Tucker follows Reid’s lead, biting into the eye as Pratt, Mae and Jace do the same. I go for my second bite, watching Werzo’s internal argument play. Finally, he gives in and our group slowly consumes our portion of Blovid’s favorite delicacy. Clarence comes around offering seconds but everyone immediately declines. The Brekin tongue is served next and it’s the same thing. I’m the first to try and it ends up being merely edible. Everyone gets about two to three bites of each dish in before politely refusing the rest, Clarence more than happy to eat the remains.
“I feel like I’m going to barf,” Werzo grips his hand to his exposed stomach, his face suddenly turning a frightening green.
“Keep it down,” Tucker warns.
“I think that eyeball did something to me…” Werzo covers his mouth, racing through the crowd for the tunnel to his quarters.
He flies past the bottom of the thrones, where Queen Ravan and her daughters meander through the heavy crowd which automatically parts for them. Surrounded by their attendants, they move like a bubble through the bodies and head for us just as Sampson, Qippert and the chancellor join our side.
“On your best behavior,” Clarence tosses us a look and frowns. “Where’s Werzo?”
Tucker is about to explain, but pauses at the arrival of the queen and her daughters. A quick inhale and his body goes rigid.
With a regal but stoic expression, the queen glances over our group, addressing us specifically—the humans. “How did you like the Glippis eye?”
We all look to each other, hoping someone else will be the one to answer. After an excruciatingly long second, I can’t take it anymore.
“It’s similar to one of our home dishes…” I force a grin. “Very reminiscent of Earth.”
“And you are not able to return?” There’s no sorrow in her words, no ounce of sympathy or pain, just sheer, emotionless curiosity.
I grit my teeth. “Correct.”
“I am very sorry to hear that,” the princess with the lavender hair frowns. She gazes over all of us, scanning Tucker’s stiff posture next to her. “Is there no possibility?”
“Not really, Princess Ariana,” Sampson addresses this one, “at this point, at least.”
“Do you miss it terribly?” she asks, directing her question to Tucker.
He opens his mouth but no words come out. He tries again and again, it’s silence.
“We’ll always miss it,” Reid speaks at Tucker’s hesitation, “but there’s no point in reminiscing over the past. We can only go forward,” his eyes flicker to me before shifting back to hers.
“And how are you liking Mybyncia?”
“It must be different from Harrizel’s savageness,” the emerald-haired sister fights off an obvious yawn.
“Savageness?” Jace frowns.
“You lived in close quarters with your females, no? How…” she offers him a belittling glance, “rudimentary...”
“We had no choice,” Pratt snaps. “We were prisoners.”
“So I have heard. Still,” and her eyes survey the hall again, bored with us, “even slaves can keep their honor.”
“Varille!” the third sister gasps, “You are being rude to our guests.”
“They are only our guests because Blovid fled. If the Vermix had not attacked us,” a tinge of anger escapes at the word, “we would be honoring him instead of these… humans.”
“These humans,” Clarence grinds his teeth, “helped secure our escape.”
“How lovely. I will be sure to remember that when we are attacked again.”
“Varille,” Queen Ravan addresses her daughter with stern orange eyes, “I believe your opinions have been made clear. Let us not speak of this anymore. Please,” and now she returns a look to us, “enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow we shall discuss what can be done for your departure so you may rejoin Blovid in his escape.”
“Your Majesty,” Sampson bows, the rest of us following, “we cannot express our gratitude for the kindness you have bestowed.”
The queen lowers her head, her daughters mimicking the gesture and they start to leave. Princess Ariana tosses a glance over her shoulder at us. “Have a wonderful evening.”
Tucker, still stunned, brings his hand up to wave but drops it a second later. Reid leans into him, quietly whispering. The Rogue leader nods in response, still staring off after the princess. “Fine.”
“How about something to drink?” Reid pulls back with a smirk, trying to hide a laugh.
“There’s some Hunnis,” Clarence grins. “It’s got a little… kick. Might relax you a bit.”
