When the timers both reached zero and the words GAME OVER splashed across his side and YOU WIN on Alyss’, Finn remained eerily still as Alyss simply set the controller on the small table on her side of the couch and turned to look at both of them.
Finn’s back moved with each barely harnessed breath, each in and out caused his body to shudder slightly with controlled rage. He still held the damned remote, Keegan worried.
“So,” Alyss started to say. “What weren’t you supposed to tell me about Fallon and Kaer going to the ball tonight?”
An hour earlier, she had interrupted them talking amongst themselves in the library’s media room. Before they noticed her arrival though, she heard Keegan tell Finn, “Kaer said it was best the princess didn’t know.”
“Know what?” She asked, startling them. Of course, they were tight lipped.
After badgering them about it for a few minutes, Finn came up with the brilliant plan to let her work for the information, a battle on the PS4.
The idiot was going to earn them a lashing from Kaer and who knows what from Fallon depending on what happens after Alyss learns of it, Keegan thought.
“Cough it up, boys,” she urged them. “You lost fair and square.”
Knowing she was right had Finn grinding his back teeth.
Keegan saw that he was the only one of clear mind between the two of them, so he reluctantly told her that, “Fallon took Shana to the ball.”
For a moment, Alyss wasn’t too concerned until he went on to say, “As her escort.” The implied tone in his voice as well as the sympathy in his eyes, told Alyss it was something to worry about.
“Shana,” Alyss said, studying their faces as she spoke. “She and Fallon used to be an item, right?”
The twins exchanged a telling glance, but neither answered.
“Right,” she murmured, playing the information in her brain.
It didn’t take more than a couple breaths before she jerked her head to Keegan. “You have Cormac’s number?”
Frowning, he nodded, more than a little confused.
“Good. Give me your phone,” she ordered, holding her hand out for it.
Hesitant at first, Keegan figured she’d probably find a way to get that too, so he pulled the device from his back pocket and handed it over to her. Like Fallon’s, it was an older flip mode but it served its purpose. It took her a moment to navigate but after a couple of button pushes, she was able to get the right to tact and hit to call button.
Holding it to her ear, she waited for the Seelie to answer. Watching the twins exchange a worried glance, she thought they were probably anticipating Fallon’s wrath.
“Hello?”
Hearing the man’s vice over the phone, sent a thrill she wasn’t entirely proud of course through her body.
“Hey,” she said in a short greeting. “It’s Alyss.” She could almost see in her mind the surprise on his face when she said that. Before he had a chance to say anything else though, she said, “I need an escort to Unseelie.”
He took a split second to answer but when he did, he said, “I’ll come to collect you momentarily.” He disconnected the call.
Tossing the phone back to Keegan, who caught it effortlessly as she walked to the door, saying over her shoulder, “Expect an Unseelie prince to come knocking soon.”
Chapter Eleven
Keegan looked over at his brother, sharing a silent conversation.
We are in deep shit, Finn projected.
No kidding, Keegan glared, then, Come on, lets go play nice with the Seelie.
Following his brother out the door, he grumbles, “Since when do we take orders from a Seelie half-blood?” Finn asked his brother as they entered the hallway. Keegan didn’t dare answer.
When they reached the grand cavern, Illian rushed up to meet them. “We have movement in the storage room,” he told them.
Nodding, Keegan looked to Alyss who stood, unsurprised, a few feet away. “Princess Alyss invited NicCambers to the Nead,” he informed Illian. He thought including her title, no matter how unofficial it may be, to help ease the inevitable disagreement.
Illian, the ever calm and quiet male, snapped his gaze on the lady in question, pinning her in place and groused, “You did what?”
Alyss’ surprise for his raised voice didn’t reflect on her face, but she did have to tamp down a little bit of panicked anxiety that washed over her.
“I need to see my sister in Unseelie, he wont be here long,” she assured him.
