-11-
“You’re never ever to go to the training grounds or interfere with the guards again. Never challenge my knights to a fight like that. Never make a bet based on your abilities. It was reckless and stupid,” Father yelled.
He’d been at it since we left the field.
“It was for a good cause. Sir Kellion treats them like punching bags.”
“Then you tell me what’s going on; don’t take matters into your own hands. Don’t accept a challenge from a seasoned fighter like Sir Norath. He will face disciplinary—”
“No, please. It’s not his fault. He was reluctant to fight me, but I got cocky and insisted. Don’t punish him or Sir Kellion because of my decision. I just thought someone should stand up for the minions.”
“There are ways to do that without putting your life and everyone else’s in danger. Take up their cause, become their representative at the High Council if you must, but no more reckless behavior.”
“Okay. So, you won’t punish Sir Norath?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Then he was gone.
His words stayed with me for weeks, as did the smug smile on Solange’s face. She was the worst sister ever. To make matters worse, I didn’t know if Sir Piece of Crap Kellion stopped using minions as punching bags or if Father punished Sir Norath.
I trained and studied my butt off. My powers continued to fluctuate in ways that didn’t make sense. It had nothing to do with using my energy powers, either. Some mornings, I woke up tired and lethargic and couldn’t lift a feather with my mind. Other times, I was unstoppable. My staff transformed into swords, daggers, shields with a touch. Lightning sizzled in the air with little effort. Master Kenta loved it.
Green Eyes continued to be Mr. Mysterious, appearing when I least expected him and then disappearing. I didn’t think he was a spy, despite what I’d said, but it was obvious that he was more than he seemed. Maybe he was my guardian angel. He seemed to be around a lot when I needed help, but he still refused to explain how we knew each other, what demons were, or why he thought I was already linked with the Kris Dagger. I tried a couple times a day with no response.
I saw Lottius and Katia on weekends. At times, we just stayed around the castle. Other times, we went to West Coronis Beach to hang out or shop. Everything was charged to accounts set up by our parents.
“What if your parents don’t have money?” I asked.
“Like the minions?” Katia asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then you’re freaking out of luck,” Lottius said.
Katia sighed. “Really, Lottie. The High Council takes care of their needs, just like Queen Coronis did.”
I studied the bodies soaking up the sun on the sandy beach and the ones moving in and out of stores. Except those working in the stores, I hadn’t seen any minions. I was becoming good at recognizing them. Their psi energy wasn’t bright or large. I also hadn’t seen the children who’d followed us around during the rides.
“Don’t they come to the beach? I mean, I don’t see them around, and it can’t be fun being cooped up inside the mountain all the time.”
Katia and Lottius exchanged a glance.
“Can we show her?” Katia asked.
Lottius shrugged. It was just the three of us. Ravan and Skylar had a date, and Gus was off the island.
“Show me what?” I asked.
“You’ll see. Let’s go to the bathroom,” Katia whispered, glancing at me and then Lottius.
“I’m staying right here,” Lottius said, adjusting her sunglasses.
“Come on, Lottie,” Katia said.
“There’s nothing Lilith can do. Our people will never change. You saw what happened to the minions she tried to help in the elite guards. Nothing.”
I rounded on her. “You know what, Lottie? I’m tired of your defeatist attitude. Just because nothing has changed doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up. You don’t want to be involved? Then shut up and stay out of our way.”
She glared, and I glared right back.
After a few seconds, she sighed. “Fine. I’ll be the decoy and keep them preoccupied.” She slanted her head toward Callum and Rudy, my favorite bodyguards, and two other security guards.
Ruby and Callum followed us inside the ice-cream parlor while the others stayed by the entrance. I’d become very good at ignoring their presence, since no amount of complaining had convinced my father I didn’t need them twenty-four-seven.
Several girls came out of the bathroom and smiled when they saw me. “Hi, Princess Lilith.”
I loved that they had stopped bowing. I smiled back and waved, finding it hard to remember the lessons Lady Nemea had drummed into me over these past several weeks.
“We’re having a party at our place,” one of the girls said. “Would you and your friends like to come?”
“Ask her later,” Katia said, pulling me into the bathroom. “Follow my telegate.”
