Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy (42 page)

"Then just stand outside. I don't want you in here." She looked at Gabe. "You either." She needed him gone. He kept saving her, and she didn't want to be saved.

Gabe narrowed his eyes at her but obliged. Noelle left also, giving Syney one final look before leaving the room.

Syney looked at Hunter. He hadn't moved and was still staring at her. "Please, just leave me alone, at least for a few hours. I haven't been alone in months."

"Are you sure you want to be alone?"

She nodded. She needed to be alone.

He finally sighed heavily and headed for the door. "I'll be right here."

"OK," she said. And then she was alone. She got out of bed and grabbed the bottle of pills Noelle had found. She opened it and poured all of them into her hand. She swallowed them two at a time. By the time she had swallowed the last ones, she was feeling a little lightheaded. She stumbled her way into the bathroom and turned on the faucet in the tub. When it was full, she slipped in and fell asleep the second her head hit the back of the tub. This time no one was going to save her.

Gabe

He didn't want to leave Syney alone for too long, but his need for blood was growing strong enough that he could no longer ignore it. He didn't trust himself with any person, so he settled for a cow in one of the outer towns. He meant to take only what he needed but found himself draining two of them. He left whatever money he had on him at the door of the owners of the cows and ran back to the palace. He slowed down as she reached Syney's door. Hunter was outside, sitting on the floor. Gabe felt for him. Magic User women were anything but simple to understand. They were complicated and frequently irrational. He didn't open the door but leaned against it instead. Hunter didn't acknowledge his presence, but he knew Gabe was there. Gabe stayed out of his head; he didn't need to get in there to know what he was thinking.

"What's wrong with her?" Hunter asked, still looking at the floor.

Gabe didn't know what to tell him. Syney was depressed. She was in pain. And it was all magical. Or at least mostly. "She'll be fine. Just a little depressed. Can't blame her. Her parents died. She's in a place where everyone wants to use her. No one is straight with her. It's a tough break."

Hunter looked up at him. "Did I... Is some of it my fault?"

"I could tell you no—that seeing you with Fern doesn't hurt her. But you're smarter than that," Gabe said as he pushed open the door and walked into Syney's room. He closed it and looked around the empty room. She hadn't left, or Hunter wouldn't still be out there. He strained his hearing and heard a very
faint heartbeat. It was too faint for his liking. Then he saw the empty container of pills sitting on her dresser.

He rushed into the bathroom and pulled her out of the tub. He pushed down onto her lungs, and she spat out whatever water she had breathed in. The doctors had given her Locastone. It was an herb that when crushed and ingested served as a painkiller and relaxant. It wasn't deadly, even if taken in excess as Syney had done, but it could cause some long-term effects, like liver or heart damage. He needed to give her something that would block the absorption of it in her system. He jumped up and stopped before running out the door. He couldn't let Hunter know about this. The man felt ragged enough as it was. He dashed out to the balcony, leapt, and took off running the second he landed. There was a plant in the gardens that he could use. He grabbed a few and took back off. Climbing a flat stonewall was impossible for most, but a Vampire had perfect balance. Gabe easily scaled the wall, finding any imperfections in the stones and using them to get back up to the balcony. He pulled off the petals and leaves and threw them into a glass of water.

Syney drank the concoction only after he forced it into her mouth and coaxed her in her mind. Once it was gone, he picked her up and put her back into her bed. She was groggy but alive. When she woke up an hour later, she automatically started to cry. "Why do you keep doing that?" she whined.

Gabe looked over at her and shook his head. "Because you have to be here."

"No, I don't. I'm not what they want. I'm no savior. I'm just a girl, and I don't want any of this anymore. Dying is the only way to get out of it." She rolled over to look at him. "Just let me die."

"I can't do that. Whatever you're feeling, it's...going to pass. You just have to be strong."

"I'm not strong. Aren't you listening? They keep attacking, and I can't do anything. I learned all of this fighting, but none of it helps. Because I'm weak. I'm too weak to even fight for the man I love. I just sit back and let him go off with Head Bitch. I can't make friends, and when I do, I seem to push them all away." She sat up, holding the sheet over herself. "I can't do this anymore. I don't have one moment when I just forget about it."

"It's not all bad."

"I can't breathe anymore."

What should he do? He could tell her about the curse that was glowing on her hip, but when she found out she would get herself killed, and there was no way he could save her from a public execution. And that was exactly what would happen when she accused Mellisandrianna of cursing her. He had no doubt that the queen had done it, but he had the intelligence to keep his mouth shut. Syney, on the other hand, would be headstrong and go after her
somehow. No, he couldn't tell her. She would have to find out on her own. And that would take some planning. For now he needed a way to keep her from killing herself.

"What do you know about Vampires?" he asked, moving to sit with her on the bed.

"That was a change of subject." She rolled her eyes.

"My fangs," he said, opening is mouth a little. Two thin white fangs sank down out of his top gum. Syney jumped back a little, and her breathing picked up. "My fangs are like a snake's. They have a venom in them."