Illian didn’t look to be the kind to easily have the wool pulled over his eyes but at least she could calm him down before Cormac showed his mug. Another male, one she had only seen at meals, opened the storage room door and stepped out, followed by Cormac, looking ever the playboy, black slacks and black shirt made of some expensive material, of which the first three buttons were undone, revealing a smooth chest.
After a quick glance around the room he spotted her. A smile tugged at his lips before he reigned it back in and a concerned look set in. Locking in on her face, he approached the small group, asking, “Is everything alright?” Eyes never leaving her.
Though the attention made her uneasy, she didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing that. Before she could answer though, Illian did.
“Everything is fine, Cambers,” he said, only a little annoyed. Alyss nearly awed at the fac that she had gotten quiet Illian to show a little spunk.
“No,” she interjected, pinning the Fomorian warrior with a dagger Ed ok that said he didn’t get to speak for her. “I need to see my sister,” she told Cormac who seemed to take on all the tension between the four of them. He immediately grew tenser, the playboy taking a back seat to the fighter she saw in that dusty office building.
She didn’t see it, but he must have stepped closer to her because suddenly she felt crowded by him. His scent overwhelmed her senses and his heat seemed to warm any chill she hadn’t thought she had. “Of course,” he said cautiously, looking to each of the other males.
“Wait,” Keegan said when Cormac began to turn back towards the storage room where the mirror rested. Everyone grew eerily still as they looked to him. “Fallon wont appreciate you taking her alone.”
Scoffing, Alyss rolled her eyes and nearly laughed at the implication that she needed protection from the playboy prince. He only won their scuffle in the apartment because he cheated. Don had knocked her out from behind. But she could take him.
“Please, I’ll be fine,” she started to assure them. “I’m stronger than I look.”
“It’s not your physical strength we are concerned with,” Illian said, a deadpan expression on his face.
“What?” She was confused to put it lightly. Frowning, she glanced between him and the twins. They shared his thoughts, it was clear.
“Your honor, Cambers,” Illian demanded, daggers for eyes. “That you will be the gentleman your mother hopes she raised.”
Cormac groused at the mention of his mother, but he pressed his shoulders back when he answered, “On my honor.”
Her confusion was cleared when they walked to the door. Seeing the three giants follow them and stand near the doorway she grew more irritated by the second for their interference. After Cormac finished activating the portal, she tore her eyes from the fascinating scene to shoot back at them, “Tell Fallon he doesn’t have right to me either.”
Neither seemed to react, but she felt they would share the message when their king returned. Not sparing them another second of her time, she walked deeper into the room, stepping up close to where Cormac stood in front of the mirror.
When he touched it, she nearly stumbled back at how the surface warps and moved. She half expected some things to break through, much like a whale would when it kept from the water.
Turning, Cormac smiled at her.
“Ready, princess?”
She nodded and he led the way by stepping through, showing her how simple it was to let go of everything that she knew to be real an
d what was impossible. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she took in a deep breath before opening them again and following him through, crossing into Seelie.
There isn’t a single soul in the hallway when they arrive, but Cormac leads her down the same hall that Beth did with Jess. Alyss looked all around, noting the old rock wall that looked more like a stucco mud than anything else. Though there was a lack of windows, the hall was surprisingly well lit with the occasional torch light.
Rounding a corner, they came to a wider hall with doors and a strange grated iron gate with something awful smelling behind it. She attempted to peer inside as they passed by it.
“What is that?” She asked, nose wrinkling.
Cormac looked at her. “Oh,” he said, smiling at her reaction. “That’s—”
“Cormac!” Beth called at the other end of the hall, about twenty feet away. Giving them a little wave, she walked towards them.
Cormac stood up, acknowledging Beth with a small nod and waited for her to join them.
Giving up on her inspection of what was making the awful smell, Alyss stood up and watched the other woman approach them. Seeing the grin stretch Cormac’s lips as she drew closer, had something foreign and unwanted building up inside Alyss. Just before the woman was upon them, Alyss realized she was frowning at her. And, what the hell? Her fists were clenched at her sides. Forcing herself to relax, she shook her hands a little to loosen them up. Wondering what the hell was wrong with her.
