Still kicking myself the next morning, angered all anew I couldn’t get him out of my fucking head, I was a…bit…of a grouch when Sin and I walked into the breakfast room. Sin had been giving me my space, but I could feel him watching me with an eagle eye, as if I was going to revert, and head down the spinning path of self-destruction again. Which, I wasn’t.
Been there, wasn’t going down that twisted road again.
I just needed to focus. Focus on what I should have been doing for the weeks I had partied-spread-my-legs-craze. And I was trying to. Reverently. Only if damn thoughts of Elder Merrick didn’t continue popping randomly in my head when I lost said focus. And there was the added fact that he looked all kinds of fucking delicious as he currently took a seat at the table while I turned my back on him to fill my plate. Dressed all in black, thin cashmere sweater and flat fronted dress pants, the platinum buckle on his belt was the only adornment of color, his mien quiet, but his navy blue eyes were cold, probably not unlike my own, but that didn’t even hinder my attraction to him, none of that helping a whole damn lot.
“How are you this morning, Caro? Tired from the late night cramming?” King Collins asked loudly as I sat next to him with a loaded plate, extremely hungry.
“Yes, I’m tired.” I kept my voice even, trying not to be snippy with my King as he flagrantly tried to make his Prodigy look better after her downfall. “And you?”
“I’m wonderful.” He patted my hand, beaming a bit before glancing about the table. “She was up late reading the book of Laws.”
Elder Venclaire was watching me closely from across the table. “So…you’re really done with the—,” his hand rolled elegantly as he paused in thought, “dimensional adjusting?”
My lips twitched on their own accord. “Thank you for being polite about it, and,” I nodded once, “yes, I’m done.”
Elder Kincaid sniffed heavily, then a broad grin graced his features, and he held his palm out over the table. “Pay up, gentlemen.”
I barely caught my jaw from falling when Elder Fergus, Elder Venclaire, and Elder Nelson all grumbled under their collective breaths as they brought their wallets out and started placing cash in his hand.
I growled, “How many times have I told you I am not a fountain for bets?”
Elder Fergus’s eyes twinkled at me, even as he took change from Elder Kincaid’s quickly filling palm. “You were always our favorite, Caro.” He winked at me. “Still are, so don’t expect it to stop anytime soon.”
King Collins made a noise in his throat, then blurted in a quiet whisper against my ear, “Just one story. All I want is one story about them.”
Elder Venclaire instantly interjected, snapping his fingers at me. “She’s already said she can’t remember.”
“Probably forgotten in the time warp.”
“Who the hell could be expected to remember anything from that long ago?”
“I’m betting Elder Harcourt zapped those memories.”
My lips trembled, not glancing at the fumbling Elders, and I said steadily to my King, “I’m sure they know best.” I patted my King’s hand when he scowled. “I’m sorry.”
Elder Jacobs stated candidly, “Actually, I remember vividly—”
“No!” the Elders and I barked at once.
Hell, I didn’t even want some of those actions known. They weren’t as bad as my most recent stumbling’s. But, still, it wouldn’t help anyone gain respect for me. I had been free then of any restrictions…and now, I wasn’t.
Elder Jacobs cleared his throat, then smirked, dark eyes cunning. “This could be fun.”
We glared.
Queen Ruckler cleared her throat, gaining our attention. “On to a bit of business.” She was spreading jam on her roll, and I noticed King Zeller wince next to her before she calmly pushed the jam package to the other side of her plate. “Prodigies, we realize we’ve been remiss about physical training. We know you’re all highly skilled, but you need to keep active.” Blue eyes to Brann. “Not the active you’re thinking about.” More jam spreading. “So, we’ve set up a training routine that will occur before breakfast,” I barely withheld my groan of distaste, “and shouldn’t affect your duties during the rest of the day.”
A bitty howl interrupted her down the table.
I blinked, glancing about. “Isolde?” She had been sleeping on Sin’s pillow the last night, but had wandered off early this morning as she tended to do. “Where are you?”
Another soulful tiny howl sounded again toward the end of the table, but I couldn’t see her.
