The first week of our lessons with the Kings, we learned a few basic rules.
First, make the connection quick.
Second, do not let only one other Mys power into our group. It has to be all four, and quick, or boom.
Third, amplifying our power — not just a little pure power in our palms — is awful. At first. Then, when we’re all touching, it’s perfect.
And fourth, which wasn’t really a rule, but it still deserved its definite place in my memory log, was that the Kings were sadistic SOBs with a major gambling problem between the four of them.
The second week, we learned how three of us touched just one for funneling.
Hmm. I would like to forget that week. Never in our friendship had we yelled — if that was all we did — at each other so much. I lost count of how many times we flew through the air. It wasn’t until the fourth day that we understood — no thanks to the Kings — to put only the teeniest, tiniest spark of our pure power in our palm, and then let it build inside ourselves once three of us were joined with the fourth. More money had been exchanged between Royal hands with arrogant expressions on their handsome faces, since we hadn’t broken their record on that one, either.
The third week, which was now, we were to put into action the touching for funneling that we had learned to control.
My throat was dry, and I felt like I was going to puke. Antonio had decided to join us today, and watched silently from his perch on the grass, where he rested against a tree. I knew why he was here. This was kind of monumental. It wasn’t an Awakening, but it was proof that, if I could do it, a hybrid could actually push only one of their powers into another to help with whatever the point individual was trying to accomplish.
And, today, it was…
“Jack, you’re going to be first on point,” King Fergus stated. “Antonio gave us this idea, and I think it’ll be marvelous if you guys can pull it off.” King Fergus pointed to the pond about a football field away. “You’re going to pick up that entire body of water and spread it wide and thin, and then raise it above all of us.” Our jaws dropped, including Jack’s, which wasn’t a good sign, since he was supposed to be the expert. “Then, you’re going to hold it there for as long as you can.”
Jack swallowed grandly and shut his gaping mouth, staring at the large — yes, large — pond. “You’re serious?”
“Yes,” King Fergus stated. “This is your test for funneling. The others will have their test, too.”
Uh-oh. A glance at King Kincaid showed he was grinning, and my eyes gradually traveled back to the King directly in front of me as I asked slowly, “What did you do during your training?”
King Fergus smirked and pointed to the pond once more. “I created that with a small earthquake. It’s extremely deep.” He turned his grin on Jack. “Lots of water in there.” He paused, and then added, “There’s also fish, so don’t drop them or Pearl, Lily, and Ezra will be running around trying to save them while you fill the pond back up with water.” His grin widened. “Have fun.”
The Kings left us so as to sit on their lawn chairs in the shade. They hadn’t given us a whole lot of instruction. Just said to push once we were all touching Jack. Thank you very much, Kings. We were left to figure it out ourselves once more.
I would like to “push” them. Into a shark’s tank. Silvered. Surrounded by Coms.
“Quit scowling,” Ezra grumbled, lifting a hand, where it hovered in front of my face before he fisted it and quickly lowered it. “Plotting their demise isn’t going to help right now. That comes later.” His eyes dipped to my lips, then back up. “You’ve got tomato sauce on the corner of your mouth.”
I snickered, wiping it away. “I’m not the only one.” The spaghetti today for lunch had been wonderful. Three bowls wonderful.
Ezra glared, rubbing at his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought it was funny.” I smiled, chuckling. “The Vamp with red-something on the corner of his mouth.” A few students had stared in the hallways, making it a hilarious inside joke, one-woman style.
He finished swiping with the back of his hand, smearing red over his mocha skin, and glowered at the evidence before bending toward me so we were eye-to-eye, and whispering, “I’m meticulous when it counts, and you know it.” Yes, he was. He never let a bead of blood drip. He grinned. “I’m going to get you back for this.”
Thankful he was keeping my mind off my worries, I pointed at his nose, careful not to touch him. “Just try it.”
He chuckled softly. “Oh, I will.” It sounded very much the threatening promise.
I had better watch my back. He could be pure evil when he wanted to be.
“Can you all begin, please?” King Kincaid called loudly.
Ezra and I turned our attention to him.
He was staring right at us, his lips thinned.
King Venclaire was sitting next to him, also staring at us, but with a particularly amused mien, since he had been able to hear our whole conversation.
Jack and Pearl were also talking, bickering, actually, about the best way to push.
King Kincaid stated, “You can talk later.” His voice held a little growl.
Ezra and I turned our faces back to each other, wearing blank expressions.
He swiftly straightened, moving to stand next to Pearl.
Ugh. King Kincaid and King Venclaire still thought we were doing the deed. It was annoying, to say the least. Ezra and I couldn’t even have a conversation without them watching us, making sure our “love affair” wasn’t too obvious. If Ezra wasn’t one of my best friends, I probably would have thought it funny but, as it was, it was more irritating than anything.
Pearl motioned for me to come over, so I walked the couple of steps to them, listening as she said, “I thought about this last night when we were babysitting. We’re supposed to push, right? Well, there was this one brat I wished I could have pushed my will on, but I figured the parents wouldn’t appreciate it, so I didn’t.”
I motioned for her to get on with the point, so she clarified, “I think that’s it. We’ve all pushed our will on our subjects at some point this year training with the Kings. That’s all we’ve got to do. Focus our will on the task, even if it is foreign to us.” She paused when we stood mute, only blinking. “Think of it as if you were an Elemental for this task. It’s not just Jack that’s supposed to raise the pond. Our power is supposed to help him raise it. So, just push your will, thinking as if you had his power.”
