Her voice was quiet, calming him instead of letting him soothe her. “I’m alright, Reyn. We were just talking about improvements to make on the province.”
“You can do that when you’re better, which Jean-Luc didn’t say you are. Staying in bed is what he recommended for you.”
“She’s fine to have a conversation. But maybe not on the floor is a good rule for any duchess. I need to examine her again.” Jean-Luc met my eyes. “How are you, your grace?”
“I’m better than fine. They didn’t hurt me like they did Lane.”
Lane’s finger pointed to the door. “Out you go, both of you. Rosie, Judah, out. You, too, Draper.”
My mouth fell open. “What? Why would I have to go? I’m being helpful.”
“Of course you are, but Jean-Luc wants to examine me again, and I don’t want you hearing the details through his mind. You don’t need to live through what I had to.”
I lowered my chin, but didn’t argue. Lane’s body was her own, and she should have the say-so in who knew the details about the roughing up she’d gone through. “Whatever makes you more comfortable. You know I love you, right?”
Lane had the presence of mind to shoot me a gentle smile. “I know, baby. But I want you to stay my baby as long as you can. Hearing about all this? It’ll age you too quickly. I don’t want to be part of anything that makes you stop singing.”
Carefully, and with Reyn watching like a hawk, I wrapped my arms around her. “You’re my Supermom. It’s okay to be a human once in a while, too. You’ll holler if you need anything? I mean anything at all? Four in the morning and you need to know who the lead singer of the Lost and Forgotten is, you’ll come get me?”
“You’ll be the first stop.” When I yawned over her shoulder, she motioned to Bastien. “The birds overdid it. She might need to lie down.”
I frowned at her as I pulled back. “Okay, I’m not an actual baby, just because I’m your baby. I’m fine. Ready for anything.”
“Good,” Kerdik interjected. “Because I could use more information on this water system you and your little friend have going.”
I thrilled at the feeling of being needed for something academic. It was a rush I didn’t often get, and I relished every second of it. “Of course. Happy to help.”
Kerdik held out his elbow to escort me, but Bastien moved me so I was on his right, and Kerdik at his left. It was territorial, sure, but I understood. Bastien was done fooling around, and done being apart. We’d lost each other too many times for a cool and casual slide into something more serious. When my arm looped through Bastien’s, he tightened his bicep, pinning my hand to his side to ensure that no one – not even Kerdik – could snatch at me ever again.
28
This is Judah
“I still don’t know,” Kerdik sighed, looking at the detailed drawing on the parchment we’d spread out on the overlarge dark wood dining room table. It could easily seat sixteen people, but today it was just the four of us standing around it, frowning at the map. After Lane kicked us out, we’d set up in here, working on the new water system. “Where will the water end up?”
Judah pointed to a spot near the palace on the map. “Here would be great, but it has to be on a spot lower than the well. Otherwise the flow will be all wrong.”
Kerdik frowned. “I don’t want the palace to have the lowest ground. It doesn’t send the right message. The palace should be on high ground – a city on a hill.”
Kerdik and Judah went back and forth on different locations for the end point of the water tunnels, speaking like coworkers who were comfortable enough for a studious back and forth. It was cute, actually. I loved that Judah was fitting in pretty seamlessly with the people in my Avalon life.
Bastien studied the map and pointed to a cluster of trees. “This is where the wall is going to go, once it’s all finished. You guys didn’t take into account that our province is going to have a wall.”
I slapped my forehead, and took the quill Judah surrendered to me. “You’re totally right. We’re about here on the construction right now,” I said, drawing a line to indicate the parts of the wall that were already up. Then I drew a dotted line where the rest of the wall would be, once finished. I made to hand the quill back to Judah. “The wall’s twelve feet high by about fifteen inches thick.”
I expected Judah to take the quill and jot down the measurements in his neat handwriting, but instead he wrapped his fist around mine and slowly wrote out the specifications with me. That was the good thing about Judah. He didn’t draw attention to my shortcomings, but he didn’t let me off easy, either. We were a team, and he didn’t mind taking the handicap that was all me.