Elder Merrick sighed, then griped gruffly, his voice gravelly and irate, “She’s down here.” A huff from his wolf. “Biting my damn shoelace.” We watched him bend, all of us hearing him mutter in a gruff command, “You are seriously one screwed up, Vizoac. Go to your owner and leave me the hell alone.”
A bitty growl.
He growled back.
There was silence, and then we watched his curly head nod. “At least one of you does what you’re told.” He started to rise.
Another soulful howl lit our ears.
“Christ,” the One muttered next to him as I blinked like an idiot, and he leaned down around Elder Merrick’s irritated half raised form, his bulky frame disappearing under the table for a moment. “Come here, Isolde.”
Instantly, a bitty growl erupted, but both the One and Elder Merrick straightened, and Isolde’s tiny, furry form was sitting in the One’s cupped hands while she sat calmly, but bared her teeth a bit at him. The One brought her closer to his face, stating calmly, “You are not screwed up. A bitty fur ball, yes. But not screwed up as others may say.”
Elder Merrick grunted a quiet growl, keeping mute, watching under heavy lids as Isolde growled once more at the One before he placed her calmly on the table. Her head immediately turned to Elder Merrick. She bared her teeth at him, and then turned on her heel, tail flicking in agitation as she calmly moved past the plates…to me, licking my hand before pouncing her front paws on Sin’s chest, yapping up at him, her tail swishing merrily.
Queen Ruckler grunted, watching as Sin ruffled her behind her ears, Isolde instantly flopping onto her back for a wanted belly rub. “Maybe…a little…off.” Isolde’s head tilted and she growled at her, but Queen Ruckler waved her hand. “As I was saying, you four will be training.” Her lips curled around her bite, and I had a very bad sense of foreboding. “Against us and the Elders.”
Standing in a training room below the manor the next morning, one of the many they had down here, I was stuck wearing a damn black sports bra and these tiny black cotton shorts and tennis shoes with my short hair pulled up in a tiny ponytail. Just like Aria. Brann and London were only clad in loose, black cotton capris and tennis shoes. And while the three of them seemed to be used to the attire—they had told me it was identical to what they wore during their combat classes at King Hall—I was decidedly…not. Especially as the four of us were placed in front of the Rulers and Elders where they sat comfortably in their own work-out attire on wooden bleachers against a wall of the small sterile drab square room, the wall gray rock, the center of the floor covered in a neon blue mat, and that was it. Like a damn jail cell.
I crossed my arms over my chest, standing between London and Brann, feeling much tinier than I should, since I did know how to fight, but God, it was like every single Elder and Ruler were roaming their gazes over us in calculation, peering for any flaw they might find to use against us, and I swear, most of their gazes lingered on me the longest, some of them damn near staring blatantly. I knew I wasn’t…the average…size Mystical, but then, neither was Queen Ruckler. I tried to remember that, then belatedly, I remembered she also had a Shifter’s strength, making her deadly in a small package…whereas, I, without my weapons…was just a small package.
“Christ, we should have done this sooner,” King Collins muttered under his breath, running a hand over his face, again, glancing to me.
Elder Kincaid mumbled quietly, “I hope I’m not picked for her.” He shrugged when he glanced at King Collins glare. “I don’t want to hurt her.”
I kind of wanted him to get picked now. If he didn’t want to hurt me…I was game.
Queen Ruckler sighed heavily, and then stated loudly, “Alright, I’ll explain again. We’re drawing names out of a hat. Shifters and Vampires in one. Elementals and Mages in another. London and Caro, you’ll be facing a Shifter or a Vampire. Brann and Aria, you’ll be facing an Elemental or a Mage.” Blue eyes flicked to me, and I swear she almost appeared apprehensive, before she cleared her throat. “No rules here, anything goes, with the exception of killing blows.” She cleared her throat again, glancing at Queen Cooper. “You know, call Bindi. Tell her to get down here, just in case.”
I swayed a bit.
London gently nudged his bulging arm over, covertly steadying me.
Names were drawn. London got Elder Kincaid right off the bat—dammit. Brann got Elder Jacobs. Aria got Elder Fergus. And, I got…oh, God…King Zeller.