“Where?” Reid asks.
“Follow me. Ladies,” Clarence turns to us, “will you be alright? You are honored guests so if you need something, simply ask.”
“Just not Varille,” Pratt mutters.
“No…” he laughs, “but Qippert or the chancellor will get you anything you need. Enjoy,” he smiles, leading Tucker and Reid away. Jace and Booker watch, nearly tempted to follow at the promise of Mybyncian booze, but the duo resist at the last moment.
“I’m not sure about Booker here,” Jace scans the room, searching, “but uh… I’m going to do a sweep of the perimeter.”
“Don’t hit on the mayans,” I say.
“What?” he feigns a gasp. “Me?”
“You heard Clarence.”
“I’m just getting a scope of the crowd. Booker, want to come with?”
“Sure thing, Rogue Commander.”
“Just call me Jace, Booker.” Jace throws his arm around Booker’s muscularly wide shoulders. “Let’s uh… go get a handle on things.”
The two depart instantly, disappearing through the crowd. Mae and Pratt turn to me.
“What now?” Pratt wants to know.
“I don’t know. Socializing, I guess.”
“With who?”
Before I can answer, someone taps my shoulder. “Excuse me?”
He’s got bright jade hair, trimmed close to his sage scalp and smirking orange eyes that wash over me. Built similarly to Tucker and Reid—lean, but muscular—he sports the same cobalt loin cloth which falls to his knees. Grinning broadly, his eyes brush over me again and I have to fight the urge to cover myself.
“You are Fallon, correct? Fallon of Harrizel?”
“Yes…”
“I am Kendal—I work closely with Chancellor Keller,” he explains, eyeing Pratt and Mae behind me. “He has asked me to keep an eye on you—all of you—and get you anything you might need.”
“Oh…” I glance at them before returning my attention to Kendal. “That’s very—uh—nice.”
“It is my honor,” he bows deeply. “Please, what can I do to make your stay more enjoyable?”
“Um…” I start, still thrown off by his proximity. He’s close—so close—his exposed chest barely brushing against mine. It’s making me uncomfortable and Mae must pick up on it because she steps forward, drawing the attention on herself.
“What work do you do with the chancellor?”
“We keep the queen’s affairs in order. Well, he mostly does,” Kendal laughs, “I simply assist where I can. And right now,” his eyes flicker over me again, “I am more than willing to oblige.”
Two other miyons appear, both of the same staggering stature and strength. They lock arms with Pratt and Mae, who seem as surprised at their arrival as I am.
“This is Gring and Lolin,” he explains. “They will escort you around the hall and answer any questions you may have. May I?” Kendal offers me his arm.
Hesitant to take it, I assume we’ll all tour together but the second he links elbows with me, Mae and Pratt are immediately led away, leaving me with alone with Kendal.
“Where did they go?”
“It is best to separate,” he directs us towards the outer wall, “better advantage to know each other one on one, do you not agree?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” I skim the crowd, trying to locate Mae and Pratt, “you’re bound to make more friends in a l
arger group.”
“This is true,” he nods, “but I have enough friends. Beautiful females on the other hand…” he tugs me closer, pressing his side fully into mine.
Where is Reid? Or Sampson? Hell—I’ll even take Werzo at this point. The rest of them are in here somewhere, getting drunk off the Hunnis or scouting for barely-dressed mayans. But they need to be here or, more importantly, watching over Mae and Pratt. I shouldn’t have let them be taken away. Something’s not right.
“I’m sure Chancellor Keller would be proud you’re taking such good care of us. Should we pop over and say hello?”
“No, no,” Kendall’s quick to dismiss the idea. “It is best not to bother him while he is conversing with the Fychu. Besides, I would rather talk about you…” his smile widens, “tell me, are you enjoying your accommodations? They are… to your satisfaction?”
“They’re perfect,” I’m scanning the room. “Thank you.”
“And are you in the East or West Wing—do you know?”
“I wasn’t aware there was more than one.”
