His lips curved slowly. “Of course I did. And I still am. He will lead us to who we seek eventually.” He pushed off the wall, and started stalking toward me, his white linen shirt and pants billowing out behind him, his movements altering to predatory, a hunting stalk. “And I do not appreciate you trying to lie to me.”
“And I don’t give a fuck,” I hissed, righteous anger flooding every part of my being. “You knowingly allowed a damn traitor into my home.” I slashed a hand through the air, my body starting to tremble. “I will lie again. Again. And again when your selfish and negligent actions help to contribute an attack that killed almost all of my guards. My fucking people.”
He hovered over me, his own chest heaving, and he bared his teeth down at me, using the words I once had. “They should have moved faster.”
Smack.
The One’s head whipped down to the side, but he didn’t stumble as I had hoped he would as I pulled my glowing hand back, chest heaving in the silence that surrounded us, those that had started to creep forward, stilling, waiting, and watching, ready to pounce if they needed to.
Quietly in the stillness, a tiger’s growl rumbled from his chest…igniting something…odd…precise…deadly…inside me as my fury boiled for a man that I seriously didn’t know how I still found him attractive, but I pushed it down hard, not about to lose any more of my temper, my eyes glowing fiercely on the side of his face covered by white-on-whiter rolls.
“As I said, I will do anything to protect my people.” My teeth were bared, barely hanging onto a fury boiling through me I didn’t understand. “Which, are fucking dead thanks to Reese, one of your people.”
The sound cut off inside him, and in the stunned quiet, a soft chuckle sounded, the One’s head, slowly lifting from the side, and he peered at me with slightly glowing silver eyes, a cruel, beautiful smile on his lips, the first time I had ever seen that expression on him, and he murmured quietly through his chuckle, “I almost awakened you, didn’t I?” My jaw stayed clenched in anger, but confused at the question, staying silent, locking my legs when he took a step closer, and closing the gap I had put there. “And I’m right about Reese. Leave him as he is. He will make a mistake and lead us to them. I’ve also had casualties on my side because of his actions, and I won’t have him taken down before he gives us what we need.” Then, he bent, and I held perfectly still as he whispered against my ear, “Awake for me, kitten.”
And he was suddenly gone, disappearing from the room.
I jerked anyway, stumbling back from where he had been, bumping into Queen Ruckler, and twisting around her, moving hurriedly to stand in front of a window, grabbing the edge and staring outside as I breathed through the force flowing through me. A new pure killing fury, purely animalistic, twisting right alongside utter and complete confusion, my mind churning, Elder Merrick’s betrayal sparking it and the One’s betrayal fanning it to a nice flame.
King Collins was the first to break the extended silence behind me, his tone muddle and careful. “What the hell just happened?”
I watched a bird fly by as I tried to calm myself.
King Zeller cleared his throat. “Well, if you need the recap. First, the One appeared out of thin air, and the only Shifter who could scent something was wrong was Elder Merrick. Second, the traitor was confirmed as Reese. Third, your Prodigy hit one of the most dangerous men I’ve ever met. Fourth, the One, a spirit Elemental, growled like a tiger.” A pause. “Oh, yes. And fifth, the One seems to believe your Prodigy is…sleeping…or some such, telling her to “awake for him”.” Another clearing of his throat. “That about sums it up.”
I gripped the sides of the window, chest heaving in rage and fear and confusion, losing it a bit, starting to glow as I scrambled to open the window, searching for a latch, needing air, pushing back the…fury…clawing, rolling inside me. “Air…help me get the fucking window open.” My voice was shaky and breathless as I tried to control myself. “I need air.”
“It doesn’t open,” King Collins mumbled absently.
Ah, fuck it. I swiftly pressed my hand to the window, shooting my power out briefly, and it dissolved instantly, afternoon wind rushing inside, ruffling my hair as I sucked in greatly.
“Does now,” Elder Farrar murmured, sounding mighty amused.
“Oh, why not?” King Collins muttered in exasperation. “Who cares about a six thousand dollar window at this point, right?”
It was rhetorical, but still…”Right.”
King Collins snorted a bit crazily, but calmed after a moment of Queen Cooper talking softly to him, then it sounded like he cracked his knuckles before stating, “Alright, let’s take this one step at a time, and focus on what we have a shot in hell of accomplishing, which would be the traitor. Reese. What the hell do we do about him?”
“Let him stay,” Elder Jacobs stated instantly. “The One should have told us about him, but he was right. Keep him close until he makes a mistake.”
“I agree,” Elder Merrick stated brusquely.
My fingers clamped down, just hearing him fueling the flame.
Quiet tone from my King. “I also believe that’s the best choice for right now as long as he’s watched.”
Everyone else agreed, so I mumbled my ascent, knowing he would have multiple eyes on him.
“Alright,” King Collins cleared his throat, speaking hesitantly, “I’m not sure where to even begin on the tiger bit…anything you can contribute to that, Prodigy?”
“He’s the One,” I muttered harshly, staring out at the lawn, yanking my hands away from the window to run them through my hair. “That should be enough reasoning for him.”
More knuckles cracking, then my King stated hesitantly, “So then, it’s not normal.” Knuckles. Cracking. “Is there any chance he’s your mate? Is this a possible,” a pause, “excuse my idiotic floundering, but is it a possible spirit…mating thing? He did say you should have learned more at the Temple…and he’s trying to “awaken you”?”
My shoulders shook for long moments before I started chuckling quietly, the sound pulled from deep within me, a deep hurt, but at the same time, a glory at having the freedom of choice. “All Mysticals are not created alike.”
All I heard was silence.
“Well…I had to ask,” King Collins mumbled, sounding irritated, and maybe, just a bit ticked. “Just once it would be nice to ask a damn question and have it answered.”
I stated, voice void, “And just once, I would like for you to see the bigger picture when you ask questions you shouldn’t, but I still manage to answer.”
A deep irate huff. “Caro, I am trying, but dammit,”
Elder Merrick actually interrupted, his tone curt, and overriding. “King Collins, with everything we know so far of spirit Elementals, I believe it’s easy enough to deduce she means they’re like Coms in reference to mates, so when she says all Mysticals are not created alike, it means spirit Elementals don’t have them.”
Ticking…booming…silence.
My own voice was curt, but void, as grass blew in the breeze. “Don’t any of you dare pity me.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I’ve heard enough horror stories of mates to scare anyone off from having one.”
Elder Farrar cleared his throat. “Yes, I believe Elder Merrick’s late mate would fit that category.”
“Elder Farrar,” Queen Ruckler demanded in quiet shock, her tone a reprimand.
Elder Merrick grunted. “There’s no offense taken, Queen Ruckler. She was way before your time, and she also ended way before your time when I put a silver bullet in the bitch’s head.”
I placed a hand down on the edge of the window as calmly as I could, barely managing to keep my heart rate under control, yanking that white solace down over me, knowing I had buried a man this morning who had killed his own mate, never having asked him if he had found his yet. In the beginning it was because it was “casual”, but later I kept silent for, maybe, fear of the answer…which was only more absurd now with his treachery, but Queen Cooper didn’t manage so well, hearing her gasp, and mutter, “Jesus.”
He actually chuckled quietly, the sound pure malice. “Lawfully, of course.”