by K. G. Reuss
“I see.” I swallowed hard and caught Damien looking at me with raised eyebrows. “Well… have fun… I guess.”
“Thanks, man. Think she’ll like the flowers? I’ve never actually taken a girl out before on a date, so I didn’t know what the formalities were. Are.” He shook his head, looking flustered.
“A date, eh?” Damien folded his arms over his chest and stared Eric down with narrowed eyes.
“Not like that,” Eric corrected him quickly. “I just knew her friends were all going, and she was probably going to either go alone and be sad, agree to go with Blackburn and be sad, or stay home and be sad. So yeah… I figured if she wound up sad, at least she’ll be with me and not that weasel.”
“Then I’d ditch the flowers.” Damien nodded to the roses Eric was holding. “They scream serious date. And we all know you can’t date her. Conexus. You’re her trainer. Not to mention the fact she’s meant to be with Raiden.”
“I know all that,” Eric scowled, handing the flowers to Damien. “Should I bring her some food or something?”
I let out a soft laugh and shook my head. Eric really was clueless when it came to women.
“I think just showing up will be good enough,” I said, clearing my throat. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“What?” He frowned. “Hell, if I know. I’ve never been to a dance before. Until it’s over or she tells me to piss off I guess. Or I make people so uncomfortable that I have to leave.”
“Ten minutes then.” Damien grinned.
I let out a chuckle. I would imagine that students would be none too happy to see a member of Conexus at one of their dances, even if that member had decided to dress down. Eric shot us both scathing looks.
“This was your idea,” he snapped at me. “I didn’t want to do it, remember?”
“You’re doing a great job though,” I assured him, feeling sick to my stomach. I had the sudden flash in my mind of me taking her to a dance. Of holding her. Telling her she looked beautiful. Kissing her. Clearing my throat, I shuffled through the paperwork on my desk.
“I’m going to see the Order. Damien is going to come with me since you’re busy.”
“What’s going on?” Eric was suddenly all business. “I can cancel and come with you if I need to. Send Damien out on dance duty.”
“Pfft!” Damien interjected. “Piss on that. I’d rather kiss a Cipher than go to a dance.”
The idea did appeal to me. I had the feeling Eric was getting too close to Ever. I knew I’d told him to, but that didn’t change the yearning I had inside for her. I was a mess on the inside, my mind warring with my heart. But this was what I’d wanted. And so, it had to be.
“It’s fine. Take Ever to the dance. Damien will go with me. We’ll meet back in my office at midnight. The dance is over by then. You should be able to make it back right around then, right?”
“Yes.” Eric nodded. Damien tossed the flowers onto my desk.
“Have fun.” Damien grinned at Eric who blew out a nervous breath.
“I’ll see you guys tonight.” And with that, he turned and disappeared through the door. I stared after him, frowning.
“Don’t do that, man,” Damien warned.
“Do what?”
“Think. You’re overthinking it. You wanted Eric out there becoming friends with her. He’s her trainer and now her date. Either you’re cool with it or you aren’t. And if you aren’t, I suggest you speak up now before something happens.”
“Like what?” I grunted, knowing damn well what he was referring to.
“You know what.”
“I’m not going to think about it. Let’s just get to Xanan and get this done. Ever isn’t my concern. She’s Eric’s concern. He’s her trainer.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Damien shook his head in disbelief at me. I chose to ignore it. He was right after all. This was what I’d wanted.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of our esteemed general’s visit in the middle of the night?” Sir Broderick asked as he surveyed me from his seat. My eyes swept over the council members. My father sat stiffly, almost glaring back at me. Sangrey had steepled his fingers and gazed out at us, his face emotionless.
“I should think you’d know since I’ve sent no less than three fire messages,” I countered, feeling irritated. It wasn’t just the Order irritating me. It was my own head. I kept running different scenarios of Ever and Eric together through it. It was pure torture.
“Yes, you want permission to enter the archives. But you gave us no purpose for such an admittance. What are you looking for, General?” Sangrey asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“I want information on the prophecy. This war needs to end.”
“And what do you think having the words of the prophecy will do to end the war? Surely don’t you think we’ve already thought of that?” Sir Malek stared at me, his dark eyes narrowed.
“Maybe you’ve missed something,” I shot back.
Some of the men on the council let out chuckles like I was insane for suggesting they missed something.
“How is the girl?” Sangrey asked, deterring me from swearing.
“She’s well. Adjusting just fine,” I muttered.
“And what faction was she placed in?” he pressed.
“Psychic,” I grunted a reply. “With caster abilities. She’ll be taking some courses in it to see if anything becomes of it. It could quite possibly be a manifestation of her psychic abilities and not real caster gifts.”
“True.” Sangrey nodded thoughtfully. “And the dead? Are they an issue?”
“No,” I stated. “She’s not had any issues since she’s come to Dementon.”
“Good,” Sangrey murmured, a frown on his face. “Essentially, her abilities are halted? No contact with the dead at all?”
“None,” I stated firmly. Sangrey shifted in his seat, his brows furrowed like he was deep in thought.
