Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2

by Jennifer Collins

  Hunter’s mouth dropped open. “Are you telling me you want me to sleep with Syney while we’re joined and raising a family?”

  “I am. There’s no way you two could ever be with each other any other way. And this arrangement pleases everyone.”

  “You’re getting the raw end of the deal. You know that, right?” he asked, the ridiculousness of her words hitting him.

  “I thought I would be, but after talking with Rose, I don’t think I am. This way we both get what we want.”

  He shook his head. “You deserve better than that.”

  “Do I? I’m not so sure. I almost got Syney killed that day last year. Guards are trained to protect, and I failed at that. You were right. I only care about myself. That’s why this will work,” Fern said slowly and without her usual aggressiveness.

  Hunter stared at her for a while, amazed. She really thought she was being selfless with this ridiculous plan. “What if I say no?”

  She stepped back. “Just think about it,” she said, and headed out of the tent.

  He watched her go and shook his head again. The whole idea was ridiculous, and there was no way he’d actually consider it. Although it was basically what he had been doing before he left the palace. He was happy that Fern was calmer than she had been in a long time, but he wasn’t sure his mother had been such a good influence on her. He needed to put an end to all this talk on Fern’s part before she left on the mission in a week. Everyone’s lives would be in danger on that mission and she was going to be in charge since he had decided to stay with the other guards in Magic User territory. He thought for a fleeting moment that he should keep Fern on base but knew she would kick her way out if she had to. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He needed to get back to the palace, where at least things made sense, as messed up as it was.

  Hunter jumped off the table and reviewed the plans for the mission. He had looked them over every night for weeks, and it all still looked so wrong to him. He hoped that whatever Syney was trying to do with the Shifters actually worked, but he knew he couldn’t rely on that. All he could rely on was what was right here with him. He had picked good men and women. He just prayed he actually would see them again along with his friends and family in the palace. But at this point, only time would tell.

  Noelle stopped at the entrance of the dining hall and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She hadn’t ventured much out of her room in a while, but today she needed to. Helen had arranged for her and Gabe to join the next day, and the only two people they wanted there were Syney and Adam. Not that Gabe would admit to that, but she knew he wanted it. He was still quiet and cranky, which drove her nuts, especially since she couldn’t get out of her bed some days. She coughed into the handkerchief she always had with her. Then she pulled it back and looked at the small spots of blood against the white material. Gabe didn’t know about her new symptom or the chronic pain in her lower back, both key symptoms of Cranglian flu. She just needed to get past tomorrow’s joining then tell Gabe just how bad she felt. Hopefully he would go to the neutral territories and find out a way to get rid of it.

  She took a ragged breath and scanned the dining hall. Syney was tossing out the scraps on her tray, alone. She noticed Reed only a few feet away, looking like he could sleep on his feet. Noelle was happy Adam wasn’t there. It would be easier for her to relate to Syney than try to convince Adam herself. Tucking her handkerchief away, she headed toward Syney, stopping a foot away. “Hey,” she said with as much of a smile as she could push forward.

  When Syney turned around, Noelle felt a wave of nervousness mixed with…happiness, she decided. Good, Noelle thought. I can work with that.

  “Hey, Noelle. How are you?” Syney asked with a small smile.

  “OK,” she said with a laugh.

  “You don’t sound it.”

  Noelle pushed through Syney’s worried feelings and nodded. “Yeah, still trying to kick this thing. But I’ll be fine. How are things with you?”

  Panic then embarrassment. “Fine.” Syney looked at Noelle, obviously seeing her automatic reaction. “Sorry.”

  “What happened?” Noelle asked.

  Syney shook her head. “It’s nothing, really.”

  “Oh, OK,” Noelle said, her own hurt feelings conquering all of Syney’s feelings. Something obviously had happened to her, but she wasn’t OK sharing it with her. Noelle was worried about their friendship.

  “You know I did find a way to break our connection. I guess I’ve just been so busy…”Syney said.

  “Of course you have. I feel bad I haven’t been around to help with your schedule. I’m probably going to be known forever as the worst personal assistant.”

  “I actually have been working with Lillian, my second assistant. I know you’ve had some things going on as well and I thought it might be best. You’re still my first assistant, though so whenever you want to come back…”

  “I haven’t really gone anywhere,” Noelle said softly. “And the connection…I’m in no hurry, you know.”

  Syney gave her another small smile and glanced behind her.

  “Are you in a hurry?” Noelle asked.

  “Sort of. I have to meet Adam.” She sighed. “How’s Gabe?”

  “Same. Adam?”

  “Nothing much changes, I guess.”

  “Yeah.” Noelle swallowed and nodded. “Listen, I have…um.” She paused and looked around. The room was rather empty, and only Reed was in earshot. She looked back at Syney. “Helen is going to join Gabe and me tomorrow.”

  “Really? That’s great. I mean, it’s what you want, right?” Syney asked.

  “It is. I just…This whole thing between them is so silly.”

  “It really is.”

  “Can you talk to Adam and get him to understand and talk to Gabe?” Noelle asked.

