That did not bode well for her, no matter how this night played out.
“Of course,” the prince said. “But your son seems to think highly of her potential … enough that he brought her as his date to my Day of Anemone.”
“I see that,” Arthur bit out.
Once again, the boy looked Claire’s way with interest—his dark eyes boring into her as he walked closer, the knights flanking him every step of the way. Jack watched Claire take note of the guards and swallow back her nerves before standing her ground.
Good, he coached her, even though he knew she couldn’t hear him. You’re doing great.
“Tell me, Claire,” the boy said when he stopped in front of her. “What do you want in all of this?”
Oh, man. Jack hadn’t prepared her for this. And when Claire quickly glanced his way for support, all he could do was let her know he had her back no matter what.
Once their eyes caught, Jack knew she got his message just as he knew it was useless in helping her. When her eyes moved from his to Malachi’s, a flash of jealousy had him looking at the other man to see what Claire found there.
Be specific, Malachi mouthed to her, and when Jack looked back at Claire, she was blinking like those words meant something to her.
Renewed jealousy had his muscles tightening and his neck sweating as he glared Malachi’s way. The other man ignored him.
“I want a chance to do what I do best,” Claire said, pulling his attention back to her. “And I want to help Jack while doing it.”
As far as answers went, it was pretty perfect. Jack breathed a sigh of relief even as he resented that it had been Malachi who had coached her. Not him.
Jack had failed her, and Malachi hadn’t. That burned.
He was still seething when the prince turned to face him. “And do you want her help, Jachin?”
He saw Claire perk up at the use of his full name. He’d never mentioned it before, but if the look in her eye counted for anything, he would be hearing it again shortly.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Jack said, without hesitation. “I have never met her equal outside the banners. She belongs with us.”
“Hmm,” the boy said. “She has a problematic chart on one side and the full faith of a pimpernel on the other. It sounds like we need a tie-breaker.”
Jack hid his smile more successfully than Arthur hid his rage.
“Listen to me, boy—”
“Your Majesty,” the prince corrected with authority, turning to face Arthur—his knights in lockstep. “Your Grace. Your Highness. Your Lordship. These are all appropriate ways to address me on this day.”
He was right. Everyone knew it, including Arthur, who looked ready to punch something.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Arthur conceded and the boy gave him a look of consideration before turning to Claire again.
“I’ll confess that Jack and Malachi have raised my curiosity about you,” he said. “And this is my party, so you will get your tie-breaker.”
Claire’s total lack of a poker face was on full display when she smiled with relief. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Perfect, was all Jack could think. She caught on quick.
“Don’t thank me yet,” the prince said. “I won’t make things easy for you. Your challenge will be public, with Malachi’s reputation on the line.” The boy glanced at Arthur. “If he champions you and defies my king without cause, all will see your failure and mark it.”
Claire visibly paled at that, and Arthur’s chin came up. The boy was playing this smart.
“I cannot grant you the honor of challenging me,” the prince continued. “That right is reserved for Royals, but I will do you the honor of challenging you. Succeed and you will be seen by those who may wish to invest in your future. Let them decide which way the scales tip.”
Jack blinked in surprise at the declaration. Who was this kid? Jack certainly hadn’t been that smart at his age.
The prince turned to Malachi. “You brought Miss Ramsey here tonight. She is both of your banner and your personal guest, thereby making her your sole priority.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Malachi agreed.
“What role is she being considered for?”
“Oracle, Your Grace.”
The prince nodded as if he expected as much. “Then I will test her as such. Explain the role and skills required to her.”
“I won’t leave her side until you call for her, Your Highness,” Malachi said with a bow.
“Very well,” the boy said. “It is settled.”
Everyone bowed again, and this time Claire wasn’t the last. Arthur was. He looked at Jack with what appeared to be regret before lowering his eyes to complete a proper bow as the prince exited the room with his knights.
Jack’s time was up. He had to follow them. He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay with Claire, but he was duty-bound to advise the prince. And after what the prince had just done for Claire, the kid more than deserved any help Jack could give him.
He had time for a quick goodbye, then he had to go. The moment he stepped Claire’s way, she rushed him, crashing into his chest and holding on.
“That was intense,” she whispered against his chest.
“You did perfect,” he whispered back. “I wish I could stay with you.”
Behind her, Arthur watched the two of them with regret in his eyes.
“Don’t say I didn’t try, Jack,” he said, before turning and leaving the room.
What was that supposed to mean?
“He called me dangerously unsuitable,” Claire said softly. “What if this is a bad idea? What if I’m a bad fit?”
He could feel Claire’s uncertainty in her light shiver and knew she didn’t need platitudes in response. She needed answers. Answers he didn’t have.
“I’ve looked at the same information as my father,” Malachi said behind him. “I believe you are perfectly suited, Claire.”
