“Yep, I’m good,” I lied, forcing the connection to Logan to the back of my mind. “What’s for dinner? I assume we’re eating in.”
“I brought home fried chicken and potatoes,” he replied. “We’ll have to warm it up, though.”
“Sounds great.” I looked towards the door, still feeling my vampire.
“Is everything okay between you two?” Kellen asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
I frowned trying to decide what to say. I couldn’t hide my feelings from my partner; I knew I should probably just tell him. “I think something happened when he drew the vampire venom from me,” I replied cautiously, not certain how he would react.
“A lot of things happened.”
“No kidding, smart ass.” I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, though. I think I can feel his emotions the way I feel yours. It’s not as strong, but it’s there. I know when he’s around, almost like I can feel him. I can also smell both of you.”
His eyes narrowed as he leaned towards me. “What do you mean?” he asked, his good mood vanishing in an instant.
Wonderful, now both of us would have a rough evening.
“You smell like brown sugar and cinnamon, which is very nice, by the way. Logan is like spearmint.”
His frown deepened, and his uncertainty wrapped around me. “I was referring to his emotions, not the smell, but that’s interesting. I didn’t realize I had an odor other than my cologne.”
“I asked him to find out what’s happening,” I said. “It’s hard enough to deal with my own emotional constipation. Adding the two of you is a little stressful.”
“I imagine so.”
“There’s no imagining. I know you can feel it. I just don’t know what to do about it.” I hated our connection sometimes. Actually, most of the time. We didn’t use it to work together, so it was always in the way. Sparky rarely surfaced anymore unless I specifically called for him, which I didn’t do often. I left him with Kellen, knowing our connection was more than just a little spark.
“Did he say where he was going? Kellen asked.
I shook my head. “I didn’t ask.”
He pushed away from the counter and pulled two boxes from the fridge, transferring them to the microwave. “I planned to take a night off, so let’s do that. No training, no history lessons, and no talk of the supernatural community.”
I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “Deal.”
Chapter 32
The next morning started the same as any other, with a knock on my door at eight in the morning.
“Do you not remember how late we stayed up?” I yelled, knowing Kellen could hear me through the door. He didn’t answer, so I didn’t get out of bed. Four hours of sleep wasn’t enough.
“Get up, sleepyhead!” Kate’s voice brought a smile to my face. I heard the door open and close, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
“Finally. Do you know how hard it is to live without another woman in the house?” I asked, sitting up in bed as she wandered in with a plate of pancakes. Her straight, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her brown eyes shined with excitement.
“I do,” she replied. “Raul and Sammy are a pain in the ass.”
Her smile removed any criticism from the comment, and I chuckled. I rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, while she set my plate on the dresser.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“No worries about that,” she replied. “I wanted to chat without my nosy brother.”
A few minutes later, we both sat on my bed. I struggled not to drip maple syrup on my favorite quilt. “Tell me what’s happening with your mages and the palace,” I said.
“No way! I want to hear what’s up with you and Kellen,” she countered. “I can tell something happened. Are you two really partners?”
I stuffed a forkful of pancakes in my mouth and pointed at her. I needed to know how much Kellen shared with her. Our last conversation about Kate included warnings about not getting her involved.
“Fine. Not having the portal here is really inconvenient. I expected Kellen to have it fixed already. It’s been over three weeks, and it’s still broken.” She turned and folded her legs beneath her. “We rescued two more groups of mages, one in Vermont and one in Denver.” Her smile faded quickly, and she looked at my closed door. “Raul thinks there are more; we just haven’t been able to find them. It’s kind of scary.”
“How are things at the palace?” I asked between bites.
“Tense.” Her full lips drew into a thin line. “Our group can’t go back. The Magister has forbidden us to continue looking for the others.”
I nearly choked on the thick pancake, but forced it down. “Does Kellen know?”
“Yeah, I talked to him a few minutes ago. He’s with Raul and Sammy now.”
“Did she say why you couldn’t keep looking?” I asked, forgetting about the half stack of pancakes.
“Some stupid excuse about using resources we didn’t have.” She paused, and I squirmed under her gaze. “There are some crazy rumors flying around, AJ. Are you really a dual mage and Kellen’s partner?”
“What did he tell you?” I asked.
“He avoided the question.”
Of course, he would. He did it to me all the time. I couldn’t think of any reason to hide it from her. “Yes, for both questions.”
“I knew it!” She jumped off the bed and started pacing. “You already have a strong following at the palace. The Magister’s supporters continue to dwindle, especially when we found out about the bounty on your head. It makes sense now. That’s why Kellen hasn’t fixed the portal.”
“Why hasn’t the Magister come after me here?” I asked.
“Our guardians are well known at the palace. She cannot fight them alone.”
“But she can send others to do it for her,” I added, thinking of the guardians we had to heal.
“I heard about the vampires that attacked.” She stopped pacing and looked at me. “I’m glad you weren’t here for it.”