We appeared on a narrow and rocky beach packed with picnicking parents and children. Some lined up to get snow cones and drinks from a lone building by the rock wall bordering the beach. Others splashed in the water, swimming.
To our right was a rocky divide that went all the way to the sea. It was the same pile of rocks I’d seen the first time I’d come to the beach, which meant it separated this beach from West Coronis Beach. A waterfall to the left neatly confined the occupants to the narrow land. It didn’t seem to bother them, though.
“Is this part of Coronis Beach?” I asked.
“No, this is Rocky Beach,” Katia said. “Or, should I say, the minions’ beach. On the other side of the waterfall is East Coronis Beach, which, if you’ve noticed, is favored by families.”
The beach had more pebbles than sand. No wonder they called it Rocky Beach. “What happens when a family has a child without powers?” I asked.
Katia chuckled. “I don’t know. They keep it to themselves, I guess. Do you see her?”
I followed Katia’s gaze and saw who she was talking about—Seraph, the little girl I’d healed weeks ago. She’d seen us and was pointing.
One by one, the minions dropped to their knees, bowed their heads, and pressed hands to their chests. “No, don’t kneel.”
By the time we walked across the sand to their side, the entire beach was on their knees, on the rocky ground. Please, stop bowing. Get up. Now.
No one moved.
Please, stand up, I added.
One by one, heads lifted. They were confused, but they got to their feet. I recognized faces from the castle. Most workers there rotated, getting a few days off every week. Surprise flashed in their eyes when I remembered their names, but I didn’t dwell on it, because Seraph was running toward me, two of her friends following. I was sure she was going to hug me but stopped short and stuck her thumb in her mouth.
I knelt down. “Hey, Seraph. I promised I’d come.”
She just stared.
“Sorry it’s taken me so long,” I added, feeling a little guilty.
“Five weeks, twenty hours, and fifteen minutes late.”
I looked over my shoulder at Green Eyes. Dressed in a black surfing suit that hugged his masculine chest and taut abs, his hair plastered to his head and falling past his shoulders, he looked utterly male and tempting.
“I didn’t know you were keeping count,” I said.
“I always keep count, Princess.” He glanced at Katia. “Hi.”
“It’s you again,” Katia murmured. “Are you stalking us?”
“No. I just happen to have a large family to feed and must work as often as I can.”
“But the High Council is in charge of making sure everyone is fed,” I said.
“Weekly provisions are based on work hours, Princess, whether a minion works in some nobleman’s home, a shop, farms, or the palace grounds. You want decent meals each day, fresh fruit and vegetables, or even a decent home, you work your tail off. The problem is that when parents are busy working, the children are cooped underground doing nothing or working alongside them. Coming to the beach means lost work hours and less provision, yet the children need fresh air.”
Rocky Beach was small for the number of people flocking it, but he couldn’t be serious about food and home. The minions working at the castle always seemed happy. As an empath, I would have known if they were angry, hungry, or unhappy. As for their homes, I knew that most of the minions lived in the belly of the city, but I hadn’t visited them.
I glanced at Katia. “Is this true?”
She nodded.
I studied the minions and something registered. No one was speaking, not even telepathically. Were they listening to our conversation? I knew the ones closest to us could hear us.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Just as you made sure Sir Kellion stopped abusing the volunteers and got him bumped to number two, the rest of us need a champion, Princess,” Green Eyes said.
“What? He stopped?” I laughed.
Green Eyes grinned. “Sir Norath is now the head of the knights. He started a new regiment made up of minions. They started training this morning.”
“That’s great!” I hugged Katia.
“Like I said, the rest of us need an advocate, someone who cares about our welfare. Someone who can go to the High Council and demand changes.” He nodded at the minions. “Ask them what they need to make their lives better and you’ll be surprised.” He bowed and disappeared.
Why did he keep doing that?
I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud, until Seraph’s mother said, “He’s always been like that, even as a child. On Coronis Isle, he’d bring the children treats, then disappear. Now he brings supplies to the shop.” She indicated the beach shop with a nod. “Drinking water and fresh fruit.” She looked at something behind me and fear flashed in her eyes.
I turned and groaned. Lottius and my guards had caught up with us, but they weren’t alone. Lady Nemea and several guards were with them.
