All Hail the King (Celestra Forever After Book 6)

by Addison Moore

  “What do you mean you adore me far more than you thought you would?” I call out after him, but the sound of my voice is drowned out by the music.

  Now that’s a backward compliment if ever there was one. It implies that at one point in time Marshall was pretty meh about the whole him and me combo. It’s almost as if I were a means to an end. And don’t I know it in no uncertain terms. I’m about to seek out the “Pretty One” as Marshall so kindly refers to Logan when a couple of familiar beauties in matching little black dresses try to scuttle on by.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” I jump in front of Mia and Melissa and they roll their eyes at the sight of me. “What are you doing here? You’re not alumni just yet, you’re seniors. And who’s watching the boys?” A thin spiral of fear rides through me at the thought of Beau Geste manning the fort. He just started pre-K and I’m betting that meets a plethora of babysitting criteria according to Drake and Bree.

  Mia leans in and her perfume smells of rich sweet tea. “Your witch-in-law stopped by and offered to stay over, so we thought we’d crash.”

  Melissa bops along to the music. “Who knew there would be so many freaking studs out tonight? Some of these old goats don’t look so bad. I bet they’re up for a good time with no strings and we could get some real action.”

  I gasp. “Trust me, honey. It’s the lighting. And no action for the two of you. Mia, you’re still married. And Melissa, you’ll probably want to finish out your last year at West STD free. You should be home plotting your senior prank or designing your real prom gowns, not trolling for old West discards that have nothing better to do on a Friday night than hang out with Cerberus. Have I mentioned the communicable diseases?”

  Mia huffs, “I won’t be married for long. Is Rev here?”

  “Ah, so the truth comes out. You’re hoping to have a hot hookup with Paragon’s official bad boy. I think you should hold off on that. And I’m not even sure if he went to—”

  “Rev!” Mia screams before launching herself like a missile at a tall, dark, and well-dressed might I add, sanitized version of what was once Paragon’s biggest menace. I spot Carson Armistead coming right for them and I’m sure a war is about to break out. But a crowd moves between us and I miss the show.

  “And there’s that.” I frown over at Melissa. “Let me guess. You’ll be attaching yourself to Gabe Armistead.” I don’t need a road map to connect the coital dots. Melissa has wanted Gabe for herself for as long as Mia has. Might as well get the next teen wedding out of the way.

  She makes a face. “He’s been calling, but I thought I’d make him work for it. I mean, he did choose Mia over me. That means I’m second best, right? I heard that whole speech outside. You really handed Gage Oliver his balls. You might as well have given them to Bullet to chew up and shit out of his rear. It was that ugly.”

  Now it’s me making the face. Bullet, aka D-O-G, is the giant pit bull mix that Mia and Rev share custody of. I’m sure once Bullet gets wind of their reunion, he’ll be thrilled that he’s no longer the product of a broken home—that is, if Mia can break the hold Carson Armistead now has on Rev.

  “I’m sorry you heard that.” I glance past her and spot Chloe pawing all over Gage. Her fingers are knotted up in the back of his hair the way mine used to be and my hands actually hurt because they still crave the feel of his slick locks. “Just between you and me, not a word of it was true.” Tears come to my eyes and I’m quick to blink them away. “If Gabe cares about you even half as much as I loved Gage, then you are a very lucky girl.” That didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to, but she gets the point.

  Melissa pulls the hem down on her skirt before fiddling with her purse. “I’m really glad to hear that. I was about to dump some love potion I swiped from Dominique and spike his beer with it later, but in all honesty, I’d like to see how this all plays out in the natural. But for you, my dear older, somewhat wiser sister”—she produces a small plastic bag of what looks to be white powder and shoves it into my hand before curling my fingers over it discreetly—“sprinkle this on Chloe’s Wheaties and that witch who’s been haunting you ever since we set foot on this island will be no more.” Her serious dark eyes bear hard into mine. “I won’t tell, Skyla. This will be our deadly little secret.” She gives a sly wink before disappearing into the crowd.

