Elder Merrick stiffened at the blatant order.
“Yes, please do.” I grinned. It was more of a baring of teeth. “My ice-cream’s melting.” I flittered a hand between us. “We could keep this up all night, you and me, since we’re both obviously strong, but honestly, I want my damn ice-cream too much.”
Elder Merrick smiled, mimicking mine, showing his teeth. “We wouldn’t want your treat to go to waste.” He and I blinked at the same time, turning our attention away from each other and mutually stopping our staring contest. I grabbed my ice-cream while he lifted and straightened as Ezra did, so that they were damn near nose to nose, since they were of the same height.
Elder Merrick smiled again. The same smile. “Don’t ever give me an order again,” he growled, “baby Zeller, or I won’t give a shit that I respect your dad, and I’ll kick your fucking ass.”
Ezra grinned, his fangs extended. “I’d like to see you try, old man.”
Antonio sighed heavily, sitting on a chair. “Cahal, do something about your son.” He flicked a hand at me. “At least mine diffused the situation.” Another hand flick, this time at Ezra. “Yours is only escalating it.”
Cahal merely grunted, also sitting down at our table.
Elder Merrick’s gaze flew to Antonio — away from Ezra. “Yours?”
“I raised her,” Antonio stated evenly.
Yanking my hand out from under Elder Merrick’s, I patted the seat. “Seat’s free, Ezra.”
Ezra’s eyes narrowed as he continued grinning. “Elder Merrick, you’re in my way.”
“Ezra,” his dad stated gruffly, obviously tired of his son’s antics. “That’s enough.”
Elder Merrick still watched Antonio. “That’s where you disappeared to.”
“Something like that,” Antonio murmured, taking a drink of his beer and running a hand through his hair. He nodded to the seat both he and Ezra had motioned for him to sit on. “You may want to take a seat before the Vampire you’re ignoring helps you onto it.”
Amazingly, Elder Merrick grunted and then moved, sitting on the proffered chair as Ezra slipped back onto his seat and tossed his boots onto the table right in front of Elder Merrick. I suppressed a chuckle. Ezra rarely had to exert any pressure to get people to do as he wished, so more than likely he was enjoying this little battle he kept egging on. Taking my spoon, I dug into my slightly melted ice-cream as Ezra sipped from his beer. Elder Jacobs, also sitting at our table, occupied the last remaining seat.
Antonio flicked a finger against Ezra’s boots, which Ezra didn’t remove from the table, and said, “We heard you two were in here,” he eyed us, “getting along.”
I chuckled around a mouthful of ice-cream — Ezra had picked strawberry and it was quickly vanishing — while firmly keeping my gaze away from Cahal. “We already had this conversation with the Kings.” I pointed my spoon at Antonio. “Did you have anything to do with our punishment?”
Antonio smiled. It was of pure mischief. “I may have put a bug in their ear.”
Ezra scowled, taking a swill of his beer. “I swear to God, I’ll never have a fucking brat.”
“Amen,” I muttered, then gave Antonio a fed up glance. “For someone who just loves children, you sure know how to push others away from them.”
Cahal snorted, glancing to Antonio. “You love children?”
“Currently? One,” Antonio retorted in a clipped tone. “Lily.”
I rolled my eyes. “You love to torture me.” I set my bowl aside, done wolfing my sweet.
“That too.” He grinned as only a dad could.
Cahal blinked, then asked, “What did you tell the Kings?”
Antonio snickered, watching us. “They’ll be on babysitting duty.”
“Again,” Ezra grumbled, handing me his beer when I slammed the shot and started coughing. After taking a few swigs from it, I gave it back, pounding on my chest from the burn. Finishing most of his beer off, Ezra glared at Antonio over its edge. “Don’t you think we’ve had enough of that?”
They stared. At us. Oddly silent.
Antonio quickly cleared his throat. “No, I don’t.” Once more, Antonio cleared his throat, harder this time, cocking his head, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read, but I knew he was trying to communicate something.
They still stared.
I yawned. “What?” I wiped my mouth, wondering if I had dried ice-cream on my chin.