“Aside from wanting to get into the archives, what else brings you here?” Sir LaCroix asked, sitting forward, pulling my attention away from Sangrey.
“The attacks on the villages in the Upper Peninsula,” Damien supplied, glancing at me while I ground my teeth together. They were sidestepping the subject. Why didn't they want me to get into the archives?
“Yes, most unfortunate. I have it on good authority that your chapter will be looking into it,” Sir Broderick acknowledged, glancing between me and Damien.
“Yes, tomorrow night,” I replied.
“Excellent. We’d like for you to bring in any Cipher you find or any you’re suspicious of for questioning. If any know the whereabouts of the overlord, Aviram, we need that information.”
“And of the archives?” I pressed, wanting an answer.
“Bring us more bodies to question, and we’ll see what we can do about the archives,” my father stated, his eyes narrowed at me. “In the meantime, I suggest focusing on the things you have more control over, like completing your missions.”
“Ah, which brings us to another good point,” Sangrey clapped his hands, finally out of his reverie. “There’s a haunt over in the central region that the chapter there is having issues with. Being the best, I thought it might not be a bad idea to send your group in to check things out.”
“Sangrey, forgive me for being blunt, but we’re divided into regions for a reason. If I’m going to start bringing my group to other regions, why don’t I just run the whole damn state?” The last thing I wanted was to be that far from Ever. It didn’t matter that she was at Dementon. It wouldn’t do a damn bit of good if I was still far away from her if something went down. Being that far away meant I wouldn’t be able to get to her as fast, even if I melded. Dementon was probably the safest place on the planet for her right now, but that still didn’t mean I didn’t have my worries.
“We all must make sacrifices when it comes to protecting those we care about. Even if it means we have to be away for a spell. Don’t you care about your people, Prince?” Sir B
roderick cocked his head at me, his eyes darkening. I knew what the weasel was getting at even if he hadn’t come right out and said it. Everly.
“Yes,” I ground out through gritted teeth. “When do we leave?”
“Soon, General,” my father declared.
“Sir, we have the haunt in our area planned for Sunday night. When would you like us in the central region?” Damien asked, glancing at me. I groaned inwardly. It looked like we were going to have one of those months where we barely slept.
"We have the central chapter working diligently on the matter. We’ve promised them two weeks. You can expect a fire message from us after that informing you of a possible deployment. Perhaps you’ll get lucky, and they’ll be able to figure things out without you,” Sir Malek stated dryly.
“Until then, how about interrogating a few prisoners the eastern chapter brought in?” Sangrey looked between me and Damien, an eyebrow raised. I drew in a few deep, calming breaths.
“Of course,” I bit out and put on a forced, accommodating smile. “But how about we make a deal?”
“A deal?” Sir Moran chuckled. “You work for us, General.”
“Let him speak.” My father sat forward and nodded for me to continue.
“I want to see the prophecy. If I interrogate, I want to be granted access to the archives.”
“I think there’s something you’re not telling us, General,” Sir Broderick stated. “Why are you so adamant that you see the archives? What does it matter if the girl is simply a gifted psychic? Or is she… more?”
I glanced over the council, my jaw clenched. This wasn’t going to work. They weren’t going to let me in unless I admitted what she was. What I was. I needed another plan.
“You’re right. Perhaps my curiosity got the better of me,” I replied in an even voice. Damien shifted uncomfortably beside me.
“Are we now not trying to get into the archives?” he asked in my head.
“They aren’t going to let us in unless I tell them the truth. And I can’t do that.”
“Plan B?”
“Yeah. Plan B.”
“Great. Looks like we’ll be beating some Cipher ass tonight.” He let out a frustrated sigh beside me.
“Sorry,” I said before pulling out of the conversation.
“Curiosity killed the cat, General.” Sangrey winked at me. “I daresay we don’t want anyone to die because of your curiosity.” The way he said it sent chills down my spine. I made sure to maintain my composure, not showing an ounce of emotion.
“We can interrogate tonight,” I agreed, nodding to the council.
“May I ask where your second in command is this evening?” Sir Malek asked, glancing at the other members. “It’s most unusual for him to not accompany you both.”
“Eric was busy this evening and couldn’t attend.” I stated, not wanting them to push the subject.
“So busy he was unable to maintain his duties within Conexus?” Sir LaCroix asked.
I hated that guy. Punching him in the face seemed like a rather good idea.
“Eric was chaperoning the back to school event at Dementon,” Damien supplied. “We flipped a coin tonight. Loser had to go to the dance. Winner got to come here.”
“Ah, it’s wonderful that we are what the winner gets.” Sangrey smiled at us.
“I’m surprised you didn’t take your betrothed to the dance,” Sir Mathis said softly, making me bristle.
“Amara does love to dance,” Sir LaCroix stated fondly. “Perhaps you could get your interrogations done quickly and return to her. It would make her happy.”
“I’m sure it would,” I answered stiffly. The last thing I felt like doing was dancing with her. She’d been extra difficult the past few days. She could pass it off as stress all she wanted, but I knew it was because Everly was at Dementon. I was just waiting for the moment when Amara was unable to hold back and decided to seek Ever out and corner her. The thought made me shudder. Amara was exactly the type of girl who’d do that.
