“Well, catch it you did but I must implore you not to get involved. He has his future to look to and you, well, you’ll just be in the way.”
I never fought so hard to keep in my tears. “Of course, your majesty.”
“It’s for his own good. He’ll see that someday and you won’t even be a memory.”
My lower lip was trembling. It only helped that neither of us looked at each other while we walked in a loop around this huge kitchen, being noticed by no one.
“I can assure you, I hold no feeling to this.” I said. “I know it’s not my place to be at his side. I am not nearly worthy.”
“That’s right. He will be wed to your Princess. Only she can teach him the true meaning of happiness.”
“And I have every confidence that she will, your majesty.”
“Good. Now come. It’s late.” He took my arm and started to escort me back.
It was torment to be at his side after listing to his words. He tried doing it politely but I’m basically scum to him and Zayden deserves a thousand times better. He was right though, wasn’t he? Zayden did deserve better. I have finally given in but why? What would be the point? I knew I could never really have him. It was better to try and let go early. At least, I had to keep telling myself that.
Chapter 11
Ruby
Everyone sat quiet when the King walked off with Adele and I had to say something to at least bring Zayden back to life. “Well. Tonight went well.”
“Yeah.” He muttered. “But it’s not over. Why didn’t you tell us about that mission in Ledia?”
“How were we supposed to know that he was there?” Jaylyn asked. “We didn’t mingle that long. Our performance got us there and afterwards we had a couple drinks to be polite and studied our target.”
“To be polite?” Zayden narrowed his eyes, a bitter reminder of who he was. “They’re your enemy. You went there to kill an innocent man.”
“It was our orders. We didn’t have a choice and how many innocent men have you guys killed?”
They said nothing and I wasn’t surprised. We’ve heard the stories a thousand times but I wasn’t about to get in the middle of it.
“All right, I get it.” Zayden said with a sigh like he didn’t want to argue it either. “We’re all horrible people in our own way. I just don’t want any more surprises when we’re trying to convince my father that you’re someone you’re not.”
“That’s fair.”
“Well, are there any other missions we should know about?”
Jaylyn looked at me and I answered quickly before she slipped and mentioned something about the last time Adele was here. “No.” If he were going to find out, it would be from Adele and I quickly changed the subject. “But wasn’t it great to know where you got your gift?”
“I should have guessed it but he’s never mentioned it or used it before, well, at least not around me.”
“Where do you think he got it?”
“I don’t know. You thinking the Enchantress?”
“It’s a good possibility.” Jaylyn smiled.
“But that’s in enemy territory. I don’t think he would have.”
“He’s never told you stories about his past?” I was curious to know if Zayden knew anything. I’ve been around Trever once or twice—or maybe a few thousand times but enough to know that he knew Izin and it was that past that was the reason for it.
Zayden looked next to him at Muscles and Troy. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to get them to say something or he just didn’t want anything mentioned.
“He doesn’t talk about it.” Muscles finally said. “And we don’t ask. No one likes digging into the past.”
That proved it. They didn’t know anything. Interesting. I was going to mention something of it but a door opened and caught my attention before I could.
Adele was walking back to us with the King at her side and she didn’t look too happy, not mad but not happy either.
“Well, it’s getting late. I best be settling in. Oh, and Adriane, one more thing.” Izin pulled her close and whispered something in her ear so we couldn’t hear.
She had a blank look on her face and nodded. “Of course, your majesty. You have my full appreciation.”
“Thank you.” Izin said as he started to walk off. “Goodnight.”
We waved then looked at Adele. She was watching Izin leave, standing still like she was about to let her emotions go. I’ve seen this before and wanted to know one thing. “What was that about?”
The door closed behind him and Adele nearly jumped like she was afraid. I’ve never seen her this kind of afraid before.
“Nothing of importance, really.” She said normally as ever.
I looked at Jaylyn but knew something was wrong. She was lying to us.
“Adele?”
She was standing still, her eyes glazing over and she spoke in a different mood. A mood of sadness. “Um—I’m just going to—” She turned away without another word and rushed to the door while holding her dress.
Zayden looked around at us then got up from the table and went after her.
“What just happened?” Troy asked.
“You should be asking, what did he say to her?” I replied. “I think the reality of all this is finally sinking in from whatever he said.”
“What do you mean?” Muscles asked.
“What do you think it means? I’m sure it has to do with leaving. She knows we can’t stay here. Deep down we always knew that but Adele knew it first. That’s why she’s been acting the way that she has, trying to save herself but she failed and because it’s with Zayden, it makes things more complicated.”
Troy looked at Muscles and there was a curious nod between them. “What if I told you it wouldn’t have to end that way?”
“Then I’d say you’re a fool to think it could end any other way.”
“Then maybe we are.” Muscles said. “Because we know of another way.”
“How?”
Troy took a deep breath like he was ready to spill a secret. “We leave with you—for good.”
“What? You mean leave Seni?” Jaylyn asked.
