Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) (7 page)

“You, be quiet.” Ruby closed her mouth and Adele turned her attention to Zayden. “And you, are you telling me how I should handle my team because if you are you better think twice about your choice of words. You may be their leader but you’re not theirs.
I am
.”

Zayden stepped back, holding up his hands like he gave in to her—for the second time so far. “All right. Go for it.”

“I wasn’t waiting for your permission. Ruby, get up.”

“Adele, can’t she just—”

“No! I said, get up.”

Ruby sighed and Jaylyn helped her get to her feet. She was putting minimal pressure on her foot just to steady herself up and it only made me feel worse. This was because of me.

“Now, over here.”

“This isn’t going to work.” Ruby sighed. “You know I would normally be the only one that can do that.”

“Well, you’re the one that couldn’t mind your own business and just let them kill each other. So, this is really your fault.”

“Always seems to be.”

“Yeah, so what’s your brilliant plan then?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re the one that always has the plan.”

“Which you clearly rejected!”

Zayden laughed while we stood through the bickering. “You’re hopeless.”

Adele clenched her fist and she turned to take a swing at him.

It was quick but he brought his hand up quicker and grabbed her wrist then smiled while he looked at her hand in his. “Wow. Were you just going to hit me? You’ll have to be much quicker than that.”

Adele pulled her wrist away from Zayden’s grasp and turned back around with even more anger. “Well, someone better do something about this before I completely lose it!”

Zayden sighed and pulled a dagger out of his boot and took a step toward Ruby. “Then I will.”

I tensed, wanting to stop it myself but let the others protest. I knew what doing that with Zayden would lead to.

“What are you doing?” Adele snatched her words when she saw what was in his hand.

“We’re wasting time.”

Adele and Jaylyn immediately got defensive and stepped in front of Ruby like I was hoping they might do. I wasn’t ready for her to die yet. There was still so much I haven't done with her.

“No! We won’t let you. She’s clearly not escaping.”

“But she is now incapable of making this trip therefore I have to kill her.”

Adele’s eyebrows clenched together and her anger level elevated again, something that seemed easily done. “That wasn’t in our agreement.”

“It is now. I’ve just added it. Now, step aside.”

“You can’t do that.” Her voice was fierce and her stance ready to defend if Zayden decided to act.

“Oh, but I can. You’re forgetting who’s in charge here. You may control them but I control you.
You belong to me
. Hence, you don’t overpower my decisions so step aside.”

The tension between them was high and Ruby began to worry. I could tell by her voice. “Adele? Do something else.”

Adele stood quiet, not listening to Ruby at all and I noticed Jaylyn and Troy share this weird silent exchange. I think Troy may have been trying to help and I wasn’t about to get in the way.

After it happened, Jaylyn leaned into Adele’s ear like she was speaking to her. Hopefully saying something that would help.

“I said, step aside.” Zayden demanded again.

I don’t know how but the Adele I was used to seeing in this short amount of time changed. She dropped down to one knee in front of him and bowed her head. “No. Please. I’ll do anything you want. Just name it.”

Zayden seemed somewhat amused by this and looked back at us with it written all over his face. Then I noticed Adele’s head slightly lift and peek up, her eyes on the dagger in Zayden’s hand. None of us would have been fast enough to stop it except for Zayden but he wasn’t even looking.

Adele quickly brought her hand up toward Zayden’s arm and pulled him down towards her then she kicked his feet out from underneath him with one leg and he fell to the ground. She rolled over him while taking the dagger out of his hand and pinned his shoulders down to the ground with her knees.

I stood behind her and pulled out my sword while Troy put his hand on his and watched Adele closely while she held the dagger close to Zayden’s neck. I would have been ready to defend if she sought to hurt him.

“I said no. Now think of something or I will kill you.”

I immediately took a step closer to Adele with Troy right at my side.

“No.” Zayden held out his hand to us. “It’s okay. She won’t kill me.”

“What makes you so sure?” Adele pressed the dagger closer to his neck and my grip on my sword got tighter.

“Because if you kill me, you’ll die here too and I know that’s not how either of us want things to be.”

“But I’m willing to give my life for my team so you better think of something quick.”

“Put that down and maybe I will.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Then I give you my word. I will not kill her or anyone else for the remaining of the journey unless terms of our original agreement are broken.”

There was a long pause while they stared at each other. I didn’t know what was going to happen but the unexpected did. Adele moved the dagger from his neck and stuck it in the ground right next to his head. They stared at each other for another second until Adele got up and I relaxed from the sudden tension.

Zayden got up after her and picked up the dagger, putting it back in his boot while he turned to me. “You. This is more your fault. You carry her. Now let’s go before
something else
delays our time.”

I guess I deserved that. It was my fault just as he said. I handed my sword to Troy and turned my back to Ruby as I got down on one knee.

“All right easy, Muscles.” Ruby placed her hands on my armored shoulders. “Ready?”

“Yup.”

Jaylyn helped her hop up on my back. She put her arms around my neck as I held her legs around me, not even bothered by the extra weight. I could take it. I have before.

I stood up as I was handed back my sword and held it by my shoulder. “The armor isn’t too uncomfortable, I hope.”

“No. It’s fine.”

“You sure? I could remove it if you’d like. I’m sure Troy would—”

“I am not carrying your shit all the way home because you want to make her feel more comfortable!”