Hell, even he looked a bit nervous, asking Queen Cooper to call Bindi again, and telling her to hurry the fuck up. I went last in this first go round, as I was sure they were waiting on Bindi to arrive. It didn’t calm my nerves any either, as every single one of my Prodigy companions were taken down within five minutes each by the more trained Elders. And then, it was my turn…and Bindi still hadn’t fucking arrived, my Prodigy companions heaving with a smidge of drying blood on them from the sidelines.
So, I stood on the mat and moved as far away from my opponent as I could get, knowing he would come at me with speed I wouldn’t be able to see, and tried not to piss my pants, trying damn hard to pull that inner bitch from deep inside me, but hell it was hard, seeing spring green eyes stare at me across the mat, seeing the fact he wasn’t going to give any quarter, even if he knew he was going to hurt me.
I inhaled shakily, glancing to my King, smiling a bit since he seemed damn near frantic, his legs bouncing where he sat. And I let myself flare brightly, glowing brilliantly inside the room, and as Queen Ruckler started counting down from ten, I tried to remember frantically how those frantic sparking stars had sizzled off my skin back in the past. I wiggled my arms, staring at them, but time was too short when nothing happened, so I went with another trick they hadn’t seen, something I had learned from Sin’s maneuvering, and started flicking tiny stars in a hurried frenzy from my palms all about my frame in small domes, not time enough to make it large, blowing out hard, making them spin in circles about me so I could pluck them as I willed.
The countdown was done.
If he was stunned by the show I was producing, he didn’t show it, because I didn’t even see him move. Suddenly, there was a blast of dark and seductive Vampire power I had never felt before, slamming into me from behind, and I grunted heavily, muttering, “Oh, dear God.” My knees weakened, and I stumbled forward, hearing him shout a curse when he tried to break through my wall that moved with me. Another blast of power hit me, and I stumbled, placing a hand on the mat, hearing him purr in song, “Come out, come out, and play with me.”
I shook my head hard, keeping my eyes at mat level, not about to glance into his orbs and get trapped any worse than I was. I inhaled heavily and rolled, grabbing a fireball and chucking it at him. And God, I breathed free for a moment as he fell to his knees cursing up a blue streak from the fireball that had hit his leg. I hadn’t made them deadly, but it was aimed to debilitate. And I instantly started throwing more at him, his power level heady and quickly recovering. I needed him weak, otherwise nothing I did would work, his power overriding mine.
Two more hit him before he wised up and started moving in blurring speed around me, actually hovering off the damn floor, crooning on a quiet hiss, “Come out, little spirit. Come out and play.”
I swayed inside the swirling stars that were beginning to dim as a breeze of green started to infiltrate my mind, and before I fell I quickly floated into the cosmos, floating, searching, and praying I had enough power, never having attempted this before. I let the dimming stars floating around me lash out all at once…and one hit him.
My power caught him.
And from a distance as I fell to my knees protection vanished around me, I grabbed onto his black and red tether, hastily reaching for it a few feet away from me in the cosmos, gripped it and pulled it to my lips, whispering, “Be at peace.”
I only had a second, I knew that much as I came back to myself, King Zeller stopping in a breeze not even an inch from me, and I inhaled heavily, jerking upright, and slammed my palm against his chest as he swayed, eyes closed. I grunted heavily, thrusting a bolt of stars fire out of my palm just as he opened his eyes, fangs—long fucking fangs—bared, eyes glowing fiercely. He flew backward with the force, stars exploding like a shower between us, hitting the rock wall hard, slipping limply to the ground, but as he landed he was already shaking his head, waking and his Vampire growling deeply in his chest.
I slammed my hands together hastily, the ground shaking under us, settling him off balance, the room vibrating as I shouted, floating in the cosmos, pulling on the closest stars power, blinding white light erupting between my palms, growing, cascading in a shimmering globe, and I breathed into it at the last second for peace, my legs buckling under the power I held as he flew at me. Fangs pierced my throat as he gripped my head. I bowed backward, screaming as agony such as I had never known erupted in an intoxicating cascade, just as I smashed my hands together, the power I wielded exploding between us against our bodies.
