Cass looked around the empty hallway outside the library before slipping into the darkened room. The secured room was in the back and up a set of stairs. She quietly moved through the tables and started up the stairs. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw Raine's large form step out of the shadows at the top of the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered, joining him on the top landing.
"I could ask you the same thing."
Cass rolled her eyes. "I have my mother's permission to be in the secured section."
"During the day, with people around."
Cass huffed. "It's not a big deal. I just don't like that little troll who runs the place being over my shoulder all the time. How did you know I was coming here anyway?"
"I followed you the last time you tried to convince me you wanted to get to sleep early. You came here. So when you said you were so tired earlier tonight, I figured this was my best bet."
"You know, sometimes you are too protective," Cass said, unlocking the door to the secured volumes and turning on the light. "After you."
Raine shook his head and walked into the small room. He scanned the various books as Cass released a spell on a row of books and grabbed a couple, putting them on the table.
"What's with the fascination, Princess?"
Cass shrugged and sat down. "It's your fault."
Raine sighed and sat down across from her. "Becca."
"She knows things—things that aren't taught anymore."
"Have you found the things she knows?"
Cass shook her head and looked up to the top shelf to her left. "The big stuff is there, and I can't lift that spell. Only these shelves with histories and smaller stuff."
He got up and looked over the books she had just mentioned. "Is there a detailed history of the Great War?"
Cass eyed him. Raine never asked this many questions. Something was up. "No, they all just glance over it."
Raine nodded and turned back to her, meeting her look. "What?"
"Why are you so curious?"
"Why are you?"
"Touché." Cass turned back to the book in front of her.
"Your mother asked me to keep a closer eye on you."
Cass stiffened and took a tense breath. It was rare that her mother would speak to a Protector who wasn't her own or Leaf. If she did, then she had good reason to. But Cass had done nothing to warrant the extra attention. "Why?"
"She didn't say. Just that she was worried about you." He paused. "She did ask how much time you were spending with Syney."
Cass looked over at him. "We barely see each other."
He nodded. "I told her."
"I don't get my mother. She was normal, and then Syney was found, and all of a sudden she's paranoid and...colder, if that's possible."
"She's a unique person. But she also has a reason for everything that she does."
"I know." She paused. "Hey, did you see Syney tonight in the dining hall? I heard some crazy things about her this morning."
Raine shook his head. "No, but I heard them as well. I doubt they're true."
"Me too, or at least I hope they're not. I thought she was smarter than that."
Raine gave a small smile. "I think she is."
"So are you just going to sit here and watch me read?"
"That's the plan," he said, sitting back in his chair.
Cass shrugged. After only a few minutes, Raine got a little antsy.
"Why don't you do something, like a spell?" he asked, leaning forward.
Cass laughed. "I've tried everything, but the only ones I could make work were cosmetic. And I don't look good as a blonde, by the way."
"Maybe you just need an audience."
She rolled her eyes but grabbed one of the spell books she had gone through. She found a spell to levitate something and concentrated on the book in front of her. "Levare," she said. Nothing happened, just as before. She looked up at Raine. "See."
"What have I always told you?"
She sighed. "Never give up."
"So why are you?"
She squinted her eyes at him. He really was the male figure she always had been missing in her life, all the way down to the clichéd advise. After giving one more sigh, she repeated the spell and felt something stir inside her. It felt like a new flower bud that was just opening. It felt amazing and powerful. She repeated the spell and felt the feeling push forth. But to her dismay, the book remained on the desk. "Damn, I really thought it would work that time."
"Um, Princess..."
Cass looked over to him and was surprised to see only the top of his head. She looked down at the floor, which was now a good few feet away. She hadn't levitated the book; she had levitated the entire desk and her chair. She squealed with joy but felt the power drain from her as the desk and chair crashed to the floor.
Raine rushed to her side and helped her from the floor. "Not gone, just lost," he said. "Good night, Princess. Not too late, OK?"
Cass nodded, too excited to give anything more than a quick goodbye. It wasn't until she played it over again in her head that she realized what Raine had said, and it wasn't the first time she had heard it. She wondered how close Raine and Becca really were.
Syney
"It's called Wild West City because it looks like the Old West with dirt roads and old buildings. And there are actors who play different characters, like the sheriff and patrons at the saloons. Anyway, they made all of us kids deputies, and we were supposed to have an old-fashioned shootout with a bank robber. They gave us plastic water guns, but the robber had a real gun with blanks, so when he turned and shot, the loud bang scared the life out of me. I turned and ran straight to my dad and cried for at least three hours. He called me his 'little runner' from that day on, just to add insult to injury."
The entire table laughed, even Syney, who had given in and told the story of her childhood. It was one of her favorite memories of her dad. She had been thinking about it a lot lately. It was one of her safe places she played in her head whenever the Village seemed to be too much for her.