“Jesus,” Ezra grumbled, setting the almost empty beer down and picking up his coffee, glaring with tired eyes at the other occupants of our table. “What the hell did we do now?”
Cahal reclined on his chair, crossing his arms lazily. “You have no clue?”
Ezra’s eyebrows puckered, obviously as lost as I was. “Would you care to enlighten us?”
Cahal’s gaze flicked back and forth between us. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then quit staring,” Ezra muttered, gesturing at everyone at the table with his coffee mug. “It’s rude.” Still they examined us, their heads cocking, except for Antonio’s, but he just appeared exasperated. “Why are you all sitting here?”
“Ah yes,” Antonio stated loudly. “We wanted to discuss your combat training.”
Ezra sipped his coffee with a raised eyebrow, then yawned. “She and I train together.”
I rested an elbow on the table, my cheek on my hand. My tired gaze met Ezra’s. “Or, at least, we did before we got here.”
Ezra grunted. “We should start again.”
I nodded, feeling sleepy and ready for a nap. “If we could find a place suitable.”
Antonio tapped the table with his beer. “I believe I was speaking.”
We both blinked at him.
“Are you two stoned?” Elder Jacobs asked, gesturing to the many empty plates and drinks. “You two ate enough for six people, appear as if you’re about to pass out, and not to mention…” He eyed us, before glancing to Antonio and Cahal. “Or are they always like this?”
Ezra stated dryly, “You’re the second person to ask us that within a half-hour, and the answer is still ‘no’.” His head cocked as our eyes met, and we chuckled, then he nodded to Elder Jacobs. “Though, yes, to the second question.”
With drowsy motions, we fist-bumped.
Antonio muttered under his breath something I was sure was uncomplimentary, then asked loudly, “I realize it’s hard for you two to stay focused, but could you try to pay attention to the adult for a moment?”
I glanced at Ezra. “We focus just fine, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.” Another sip of his coffee, his lids drooping lazily. “Except for school.”
I hummed, my eyes blinking slowly. “Or with the brats.”
He rested his head back. “Or the rules.” His eyes shut, a tiny smile playing on his lips.
My eyelids closed. “Unless they’re our own.”
Ezra grunted, sounding half purr.
Quiet.
Tranquil slumber, coaxing and exquisite, was starting to take me under when I heard a masculine voice, sounding incredulous, ask, “Did they just fall asleep?”
My head fell off my hand, and I jolted back on my chair just as Ezra cursed, lurching when his coffee spilt on his leg. I blinked blurrily at Ezra while he yawned, showing his pearly whites and placing his coffee on the table, then I turned my attention to Antonio. Rubbing my eyes, I asked, “Were you saying something?”
“Jesus Christ.” I recognized that voice as the one from a moment ago. Elder Jacobs. He swung a finger at the two of us. “They need to be drug tested before they spar with anyone.”
I lifted my Coke from the table, but realized it was empty and set it down with a sigh. I needed caffeine to stay awake for this. Elder Merrick held his Coke out to me, but I shook my head. “No, thanks.” Who knew how much backwash he left in the thing. I lifted Ezra’s coffee and sipped at it, my nose crinkling. Glancing at him, I muttered, “This shit is awful.”
“It’s black,�
� Ezra rumbled, settling back again after drying his pants. “It doesn’t have cream and sugar like you prefer.” I took another swill, only handing it to him when he grumbled, “Don’t drink it all.”
I stifled a yawn, watching him drink it, and then glanced where the line was for another Coke. Nope, too lazy right now for that. I sat back, rolling my shoulders and shaking my head a few times, trying to wake up. I lifted my arm to Ezra, mumbling, “Pinch me.”
He did. Kind of.
“Ow, goddamn it!” I shrieked, my eyes flying open as I held my injured arm. “I said pinch, not twist off a chunk of my flesh!” I pinched his easily accessible leg in retaliation, making him shout and glare. Pointing at his quickly receding drink, I whined, “I don’t want to get up and stand in,” my uninjured arm waved vaguely, “that. Give me some more.”
“You just hurt my damn leg,” Ezra griped, still rubbing it. “Now, you want my drink?”
My hand hovered in front of his face, over his cup. “Please.”