My heart was pounding just waiting for the answer. They wouldn’t do that, would they? “Yes, forever.”
My heart stopped this time with a question. “Just for us?”
“It’d be worth it if it meant staying with you.”
Jaylyn started to get all panicky. Her nerves were shaking her and it was showing on her voice. “But that’s crazy. You couldn’t all do that. What about Zayden? He’s the Prince. He’d have to stay. Wouldn’t he?”
“Well, this is Zayden we’re talking about here and he’s the one that mentioned it, not us.” Troy said. “We only agreed. That’s how much Zayden is willing to risk to have her. He knew it from the beginning.”
“But your life is here.” I said. “We could never ask you to give that up for us.”
“You don’t have to.” Muscles replied. “We’ve already chosen to.”
Jaylyn was still trying to verbally figure it out. “Do you realize what you’re saying? You can’t be serious.”
“But we are.” Troy said. “There’s always been something missing from our lives and we have finally come to find out what that is. You.”
“Exactly.” Muscles agreed. “Over all the years and all the women we’ve been through, nothing compares to the way we are around you.”
“So, you’re really serious about leaving?” He sounded serious in a determined kind of way but I just had to be sure. It seemed too good to be true.
Troy nodded with the certainty I needed. “Unless, of course, you don’t want us to then we’ll just forget this conversation ever happened.” Jaylyn didn’t say a word and quickly brought up her foot and kicked him under the table. “Oh, fuck! What was that for?”
“You don’t get to answer for us. We never said we didn’t want you to. It’s just hard to believe you’d actually be willing to do that.”
“Is it really that hard to believe? After everything that I’ve already done?”
Uh oh. Jaylyn got up from the table and I seriously thought she was walking around it to unleash some kind of Adele-like fury on him about how dangerous it would be but instead, she lifted her dress just the slightest and sat in his lap, her lips finding his quickly.
“Well. I guess we know what she’s thinking.”
Muscles laughed as Jaylyn continued to kiss Troy right next to him. “And what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that it’s entirely up to you. I’m not going to pressure you to come back with us but if you want to then I won’t argue.” That was the perfect answer but not the one I was thinking. It was dulled down a lot. I figured screaming out with joy would have scared him away. I didn’t want to do that. He smiled and I looked over at Jaylyn and Troy still kissing and hit my hand on the table. “Hey! All right! That’s enough! We’re right here. This isn’t the place for that.”
“Like you cared about that.” Jaylyn said.
“It was different. No one was watching us. Everyone was asleep.”
“All right. I guess, we better be going then.” Jaylyn got up off Troy’s lap and looked back at him. “Are you coming? It wouldn’t be that much fun by myself.”
I turned my eyes right to Troy and he looked up at her with a smile and immediately got up like I expected him to. “Absolutely.” He put his napkin on his plate and they started heading out.
“We’re leaving you alone so you better behave!” Jaylyn called back.
I turned and looked at her leaving with a smile. “You should really think about taking your own advice! It’d might actually be good for you!”
“Oh please, I have no intention of doing any such thing after the day Fate just handed us!”
“I believe you!” I heard Jaylyn’s laugh echo in the distance and laughed a little myself. It was better to see her this way than depressed and I got up from my chair, walking around the table to sit next to Muscles. “She can be funny sometimes. She always feels like she needs to get right to the point. Especially on a physical level.”
“Is that so bad?”
“Of course not. That’s how we’ve always had to do it but we’ve been lucky enough to have a backup plan.”
“A backup plan?”
“Yeah.” I moved my plate over in front of me and started eating off it like the conversation wasn’t a big deal to talk about. I tried not to make it one and kept myself sounding casual. “Someone who’s there when I want him and not there when I don’t, nothing serious.”
“Right, Trever.”
“Yeah. I’m actually surprised she mentioned him at all. She usually doesn’t like to talk about him. After their father died, Trever has been overly protective of her and she hates it when he acts like her father. It’s kind of funny but he and I are just friends. It’s just a casual thing that I’ve been hanging on to. Do you have anyone like that? I wouldn’t be surprised with all the women you’ve been with.”
He was unusually quiet like he was thinking about telling me something deep about him but came out with a simple answer. “No.”
That was fine. I didn’t want to push him to tell me something if he didn’t want to and kept going with it. “Really? That’s actually shocking. Even Jaylyn and Adele have one. Kole and Ryon. They’re old friends of Trever’s. What about Zayden or Troy?”
“No. They don’t have anyone like that either. We’ve never really stuck with a certain one because in reality we can have anyone we want. Well, besides Zayden. He has that one regular that he pays because he hates it when he’s with a girl and she starts to automatically think he’ll make them his Princess or something.”
“That’s understandable, I guess but why change things now?” He laughed quieter like he didn’t really know what to say to that. “What?”
“Nothing. It’s just different that’s all.”
“You mean, I’m different?”
“Yeah. You’re not like the women around here. I could tell by the look on your face when you first saw me.”
