back, and she was surprised when this came with real conscious effort. “How are you going to break it to Sabrina?” she asked him with real interest.
Keaton winced. “Yeah. That’s not going to be a fun topic.”
“I could tell her.” A well-known iniquitous grin spread across her lips.
Keaton grunted. “Oh, sure, there’s an idea.”
“What? If nothing else, I’d get the point across.”
“You’ll find no argument here. But I’ll tell her. You just get ready.”
Keaton knew Sabrina wouldn’t take the news of his departure well, but Winx was right. The rest of his pack needed him. Ottanu deserved to know what had happened to her mate, and Keaton wanted to see if his parents or any of the other Silvers had made it out alive.
So, gearing himself for anything, he walked over to confront Sabrina.