Trinity

“Princess, I am Thordis Jax.” A man bowed before me when it was his turn to lead me around the dance floor. The name sounded familiar, but I’d met so many people, the names were a blur. “I would like to wish you welcome, but also my apologies for the… dangerous welcome you received upon your return to Alera.”

“Oh!” I replied. “Lord Jax, yes. I remember that name now,” I replied. What did one say to someone who had planned for our protection but provided anything but? What did I say to the alien who ruled the house that my sister, Faith, was probably snooping around in at this very moment? But then again, Prime Nial had trusted him. So I wasn’t sure what to think. Luckily, I didn’t have to come up with anything to say because he smiled at me—a gigawatt smile—and twirled me around so fast it made me dizzy.

“Thor, please. Lord Jax is my father.” Thor was charming. I had to give him credit. His hair was golden blond, he appeared to be close to my age, but his eyes looked calculating. Old eyes in such a young man. They were blue, a dark gray-blue that reminded me of stain-washed denim. He was tall and handsome, and I didn’t fail to notice the amount of attention he got from the rest of the ladies in the room. Throw some tights on the guy and I’d be talking to Captain America.

I glanced down. I couldn’t help it. Umm, yeah. One problem with that—no female Aleran had woken him up yet. There was no tenting in his pants. Not like Leo, and a few of the others here. He’d told me that his constant erection would go away after a few months, waiting for one glance or one touch from me to come roaring back to life, hard and ready.

Leo. Where was my mate now? I lifted my head and craned my neck to see around blondie’s shoulders.

“You look like you’re done with dancing for now.” Thor glanced behind him, saw that there was no one there. There was, however, a large area set with tables and on those tables? Food. Drinks. I was both hungry and thirsty. “May I escort you to the refreshments?”

He held out his bent arm like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. His aura looked warm, friendly. Not the intense passion and devotion I saw when I looked at Leo, but Thor appeared to be safe enough. And besides, we were only going to the buffet table on the other side of the ballroom, not the dungeon. So I said, “Thank you,” and took his arm.

Faith was in the Jax household, so I had to wonder if she’d met one Thordis Jax. Because wow, he was gorgeous. I had my hottie, but still. I had sisters. Single sisters…

I caught a glimpse of Leo, who was dancing with some Aleran woman in a pale yellow dress. There was stomping and clapping and twirling in the dance, a quadrille or a jig or something complicated. Yeah, Thor was hot, but my man was hotter.

“I don’t think I would be able to handle that one,” I said as we skirted around the dancers. “The steps look too complicated.”

“It is complicated, but we are raised learning them, so they are not difficult for us.”

Leo caught my eye and he was able to follow the intricate moves while watching me. I hand signed that I was getting a drink and he nodded, drawn back into the dance.

Thor led me to a table covered in pre-filled wine glasses. The crystal and ruby liquid looked brilliant in the lights. He handed me a glass and I took a sip, then another. Delicious, yet I could taste the alcohol and it no doubt packed a serious punch, especially to a lightweight like me. Thor didn’t say anything, just let me take a moment to myself as we watched the dancers.

“Thank you,” I said finally.

He arched a brow.

“For the break. I needed this. And, of course, for the group of guards who met us at the transport.”

“They failed miserably,” he murmured, glancing down at the polished floor. “I had Prime Nial to answer to for that one.”

“You?” I asked. “But I thought your father was Lord Jax. Wasn’t he in charge of the men?”

Thor chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. “Officially, yes. And he did select the lead guard, told that man to select his own soldiers to accompany him to transport to meet you.” He took a sip of his wine but didn’t look at me. “But when it was time to face the consequences of our failure, he was conveniently unavailable to take Prime Nial’s comm.”

Damn. Would have been nice to be a fly on the wall when that was going on. But then again, maybe not. It wasn’t Thor’s fault we were attacked. I sensed no subterfuge in his aura. Only regret. And I knew Nial and how nice he was. And how intimidating. I could only imagine what it had been like to be reprimanded by the leader of all of Prillon Prime, and then some. And Ander, his second, was even scarier. I would not want to be on the receiving end of a smack down from either of them. “I am sorry so many of your soldiers died. I’m sure they were good men.”

He nodded. “Not good enough. And one of them had to have betrayed us. Someone who knew about the guards, that they were to protect you. Somewhere in the chain, there is a rat.”

I wasn’t touching that one, not with Faith sneaking around under his nose. In his house. “And I’m sorry for the loss of your consort. I understand they are very difficult to replace.” It was all I could think to say. What was there to talk about regarding a man paid to have sex with noble women? He excelled at his job? He seemed eager to advance his career? He was a good sport when I told him I wasn’t going to let him touch me? Ugh. It all sounded bad in my head.

Thor’s mouth tipped up in a smile. “Cassander is none the worse for wear. In fact, he’s said that it was quite an experience.”

I turned my head to him, the dancers ignored. “He’s not dead?”

Thor shook his head. “No. Stunned, shot in the head. The medical team found him alive. It must have looked like he bled to death, but the wound was not much more than a surface injury.”

I remembered seeing him fall, the blood. The consort unconscious. I’d never gone back to check on him because a guy in all black had just crashed through the window and shot the person next to me. Hell, I’d just assumed… Stupid. I’d learned my lesson. Never assume. “Well, that’s good to hear. Please tell him… no hard feelings.”

