“Please, stop by anytime,” he said. “Can I walk you to the portal?”
“Thank you, but I can’t use the portal,” I replied, wishing I’d thought about it first. “I’ll use my fae magic to get home. That way no one will see me falling through the portal in the middle of the night.” I tapped my finger on the table. “It will be the middle of the night, right?”
He laughed again, and I smiled with him. He could’ve taken this so much worse.
“I understand, but I’m glad it’s him, not me.” His smile softened the criticism, but it still hurt.
“Do you have any information for him before I go?” I asked, finishing my Coke.
“You can tell him the housing is ready for the mages and a place has been cleared for the shifters,” he replied. “Mr. Smith’s people may have to find shelter elsewhere, though. Our people won’t tolerate vampires within the walls even if they are allies.”
“I understand,” I mumbled, even if I disagreed. “Thank you for not sending me away.”
“You are always welcome, princess,” he said.
“Even if I’m a mage-fae-vampire?”
“Is that even possible?”
“Let’s hope we never find out.” I stood and took my plate to the kitchen sink. Zahur followed with his own. “I’ll see you again in a few days,” I said, feeling the weight of my responsibilities fall on my shoulders.
“Yes. It’ll all be over in a few days,” he agreed.
I took a step back and pictured Kellen’s bedroom at the palace. It should be late evening there. Maybe Kellen wouldn’t be in bed yet. I smiled at his cousin and jumped.
Chapter 22
I should’ve sat down before jumping. It’s not like I hadn’t already fallen on my ass how many times now. I pushed myself off the floor and glanced around the semi-dark room. The undisturbed blankets and silence made it pretty evident Kellen hadn’t made his way to bed yet. Good. That meant I had time to do stuff, but I had no idea what.
The sleep I got in LA refreshed my body, so I wasn’t really tired, just worn out from using so much magic. Maybe a full course meal would take care of the lingering fatigue. Would their dining facility still be open? I had no idea, but I wouldn’t find out standing in the bedroom.
My first step towards the door betrayed my exhaustion. I stumbled, grabbing the corner of the dresser to keep from falling. I glanced at the bed and moaned. It was looking more inviting by the second. I took another step, and my legs turned to jelly. What the hell? I wasn’t this tired ten minutes ago while Zahur and I chatted over the best hummus ever.
I barely made it to the bed and fell on the mattress. It felt like someone siphoned all my energy, leaving behind a wet noodle. Despite my mind’s refusal, I fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun’s morning rays woke me hours later, but I couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding from nightmares I couldn’t remember. I stretched and yawned. My body ached everywhere. Was that from my snake or just the magic I used to create it? It probably didn’t matter.
I threw back the blankets and frowned. I’d fallen onto the bed last night fully clothed on top of the covers. Someone had removed everything except my camisole and panties, then tucked me into bed. It had to be Kellen, but I was alone in bed. The space next to me was cold and appeared to be untouched.
My feet slid to the floor, and I wobbled. How was I still shaky? Did I spend too much time as a snake? I gasped, clasping my hand over my mouth. I’d swallowed the vampire’s blood. Did that change something? Surely not. I’d spat most of it out.
I stumbled to the bathroom and flicked on the lights, squinting against the sudden brightness. Waves of dizziness and nausea assaulted me, and I made it to the toilet just in time to empty my stomach. My meager dinner from last night came up first. Blood burned my throat, and the familiar taste of vinegar and rotten eggs joined it. Was my body expelling Vail’s blood? I wasn’t done though, dry heaving for several minutes more. Fricking lovely.
When I was relatively sure my rebellious stomach was finished, I forced myself to stand. My legs were a little less shaky. I turned to the sink and splashed water on my face, then found my toothbrush. It’d take forever to get that taste out of my mouth.
I glanced up in the mirror and froze, toothbrush hanging from my lips. The soft blond curls were gone, replaced by my natural platinum white. But it wasn’t as startling as the dark ring around my icy-blue irises. I leaned towards the mirror and pulled my eyelids up. I couldn’t make out the color. It could’ve been dark blue or black, or even a weird brown. What the hell?
I dropped my toothbrush and rinsed my mouth.
“I need to see Braden,” I muttered.
Mixing Braden’s blood with Logan’s hadn’t changed a thing for me, but Braden said his blood was stronger than anyone else’s. Had his blood rejected the presence of Vail’s? Or was it my body doing that? What a mess. I should just quit biting people. Yep. That would solve all those problems. No more biting. And only in my demented mind and circumstances does that make sense, I thought ruefully.
“AJ?” Kellen’s muffled voice reached me through the door.
“Just a minute!” I called back.
Deep breaths, because regardless of what I told his cousin, I needed to tell Kellen about the goblins. I should’ve stuck around to see what they intended. Maybe I could text Gordon and ask.
When I opened to door, I saw Kellen sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for me. His eyes drifted down my body for a second before he looked away. I wasn’t the ideal woman with my horribly skinny frame and flat chest. I’d never figure out what he saw in me, especially now that I wasn’t really human.
I crossed the room and found some clothes in my dresser.
“Did you get to talk to Cedric?” Kellen asked, filling the awkward silence.
