A Guiding Light

by Susan Copperfield

  Several hours after I regained consciousness, I finally stopped twitching, something Ian found hilarious. My head pounded, and if his pet RPS agent ever came near me again, I’d run. It wouldn’t do me any good, but I wouldn’t make it easy.

  Until I stopped quivering, I wouldn’t be going anywhere. Worse, I had no idea where we were, but it was quiet and remote. I’d graduated from being unable to stand to a wobbly walk, something Ian assured me was normal. At his insistent suggestion, I sat at the dining room table with him, although sit was generous. I slumped over the polished surface, wondering where I’d gone wrong in my life to deserve being shocked. “That was awful. No wonder shockers scare people.”

  “I hit him a little too hard, Your Highness,” the RPS agent admitted.

  “I guessed that by the state of his fried phones. I’ll replace them, Adam. Might I ask why you have two?”

  “I was trying to be difficult to find.”

  “Despite appearances, you did well on that front. It took me a week to track you down.”

  “You were looking for me before the crash.”

  “Correct. I’d noticed you’d somehow become a majority stockholder, and I wanted to know how you’d done it. I wasn’t sure where you’d gotten the money. I also knew you’d become a major player in this game. There was no indication you knew about my parents’ plan until all the available stocks were bought out all at once.”

  Having the scrutiny of a New Yorker worried me almost as much as the reinforcement I was diving headlong into trouble. “Next time, send an invitation.”

  “Would you come if I did?”

  “Specify Agent Zach will insist, and you’ll probably receive a reply. It’ll say, ‘Please, no.’ Once it’s sent, I’ll run away.”

  Ian drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. “This was unavoidable. My parents want Princess Veronica because she’s been trained to become a queen. At the very least, she can help groom a New York monarch. They don’t really expect to win Veronica as a bride; they know she’s bonded, and while my parents are assholes, they’re more interested in a hostage situation than an actual marriage. If they coerce Veronica into coming to New York, they might be able to acquire one of Veronica’s sisters. That’s their ultimate goal. Right now, there’s an unfortunately high chance I might be named heir. My older brothers have refused, citing Rachel as the better choice. Rachel’s off doing what Rachel does best.”

  “Which is?”

  “Disappearing in plain sight and lying low. She ran off after our sister attempted regicide. I can’t blame her. My other sisters are utterly unfit. New York should have named Rachel the heir. She’d do a good job, but she’s fed up with the family. If I can wrangle the situation here right, I’m hoping I can get everyone to sit down and shut up. If I use you as leverage, I have a solid chance of being able to. You’re disowned, which means New York could adopt you into the bloodline, thus getting Veronica in the process.”

  Royal families sometimes did adopt other elite into the bloodline, but it was usually a last-ditch effort to retain control over a kingdom. I didn’t fit that bill. “What would that accomplish?”

  “It would put a pair of competent rulers in control of New York with loyalties to the New York royal family. If your child with Veronica marries into the New York family, we win. Better yet, we’ll make sure you regain your place as the rightful consort of North Dakota’s heir.”

  I didn’t need Marshal’s gifts to foresee a disaster in the making. “There are so many problems with that plan I’m not ever sure where to begin, Ian.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “First, I have a lifetime ban from the royal grounds. I’m also disowned.”

  “Irrelevant. If you come to New York, you’ll be a royal in right, and it might be warranted from the strength of your leeching talent. I’ll have to look into that, but you’re running around with two generalized suppressors. That’s enough to make my RPS agents edgy. You currently own North Dakota’s banking sector, and unlike in New York, shareholders can stage takeovers of the banks. In case you weren’t aware, the New York royal family has retained vetoing rights on the banks.”

  “I’m aware.”

  “I figured you were. Continue.”

  Wrinkling my nose, I shoved myself upright and glowered at the prince. “I have no interest in it, Ian. I was enrolled for nullification.”

  “Talent developed too much?”

  I nodded.