“Yes, the FH is divided into four divisions, two for males and two for females. It is for maximum security.” He’s waiting for me to say something, to give away some sort of detail but I remain silent. After a second, he probes further. “Do you remember from which tunnel you arrived?”
I know exactly where we entered but I’m not saying a word. He’s trying to obtain this information for a reason and until I know why, I’m not giving anything away. Offering an innocuous smile, I shrug, “Couldn’t tell you.”
“Well, let us see if we can figure this out, shall we?” he’s leading me back towards the front of the room.
My mind is racing—should I lie and tell him the wrong tunnel? Would he know if I was? And why does he care so much?
“Alright,” he grins as we approach the tunnel that Salva led us through earlier. “This is the East Wing. It is for our most important guests so I would assume these are your quarters.” He looks at me, hoping for a reaction. But I scrunch my face, feigning confusion.
“Of course,” he goes on, leading us away and rounding the front of the royal thrones, “it might be too obvious to keep you there. The West Wing is probably safer given your honored status.” He pulls me through the crowd as I search for someone—anyone—I know. But they’re all gone, lost to the party and just as I realize I’ll have to get out of this on my own, we’ve stopped.
A wave of relief pours over me at the sight of Reid blocking our path. Arms crossed and tightlipped, he looks downright pissed, focused on Kendal’s arm linked with mine.
“Good evening,” the miyon smiles at Reid who’s unwilling to return the expression. “You must be one of the humans of Harrizel.”
“What gave it away?”
Kendal’s grin fades. “I was just escorting Fallon around.”
“On the chancellor’s request,” I throw out quickly, hoping Reid will pick up on the oddity of it. His eyes flicker over me, returning to Kendal immediately.
“Strange—he didn’t mention you.”
“I would imagine he would have more important matters to discuss.”
“Then assisting your guests?” Reid frowns. “Figured that’d be top of the list. Fallon,” he looks at me, “Sampson’s asking for you.”
Kendal glowers but quickly wipes the expression from his face. He turns to me with hopeful eyes. “We can continue our conversation once you return.”
Reid locks his arm with my free one, pulling me away from Kendal and towards him. “Possibly. Sampson said it’s important so it might take some time. If anything I’ll have Qippert give us the rest of the tour.”
“Thanks,” I offer a last look at a surly Kendal before Reid leads me away. I try not to concentrate on the fact that we’re touching—actual skin on skin—but I can’t help it. God, he smells good. I’ve missed it. I want to stay here, drowning in his scent forever but I know I can’t. Not right now, at least. When we’ve made a good distance, I swallow my nerves. “What did Sampson want?”
“Nothing,” he keeps his attention straight in front of us, directing us through the thicket of socializing Mybyncians. “You looked uncomfortable and I don’t trust that guy.”
“Have you seen Pratt or Mae?”
“I thought they were with you,” he glances at me.
“They were, until Kendal’s friends offered them a tour,” I scan the room, suddenly queasy. “They’ve got to be here somewhere.”
Reid tightens his hold, leading us to the center of the hall where Sampson, Clarence, Chancellor Keller and Qippert all chuckle at a blushing Tucker. Sampson sees us coming and, judging by Reid’s worrisome glare, he ceases the conversation immediately. He approaches us with concerned eyes. “What is it?”
“Who’s Kendal?” Reid asks Chancellor Keller.
“Who?” Sampson frowns.
“The chancellor’s assistant,” I say. “Kendal.”
Chancellor Keller, Sampson, Clarence and Qippert all frown at one another before returning a befuddled look to me. The chancellor finally shakes his head with an anxious frown. “No. No, Kendal is not my assistant.”
“Then he works with you? Helping keep the queen’s affairs in order?”
Again, he frowns. “I—where is this coming from? How do you know Kendal?”
“I don’t.”
“But he seems to know Fallon.”
“What do you mean?” Sampson asks.
“He said he was giving her a tour on the chancellor’s request.”