Jack tensed with annoyance. He didn’t like this new trend of Malachi being the one Claire looked to when she needed information and encouragement. Especially if Malachi was looking for a phoenix. Because Claire was off limits and Jack was more than happy to fight about it. He’d lose, but he could make sure Malachi didn’t have fun winning.
But for now, they all had to obey the prince’s orders. That meant Claire was about to spend some time with Malachi, whether Jack liked the idea or not.
He put an arm’s distance between them and looked Claire in those soulful brown eyes of hers. She was scared. She’d never been able to hide that, and she wasn’t hiding it now.
“Malachi wants you to succeed,” he coached. “You can trust him to give you good information up until the prince calls for you. After that, all bets are off the table again, okay?”
She nodded as if the advice was a lifeline. “Okay.”
He moved to kiss her, but she pulled away when he leaned in.
“What if this is a bad idea?” she said. “What if Arthur is right about me?”
He brought his hand up and caressed her cheek. “No one can predict the future, Claire. Especially not based on where the stars were when you were born. We all make our own fates.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, without looking totally convinced. Arthur had really rattled her, it seemed, although she’d waited for him to leave before showing it.
Jack slid his hands into hers, wishing he was touching her skin rather than silk. “I’ve got to go.”
“I know.”
He released her hands.
“Jack?”
He stilled. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
His heart triple-timed in the space of a blink. “I love you, too.”
“Finally,” Margot groaned behind him.
She wasn’t wrong. It was a disgrace Jack had never said the words before. He hadn’t wanted to complicate things, but the truth wasn’t really that complicated once it was on the table.
He loved Claire. And he really wanted to kiss her right then
. So he did. This time she didn’t dodge. She rose to her toes to catch him en route—kissing him soundly and with a little bit of teasing before pushing him away by the lapels.
“Now go,” she said before offering him a brave smile. “I need to study.”
Yeah, she did. He opened his mouth to say something when Margot came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Go,” she said. “I’ll stay with her and make sure Malachi behaves.”
He’d guessed as much but felt relief rush through him to hear Margot say it. Jack still didn’t know what Malachi’s designs for Claire were, but Margot would keep things all business. He had no doubt about that.
He sent Claire another look. “I love you.”
She smiled. “You just said that.”
“I know. It’s fun.”
“That’s it,” Margot moaned. “Get out. We need her brain on, not swooning.”
“And let’s relocate somewhere with a little less traffic, shall we?” Malachi said, gesturing toward the door.
Jack walked out with them, giving Claire one last quick kiss as they parted ways on the stairs. He started up to the pedestal while Claire went down the stairs with Margot, Ren, and Malachi.
“Yep,” Tiki said, suddenly at his side. “Your girlfriend is definitely the most interesting thing about tonight so far.”
How. Did. She. Do. That?
“Where did you come from?” he asked, starting to take the stairs two at a time. She bopped up right next to him, treating each step like a game of whack-a-mole only she could see.
“Oh, I’ve been listening in the whole time,” she said as if that was a foregone conclusion. “Nice dancing, by the way. Didn’t know you had that in you.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he just stuck with, “Thanks.”
“I’m still not buying that she’s a phoenix, though,” Tiki pouted as they neared the top. “She totally stinks of something else.”
He wanted to ask her about that so badly … about everything Arthur said as well. Tiki had to know something. But if the number one rule was not to accept gifts from a fae, the number two rule was not to put yourself in debt to one. And information was their currency.
He’d already let her buy him twenty-five minutes with Claire. Best to see how that played out before he added something else to the tab.
With that thought in mind, Jack pressed his lips together and walked back to his adviser seat.
Chapter 17
Kali
Rebooting into a new simulation was usually painless for Kali—a clean sensory slate where everything began anew.
This did not feel like rebooting.
This felt like waking up after getting tased, which meant there was a 99% chance she was still locked in the same 5-Tek scenario she’d gotten herself into when she got on that rickety airplane back on the island.
Mental note: Next time, take the jet.
If there was a next time.
A sinking feeling in Kali’s stomach had her wondering if the game had just been changed on her … like maybe she’d somehow been moved over to an updated system with a more immersive storyline. If so, residual pain across scenarios would be a new normal that she needed to factor into future actions. Because the pain and hunger weren’t less than the last time she woke up. They were worse.
Much worse.
The verdict might still be out on whether all this was real or just another scenario, but she needed a doctor and food in either case.
Feeling herself black out again, Kali forced her eyes opened until she saw light through her eyelashes. Then everything went dark again.
Hmm. She was weaker than she thought. That wasn’t good.
She gave cracking her eyes open a second shot, this time catching sight of a white-walled room, illuminated with UV lights. The air smelled like it came out of a can, a bit artificial in its purity, although Kali couldn’t quite put her finger on what was different about it.
