King Hall (21 page)

Would I really want to be in love again?

Into the drawn-out silence, King Nelson stated dryly, “Ezra, that was a fine speech, but what are these alleged alliances that could be made?”

Ezra fairly pulsed in front of me with tension.

The couch squeaked, then Jack cut in, answering, “Money.” He moved across the room to us where Ezra and I stood like statues, facing each other. “We have tons of it compared to the Coms. We could begin donating to their causes instead of hoarding it for ourselves. Or, we could become more involved with the defenses here in the United States. We met Arthur Lamar, General Lamar’s son, at that same meeting. His ideas were too Com-based but, with tweaking, we could possibly integrate Com and Mys together for national use. In return, they could help us fight our enemies on their soil.” He held up his hands, saying quickly, “I said it would involve some tweaking, but it could be done to benefit Mys and Com alike.”

“Community service,” Pearl stated, coming to stand on the other side of Ezra and I. “All this freaking babysitting has me thinking. We live in these nations that are Com-run, but we do nothing to help them. We use their resources and give nothing in return. We could start a few non-profits around the world. Begin giving back to the nations we live in. A little aid could change the mindsets of Coms so that they don’t see us as such a threat — even though we are. They would see we can help them construct residential or commercial buildings so much faster. In return, they could put businesses in these places with a mixture of Coms and Mys. Win-win. Jobs, money, and kindness for all.”

“Start putting Mysticals in political positions within the nations. The treaty is designed for that,” Ezra stated, still sounding pissed and staring down at me, his heart rate only now beginning to slow. “It’ll take time and, more than likely, the positions minor at first, but a lot of small steps will lead to a larger one.” A pause. “True acceptance.”

I bit my lip, speculating if that was enough. Their ideas were great, and I even had the crazy idea to begin integrating our schools in select cities. In locations already heavily populated by Mysticals, so that the community was already used to them. However, would our ideas be enough?

“You don’t have to do this,” Pearl whispered harshly, peering down at me. “It’s not hundreds of years ago. These are different times.”

“Lily, there’s more than one road to the same destination. This is only one,” Jack spoke gently. “One you don’t have to travel.”

“Those are all very interesting ideas,” King Kincaid murmured into the quiet, speaking softly. “Ones we will be talking with the Elders about.” He paused. “The point is, though, that Lily hasn’t given us her decision on what
she
wants to do about Mr. Masterson.”

I drew in a breath, and blinked slowly as I moved my gaze from those straining buttons up to a spring green gaze that hadn’t turned away from me yet. His eyes bore into mine, his belief still strong. Maybe, just maybe, I was being rash in even considering a marriage to this man because, although it might be a good political decision, I still had no interest in marrying him. He hadn’t gone about it the right way, like Ezra had said. Philip manipulated our predicament to better his own goals.

I glanced to my right, to Pearl’s golden eyes. The same verdict was there.

I glanced to my left, to Jack’s brown eyes. They almost glowed in his belief.

Sucking in another breath, I turned my attention to King Kincaid. “Break it to him easy, since he’s friends with the President, but I won’t marry him. I don’t want to marry a man like him. Had he gone about it differently, I might have been naive enough to fall for it, but he didn’t. He showed his true colors up front, and I don’t want him or a man like that aligned with the Mys community.”

The room was silent until King Kincaid hummed, “I think those are the wisest words, and decision, you’ve made so far.” He nodded, and gradually the other Kings nodded their agreement, after a few moments of consideration. “Get out of here, Prodigies.” He waved his hand at the door. “We’ve got business that will bore you to tears.”

Ezra dipped and thumped me on the forehead with his palm, staring me in the eyes. “Don’t be that stupid again. You’re better than that.”

Jack and Pearl nodded, glaring as we crossed the room.

Antonio patted my head affectionately when I walked through the door he held open.

We stopped directly outside it, facing each other.

I felt stupid for being so…well, stupid. I mumbled, “Sorry about that.”

“Ah, whatever,” Jack said as Antonio shut the door, but it bounced back open a smidge. “We’re all entitled to our dumbass moments.”

Pearl nodded. “Luckily, we’ve got each other to—” She stopped abruptly when the Kings started discussing us inside the study.

“I know we want them to bond. Hell, that’s why the Prodigies are brought to King Hall in the first place, but they’re too close,” King Nelson stated heatedly.

“It’s as if they can’t make a single decision without the others’ input,” King Fergus said. “Joint decisions are wonderful — and needed — we know that, but they need to be able to make decisions alone that are best for their own people.”

The four of us had stopped breathing, eavesdropping, but we froze when King Nelson offered, “Maybe, we should separate them until graduation. After that, they’ll be going wherever they choose to set up their home base. It’ll give them the time and experience they need to make these decisions on their own before they graduate.”

“They came up with some pretty ingenious ideas together,” Antonio detailed into the conversation, his voice mild, not irritated like the Kings’, “That’s progress.”

King Nelson grunted.

King Fergus murmured, “Since you’ve been here, you’ve been preaching their need to get to know one another. Spend time together. You almost seem pleased with these results, their familiarity with one another.” He paused. “Why is that, Elder Farrar? What aren’t you telling us? Because we all know you’re keeping something back. Why are you even doing this?”