“We are so busted,” Katia whispered. She sounded scared.
Lottius hurried to our side, a broad grin on her face. “Are you done? I took them all over the island before they finally caught on. Idiots.”
Katia giggled. “You won’t believe what we just learned. They’ve started training minions as guards because of what Lilith did.”
I tuned out Katia and Lottius as Lady Nemea and the guards drew closer. A psi scan said my father was in the castle. I tried to ping him, but his shield was up. I tried again, hoping he’d recognize my energy and respond. No response. Weird.
The minions took off, some going back to their activities. Others left the beach altogether. I waited, my mind already made up.
“Don’t leave, please,” I called out. A few looked back and smiled, but the majority acted like they hadn’t heard me. Seraph and her two friends shuffled back with their mothers.
“What’s going on?” Lady Nemea asked imperiously. Nearby minions looked down.
“Join us, Lady Nemea,” I said. “We came to the beach to swim.”
Her eyes narrowed on Katia accusingly, then Lottius, before coming back to me. “You’re supposed to use West Coronis Beach.”
I shrugged. “We like this one better. Lots of rocks and itty-bitty space.”
Annoyance simmered in her eyes. “Swimming? Where’s your swimsuit?”
I looked down at my sundress, wishing it was a swimsuit. The material shifted and remolded to form a swimsuit. Grinning, I glance at Lady Nemea. “This swimsuit?”
She sighed. What are you really doing here, Princess?
I let the image of my sundress fill my thoughts, and the swimsuit transformed back into the dress. “My friends and I ended up on this beach and we wanted something fresh to eat and drink. You know, fresh fruit or a cold smoothie, but surprise, surprise, they didn’t have enough to go around. That little shack”—I pointed at the lone building—“can hardly handle the needs of this many people. There should be more shops here.”
Lady Nemea gave me a tight smile. “There’s still a lot of work being done around the island, so more stores will be added on Rocky Beach.” She glanced around at the minions and nodded. Three elderly ones—two men and a woman—had moved closer. Standing protectively behind them were buff younger ones in their teens or early twenties. From their expression, they didn’t believe Lady Nemea.
“I will talk to Kasset and make sure your supplies are increased, but right now Princess Lilith has duties in the castle that require her attention,” Lady Nemea added.
The expressions on the faces of the minions didn’t change, but their thoughts filtered through unchecked. They didn’t expect their situation to change. They didn’t trust Lady Nemea, and if I did nothing, they’d never trust me, either.
“No, Lady Nemea. My duties are here, serving my people.” I indicated the minions with a nod. “They need me.”
“Princess—”
“I will return to the castle, Lady Nemea, but first, we need some…” I glanced at the elderly woman.
“Fresh fruit,” she said.
“How many crates?” I asked.
“Three or four.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Four crates of fresh fruit.”
“And at least two barrels of drinking water,” one of the men chimed in.
“Anything else?”
“Fresh vegetables,” another added. “Three crates.”
Lady Nemea sighed. “Princess, I don’t think there’s enough to go around this week. They’ve already been given their weekly supply.”
I hated arguing with her in front of the minions, but dang it, Mount Hermon Island was home to all of us. “I know, Lady Nemea, but they need more now.” The minion elders nodded. “I know you’ve been busy preparing my etiquette lessons and probably haven’t had time to visit the storage, Lady Nemea.” Chances were she had, but I couldn’t accuse her of lying. “But there’s enough food to feed everyone on this island for years. Just yesterday, I saw crates of fresh apples, pineapples, mangoes, and peaches.” I paused and smiled at the elderly minion woman. “May I know your name, ma’am?”
“Halib,” she said, then pointed at the man on her right, “Jalal and Dadelon,” she pointed to the man on her left. “We are the elders and representatives of the P-zero group.”
I winced. This crazy way of defining people by their power had to stop. P-zero meant they had no powers. Having no psi power didn’t mean they were powerless or insignificant. Someone needed to remind them that as long as they were contributing members of the society, they were important. But that was for later. Now…
“How many barrels of water do you get daily, Halib, and how many more would you like daily?”
“We get water in our homes, Princess,” one of the elders explained. “It’s only here at the beach that we don’t have enough. But the waterfall is nearby.”