The lights went out.
“Wha’z hap’nen?” I mumbled as someone shook my shoulders. “Mu’z sleep.”
“Caro! Wake up!” King Collins shouted loudly.
“Ezra!” Queen Ruckler’s voice was frantic next to me. “Open your damn eyes or I’m going to kill you myself!”
I rubbed my eyes, blinking them open in a hurry, hearing multiple shouts around me, and a vibration on the soft, but cold, ground I lay on. I stared up into the worried faces of multiple different Mysticals, Royals who hovered over me, but I tried focusing on King Collins face, smiling at him sloppily, asking, “What’s wrong?”
He blinked. “Are you alright?”
I laughed giddily, waving an absent hand from where I lay, patting his cheek. “It’s all good.”
Another blink. “Caro?”
“It’s like she’s drunk,” Elder Venclaire murmured, his head cocking oddly as he stared at my neck. “She’s still bleeding. Maybe he took too much.”
“Ezra!” Queen Ruckler shouted next to me.
“I think he’s alright,” Elder Zeller muttered, also, to the side of me. “His heartbeat and Core are operating like he’s sleeping.”
I giggled when Elder Venclaire blurred down, stopping my head from turning to see what the hullabaloo was about, wiping his tongue over my neck, and I slapped at his head. “That tickles. Stop it.”
Elder Merrick slammed a hand down on Elder Venclaire’s shoulder, yanking him back up, his tone gravelly, but sharp. “She said stop.”
Elder Venclaire licked his lips, brushing Elder Merrick’s hand off his shoulder. “I was just healing the wound.” He licked his lips again, blue eyes glowing dimly. “But,” he hummed softly, “she tastes fantastic.”
I waggled my finger at him. “No bets. No licks.” More waggling. “Got it, mister?”
King Collins muttered a curse under his breath, and then gently grabbed my shoulders, helping me to sit up straight.
The room spun a bit, and I put a hand to my forehead. “What happened?” I wiggled my shoulders a bit. “I feel great.”
“Get her over here to fix him,” Queen Ruckler shouted, her wolf growling loudly.
“There was a…boom…when King Zeller bit you,” Elder Farrar stated steadily, bending to stare me in the eyes. “And you both went down.”
“A boom?” I smiled, but rubbed my forehead, trying to remember. My head cocked, and I tilted my head to King Zeller where he lay on his back, eyes closed, appearing content to the world, even though he wasn’t waking as Bindi and Queen Ruckler tried to revive him. “Oh…yes.” I snickered, and patted my neck. “He’s got quite a bite.”
“Yes,” Elder Farrar rubbed at his ear, “and you have a pair of lungs that could rival warlords.” He pointed a finger at my hands. “And quite the…boom…or whatever the hell that was that knocked us all back against our seats.”
My shoulders bounced as I grinned merrily, joy suffusing my system. “Thanks.” My eyes teetered to Elder Merrick. “I don’t hate you right now.” In fact, he looked damn good. Curls dangling around his face, navy blue eyes fierce down on me, pouty red lips pursed in irritation. Kind of good enough to gobble up. Slowly…then in much larger portions.
His eyes widened marginally, and he barked gruffly to King Collins, “There’s something wrong with her.” He swung his head to Bindi, his wolf growling. “Get over here and check to see if she hit her head.”
“She’s awake,” Bindi muttered, her hands glowing over King Zeller’s head. “He’s not.”
I snapped my fingers, pulling my gaze away from Elder Merrick. “I know what to do.” I pushed Elder Venclaire aside, and crawled a few feet to King Zeller, shooing Queen Ruckler with a hand when she growled. I gripped his chin, pulling it down so his mouth parted. Inhaling heavily, I glowed brightly, setting my lips to his, thumping my hand on Queen Ruckler’s head when she started to dip down, her wolf growling loudly, barely holding her back as I exhaled deeply, the stars flying into his mouth as I whispered, “Wake.”