"Is it poisonous?" she asked, her heartbeat picking up speed.

"No. It does a few things, though. First it heals, so when I bite someone, the wound will heal. It also serves as a painkiller. At first the bite will hurt, but after a moment it stops."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"The last thing it does is...a little harder to explain. People call it the Euphoria. It mainly serves as a way for whoever I'm biting to enjoy the bite. It's much easier to drink the blood of a person who enjoys it."

Syney stared at him for a moment. She held up her hand. "Show me."

He smiled and took it. He didn't want to open the vein in her wrist. It was better to start small. He bit into the bottom of her palm.

"Ow," she said, and sucked in a breath. After a moment she let it out and sighed. He looked at her as her head rolled back onto the headboard.

He didn't pull much blood, just enough to allow his venom to enter her system. A moment later her pulled his fangs out and kissed her palm.

She sighed and opened her eyes. "I still feel...good," she said, confused.

"It stays in your system for a while."

She looked at him. "Thank you. Really."

"You're welcome." He got off the bed. "Now get dressed. Hunter is sitting outside hating himself. And Noelle is somewhere thinking that she can't help you. Go at least pretend that you're OK. For them."

Syney sighed. "Could you hand me my robe?"

He did and went to sit on the couch.

"Can...can you do that again? Sometime?" she asked, pulling some clothes out of her dresser.

Gabe shook his head. The last thing he needed was Syney getting addicted to the bite. It happened a lot among humans. "It causes health problems if done too much," he lied easily.

Syney nodded and went into the bathroom.

He was pretty sure the effects would last for at least half a day, so that was as long as he had to figure something out.

Leaf

Leaf watched her from the doorway. Helen had four executive aides—individuals who held positions right above handmaiden and valet—in front of a table with a map of the Village. She was organizing almsgiving to the different towns, sorting in need of priorities. At the same time, she was telling another aide to start a program that helped out those who had lost family members in any service to the palace. When she had started planning a trip around the Village, to meet the people face-to-face, Leaf couldn't help smiling.

When she looked over and saw him, Helen thanked them all and sent them off to start their planning. She smiled at him. "Hello."

"That's some hard goals you've given yourself," Leaf said, pushing off from the doorway.

She nodded. "But worthwhile. I didn't realize until we went out there the other day how many are in need. I guess you get complacent living here, being raised royal. It broke my heart seeing those families with nothing and then losing loved ones on top of that. It's a shame."

Leaf looked down at the map. He was always amazed at the vastness of the Village. "I agree, but I'm also a realist." He paused. "Your mother won't approve all of these efforts."

"I know. That's why I'm going big. She'll allow me some of them, if only to appease me. But those that she does approve hopefully will make a difference."

He looked over at her. "You would have made a good queen."

Helen smiled as her cheeks turned pink. "I'll make a good priestess."

"I have no doubt." He looked back at the map. She had marked the neediest places with little red Xs. There was one right over his old town along the north end of the wall.

"Where did you grow up?" she asked.

He debated lying, which was odd. Finally he put a finger on Ragin, his town. "Right here."

"That far out? I thought mostly farmers and outcast families lived there."

"They do. My brother is still there. He didn't qualify for service because of a heart problem."

"Is he all right?"

Leaf looked up at the concern in her voice. "Yes. He was sick as a child, though. He couldn't handle the rigors of training. Hunter grew up there as well. Our mothers are still very good friends."

She laughed. "That makes sense. You're both very alike." She paused and looked around the meeting room. "You see this place differently than most."

"I wouldn't say that."

She looked back at him. "I would. You're also both very protective of Syney—which means you want change." She paused. "Can I tell you a secret?"

He nodded.

"I want to see Syney become queen. I think this place, this whole place.. She ran a hand over the map. "...will look
very
different with her in charge. I don't think she sees it that way yet, though."

"She wants to motion it at a meeting."

"I know, but she hasn't yet."

"She's been busy."

"Dying, I know."

Leaf sighed. "You're right. I'm protective of her but only because I know that she's here, at this time, for a reason. My mother was a true believer. She was alive for the Vilori rule. I was raised to believe in the coming of the lost Vilori who would come and save us all. That's Syney."

Helen nodded. "I hope so. You should encourage her to bring it up at the next meeting. The longer she waits, the harder it'll be to sway the council."

"Why don't you talk to her? It might be encouraging coming from you."

"All right. I should be seeing her later at her lesson anyway."

They stared at each other for a moment before Leaf stepped back. "Good luck with your projects," he said, moving toward the door.

"Thank you," she said. "Commander Leaf?"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"Do you think...um...would you like to meet up later? I mean, for a swim," she said, with a little nervous smile.

Leaf wanted to say yes, automatically, but he stopped himself. He should say no and leave it at that. Helen was a Magic User and a royal. Spending time with her could lead to dangerous things. He took a deep breath as she waited, her face growing unsure by the second. "I'll try."

She nodded. "OK. I'll hopefully see you later then."

He gave her a short bow and headed out of the room, away from his confusing and contradicting feelings.

Syney