  I glance down at the bag full of poison, I presume, and my blood runs cold. How easy it would be to tamper with Chloe’s food. How wonderful it would be to remove her from the planet indefinitely.

  The bag feels slippery in my hand, uncertain of whether or not it even wants to be there as I tuck it into the boxy black metallic purse Bree gifted me for Christmas. I know for a fact if my mother wants Chloe around, that bag won’t do me an ounce of good. Of course, I could remove Chloe from the planet indefinitely myself. I do hold the power. But I like the idea of being the bigger person, the one that makes this sin ride over Gage Oliver’s back for choosing her day in and day out. Besides, how I would loathe Gage threatening to take the boys from me unless I return his favorite hostage, the way he demanded I keep Holden away from Chloe. It’s bad enough I have to witness Gage and Chloe together, but hearing him all but profess his love via his acts of perceived kindness toward her guts me all the more.

  Shakespeare said hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I’ve yet to unleash any great fury. The only thing I want and need is my people safe. Screw Gage and Chloe and their outlandishly foolish love. I’m wearing my crocodile skin as Marshall suggested. I’m going to save my people from the Barricade and screw Logan Oliver’s brains out. And those are the only two things on my agenda tonight.

  I take off to find the fair-haired Oliver and stop cold when I see a sight that actually has the power to frighten me a bit more than Chloe and Gage intertwined on the dance floor.

  “Holy shit.” I speed over and snatch the blonde bombshell with her red glittering gown away from a group of men I have never seen in my life. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hiss as I speed us all the way to the dark corridor that leads to a small makeshift kitchen in the back that they open up as a concession stand during basketball games.

  This identical version of me giggles, her eyes sparkle like luminescent stars, and then it hits me.

  I gasp. “You’re not Candace.” My heart thumps erratically. “You’re Rory.” For the life of me I didn’t think I’d see her in the wild sporting my face in a crowd where I am actively participating. “Oh crap. Please tell me you’re not running around this island pretending to be me.”

  “Heavens no.” Her eyes widen and her lips pull back in the exact manner mine do when I’m lying.

  “What are you doing here? Are you aware that haunted horse of yours has been in Marshall’s corral for the last three months?” Has it been three months? It was on Gage and Chloe’s fated wedding night, the first one, that Logan and I stumbled upon the beast roaming free.

  “I’m not looking for him. Let Mother deal with Shaddai.” She glances past me.

  “Then what are you looking for? Or more to the obvious point, who?”

  “You.” Her eyes glitter as they examine my features. “How are things going on the Faction front?”

  “Ezrina’s been working on regenerating the Spectators and it isn’t going well, but it’s not going horribly either. And as far as hiding the markers goes, she’s still in the cell stages.”

  She shakes her head with frustration. “She needs people to participate in the trials. Speak to the Factions. Someone will volunteer. There is always one who will see the greater good and be willing to offer themselves up as a sacrifice.”

  “No, I don’t want anyone to do that. If I’ve had anything pounded into my head, it’s the fact death is all too real, all too permanent, all too painful.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir.” She makes a face as she looks to the crowd once again. “My God, he’s still with her. I’m no expert on human socialization, but I think he’s showboating for you. I do
n’t think this is real.”

  I glance back and spot Chloe caging Gage in with her death grip.

  “See that baby bump? That’s about as real as it gets. He’s either in over his head or he’s in heaven. And judging by the riff we had outside, it’s the latter of the two.”

  A husky laugh growls through her. “He’s not over you by a long shot, Skyla. That boy wishes it were you in his bed and not Chloe.”

  “We’re over, Rory. I’ve been such a mess. I actually all but begged poor Marshall to take me behind the proverbial shed and have me. But it’s Logan who I really want. I guess deep down I’m terrified of losing him, too. I can’t keep taking my heart back to some desolate place filled with false hope. I need to—”

  “Focus on our people. Trust me when I say this. I’m doing the same. But it doesn’t mean that I can’t detest the beast for dual reasons.”