She could feel the cool of a metal table through the fabric on her back, the chill of it not helping with her recovering muscles. A hot tub would have been a welcome sight right about then, but when Kali glanced to her side she saw a large lab space and a gaunt man with wild hair typing on a computer like he was Beethoven.
She grunted in disappointment.
Kali really didn’t need a mad scientist in charge of her quality of life—even if all this was imaginary.
Couldn’t she opt-out of the mad scientist subscript?
Please? she thought as loudly as she could. But if Doctor Beethoven’s melodramatic keystrokes were any indication, her plea fell on deaf ears. She was still on a metal table, muscles taut and chilled, with an IV going into the back of her hand. It felt like an actual lifeline, a faint charge originating where the needle dipped under her skin. The bag it was connected to was still half full, so Kali left everything in place and focused all her energy into turning her head and taking a look around the lab.
“Whoa,” she muttered when she caught sight of multiple full-body mannequins. Her body. Her face. They were each wearing replicas of tools and tactical clothing she’d created within previous scenarios. “Looks like someone has a stalker.”
If Kali retained any ability to be weirded out by the bizarre, she might have panicked right then. But all she could think as she looked at her replicas—including one that looked like it was wearing Lara Croft’s version of a swimsuit—was, Sure. Why not?
Of course, she was trapped in a lab with a mad scientist who made life-size dolls of her dressed like they were running for their lives. What else would mad doctors with endless budgets be doing in a computer simulation?
The more alarming indication was that she was pretty much definitely still stuck in that pentagonal city of light.
The one place she had never escaped.
And was it just her, or was someone trying to cut through the door?
That would be new.
“Ha!” the mad scientist yelled at his computer monitor. “That’s right! Bet you didn’t think I knew about that rat hole, did you?” He stood up, literally pretending to drop a mic and Kali realized the man wasn’t all that old. Maybe forty. Maybe. “Who’s the turtle now, bish?”
Yeah. This guy didn’t get out much, which didn’t bode well for her being locked in with him.
This should be fun, she thought with a grunt.
Kali took another deep breath of the sterile, canned air—once again noticing that something was missing from it. Something … necessary. She was still trying to figure out what when the doctor spun to face her.
“You’re awake!”
He had the features of a man from everywhere and nowhere. Dark hair framed a sallow complexion that hinted he might have more alcohol and stimulants in his system than actual nutrients.
“Good,” he said, his eyes locked on her hand. “You kept the IV in. You need every drop. You’re a mess. When was the last time you ate?”
Kali assumed the question was rhetorical until the mad doctor stared at her impatiently.
“I … I’m not sure. What’s today?”
“The Day of Anemone,” the doctor replied. “Just like he said it would be. But he didn’t say you would be useless when you got here. You need a hospital.”
Hospital, she understood, but Day of Anemone? What was that supposed to mean?
The only way to find out was to ask … no matter how stupid she sounded.
“What’s the Day of Anemone? Are days named after flowers in this place?”
The doctor looked at her like she was the crazy one. “Of course not. That would be silly.”
“Of course,” she replied, wondering if she should be the one to bring up all the mannequins, or if the doctor had some sort of prepared speech to introduce her to his version of normal.
“I was really planning on you being more of an asset,” he rambled. “This complicates things.”
“Trust me. I’m not too excited about being weak eith
er. I prefer a fighting chance.”
He folded his arms like a stern parent. “Well, luckily for you, I took care of that part. No fighting required. We’re locked in here, with exterior controls disabled. No one will be getting in again. Ever. So you won’t have to fight.”
He said the words like they were supposed to make her feel better. They didn’t.
“To be clear,” Kali said, keeping her voice even. “Are you saying you plan on spending the rest of your life in this room?”
His dark eyes studied her. “That depends on you.”
“On me?” Well, this was getting more interesting by the moment.
He nodded. “It depends on whether you come with me.”
What was it they always said about strange men and following them to second locations? Kali was pretty sure the blanket rule was not to do it. And if she had been anywhere but in a computer-generated city, she might have stuck with that advice.
But she was in a scenario she’d never escaped on her own, so if this guy wanted to show her how, what did she have to lose?
“Where, exactly, do you want us to go?” she asked.
“To the Royal party. It’s the Day of Anemone.”
Great. The conversation had now gone full circle and Kali still didn’t have a clue what was going on.
The doctor gestured around the room. “You can take anything you see here with you if you choose to come with me of your own free will. But if you fight me, I’ll load you up onto the missile as you are, and you’ll choose our fate from there.”
Stop.
Rewind.
Did Dr. Beethoven just say what she thought he said?
“Did you just say missile?”
He nodded like she’d just asked a silly question. “It’s up to you from there. If you give me the code, we’ll be on our way. If you don’t, we both die here.”
Kali had always considered herself pretty good at faking it until she made it, but this guy really wasn’t giving her anything to work with. Was this some kind of alternate universe? Were the rules different here, making a new version of normal that everyone was acclimated to, except for her?
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