A door opened, and then the One was demanding instantly, “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Elder Merrick immediately started speaking over King Collins, taking the lead, explaining in detail the previous fights, what I had done during each in extreme detail, my hunger afterward, my drunken-like happy state, my weariness before the last fight, and then, every detail in depth of our fight, not leaving out one brutal angle or enraged action he had committed, stating each factually, putting it all out there.
Extended silence wrapped around the room, then the One asked quietly, “Does anyone know how regularly, and hopefully recently, she’s used her powers at a high volume such as she did?”
“I don’t believe any of us have ever seen her use powers like that before,” King Collins stated instantly, hearing the worry in his tone. “She’s normally very wary of them.”
The One cursed quietly, and then I heard him moving forward. “Bindi, if you would, please close the door.” His voice was suddenly closer, much closer, like directly over me as I heard the door close and lock, and I felt a hand, his tender fingers, brushing my hair back, Elder Merrick’s fingers instantly disappearing from behind my ear, and he murmured softly, “That was too much, kitten. And now, we’re both going to have to pay. I had hoped you would find this out on your own, but now it’s too late.”
“What are you going to do?” King Collins asked instantly, his voice sounding above me to the left.
A heavy sigh. “I’m going to awaken her.”
“You said that before,” King Zeller stated instantly. “What does that mean?”
“It means…” he hummed quietly, “It means she’s my other half. I am the One. And she is the Chosen.”
I had no clue what that fucking meant, but it didn’t sound like I had a choice in the matter, and I struggled with all of my damn might, not about to give up any choices, even as I felt Elder Merrick stiffen completely under me.
“The Chosen?” King Collins asked slowly into the descending, damning silence.
“Yes.” The One’s voice was factual. “Why do you think Jacob Angel really targeted her? Why do you think she and I instantly had a connection those years ago? Why do you think Tristan instantly liked her? Why do you think her Vizoac instantly liked me?” Then, he growled quietly, again, a tiger menacing purr sounding. “And what I’d love to fucking know is who put the protection over her to keep her from me.”
“You’re mates.” Elder Merrick’s voice was toneless, gravelly. “You’re saying she’s your mate.”
“I did not say that,” the One explained, which honestly, didn’t make me feel a shit ton better as I continued to struggle. “I said she was my other half. I’m her One, and she’s my Chosen.”
“That explains so much,” Queen Ruckler murmured dryly.
“Yes…well,” a heavy sigh, “I can’t explain it any other way. And now, if you don’t want her permanently like this, I need to awaken her. Understand?”
Queen Ruckler mumbled after a moment, “Truth.”
“Wait,” King Collins muttered quickly. “She’s big on choice. And I know she isn’t going to like this. Is there nothing else that can be done, so you don’t have to…awaken her?”
Thank you, my-goddamn-mother-fucking-King.
“No, there’s nothing else that can be done.” And just like that my heart sunk pitilessly. “Any spirit Elemental that overly exerts themselves, pulls the stunts she did, without proper exercise goes into a,” he hummed quietly in thought, “I can’t say exactly what happens, but imagine a Com coma. But, never ending. That is where she is. I’ve never known a spirit to free themselves from it before, and she would have known this had she stayed at the Temple longer, but she left too damn early.”
“Elder Merrick?” King Collins asked instantly.
His voice was choked, even though he was frozen still under me. “Truth.”
My mind blanked…then screamed at myself in fury.
“I can scent her emotions,” King Zeller rambled hurriedly, and my brain stalled listening to him. “She has to be able to hear us, if she’s as furious as what she is right now.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Rare Com coma patients have been known to wake and say they heard those around them.” I felt the brush of his fingers glide down the side of my face. “I’m sorry, kitten, but this is the only way. I really had wished you’d awake on your own.”
Instantly, fear and misery transfused my being, swirling with the anger at my own lack of knowledge, but I still couldn’t fucking move or speak.
“What is she feeling now?” King Collins asked instantly.
“What anyone would in her situation.” King Zeller’s voice was quiet. “Fear. Despair. Anger.”
The One sighed heavily. “I’m not so bad, kitten. I had hoped you’d learn I’m nothing like Jacob Angel before this occurred. And on your own. He poisoned your mind with preconceived notions about me on purpose.” Another stroke of his fingers, his tone quiet. “We’ll work through this.”
“King Collins, she’s strong,” Elder Merrick rumbled instantly, and I felt his hand land on my forehead, holding me firmly against his chest. “Damn strong and powerful. Given time, her Core might heal, if that’s the issue. Just…just give her the time to see if she can pull through this, instead of taking away her choice.”
“I have witnessed others, a few anyway, who are just as strong as her, or even more so, still in this state from their lack of control, even though they knew the rules.” Slow words. “She will not wake from this.”
Quiet words from King Collins. “Elder Merrick?”
He gurgled, and I felt his chest heaving under my chest. Choked. His wolf growled softly. More choking, then he growled, “Truth.” He inhaled hard, stating angrily, “It still doesn’t mean she can’t make it through.”
King Collins sounded tired. “Elder Merrick, I know you feel guilty and responsible for this, but it sounds as if it was only lack of knowledge. It was no one’s fault.”
“The One should have told her.” Elder Merrick spoke gruffly, his wolf snarling. “He’s had ample amount of time, and yet, he spoke nothing of it. Who’s to say, he wasn’t waiting for this to happen so he could,” his wolf huffed, “awaken her?”
The One’s tone was bordering on angered. “That was not my plan. I did not wish this for her, and I never expected her to have to overexert herself without going into damn battle as she did because as you have said, she is damn powerful. I would have much rather her find all this out on her own. Let her come into her own without my help. Now, she is going to think I forced it on her when I have no other choice.” He paused, tone turning to a lazy growl. “And yes, you know that’s the truth, so sniff the fuck away.”
Elder Merrick’s wolf growled quietly, the sound reverberating against the back of my head, but he didn’t contradict the One’s words, so I prayed they were the truth.
“And now?” King Collins asked. “What is she feeling now?”
One quiet word from King Zeller. “Despair.”
Yes, all I felt was despair of the unknown. The man I hated with a vengeance, the one who seemed to complete me and somehow…held me captive…behind me. And the man before me I was somehow bound to, who irritated me at times with his stubbornness, but did seem to be a caring individual…was going to hold a piece of me…all from my reckless choices in life.
“I’m sorry, kitten.” I felt the gentlest of kisses land on the corner of my mouth, soft rolls of hair tickling my cheeks. Elder Merrick freezing completely under me, his muscles so tight they started to tremble, his grip on my forehead unbreakable. The hair brushed, moving slowly, another soft kiss on the other edge of my lips, and then he whispered, “It was always meant to be, so please don’t blame me.” He lips hovered over mine, their heat penetrating. “King Collins, I will ask your permission once.”
In the still of the room, King Collins asked, “And if I say no?”