Instantly, he groaned quietly, a bit like a purr, and I hurriedly pulled my head back, smiling up at Queen Ruckler’s furious, but anxious face. “He’s good.” I patted his forehead, shutting my power down. “I didn’t hurt him, since you said no killing blows.”
Her wolf growled quietly at me, but she instantly started patting his cheek. “Wake up!”
He grinned…and I knew that wasn’t a smile meant for everyone to see, so I tilted a bit so those behind didn’t have a view, slapping a hand over his mouth when it opened ready to say who-knew-what-the-hell, stating on a laugh, “King Zeller?”
His eyes flew open wide, darting from me to Queen Ruckler.
I took my hand back waggling my fingers. “How you feeling?” My shoulders bounced. “I’m feeling fan-ta-a-stic.”
His lips curved drunkenly. “I’m good, Ms. Jules.” He chuckled quietly. “Damn good.”
“So,” I rolled a finger, and stood on wobbly legs, but couldn’t stop my smile, “who won?”
They all stared a bit.
I bounced happily on the balls of my feet. “Guess I did.” I pointed down to King Zeller. “Got your wallet and kicked your ass.” I chuckled merrily. “Criminal bitch take-down one.” My brows bounced as I peered back to the others. “Who’s next?”
Elder Farrar started snorting, and moving toward me. “Ms. Jules, I believe that was a tie, seeing as you knocked not only King Zeller out, but also yourself…with your own power.” He gripped my elbow lightly, guiding me through the Elders to the benches. “And I believe whatever you did made you a bit drunk or high. You should probably sit down until you’re thinking straight.”
“Ah, man!” I waved my free hand. “That was nothing.”
“Then I’d hate to see something,” Elder Jacobs muttered, taking my other elbow when I wobbled as I bounced on my feet. “I’m actually glad to say I won’t be facing off against you.”
“Thanks, mister Elder Jacobs,” I smiled grandly at him; sunshine flittering threw my veins like pure sunflowers blowing in the breeze, “cause, you know, you rock.”
Elder Jacobs started chuckling. “I do believe I could learn to like you as you are right now.”
“That is so sweet,” I murmured, jumping to kiss his cheek, watching his eyes widen in shock. “You are so cute. Did I ever tell you that?”
“Dear God, set her down and get the duct tape,” Queen Cooper muttered under her breath, grabbing one of the light jackets from the benches and draping it over my shoulders as they sat me down. My feet pattered on the ground, my eyebrows coming together as the scent on the enormous jacket engulfed me. I sniffed it a few times, plucking at the garment, telling King Collins easily, “Smells good. Like forests before a rainfall,” it was Elder Merrick’s scent, but my head cocked a bit, sniffing again, realizing he had changed colognes since the past, “and cologne, the expensive manly kind.” I grinned, somehow liking it even better, then glanced about as the few in front of me stood motionless. “Hey, can I get something to eat, maybe?”
“Whose jacket is that?” King Collins asked sharply, jerking around to the others, pointing at me, bouncing on his feet. “Please tell me that’s a Shifters coat!”
Elder Merrick tilted his head up, saying loudly from where he was helping King Zeller’s grinning ass up. “It’s mine.” His head cocked. “Why?”
King Collins blinked, and then jumped straight into the air, pumping a fist. “Yes, another spirit secret bites the dust.” My lips managed to pinch the barest bit as he waggled his finger at me, explaining, “She can scent not just the cologne, but,” his hands rubbed together greedily, ““a forest before a rainfall” scent.” He chuckled, brows bouncing. “An obviously abbreviated way to scent a Shifter, but spirit Elemental style.” He raised his hand to me. “Come on, Prodigy. Give me some.”
I high fived him, rolling my eyes. “I’m hungry.”
“And…I do believe she’s coming down,” Elder Farrar murmured, brushing a hair off my forehead that had fallen from my ponytail. “Did using that much—what had to be—inexperienced power make you need nourishment?”
I was coming down, blindingly fast, and I griped, “Dammit, I’m hungry.” My stomach growled. Loudly. “Hear that?” I pointed at my flat belly. “It’s saying, feed me now.”
