by AR Colbert
“We’re just like humans in many ways, only our substances are stronger. So yeah, a lot of Keepers do get addicted, unfortunately. But it’s especially common in royal families. The pressure of leading a territory gets to be too much. There’s a whole world to explore, but royal children are generally confined to a palace in a hidden territory, away from it all. It’s hard.”
I remembered Anasasha’s brother tucked away in the prison in Atlantis, detoxing from some addiction of his own, and a chill ran down my spine. “How did you get out?”
Tate frowned. “I proved I could be useful in other ways.”
Like hunting souls. It was all coming together now. And he must have been particularly skilled if Rossel sought him out specifically for me.
Tate paused outside the door. “I don’t know if the agreement we had in the alley is enough for you to get past the wards. Is it alright if I take your hand until we can make sure you’re safely added to the list? I’ll try to shield you, just in case.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” I tried not to smile as his hand slid into mine. Every muscle in my body relaxed a little at the contact. It was like every cell had been yearning for his touch, and now that Tate and I were hand in hand, some of the tension could finally be relieved.
I couldn’t even care about the confused faces of the catering staff as we hurried through the kitchen—right past the boy who had finally found me an apron. It wasn’t until we were out in the main hall of the enormous building that the foolishness of my plan finally hit me.
There were thousands of Keepers around us. Auras of blue-green and purple and gold filled the space like a glowing Mardi Gras party, only much stiffer, with attendees wearing business attire instead of plastic beads. There were no white auras. Not one.
I squeezed Tate’s hand and whispered softly. “Am I still… blue?”
“The bluest,” he said with a grin.
He led me to a large concierge desk near the front entrance where a stunningly beautiful Olympian woman sat before a stack of glowing parchment. “Excuse me,” Tate said to her. “I need to verify that Everly Gordon of Atlantis has been added to the list.”
The woman placed her hand atop the stack and closed her eyes. “Everly Gordon. Personal attendant for Thaddeus Castellanos of the royal Agarthian family. She’s here.”
The ten year old version of myself immediately thought, Everly Castellanos. It was a bit long but not too bad. But I shook myself back to the present when Tate dropped my hand. Once again, I felt cold and alone. I wasn’t ready to let go of him yet.
“You’re official,” he said with a nod.
We turned back to the main hall and I spotted Anasasha surrounded by a wall of guards just up ahead. She saw me as well, and a knowing smile spread across her pretty face. She looked from Tate to me and gave a not-so-subtle wink before getting moved along by her entourage.
“Was Anasasha winking at you?”
“Oh that? I dunno.” I tried to play it off.
“How do you know her?”
I glanced around, unwilling to share too much where all these super-sensitive Keeper ears could hear me. “She was at Millie’s house last night for a welcome dinner.”
“Ah.” Tate stepped over to the wall outside of some double doors leading into a large room set up for one of the morning’s sessions. “One more question before we go in here.”
“Sure.” I leaned against the wall, happy to catch my breath before entering the room full of Agarthians. I had no idea what to say if any of them challenged me on my new role or tried to ask any questions.
Tate stepped in front of me, mischief gleaming in his eyes. He leaned in close enough that I felt his breath as he whispered the question in my ear. “Were you really about to kiss my brother outside when you thought he was me?”
He pulled back enough to make eye contact again, a soft grin pulling at one side of his perfect lips. I pulled my gaze away from his mouth, desperately trying to calm my racing heart as I pretended to be stronger than I was. My whole body felt like it was on fire in the best of ways.
“He said he would tell me his secrets in exchange for a kiss. It sounded like a winning business transaction for me.” I smirked and pushed Tate back away from me, knowing I didn’t have the strength to stay there under his gorgeous gaze any longer.
And as we entered the room, I spotted Titus at a front table, surrounded by a small group of guards, but I only recognized one.
Osborne.
Chapter 5
“What is she doing here?” Osborne rose from his feet, shouting across the room and drawing the attention of every golden-eyed Agarthian in the place.
Tate stepped closer to me, angling his body like a shield between me and Osborne. “She’s my attendant for the day.”
“Don’t be a fool, Thaddeus. You’re flirting with the enemy, here. I refuse to stand by while she gathers intel on our private matters, just to spoon-feed the information back to Rasputin!”
A collective gasp from the other Agarthians filled the air.
“You really think I wouldn’t know if a member of my own staff was working with the enemy? You forget how powerful I am.” Even with the wards cast over the building, Tate’s power was evident. It radiated from him in a way that left the other Agarthians silent. He normally kept that card tucked away, but I was glad to see him playing it now with Osborne. Because secretly, it was taking a lot of self-control not to play my own power card.
“You better watch how you speak to a member of the royal family, Ozzie.” Titus grinned. It was obvious now how glazed over his eyes were—half-lidded and slow moving. I didn’t know how I’d missed it before. “Besides, I kind of like this girl.” He gave me an exaggerated wink.
“I respect your opinion, your Highness.” Osborne lied with a dip of his chin. “But I really have to insist that she leaves this room. It’s a matter of security.”
