He shook his head. “The binding is irreversible. You are the Chosen by birth, just as I am the One by birth. Our fates are always meant to be as one. We will forever be bound because we belong together, but whether we are…is our choice.”
I was pretty sure I heard King Collins quiet exhalation as he squeezed my shoulder, but I kept my expression blank, exalted I had a damn choice in this matter, the still effective arousal making sense, but I still needed more information. “If you had the Primal Diamond for so long, then why didn’t you try to use it periodically to find the Chosen…me?” If I mattered that damn much, then why hadn’t he tried to find me sooner?
He actually chuckled quietly, the tone a quiet timbre. “I actually did and failed many times, even knowing the Chosen is not revealed until,” his head teetered in thought, “well, the Chosen is revealed through Tristan.” White brows lifted a bit. “And not soon after he apparently did this, my Primal Diamond was stolen.”
“My diamond,” I mumbled, now understanding the magic that is Tristan, the One’s Lance, not unlike a Vizoac, had found me…just as he had revealed the One many years ago. I cleared my throat. “So Tristan’s mine, just as much as he’s yours?”
Leric choked on a chuckle, eyeing me with amusement. “Is Isolde also mine?”
“Not the same.” I sniffed down my nose at him, daring him to argue with me, and wisely, he stayed silent, but his silver eyes continued to sparkle with mirth. “Does this mean I get one of those fancy diamond thrones?”
Not able to contain himself, his head fell back, a throaty laugh echoed throughout the room, his shoulders shaking merrily.
“Shut up.” I covered my feet that had come untucked, trying to ignore the fact his laughter was really nice. “I am a woman. And a spirit Elemental. The two go hand-in-hand for diamonds.”
Still chuckling, silver eyes dipped back to mine, and he stated quietly, “Yes, you are definitely those two things.” And…there was enough heat in his gaze and his words to melt the damn diamond throne I was imagining for myself.
My tiny finger waggled out of the blanket. “Enough of that,”
“For now.”
I cleared my throat pointedly. “Anyway…” I blinked, remembering how most of the spirits had eyed me inside the Temple, and my lips curved a bit cruelly. “Actually, I do want that diamond throne, but mixed with black onyx and pink sapphires.”
Again, his lips trembled, and he rested his arms behind him, sitting easily as he drawled lazily, “I can imagine their faces now.”
I snickered, and it sounded damn evil. “The Upper Families will faint dead.”
Deadpanned. “And that would be a terrible shame.”
We both chuckled a bit at that, but when King Collins cleared his throat quietly, a gentle reminder to stay on task, I quickly steered back from the realm of retribution, and asked, “Will being the Chosen take time away from my current, and soon to be, duties?”
His brows lifted the barest bit. “If I had to be the King Elemental, would it take time from my duties as the One?”
That was code talk, but it was easy enough to decipher. “How much time are we talking?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “You chose this life. The protection you wear gave you access to your current position. And your birthright made you the Chosen.” One brow lifted. “It’s safe to assume, you are going to be a very busy individual doing both.”
I rubbed my forehead at that, already feeling the drain. “Wonderful.” I flicked my finger between the two of us, dreading this question even worse. “Will I be doing what you do?”
Careful, quiet words as he watched me intently. “We’ll be working side-by-side.”
I felt the blood drain from my face, feeling instantly faint.
“That’s not a good thing, I take it?” King Collins asked, peering down at me, then to Leric.
Leric sighed heavily, not taking his gaze from mine. “It’s the reason she hates using her powers in the first place.”
Yep…I was going to throw up. “Trashcan…need a trashcan.” It must have really showed, because a few of them dove for the small thing, King Zeller getting to it fastest, handing it me…just so I could stare down into its depths and tremble fiercely, trying to keep it down.
Instantly, I felt a shove of cooling tranquility transfuse my body, and I sucked in a harsh breath as my body relaxed instantly, my gaze flying to Leric’s.
He shrugged a shoulder where he sat lazy on the floor, stating casually—I could tell trying not to scare me, “The bond’s not all bad. It has its perks.”
I licked my lips, and nodded once, but stated, “Don’t do that too often. Emotions are there for a reason.” Like telling you when you’re in over your head. I set the trashcan aside. “I need to get used to this someway.”
His head cocked slightly, still sending his own subtle peace down the bond. “You want me to take it away?”
Um…no. “I’d rather puke in private.”
“Alright.” He stretched his legs out in front of him, and didn’t relent with his peace. “What other questions do you have that I’m able to answer in front of the others?”
“Your speed,” I stated factually. “Do I have that now that I’m the Chosen?”
His lips curved. “You’ve always been the Chosen. And, yes. You will. In time.”
I stared pointedly.
“You’re still young.”
Ah. Okay, so…”Will I get one of those,” I waved a pointed finger around my head, “in time, also?”
“A halo?”
“Leric.”
He chuckled, and nodded. “Yes. In time. Just a bit more feminine.”
I blinked, and then automatically raised a hand from the blanket toward my King, not even glancing in his direction.
He instantly high fived me.
That fucking rocked, no matter what else was going on. That crown was intimidation without anyone even knowing what the hell it actually meant. The big, bad all in a crown.
Leric chuckled, shaking his head. “And with it…”
A roll of my eyes. “…comes a lifetime of great duty.” I waved my hand before tucking it back under the blanket because, apparently, being the Chosen was correlated to the One, which was a forever duty, until death. “Whatever. I still get a…halo.”
“Yes, you do.” White arched brow lifted a bit. “And a duty that would not have been gifted to you if you couldn’t handle it.”
I swallowed hard, thanking the fact he was still gifting me with his peace. “When does that start? My duty for being the Chosen?”
“Now that we’re bound, you’ve feel the,” his nose crinkled, glancing at the others, “pull…whenever I do.”
Wonderful. “How often is that?”
“A few times a week. Sometimes less. Sometimes more.” His eyes narrowed a bit on the others now. “Depending on how the world turns.”
Ah. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going to be Queen.” Keep the damn peace as much as I could.
His head cocked, and he instantly stared off to the side.
Immediately following this…I felt a vibration…on the tether connecting us. “What is that?” I shivered at the odd sensation. Stalled. My eyes flew wide, and I damn near started hyperventilating. “It’s not happening now, is it?” My voice was piercing. “No, no, no, no. I haven’t even had time,” my hands were shooting out the blanket, fluttering about, “to process any of this! It cannot be happening-”
“Shh. Calm down,” Leric murmured in my mind. “It’s just my mom. She’s talking to me.”
“Oh.” I cleared my throat, my cheeks flushing a bit as most everyone in the room stared at my overtly faint-hearted reaction to something unseen, or felt, by them. “Right.” I nodded once. “Tell her I said hi. And the next time I’m at the Temple we have a date for French silk pie.”
Leric’s lips trembled a bit, even as he stared off at nothing, then he breathed a puff of air, stars twinkling, then instantly disappearing, his gaze coming back to me. “She’ll hold you to that.”
My stomach growled. “I hope so. That’s the best damn pie I ever had.”
King Collins appeared a bit wide-eyed, but he cleared his throat again.
I blinked…and couldn’t think of a damn thing to ask after that. “I think that’s all I’ve got for now, but the others,” a waved hand at the room, “may have questions, if you’re able to answer.”