  “On a good day, an unrequited bond is trouble for a mid-range talent. To need two suppressors? All right. I can respect that, no matter how much I dislike the idea. New York has a few nullifiers capable of burning out elite-level talents, but it isn’t pretty. It’d be a mercy to kill you, but you’d probably die from it anyway. Anyway, I’m voting against it. My plan involves you marrying that she-devil so I don’t have to.”

  “She-devil?” Was he talking about Veronica?

  Veronica was tough, and she hadn’t even cried when I’d hooked her in the arm, but to call her a she-devil?

  “You really haven’t seen her in a long time, have you?”

  “Eighteen years.”

  “She’s as pissy as a nest of wasps poked with a stick. She’s a beauty, but she’ll bust your balls if you step out of line. Us New Yorkers have hot tempers, but Veronica? She’s ice cold, man. She’s been that way since the day you left. Everyone in the Royal States knows it, too. I’m really surprised no one has grabbed you yet to manipulate her.”

  “Except you,” I reminded him.

  He grinned. “I’m not stupid enough to try to manipulate her. Gift wrapping you for her enjoyment, however, is a possibility. If I give you to her, she might not bust my balls or kill me along with the rest of my idiot family. It’s a good way for me to dodge more bad rep, too. While my idiot family is trying to put out a bunch of political fires, I’m doing what should’ve been done years ago.”

  “Seriously? You, too?”

  “Who else?”

  “Marshal.”

  “Ah-ha! That’s where he vanished to? My father had to call Montana to verify we hadn’t been involved.”

  “He’s pure evil,” I muttered.

  “Which he?”

  “Marshal.”

  “He’s a persistent kid, I’ll give him that much. But let’s be honest here. My father’s no knight in shining armor, and neither is my mother. Don’t get me started on my asshole sister. She’s the reason Rachel packed her bags and ditched. If I get stuck as the heir, my first order of business involves finding Rachel and forcing her to take the job.”

  In comparison, I had a nice life. “Maybe I should be the one kidnapping you?”

  “Not a bad idea. Oh, now that you’re coherent, I had someone fetch your things out of your hotel room. While you’re my guest, I’m going to insist you maintain your normal activities as much as possible.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

  “Why not?”

  “My normal activities involve weekly appointments with a doctor.”

  “You’re sick?”

  “I’m having my talent evaluated, plus there were some complications.”

  “At your age? What sort of complications?” Ian scowled, smacked his palm against the table hard enough I jumped, and thumped back into his seat. “Why?”

  “Apparently, after eighteen years on hexapentin, I shouldn’t have a strong talent.”

  “You already tried to have your talent burned out.”

  “Not quite. It was a treatment meant to keep me from having a heart attack. I’m at high risk without the suppressors or the drug.”

  He winced. “And with?”

  “Well, I slept for an entire night for the first time in a long time,” I admitted.

  Turning to his RPS agents, Ian asked, “Thoughts?”

  Zach shrugged. The other RPS agent sighed and replied, “The only cure is resolving any issues with his bond, Your Highness. The easiest way is to remove one of the suppressors and ma
ke him uncomfortable. If she’s bonded like everyone believes, she’ll show up. She’ll show up angry and ready to hurt someone, but she’ll show. If we do this in the middle of the night, she might show up alone.”

  I decided I didn’t like the other RPS agent almost as much as I didn’t like Zach. I had no idea what he meant by uncomfortable, but I expected a great deal of pain and suffering.

  “Adam?”

  I shot a glare at Ian. “Why are you asking me?”

  “Well, you are the one we’d be making uncomfortable.”

  “I don’t think you should pursue kidnapping as a future career, Ian. Aren’t you supposed to be the one calling the shots here?”

  “I kidnapped you just fine.”

  The truth of his words annoyed me into grunting. “Can I decline? I promised my doctor I’d eat better and try to be healthy. I don’t think agreeing to torture is healthy.” I considered resuming my careless sprawl across the table and taking a nap. “This isn’t a good idea.”