As the minions went into details about what each household needed, which included fruits and vegetables, Lady Nemea’s disapproval grew.
“To add that amount to their supplies, we need to talk to Kasset,” Lady Nemea said. “She’s in charge of food.”
I’d spent enough hours visiting the servants in the kitchen and Kasset in her office in the sublevels. She would understand.
“Can I have some volunteers, please?” I called out.
Several men and women raised their hands. I waved them over. The others stepped aside to let them pass. When they reached us, they went on their knees and touched their chests.
“We are here to serve you, Princess,” a woman said, and the others echoed her. I recognized her from the rides. She was the one manning the booth where I’d healed Seraph. “My name is Jazreel.”
“Nice to see you again, Jazreel. Come with me. All of you.” I didn’t look at Lady Nemea.
“Princess, what are you doing down here?” a short, round woman with rosy cheeks and white, curly hair asked, hurrying from an office when we appeared on the second sublevel. Behind us were huge barrels, crates, and sacks on raised platforms.
“Hi, Kasset. You said I could visit you whenever I liked.”
“Yes, to get a few pieces fruit or share the cook’s pie. Today, you brought visitors.” She studied the men and women who’d teleported behind me, her eyes locking with the woman from the rides. “Jazreel.”
“Mother.” The anger and hurt in that one word said it all.
“Can we talk in your office, please?” I asked.
Kasset nodded, her glance going to her daughter one last time. Once inside, she faced me. “What’s going on, Princess?”
“We need barrels of drinking water, fresh fruit, and vegetables sent to Rocky Beach.”
“May I know what it is for? Are you having a party?”
“It is for the people. I just found out some of our people are not getting enough fresh vegetables and fruit. I hate using the word minions or P-zeros, but they’re just as important as P1s, or the Specials, for that matter. The bottom line is they need water on the beach and fresh fruit, and I’m hoping you’ll give us some. Whatever their daily or weekly rations, I would like to see it—”
“Oh, Princess.” She cut me off, took my hand, and pressed it against her ample bosom. “Thank you. May the Principalities always guide you. I have placed requests for months, but Malax kept saying it was enough. I knew it wasn’t, because my daughter tells me in excruciating detail what the minions need.”
“She has no special powers?”
Kasset chuckled. “She does, but she’s what you call an activist. She and her friends work with the minions to better their lives.”
I frowned. “By doing what?”
“I don’t know. She refuses to discuss anything with me because, according to her, I am part of the problem.” She sighed. “She doesn’t understand that I answer to Malax, who answers to your father.”
“I’ll talk to my father.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said in an upbeat voice. “We’ll need to increase our budget to buy more. The fresh fruits we have right now might not be enough for a week—”
“Then let them last three days. Where do we get our fruit and vegetables?”
“We’ve grown our own since arriving here, but it’s not enough, so we buy from Hawaii and other parts of the US.”
According to my tutor, Mount Hermon Island was somewhere in the Pacific. “We have orchards here on the island?”
She nodded. “On the east side of the island.”
I hadn’t completely explored the other side of the island, just the beach. “Who does the planting, the tending, and the harvesting?”
Kasset hesitated, then said slowly, “Minions.”
Yet they weren’t getting enough to eat. Oh, my father was going to hear an earful. “Give them what they need for now.”
The ten volunteers were about to leave when Lady Nemea arrived. The gleam in her eyes said I wasn’t going to like whatever she said next.
“Your father wants to see you, Princess Lilith,” Lady Nemea said.
“Where is he?”
“In the throne room.”
The last couple of weeks, I’d become very good at finding the energies of those closest to me. I searched for my father’s. It amazed me how bright and red his energy was. Was mine like his? Some people had yellow, others orange energies. The minions’ were bright and white. Father?
You pinged me earlier. What’s going on?
I’m helping our people and I wanted you to know about it before you hear it from someone else.
A chuckle. Good.
Can you join us on Rocky Beach?
Silence.
Father?
I’ll be there. He sounded wary.
“He’s coming to the beach,” I said. Lady Nemea didn’t hide her surprise, and the minions’ fear was equally easy to read. “It’s okay,” I reassured them. “Take the crates to the beach.”