I debated that internally.
Jack said, “This is hard. I still don’t see how you’re going to think like me.”
“Oh!” I knew this one. “Talk out loud. Tell us what you’re thinking. We’ll copy it.”
“Be specific,” Ezra stated slowly. “Otherwise, we might picture one thing while you’re picturing something else entirely.”
Jack’s lips slowly curved until he was grinning. “That might work.”
“One more thing,” Pearl quickly murmured when we began turning toward the pond. “Push slowly at first. Anytime we’ve increased our power, we’ve had to do it slowly. I don’t see how this is any different.”
“We probably will, anyway, trying to break through that haze of perfection,” I mumbled, nibbling on my lips, all my nervousness hitting me again now that we were about to begin.
Jack whispered, “You’re going to do fine.” He sounded like he believed it.
Rolling my shoulders, I nodded, ready to see if I was screwed. “Thank you.”
Ezra rolled his index fingers in circles. “Let’s raise this pond.”
We turned toward said pond we needed to raise.
We rapidly made our link, the sensations uncomfortable at first, but then, heavenly.
Jack raised his arms, saying, “Imagine picking it up by the outer edges, like it’s a pizza. It’ll droop at first in the middle, but then imagine the water running like a faucet, but opposite. The water going up, but only until the top levels off flat, so it’s no longer drooping. We should see all the water at that point. When that happens, imagine the outside, not the inside, stagnant. Not frozen, but just absolutely still in place.” He inhaled deeply. “Push.”
I imagined exactly what he had said, the outer edges lifting first, and started pushing a tiny spark of my will into him. Just my will, held steady only by my Shifter power. It was hard, like I had said, because I didn’t want to do anything but enjoy the perfect, warm fog I was in, but I shoved through it. My tiny push of will deliberately grew larger, and I watched as the edges of the pond started to tremble. Sucking in a harsh breath, I tried to stay focused and continued pushing even more of my will into Jack, whose gaze was glowing so brightly it overrode the sun, making the area in front of us turn a shade of brown, the same color as his eyes.
Squinting through the brown hue, I saw the pond’s edges lift a few inches into the air. Breathless in my excitement, I rolled the remainder of my will into him, only thinking about pulling those edges up. I watched as a miracle happened before me. A hybrid, me, someone who should have been killed at birth, had done the impossible. I had funneled only my will, backed by my wild animal Shifter power, into Jack to help lift the water completely out of the ground, doing exactly as he had said and following his previous directions until it was stagnant on the outside.
Jack’s shoulders were tense, but he whispered in awe, “I knew it. I can feel you.”
That comment almost broke my concentration, because I was already practically bouncing behind him, between Ezra and Pearl. This was incredible! It was something that could change the way Mysticals think altogether. If I could just do an Awakening, I could burn that fucking Law to the ground.
I did bounce a little. Who wouldn’t, if they were me?
“Shh,” Pearl hissed. “Shut it and focus, Jack. What’s next?”
We stared at the stationary mass of water floating twenty yards into the air, the inside of it still fluid. The pond water was even browner, thanks to Jack’s eyes, but I could still see the little fish darting around like mad.
Jack sounded like he was smiling when he explained, “I want to flip it. Flat top on the bottom, pushing the part closest to us up and over, until it’s upside down. Then, imagine that pizza again, but now the water is a big pile of dough, the outside still stagnant. Like a rolling pin, I want to roll it flat starting from the side closest to us and moving away, making it long.” He paused, cracking his knuckles. “Push.”
My will was already at full power, so all I did was think about flipping it over.
It started to flip, then Jack rapidly stated, “Too fast. Too fast.” It instantly slowed as I altered my thoughts, and Jack sighed in relief. “You all thought the same thing. I felt it. It overrode mine, so I need to explain I want it all done slowly or it might collapse. Water tends to flow down wherever the sharpest outlet is, so go slow.”
We began willing it per Jack’s instructions. Watched it rotated upside down, then slowly thin out, leaving just enough room for the fish to swim. It was long. You could see through it to the sky by the time we were done.
Jack instructed, “The next part’s simple. Just imagine the outside still stagnant, but floating backward over our heads until it’s halfway over us. I’ll tell you when to stop. Then, just hold it there.”
We did just that.
My head tipped back and I watched all the ugly fish on full freak out mode swim crazily in their long, thin pond floating about twenty yards above our heads, in awe. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” Pearl muttered, sounding just as impressed.
“Huh,” Ezra mumbled, his eyes wide.
“Don’t lose focus,” Jack grunted, the pond wavering.
We snapped our attention, our will, to keeping the thing above our heads.
The Kings hiked to us, clapping, but wore scowls.
King Fergus grumbled, “You four now hold the record for this.”
I didn’t jump for joy because that would have wrecked everything, but I still grinned, as did my friends, while the Kings began passing money to one another.
Antonio joined our group, sitting directly in front of the four of us. After peering up, scrutinizing our work, he stated coolly, “I want you to make a dome out of this. The biggest dome you can.” It was an order.
The Kings stopped counting their cash to stare.
We peered to them, since they were the ones that gave us our official orders.
One by one, their faces blank, they nodded, then moved to stand behind Antonio.
Jack gave us instructions.