  Syney stared at her, anger written on her face. “This isn’t Adam’s fault.”

  “He’s the one who refuses to talk,” Noelle said, her own anger matching Syney’s.

  “Because he’s upset! He’s been lied to his whole life!”

  “And blocking out the one person he was so desperate to find is the best thing for him?”

  “I didn’t say that! But it’s not Adam’s fault, any of this! Why should he be the one to make the effort?”

  Noelle widened her eyes and tried to catch her breath. “How can you be like this? I know you care about both of them!”

  “I do!” Syney took a deep breath. “You know what? Congratulations or whatever, but I don’t think we’ll be able to come tomorrow.”

  Tears sprang up in Noelle’s eyes. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “You’re the one who’s running around laying blame.”

  “Stop being so mean!”

  “Stop putting your nose where it doesn’t belong!”

  “Fine!”

  “Fine!”

  Noelle turned on her heels and started to walk away. She made it three steps before a wave of dizziness overcame her. She reached out, but there was nothing to grab. As the room spun, it also got blacker. She didn’t realize she was falling until her head hit the floor with a thump.

  “Reed! I need help!” She heard Syney yell. Her voice sounded as if she were down a long tunnel.

  “Infirmary?”

  Noelle tried to talk, but she knew nothing was coming out more than a mumble.

  “No, my room.”

  Strong hands pulled her body up. She assumed it was Reed. She tried to open her eyes, but everything was still spinning and dark. Silently she said some prayers. This can’t be the end, she begged. She had to get to the next day. She just had to.

  With his jaw clenched, Adam stared at the door in front of him. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to knock on the door, but he knew he had to. Syney didn’t want to leave Noelle, and there was no way Reed was going to leave her. That left only Adam to get Gabe. He finally bit back most of his feelings and knocked, rather aggressively.

  Gabe
looked him over once the door was open. “What do you want?” he asked in a suspicious tone.

  “Noelle’s sick,” he said shortly.

  “I know that. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow to get her a doctor.”

  “She’s worse. She passed out in the dining hall. Syney had her brought to her room. They’re there now.”

  Gabe looked away, concern showing on his usually passive face. A moment later he slammed the door and led the way down the hall.

  Adam rolled his eyes and followed him the whole way to Syney’s room. He needed to push back his own feelings right now, he knew. But for the past week he had been pushing his own feelings aside, for all good reasons of course, but being in Gabe’s presence was bringing everything to a head. He was grateful that his “father” chose not to speak as they walked the distance to Syney’s room. Once there Gabe didn’t even bother to knock, barging into the room as if he owned it. Adam slowly closed the door behind him and saw Syney sitting next to Noelle on the bed. Noelle was unconscious, lying in bed with a cloth over her head.

  “She’s burning up,” Syney told Gabe as he walked to stand on the other side of the bed. “I’ve been putting cold cloths on her, but they turn hot in a second.” She wasn’t hiding her concern at all in her voice. Adam walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. Sighing, she looked up at him with worried eyes. “Thank you.”

  “It has to be Cranglian flu,” Adam said.

  Gabe nodded, running his hand down her arm.

  “What’s that? Is it bad? I mean, it’s got to be bad; she looks horrible,” Syney said, looking back and forth between Gabe and Adam.

  “It’s the worst disease the Realm has. Acts like any flu at first but instead of going away in a week, it gets progressively worse. Each race is affected differently,” Adam said.

  “What can you do?” Syney asked Gabe.

  Gabe didn’t look at her, only down at Noelle. “Her pulse is slow. She wasn’t this bad this morning. What did you do?”

  “Nothing. We were talking.”

  Gabe finally looked at her and just stared.

  She sighed. “Fine, we had a fight.”

  “About what?” Adam asked.

  She shrugged. “About…you two actually. She started to storm off and just went down.”

  Gabe glanced at Adam then back at Noelle. Adam assumed he was feeling the same amount of guilt that he was. But then again, knowing Gabe, he probably wasn’t.

  “Do you mind if she stays here? I’m going to go to the neutral territories, and I’d like for someone to watch her,” Gabe asked Syney.

  She nodded. “Of course. How long will you be?”

  “I’m not sure. I was going to get a doctor, but I think it may be too late for that.”

  Syney’s face crumbled. “She’s…not going to die, right?”

  Gabe kissed Noelle’s forehead before heading toward the door.

  “Wait,” Adam said, wincing. He didn’t want to get involved, but he also didn’t want Syney being this upset, not after what she’d just gone through. He also wanted to see Noelle get better.

  “What?” Gabe asked angrily as he stopped and looked at him. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m pretty sure I already said that.”

  “No, I mean where in the neutral territories?” Adam asked, stepping closer to him.

  Gabe stared at him for a moment before answering. “Bolchin probably.”

  Adam shook his head. “No, we should start in Colchin.”

  “We?”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. You’re not going to get anything with snark and attitude. People actually like me,” Adam said with a faint smile.

  Gabe narrowed his eyes. “Fine. But Bolchin is our better bet.”