Kerdik and Bastien were quiet at the help Judah gave without a conversation, taking mental notes that this was how I needed help to be offered, so I didn’t walk away feeling like a dummy.
Judah dipped the quill back into the ink pot, and hovered our joined fists over the map with a frown. “There needs to be some kind of flourish at the end, some kind of ‘Bite me, suckers. I just built you the first water system in Avalon!’ There’s a huge one, the Trevi Fountain, at the end of the aqueduct lines in Rome. It’s got sculptures made of marble, and it’s like a beacon for the city. It should encourage the people, so that when they look at it, they feel unstoppable. Like, ‘Dude, this was a hard day, but look at where we live. No other place in Avalon has anything as super way awesome as that.’”
Kerdik tried to hide his amusement at Judah’s candid speech, but eventually lost to his smirk. “You sound like Rosie. You even swivel your head like her.”
“No, no, no. Rosie talks like me. She learned all her moves from me, because I’m awesome.”
I guffawed. “Says the dude who can’t get through an Eminem or Macklemore song without stopping to take a breath.”
“Those dudes are superhuman! I don’t know how they rap without breathing like that!”
I blew on my nails and polished them on my shirt. “Child’s play.” I pointed with my free hand to the courtyard in front of the palace on the map. “How about here?”
“Works for me.” He moved our hands down to the parchment so we drew a circle, writing “Fountain” in the center. Judah and I put the quill in the ink and dropped our hands so he could scratch his head. “Do we have any sculptors who could take on the task of making a totally wicked fountain?”
Kerdik shot Judah a withering look. “Talk about child’s play. Something grand like you’re suggesting would only take me a few hours, as opposed to several craftsmen, who would have to spend months with a chisel, only to get the details subpar in the end. I can do that.”
I shook my head. “You’re doing too much as it is. These aqueducts? They have to be formed and then placed properly. I don’t want you exhausting yourself. I mean it. We shouldn’t be asking you for this much magic.”
“But I can get the measurements more perfect than anyone else can, and I can do it faster.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Why won’t you let me help your country?”
I debated pulling Kerdik into the hallway for a private conversation, but knew Bastien would have a cow if I stepped a foot outside of the dining hall we were standing in. “Because you’ll resent us. You’ll despise Lane for asking you for this much help. When they sing Lane’s praises or my dad’s, you’ll get pissed that it’s not your name they chant, and you’ll take it out on them. Or worse, you’ll destroy the water system completely, and then we’re right back where we started.”
Kerdik’s stare would have made me wither, were I not spot on. “I’m not like that anymore.”
“Since when?” Bastien countered, his hand moving to the small of my back, as it did now whenever Kerdik addressed me.
“You want me to be less selfish, so I volunteer to help with something you actually need, and this is the thanks I get?”
“Thank you,” I said with a polite bob of my head. “But think this through. I don’t want our province dependent on you.”
“You won’t be! I’ll set up the system, and leave it alone. After the aqueducts are set up, the people can repair them if they break down over time. You’re not dependent on me; I’m just giving the new Province 10 a head start.”
I pursed my lips as I thought through his logic. “Okay. I guess that makes sense. So you’re throwing your chips in with Lane, then? You’re officially behind Province 10?”
Kerdik tossed his hands up in exasperation. “Don’t you see me at all? I’d follow you anywhere, making sure you had water, food and shelter. You’re their princess, but you’ve been my queen since I first saw you in that storm. I came to Province 10 for you, but I’m staying because it’s bigger than that now. Morgan needs to be stopped. When I saw what the soldiers did to you and Lane, I got it. I finally understood. If I don’t help you stop Morgan, then every man’s treasure is sure to be snatched at. I wouldn’t wish the horror I felt seeing you manhandled like that on anyone.”
Judah let out a low whistle and stepped back, lifting his hands up to indicate that he was staying out of whatever mess I’d put my foot in this time.
