“All right. I’ll take Ivy. She seems to be able to put up with her a little more than the rest of us. But don’t let her hold anything over you.”
Hunter stared at her. He assumed she was talking about the reason behind him being on the mission but Fern didn’t seem to understand that he wasn’t ashamed of his relationship with Syney. “She has nothing to do with that.”
Fern nodded and headed in the other direction. She was still so impersonal. Even when they were intimate, Hunter felt as though she was just doing things that she felt was necessary and not for pleasure. He made it his personal goal to defrost Fern a little, seeing that they have the rest of their lives to spend together. The other night he succeeded in at least getting her to let go while they made love. For ten whole minutes, he saw the wild abandon she held within her. He needed to make her feel that way when she wasn’t in bed with her mate.
Hunter caught sight of Ridge standing with six young men off to the side and went to join them. Ridge had done well picking these five, but they still had a long way to go before Hunter would let them cross the border. He told Ridge the drills they should work on. Hunter watched as they went through some hand-to-hand combat maneuvers then moved to transformations in motion, something young wolves had a lot of trouble with. Two hours later Hunter still wasn’t completely satisfied but had chosen the leader of the mission. Wind stood out during the drills, and both Hunter and Ridge agreed on him being named team leader.
“I want them to go on a long mission but inside Magic User land. Maybe to the Great Lake or something,” Hunter told Ridge as they watched the final drill. “I want to make sure they can handle being on their own for a week or so.”
“This is part of their guard training.”
Hunter looked at Ridge. This wasn’t the first time Ridge had pointed out something like that, as if Hunter didn’t know anything about guard training. While technically he hadn’t undergone the same training as the others because of his family’s status, he had done enough and learned the most from his uncle on his mother’s side, who had been head trainer for years. No one really talked about Hunter’s family’s banished status, but it was always there. Hunter’s father had been a Protector but failed at his duties, letting his charge die under his watch, causing not only his own execution but also the tarnishing of his whole family. It was only when Hunter had been called as a Protector, something the queen had fought against, that he officially had been allowed into the palace.
“I know that,” Hunter said firmly. “But I won’t send them over that border unless I’m satisfied they’ll actually come back. Let me know when you’ve organized the training mission” He walked away without waiting for an acknowledgment. He needed to put his foot down at times. They may all have been well-trained, loyal guards, but Hunter realized after about a month out here that they were just wolves at heart; he was the alpha male, and they all needed to know it.
Hunter walked out of camp and easily climbed the rocky hill to the south. At the top he looked over the camp below. He needed to keep his mind on the tasks ahead of him. All these men and women had put their lives in his hands, and he had to make good on his promise to Leaf that he’d bring them all back safely. He absently put a hand to his chest, feeling the weight at the end of the leather strap through his shirt. No distractions. Mind on the task. Everyone home safe. He repeated his mantra a few more times before he dropped his hand.
Noelle pushed Syney toward their usual table in the dining hall. “Come on. Be a good sport,” she whispered. Helen and Leaf already were seated. Noelle and Syney smiled at them as they sat down.
“Fancy seeing you two here,” Syney said.
“Oh, hush up!” Helen said with a laugh as Reed rushed up to them.
“Sorry I’m late. Do you want some food?” he asked, a little out of breath.
“Maybe in a little bit. My stomach hasn’t been right all day. I might skip the food part,” Syney said with a frown.
Noelle looked at her with concern. Last month she had to start scheduling Syney’s meals because she found that Syney had been skipping them, opting instead to have meetings. At first Noelle thought she actually was too busy and had forgotten, but then Syney had started to claim her stomach hurt. The only meal she seemed eager to eat was breakfast. This behavior wasn’t healthy, and Noelle already had Syney’s dresses taken in once.
Reed joined them at the table, and the five fell into an awkward silence. Finally Leaf slid a box onto the table. “Happy birthday,” he said quietly.
Syney smiled at him and opened the box to reveal a leather-bound book, much like the one Becca, a Magic User ally who lived in the Human Realm, had given her. Noelle recognized it right away as a journal all Magic Users and Royal Guards used to be required to keep before the Great War had started.
“It’s beautiful,” Syney said, flipping through the blank pages.
“You’ve been so involved in things lately that I figured you could keep better track of things this way. Just don’t lose it.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“My gift’s better,” Helen said with a smile. She handed Syney a piece of paper.
Noelle read over Syney’s shoulder and laughed out loud. It was a decree from the queen that Syney didn’t have to wear the usual royal dresses. Syney nearly yelped out loud at the thought of being able to wear her leather and cotton skirts and pants with a simple sweater instead of the big bulky dresses.
“You’re kidding, right? How did you manage this?” Syney asked.
“With a lot of prodding and begging,” Helen said with a laugh.
“Well, I love it—both of your gifts.”
“But mine is the best.”
They all looked up as Gabe clasped a necklace around Syney’s neck. He sat down next to her and gave his patented smooth smile. Noelle took a deep breath as she took in his handsome face. He hadn’t changed much since she had last seen him; his dirty-blond hair was short, and his golden eyes danced around playfully as he looked them all over. He hovered over Noelle for a moment before giving her a wink and returning his gaze to Syney. For a long time, Noelle had tried to ignore what his looks did to her, but she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for him. At times she thought he felt it too, but then he turned cold in a second flat. It was frustrating but also a little bit of a turn-on.