“Despite your blatant disrespect for the future leader of our territory, I would have to agree that my attendant should go. Not because she is a security threat,” Tate chuckled, making eye contact with several of the other Agarthians around the room to ensure they recognized his condescension toward Osborne. “But rather because I would hate to subject her to such foolishness. Of course, I’ll have to accompany her. As my attendant, she is not permitted to roam the convention without me. Come on, Everly. Let’s get out of here.”
“Bring her back for lunch!” Titus called out as we made our way back out to the main hall.
The building suddenly seemed much more crowded than before. Seeing Osborne had stirred something within me—something sinister that I didn’t want to acknowledge right now. I needed to get somewhere quiet where I could calm myself.
We hadn’t made it more than ten steps away from the room before Osborne said my name again behind us. I paused, and Tate put his hand lightly on the small of my back, somehow filling me with strength and confidence as I spun around to face the angry hunter on my heels.
“I know what you are,” he said, and every muscle in my body tensed. “I know you’re with the Manticorians, and if you’re here it means Rasputin isn’t far behind. But you can tell him that I’m ready for him. And I’m ready to finally take you down, once and for all. I’m waiting for any reason… Any reason at all. So go ahead—do what you came to do. Just know that I’m watching.” Osborne sneered and then turned his glare on Tate. “And as for you, we’re all just waiting for Titus to screw up so we can lock him away. Once I prove your association with this trash,” he jerked his chin in my direction, “we’ll lock you up alongside him. I’ll finish the job you couldn’t, and I will gladly take your place on the throne. It deserves someone who wants it. You were never cut out to be king anyway.”
I lunged, but Tate’s arm stopped me before I could get to Osborne. I wanted so badly to hurt him—to bash in that crooked nose of his, but of course that wouldn’t do us any good.
“Nice monologue, Osborne. Very dramatic. But you can save it for th
e meeting you’re about to be late for.” Tate gestured back toward the room. “Now leave me. That’s an order.”
Osborne’s jaw tightened so hard I expected it to crack, but he managed to hold in whatever insult was on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, he turned back toward the meeting room.
But even with Osborne gone, we were surrounded by hundreds or maybe thousands of other Keepers bustling around the convention center. And seeing Osborne reminded me of my original task. I had to find the other pieces of the tablet. Now that I had Tate—and maybe even Titus on my side—I wondered if it would be possible for me to search Agartha for the next piece.
“I need to talk to you.” I looked at Tate and dropped my voice to a whisper. “Privately.”
He nodded. “There’s only one place I trust in this building. But we’ll have to get around my father first.”
Chapter 6
Tate led me over to a glass elevator at the center of the main hall and hit a button on the wall beside it.
“A glass cage in the middle of all the most powerful Keepers in the world? Obviously the top choice for privacy. Good idea.”
He tried to hide his amusement. “Just get on.”
I followed him into the small space, actually grateful that we were on full display in the middle of the convention hall. Last time we’d been in an elevator together it took everything I had to keep myself away from him. Knowing there were thousands of powerful eyes watching now seemed to help numb that sensation. Just a little, though.
The doors closed silently behind me, and I noted that Tate had put as much distance between us as he could. That was a good thing. I could ignore the invisible electric thread tugging me toward him if he stayed far enough away.
“Each of the royal families gets a designated conference suite here at the hall. There are extra protections over the rooms so sensitive information can be freely discussed. When we were kids, Titus and I used to play around with the wards, looking for any way to tear them down and spy on the other families, but it was impossible. So anything you have to say will be safe within the suite.”
“I think I’m less afraid of being overheard than I am of meeting your dad. If he’s been trying to keep you cut off from everyone, he probably won’t be too thrilled to see that you’ve picked up a new attendant.”
“You don’t need to worry about him.” It looked like there was more Tate wanted to say, but he bit down on the words. It was probably wise as we had just reached the top floor. The elevator doors opened to reveal a sky bridge leading over the road outside and into an attached hotel next to the convention center.
Neither of us spoke as we meandered down a hall over plush, colorful carpet. We passed a couple of other small groups of Keepers—none of the races mixing together much—and I only got a couple of raised brows from the Atlanteans when they saw me trailing Tate.
We’d been walking maybe five minutes and gone up another elevator when a door slammed open at the end of the hotel hallway.
“Shoot,” Tate said under his breath. “I think that’s our suite.”
Sure enough, three tall Agarthians marched out into the hallway, looking like they didn’t have time for anyone or anything that may cross their path. They were on a mission. Next came a silver fox of a man—strikingly handsome. His salt and pepper hair was the only thing that aged him at all, and I noted the similarities between him and his sons immediately.
“Well, we found your dad,” I whispered.
Three more Agarthian guards followed in back, effectively surrounding the king. Two of them landed their scrutinizing eyes on me, but the king seemed indifferent. He hardly even greeted his own son.
“Everything alright?” Tate asked as his father rushed by us.
“Fine,” the king replied gruffly. He definitely didn’t look fine, though. A couple more of the guards were eyeing me now, as well. “Keep it moving,” he barked at his people.
Tate didn’t press any further. He scooted me back toward the wall, keeping one arm spread before me like a bodyguard, even though I was supposed to be the one attending to him. I didn’t mind it though. The warmth radiating off his skin brought me a sense of comfort.