My heart fell into my stomach. I didn’t want to tell him about Cedric’s fate. “No, I went to see your cousin,” I answered, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
“What?”
I huffed, not missing the anger in his voice. I pulled on my clothes, keeping my back to him. “There are about a hundred or so goblins in the desert just west of your cousin,” I continued, searching the floor for my dirty garments from last night. “Where are my clothes?”
“I sent them to be cleaned,” he replied, moving from the bed to my side. “Your phone’s on the charger on your desk.”
“Thanks for taking care of me last night,” I mumbled, heading for the sitting room.
“What did you do last night?”
My hand rested on the door knob, but I didn’t open it. “I killed a bunch of vampires.” A deep breath escaped my lips. “I need to find out if the goblins are fighting with us or going home.” I pushed open the door, not wanting to see his anger or judgment or pity or whatever else he might be feeling.
“Will you tell me how?” he asked, following me into the sitting room.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I replied. “I can’t face my guilt.”
I grabbed my phone from the desk and powered it on. Apparently, the battery was completely dead when he plugged it in.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I replied. Even without our bond, he’d know I was lying. “Zahur said his place is ready for the mages and shifters, but Jonathan’s group were on their own.”
“I have a friend who will take them in,” Kellen said, drawing my attention. He stood a few feet away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “It’s actually Logan’s friend.”
Mentioning my vampire pulled all my emotions out of their box. “I miss him,” I mumbled. “He always knew what to say when I was being stupid.”
I tapped in my password and looked for Gordon’s contact. I didn’t have it. Only Braden’s. Could I text him and ask? I had to assume Gordon would tell him about Vail.
Kellen’s hand on my shoulder distracted me, and I turned to look up at him. The dark circles under his eyes gave away his l
ack of sleep, along with the lines of worry across his forehead.
“Don’t let all of this change who you are,” he whispered.
“Pretty sure I have no choice,” I muttered. “I’ll figure out who I am when we’re done.”
“Promise you’ll make time for me when this is over.” His hand trailed down my arm while his eyes searched my face.
“I’ll try,” I conceded, “but I have to take care of my oath with Braden first. I’m not sure the fae queen will give me the luxury of time, either.”
And all I wanted was to make sure everyone survived, then run away and hide. Enough of that. I stuffed my emotions back in their box and tapped on Braden’s contact.
Me: Have you seen Gordon?
I tucked my phone in my back pocket. He wouldn’t respond right away, or he shouldn’t anyway.
“Can we get some breakfast?” I asked. “I need something with lots of carbs and protein. And coffee. Lots of coffee.”
“That’s all the answers I get?” he asked in return.
“They’re the only ones I have,” I responded.
His dejected expression tugged at my heart. “Then let’s get breakfast.”
I followed him down the spiraling stairs and into the courtyard, greeting people as we went. Most smiled and said hello, but their wary expressions screamed the truth. They no longer saw me as their princess, which was probably best. It’d be easier for them to accept Kellen and the council.
Breakfast sucked. The food was good, but the uneasy stares weren’t. I devoured a pile of pancakes covered in strawberries and several pieces of bacon, then washed it down with three cups of coffee. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable presence in the air.
Kellen and I ate in silence. Several people stopped to discuss palace related issues, but no one stayed. They’d glance at me and smile, then find another table or group of people. Guilt ate at me. Would they have joined Kellen if I weren’t here? Was my presence alienating him?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I fished it out.
Braden: what the hell were you thinking?
He wasn’t really mad, was he?
Me: Did it work?
Braden: Yes
I smiled. Kellen cleared his throat and I glanced at him reading the text over my shoulder.
Me: Then quit your bitchin
My phone rang and I cringed. I sucked at pretending to hate him.
“What?” I snapped, answering the call.
“Are you alone?” he asked.
“Nope. You?”
“Just Gordon,” he replied. “The goblins will be fighting with us, not against us.”
Relief washed over me. We could use the vicious little creatures.
“What were you doing in Egypt?” he asked.
I didn’t miss the tension in his voice and wondered what caused it. Was he mad at me for interfering? Did I make Gordon look weak? I hoped not. It wasn’t my intention. As a matter of fact, Gordon could’ve killed all those vampires instead of leaving it to me. I should’ve made him do it, then I wouldn’t have this guilt.
“I was sight-seeing,” I replied. “Gordon looked like he might’ve been in over his head.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yep.”
Kellen nudged my elbow and I held a finger up to shush him. He glared at me.
“They believe you’re a goddess who saved them from Jack’s men,” Braden continued.
I choked. “That’s absurd.”
“Well, good job, little goddess.”
Heat rushed up my face and I turned my back to Kellen, pushing out of my seat. I liked ‘little mage’ better.
“You’re an asshole,” I hissed.
“That was the deal.”
I could hear the humor in his voice and bit my lip to keep from cursing.
“Have you found any of the others?” I asked, redirecting the conversation.
“I believe so, but I’m not sure I’ll tell you where. You’ll steal all my thunder and make me look soft.”
A sharp laugh escaped my throat, and Kellen grabbed my elbow as I made my way out of the dining hall.