“Beth,” Cormac greeted her when she stopped in front of them. “How are you this morning?”
Whipping her head to look at him, Alyss asked, “Morning?” More than a little confused.
Smiling at her reaction, Beth held a hand out to her. “Hello, I’m Beth.”
Slowly, Alyss shook her hand, a little disgruntled that she didn’t see a reasonable reason to dislike the woman. “Alyss,” she offered.
Still smiling, Beth told her, “Welcome to The Fold where time is relative and the rules don’t make sense.”
Alyss’ lips ticked up in an act of betrayal at Beth’s joke.
Cormac didn’t allow her a chance to inquire what the heck this Fold was before he told Beth, “Alyss is here to see her sister.”
“Of course,” she replied. “Follow me.” Turning, she headed back down the hall, leading the way.
The knock on the door had Jess looking up from the old text that Beth had given her to study.
“Come in!” She called.
Opening the door, Alyss slowly peeked her head inside. “Hey,” she said softly, smiling at her sister.
Grinning widely, Jess tossed the heavy book on the bed and leaped up to greet her.
“Hey!” She said happily.
Stepping all the way in, Alyss caught her as Jess went in for a hug.
They embraced tightly for a moment before they pulled apart, shuffled all the way inside and shut the door.
Sitting down on the bed, she waved Alyss to the lone arm chair in the corner of the room.
“What brings you here?” She asked, rolling her eyes at her little sister. “I thought you said you couldn’t stay here.”
Nodding, Alyss looked up at the ceiling for a second, then chuckled along with her. “Yeah, I know.” She swallowed, dreading what she had to tell her. “I mean, no. That’s not why I’m here.”
Lifting her brows in askance, Jess waited for her to spit it out.
“I came here to see you,” she explained.
Jess looked skeptical. “Oookay,” she drew out.
“To tell you something,” Alyss winced at her own words.
The smile dropped from her expression when Jess picked up on the direness that was in Alyss’ tone and body language.
“Just tell me,” she told Alyss.
Taking a deep breath and huffing it out, Alyss bit hard at her lip before she spat it out. “The twins told me that Fallon took Shana to the King’s ball.”
Walking out of the mansion and down the pathway, Fallon, Roshea and Kaer stop on the gravel driveway, waiting for Shana, who was slowly walking down the stairs, moping a little.
“Well,” Roshea said, looking up at Fallon. “Do you think he’ll help us?”
Shrugging, Fallon shook his head indicating he wasn’t sure.
She frowned, then tried something else, “Do you think he’ll betray us?”
This time, Fallon only glanced down at her silently. He didn’t know that either.
Understanding, she nodded. When Shana finally reached the group, Roshea waved a “come along” gesture to her. “Let’s get to the car so I can take off these stupid heels.”
Shana didn’t say anything, but she did glare up at Fallon as she carefully walked by him on the uneven gravel.
The males waited a moment until the women reached the lone car in the massive looped driveway. They watched as Roshea yanked the driver’s side door open and, steadying herself on the doorframe, proceeded to yank off the offending shoes and toss them onto the passenger seat. Shana didn’t bother with her own footwear, instead she just slipped in the backseat and buckled in, still glaring as she did it.
Kaer looked at Fallon as Roshea started up the engine. “She’s not likely to forgive you anytime soon, my friend.”
Rubbing at the space between his brows, Fallon sighed and said, “It had to be done. I couldn’t keep on allowing her to think there was something there.”
Kaer gave a little chuckle, “Oh, yes, well, at least now she’s caught up with the rest of the us.”
Looking at him from between his fingers, Fallon winced. “Ugh,” he groaned. “I didn’t plan for her to get hurt.”