“It’s beautiful,” Syney said, fingering the small red pendent. “It was Faye’s, wasn’t it?”
At the mention of his dead wife’s name, Gabe looked down. “It was.”
“That’s a Blocadrian family heirloom. I’ve seen drawings of it in a book. How did you get it?” Helen asked.
Gabe grinned at her. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you.”
Leaf stiffened, and Noelle feared that the much larger man was going to pounce. “My gift next!” she exclaimed to draw all their attention. She handed Syney her gift, which looked like a small ball of tissue paper. Syney unwrapped the small brown stone with gold sparkles and dropped it right onto the table.
“I…I thought you would like. It’s a promise stone. You—”
“I know what it is,” Syney said quietly. “Thank you,” she said without much emotion.
Noelle didn’t understand the reaction at all. On a trip outside of the Village, Syney had been enthralled with all the stones and gems she had come across, and promise stones were unique. One person made a promise while holding the stone and gave it to the other person. When the promise was upheld, the stone disintegrated. It was the only stone that was naturally spelled.
Noelle picked up the stone and held it in her hands. “You’ve done so much for me in the year that I’ve known you, Syney, that I want to promise to make it up to you. I promise to do something for you that’s completely selfless.” She held out the stone to Syney, who took it and gave Noelle a small smile.
“I look forward to it…disappearing,” Syney said, slipping the stone into the pocket of her dress. She tried not to think about the last time she held on
e of these stones. It was only months ago and the thought of it and…She shook her head making any thoughts of him go away.
Noelle nodded slowly. There was definitely something going on here, but she wasn’t going to find out now, so she pushed all her questions out of her mind. She needed to talk to Syney about this in private.
Reed slid a small box to Syney just as they heard a pounding on the floor above them. They all lifted their heads to see Mellisandrianna standing at the railing as she always did for major announcements. She smiled down at everyone. “It’s always such a joyous occasion when one of our own celebrates the day of their birth. Although we aren’t sure when she was born, this is the day that Queen Syney of House Vilori chose to celebrate her birthday. I would like to welcome her up here so that we may sing her the traditional birthday song.”
Syney sneered up at the queen before standing up and heading for the stairs, grumbling the whole time.
Gabe looked at Noelle and motioned toward the back of the room with a cock of his head. She nodded, and they slipped away from the table as the entire room looked up at their two queens.
“Where have you been?” Noelle asked quietly.
He smiled at her. “Nowhere, everywhere. You still want to help with the plan?”
Noelle nodded quickly. Ever since Syney had met Gabe, and for many years before that, Noelle assumed, he had been working toward some “big picture.” Noelle had volunteered to help him, but he hadn’t called on her since then, which frustrated her. Noelle assumed, given his past, he was working toward reunification of the great races, something she supported. Unfortunately, whatever his plan was, it seemed to be taking a long time.
“Good,” he said, scanning the room. He pointed to a young man around her age with blond hair that was styled to stick up in points. “You know him?”
Noelle shook her head. “I’ve heard about him, though. He didn’t grow up in the Village. And he saved Prince Brian’s life on that stupid hunting trip, which is why he’s here now.”
“For someone who hates gossip, you found that out rather quickly,” Gabe said.
“I’m getting good at listening from afar. What about him?”
“His name is Adam, and he should become friends with Syney—preferably more than friends.”
Noelle shook her head. “It’s too soon.”
“It’ll always be too soon. He’ll be at the party tonight. Encourage her to talk to him. He’ll take the rest.”
“Who is he?” she asked, looking back at him. He was attractive—very attractive by Magic User standards. But he was lean and only a few inches taller than her, the opposite of what Noelle assumed to be Syney’s type.
“I told you. He’s Adam.”
Noelle looked back at Gabe and met his golden eyes. At that moment they seemed softer. She suppressed the urge to lean forward and kiss him right here. But doing so likely would get her executed. “Fine. Don’t tell me,” she said, leaning closer, one of Gabe’s patented moves. Let’s see how he likes it, she thought, stopping a few inches from him. “But I won’t let you keep me in the dark for long.” She smiled and walked away from him, back to the table. She had made her point very well. She looked back at that Adam guy and caught him laughing at something someone at his table had said. Noelle herself almost fell in love with him right there. His smile lit up his entire face. Syney would be nuts not to go for him. She looked at Syney as she walked back down the stairs; her face was even grumpier than when she had ascended them. She wasn’t sure Syney was in a “go get him” mood. She sighed; she definitely had her work cut out for her.
Helen closed the door behind her and sighed as she sat on the bed. She was worried about Syney and had been for the last four months, ever since Syney had been crowned seated queen. She was frustrated over the fact that there wasn’t much she could do to help her, with making changes in the palace or with her pain over losing her soulmate. She looked at Leaf, who sat next to her, waiting for her daily rant.