  “It’s a fantastic idea. If she comes alone, I’m put in the best position possible.” Ian got to his feet and circled the table until watching him pace gave me a headache. “One of your investors contacted me about your plan to hit the New York market, by the way. When he’s backing the idea and thinks it might work, I listen. I’m not my father’s son, and this is the best way to make certain you do more than make a ripple. If Veronica comes here alone, we can recruit her to help.”

  “You’re really siding against your own kingdom.”

  “My kingdom is the one wrong, and this is my chance to do some good. I know you don’t have any reasons to trust me. When we were kids, I didn’t understand why a princess would pick the pauper over the prince. I didn’t understand what you could offer her that I couldn’t. Consider this a way to make up for what I’ve done. I contributed, and for that, I’m sorry.”

  I pinched myself to confirm I wasn’t dreaming. It hurt like I expected. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “It wasn’t, not completely, but I can make a difference, so I will.”

  Ian and his agents didn’t need to do anything to make me uncomfortable. The thought of seeing Veronica was enough to sour my stomach. Every doubt I’d ever had haunted me. Would she care enough to come?

  I’d given her no reason to. I’d been so focused on my misery I hadn’t considered what she’d gone through—if she’d gone through anything at all. I’d always assumed the worst because I hadn’t been able to afford the price I’d pay if I nurtured any hope at all.

  Marshal had tried to tell me, but I hadn’t wanted to believe—I still feared the answer.

  “Maybe we should’ve brought Carrie with us,” Ian muttered.

  Both of his RPS agents sighed, which I viewed as a bad sign. “Carrie?”

  “She’s the New York royal family’s talent evaluator. Her job is to make sure us overly emotional pyromaniacs don’t burn New York to the ground. Our line doesn’t have any active leeches. She theorizes that we’re where they send over-powered, unbonded royal leeches to kill the line. One day, we’ll end up with a ridiculously strong leech and regret everything.”

  I’d never heard of the woman, but I hoped she was better at her job than the one serving the North Dakota royal family. “Interesting.”

  “I was going to propose you meet Rachel to stir things up, but you two would kill each other within a week. She hates when people give her the look when she does something stupid. You’re a master of that look. You won’t have to talk as much as other kings. You’ll just stare for a while and wait for your victims to acknowledge their stupidity.”

  I arched a brow at Ian’s assumption I’d rule over anything. “Hardly.”

  “See? The scorn positively drops from your voice. That’ll be a useful tool for you.”

  “Am I the only one with any common sense here? I’m not going to be the king of anything. Once the loopholes in North Dakota’s market are closed, I’m selling and dropping off the radar.”

  “If thinking that makes you happy, go for it, but we both know what’s going to happen. You pulled off a major coup against New York without fanfare. You did so without claiming any credit. The only reason anyone knows about you and your involvement is because someone else talked.”

  “Probably Alfred Knoxwin. I refused to sell to his client.”

  “The royal family, then. They likely realized their small percentage of shares wasn’t sufficient to keep control over their interests.”

  “If I have my way, by the time I’m finished, they’ll be over cap.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about Alfred Knoxwin. It’s a good publicity stunt for the royal family, and you’re the only one inconvenienced. It’s a win-win for them. It’ll be their loss when it’s revealed you’re Adam Penshire; everyone will question the royal family’s judgment. Veronica will escape most scrutiny, as she’s been very vocal in her refusals to consider other men. You’ll get slammed until someone leaks the truth about your talent, which will hit the royal family hard again. Their loss—again.”

  “That information is sealed.”

  “I’m aware. I wanted a confirmation of your identity and hit a few walls. You get full points on making things difficult. A few pictures of you with Veronica will remove most doubts. You’re a lot taller than I expected, though.”

  I forced a rueful smile. “It’s my tactic to avoid detection. No one expects a giant.”

  “How tall are you?”

  “Six-four.”

  “Montana’s king has an inch on you. He’ll be happy he’s not the only giant in royal circles. Dye your hair black and wear a mask like his. You’d stand in fine—just don’t say anything. Your voice is a lot deeper than his.”