We did it. It was a little funky-shaped, but we did it.
No one was cheering or applauding this time.
Instead, the Kings’ gazes were on Antonio.
He hopped to his feet and peered up and down the area we had enclosed ourselves in, rubbing his chin. “Make a,” his head teetered in thought, “spout, of sorts. In the middle. Shooting straight into the air, leaving a hole in the middle about half the size of that,” he pointed to the side, “large trunk over there.”
We did.
He gazed up the hole and instructed, “Taller. Make it taller.”
We did.
Standing in front of us now, the Kings watching him intently, he ordered, “I want you four to start moving. Walk together while staying connected. Reach the end of the dome, and then make the dome move with you, keeping it flush with the ground. All the way to the school, and then back. Repeat this. We’ll walk with you.” He started walking, not waiting.
“Go,” King Nelson ordered us quietly. “Do everything he says.”
So, again, we did.
Pushing our will and moving the massive dome wasn’t easy. Not at all. Especially with the Kings surrounding us, wearing those carefully neutral expressions. It was freaking me out a little. When we stopped after our second trek to the school and back — we had seen students and teachers staring out the school’s windows — we rested, but kept our focus because Antonio wasn’t done with us.
“The next part,” Antonio’s lips pursed, his eyebrows lowering, “you won’t like. What you are going to hear and see outside of the dome is disturbing. It won’t be real. It’s only my magic. I want you to walk toward the far end of the property this time while my magic is at work. Try to stay focused.” He came closer to us. “Do. Not. Lose. Focus. You will hate what you see around you, but do not lose focus.”
Gently, we nodded. Yeah, I was officially wigged out.
He took a few steps back. “You’re about to see a piece of my past, a memory. But do as you were told.” Instantly, his eyes flared, and he waved a sharp, glowing golden hand.
The four of us jerked as people appeared outside the water dome.
It took everything in me not to scream. The people looked and sounded so real, only their clothing telling me it was a different period. Blood flew through the air as Coms slit throats with their knives or Vampires ripped into Coms’ necks with their fangs. Mages threw spells at Coms, killing them instantly, and a second later those same Mages were gunned down by different Coms. Shifters were in their animal form or their natural one attacking Com men and women while other Shifters exploded from grenades different Coms threw. Elementals lit Coms on fire or made them sink in quicksand or fly through the air or freeze right where they stood, explosions tearing up the ground everywhere, even as other Coms attacked Elementals with their weapons.
The dome most definitely wavered.
Antonio shouted, “Focus!”
All that kept me focused was the fact my friends were as speechless as I was. We were in this together, standing rigid, our breaths coming in pants as blood spattered and people were gutted. Swallowing hard, I tried to keep from puking, the scene a hundred times more brutal than the attack on the beach we had endured.
Antonio repeated, “Remember, none of this is real. If you falter, you fail, and I will make you hold this dome for three days straight. You stop for anything, and you fail. Understand?”
The four of us quickly nodded, and I tried not to flinch, hearing a man scream for mercy before his shout sputtered to a gurgle. We began moving toward the back of the property as he had ordered with spelled chaos surrounding us. As we moved, the brutality only became worse.
It was appalling. My heart broke for Antonio, even though I now thought him even more sadistic than any of the Kings, because he had experienced this. The war. Been out there in it. I couldn’t even imagine the reality of his life’s existence.
I was physically shaking. My hand squeezed Jack’s shoulder, probably too hard, but he didn’t complain, continuing to move us forward and lead us through the trek. We finally made it to the back edge of the property where it veered off in several directions, and I prayed Antonio wouldn’t make us keep going. All four of us wore the same expression.
Wide-eyed and disturbed.
Antonio merely nodded approvingly. “Good.” His eyes quit glowing, and thank the heavens, the scene outside the dome disappeared. “Now, head back, and then walk here again. We’ll do this until school is out. Continue moving. Never stop. Never waver. Stay focused.”
School wasn’t out for another three hours.
I bit my lip, glancing back and forth between Ezra and Pearl. That was a long damn time. At least there were no bloody slaying and screeching cries outside the dome.
We didn’t argue. We did as told.
“You’re done for the day,” King Fergus said absently, wiping sweat off his forehead as we finished putting the pond back in its proper place. He waved a hand. “Go relax together.” Another absent wave as he started moving toward their lawn chairs.
We blinked after him, wiping our own brows and panting from exertion. We were exhausted and still a tad uneasy from that gruesome show, but King Fergus telling us to go off together? That was even more peculiar.
“What about the gremlins?” Pearl asked, referring to our babysitting duties.
I only just refrained from slapping her over the head.
King Nelson was staring up at the sky, eyes glowing, and he murmured softly, “No more babysitting duties. Just go rest.”
We stood there stunned for, oh, maybe, half a heartbeat before we turned and tore away from them. We most certainly weren’t going to give him a chance to take that back. Tired, or not, our feet were moving.
King Kincaid hollered, “Don’t you dare do anything stupid!”
We nodded, still hurrying away.
“And you’re all sleeping at my house tonight, so make sure you have a bag packed!” King Venclaire shouted. “In fact, just go to my house right now and stay there.” A pause. “And try to not break anything.”
We did stop at his pronouncement. That was news to us. Sanity quickly returned, and we were hurrying off again. Surprised, or not, none of us wanted them to go back on having no brat duty.
