Sin had a hand on the ground, keeping watch with his powers, watching us silently, but he interrupted after I rammed my fist into Elder Merrick’s kidneys. “There’s someone coming. One minute max.”
“Dammit,” I muttered harshly, glaring up at Elder Merrick’s bleeding, furious face, pissed I wasn’t going to be able to use him as a punching bag for much longer, so I plowed my fist into his eye. “You just got lucky, asshole.” I darted him again quickly, his lids drooping from the added drug before gesturing to Sin. “Make it deep. Shifters freak from that shit.”
“I hate you,” Elder Merrick muttered on a deep, gravelly slur even as he started to sink into the ground at a swift pace. “Watch your fucking back.”
I chuckled. “Watch yours. I’m sure there are all kinds of little critters down there that are going to try to burrow into you.” I waved. “Buh-bye, asswipe.”
He inhaled heavily just as his head went under the eating ground, the vines snapping around his raised wrists like handcuffs as Sin sunk him deep into the earth.
I waved an absent hand. “I don’t want him dead, so leave an air hole.” I pouted a bit. “I didn’t get to finish.”
“Will do,” Sin mumbled, and I saw a tiny air hole form. “Deep, you said?”
“Very.” I glanced about, not seeing anyone yet. “Time to go?”
Sin was still studying his work, his eyes glowing fierce green, but he yanked me close, stating, “Hold your breath, love.”
And down we sank into the ground, moving far away from the scene of the crime undetected.
After sneaking back inside and taking breakfast in our room, enjoying being coddled by Sin, missing him as I had, and coddling him right back, I knew I couldn’t miss the luncheon meeting scheduled King Collins had phoned to tell me about, clearly expecting me to be there and on my best behavior. I was the Prodigy again, after all, plus…I had some more business to take care of. I showered and changed into clothes I had also missed, wearing a pair of my black leather pants and layered black and hot pink soft t-shirt, dug my Prodigy ring out from the secret compartment in my purse, putting it back on my toe, then made my way down to the meeting, trying to keep a tight rein on my emotions.
Walking sedately into the conference room, I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, and sat next to King Collins, ignoring the glances I was receiving by those who were in the room, actually arriving a few minutes early, leaning and whispering, “I’d like to talk with you privately after the meeting.”
He patted my hand. “Alright.” He squeezed before pulling his hand back, brown eyes evaluating me. “You appear like you’re feeling better from your ordeal.”
“I am. Thank you.” I pulled a sandwich and chips from the middle of the table. “Did the Elders get you up to date on what happened in the past?”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Well, the parts they could remember, anyway.” He snorted as he ate a chip, blue eyebrows rising. “The other Rulers and I would love to know exactly what the four Rulers before us couldn’t remember, seeing as they gave us hell when we were Prodigies.”
I chuckled quietly, glancing at Elder Kincaid and Elder Nelson directly across the table from me, who were decidedly eavesdropping and giving me covert glances. “You know, I can’t remember, either.”
Another snort, even as the Elders relaxed on their chairs. “Sure, you can’t.” A choked chuckle. “I can imagine what it was like if you were there.”
I flicked a glare at my King. “I’m not that bad.”
More choked chuckles as a few stragglers entered the room, it almost full. “Of course not.” His eyes turned slowly serious. “And Elder Jacobs told us about what he and Elder Merrick did.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry any of that happened to you, especially after what Jacob Angel did.”
I nodded once. “I know.” I smiled sweetly. “Just doing their job, and all that bullshit.”
Queen Ruckler sat on my other side, and lifted a sandwich from the middle of the table, asking the room’s occupants, “Has anyone seen Elder Merrick this morning? He wasn’t at breakfast and we had a meeting scheduled an hour ago, which he missed.”
I ate a chip slowly, keeping my expression blank while I was damn giddy on the inside, an evil chuckle reverberating through my boiling, furious veins. As everyone voiced they hadn’t seen him, like clockwork, their expressions blanked, and all heads swung toward me. I chewed another chip gradually, asking innocently, “What?” Unfortunately, I knew my eyes were frosted, cold and deadly, while they continued staring, but I couldn’t help that, enjoying it entirely too much. I tilted my head to Queen Ruckler, staring back into her own cold eyes. “Like you, the last time I saw him, he was furious and alive.” I chewed another chip, speaking around it. “Pity, that last part.”
Elder Farrar sat at the table, grabbing a sandwich, golden eyes watching me calmly, interjecting quickly as Queen Ruckler’s eyes narrowed, her lips parting. “Lily, I believe I saw him a few minutes ago, coming in from a run. I’m sure he’s on his way here as we speak.”
“He’d better be,” Queen Ruckler muttered, and then leaned down whispering directly in front of my face. “Get over their deception. It was in the damn past before they knew who you were. Their actions were justified from what I understand.” She bared her teeth a bit. “You’ll only get hurt if you mess with someone a hundred times more powerful than you.”
My eyebrows only lifted a bit. “I don’t believe I stated I had done anything wrong.” My head dipped to her. “But thanks for the advice.”
And…speak of the devil. Literally, in my opinion.
Elder Merrick walked calmly into the room, wearing a pair of black dress pants and a silver blue button-down shirt, dressed nicely like the other Elders, but his chest was heaving a little, his black curls were still a bit damp from a shower, and—I bit down a grin—his cheeks were flushed on his olive skin, obviously having rushed to get here in the Elemental section for the meeting. Leave it to Elder Farrar to twist the words I had once used—which would only be yesterday morning in 2035—when his perusal swung to Elder Merrick, who was catching more than a few looks, deadpanning, “You’re looking refreshed, Elder Merrick.”
I attempted to contain my smile. Not only had I accomplished taking him down—literally into the ground—I had also snuck into his room and stole my short swords back. It had only taken twenty minutes to rummage through his belongings to find them. I stretched my legs out in front of me comfortably, continuing to eat my chips, and waited for his response as damn near everyone in this nosy room of onlookers were doing.
Elder Merrick grunted, swinging a leather chair around to sit down, saying evenly, “Actually, I am.” His grin was feral as he pulled a sandwich and chips from the middle of the table, eyes swinging to Elder Farrar. “A decently executed restraining technique can be invigorating, and I’d like to enjoy the afterglow and shit, so fuck off.”
I ate another chip, trying not to stare any more than the others were doing, comprehensively enjoying watching him put the truth out there to hide the secrets.
“Right, then…fucking off,” Elder Farrar mumbled, chuckling and shaking his head as he lifted his sandwich. “Although, I believe it bears repeating the house staff is a damn bad idea.” Golden eyes flicked to Elder Merrick, but slid to Aria before traveling back to his sandwich as he took a bite.
“I’ll try to remember that,” Elder Merrick murmured on a quiet growl as he started to peel into his sandwich, and I knew his comment would come up a lie under the Shifters radar, making them think he might have, indeed, slept with the staff.
Queen Ruckler instantly stiffened. “Next time you plan to miss a meeting for extracurricular activities, I would appreciate a phone call.” Her wolf huffed quietly. “I waited for thirty minutes.”