Bastien’s arm coiled around my hips, and he leveled his finger at Kerdik. “You’ll stop that kinda talk right now. Rosie’s not your anything. Good for you for growing a heart, but take that noise elsewhere.”
I wanted to hug Kerdik, but knew that wouldn’t go over all too well. “Save the bickering for another time, guys. Kerdik, if you want to help because you want to keep Province 10 safe, whether or not I’m in it, then you can help us as much as you want. Aqueducts, fountain, all of it.” I met his eyes to let him know I was about to hit him upside the head with some serious talk. “When Morgan’s neutralized and Province 10 is stable, I’m going back to Common, and Bastien’s coming with me. We’re going to start a life together there. So make sure that your motivations have nothing to do with me, because sooner or later, I won’t be in Avalon anymore.”
Kerdik swallowed hard, and the room was so still, you could hear the bird on my shoulder’s slight movements. “If you leave with Bastien, I’ll remain with Urien. As long as one of you is in Avalon, that’s where I’ll be. I’ll not give up both the people I love. Faîte would suffer much if I didn’t have daily reminders that there is still goodness in the world.” His eyes flicked to Bastien with mild disdain. “When Bastien passes, come home to me. Then we can start your second life together. I’ll make sure Avalon is a more peaceful place by the time you return to my arms.”
Bastien rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck twice. “That’s it. You and me are taking this outside now. No magic, just us.”
“Killing you would only speed up the time I get to spend with Rosie. I was willing to step aside and give you your life with her, but if you’re giving me a pass, I won’t say no to that.”
My mouth fell open at the blatant machismo I couldn’t stand. I let out a disgusted scoff and flipped my hair over my shoulder, not caring that I looked like a prima donna doing it. “Dudes, control your testicles. Stop acting like I’m someone to fight over. We’re talking aqueducts, and that’s all.”
Bastien’s gaze cut to Judah. “Do you need her here for this?”
I threw my arms into the air in exasperation. “This was my idea! I’m not going to be benched because you’re in a mood to fight with Kerdik.”
“I’m in a mood to end whatever hold you two have on each other,” Bastien clarified, making the whole situation worse.
Kerdik waved his hand at Bastien, as if my boyfriend was a spider that annoyed him. “Go on and enjoy your time together. Take your dog for a walk, Rosie. Judah and I can figure out the rest.”
“Call me a dog again, and see what happens!”
Judah’s head bopped to the beat only the two of us knew. DMX was flowing through his veins when he shouted out his rap anthem that perfectly suited the moment.
No matter what, DMX could always center us, bringing us back to square one. During the great fight of where we would live off-campus, DMX had rescued us. Judah and I broke from the stupid argument Bastien and Kerdik were stuck in, and threw up our arms as we danced with our whole bodies and rapped together with obnoxious gestures, invoking the steps we’d made up during our many dateless nights, because we’re both the shiz. Our grins couldn’t be dampened as we squared off at the break, landing with gusto after a synchronized jump we’d practiced only about a hundred times. We slapped palms, and then knocked playful fists. We faced off and bent inward, our shoulders shaking to the beat and our feet stepping to the rhythm that would haunt us long after the song would end.
It was the perfect diffuser to the fight I couldn’t have cared less about. Judah was always my good medicine. When the song ended, the two of us couldn’t stop smiling. We threw our arms around each other and squeezed, breathing far easier, now that the other was within reach. “Normal life was so boring without you!” he admitted. “This one time, I saw an off-black Cadillac with the top back and windows down, and nobody said a thing!”
Of course, I started singing part of the hook from Mackelmore’s “White Walls” song, because, duh.
Judah broke the hug and did a mimed thanks to Heaven. “See? That’s why you’re my best friend. Jill and everyone else just stared at me like I was a lunatic. I missed you so bad, Ro.”
“You missed me? Dude, Avalon is bonkers. There’s two men to every one woman here, so they all act like… I don’t know. I’m not used to it. I miss my hump,” I admitted.