“I don’t know that term, but it seems that you have found someone to ease your body’s needs on a more permanent basis.”

I watched Leo circle by, the dance still going, the music mixing in with the lively conversations all around us. It was a long set. He lifted his gaze to mine, and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. Just like that, the air was locked in my lungs. God, he was so freaking hot. Sexy. I wanted to— “Yes, well…” That was a thread of conversation I wasn’t going to continue. “Who are they, the group in capes?” I asked, tipping my head toward several men and one woman in black capes on the edge of the room. It was definitely time to change the subject off of consorts, mates and my needy vagina.

Their uniforms were interesting. If I were being honest, they looked like high school cheerleaders—skipping the tiny pleated skirts. Black, white and silver, the zig-zag geometric designs on their shirts were distinct. Different from everyone else in the room. Black shoulders. White chest. Silver darts at the side and a black triangle pointing up toward the heart. The upper arms were white beneath the shoulder, but from the elbow down, the uniforms were shimmering, metallic silver. Their pants and boots were black. There were both men and a woman wearing the strange outfits, like they were the only ones who thought they were coming to a Cos-Play and no one else got the memo. Their capes were thick, black on the back, a soft, shimmering silver on the inside. It looked like sparkling silver mink.

Weird. Did that come from a bizarre Aleran animal? And if it did, how could they kill something so damn beautiful?

At the top of the black peak on their shirts, just under the sternum, each of them had a distinct symbol. What was that? Their rank? And what was with the swords hanging from every one of their hips. They weren’t decorative. They were simple. Slim. And they looked very well used—and sharp.

“Clerics,” Thor commented.

“Priests? Monks?” I asked. Okay. Weird outfits for a priest, but I was on a different planet.

“Not exactly.” He cleared his throat and took his time, as if working out how to explain. “I apologize, Princess. It is hard to remember that while your mother is Queen Celene, you have only been on Alera a short time. The clerics… they are spiritual leaders, but not of the type I believe you are suggesting. Those present here are of the highest order. The leaders. But the Clerical Order has existed for as long as your royal bloodline. They are sworn protectors of the crown, and of the citadel. There are thousands of them serving all over Alera. Their lower ranking members train to serve the people in a spiritual sense, counseling others in times of stress or grief. Officiating at births and deaths. Marriages. Matters of finance. But they do not hold court, or preach from a book, as I understand your religious leaders do.”

Finances? Right. So, not so different from the churches back home. Maybe like higher-ups in the Catholic church at the Vatican. “What are the symbols below their chests?”

“That is their family crest. They are all volunteers, called to serve in the order. Some are born without legacy or inheritance, and it is a way to keep a roof over their head. Others are healers. But all keep their family crest on their uniform. If they have no family name, they take the sign of the order.”

That was depressing. I’d have to find out more about that system once my mother was back on the throne. “What about the old man talking to them? Is he a cleric too?” The man I asked about looked like he was in his seventies, but quick-witted. Not dull. His hands moved in an animated fashion as he spoke and the others bent close to listen, as if what he said mattered.

“That is Lord Wyse on the left, and no, he is not a cleric. He is the head of the Royal Guards’ Optimus unit, his title being Inspector Optimi. It’s a fancy title for being in charge of the group who mete justice. They investigate crimes, examine evidence and prosecute and try the guilty in court.”

He sounded impressive and looked a little… daunting.

“Actually, he is one of your cousins, Princess,” Thor continued. “He is very, very rich, and I have no doubt that his many children and grandchildren will not be pleased about your return.” His grin was contagious, so I gave in and grinned back at him, for I knew what family was like. You couldn’t choose them and you were stuck with them, no matter what.

“Running away with the family money, am I?” I asked, joking.

Thor cleared his throat. “Oh, yes. Starting with his eldest daughter, your cousin Radella. I’m sure she is already wondering when you will force her out of her home.”

I didn’t see a resemblance between Lord Wyse and Radella, but I didn’t doubt their father/daughter connection. He looked like he swallowed a lemon, a look I saw frequently on Radella’s face. “It’s my home,” I countered, clarifying that Radella had settled in too well to a home that didn’t belong to her. “It’s my mother’s.”

He raised his hands, palms out. “I accuse you of nothing. It is your rightful home. But Radella and her family have lived there for more than twenty years, ruled the roost, so to speak. They will not be happy to leave the house—or the status—behind.”

I squinted, trying to get a better look at this Lord Wyse. My cousin? Radella’s father? Ugh. “Who is the scary looking guy behind Lord Wyse?” He looked like he’d just ridden in from the desert. Perma-sunburn. His face was thin and he looked… mean. And he had a large scar on the side of his face, from the corner of his mouth down to his jaw. Like someone had put a jagged knife in his mouth and not cut… but ripped through his flesh. Gah, that must have been horribly painful, especially since there were ReGen wands and pods to heal wounds.

I looked closer, trying to see the color of their energy. Strangely, I saw nothing.

Confused, I turned my attention to a group standing closer to me. Perhaps Lord Wyse and the clerics were too far away.

Nope. Nothing.

What the hell? What happened to my superpower?

I turned my head too quickly and the room spun, just for a moment. I was tipsy. Off one glass of wine.