I barely kept my heart from escalating, thinking of my calm, cool place, more than happy I had researched what the Kings of this time even looked like, a bit thrilled Elder Merrick would be near, but more than freaked I wouldn’t act right. So…yes. A white solace of nothing was what I coated myself in as I saw them. King Townsend, the Shifter King, was on the far right. King Bridges, the Vampire King, was to the left of him. King White, the Elemental King, was next, also in the middle. King Samson, the Mage King, was on the far left. And Elder Merrick, taller and wider than all of them, walked sedately behind them with Elder Jacobs as people, Commoners and Mysticals, sort of shuffled, or damn near leapt out of their way, as the group came through.
I’d had a feeling the Prodigies were being watched, only non-intellectual Kings letting their heirs go roaming about without protection in the background, plus, every single one of them were eyeing me, confirming my assumption. I knew right then this was going to be a real interesting night of word play on my part as they came to check me out, more than likely already having done their own background checks. I glanced at the Prodigies, all of them scowling, seeing where their Kings gazes had landed, and when they started to step in front of me, I quickly stepped forward, whispering harshly, “They’re just protecting you. Get over it because I have.”
They all kind of grunted, and their scowls turned quiet…watchful.
Like a damn tiger just waiting for the right moment to pounce.
I sighed heavily, then turned my attention back to the Kings, seeing King Bridges’s eyebrows raised a bit at me, apparently having razor sharp hearing, so I raised my own eyebrows, returning the gesture, and I swear I saw a bit of excited cunning challenge dash across his expression.
Wonderful.
Maybe I should miraculously turn into a statue now or grow wings to fly away quickly, because there was brutal intelligence swimming in those eyes.
I actually debated running for a moment, worrying I wouldn’t be able to escape quickly enough with a group like this, but I still had the Primal Diamond, so my get out of free jail token was still in play. So, instead of running, I calmly shook each of their hands when they introduced themselves to me with a dry palm, steady gaze, and an even voice. A bit surprised, King White turned and introduced Elder Jacobs and Elder Merrick to me, and I quickly hooded my gaze, dumbfounded they hadn’t told the Kings they had already met me, but in the blink of an eye I had that white solace wrapped back around me, my momentary shock, in the Kings’ eyes, could be contributed to who they were, not that I already knew them. After shaking their hands, only saying their names in greeting, King White smiled generously, and waved an arm toward the entrance of the building we had yet to see since the line was so long. “Shall we? We have a box reserved.”
And so, with the Prodigies fucking flanking me, going all protective, we moved around the waiting line, cutting way up to the front, which I seriously wished now, seeing Elder Merrick dressed in black wool pants and a gray V-neck cashmere sweater, the sleeves pushed up to his forearms, that he hadn’t come. I had a damn death grip on my white solace, trying really freaking hard to control my libido, when all I really wanted to do was turn around where he walked directly behind me, wrap my hands in his soft, black curls and pull his lush lips down to mine, but, instead, I got a rude awakening at the gate.
I blinked at the security woman who confronted me, all the men—kindly—letting the lady go first. The blood practically drained from my face when the woman motioned to a damn metal detector I was going to have to go through. And since I had a small arsenal on me it wasn’t a great time to have the Kings and Elders around.
Bitch asked gruffly, “Is there a problem, ma’am?” She glanced behind me, surveying who I was with—for the third time—before her hard gaze came back to me, her own protective nature coming to the fore. She gestured to a side door. “I can take you in there and search you myself, if you prefer?”
My lips thinned, feeling a little dizzy, but I shook my head quickly. “That won’t be necessary.” I licked my lips. “I do have a few weapons on me, though, for my own protection. I would hate to lose them.”
She grunted, crossing her muscular Shifter arms. “We have a section set aside for any weapons confiscated.” She grinned. “They’ll be taken to the police, and you’re more than welcome to try to retrieve them there.”
I shifted my boot the barest bit, barely grazing her toe, and opened the barest bit of my power, just a tiny sliver. I floated in the cosmos, connecting with her, grabbing her tether, and bringing to my lips swiftly. I whispered, “Agree with me.”
I cut the connection instantly, and then stated clearly, “I would prefer to have them back at the end of the night. I’m sure there’s a safe somewhere you can put them in, right?”
She smiled, and it was instantly friendly. “Actually, yes, we do. I would be happy to do that for you.”
“Thank you.” I moved to the table next to the metal detector, and unzipped my purse, still completely mortified as everyone watched silently. But I swiftly removed my gun, popping the clip out, asking the woman, “Do you have a bag I can put my stuff in?”
“Yes.” She nodded once, smiling at me and taking off her own bag crisscrossed over her shoulders. “Will this work?”
“Perfect,” I mumbled.
I counted the silver bullets I let drop into my open palm, barely flinching, wanting to make sure I got the right amount back, before putting them back into the clip and tossing the gun and clip in the bag. Next, I pulled out the beautiful, silver wicked blade I had inside at the bottom of my purse, dropping it inside as it gleamed under the horrendous yellow light. The next silver knife was at the bottom of my purse, a smaller blade, but no less deadly. I unzipped the hidden compartment, and pulled out the small diamond blade I had and the diamond bladed knuckles, dropping those into the bag. I reached behind me, pulling out a gun from the back of my jeans that I had stolen here in the first three months, not real interested in those bullets since they weren’t silver, but I pulled the clip on it, putting both of those in the bag. I patted my jacket, realizing I had both knives in the inside pocket, also not silver, but I took those out and dropped them in absently. I lifted my right boot onto the table, lifting my jeans a bit, pulling out the other gun I had stolen, taking off that holster. Up came my other leg next and I removed that knife. I zipped my purse up and slung it over my shoulder. I mumbled into the dead silence, “That should be it.” And I tried to walk through the metal detector.
It beeped. Loudly.