"See, we all have embarrassing childhood memories. No need to keep them to yourself," Syney said, sweetly looking over at Hunter. He had squashed every attempt of someone at the table to tell any stories about him for the entire meal. Now that they were eating some sweet cakes and cookies, Syney decided there was no way she was going to spend an entire night in his childhood home, with a room full of people who had known him growing up, and not get some good dirt.
Hunter shook his head, but the beginning of a smile was playing on his lips.
"There's no harm in a little storytellin'," Rose said, rolling her eyes at her son.
"All right, all right, I'll be nice," Lake said with a smile.
He was Leaf's older brother, Syney had found out during dinner. She could easily pick out the similarities between the two. They had the same hard, lined face, but Lake's was much softer, and he smiled much more. Their mother, Raven, sat next to Lake's mate, Vine, and shot Syney looks the entire night. At first Syney thought the older woman didn't want her there, but after a while she realized the looks weren't from anger but fascination and... joy.
"No, no stories." Hunter shook his head.
"Too bad." Lake gave Syney a devious smile and leaned forward. "When we were younger, just pups, Hunter, Leaf, and I were playing seek-and-find over in the center cities where there are a lot of butcher shops. Hunter was hiding and found his way into one of the workrooms for one of the butchers."
"Stop, please," Hunter begged.
Syney smiled over to him. There wasn't any force behind his words. He even laughed, amused at the situation.
"So Hunter hid in there for about ten minutes before running and screaming all the way back here. He even passed us on the way. He was crying and screaming that the animals were all going to die and that we were monsters. We chased after him all the way here. Rose tried to calm him down, but he wasn't having it. Finally he ran out and let al
l of the animals loose—and I mean, all of the animals. It took two whole days to find them all. And while we did, Hunter got up on the stage in the town square and tried to get us to stop, declaring animal rights above hunger."
Syney almost died with laughter, picturing little Hunter protesting as the town scurried to find the lost animals. It was sweet, almost too sweet. And now she saw yet another side of the man who was quickly becoming a central figure in her life.
"That was nothing!" a young Lycin said through laughter. "What about the time you three crashed that Psyche party with the hundred cases of vino and beer—"
"Oh, enough stories," Hunter said quickly shutting up the young man with a look.
He laughed. "Drunk for a week, right?"
"I think Hunter is right. Enough stories. Girls, grab the dishes," Rose said, putting an end to the conversation.
Maybe there were things Syney didn't want to know about Hunter, she thought with a laugh, as all of the younger women hurriedly cleared the dishes. The men also left and headed outside. Hunter remained in his seat, his face a little redder than usual. Syney thought of him again as that little boy fighting for animals. The thought made her smile. He looked up and stared into her eyes for a moment before returning her smile.
"The men all went outside, Hunter. Why are you still here?"
They both looked over at Rose, who was still seated at the head of the table.
"I shouldn't leave Syney."
"With your mother, you mean? She'll be fine. Now go. I didn't raise a rude boy, and not excusing yourself after dinner is rude."
Hunter sighed and headed outside with the rest of the men.
"What are they doing?" Syney asked.
Rose studied her for a moment before speaking, just as older woman had done throughout the meal. It wasn't the same look Lake's mother had sent her; there was more of a sadness behind it. "After dinner the menfolk always indulge in some fumant. It's made of burning leaves and herbs. Not a very attractive habit, which is why we only put up with it on festivals."
Syney nodded. "I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay. Everything was really good. And it felt nice to have this family...feeling again."
"Poor dear. You feel alone up there, huh?"
"Have you ever been to the palace? I think loneliness and secrets are lined in the walls," Syney said, a little too bitterly.
"I have spent many days there." Rose leaned closer to Syney. "And I couldn't agree more. I never did have a good taste for the place. Hunter's father loved it, but not me. I almost jumped for joy when I got pregnant. I was able to move into the inner Lycin city then and leave those gray walls behind."
"Got any advice on how I could do that?" Syney said jokingly.
Rose didn't laugh. "There's no way for you. I'm sorry for that."
Syney's smile fell. Rose's tone was completely serious. It sent a chill up Syney's spine.
They both pulled their attention to the men, who were filing back in, all looking a little happier. Hunter had his arm around Lake as they laughed about something. She felt a little warmer seeing him so relaxed. The men didn't get too far across the room before one of the younger girls walked over to a large wooden box sitting upon a rickety table off to the side. A moment later a fast paced song drifted into the air. Once the rhythm started, so did the dancing. Some of the oldest men came to sit at the table again, but most stayed out and danced as the women joined them in the middle of the room. Syney turned to face them all. She saw Hunter try to worm his way back to the table, but Vine grabbed him into a spin. He resisted for a moment before giving in and joining in on the dance. It was beautiful how they all moved together. It was a mixture of square dancing, line dancing, and maybe even some Irish step dancing, Syney thought. The music definitely reminded her of Irish melodies, all drums and fast-moving violins. Syney was mesmerized, not only by the intricate dancing, but also by Hunter, who was smiling and laughing. It was a beautiful sight.
"These are always my favorite days," Rose said, staring out at the dancers.
"I can see why."