  “Colchin. The Psyches are known to have healing medicines, and there are more of them in Colchin. Not to mention they’re way nicer there.”

  “I agree,” Syney said. “When I had that curse, one of them gave me something to drink that took the physical pain away immediately.”

  Adam looked at her and smiled.

  “Fine,” Gabe spat. “But we need to leave now.”

  Adam nodded and gave Syney a quick kiss. “Nothing stupid while I’m gone, OK?”

  She nodded.

  “And Reed?” Adam looked at the young man who sat quietly on the couch with his eyes closed. He knew Reed was awake even though he looked sound asleep. “She doesn’t leave your sight.”

  “Got it,” Reed said, not moving.

  Gabe glared at Adam as the two moved toward the door. This isn’t my idea of fun either, Adam thought, looking away from him. But this was about Noelle, not them. Once outside the room, they both took off at Vampire speed and didn’t slow down until they reached Colchin.

  This little life came out of me, Cass thought, as she looked down at her week-old son. He was beyond amazing as he looked around from his crib, his little pudgy hands waving in the air. Cass laughed and ran a finger down his cheek. This was her little boy, her and Wes’s little baby boy. She was a bit sad that he hadn’t inherited Wes’s amazing red eyes, but his brown eyes were just as beautiful.

  Cass didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as she loved her little Nyoka. Becca had helped with the name. It meant “snake” in the old language, she said. Cass wanted to name him something that had to do with Weston. This was his son as well, and it was important that he be a part of his life, even if he couldn’t actually be there with him. Her smile fell as the thought finally hit her. Ny was never going to meet his father. Maybe if the world were different, but it wasn’t, and it seemed as if the Realm would always be at war. There wasn’t even a way she could tell him he had a child. It was all so frustrating.

  “How is the little man?”

  Cass looked at Becca. “Getting cuter by the second.”

  Becca laughed and peered into the crib. “I think you might be right.”

  Cass stifled a yawn and sat down on the wooden rocking chair. “I just wish he slept a little more.”

  Becca chuckled. “My mother always said you have to sleep when the baby sleeps.”

  “Do you have children?”

  She gave a sad smile. “No. I have two nieces, though, both of whom were born here.”

  Cass looked at Ny again. She couldn’t imagine life without him. Where did that uptight little girl go? she wondered about herself. “Do you want children?”

  Becca sat down on a chair by the crib. “I used to. I’m not sure anymore, although I think this little man may change my mind again.” She fingered the wooden bars of the crib.

  The picture of Raine that Cass had found entered her mind again. She hadn’t brought it up since she’d discovered it, although she’d been temped to a few times. The thought of her relationship with Becca changing somehow had stopped her. There was no way Cass would have survived the last couple of months without her, and that meant almost as much to her as her own son. But something about this moment felt right to her, so she took a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”

  Becca looked at her, her smile turning a little sad. “Took you long enough. I was sure you’d bring it up the moment you got here.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You want to talk about Raine.”

  Cass looked at her hands. “Yeah. I mean, you two knew each other. That much I know. But I…I don’t know.”

  Becca was quiet for a while before taking an audible breath. “When we met, I was only seventeen. He was doing his seventh round of training.”

  “Out here?” Cass asked, looking up.

  She nodded. “Do you know much about guard training?”

  Cass felt shame as she shook her head. As a royal princess, she should know these things, but she’d never cared to know them.

  “There are ten rounds of training. I know, it sounds crazy, but it
’s spread out over more than a hundred years and starts when they’re very little. Raine told me about some of the rounds. They had to survive by themselves out in the Realm for a month. Find a safe haven in the neutral territories. They also had to find three safe havens here, in the Human Realm. It’s very known to anyone from the Realm around here that this house is sanctuary for anyone who needs it. That reputation brought him here. I was surprised at first because no other Lycin had come knocking on the door. They preferred to find places that didn’t involve other people, especially others from the Realm who had chosen to live in the Human Realm. But Raine was smart. He knew that if he ever were stuck out here with his charge, he’d need help, not just shelter.”

  Cass smiled. That sounded exactly like Raine. “So he just came and knocked on your door?”

  Becca laughed and nodded. “And I invited him in for tea. He was so different back then. Most guards are before they’re named as Protectors. There’s no burden on them. I think he laughed more then.”

  “How…how often did you see him?”

  “He stayed for a while that time. And then a handful of times after you were born,” she paused as her eyes filled with tears. “The guards, including Protectors, are given leave as vacation. Raine would come here each time. During his second or third leave…that’s when he met Gabriel. The two were so weary of each other at first, but once Gabriel told him everything he knew about the war and the Ancient One, Raine asked how he could help; I think he did it for us. He already had tried to talk me into going to the Village. He told me he could get me to work as a handmaiden, your handmaiden actually. But I couldn’t do it. I was raised on horror stories of the Realm. There was no way I was going to leave here, and he knew that.”

  “He helped Gabe for you then.”

  Becca leaned forward and took Cass’s hand. “And you. He really did change after you were born. I actually got a little jealous to be honest.”