“So,” Gideon scanned the area around him, “where’s King Venclaire’s real lair?”
I knew I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
We were sitting in the formal living room of King Venclaire’s house and, again, it was just too wrong for him compared to what I knew Vampires enjoyed.
“I’d tell you,” Ezra took a swig of his beer, “but then King Venclaire would kill me.”
There were no guards inside the mansion right now, so we were free to be ourselves.
Ezra was sitting on the corner of the couch with his back to the arm, one leg on the floor, and the other against the back of the couch while I lay between his legs with my back against his chest. My legs were stretched straight in front of me, my feet on Pearl’s lap. She was painting my toenails black with gold sparkles while Gideon sat on the floor below her, massaging her sore feet, since she had been wearing new shoes during those hours of walking, breaking them in, and it had been a mini-torture of its own kind. She had not complained once until we were in the Hummer, driving away from King Hall. Jack sat on a recliner with Nikki curled on his lap, both taking a small nap, damn cute all snuggled together.
I tilted my head, looking up at Ezra. “Seriously. The first time I was in here, I knew this room wasn’t right. What gives?”
His lips twitched. “I really can’t tell you. He would be pissed.”
Absently, Pearl waved the brush in the air, indicating the room at large, and cocked her head as she examined my toenail she had just painted. “It doesn’t feel right in here.”
My eyes didn’t leave Ezra’s, watching him as he scanned the room with a cocky grin teasing his lips. “Oh, you’ve got to tell us.” I poked him in the ribs, which probably hurt my finger more than it hurt him. “Come on!” My brows snapped together when his eyes met mine again as I suddenly realized a key fact. “I’ve never seen your bedroom.”
A black, arched brow rose. “I’ve never offered.” He was deflecting, and was a master at it. A true Vampire down to his Core.
I shook my head. “Show me your room.” That was the real Vampire area.
“The only women who see my room end up on my bed.” His lips curved.
I blinked, and glanced at Pearl. “You want to see his room?”
“Hell, yes.” Carefully, she painted my pinkie toe. “I bet it’s all black and morbid.”
“Want to sleep in his bed with me tonight?” A finger flick at her mate. “It’s bound to be big enough for Gideon, too.”
She shrugged, even as Gideon choked. “Sure. Why not? It’ll be like the camping trip.” Her hand stalled, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing as she quickly jammed the brush back in the paint bottle. “Gideon will be there, at least.”
Ezra was, literally, vibrating under me.
I elbowed him covertly. Gideon didn’t know anything about that first morning. I felt compelled to say, “No freaky magical shit in the bed.”
Ezra laughed outright.
Pearl rolled her eyes, muttering, “As if I would let you see Gideon like that.”
As if I wanted to see Gideon like that.
Luckily, I didn’t voice that little thought. That would have been rude. But, Gideon, well, he was just too…proper, maybe? I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it didn’t make me all woohoo envisioning him naked. I more imagined him at a country club, sitting by a fire and sipping tea while Pearl snuck outside to steal a golf cart and raced it across the course, doing donuts and tearing up the green, as Ezra, Jack, and I cheered her on from the eighteenth hole. Not really erotic fantasy material for me.
Pearl waved a slightly glowing hand over my toenails, and I felt them go from damp-cool to dry-solid.
I thanked her and rolled over, staring Ezra right in his face. “Show us?”
Taking another drink, his nose crinkled. “King Venclaire will seriously be pissed. Only Vamps allowed.”
Shaking my head softly, I tried for innocence. “He said we were spending the night.” I smiled sweetly. “He didn’t specify where.”
Ezra’s eyes narrowed. “It’s definitely possible you were a swindler in another life.”
“Whoa,” Jack mumbled, staring at Ezra’s bedroom. “Just whoa.”
Ezra had taken us through a hidden door that, indeed, took us by another living room most definitely Vampire style, all in dark wine and black. The hallway we had walked down was painted a deep plum. Ezra’s room wasn’t any different. It reminded me of my old room at my uncle’s, where I’d lived before my Shifter power had been Awakened.
I asked, “Did you get to decorate it yourself? Or did King Venclaire do it?” I ran my hand against one of the walls, and realized they were papered in black velvet, not just painted.
“He let me do it,” Ezra replied, sitting on a massive, black leather chair that was circular with no armrests. “He gave me a pretty sizable amount to spend, so I went a little overboard.”
Nikki lifted a red bra by the strap with one finger, holding it out in front of her. “I didn’t know you did drag.”
We stopped and stared, until Jack murmured something against her ear, and she blushed prettily, dropping the bra and mumbling an apology to Ezra. God, she was so innocent. It was endearing but, really, could she honestly imagine Ezra in drag or, instead, imagine one of his girlies leaving that behind so she would have a valid reason to come back?
Yeah.
I stepped over a purse on the floor. “On the last day of school, you should set up a lost and found table so these women can get their crap back.”
Ezra’s expression turned thoughtful. “That’s not a bad idea, but I’ve been debating giving it all to charity. I think the disadvantaged could use it more than the women who left it.” He pointed to the black wooden door. His closet. “I’ve got three full boxes in there. It’s absurd.”
I snickered because he was serious, and wandered to his collection of photographs on his black and grey marble desk. Bending, I peered at them. It was obvious who they were of. His mom and dad. I could tell one was definitely of his late mate by the goofy way he was smiling at her. She was predictably gorgeous. “She was very beautiful.”