“I apologize.” I told her a little jokingly. “He has no respect for women.”

“I don’t? You’re kidding me?!”

“It’s all right.” Ruby said, probably trying not to get us into another fight while I was holding her. “This is fine.”

Troy turned away not to bother himself with it anymore and I just smiled. “Good.”

“Ah—sorry about this though.” Ruby said quietly, trying not to have her voice carried passed my range of hearing.

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t weigh a thing. My sword weighs more than you.”

I felt her quiet laugh vibrate my armor. “Compliment to me. You’re not making this so terrible yourself.”

I smiled until I saw Zayden’s eyes on me. He surely wasn’t happy about the casual flirting but it was making me feel a bit better. “Let’s go. We have a lot of ground to make up for before we have to stop for the night.”

I was almost relieved to hear about that but Adele quickly approached when we all started to follow him east. “Wait a second. You mean we’re actually going to stop?”

“That’s what I said. Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there’s a problem. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Well, that’s not at all up to you now is it? I said we’re stopping so that means we’re stopping. Now, lower the noise level and let’s keep moving.”

Adele held back from continuing the conversation for her sake most likely or at least she was smart to stop it. What Zayden says goes and no one was going to change that. Right now, I wasn’t one to want to. He ordered me with the pleasure to carry Ruby and keep her close to me and I’ll do it. She was enjoying it too. I could tell when she laid her head down on my back.

I looked over at Troy with a proud smile just to brag. Things were already beginning to look up and the time was getting closer when I would finally get to show her what it’s like to be with a real Senian.

Chapter 9

Ruby

The sun was going down and the silence of the day was nearing an end. It was a relaxing day for me. Muscles had been carrying me for hours and I may even have fell asleep at one point. It was making it fun. My last days should be but I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about where we were going and why. I just knew that I wanted to be here now—with him.

“We’ll make camp here tonight and as much as
one of us
doesn’t want to, I know we could all use the rest.”

I lifted my head and Adele was glaring right at Zayden. I guess nothing changed with them since we’ve been walking in silence all day, although I’m not surprised.

Muscles walked over to a rock and set me carefully down on it. “Are you all right?”

I looked up into his eyes and noticed he stayed in front of me to make sure I was okay. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks, Muscles. Oh, I’m sorry. I hope you don’t mind me calling you that.”

He got a smile on his face and probably felt my nervousness for saying it. “Oh, no. Not at all.”

“I would normally use your name but I’ve been trained to—”

“I understand. You can’t expect anything else to come from war.”

“Yeah.” I looked down for a moment, maybe a little in embarrassment for the answer. “I just didn’t expect you to be so—”

He laughed and glanced down at the ground too. “Well, that makes two of us.”

I laughed too but when I did, my eyes lifted and I saw Zayden and Troy looking over, talking quietly to each other. “Um, I don’t think you’re supposed to be talking to me.”

Muscles looked back for just an instant with a sigh. “I don’t care but I should probably help anyway.”

“Well, thanks again for helping me.”

“Of course, it being my fault and all.”

“It really wasn’t. I’m awfully clumsy. You’ve actually seen that first hand when you saved me at the border.”

He was about to reply but someone clearing their throat interrupted him.

We both looked up and Adele was standing with her arms crossed, looking directly at him. “Leave.”

He stood up in front of her and towered over her with his size but she didn’t seem intimidated one bit. Instead, she held her ground and her stare no matter how high she had to look.

“Adele, stop.” I said, trying to get them to look away from each other or at least ease the tension if I could.

Muscles just smiled down at me and walked away over to Zayden and Troy without a word.

“Forget about him. How is your ankle?” Adele sat next to me on another rock.

“It’s still hurts a little. Why won’t you let Jaylyn just heal me?”

“You should know why. It’s too risky right now. No one is supposed to know about us, remember?”

I just sighed and didn’t say another word about it. I knew how Adele was but didn’t take it lightly that I had to suffer because of it.

I knew I needed to get my mind away from getting angry or they would have found out about us. My anger has always summoned my gift and since Adele didn’t want us revealed, I tried to keep all thoughts of it calm and knew just how to do it.

I looked over at Muscles and watched him with his part in setting up camp. The mere sight of the muscles in his arms being worked made me easily forget about everything else like I had hoped. My anger was completely gone in the matter of seconds.

“Ruby! You can’t like him.” Adele said, sounding more frustrated with my behavior. She must have been watching me.

“I know but he’s growing on me.”

“I prolonged your life. The least you could do is not betray us.” I was quiet and Adele thought she had to try to get me to understand by going on. “What? Am I alone here? I never thought a few cute guys could make the Kalu Assassins fall to traitors.”

I snuck in a smile and looked over at Adele from this sudden news. “Ah, so you do think they’re cute!”

“Well, I am a woman. I’ve noticed more than you know but that doesn’t mean I would betray my country for them and neither should you but I guess you and most likely Jaylyn, have already decided against that as usual. Out of all the things you two had to agree on, it had to be this.”

I looked around when I didn’t hear any kind of reply from Jaylyn. “Where is Jaylyn anyway?”

Adele’s head instantly lifted and her eyes shifted in all directions. They just as quickly narrowed to but a thin line with her question. “Where’s Troy?”

I didn’t have the answer but hoped she wasn’t getting herself into any kind of trouble without us or worse, enjoying herself without us.