“I feel bad lying to her,” Helen said, taking his hand in hers.
“One, we’re not lying to her. And two, it was your idea to act cold toward each other around her,” Leaf said quietly.
“And why do you listen to me? I’m crazy and generally wrong. I guess I just didn’t want her to see how happy we are when we know how unhappy she is.”
Leaf smiled and tucked some of her dark brown hair behind her ear. “On the contrary. You’re one of the smartest people I know, and you’re generally right. You just think with your heart more than your head at times.”
Helen frowned. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“It’s one of the things I love about you.”
Helen smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. She may have felt bad about hiding her relationship with Leaf from Syney, a relationship Syney already knew about, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t relax into him when they were alone. Leaf was her solace in a home that no longer felt much like a home. Helen wasn’t sure whom she felt more disappointed in, her mother or her sister, Cass. Both had acted rashly. At least her mother had showed some kind of empathetic emotion four months ago by allowing Hunter to live away from the palace and Syney, but Cass? Helen wasn’t sure what had caused her sister to go off the deep end. Not only did she betray close friends, but then she also insisted on going out during wartime on a dangerous mission. The worry alone gave Helen a heart ache.
“Have you heard anything about the mission?” Helen asked quietly. Leaf didn’t like to talk about work while they were alone together, but it really was the only time she could ask and get a straight answer.
“Not really. One guard came back with a report this morning. There hasn’t been any activity. But he didn’t mention anything about your sister.”
Helen stood and walked to the window. “I wish she would just come home. I don’t understand it!”
“None of us do. But you can’t control everything,” Leaf said, turning her around and slipping his hands onto her waist. He kissed her, and she felt some of her worries fade away. After a moment he pulled back. “And no talking to the Vampire. I don’t care what he has that you find interesting.”
Helen smiled. “Are you jealous? Really? Leaf, commander of the Royal Guard, the fiercest wolf in the Village, is a jealous boyfriend? I think I like it.”
“It’s not jealousy—it’s more of a concern. He’s dangerous, and if I had my way, he’d be out of here.”
Helen nodded. “But you can’t do it. He’s Syney’s friend, and she shouldn’t have to lose anyone else.”
Leaf sighed. “I know.”
She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him again. This was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life, right here in this room with this man. But she knew she couldn’t. Helen had wanted nothing more than to be named high priestess in their religion since she was a teenager, and the current high priestess, Vasclineda, was in the process of stepping down. In a few months, Helen would be appointed to the position and take the vows, one being chastity. She had a lot to think about before then and didn’t want to. For now she leaned into the man she loved and got lost in his kiss.
Cass looked at the two female Lycins with her and gave a nervous half smile. She didn’t like the idea of stripping naked in front of them, which was why she hadn’t opted to bathe in a long time. But she had to now; even she couldn’t stand her stench. Living on the front lines wasn’t an ideal situation for her. She was tired of doing her business in a hole at the end of camp and hiding her eyes when the patrols came strolling through the camp naked after changing back to their human form. The comments the guards made about her hygiene felt insulting. And she wasn’t feeling any better about herself because of what she had done before she had embarked on this mission. Maybe she should go back to the palace, but giving in to the pressure for her to return would make her look even weaker than she already did. So the only thing she could do was grin and bear it—all of it, including bathing.
Cass surveyed the small body of w
ater in front of her. It was larger than a pond and ran into a small brook that fed into the Great Lake miles away. But there wasn’t any kind of large current, so the water was almost stagnant. There was a spot to the far right with a few large rocks that she decided to use as a cover of sorts. She put down the clothes she had brought and pulled off her sandals. She walked right into the water fully clothed. She had to clean her clothes anyway, so why not get them nice and wet? When she was in up to her chin, she off pulled her clothes and threw them onto the beach.
She heard a chuckle and looked as Fern shook her head and turned away. Ivy smiled at her and tossed something into the water. It landed a few inches from Cass, who pulled it up from under the water before it landed on the bottom. It was a bar of soap.
“It’s the only unused one. I grabbed it for you,” Ivy shouted to her.
“Thanks!” Cass yelled, and swam to the rocks. She went to town on the caked-on dirt all over skin. She wasn’t used to sleeping on the ground, and the water felt refreshing on her skin. After Cass was finally clean, she swam a little in the water, finally feeling as if she were alive again. Reluctantly she waded over to the edge. Ivy held out a towel for her, and Cass quickly wrapped it around herself. Then she pulled some dry clothes on under the towel, which took some uncomfortable maneuvering. She reached down to grab her shirt, but Ivy handed it to her first.
“If you don’t mind my saying, Princess, modesty isn’t something you can afford to have out here,” Ivy said kindly.
Cass looked down. “I’m getting that. It’s just…I’m not used to this. Any of this actually.”
“Well, here’s a little advice.” She lowered her voice and glanced at Fern, who stood a few feet away, looking out over the lands in front of her. “Stay out of their way. Don’t be a pain. And play nice. If you do, I’m sure Commander Hunter will let you do more around the camp.”
“And maybe leave camp?” Cass asked. “I just want to go on some walks or something.”
Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 Page 3