“What do you mean?” I took another bite of food and eagerly listened on, wanting to know more about this.
“You’re strong and independent. I could tell you weren’t fiercely intimidated by me which I can tell you is something I’m not used to.”
“I bet. Well, I find first impressions to be very important. It’s how people connect for the first time.”
“Well, don’t worry. Considering the circumstances, I’d say it was a very good one.”
“For all of us really. I mean, I knew what Adele was thinking when she saw Zayden and Jaylyn, well, her innocence always gets the guy and she has no problem with getting right to the point like just now when she left. She’ll never change that but I guess when people have always done things one way, it’s hard for them to change if they even can at all, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah.”
We were put into this weird silence between us that I didn’t really like. I would have rather kept him talking but I didn’t know what else to say and apparently, neither did he.
“Well, I guess I’m done.” I put down my fork with hopes to end this awkwardness. “I better get upstairs and get this dress off before I ruin it.”
“It looks good on you.” I followed his eyes follow me as I stood up.
“Awe, thank you but black isn’t my thing. It’s Adele’s. Too dark for me. Like I need another reason to look evil.”
He laughed. “You don’t look evil.”
“It’s probably hard for you to understand but I don’t get that a lot. My real hair with the unique color of my eyes tends to freak people out as it is.”
“Not me. I think it’s beautiful.”
I smiled and touched the hideous light brown locks of my hair hanging down over my shoulders. “Well, sorry you can’t see it right now. I know Adele wouldn’t allow it to be exposed here.”
“I understand that but I will eventually.”
It just sunk in a little deeper that he truly was serious about coming. The only place I could have my red hair again would have been home and he seemed ready to see it. It made me smile and I had to lean into him for another kiss. “So, would you like to be the gentleman and walk this lady in disguise to her room so she can get out of this dress that’s too good for her?”
Muscles smiled as he put his napkin up on his plate and got up. “It’s not too good for you but I’ll do you one better. How about I walk you passed your room and bring you to mine to get you out of it myself?”
My legs shook under me as my smile grew, thankfully he couldn’t see them do it in this dress but that wasn’t stopping me from getting excited about what was to come. “Ooh! You’re so forward and right to the point. I love that. Is this how you get every woman to go up to your room?”
Something changed. Something I said. His eyes got wide and he shook his head while moving ever so carefully a step away from me. “Oh, no. No. No. I never brought any of those women to my room, ever.”
That wasn’t what I was thinking he would say but I’ll take it and regained the space between us while taking his strong, monstrous and completely perfect in every way muscular arm with both my hands. “Really? Well, lucky me to be the first.”
He smiled. Maximum excitement reached. I was ready for our night to finally begin.
Chapter 12
Adele
I headed to the stairs swiftly with my mind on one thing; getting away. I couldn’t take being there anymore and seeing Zayden only seemed to make things worse. I was ready to go up to my room when he caught up to me out of nowhere and took my arm. “Hey, Love! Wait! What’s wrong?”
I didn’t say anything. I turned and looked into his eyes, seeing the wonder but it was only making mine water. I couldn’t speak. My breaths stopped for a moment and I fell back on the stairs and started breathing again but heavily like I was new at it.
Zayden got down next to me and started to
pick me up. “It’s all right. Come on. I’ve got you.” He had me in his arms and started carrying me all the way upstairs to his room. He didn’t seem to ask anything else the whole way until he closed us inside and set me down on his bed; a place I didn’t want to be. “What happened?”
I rolled away and was almost in tears. I couldn’t look at him. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Zayden walked around the bed just to get around my avoidance of him and kneeled down. “I don’t understand.”
“Reality hit me and I can’t handle it.” I went to hide my face but he wouldn’t allow that either.
“No.” He always seemed to be one for face-to-face interaction but I was regretting it at this point. “I want you to talk to me. What do you mean by reality hit you?”
“It’s you.” I tried to but I couldn’t hold it in; tears escaped my eyes. “It’s here. It’s this place. It’s this thing at my hip telling me I can’t stay no matter how much I want to. I knew this would happen but I let myself proceed anyway. How could I have been so stupid?”
Zayden pulled me into his arms, rubbing my head to comfort me but it wasn’t working. “Shh. It will be all right. You’ll see.”
I pulled away and got up anxiously. “No it won’t! Things like this always happen to me. I’ve waited so long for this and I know that I’m just going to have to let it go again but I don’t know if I can. Not this time. Not you. I can’t.”
“Don’t worry about that now, Love. This isn’t the time for it.”
“But it’s going to happen. We don’t have a choice. We’ll always be separated by war.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that? Right now, you have to pull yourself together. You can’t let anyone see you like this. I don’t even want to see you like this.”
I started to calm down by taking slow deep breaths. I knew he was at least right about that. “I’m sorry.”
I started walking towards the door and Zayden was suddenly there again, taking my hand so I couldn’t leave. “Wait. Where are you going? I never said I didn’t want you here.”
Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) Page 6