  “And they would be?” I’m a bit amused at the thought of my sister detesting Gage for any reason.

  Her eyes flash to mine, a jag of lightning going off in each one. “For what he did to our people and for what he did to you.”

  “It looks as if we’re on the same page, after all. What can you do to help me, though? Is there some way you can assist Ezrina with the markers?”

  Her lips purse as she looks back out to the devilish duo. “I don’t think so, but I have a feeling I can garner you a brand new ally who might just be as fighting mad as you are to get even with that monster. It will take some time, though. Take my word for it. My plan is a good one.” She takes off and I try to catch her, but she dissolves into the crowd.

  What in the hell was she talking about? What ally? Why would it take time? And why on earth does she feel the need to get them on our side?

  Every ounce of me says that I need to report Rory to the proper authority and that proper authority would be our mother. But another part of me realizes that my mother can’t be trusted. What if Rory’s plan is the ace I need? What could it hurt to let it play out a little while longer? Once she brings me this ally, if I don’t approve, I can nip it in the bud at that point. Otherwise, I’ll never know. And God knows I need every ace that I can get my hands on.

  The music takes a turn for the caustic, and soon the shaking bodies on the dance floor have the entire building vibrating along with them. I spot Gage trying to part with Chloe, but she’s forcing him to slow dance. Her eyes are closed. Her mind is off in some la la land where the two of them are a reality, and sadly this would be that reality.

  I hate that my every nightmare has decided to rear its ugly head all at the same time. I would much rather be eaten alive by a clown Fem. And sadly, my fear of clowns has made a reprisal since Gage left. He took my heart and exchanged it for a ball of anxiety. I never thought that I could hate anyone more than I hate Chloe, but I hate the new Gage.

  A hand clasps onto my wrist and spins me around, and soon enough I’m face to face with Ellis. His eyes look clear, his expression somber, and as much as I hate to admit it, the sober version of him always worries me a bit more than the stoned version.

  “I spoke to Ezrina,” he grunts it out with anger. “I’m in. I’m the one who she’s to run experiments on. I’m volunteering. She can’t use the Spectators.” He takes a deep breath.

  “Why not?” No sooner do I push the words out than a pin pricks my proverbial balloon. “They’ll take us to court.” I shake my head. “Of course. Wes will squeeze the Videns until we’re standing in front of the Justice Alliance. It doesn’t mean they’ll win. We’re in a war. They killed our people. We could just as easily take them to court.”

  He shakes his head. “This falls under inhumane treatment. Death is final and apparently fair. Besides, you don’t want to mess with the Spectators and their screwed-up DNA. You need to know that whatever it is you’re implanting works on clean people who haven’t morphed into monsters.”

  My eyes flit to Gage when he says that word. Rory called him a monster, and now he’s my go-to guy at the mention of the word. He was my saving grace, my angel for so long, the irony isn’t lost on me.

  “We’ll see.” I pull him in for a quick embrace as Giselle bops up, looking every bit like a glowing, gorgeous version of Emerson Kragger.

  “Hands off my man.” She winks my way.

  “He’s all yours, G. Hey, you wouldn’t have happened to see Emerson here tonight, have you?”

  She rolls her beautiful blue eyes. “Something happened with Lexy and Michelle. She was standing there when the two of them went at it and broke it up.”

  “A fight?” Lex and Michelle haven’t gotten physical since they tried to duke it out over Logan. “Is Liam there?” My heart lurches in my throat. If they’re not fighting for Logan—God, how I hope they’re not fighting for Liam. Liam and Michelle are married, for Pete’s sake.

  Giselle and Ellis exchange a look.

  “What is it?” I snap without meaning to. “If you’re holding something back from me, things won’t end well for you.” I can feel my adrenaline kicking in.

  Ellis moans, “Michelle and Liam got into it. Apparently, Lex put the moves on Liam, or at least Michelle thinks so. Dude, I do not want to know what’s going on. As long as I’m with my girl, that’s all I care about.”