He nodded, draining the rest of his beer.
I cast my gaze away from him, seeing a familiar grief in his eyes I knew all too well, and went back to studying the pictures. There were photos of him that must have been taken during his travels. In most of them he looked drunk or stoned with other Vampires hanging on him in much the same state. My attention snagged on the framed photo at the end.
I picked it up slowly, and stared. It was of the four of us. Pearl, Jack, Ezra, and I at the New Year’s party we had attended. I remembered now that Ezra had found a disposable camera lying on the floor during one of our boogie sessions, and asked someone to take a picture with it for us. Pearl and I wore those stupid pointy hats, and when we had leaned in together, well, the picture captured Pearl and I with our cheeks smashed together with big, silly grins on our faces, Jack holding his eye after Pearl almost put it out with her hat, but he still had a huge grin on his face, and Ezra had his fangs out, standing behind me, dipped to my height, with his mouth spread wide against my throat — not actually biting, but still managing to smile, eyes up at the camera.
My voice was soft. “Can I get a copy of this?”
His eyes tracked over my face. “Sure. I’ll scan it and make a print for you.”
“Thanks.” I ran a finger over my captured smile, it caught forever in this picture. I had been really happy then. I was really happy now. Glancing at each of my friends, I was misty-eyed, and quickly sniffed any tears back, putting the picture down. Once upon a time, at the beginning of the year, I had lost my heart. With these completely different Mysticals, I had found it again in them.
“Come here,” Ezra said quietly, watching me.
I took one last glance at the photo, and made my way to him. He pulled me down onto his lap and I curled up there, watching Jack and Pearl go at it over music choice while Gideon and Nikki tried to referee. I asked loudly, “Where is everyone going after graduation?” This had been eating away at me for the past month. My friends leaving. Going home, or wherever they wanted to set up their home base. All of us had been avoiding this topic with one another. After seeing proof like that picture…well, I wanted to know where they would be.
Jack and Pearl shut up, turning their attention our way.
Ezra wove his arms around my hips, holding me.
I was trembling a little, and I knew my voice had shaken just the same.
Into the silence, Ezra kissed my forehead, resting his chin on top of my head. “I haven’t decided yet.” He paused. “Pearl? Jack?”
Jack cleared his throat. “Nikki, can you give us a minute?”
She nodded, and, as if by cue, Gideon kissed Pearl’s cheek, both mates leaving Ezra’s room and closing the door behind them. I could hear them walking down the hallway and back out the secret door to the “company”, formal living room.
Jack took a step forward. “I actually don’t know. King Fergus has been listing location after location trying to get me to decide, but I haven’t given him a solid answer.”
Pearl flopped on Ezra’s bed with a CD clutched in her hand, which she had grabbed behind Jack’s back while he had been talking. “I haven’t decided, either. Gideon’s been hounding me about it, but,” her eyes darted to all of us, “I can’t decide.” Those golden eyes landed on me. “What about you?”
“Assuming I can do an Awakening?” Her eyes rolled at my question, although, her forehead crinkled in worry as she nodded. Sighing heavily and pushing away any of those fears, I answered, “I haven’t picked a place.” I nuzzled my forehead deeper against the crook of Ezra’s warm neck, feeling his pulse beat against my forehead. “King Kincaid keeps going on about staying here in New York, but I haven’t told him yes or no.”
Biting my lips, I hesitated, and then blurted, “I just can’t imagine living away from you guys. Having all those simpering subjects surrounding me. They’re good people, but I can’t even have a simple conversation with them. They just agree with everything I say because of who I am.” I shook my head under Ezra’s chin. “That doesn’t sound at all pleasant. At least you and Jack have Gideon and Nikki. Ezra and I have no one. We’ll be stuck with a bunch of brown nosers.”
Unfortunately, it was a dangerous game to ask anything else from our subjects. We were the Law. So, brown nosers they had to be. Not my fault, nor theirs. It just was the way it was. The way it had to be.
Jack sat on the bed, his hand inching toward the CD in Pearl’s hand. “You’re forgetting that Nikki — after she graduates — and Gideon will be traveling quite a bit for a while, being our eyes and ears and making contacts we can’t.” Again, that came from us being who we were. Their mates had their roles, too. “We’ll be in the same situation as you two, in the beginning.” His fingers landed on the edge of the CD, Pearl not noticing.
We sat in silence, all of us detesting our fate. There was no stopping it. We were going to be ripped away from each other a few weeks after graduation when we had to choose.
I whispered, “Maybe, we can choose locations close to one another.”
Ezra half cleared his throat/half grunted, the sound odd enough that Jack stopped trying to steal the CD to glance at him as I lifted away a smidge to see his face. Hesitantly, Ezra stated, “I might have an idea for what we’re all dreading, but it’s a bit…radical…for the Mys community. It would also depend on how we each plan to rule our subjects.”
“Ooh,” Pearl did a fake shiver, “I love radical.” All kidding aside, she was watching him just as intently as Jack and me.
“We aren’t leaving immediately after graduation, and we still need to see if,” Ezra patted my hip, “Lily can do an Awakening, so I propose we wait until graduation night to have this discussion. Once we’re through with King Hall completely and have more freedom to do as we want, we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you my thoughts.”
Jack rubbed his chin. “We wait until after graduation to tell the Kings where we’re setting up shop?”
