by Erin R Flynn
“I think that’s not a warranted response,” Kristof said but really warned Vance to tread carefully.
Vance met his gaze with his own heated one. “You scared her and badly. Whether a misunderstanding or something else, I’m not judging, but I would be a shit knight if I didn’t check that after that went down she didn’t do something out of fear.”
“He asked her the same after she accepted me, worrying she might have done it not to start waves or problems they weren’t ready for,” Cerdic cut in. I hadn’t known that, and I felt warm inside, filled with love that the leopards cared for me.
“Fair enough,” Kristof accepted, nodding. “And you’re right, you should always check and protect her as her knight. I thank you for being so diligent in your oath in a world where too many won’t. She needs people that loyal around her.”
“It wasn’t out of fear,” I promised them, wanting the topic dropped. I didn’t want anyone to figure out I’d basically agreed fully believing he’d change his mind in a few days and that he didn’t want to be with a princess again. I mean, that had been his position for thousands of years.
Wasn’t there some rule that it would take half as long to change his mind?
Or was that recovering from a breakup? It was half the time spent together was what it took to get over them? I think I’d heard some women say that.
That sounded stupid to have a timeline for something like healing hurt.
“Understood. You aren’t to be alone then,” Vance pushed, looking a bit amused. The look Kristof gave him said he was about to get a bit flattened.
“I think that best,” I quickly interjected, noting that Kristof flinched. “For now at least until I’m sure there won’t be any more misunderstandings. We have enough upset and crazy going on, so some calm and steady would be nice.”
“As my princess wants it, of course,” Kristof agreed.
I wasn’t the only one who looked a bit shell shocked at hearing him refer to me like that.
“So we had an idea we want to discuss with you,” James said as Darius set my coffee and breakfast in front of me.
And then moved me to sit on his lap. Fine, brat, I still gave him a kiss as the coffee was heaven and I was exhausted already.
“If we’re not hit with any unexpected storms, we’re looking at a six day trip to Ireland, twelve round trip,” James told me. “Some of the crew are coming with you now.”
“They are? I mean, I figured the seven knights.” I frowned. “Right, Tyson said he had brothers.”
“Yes, but another two hundred want to join your caravan and help you clear more areas,” he explained, giving me a moment to let that settle. I needed it, nodding when I was ready for more. “We were thinking of using a cargo plane, but we have no idea where would be safe to land or getting fuel to take back off, as that’s a one way trip only with the planes we have.”
“But I showed them exactly where would be safe and on my family’s lands,” Jaxon took over. “And we found extra fuel tanks at the base made for the cargo planes so they can go round trip. That’s still a very nice gift to Mother.”
“Make sure to paint over the US military stuff,” I muttered. “There are still some areas that have working missile launchers or fucking cannons that shoot anything military or labeled as government.”
“We’ve already been taking off all the markings and whatnot, as we’re going to be commandeering them anyways for your coven,” James added. “We’d like to do that instead. I will escort it with a recorded message from Jaxon like you did with the cell phone so there aren’t problems. The rest would like to stay and load up every usable piece of anything that the coven will need.”
I bounced that around in my head as I ate my breakfast, knowing he was waiting for my thoughts but really wanting to think it through. “You want to clean the place out and use your ship or one of the cargo ones at port to bring it all down. Even if the river isn’t done, getting it to the safe area between San Francisco and LA would make it much easier to semi to the coven location.”
“Yes. We could pile all the cargo containers off and go do the same at Boston now that you guys cleared out a lot. We take on more and we have your notes of where to find more. We meet back up and do it all over again.” He scrubbed his hand over his head. “Maybe we should have been doing this all along, but there wasn’t a path or idea of a future, just tomorrow and surviving.”
“Yeah, I remember how that went and well,” I reminded him. I took another sip of my coffee. “Even more than that, it would be smart to make sure this whole area is completely cleared out, even the islands.”
“What are you thinking?” Darius asked, his fingers dancing along my naked thigh.
“Alaska and these waters were where a large majority of fishing happened along with Boston and New England. Numbers were dangerously low and being overfished even with regulations, but now there has been years of none of that. If we prepared the right way, there’s nothing to say we couldn’t fly some groups out from the coven to land here during certain seasons or whatever.”
“Smart, really smart,” James praised. “We could have a ton of northern wildlife to have hunts with and bring back in freezer trucks, but there’s no reason we can’t do the same for fish, crab, shrimp, and lobsters. You have a bunch of trained sailors after all, and we know vessels but would need some help in fishing.”
“If it would make my princess happy, I would gladly teach others how to fish crab season and more,” Cerdic offered.
“I’ve only had canned stuff that I probably shouldn’t have eaten.” I scrunched up my nose. “I know people liked it, but I can’t believe it was so much better before.”
“It is,” several people promised. I shrugged. They’d been right on deer and more, so I was willing to try it.
“As long as I also get duck. That’s so my favorite,” I said, my mouth watering. “I did snag that compound bow I’ve not had a chance to play with.” I turned and rubbed my cheek against Darius’s. “I believe we were going to have a hunting date so we could play with it.”
