Callie quickly backed out of the room. “I’ll get my things together.”
Watching Callie walk away, Maven withdrew into a child-like sulk.
“I suggest you do the same. I want you gone the minute Callie returns,” Halen warned.
Maven jumped to her feet, casting her sister a hateful stare. “Fine.”
**
Maven was busy throwing her clothes into a set of designer luggage when Halen entered the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “How dare you just barge in here like you own the place?” Maven snapped.
“Because I do — own the place. It’s time you got over yourself, Maven. You could show a little gratitude. I did save your stupid ass back there.”
“Is that why you came back, Halen. To gloat?”
“No,” she said holding an envelope out to her sister. “Here’s a few hundred bucks. It should be enough to help you get settled in a new town.”
“I have no intention of being with Callie, you know. The woman is old and gross. She was a means to an end, nothing more. I plan to move to California. I want to be an actress.”
Halen smiled at the absurdity of her sister’s statement. “Of course you do. I’m sure you’ll get exactly what you want, Maven.”
“Whatever.” Maven studied her sister. “I suppose you hate the ground I walk on, want me dead…”
Halen shook her head and laughed. “Nope actually, I’m grateful that you tried to have me killed, as weird as that sounds. It’s because you’re an insane bitch from hell that I met Kieran.”
“You never cease to amaze me with your stupidity,” Maven spat.
Halen stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, she turned to look back at her sister one last time. “I probably won’t see you again, Maven. I know we have our differences, but if you ever need…”
Maven leveled her gaze at Halen. “It will be a cold day in hell before I ever need anything from you. I will hate you until the day I die.”
**
A small patio led off the family room. Taking Halen by the hand, Kieran led her through the open door and outside.
“Now that Maven is gone the house seems so much lighter,” she said.
“True, but it could be a temporary thing.”
Halen looked up at him and frowned. “Why in the world would you say such a thing?”
“There is going to be a war between the Rayne and Bourdon families — it’s inevitable.”
“If Armando’s Hive wins will they kill Alexander?”
“It’s unlikely. He knows about the Legacy, but he isn’t part of its inner workings. He has no power. You forget, he isn’t one of us.”
“Kieran,” Halen said nervously. “If the Hives wage war, will you fight?”
“I always said I wouldn’t get involved, but that was before I fell in love with a future queen.”
Halen’s eyes sparkled. “You know I think I might be kinda stoked about my new life.”
“You do know that if you choose to do this you will be pitted against your best friend. Armando is grooming Bijoux to be the new leader.”
“I know it won’t be easy. I’ll probably be in constant danger — I really want to finish college with other kids like me.”
“If this is what you really want to do, I’ll support your decision. It won’t be easy, jumping into one of our schools will be a shock to say the least. Plus, you’ll be spending a lot of time training with Lucien.”
She smiled and hugged him tightly. She was eager to leave and begin her new life. “I’ll sign everything over to Alexander in the morning.”
Kieran smiled, kissing the top of her head. “Looks like we’re going home, my future queen.”
Thirty-Seven
A small group of high school students gathered around the lunchroom table discussing the events of the previous night. Beatrice absentmindedly moved her spaghetti around on her plate. “I heard there is a lot of young mums in this bunch,” she said in a soft British accent. “From what I’ve been told, there is a lot of babies.”
“So, what’s your point, Bea?” Clancy mumbled, his mouth full of sandwich.
“What shall become of the wee ones?”
“I dunno, appetizers, maybe.” Clancy laughed, passing out high-fives to his friends.
Beatrice gasped, brushing her platinum blond hair from her face. “Do not say such things.”
“Well heck, you asked.”
“I’m serious. We took their mums to restock the food supply — I get it. But don’t we have an obligation to the babies?”
Clancy placed his sandwich on the plate and licked the drippings from his fingers. “It doesn’t work that way, Bea. You’ve been one of us long enough to get with the program — majority rules, baby girl.”
“But you know what will happen.”
“Yeppers, there’ll be a new selection on the lunch menu tomorrow — it’s like the Breeder equivalent of veal.”
Beatrice chose to ignore his rather disgusting statement. “I hear Izzy is submitting his own idea to the King.”
“And here we go…”
“No, here me out. He thinks the Gremlins should be able to…for the lack of a better word…adopt the babies. You know, because of their lifestyle.”
“Uh huh. Don’t ask, don’t get your ugly little Gremlin ass kicked.”
“Well,” Beatrice said. “I, for one, think it’s a brilliant idea.”
Clancy laughed. “You would, Bea. The King will never go for it. Never in a million years.”
“Perhaps not…but I certainly will.”
The shocked group of teens turned around to see the future queen as she emerged from out of the shadows.
Entangled Souls Page 17