“That would probably be wise if you’re interested in hearing me out.”
I gawked. “You’re thinking about all of us living under one roof, aren’t you?”
His lips pursed, and he tilted his head back against the top of his circular chair, staring at his dark ceiling. “That would be part of it, but it would have to be a massive roof and be in more than one location worldwide. It could benefit our subjects in ways the previous Rulers never even contemplated because of their lack of connection, a connection which the four of us have.” His face slanted back to our shocked ones. “Like I said, it would be radical. There are a lot of different factors we would have to think about, but,” another pat on my hip, “we need to make sure we aren’t dealing with other issues before we really consider this.”
Silence.
What he was proposing was a first. It could either cause a rebellion or cause unity. It was a formidable line to cross if we chose to be as progressive as that. Like he had said, it was an idea no other four Rulers had ever contemplated, because they had kept themselves separate from one another, which seemed ludicrous to me now. How they hadn’t jumped at the chance to have a bond like ours was beyond me.
In the extended quiet, Pearl whispered, “That’s ballsy.”
“Yes.” Ezra cracked his neck. The action had my gaze landing there. His pulse. “It is. Just think about it until graduation, and then, if we want to discuss it more, we can.” He paused before adding quietly, “If you don’t want to, I won’t think poorly of you. Of any of you. It makes me anxious and I was the one to come up with it.” His face turned in my direction, although, that wasn’t what I was eyeballing. “On that note, we’ll put this subject on hold, which is perfect timing because I do believe Lily’s got a craving.”
His pulse thumped so deliciously under his skin, I licked my lips. “Yeah.”
“Well,” Jack stood, “I’m thirsty and hungry, but not for,” he gagged, “what she wants. I’m going to see if Nikki wants to eat.”
“Same here,” Pearl said, standing. “It’s your day, anyway.” Always careful with words in a Vampire’s home.
Ezra nodded. “I know.” As they started moving across the room, he advised, “Don’t eat a lot. The King loves a sit-down political dinner when guests are here. The cook probably has something special planned.”
They agreed not to eat the entire pantry — right now — and left us alone.
“Here or my bed?” Ezra whispered softly.
I debated, my eyes never leaving his pulse. “The bed would be better for you.”
He easily lifted me in his arms as he stood. Sitting on the bed, he lay back completely.
Moving like clockwork, I straddled him as he tilted his chin back and to the side. His arms rested around me as I lowered, and I gently placed my tongue against his throat, feeling his pulse throb. Breathing in deeply, I sighed — he was my favorite flavor of my three donors.
He chuckled, barely breathing, “Drink up.”
My fangs already descended, I bit into his flesh, his blood pouring into my mouth. Groaning softly as the spice of his blood slid over my tongue, I pulled, instantly sending him serenity, and his arms started to go slack, but his fingers hooked into the belt loops on my pants, so they didn’t completely fall as I drank from him softly, but greedily.
“You’ve seriously got issues, Venclaire. This place is a crypt.” It was King Kincaid’s voice coming from the hallway, making me jolt. “Is this the room?” Hastily, I licked over Ezra’s wound. It healed instantly, but I froze as, not even a second later, Ezra’s bedroom door opened behind me with a stalling pause, then King Kincaid whispered hoarsely, “Jesus Christ.”
Shit.
Luckily, I had pulled enough blood to have my fangs retract, but Ezra blinked open lazy eyes, coming out of the strong mind hold I’d had him in, and he turned his face toward me, his lips against my temple, and asked softly, “Why’d you stop, sweetheart?” He was still dazed as his hands traveled from my belt loops to the small of my back.
Shit and fuck.
“What’s the matter, Kincaid?” King Venclaire asked, also behind me, which had Ezra freezing. “Oh, good grief.” A heavy, irritated sigh, then he whispered harshly, “Lock the damn door, you two. Secrecy. Not stupidity.” The door slammed closed, and he shouted from the hallway, “Dinner’s in a half-hour. Don’t be late!”
Ezra and I blinked at one another.
I mumbled softly, “At least, my boobs weren’t showing this time.”
Dinner.
Hmm.
Ezra and I had quickly finished — after locking the door — and then hurried to the sit-down dinner in the Victorian-styled dining room painted in stripes of black and white. All the Kings were in attendance, our friends mingling with them. Jack and Pearl were making excuses for our absence, vaguely remarking on how Ezra was possibly showing me a new fighting technique, when we walked in.
King Kincaid and King Venclaire were mute while Pearl and Jack made this pronouncement. When they noticed us, both pairs of eyes scanned our persons, probably making sure we had remembered to “put all our clothes back on”. Finished with his perusal first, King Kincaid strode to the side of the room, pouring himself a very tall glass of whiskey at the bar while King Venclaire merely brushed imaginary lint from his suit jacket.
Pearl said loudly, “There you two are.” She hurried to our side. “Learn anything new in,” she winked at me as if I hadn’t heard their excuses, “training?” God, she was a bad liar.
Note to self: never allow her to speak at future meetings with politicians.
I nodded, but stated quietly, “Our fighting techniques aren’t for dinner conversation.” I knew King Nelson and King Fergus were more refined, so they didn’t talk about issues of combat at a fancy-schmancy dinner like this. It worked. They turned away.
King Venclaire, on the other hand, regarded me with delight until his eyes journeyed to Ezra, scrutinizing him like a disappointed papa for not locking the door.