“I’d prefer to chase you, but we can track some ducks and load up a freezer for sure. I think it’s a smart idea to make as much return to natural wild as opposed to ruined cities, and we can move around where there aren’t covens or problem areas.”
“Good, I’ll get teams working on clearing and stripping everything bare,” James said. “The plane’s being loaded, and I’ll head out with it. Trisha will be in charge while I’m gone. I believe people are hoping for some more semis or that you can convert more of everything into nicer, newer campers instead of the older ones we found, that sort of thing.”
I nodded. “I’ll do the best I can, but yeah, that’s smart.”
“If you can, we’ve come up with a rig that goes on top of a trailer with an array of batteries and solar panels,” Callum told me. “Might as well charge while they’re traveling, and it will ridiculously extend the range so they’re not all focused on only using you.”
“Smart. Plus, if we can find some of those mobile charging stations like they had in Europe. Those trucks were one huge battery meant to help electric vehicles like when regular cars run out of gas.”
“Thanks for letting them bring supplies to my family coven,” Jaxon said, leaning in and giving me a kiss.
“Right, I wanted to talk about that,” I muttered, glancing at Cerdic. “You said your sister is not very easygoing.”
He snorted. “My sister’s a raging, jealous bitch, but I love her because she’s my sister. You won’t offend me calling a spade what it is.”
I nodded. “Good, but I don’t know her, so I’m not ready to just declare it like I know.” I waved him off. “I think I should give a present to your mother. She might not be boss anymore, but giving one to your mother says I’m respecting her as we’re dating or whatever, but not a coven to coven thing. What are your thoughts?”
“It’s smart, but don’t ignore my sister,” he said after a m
oment. “Have something given just because you’re making contact.”
“What would send the smart message? Something cute like artic foxes or sea otters if we can just find them?” I cleared my throat when I got a lot of looks. “I read the atlas I carried in my rucksack and any animal book I could get my hands on. I find it all fascinating. I wish I could get like an array of books or DVDs on stuff like that.”
“Remember you said that,” Jaxon chuckled, giving me a wink.
“I think that perfect and maybe a freezer of some meat they can’t get. That’s because they haven’t had freezers or electricity to preserve meat, and people have had shortages on options. Say that clearly so they know it’s not a slam of sending meat to that house,” he told me. “Now Mother is harder to please, and you shouldn’t send her weapons, as she’s not boss or in charge of protecting the coven. However, if you sent them to my father, that would be smart, as he will still protect the coven for my sister.”
I nodded. “And a message on a phone like Jaxon is doing? I shouldn’t handle the addressing when we’re only courting, right? I’m paying my respects and not forgetting them given we’re already sending an envoy to that area, but Jaxon and I are engaged and we’re not.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Not yet. I think it’s smart, but they will probably send back a message to start working what they can for our family coven.”
I glanced at Kristof, wondering his thoughts on this. He was already looking at me, his stare a mix of impressed and considering.
“I think Cerdic needs to make it clear in his message that he wants you and how much he wants you because they are his family first. He is the last of his siblings not to find a court, and now that his mother doesn’t run the coven, she is his mother first. I think his extending an offer of weapons if they want and could get the plane fuel for the return trip is the right offer.”
“And mention you wanted some of those charger trucks,” Cerdic added, nodding. “Not just you’re willing to give and give, but more of course you would think to discuss such matters with them at my suggestion, and that’s the smartest way to be.”
I worried my lower lip, and suddenly Darius was kissing me. I got distracted a few moments and enjoyed it, loving that he always did that and not just because he didn’t want me to hurt my lips. No, he knew I was unsettled on something.
“He’s expected to help his family coven by courting you, but he’s also old, and that makes the play not as viable, especially given the state of the world. Trading favors and a way for help would be smarter than the old bullshit. He’s not the only one courting you, and trying to use you for his family coven comes with consequences.”
“I’m on Team Inez, love,” Cerdic promised, picking up where my head went.
“How do we deliver that?” James asked, glancing between us.
“I’ll add in the video to Mother that we sent extras in the hopes she would handle it,” Jaxon answered. “We need a semi loaded and that charging array you were talking about. It’s smart to show how we’re way ahead of the curve even if they don’t know where we’re starting. You might not have a physical location of your coven yet, but they don’t know that.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” I sighed, feeling exhausted already. I wasn’t going to have nearly as many ghosts today as I had the day before, but a fraction of a shit ton still wasn’t an easy day. “We’re never going to get everything broken down and pixelated. That will take months and months.”
“Yes, but I can bring you back here from almost anywhere on the continent with little to no effort,” Kristof told me. “When you are comfortable with us being alone, of course. There is nothing to say you have to do it all now, Inez. Pace yourself. We’re talking long term goals.”
I blew a raspberry, glad the pressuring wasn’t all now. “Okay, good.”
“I would ask to find the animals for your gift along with clearing those fishing islands and peninsula to the southwest for my princess in the hopes she would reward me with some time after dinner to show you something I found that I believe you will enjoy. I could update you on my progress at the same time.”