“Fine. Just tell me when you’re done,” I said.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You better.” I ended the call and the banter growing between us.
“What did he say?” my former partner asked, still gripping my elbow.
I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the morning sun. A cool breeze caressed my skin and ruffled my hair. Kellen never mentioned that it was now white and not blond, nor did he say a thing about the dark ring in my eyes. Did he not notice them? Why was I even thinking about this right now? Focus, AJ. Don’t get stupid when we’re so close to the end.
“The goblins will fight for us,” I replied, pulling my arm from his grasp. “When do you plan to move your people to Fadil’s?”
“That’s it?” he asked, following me through the courtyard. “You won’t tell me how you convinced a couple hundred goblins to change sides?”
I stopped abruptly and spun around, pointing my finger at him. “You don’t want to know,” I replied. “Hell, I don’t want to know and I’m the one who did it.” I drew in a deep breath and let it out, repeating the process two more times. “I killed a bunch of people with a thought.” I dropped my hands to my sides and glared at him. “All it took was a thought, Kellen. Can you try to understand what that means for my heart? The guilt that’s tearing at my soul?”
He stared down me for several moments. Emotions I couldn’t read flickered across his face.
“We’re moving today,” he finally said. “I worry that Jack will change the timeline, and I don’t want to be caught off guard.”
“Good idea,” I muttered. “I’d like to go to the water training room and talk to my elementals, unless you need my help.”
“No, go ahead.” He reached out a hand and ran his fingers through my hair. “You should let it grow out.”
“I’m thinking about it.” I leaned into his touch, and he pulled me into his embrace.
“We’ll get through this,” he whispered.
“I sure hope so,” I mumbled against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I’ll meet you at Zahur’s.”
He loosened his hug and looked down at me. “Where are you really going?”
A sad smile crept across my face. Even without our bond, he knew I wasn’t being completely honest. I let my hands slide away from him and took a step back.
“I need to talk to my elementals, but I also need to see Cedric,” I replied. “I meant to earlier, but the goblins seemed like a more urgent issue.”
“What’s up with Cedric?”
“He’s…” I paused, not knowing why it hurt so much to talk about it. “The fae queen imprisoned him in one of those trees in the fae kingdom. I – he said his mind would only stay coherent for a couple more days.”
“You want to say goodbye?” Kellen asked.
“I guess so, but I’m not sure why.” I huffed and tugged at the bottom of my t-shirt. “It’s not like he was really ever my father.”
“He’s the only family you have,” he said. “It matters.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll see you at Zahur’s in a couple hours.”
Rather than going straight to the training room, I went back to the bedroom. I needed to be prepared for these little outings. Food, water, and a change of clothes could mean the difference between life and death, or at least discomfort. It was stupid to not have them.
I found Logan’s backpack stuffed in the back of the closet. My fingers traced the frayed edges from our fight at the old train station. God, how I missed him. I sighed and tucked the feelings away.
A pair of blue jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and extra panties went into the bag. I tossed in a tooth brush and my scarf, then thought about food. The café downstairs might have bottled water and granola bars, but could I ask them without getting weird looks? Probably not.
&n
bsp; I slung the backpack over one shoulder and went to Kellen’s, only stumbling forward and not falling on my ass when I arrived in his training room. I just needed more practice. A comforting silence welcomed me as I made my way down the hall. Everyone should be going to Fadil’s, which meant I wouldn’t have to answer weird questions.
I peered into the living room and sighed with relief. The morning sun filtered through the glass doors, glinting off the tiny dust motes in the air. I quickly crossed the room and opened the pantry, taking three bottles of water and a handful of breakfast bars. I dropped them in my bag.
“AJ?”
I jumped at the sound of Kate’s voice and spun around, feeling a little guilty about taking what wasn’t mine. She smiled at me, and my guilt increased. I hadn’t seen her since the party in London when she found her partner.
“Kate,” I said. “It’s so good to see you.” I sat my bag on the floor, and she met me in the middle of the kitchen with a firm hug. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder as well, presumably to go to Fadil’s.
“You look so different,” she muttered into my hair. “I like the ears.”
I chuckled and took a step back. “How’s the new partner?”
“She’s great!” Kate exclaimed, but I didn’t miss her hesitation.
“The emotion thing sucks, doesn’t it?” I picked up my bag and smiled.
“Yeah. Raul told me it would, but wow.” She slid past me and grabbed the same things I did from the pantry.
“Be careful out there,” I said, watching her stuff the bottles in her backpack.
“You too.” She looked up at me and frowned, her lips pulling into a thin line. “I know things have changed for you, but you’ll always be welcome here. You know that, don’t you?”
I nodded, blinking away my tears and stuffing my emotions back in their box. “I know,” I replied. “I hope you know how much it means to me.”
She wrapped me in another hug, not saying a word. Of course she knew.
“I’ll see you in Egypt,” I said.
I watched her hurry from the room, pulling her bag over her shoulder as she went. How much had Kellen told her about my changes? Did it matter? Probably not. He needed someone to vent to, and his sister was the best sounding board. I really hoped the elementals would find him a new partner. He didn’t technically need one, but they owed it to him.
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