His fingers tapped, his own brows coming together, just as everyone went silent. “It could have been any Mage with a vision to send it to them.” He shook his head. “After I left you today, I had a vision of who you would pick, but,” his brows stayed together, eyes glowing a bit as he stared off at nothing, “I can’t see where we’re going…”
I sighed heavily, and stared at the table for long moments as he came back to himself, effectively telling me he couldn’t see shit about our journey. “When they arrive, I’ll want you to make sure they’re not spelled. And in the meantime, I’ll think on two others just in case they’re being used somehow.” I rubbed at my forehead, pulling my notes in front of me. “For the time being, I’d like to move forward without these doubts. You’ll each be separately guarding me, but I want you to stay relatively close to your four for funneling, which will be,” I flipped my sheet, reading my scribbles, “Elder Farrar, Elder Merrick, Elder Bridges, and Sin in the first group. Elder Samson, Brann, King Zeller, and King Collins in the second.” I paused, then stared between Elder Merrick and Elder Farrar. “You two will be my point guards while Sin and Elder Bridges do…their thing. I’ll want you near at all times.”
I placed the pad of paper down, staring at it a moment. “I know none of you know what you’re stepping in to. You’re all extremely excited and can’t wait to see what lies ahead.” I cracked my neck, damn tired. “And the Temple is beautiful. Amazing. Beyond words. Each of you will be dazzled and learn a lot…but,” I ran a hand over my face, “while the Temple is almost always peaceful, I need each of you to be vigilant. You’re going somewhere unknown, their powers mostly unknown to you. Spirits can be…cunning…on a whole different level there because it is so peaceful. While I am making the show with Leric that all is well between us, I’ll need you to do what you do best because I haven’t heard of an uprising in,” I shook my head, staring at the table, “hell, I remember someone saying something like, maybe hundreds of years ago, which means if there are issues, they’re serious and have been building for some time just waiting for a catalyst.” I chuckled quietly, pointing to myself. “Me.”
Dropping my hand, I felt an enormous weight on the shoulder I shrugged. “While there are a lot of spirits who will more than likely want me dead, just because I’m the Chosen and I chose not to accept the Temple, and probably see me as a traitor, I worry more about the individuals behind any type of uprising against the peace, because they will try to kill me just to start conflict between the many who will automatically give me the respect my position affords.”
Absently, I folded an edge of a sheet, watching my work. “While we’re there I’ll want nightly meetings and will expect your complete and absolute attention, even with,” my eyes flittered on each of them, pausing a moment on King Collins, then moving on, “any issues you may be having in your current life.” I paused, eyes tracking back to King Zeller and King Collins. “I don’t expect us to be gone for an overly extended amount of time, but it could occur. I’ll give you the option right now to step away, because while we’re there, I may need you and won’t be able to risk bringing you back.”
King Zeller instantly shook his head. “I’m in. Elder Zeller and Elder Venclaire can handle business while I’m away.”
I nodded, and then met my King’s brown eyes. His were hooded, his expression utterly blank. I waited. Queen Cooper was pregnant. I couldn’t say picking him hadn’t been a toss-up because of this fact. I hadn’t not picked her because she was, my decisions on the Mages firm, but I had stumbled a bit with him, and whether he would be able to leave her…and possibly miss the birth of what appeared to be their first child.
“King Collins?” I prompted gently when he stayed quiet.
His lips pinched the barest bit. “I believe I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t go.”
My head cocked. “That’s a yes?”
“That’s a yes,” he stated quietly. “But, hurrying has its advantages too.”
I chuckled quietly. “I’ll see what I can do.” Peering back to my notes, I yawned, covering my mouth with a hand, speaking through it. “And lastly, I’ll need you each to…appear intimidating.” There were a few snorts and chuckles, because they already were, but I waved a hand, rubbing my eyes. “We all know image can be a useful tool. If you scare the shit out of them by just your appearance, it may keep the weak at heart from attacking. You’ll already be the oddity of the Temple, you’re already going to be stared at no matter how hard you would try to blend, so just work it fashionably however is needed to get your point across your impenetrable.” Sitting back, I grabbed my Coke. “Any questions I may be able to answer?”
Brann instantly asked, “How will we be traveling to the Temple?”
“I’ll be taking all of you.” That was all I could say.
King Zeller flicked a hand, a scowl on his face. “The One said we would be bound to never communicate what we see. How is that handled?”
“With a simple star.” My eyes flicked to Elder Farrar. “Don’t try to stop this from happening as you did with their memories. There are reasons why spirits are silent, which I’m sure you will eventually hear while at the Temple.”
He stared for long moments, his gaze hardening to a rare side of him I hardly ever saw. “As I’ve said, I can’t see our path on this, but I can tell you I despise being bound to silence.”
I inhaled with aggravation, and opened my mouth…only to choke. Instantly, false loving caresses flittered across my neck, my hair fluttering in a breeze of the unseen tender touch, an arm delicately around my throat. Fear instantly pulled on me, every single man in the room jumping to their feet, eyes glowing, but I held up my hands in a stopping gesture as I tried to push the fear back, to calm myself. I had slipped, the one tie that literally bound a spirit, the only thing we couldn’t willingly say I had been, apparently, about to speak on. Everything was a choice for a spirit, whether we wished to speak on our secrets and have our powers taken, except for this one. This one couldn’t be communicated at all outside the Temple.
I closed my eyes, inhaling, shuddering at the gentle caresses, and after a moment, they disappeared as I calmed, my heart rate slowing, hair fluttering down, the unseen gone. I cleared my throat, and slowly opened my eyes. Everyone was watching with their glowing gazes, damn near on the balls of their feet, and I waved. “Sit down. It’s gone.” Slowly they did one by one. The Shifters sitting first, then Sin, grabbing my hand instantly, then the others. I cleared my throat once more, and opened my mouth, testing if I was about to say anything wrong, but when it didn’t occur again, I stated to Elder Farrar, “Some would believe us Gods, and use us as such, while we are not. The silence is a necessary evil to keep the balance.” I shrugged a shoulder. “It’s something you will have to trust me on, and if you do not, and do not allow me to do as needed, I will not allow you entrance to the Temple.” It was a simple statement of fact.