Sobering, Kaer nodded, understanding, “We know that. And so does she,” he offered. “Deep down.”
Reaching over his shoulder, Fallon grabbed at his jacket and yanked it off over his wings and head, leaving the white dress shirt. Kaer did the same.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Fallon looked at his friend. “Ready?”
Before answering, Kaer tucked his hair back behind his ears. “Yup.”
Fallon took a few steps away from Kaer, snapped out his wings, spreading them wide, and then stretched them upwards. Then, with powerful force, he drove them down, pushing the air underneath and propelled himself skywards.
Flapping his wings a time or two, he found a breeze and began to cruise on it. Soon, Kaer joined him.
Back at the Nead, they are met by Illian, Keegan and Finn. While the twins looked anxious, Illian’s angry expression had Fallon raising a brow.
“Well, now, what’s got you all peeked,” Kaer teased to Illian.
He didn’t answer right away, instead he folded his arms across his chest and glared at the two younger warriors.
“Tell them,” he growled.
They both hung their heads when Finn confessed, “Princess Alyss found out about you escorting Shana to the ball.”
Fallon swore darkly, which made Finn flinch a little.
Everyone else was quiet for a moment, watching for Fallon’s next reaction. Then, looking at Kaer, he tipped his head at his second, demanding, “Give me your phone.”
The other male dug it out of his pocket. As he did, Fallon turned to Illian. “You’re on guard for the evening. The male nodded and took his leave. Meanwhile, the twins still stood with their heads bowed, and Fallon was content with leaving them that way as he took the phone that Kaer handed him. Flipping it open, he texted his own phone, which he’d given to Jess.
Jess jerked away, shaking her head in denial. “You must have misunderstood.”
Alyss looked at her sister pitifully. Apologetically, she answered, “I don’t think so. All the guys were purposefully keeping tight lipped about it.” Pausing, she regretted her next words. “Fallon made them keep it quiet.”
Stilling, Jess looked up, meeting her sister’s gaze. Seeing the belief behind her words there, she began to crumble. No tears or sobs escaped but the icy pain in her heart made her want to find the nearest hole to climb in.
Or, rather, a different hole, to drown her sorrows.
Just then, Jess’ phone buzzed in her back pocket. Sniffing, she reached back and pulled it out. There was a new message.
Opening it, she looked up at Alyss. “It’s Kaer,” she said.
Alyss’ attention was suddenly tuned in. “He says they’re back.”
“Anything else?” Alyss asked.
Jess just shook her head no.
Frowning, Alyss grew anxious. “How could they not tell us more? Did they find someone?”
Jess shook her head as she typed a reply. “I just asked.”
A moment later it buzzed again. Jess read it aloud, “Details later.”
Alyss wasn’t pleased with that. “That’s ridiculous. How can they keep us in the dark?”
“Relax, Alyss, we don’t know what happened. Give them a few minutes,” Jess consoled.
“I’ll go back and check,” Alyss said, irritated.
Placing a hand on her arm to stay her, Jess warned her, “Be careful when you approach them on this. It couldn’t have been easy on either of them to go back there and do what they just did.”
Alyss nodded and smiled in farewell before walking to the door and leaving her sister alone. For a second, she stood in the eerily empty hall wondering how in the hell she was going to get back, then Cormac materialize a few feet from her.
Only slightly caught off guard, she managed not to jump out of her skin when he did.
“Ready to go back?” He asked, holding an arm out to guide her to the way out.
She nodded and reluctantly placed her hand on his offered arm.
Chapter Twelve
Stepping out of the storage room, Alyss was alone, Cormac having taken his leave after safely escorting her to the other side.
She closed the door behind her and turned to see Kaer and Fallon waiting against the wall, Fallon’s back to her saying something to Kaer. Spotting her though, Kaer nodded to Fallon, indicating he should turn around. When he did, he pinned her with his sharp gaze as he stalked toward her.
Ascending Into Light (Descending Series Book 2) Page 14