“No.” He took another sip, glaring and swatting at my hand.
I paused. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Your leg.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled, sounding pleased, and handed me his cup.
I groaned, and swigged heavily of his nasty brew. Licking the edges of my mouth, I set the cup down and rested my head on my hand again. My eyes started to close as Ezra’s head tipped back on his chair. “Didn’t help.”
“Nope,” he groaned.
I heard a light snore from him, my own breathing evening out, and again, like a bad habit, I heard a voice mutter, “My God, maybe we should have a full cranial scan run on them while we’re at it.”
My head jerked, and yet again, I lurched, sitting straight on my chair. I squinted foggy eyes across the table. Squinted more, waiting for them to focus. I had…forgotten…about the Elders in my post-sated haze.
Elder Merrick was chuckling silently.
Elder Jacobs was staring at us like we belonged in a mental institution.
Cahal had an elbow on the table, his chin on his hand and a portion of his fingers covering his mouth, as he avidly watched.
Antonio was rubbing his temples, glowering.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” I yawned, rubbing my eyes before shaking Ezra’s leg since he was still snoring, his mouth slightly parted and his face toward the ceiling. “Ezra, wake up. I think they were saying something.”
He groaned softly.
More shaking. “Ezra, wake up.” Hell, I wasn’t awake enough to wake someone else.
“Sweetheart, go back to sleep,” he grumbled. “You wore my ass out.”
I stilled for a moment, coming fully awake, and then slapped his face with a bit too much force, but I needed to wake his ass up before he said anything too damning. He jerked, his green eyes flying wide open, and I muttered, “Stay awake.” I pointed between me and him, glancing to everyone at the table. “He meant we had a fight earlier. Worked out our issues.” I flicked a glance to the next table over — Shifters — who were gawking, since they had seen me slap Ezra. Pointing at a younger individual, I ordered, “I want two coffees. One black, the other with plenty of cream and sugar.” A glance at the beverage area, then back to her. “Cut in line.”
She jumped from her chair, nodding, and scurried off to do as told.
Ezra glanced at me from under hooded lids, rubbing the back of his neck.
I turned from him, staring directly at Antonio. “What were you saying?”
“That I wish for a bullet. To my brain,” he muttered, continuing to rub his temples.
Elder Merrick was wiping tears from his eyes from his silent mirth. “That was fucking extraordinary.” He turned his watering gaze to Cahal and Antonio, and started busting up again as he stared. “I hope like hell I don’t have kids like them.”
“Possibly ADD,” Elder Jacobs stated, sounding thoughtful. He nodded. “It has got to be.”
“Shoot me. Please,” Antonio muttered under his breath.
“What fight earlier?” Cahal probed, his concentrated scrutiny still honed on us.
I blinked, then quickly evaded his question, muttering, “Ezra and I get along, talk to one another. Yet you’re making fun of us, when the four of you just had four separate conversations, and I bet none of you even heard what the others said.” I jerked my head at Ezra. “At least he listens to me, and I listen to him.”
Still with his chin on his hand, Cahal nodded absently to Antonio. “He wants a bullet through his head for having to deal with you two, which I don’t blame him for since he’s had to do it far longer than the three of us.” He paused, eyes on Ezra’s. “What fight earlier?”
“Hmm?” Ezra grabbed a coffee when the Shifter set them down in front of us. He sipped, his nose crinkled, and he handed it to me, lifting the other one. His eyes danced to me as he took a drink, then to his dad. “What are you talking about?”
Cahal drummed his fingers on his chin. “You were asleep, and you said…,” he glanced to Antonio, “what was it exactly?”
Antonio simply growled.
Elder Merrick murmured, “I believe he stated that she wore his ass out.” He sipped from his Coke, watching me as I took a drink from my coffee.
“Ah, yes.” Cahal nodded, his eyes back to his son. “Ms Ruckler said it was in reference to a fight you had earlier. So again, what fight?”
Ezra recovered fast enough, hearing of his major oops, to state dryly, “Obviously, the one we had earlier. Fists, kicking, teeth, the whole shebang as we worked through our issues.” He turned his gaze on Antonio. “Other than a bullet needed, what were you saying?”