The crowd rushed by us and turned a corner at the end of the hall without once looking back. “What was that all about?” I asked once they were gone.
“I have no idea. But judging by the look on his face it was much more urgent than he wanted me to believe it was.” Tate stared after them down the empty hall for just another moment before shaking his head and gesturing toward the suite they’d exited. “At least we have the room to ourselves now.”
My stomach flipped a little bit at the thought. It was fine. Everything would be fine. There was no good reason for me to freak out at the thought of being alone with him. It’s not like I would lose all self-control without a chaperone…
I took a deep breath as he scanned a card and unlocked the door. No one was inside, but it looked like the king and his guards had been engaged in a meeting before hurrying out into the hall. Several half-finished glasses of a golden beverage sat throughout the room, condensation leaving glistening trails down the sides of the glasses and pooling onto the coffee table in the center of the room.
The suite was huge—more like an apartment than a hotel room. There was the living area that we’d entered into, a small kitchenette, and two separate wings of what I assumed were individual bedrooms.
“This place is fancy,” I said, taking it all in. “Are you sure there’s no one else here? Where are your guards?”
“I don’t get any guards.” Tate plopped down onto the middle cushion of the couch. “Those are reserved for the king and the heir. I forfeited my right to royal coddling when I joined the hunters.”
I sat next to him and immediately felt that invisible thread tighten. It was a jolt, warm and electric in my chest, pulling me hard toward Tate. I refused it, leaning back to the arm of the couch instead. And Tate scooted down to the other arm, leaving a full cushion open between us.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
His golden gaze jerked up to mine, and his hand moved toward his chest. “Huh?”
“That tingly buzz. The… nevermind.” One look at his blank expression stopped me in my tracks. I felt like a fool. There was no way I was about to explain how I felt some invisible connection pulling me toward him. That was a one way ticket to crazy ex-girlfriend territory. Not that I was his girlfriend. Just a friend. And a girl… who was mildly attracted to him.
It could never work between us even if I was attracted to him. He was Agarthian. I was Atlantean. It was forbidden. I didn’t want him bad enough to be cursed and die for it.
“Okay… so… you’re sure we’re alone?” I asked, getting back to what really mattered.
“Positive. What did you want to tell me?”
“I went to Atlantis.”
“How was it?” He turned his body toward me, folding one leg under as he pulled it up onto the couch.
“It was nothing like I imagined.” I explained our heated run-in with Peter, and Anasasha’s crush on Sean. He stared wide eyed as I told him about the tablet and our speedy escape through the ocean. Then I mentioned the Kraken.
“You did not cut off a piece of the Kraken,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh, I totally did. You can ask Sean. I think he’s still got the slimy little tentacle.” I shuddered. “Nasty monster.”
“You’re amazing,” he said, shaking his head with a smile.
I dipped my chin, trying to hide the blush I felt creeping into my cheeks. “I’m just doing my job. Fulfilling my destiny and all that.” When I looked up again I realized we’d both somehow drifted closer to the center during my tale, but I didn’t want to scoot back again. “Anyway, we got the tablet back to Driskell.”
“Was he able to interpret it?”
I nodded and recited it to him from memory.
“The daughter of sea and sky?” Tate rubbed his forehead. “And you don’t
know who your dad is, right?”
“Nope. That might make this whole thing a little easier.”
He repeated the words again under his breath. “Sea makes sense, being from Atlantis and all. But sky? I can’t think of any Atlantean powers that involve the sky.”
“My mom was a messenger.”
“Yeah, but that’s more about bending reality than flying through the air. Olympus is known as the city in the sky. And there are Agarthians who can control the wind and move clouds and stuff. But for Atlanteans?” He shook his head again. “I’ve got nothing.”
“What about talking to owls?”
Tate’s brows pulled together. “That seems like a very specific question.”
“Athena could talk to owls. And she was Atlantean, right?”
“Oh.” He nodded. “Yeah. That seems like a stretch though.”
I’d have to ask Al about it the next time I saw him. I hadn’t ever really considered it from that angle before.
Tate leaned toward me with that crooked grin that only meant mischief again. “Maybe we should focus on the next line of the prophecy instead. The part about the one who ignites your heart.”
“Dom thinks it’s referring to my soulmate.”
“That makes sense.” Tate’s grin widened. “Although you looked pretty ignited by my brother earlier.”
I punched him again, intensifying the electric tug between us. “I told you it was just a business transaction.”
He looked down at his arm, his grin fading slightly. “I do feel it.”
“Feel what?” My heart jumped in my chest.
“The tingly buzz, I think you called it?”
He reached for my hand, igniting the skin where we touched. His thumb rubbed gently over my knuckles, creating a fizzy sensation. It almost tickled, but in a much more serious, personal way.
“Oh,” was all I could say.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? At first I thought it had to do with black magic. You know, Rossel told me you were deep in the stuff. I thought it was some ancient hunter instinct coming through, warning me that you were bad news. But now I know I’m the only one who feels it, other than you. Do you feel it around anyone else?”