“No…” Chancellor Keller shakes his head, “I asked no such thing. He is not my assistant, nor does he work with me in any regard.” He frowns further, worry seeping from his brow. “What did he say exactly?”
“Where are Pratt and Mae?” Clarence glances around me. “Weren’t they with you?”
“They were.”
“Is this something we should be concerned about?” Sampson asks.
“Possibly…” Chancellor Keller scans the hall with great urgency, his eyes frantically searching.
“He had two friends…Gring and Lolan… or Lolin, I think. They paired off with Pratt and Mae.”
“When?”
“A few minutes ago.”
“What else was he saying?” Chancellor Keller returns his focus to me, “Anything he wanted to know?”
“Where we were staying. East or West Wing.”
The chancellor exhales with a great, anxious breath. “This cannot be happening.”
“What?” Clarence frowns.
He looks up, tapping Qippert’s shoulder, “Would you mind retrieving Salva? Let her know we have a situation.”
Qippert takes off through the crowd instantly.
“What’s going on?” I ask as he leans into Sampson, exchanging fast, heated whispers. They don’t hear my question, too engrossed in their own dialogue, Clarence about to join in. He stops, turning to us first.
“Reid, stay with Fallon. You too, Tucker. Don’t leave her side but find Jace and the others. I need you all together, got it?”
We nod, Clarence following behind Sampson and the chancellor who have disappeared into the crowd.
“What’s happening?” Tucker turns to me.
“I don’t know…” I replay the events, including the chancellor’s reaction. “This miyon came up and introduced himself as the chancellor’s aid. Said he sent him to answer any questions we had.”
“Anything else?” Reid asks.
“He wanted to know what wing we’re staying in.”
“Think they’re working with the Vermix?” Tucker looks to Reid.
“I don’t know. But we need to find the Rogues,” he glances at me, “any idea where they might be?”
“Probably trying to score. They went that way,” I indicate towards the back of the hall, across from the golden coral thrones. Reid slips his hand in mine, threading our fingers together and I follow as he leads us in the direction I pointed.
We find Jace in the
very back, tangled with the same mayan from earlier. He’s nuzzling into her neck, her orange eyes shut tight as pleasure dances across her open, aching mouth. Booker is nearby, leaning against the mosaic wall and chatting with his own pretty partner. Werzo is nowhere near their progress; he’s still trying small talk with a mayan who seems anything but interested in what he has to say.
Pulling me along behind him, Reid heads right for the center of the group. “Got a situation, guys.”
Booker looks up, instantly alert. Werzo rises as well, and his partner is more than happy for the distraction to leave. Jace, on the other hand, didn’t hear a thing. He’s still working away madly, the mayan all but panting beneath him.
Reid heads over and with a low voice, whispers to his friend. “Not trying to cock-block, but we got a red.”
Jace glances up, momentarily startled before an angered expression crosses his face. It disappears quickly enough, his body slowing from its rapid consumption. He wipes his mouth clean and after whispering a fast something into the mayan’s ear, she pouts briefly and departs. Jace turns to the rest of the group, his voice gravelly as he focuses on Reid.
“What’s up, Boss?”
“Someone’s pretending to be an ally.”
“Who?”
“Some guy named Kendal,” I say. “He lied and said he was acting on the chancellor’s request to watch us. Two of his friends picked up Pratt and Mae to show them around.”
“Do we know where they are?” Booker asks.
I shake my head. “Last I saw they were around here somewhere.”
“Sampson know?” Jace asks.
Reid nods, “And Clarence, Qippert and the chancellor.”
“Well what’d they say?” Werzo frowns. “How do you know it’s a situation?”
Before Reid is able to explain anything, Clarence approaches quickly. “Here you all are—good. We need to get you back to your quarters.”
“We’re still keeping separate?” Reid squeezes my hand.
“Afraid so. Can’t budge on that, but we’ll need you away from here; need you somewhere completely safe.”
“What’s going on?” Tucker asks.
Plague of Mybyncia Page 5