I slid off the bed and put my plate on the dresser. How much had she heard? Did the shifters tell them about our battle at Victor’s? “We should probably join the boys,” I said, pulling clothes from one the many drawers.
“Probably, but I have one more question.” Her grin returned, and I knew what she was going to ask.
“No, we’re not sleeping together,” I said, feeling my face flush.
“Liar.” She skipped out of my room, closing the door behind her.
I wouldn’t convince her, but Kellen and I had not had sex. My rigorous schedule and exhausted body never allowed the time for the two of us to be close; we barely even had time to talk. But somehow, Logan found the time to talk and answer my questions. I shook the thought from my head and got dressed.
I joined the others a few minutes later. They huddled around a low coffee table in the sitting area and looked towards me as I entered.
“My shocking little friend,” Raul said with a smile. “Long time, no see.”
“It’s good to see you too,” I said, joining their little circle.
“I like the blue highlights,” Sammy said.
I couldn’t tell if he was serious or being sarcastic, so I let it go. “Thanks.”
“We were discussing our mutual allies and potential enemies,” Kellen said, drawing my attention. “Over a dozen mages have been thrown out of the palace because they refused to stop looking for the others.”
“Do they have someplace to go?” I asked.
I thought about mine and Logan’s shared space. I didn’t think there were any other available rooms here. While I didn’t mind adding some sleeping bags or cots to my room, I was sure no one wanted to share with Logan.
“We can make room for a few here, and some of the others have family outside of the palace who will take them in,” Kellen replied. His look of apprehension made me worry. “We’l
l talk about sleeping arrangements later.”
“Have we heard from Victor or Mr. Smith recently?” I asked.
“As you know, Matt keeps in touch regularly,” Kellen said. “I met with Mr. Smith yesterday. His resources are astounding. He’s the only reason you and I have had time to train for the last two weeks.”
“Who’s Mr. Smith?” Raul asked.
“He leads a group of hybrids who are currently keeping the vampires busy fighting amongst each other,” Kellen explained. “I still don’t trust him completely, but for now, he has our best interest in mind. I’m hoping his distraction will allow us a silent entrance into the palace.”
Everyone looked at me, and I sunk into my chair. They expected me to take my mother’s place, but I still wasn’t sure if I was ready.
“I’m not ready,” I mumbled.
“Yes, you are,” Kellen argued. He’d told me that several times in the last few days.
“It’s only been two weeks. How can I possibly be ready?”
“Your elements know what’s at stake,” he replied. “You learn very quickly, and you’re no longer the bony little girl you were two weeks ago.”
“Besides, it’s not like you’re going to meet a lot of resistance,” Sammy added. “I’d bet the only one who objects is the Magister herself.”
“There are others who would challenge AJ once the Magister is out of the picture,” Kellen said. “The Magister has sown the seed of doubt into the royal family’s garden.”
“Is there a reason the mages don’t rule by democracy?” I asked. “It works pretty well for normal humans. Even the vampires have council rule.”
Everyone looked at me like I’d grown another head.
“Really?” I asked. “You all live in the United States of America and can’t see your mages ruled by a democracy?” Their blank stares astounded me. “Don’t you vote in your local elections? Please tell me you vote for the president.”
“That’s different,” Raul said. “The elements decide who is worthy of ruling our magical community, and we accept that. Humans have proven they can’t be trusted with magic, so we rely on the elements to do it for us.”
“Yet, my mother is trying to sacrifice all of you,” I said, not hiding my bitterness.
“Which is why she was rejected by the elements,” Kate added. “Bad people exist everywhere, but our elements have proven time and again that they are much better at seeing it than we are.”
I folded my arms over my chest, shaking my head. “If I have to take my mother’s place, I want a council with me.” If the mages weren’t open to council rule, having advisors would at least take some of the pressure off of me while I figured out what I was doing.
“We’ll make sure that happens,” Kellen said. His pride and admiration made me blush. He’d mentioned the possibility a couple times, but it was good to hear it confirmed.
“So, when do we crash the Magister’s party?” Raul asked, grinning.
“Soon,” Kellen replied. “I need to talk to a few people first.”
“I can’t wait to see the look on her cold, bitter face when her people turn against her,” Sammy added.
“The vampires will probably react immediately,” Kellen said. “They won’t be happy about losing their direct line to us.”
“Something doesn’t make sense to me,” I interrupted. “Why would the vampires be okay with making super vampires? The mages-turned-vampires seemed to be so much stronger. Wouldn’t they eventually overthrow the council?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Raul replied. “Why would the vampires do that?”
I was grateful not to be the only one confused by it.
“Because they intend to use our brothers and sisters as fodder for their war,” Kellen said. “They’ll be strong enough to help defeat almost any opposition, but their numbers will be too small to be a threat to the vampire council.”
“That’s just wrong,” Sammy said.
“All the more reason to make sure we do this right.” Kellen stood and looked at Raul. “Now for sleeping arrangements. You have seven others that need a place to stay, right?”
“Yep.”
