“Is there anything else we need to know about right now?” Leric asked.
When shakes of heads were given, the lean woman at the end of the table flicked her hand, stating, “I don’t have any news to give you, but I do have a question that I’m sure we’re all wondering.” When Leric dipped his head for her to continue, she leaned forward, spoke calmly, and bluntly, “I don’t believe the rioters’ views to be completely unwarranted. Somehow, the Chosen slipped under your radar for protection against becoming a ruler. Her views are unconventional, even if she does appear sane, but if she should go insane, and she does become pregnant with a Commoner by rape, or lust, then how will you know this, if she’s escaped you once already?”
I had to hand it my Lajaks. Not one of them even flinched at that bomb. And it was the biggest, the one I couldn’t even speak on, magic tying a Mystical outside the Temple for that information. Instead, they stood utterly still, and stayed silent, even as I knew their minds were flying, trying to reason that out.
“I’ll answer that one.” I squeezed Leric’s hand, and he sat back on his chair, appearing damn lazy while I sat forward, and repeated what he had once said, “While it may be true his protection wasn’t given to me, which was of no fault to his own,” I shrugged a shoulder, “the magic of the Chosen would not have been gifted to me if I couldn’t handle it. I won’t crack under the pressure of the Barren or the Shadows. I’ve dealt with both, and although I am new to fighting in the Barren with the mass amounts of evil I did recently, my first time, I handled it far better than I believe anyone else would have. I never quit. I didn’t stop. Four hours on end. Even when I was killing a pedophile, his memories racing through my mind, I turned and sliced into a child molester, his memories condensing on top of the others, only to turn and place my back to my One’s and guard it against the serial killer about to bite into him, his memories rushing when I ended him as we faced hundreds more, all just as dark.” I raised my brows, staring steadily at the strong woman, even as the individual next to her’s face turned ashen. “That night, I actually went to sleep. It may have taken a while, but I actually slept. Peacefully.” I shrugged a shoulder, sitting back on my chair. “Like I said, the power wouldn’t have been gifted to me if I couldn’t handle it.”
She hummed quietly, tilting her head, evaluating me. “I believe you.” She sat back, eyes going to Leric. “But it’s not just us in this room you’ll have to convince.”
I kind of liked her.
Suddenly, the man’s head next to me, and half his body, was slammed onto the white marble table, the sound of what had to be ribs cracking crunched loudly as Elder Merrick held him down with a forearm against his back and a fist gripped tightly in his white hair, Elder Farrar now directly behind me, a gripping hand on my shoulder, even as Elder Merrick’s power instantaneously erupted down at the man as he began to glow, producing a pained grunt from the man, and his wolf growled loudly, even as he barked, “Drop it or I end you.”
Instantly, I felt something fall onto my lap. My heartbeat didn’t know what to do, stuttering and stopping not knowing what the hell was going on, just like my thoughts as I stared wide-eyed as Elder Merrick crushed the man even harder, yanking his head back brutally, growling, “Now get your fucking hands above the table.”
Glowing hands instantly appeared above the table as the man grunted again in pain.
“Elder Merrick…care to explain?” Leric drawled casually.
His wolf growled quietly. “Other than he was about to stab her?”
“Blade,” Elder Farrar murmured absently, watching the man Elder Merrick held down, still keeping his hand on my shoulder. “On her lap.”
I blinked slowly, then scooted my chair back a smidge, staring down…and lifted a long, wickedly curved diamond blade, and I muttered, “That would have hurt.” I liked the blade, so I quickly stashed it into my treasure trove. “Mine now.” My heart rate was slowing knowing Elder Merrick wasn’t just attacking the guy, and I tilted my head, glancing to Leric. “Thoughts?”
His lips curved the barest bit. “Yes.” Nothing more.
I stared pointedly.
Silver eyes flared the barest bit on whatever he was thinking. “I’ll save them for later.” He flicked a finger to the man who had argued with the would-be-assassin earlier, ordering him politely. “If you would, please take him to a cell and silver him. I’ll be down shortly.” All very calm words, even though he had a damn death grip on my hand.
Not wanting the guy to have a chance to escape between here and the cell, I murmured, “Elder Merrick, render him unconscious.” Instantly, Elder Merrick bashed the man’s face onto the marble table, and there was definite blood coming from some part of his head as he stopped glowing, his body going slack. “Thank you.” My gaze went to the man who was blinking out of his shock. “It should make the journey easier for you.”
He nodded once, his expression blanking. “Yes. Thank you.” He stood, quickly moving with that fluid grace all these elite Guardians did. When Elder Merrick moved back, he grabbed the man by the back of his neck, and easily pulled him back, bending to slip him over his shoulder, and carried him from the room.
I reached a hand over the table, and sent a pulse of my magic, making the blood disintegrate, glancing to Leric, smiling cheekily. “So, what’s next?”
His lips trembled. “I was thinking dinner before torture?”
I nodded approvingly. “Strong stomach…you know those entrails always smell disgusting.”
I heard a choked noise somewhere down the table, but Leric only grinned. “Yes, my Chosen. They certainly do.” He waved a hand at the table. “You’re all dismissed, but make note to find three new elite Guardians, instead of two.” It was implied where the third was going, even as they each wrote a quick note down, then bobbed their heads, quickly leaving the room. “Roselle, why don’t you show my Chosen and her Lajaks to their rooms, so they can drop their luggage off.” He stared at me with knowledge in his gaze. “And don’t feel bad about missing dinner with me.”
I nodded once, standing, I had some explaining to do with my Lajaks. “Make sure you get all the information you can out of him before you make him dead.”
“Always,” he murmured, silver eyes scanning my person slowly. “I’ll be stopping by your room afterward.”
I huffed a chuckle. “I’m sure you will.”
Chapter Eighteen
My room at the Temple was directly next to Leric’s, if I remembered correctly from when I had stolen into it years ago. My Lajaks’ rooms ran up and down the hallways to the left if you stepped outside the door, making me wonder whose rooms were to the right of Leric’s. Possibly his Lajaks? I would have to ask, since Roselle had stated these were their rooms for as long as they were in my service, reserved for them. She had also brought me a book on “Dead Zones” and platters of sandwiches, arriving with them just before my Lajaks had entered my room for our nightly meeting—King Collins having stayed in the room with me, guarding me, while they were gone, none of us tired since it wasn’t even noon yet where we came from.
I sat on the white bamboo dresser while they sprawled about my room, eyeing every inch of it while munching absently on sandwiches. “So…fire away.”
I ate a bite of my own sandwich.
“Spirit Elementals can have children with Commoners?” Elder Bridges asked very carefully, very slowly, watching me for my reaction as he sat on the edge of a sofa.
I knew that would be the first question. “Technically, yes.”