  It warms me to hear Ellis talking about Giselle that way.

  “And that’s exactly why I’m going to keep you out of harm’s way.” I give his facial scruff a quick scratch and dart into the crowd before he can protest. I nearly run right into Gage and Chloe lumbering awkwardly on the dance floor before I make a hard left and head straight for my intended targets, Ezrina and Nev.

  “How’s it going?” I can’t help but note Ezrina has not only tamed her mane, but she’s donned a sparkling black gown for the evening. Heathcliff looks dashing per usual. “I hear testing on the Spectators is a no-go.”

  Nev scowls. “It’s a gray area, my love. I’m afraid we should err on the side of caution. But we’ve managed to find other subjects.”

  Ezrina nods. “Tests are encouraging.”

  “What other subjects?” My heart makes a hard leap right into my throat.

  Ezrina’s dead eyes look to mine. “Rabbits, squirrel, two raccoons, and five pigs.”

  “What? I thought we discussed this already. No animal testing. Absolutely not.”

  “Not to worry.” Ezrina bleeds a slow smile that never quite takes off. “All done with animal testing.”

  “Oh, thank God.”

  “Moving on to humans.”

  “No, no, no!” My body enlivens with horror. “We’re not ready. I can’t have this. There will be no human sacrifices until you’re sure it won’t be fatal.”

  “Skyla,” Nev pleads with his tone. “I’m afraid we’re at that stage. But not to worry, we already have three.”

  “Who?” Logan runs through my mind, and if he’s done this I’ll forbid it.

  “Cooper.” Ezrina’s stony features remain unchanged. “Brody and Ellis.”

  Nev lifts a finger. “The three musketeers.”

  “They’re far too kind, but I’ll have to decline. We’ll find another way. The three of them have far too much to live for, and they are far too young and valuable to the organization for us to lose them.” My words sink down like a bitter pill. “Look, everyone is far too valuable. I’m not putting one life above another simply because of their ages and stages in life. Ezrina, this is one trigger I’m going to be very slow to pull. Only when you are certain that death will not be a consequence can we proceed.”

  I try to take off, but Ezrina steps in my path. “Others will perish the longer we wait.”

  “Ezrina.” I close my eyes, exasperated with the idea. “I’m paralyzed with fear. I don’t want to see any unnecessary casualties.”

  She reaches for my hand, a move that defies everything I know about Ezrina, considering she’s the one that removed the hand that was originally on my left to begin with.

  “Skyla”—she gravels out my name—“some m
ight argue these casualties might be necessary.”

  “I won’t be one of them.” It comes out softly as if I were acquiescing. “Please, don’t make a move without me.”

  “As for now there is no need. The pigs are doing well, and Alice has taken a liking to them. I’ll be moving them to Sector Marshall’s estate if you care to bring the boys over.”

  “That sounds nice.” I glance over to Ellis and Giselle and spot Gage and Chloe with them as well. Ellis looks as if he’s on the defense, while Chloe and Giselle prattle on about something. You really need to screw up royally to have Ellis pissed at you. The only people still talking to Gage are Logan and Coop. Speaking of which. “Have either of you seen Logan?”

  “Yes.” Nev straightens as he cranes his neck into the crowd. “Last I saw, he was with his brother, Liam. It appeared to be a rather heated conversation.”

  “It’s nice to know his night is as colorful as mine.” Siblings. “I’d better go look for him. And by the way, Marshall was looking for the two of you.”

  “Indeed he found us.” Ezrina’s eyes sharpen over mine. “He gave me orders to defy you in the event you decided to stand in the way of human trials.” She gives an impish grin and I choke in response to it.

  “No human trials. I am usurping his authority. Do not touch the so-called three musketeers. If those pigs live to see spring, we’ll talk then.” I stride off, angry and bitter. “How dare he,” I mutter under my breath. And after that whole spiel he fed me about taking the reins. I’ll take the reins right out of his supernatural hands. Doesn’t he realize how very precious life is?