Ezra muttered a curse under his breath, and strolled to the bar to fix his own drink.
Didn’t blame him. I could use one, too. Once again, King Venclaire and King Kincaid had caught us in a compromising position. This time, on Ezra’s damn bed. There wasn’t a valid reason to give them for it, so they still thought we were screwing.
Jack raised questioning brows over Nikki’s head.
I rolled my eyes in answer.
This situation just sucked. Mainly because King Kincaid had just started treating me normal again. After the first incident, he had been sullen and quiet, hardly speaking with me. Gradually, he had gotten over it, probably because of the “no touching” policy my besties and I had created, thinking Ezra and I had ended our distasteful “love affair”. Now, by the looks of it, he was going to drown his sorrows in liquor, already having drained his first glass and was pouring another while his wolf ever so softly growled at Ezra, who — intelligently — grabbed the closest beer and relocated, putting space between them.
Everyone began taking their seats at the table.
King Kincaid made sure I sat directly next to him at the end of the table. Away from Ezra where he sat at the other end. As food was served, King Kincaid stated loudly, “Lily, I have a good Shifter friend in New York City. He has a son that’s a few years older than you. A wolf Shifter.” He eyed me. “His name’s Broderick. He’s powerful, definitely an alpha, and he lost his mate a few years ago.” He took a sip of his whiskey. “I’d like you two to meet.”
I choked on my salad and quickly scrambled to grab my Coke. Everyone was watching us, since King Kincaid had voiced this loud enough to be heard at the other end of the table, which had been his plan. I gulped my drink, and then said as calmly as I could, “I’m not sure that’s a great idea. I’m not looking for anything serious.” If this Broderick guy had lost his mate a while ago, he might be.
The King’s eyes glowed, his frustration showing. “Humor me and meet him.”
Staring into those dark eyes, I didn’t want to make a scene, and King Kincaid was close to doing that, so I mumbled, “If it means that much to you, I will.”
He nodded, a real smile gracing his features. “You won’t regret it.”
Yeah, I probably would.
We stared in morbid fascination at the fire Elemental lying on the edge of Ezra’s bed. She was tall, like every other Mys, but still, the amount of noise coming out of someone her size was truly remarkable.
“Does she snore like that all the time?” I asked in wonder. “It’s like an atomic bomb booming every time she exhales.”
Jack crossed his arms over his bare chest, his black-and-white striped pajama pant legs wide from his stance. “I think it’s cute.”
Now, we stared at him.
His forehead puckered. “What?”
“Your mate bond is truly something to behold,” Ezra mumbled, appearing amused and, also, irritated as Nikki bombed away again.
I nodded. That sound was loud. “I don’t know if I can sleep in here.”
Jack stalked toward the bed, climbing on the mattress beside her. “Calm down. She quiets when I’m next to her.” He snuggled close to her, wrapping her in his arms.
Like a freaking miracle, her god-awful racket did quiet.
“Amazing,” Pearl breathed, walking closer to stare down at Nikki. “That really is something.”
Gideon shook his head, unplugging his ears. “I’m just thankful my mate doesn’t do anything that atrocious.”
“Hey!” Jack hissed. “Quit insulting my mate.” His eyes glowed as he scowled at Gideon.
“Alright, gentlemen.” I held up my hands. “No fighting. Especially since I’m too tired to give a damn, and I’d rather not have to clean up any messes you make.” That had never happened between them, but there was always a first time for everything. I pointed at Pearl, then Gideon. “Get in bed before I put you there.” My wolf growled testily.
Jack yawned. “That time of the month?” He asked it so sweetly, too, like he was truly curious.
“No. It’s not,” Ezra answered for me, digging through his dresser. Paused. Tossed a pair of black panties onto the floor behind him before resuming his search.
“That’s sick,” Pearl muttered. “I would hate being a Vampire.”
“It has its perks.” Grinning, he glanced over his shoulder. “Vamps get all weeks of the month to enjoy our women.”
“Seriously, didn’t need to know that,” Jack mumbled, letting his head flop on his pillow. “Goodnight.” When his forehead touched Nikki’s, he was out. That truly was astonishing.
Distractedly, Ezra tossed me a shirt during his hunt.
I went into the bathroom to do my business and change into his oversized t-shirt. I preferred a larger one over what I had brought. Really, I needed to start shopping in the men’s department for pajamas. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper and that much more comfortable. The thing practically hung down to my knees, fully covering where it needed to.
Pearl was already in bed, her cute — uncomfortable — golden pajama shorts set only showing a little under the black sheet she had pulled over her and Gideon where they lay on the other side of the bed from Jack and Nikki. I was pretty sure she had situated the gap in the middle, so no repeat occurrence of that first morning of the camping trip happened.
“The shirt good?” Ezra asked, pulling his own shirt off over his head.
“Yep.” I blinked at his chest. He had always had a perfect body, had already been large but, now, he appeared more. “Have you gotten even bigger?” He was ginormous. His muscles bulged, his mocha skin seeming to take up more space than before.
Pearl glanced up, scrutinizing him. “He does look more muscular.”
Gideon yanked her back down. Guess he didn’t like her looking at Ezra.
Ezra’s eyes scanned my face, then he shrugged his massive shoulders. “Could be.”
I stared. “Yeah. You did.” I cocked my head. “Maybe you went through a growth spurt. I heard that happens sometimes right before your aging slows.”