“‘My hump, my hump, my hump?’” His eyes were sympathetic as he took in my form that was more womanly than it had ever been. “I see you, Ro. You’re still in there.”
Judah’s stomach growled, which was a problem I could fix. “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.” I motioned over my shoulder and turned my back to him to brace myself. “Hop on.”
Judah didn’t hop, since he was a few inches taller than me. He secured himself to my back, and I looped my arms around his thighs. The birds all landed on his back, chirping with amusement that they were getting a free ride, as well. I headed for the door, stopping short when Kerdik and Bastien both let loose incredulous shouts, telling us we couldn’t walk through the halls like that.
“Oh, I super can. We do this all the time. My thighs are like tree trunks from years of indoor soccer. Judah’s not a morning person, so this is how I got him to breakfast when we lived in the dorms freshman year.”
Judah’s chin rested atop my head. “You don’t give Bastien a lift to lunch every day? Dude, you’re missing out. Outsourcing transportation saves me so much time. I usually don’t have to fully wake up until I’m actually at the table, which gives me an extra five or ten minutes of dozing. Best best friend in the world, right here.”
Bastien guffawed at our candid nature. “I don’t know what to do with this,” he admitted, his expression torn between amused and irritated.
“Oh, that’s alright. Go on back to yelling at each other. I didn’t mean to interrupt your fight. We’ll be in the kitchen.” I paused to jerk my chin up, silently asking for a kiss.
Bastien eyed Judah warily before moving in for a quick peck. “This is weird.”
“No, this is Judah,” I kidded, wanting to slap my knee at my lame joke. Judah compensated by letting out a hardy fake laugh to make me feel cool. I turned and hefted Judah further up on my hips, and stalked steadily toward the kitchen, away from the territorial tension.
29
Family, Slathered in Butter
After a week, Lane had healed enough for us to make public appearances. Damond’s funeral was terrible. Though, I’m not sure what exactly might make for an awesome funeral. The Wildmen were supposed to play a song on their panpipes that increased reverence and peace, but somehow all we got were tears. I didn’t feel a lick of tranquility through the whole thing, but instead wrestled with my inner turmoil that my cousin was gone, and I couldn’t do anything to erase that harsh reality.
Remy, as usual, got nothing. He’d asked for nothing, other tha
n to be granted permission to help me and my family. In the end, that was all life granted him, which was the biggest tragedy of all.
My family gathered by a tree in the courtyard, our heads bowed as we talked about our fondest memories of my healer. None of it made up for the fact that Remy was gone forever – my friend, my knight. We were a little quieter after that, but as the days passed, we were starting to figure out how to hold our heads up.
Dad, Lane, Draper and I managed to put together enough pieces of a smile to assemble a whole one for the newly christened Province 10. Lane barely breathed without Reyn hovering, making it clear that though she was recovering, he had not, and might not for a long time. I couldn’t really blame him. I clung probably a little too tightly to her, too.
“I’m no doctor, but that Kerdik dude needs Prozac. He’s straight up irritable,” Judah remarked after a long day apart. I didn’t like being separate from Judah, but he insisted he needed to be with Kerdik to make sure the measurements were perfect for the aqueducts they were installing. The whole process was shockingly simple when you had an immortal elemental going to bat for you.
Lane meandered around the kitchen, peeking in canisters to make sure she had all the ingredients. “A little? This is him calm. Before, when he and Rosie would go at it, his temper would shake the whole palace. Hazards of befriending a monster.”
I frowned at Lane. “Kerdik’s not a monster. He’s a person.”
“Actually, he’s not a person, babe. Immortals aren’t human.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I think it’s precious that you’re protective of him. He doesn’t have anyone besides Urien who sticks up for him, after all he’s put Avalon through.”
I raised my eyebrow at her, having a clear opinion about that. I didn’t want to sound snotty, so I didn’t point out that actually the Daughters of Avalon had inflicted most of the damage on the nation. “What are the beets for?”
Untouchable Girl_A Fantasy Adventure Page 16