“I have two rooms that share a bathroom. We’ll have to round up a couple cots and sleeping bags, but they’re welcome to stay. Hopefully, it will only be a week or so, and then everyone can have their own space back.”
I eyed Kellen, knowing he just gave away my room.
“Kate, show the boys where our camping gear is in the garage,” Kellen said. Then, he turned to me. “Come with me, and help me get the rooms ready.”
Everyone filed out of the room to complete their tasks. I followed Kellen down the hall, and he stopped at Logan’s room first.
“Does Logan know we’re kicking him out?” I asked.
“I texted him this morning. He said it wasn’t a problem.”
“Really? Where will he stay?” I asked.
“He said he’ll be gone longer than he expected.” Kellen picked up a trunk similar to mine and turned to face me. “He wouldn’t give me details, but apparently his first source didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear about your connection.”
I gave him a blank stare, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. What did that mean, and why wouldn’t he tell me more about Logan?
“Make sure he doesn’t have anything in the bathroom, then pack up your stuff.”
Kellen left me in Logan’s room before I could come up with an intelligent reply. I stomped into the bathroom and collected everything, mine and Logan’s, then dropped it in the trunk at the end of my bed. Kellen came back by the time I finished emptying my dresser.
He picked up my trunk, and I pulled my favorite quilt from the bed. His eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything. He walked past Kate’s room and turned the corner to the next hall. The only thing down that corridor was the training room and Kellen’s room. I jogged to catch up to him.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “I thought I would be sharing Kate’s room.”
“Get the door for me,” he said, ignoring my question.
I didn’t move, and he rolled his eyes.
“Kate will likely have Raul’s company most of the time, which also means Sam. Your room will be shared by three other men, and Logan’s will have four men. You’re welcome to plant your ass anywhere you like,” he snapped. “I just assumed you would prefer me over them, but I suppose I could be wrong.”
Of course, he was right, but he didn’t have to be an ass about it. We hadn’t slept together, not that I didn’t want to, or at least I used to. I was afraid he would think I was easy or loose or whatever people called it. We’d only known each other for a month. Regardless of everything else between us, I didn’t want to rush that part. His insistence not to push me only reinforced my decision about it.
I stuck my tongue out at him and pushed open the door, motioning for him to go in.
Chapter 33
Packing, unpacking, and greeting new people took up the rest of my morning. By lunch, my stomach was pissed. Lucky for me, two of our new folks loved to cook. I couldn’t remember their names, so I called them Chef One and Chef Two as they prepared sandwiches and pasta salad for lunch.
Chef Two, a tall, lanky redhead, stirred a large pitcher of punch. He smiled when he caught me watching him from my favorite barstool.
“You don’t mind a little whiskey in your drink, do ya?” he asked.
“I guess not,” I replied.
Sharon introduced me to rum a couple years ago, but that was the first and last time I had any alcohol. Thoughts of my old life made me somber. I longed to talk to my friend, but I understood why I couldn’t. If the vampire council knew of her connection to me, she wouldn’t be safe. And safe was more important than my need to talk to her.
“You alright?” the redhead asked.
“Yep, just a little tired. I’m running on four hours of sleep,” I replied.
“Well, that’ll do it. You should nap after lun
ch.”
“That’s a great idea.” I hoped Kellen would be busy with everything else and give me the opportunity. The red-head poured a generous amount of amber-colored whiskey into the pitcher and continued stirring.
He grinned and poured me a cup. “This will help.”
I took a tentative sip, feeling it tingle all the way down my throat.
“Too much whiskey?” he asked.
“I don’t think so,” I replied, taking another swallow. “This is really good.”
“Thanks.”
Chef One crossed the narrow kitchen with an empty cup. “I’ve already been replaced as the official tester?”
Chef Two winked at me. “She’s cuter than you.”
“But does she know anything about mixing a drink?”
I smiled at their banter. It was a refreshing distraction from what I knew was coming.
“AJ can’t have alcohol today, gentlemen,” Kellen said, entering the kitchen from the garage.
“Is that so?” I asked, titling back my glass of whiskey goodness.
He leaned over the pitcher and smelled. “Definitely no more of that. How much alcohol did you put in there?”
“A little,” the redhead replied.
“Come on, little girl. We have stuff to do.” Kellen took my glass and finished my drink.
I frowned, my stomach growling. “But what about lunch?”
“Sandwiches are portable.” He turned to Chef One. “She likes everything.”
“Except mustard,” I added. “No mustard for me.”
Within moments, I followed Kellen down the hall, my sandwich wrapped in a paper towel. “What’s so important that I can’t eat in the kitchen?”
“Logan’s meeting us in my room,” Kellen said, his voice quiet.
“Oh.” If they were risking Logan’s presence, then it must be serious.
Kellen closed and locked the door, then marched across the small sitting area. I felt Logan racing across the desert towards us. I almost said something but held my tongue as Kellen opened the glass door leading to the desert. The vampire appeared at the door moments later.
“Is this room secure?” Logan asked. “Can anyone hear us?”
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