King Zeller was placed directly next to me, and he threw an arm over my shoulder, knocking his head into mine, leaving it there. “This is good. Not as good as the protection. But, this is damn…joyful.”
“Glad to hear it.” I barely kept from falling over with his weight as everyone stared down at us. One hand bracing on the bench, I pointed a finger at my King. “I. Want. Food.” My finger swung to Elder Merrick, and I glared at him. “And I hate you.”
Elder Merrick sighed heavily, appearing relieved. “She’s back.” He tipped his head grandly, sneering, “And I hate you too.”
King Zeller chuckled quietly, and murmured, “Now, now…let’s all be friends, shall we? And besides, hate is such a relative term. So closely related to love.”
Queen Ruckler stood with her arms crossed. “If she does that shit to me while I face her, I’ll rip her damn head off.” She leaned forward, smacking King Zeller’s cheek lightly, her tone lightening. “Snap out of it.”
My stomach growled again. “Food.”
“She’s down to one worded comments,” Queen Cooper muttered, nudging King Collins. “You should probably feed her before she just starts gnawing on the closest arm.”
I growled a bit.
“Now, no words.” Another nudge. “Let’s get her some food before she goes savage.”
Munching down a protein bar someone had in their bag, I licked my fingers as I moved onto the mat, facing off with Elder Venclaire next. Again, I moved to the far end of the mat, eyeing him warily. He chuckled evilly, his eyes glowing a bit before he called loudly, “I’m going to taste that delicious blood of yours again, my friend.”
I flipped him off. After I licked my finger. Hunger barely subsided.
I had learned three things. One: with their power being stronger, I couldn’t just face off against them that way. Two: Surprise was really my only variable option since I didn’t have speed or strength on my side. Three: I really didn’t want to be bitten again.
So, when Queen Ruckler started her countdown, I waited patiently, just opening my Core.
It was over way too quickly, and suddenly Elder Venclaire blurred, disappearing entirely as he came at me. As soon as I felt his power start to touch me, I flew into the cosmos, feeling his hands grip me from behind, and called, “Temple, give me access.”
Suddenly, I was standing on the shoreline in front of the massive Temple, sunset glittering majestically on the white walls. The spot of true power for a spirit Elemental. I waved once at the Guardians, then threw my arms out wide, my head back, and opened myself to the heavens. Stars shone down onto me, crashing through my being like lightning strikes, such beauty with so much such force it took my breath away, making me shudder at the rightness of it, my Core expanding, filling to overfilling, my body utterly transfused with galaxies power. Then, I floated into the cosmos, whispering, “Back from whence I came.”
Suddenly, I was inside the training room, Elder Venclaire walking away from where I had been, shaking his head, muttering, “Where the hell did she—?”
He stilled.
I struck.
Glowing so brilliantly those on the stands eyes instantly glowed to protect their peepers as I threw my hands out, stars fire, directly from the source, exploding from my palms in booming fury. The ground and air shook, knocking Elder Venclaire off balance when he tried to blur. And, it was too late for him. He bellowed, his back arching as flames blew around him in a flurry, fiery pain I radiated through my will, not a killing blow, but enough to incapacitate him when he wasn’t looking. As he dropped to his knees, I moved forward, changing the flames to whips, one around his throat, the other around his ankles, gripping the fiery tethers tightly until his scream choked off as he went limp.
I went into my secret storage chest, deep within the cosmos, even as I gently laid him flat, then dissolving the whips as I pounced on his back, a diamond dagger materializing in my hand. I swiftly nicked his throat as he groaned under me. Yanking his head up, so he could see me from dazed eyes, I dabbed the end of the blade against my tongue, his blood in my mouth, murmuring, “Now, who tasted whom, my friend?”
He hissed, long fangs bared…right before I slammed my glowing fist against the side of his face, his eyes closing. “Nighty-night.” I put my knife back into my treasure trove, then pushed up off him, and stopped my glowing, peering to the silent onlookers. “I do believe that counts as a take-down this time, and not a tie, right?” When I got a few slow, wide-eyed nods, I nodded once curtly, and then pointed to a bag where I had gotten my previous goodie from. “Think there’s another protein bar in there?”