“But I’m not here for advice on how to treat anyone,” I continued. Damien coughed to cover up his laugh.
“Of course not.” Sir LaCroix gave me a tight smile.
“How is your engagement going, General?” my father asked. I bit back the growl threatening to rip from my throat.
“If you mean the engagement that I broke off with her, leaving me single, then it’s going well." I glared at my father.
“I think not,” Sir LaCroix said with a sniff, sneering at me. “We have your engagement celebration planned for the spring—”
“Don’t bother sending me an invite. I won’t be attending.”
“Chill,” Damien’s voice warned in my head.
“Screw them. What gives them the right to tell me who I can and can’t marry? I’m eighteen. I’m not in any position to do any of this crap.”
“I know, man. Just play along. You know you’re just firing them up. If you aren’t careful, you could be looking at a spring wedding, not a party.”
He was right. I knew he was. It just angered me to the point where I couldn’t see straight.
“General, apologize to Sir LaCroix,” Father commanded in a growl.
Drawing in a deep breath, I inclined my head to LaCroix. “My apologies. It’s just a very stressful time.”
LaCroix cast me a weary look before Sangrey cleared his throat.
“I think we’ve had enough fun for the evening. How about we get to the interrogations so you two can get back to Dementon?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed, forcing a smile onto my lips.
“A shitty one,” Damien grumbled.
“Play along, remember?" I reminded him. He let out a mental grumble before going silent.
“Gentlemen, this way.” Sangrey rose from his seat and stepped down to us. “I think you’re going to really enjoy yourselves this evening.”
“I very much doubt that,” I said sourly as we followed him out to the hall.
“Oh, you will. Not only do we want you to interrogate these criminals, we want you to execute them as well.”
“What?” I blanched, Damien bristling beside me.
“You heard me. I don’t care if they give you information or not. They need to die. They’re Cipher. They bear the mark of the overlord. No leniency, General. Captain, I trust you two will get the job done.”
I looked at Damien who was pale. Suddenly, I wished I’d have just broken into the archives and faced the consequences instead.
Fifteen
Everly
“Hey," Eric greeted me at my door, wearing all black. He looked handsome, but nervous.
“Hey.” I smiled and opened my door wider for him to come in. His eyes widened as he took in my outfit. Harper said we were allowed to dress in anything we wanted for dances unless otherwise instructed by staff. I chose to wear a high-low sea foam green sundress with pink flowers on it. The wide straps gave it a sweet, summery look but still hid the weird mark on the back of my shoulder. The short in the front and long in the back skirt gave it just enough class and playfulness to make it school dance worthy. I’d swept my long, black locks up into a high ponytail and had my infinity necklace around my neck. My makeup was done, lip gloss in place. The silver strappy heels Nina had included in my bag graced my feet. Thank God for Nina.
“Damn,” Eric murmured. His cheeks flushed pink before he shook his head. “I’m sorry. You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” It was my turn to blush. “Um, I just need to grab my clutch then we can go.”
“OK.” Eric cleared his throat, his eyes sweeping over me again before he tried to look elsewhere. I grabbed my clutch and met him back at the door. We stepped out, him locking it before I could.
“How was your evening?” he asked as we started the walk to The Limits. I wasn’t even sure where it was. I just followed him.
“It was good. Took me a bit longer to get ready than I thought it would. I’m used to having Nina around for things like thi
s.”
“Well, you look amazing. Truly.” He gave me an earnest smile which I returned.
We grew quiet as we strolled. The sounds of laughter and music floated to us from a distance.
“How were you able to get away for the night?” I asked after a few minutes.
“Uh, I just said I was going.” He shrugged, glancing at me. “Raiden’s not so bad once you get to know him. In fact, he’s actually a really good guy.”
I snorted at that. He’d been a real jerk at the pinning ceremony.
“I’m serious, Ever. I just wish you could know him the way we do.”
“Guess I’ll just have to take your word for it,” I replied. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t talk to him enough for it to matter.”
Eric nodded, his hands in his pockets as we walked.
“Are you nervous?” Eric asked.
“Nervous?”
“Yeah. To be seen with me. I know what I do scares people. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
I was quiet as I contemplated his words. “Yeah, I guess I am nervous. But not for me. For you.” He cocked his head at me as we stopped near the looming lit up building in the distance which had to be The Limits. There were students going into it.
“Why for me?”
“Because I don’t think you get out much, and I want tonight to be fun for you. I think you deserve it.”
A tiny smile graced his face. “It’ll be fun because I have you with me.”
I blushed at his words. His hand came to rest lightly on the small of my back. He grinned down at me as he steered me forward. The stares started the moment we approached. Eric stiffened beside me. I took a moment to glance at him. He was wearing that emotionless look that all Conexus wore on their faces.
We entered the building, his hand still on my back. The music was loud. Tiny fireflies created by the casters danced above the scene, and strobing, color-changing lights danced along the floor. The casters must have created the purple glow in the room because I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