Cahal held up a hand, and peered toward Elder Merrick.
Elder Merrick drank from his Coke, and then smiled. “He told truth.” His arresting gaze met mine briefly when Ezra’s dad glanced away.
I knew right then he had caught me in a lie somewhere. Altering my attention to Antonio, I quickly went through what I had said, but nothing sprung out as too awful. Plus, he had to have one hell of a nose to be scenting truths, lies, and partial truths at all times. I actually had to concentrate in order to do it.
Antonio asked sharply, “Lil, are you listening?”
I jerked. “Yep.” No clue what he had said before, but I was listening now.
Elder Merrick laughed while rubbing his face, his chuckle heard this time, sounding jagged.
Ezra glared. “Do you mind? We’re tired, and you’re not helping the situation.”
“From the fight?” Elder Merrick prompted.
Ezra grunted, letting that be his answer, since he was smart enough not to answer.
Antonio held his hands up when Elder Merrick began to say something else. “Okay, I’m going to say it quickly, so,” he growled, thumping his fist on the table, “listen the fuck up.” He pointed at me. “Lil, you’re going to be training with Elder Merrick on the days you’re not babysitting, learning to use more of your strength.” Both Ezra and I stiffened at the news, and we both opened our mouths — surely to argue — but Antonio thumped his fist on the table again.
“Shut. Up.” We both still tried to speak, and he hollered, “Ezra, you’re going to start sparring with Vampires on your level of experience when you’re not babysitting.” He stood, slamming his hands on the table. “This is not a fucking request. Get that through your damn skulls.” He growled, his eyes glowing as we glared. “Do you understand?”
Yes, we understood. It was a fucking order made by Elder Farrar in the middle of a packed dining hall. Inhaling sharply, I turned my head away from him. He had never acted this way with me before. Never purposely embarrassed me, anyway. I barely withheld the childish temper tantrum of tears that wanted to erupt.
“Answer me, dammit,” he shouted. He made an odd noise in his throat and leaned down, whispering so damn quietly I barely heard him, “Or, I swear to fucking God, I will dump each of you in separate parts of the world without a fucking decent memory.”
Ezra’s back, and mine, slammed against the back of our chairs, staying as far away from him as we possibly could. We both knew he could do exactly as he had threatened. I nodded, same as Ezra, both of us mumbling our assent as true hate and brutal fear for the man I loved filled me, who had raised me as his own.
Antonio stopped glowing, and he straightened, running a hand over his face. His golden gaze met my blue, wide one. Into the silence, which had descended on the entire dining hall, he murmured quietly, “Hate me all you wish.” He swallowed hard, gaze lowering. “Everyone who knows me does at some point.” He stalked away, chairs squeaking in all occupants’ haste to give him space.
My body was trembling watching him leave. Setting my coffee aside with a shaking hand, I cleared my throat and raised on what felt like wobbly legs to stand next to Ezra, who was already on his feet, the man I had almost lost mere moments ago. I glanced to Elder Merrick, and my voice shook slightly. “Just call my room. We can set up a time for training.”
He nodded once, his lips pinched.
Ezra rumbled quietly, “Let’s go.”
“Yeah,” I whispered, wanting nothing more than to hug not only him, but also Pearl and Jack, and tell them how much I loved them. “Let’s go.”
A hard and repetitive knocking at the door woke us.
I wasn’t sure how long the person had been banging for, but Ezra’s head snapped up from my shoulder at the racket. He blinked sleepily, as if he didn’t know what had woken him. His eyes found mine, and they stilled, a slow smile crossing his features.
The knocking came again.
I chuckled at his startled expression, and pointed up at the wall where he couldn’t see, positioned as he was. “It’s for you.” I rolled and saw we had only been napping for an hour since we had hightailed it from the dining hall. Pulling the blanket over my shoulders, I muttered, “It may be your dad on the hunt, since he was trying to catch us slipping at lunch.”
Again, the thumping sounded.
“Shit,” he muttered, quickly pulling away from me, scooting backward off the bed…and falling straight on his ass when he landed on the headboard, no longer in its correct place.
King Cave Page 15