"He's a good boy, a man now. So much like his father."
Syney looked at Rose. "When did he die?"
"Oh, a long time ago. Hunter was very small."
"Was he a Protector?" Syney asked slowly.
Rose nodded. "The best."
Syney turned back to the dance floor. That would mean that the disgrace on his family had started pretty recently. Maybe with his father? She bit her lip. It wasn't her place to ask, she knew, but she just had to know. "So, um...the outcast stuff..."
Rose stiffened and put on a sad smile, still not looking at Syney. "It was hard to deal with at first, especially for Hunter. When he started getting older, he wanted nothing more than to go to training and be like his father. But he wasn't allowed to formally register for school or training. I did the best I could with the schoolin'. But he needed the gyms they had up at the palace to be trained right. Luckily my brother took pity on him. He's been head trainer for years. Started taking Hunter with him to work, sneaking him into groups to train. It's important that everyone knows how to protect themselves," Rose said, looking at Syney. "You should know at least some things, because you never know what will happen. Hunter wanted more than self-defense of course, and no one questioned him being there after a while. The head of the Guard had been a friend of Ocean's and looked the other way. Now I bet they haven't even questioned him being trained."
Syney stared in silence for a moment as Rose pushed back some tears. Syney had to combine the idea of young Hunter, animal lover, with Hunter, outcast boy. No one should have to feel as though they can't do something they were born to do. "I'm really sorry," she said.
Rose looked taken aback. "What would you have to be sorry for, honey?"
Syney shrugged. "You shouldn't have had to go through that." She looked back to the dancers and caught Hunter's eye. "He shouldn't have had to go through that."
Hunter whispered something to a young blond girl. Syney was pretty sure her name was Lily. The girl smiled at Syney, and the two headed over.
"Would you like to learn the dances, Princess?" she asked.
"Are they hard? 'Cause I am so not a dancer. And it's Syney. 'Princess' just sounds weird to me."
Lily laughed nervously. "They're not that hard."
"You just need a good teacher, and Lily's one of the best," Hunter said, pulling Syney to her feet.
She melted into the calm feeling for the brief moment in which he held her hand. "I guess so. Just be nice, OK?"
Lily giggled and nodded as she pulled Syney onto the dance floor.
Syney fell into step with the girl and tried to mimic her foot movements. Hunter was right—Lily was a good teacher, going slowly until Syney caught up with the steps. She smiled with triumph once she got the line steps down and sped them up. She sent a smile to Lily then looked over to Hunter, who was still watching her as he talked to Rose. She gave him a check-me-out gesture and kept going with the steps. He smiled, and she got lost for a moment. But it didn't last long, because she was swept up into a partner dance with Lake. She shrieked a little as he pulled her and twirled her. The room went into a blur as she laughed and smiled. Now this felt good. Good...this was the good in the Village. Hunter was right. There was more than just that palace, and this was worth staying for.
Hunter
Hunter took Syney's seat as Lily whisked her away. She seemed to be enjoying herself, which was all he could ask for. Bringing her here had been a gamble. He hadn't been sure his mother would even let them in—not that she was anything but a caring and giving woman, but Magic Users, let alone royal ones, just didn't go into Lycins' homes. He hoped his mother wouldn't see bringing her here as an inconvenience, one that might get her in trouble in the long run. But he should have known better than think anything negative about Rose. She was one of the good ones—always was and always would be. He followed Syney around the floor as she followed Lily's steps. She stopped a few times
and laughed at herself as she stumbled. His chest tightened every time she smiled. This was the most relaxed he ever had seen her. She finally got the step and smiled over to him. He couldn't help smile back.
"Please don't," Rose said.
Hunter turned to his mother. She stared back at him, her eyes wet and full of worry. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I can see it, you know. The way you smile at her. Protectors don't smile at their charges like that."
"It's nothing," Hunter said, looking away from her.
"She's beautiful and personable—just like her mother. You can't get yourself mixed up with that. It's your job to protect her."
"And I will." He paused and looked back over to her. "What do you mean by 'her mother'?"
Rose balked and looked away from him.
"Mom, they don't know anything about her parents. They looked through all the records. No Vilori recorded a pregnancy or child that wasn't then registered." He paused. "What do you know?"
"I don't know anything. All the Vilori woman were beautiful and strong. They always did well with people."
Hunter stared at her profile. His mother always was honest with him. She never sugarcoated anything, even when he was a kid. She told it to him straight, always. And now she was lying. It didn't sit well with him.
"Just be careful," she said quietly.
"I always am. And I don't need the warning or babying. Nothing's going to happen," Hunter said gruffly.
"You don't always have control over everything," she said quietly, before walking away.
Hunter stared after her as she went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. She had only moved into the next room, but Hunter got the impression that she was much farther away. Syney made people have all sorts of emotions or reactions, but this was the first one that bothered him. He looked back at Syney. The music had just ended, and she was laughing and out of breath, still in Lake's arms. She kissed him on the cheek before prancing over to Hunter.
Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy Page 18