“Whatever,” he rumbled. Typical male. “Can I get into the bathroom now?” He held black silk pajama bottoms in his hand.
Grasping that I was blocking the bathroom door, I moved, climbing into bed.
Gideon was nodding off and Pearl peered over her shoulder, golden eyes on mine and her nose crinkling as she whispered worriedly, “I hope I don’t have a growth spurt, too.”
Eyes closed, Gideon droned, “You’re beautiful, dear heart. Legs that go on for miles. Quit worrying.” He grinned, even though I was pretty sure he had fallen asleep as soon as he had finished assuring her.
“If I get any taller, I’ll be bigger than my mate,” she complained quietly.
I kissed her cheek. “No worries. If you do grow, you’ll only be an average height for most Mys women. And, Gideon’s right. You’re beautiful.” It was so weird comforting her about her body. She was perfect, but insecurities plagued the lovely, too.
Pearl thought about it, and then nodded. “I guess I am a bit shorter than most Mys women right now.” She grinned. “Thanks.”
“No prob. Now, go to sleep.”
She turned back to Gideon and was out before Ezra had exited the bathroom, and he didn’t take that long. Damn mate bond. Even though I was exhausted, it would probably take me a few minutes to nod off.
Ezra flipped the light switch and the room went dark. His eyes instantly glowed spring green, like two colored flashlight beams, as he walked toward the bed.
I chuckled. “You could do your own light show with those babies.”
“I’m not the only one,” he whispered. “Your eyes are glowing, too.”
Blinking, I grasped that I was naturally turning on my own Shifter night vision, and peered up, seeing two blue lights hit his black ceiling. “That’s pretty cool.” He dropped on the bed between Jack and me and pushed his legs under the sheet. “Look up at the ceiling.”
Two green lights hit the ceiling next to my blue ones. “Huh. I never noticed that before.”
I whispered, “Close one eye.” He did, and one green light disappeared. A little slaphappy, I giggled. “Okay, open it, and tell me what this phrase is.” He opened his eye, and I closed one of mine and started to move my head, one blue light traveling across his ceiling in a specific way.
He chuckled softly. “Is this the equivalent of a man writing his name in the snow while he’s pissing?”
“Quiet down, funny man. Pay attention. If you read it right, you’ll get a prize.”
“That, I like. Although, there are too many people in the bed to really—”
I elbowed him in the ribs, cutting him off.
He groaned in mock pain.
“You want to play or not?” Keeping one eye shut was hard after a while.
Deeply, he purred, “Oh, I want to play.”
I sighed heavily.
“Fine, I’ll behave.”
I waited.
“Really, I’ll be good.”
Still, I waited.
“Sweetheart, I want the damn prize. I’ll be as virtuous as a saint. Promise.” A pause, then a rumbled growl, “Unless, you don’t want me virtuous.”
“Ezra?”
Innocent. “Yes?”
“Shut. Up.”
He did. He even started pseudo snoring when I took so long to start, waiting on him to open his trap once more, but I began moving my head again, writing with my blue eye’s light. He hummed in his throat. “It starts with a ‘B’.”
“Yep.” More head moving.
He watched silently, and then slowly sounded it out. “B…Bi…Bit…Bite…M…Me.” A gentle chuckle. “Bite me?”
“Yes, sir. I know you’re thirsty. You didn’t drink tonight.”
“No, Lily, that doesn’t—”
Slapping a hand over his mouth, I stopped him. “Just take a little. It won’t hurt me or make me too weak.” I took my hand off his mouth as I felt his fangs descend. “Good, you actually agreed without too much argument.”
“I’m parched,” he rumbled quietly, beginning to roll. “Arguing isn’t in me right now, but I’ll make up for it in the morning.”
I snickered. He was a grump in the mornings. “Nothing really new there.”
“Be quiet,” he whispered, yanking me flat on my back.
Gasping at the rough movement, I felt his face against my neck before I could blink.
He inhaled deeply, a quiet groan escaping. He slipped over me, wrapping a hand behind my nape and lifting demandingly, not waiting for me to do so, making half my body arch and my head fall back. Leaning on one elbow, he kept part of his weight off me, but he was still heavy.
Reflexively, I spread my legs, and his own slid between mine, relieving some of his bulk.
He was being more forceful than normal, but he had said he was parched. When Vamps got too thirsty, some of their predator came out. That was normal, so I wasn’t afraid when his fangs brushed my skin, sliding from my ear to my pulse as the predator in him tried to scare me.
I merely ran my fingers through his spiked hair, a soothing motion.
His fangs paused on my pulse, and he sucked in a harsh breath, whispering rapidly, “Sorry.” Their grip loosening on my neck, his fingers massaged. “I’ll try not to take much.” His fangs immediately sliced into my flesh, and he groaned gutturally as he took a hard pull, his muscles flexing against my body and, a bare beat later, I was caressed by angel’s feathers, the intense, pure grace brilliant.
Sighing in contentment, I blinked open my eyes, perceiving he was done drinking. We were now lying on our sides, facing each other, while I had a death grip on his hair.
He was grinning, his fangs still slightly descended, but not completely lowered, meaning he had, indeed, only taken a little. Just enough to take the edge off. In a break between the full bed of quiet snores, he whispered, “Thank you.”
Snuggling my head under his chin, my hands loosened in his hair. “Welcome.”