  “No.”

  “Don’t be a spoilsport. It’ll be fun, especially if you confuse his queen. She has a temper.”

  I sighed. “Of course she has a temper. She’s a New Yorker.”

  “Veronica has an even hotter temper. No one with a grain of sense blames her for it, either. That much frustration is a lot for a man to enjoy. You’ll be the envy of single royals around the world.”

  “I really should’ve drowned you in the moat as a child.”

  “Too late. Now you have to put up with me and my meddling ways. Zach? Handle matters from here, would you? Peter, you get to help me wrangle something healthy for dinner so Adam’s doctor doesn’t kill us for endangering his patient.”

  “Her.”

  “That’s even worse. Who is your doctor?”

  “Dr. Stanton.”

  Ian grimaced. “I’ve heard of her. She’s got a worse temper than most New Yorkers. How on Earth did you get on her patient list? She’s an in-demand specialist. New York’s been after her for years without luck.”

  “My former doctor sent in a referral.”

  “Who was your other doctor?”

  “Dr. Berriner in Hettinger.”

  “Peter, look into him please.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Rubbing his hands together, Ian strolled into the adjacent kitchen. “Zach, don’t leave any marks on him. Otherwise, have fun.”

  The RPS agent’s smile was grim. “My apologies, sir. This will hurt.”

  Hurt was the grossest understatement I’d ever heard in my life. Paper cuts stung. Sprains hurt.

  What Zach did to me was torture. He lit every nerve in my body on fire until the intensity of it knocked me out. The instant he woke me up with slaps to the face, he jolted me again.

  I snarled more than a plethora of fucks at the RPS agent, and I did it through clenched teeth so I wouldn’t do more than cuss or grunt.

  Ian applauded me. “Not a single scream. Damn, Adam. I’m impressed. The last time Zach ran me through my paces, I whimpered.”

  “He cried, too. And screamed,” my torturer added. “You’ll need to get used to this. All royals are exposed to electric-based talents to build resistance.”

  I groaned at the agent’s choice of words.
“I think it’s your turn now, Ian.”

  “Nonsense. Zach? What do you think?”

  “If that didn’t get her attention, little will. I can confirm this much. He’s definitely projecting, and I don’t believe he’s receiving anything through the bond. I suspect physical contact will wake that part of his talent.”

  The RPS agent’s words chilled me. “How do you know?”

  “I’ve worked with leeches before, sir. A properly bonded pair would react differently. Had you been receiving as well as projecting, I would’ve zapped you, you would’ve reacted to your pain, and then you would’ve reacted to her reaction to your pain. Leeches have to be taught how to buffer their partner’s emotions. It can create a feedback loop in newly bonded pairs.”

  Crouching beside me, Ian made a thoughtful noise in his throat. “Could it be because of the circumstances? He’s been actively trying to get rid of the bond. Not your fault, Adam. In your shoes, I may have done the same.”

  “I was trying not to have a heart attack,” I snapped.

  Ian held his hands up in surrender. “As I said, it’s not your fault. Zach?”

  “It could just work out if she shows up.” The doubt in the agent’s voice bothered me, reflecting my fears.

  “She’ll show. The question is whether she’ll bring an army with her or siege us solo. Give Adam a break, let him eat dinner so Dr. Stanton doesn’t try to kill us if she shows up, and zap him every now and then so Her Highness doesn’t get lost.”

  Zach sighed. “Your Highness, why don’t you just text her with the address?”

  “No. I know how Adam ticks, and he won’t believe she can sense him unless she finds him without help from us. He needs to see her raw reactions. She knows me. If I tell her I have him, she’ll stop worrying. I want her to arrive ready to take on an army by herself.”

  “You’re getting carried away again, Your Highness,” the RPS agent complained.

  “I don’t see you stopping me.”

  “If you gentlemen are going to argue, please point me in the direction of the bathroom first, preferably one with a tub.” Maybe a soak would help, or maybe I’d drown. I wasn’t sure I won or lost either way.