“Okay,” I agreed, curious. “Thanks.” I looked at Jaxon. “So you got the rest? The ghosts are going to start soon, so what’s the plan?”
“First, you get to see the present we have,” he told me. “You passed out and then woke only to hunt. We want to make sure you saw what we have for you.” He frowned at my breakfast. “You didn’t eat much.”
“I feel a bit all over,” I admitted, rubbing my forehead. “It’s all good, and I’m glad some things were settled, but I feel like I’m in one of those crank washing machines I’ve seen at camps. Or even the one in the trailer, just spun all around.”
“Not to demean what you feel, but you’re not alone on that,” James promised. Yeah, that did help to know I wasn’t alone, but I wanted off the ride sometimes.
But I’d never lived not on the ride that I remembered, so that was scary too.
That worry and spinning feeling turned to pure joy when they brought me to the port where they were storing all the containers. One had a special marking and symbol like a “T” overlaying an “I.” I realized it was the symbol for Team Inez, and it made me think of something I’d worried about.
“We should talk about some sort of marking for those we trust or are coven,” I muttered under my breath to Jaxon and Darius. I shrugged when they gave me shocked looks. “We’re already talking about bringing in a thousand people. There will be lots more, right? That means spies and baddies more than infected humans. I think we should have some sort of system.”
“It sounds a bit like you’re planning on branding your pets,” Cerdic warned.
I shook my head. “Not what I meant. I was at a settlement where they had levels of tats and everyone was checked to make sure no one just snuck in. It was a smart system even if it got me some permanent marker on my forehead that I’d been checked and cleared to visit on my way through the area.” I shrugged. “No reason we couldn’t have it be super cool or a variety, but everyone checks for them.”
“I agree,” James said under his breath, letting me know he had better hearing than most of the other shifters. “It doesn’t have to be a brand or demeaning. It will protect us too. What if someone came in saying they were a Begley and used that to get through the door? I don’t want that.”
I nodded, pointing to the symbol on the trailer. “I was thinking like that but made into a tree, as that will be the central point of the coven. A very specific tree and rotate colors and stuff like countries did with passports so no one just adds it. Then again, we’d have electric tattoo guns and others wouldn’t maybe.”
“But don’t make it that big of a deal people would copy, as we’ll go back to keycard systems and real security with the engineers of the apocalypse,” James added.
“They really like that name,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, they do.” He gave me a wink. “It makes them feel like the guys who can help pull us out of the shit when they’d lost hope.”
Darius opened the doors of the trailer, and at first I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I mean, I knew they were shipping crates and were filled, but I didn’t know with what until I peeked into the one nearest to the door. Reaching out, I picked up the first and saw another under it, smiling.
“Our princess has a thirst for knowledge, and there’s no reason she shouldn’t quench her curiosity,” Darius said as he moved behind me and hugged me. “So we packed up one of every book in the university bookstore, along with an array of books we found at the Barnes and Nobles.” He kissed my neck. “Thank you for my music, my fiancée.”
“And thank you for the knife sharpener and fishing equipment, my fiancée,” Jaxon muttered as he hugged me from the front. “I look forward to us having some quiet, relaxing fun and the shower we’ll need after when we smell like fish.”
I chuckled as I looked up at him. He’d been talking about how hunting w
as great, but he was born of an island and fishing was in his blood. I’d gotten the leopards to help me find some good stuff when we’d raided and given it to Jaxon. I was thrilled he liked it and was so touched I’d thought of him.
“Thank you for my massive gift, my fiancés,” I purred as I kissed each of them. “So, we’re thinking a huge library for the coven and maybe a private one in our castle? Naked reading only with some super soft pillows and a fireplace?”
“I can make that happen,” Darius promised. “I’ve been excited to sketch ideas and be involved in such an amazing design.”
Which was why I was glad I’d shared and wasn’t more freaked out about it all. He was so, so happy, and I could tell this designing and being an architect was his happy place. Good because we would need a lot of that to build a coven.
“Wilson knows the computer software I used for designing, and we’re looking for it and the right computer so I can show you exactly what I’ve planned for you,” he murmured. “I have so many sketches of your master suite. A massive closet for my princess and an array of others for her nobles.”
I worried my lower lip. “How many others?”
He kissed me so I stopped nibbling. “A lot, but not all will be for us. Or would you prefer an array of rooms so we each have our own and that way there are extra guest rooms?”
“Yes, that,” I blurted, thinking that sounded less scary than sharing a room with an indefinite number of men. That sounded disastrous and not just because I didn’t think I’d want to love others like I did Darius and Jaxon, but that was just too many adults in one bedroom.
And too many men in my life that so much could go wrong with. Given there was already a line of nobles wanting to meet me, it was a valid thing to worry about.
18
I made it through the afternoon ghosts and did a lot of good with that power, plus the blood Cerdic let me have. He was fine with letting me have his super charged blood… As long as he got to at least watch the effects of it.