The four of us unfroze, leaning closer to the open crack of the door.

Antonio’s response was soft. “Because I must.” Well, didn’t that explain a lot? He loved using that phrase whenever he deemed it useful.

King Fergus muttered, “Kincaid. Venclaire. Both of you are awfully quiet. What’s your opinion on their bond? Should we separate them before it becomes a real problem?”

There was a stretched silence.

Finally, King Kincaid murmured, “I do agree with you two, but I also agree with Elder Farrar. Jack needs to be able to lead his subjects alone, just the same as Lily needs to be able to lead hers, and so on and so forth, but their ideas together today…it just goes to show what their time together has done. Those ideas were genius, and I could tell by the look on Lily’s face she has one too, but she was too worried about marrying that weasel to voice it. If they can do that together, think of what they could accomplish once they’re Kings and Queens.” A quiet pause. “Yes, I agree with Elder Farrar. Let them make their strong bond. I believe each Prodigy is intelligent enough to make decisions for their people when the time comes.”

King Nelson huffed, and then queried, “What about you, Venclaire?”

A long silence, then King Venclaire stated steadily, “I believe we should let them stick together. There’s nothing wrong with their bond. I’m actually a little jealous. If we’d been half as in sync as they are, we may have been better Rulers for it.”

King Nelson sighed, muttering, “I should have known you’d say that. You’ve always been the most liberal of us.” It didn’t sound like a compliment.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” King Venclaire retorted.

King Nelson snorted. “You’ve always been the most
open
with your views. Don’t even think we don’t know about that Shifter you fell in love with.” My heart stopped, and then started again with a crazy-frantic rhythm, my friends around me gaping. I ignored them, and tried to calm down, especially when, even though stunned, Ezra glanced to me with raised brows, but King Nelson wasn’t through, saying harshly, “You still loved her after she was gone, when you became the fucking King, Venclaire! You may have tried to hide it, but we all knew. So, yes, you’re most definitely the liberal of our group. And, I think it all started with her, because ever since then you’ve been too
free
with your decisions and your people.”

“I have always been a great King to my people. Ask any of them if they are dissatisfied. No one will tell you they are, I can guarantee you that,” King Venclaire growled, sounding infuriated. “And don’t you ever bring up Angela. You have no right to say anything about her.”

My friends were dumbfounded, their eyes wide, but my heart broke hearing his tone.

King Nelson laughed. “God, you’re still in love with her! A
Shifter
! And it’s been how long since she ran away from you?”

I jumped, hearing flesh hit flesh, then a deep curse from King Nelson.

The four of us stood in stunned silence.

My biological dad had just pummeled King Nelson.

“You went too far,” King Fergus said softly. “Apologize to him.”

“To hell with that,” King Nelson thundered. “I fucking bled!”

“You will apologize,” King Kincaid murmured quietly, but with steel in his tone. “Not only because she was someone he loved, but because you’ve just disrespected my Prodigy’s mother. I will not have you belittling her name in my house. By all accounts, she was a wonderful woman and mother.”

I stood frozen, not glancing at my friends, whose heads had snapped my way. I hadn’t told them that little tidbit, nor had I wanted them finding out. And now, they had. Quickly, I pursed my lips to keep from babbling and put my hands in my pockets, no fidgeting.

“I didn’t know Angela Springs was Lily’s mother,” King Fergus muttered incredulously. “I only knew Elder Farrar helped raise her.” He paused. “Oh Jesus, Venclaire. How the hell can you stand to be in the same room as the man if you loved her so much?”

“He wasn’t with her that way,” King Venclaire muttered harshly. “Right?” He sounded like he wanted clarification…and didn’t want it at the same time.

I closed my eyes, praying Antonio didn’t say he had been more than friends with my mom. I didn’t think so, but still, it wasn’t something I really wanted to know if they had been.

Antonio cleared his throat and asked softly, “Would it really matter if we had been together? She had already left you.”

My head fell. Not really the answer I wanted to hear. It wasn’t a yes or a no.

“I helped a good friend raise her daughter. That’s all that matters in the end. She’s passed on, and now, her daughter’s here, alive and strong,” Antonio stated into the silence.

“Christ, I had no clue this was so fucking complicated,” King Nelson muttered. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Venclaire. But, if you ever touch me again, I’ll blast you to the middle of the damn ocean.”

My friends were still staring at me.

I kept my focus on the slightly ajar door.

“Back to the matter at hand,” King Fergus murmured quickly. “Do we separate them?”

“I’ll be the deciding vote since I’m an Elder, and you know what I’ll say,” Antonio’s voice was underlined with coolness. “This means you don’t need to vote, since both King Kincaid and King Venclaire have said they want them to stay together.”

King Fergus and King Nelson grumbled a bit, but the decision was clear.

We weren’t going to be pulled apart.

With the way my best friends were looking at me right now, I wished we were.

Pearl grabbed my hand out of my pocket and yanked me down the hallway, then up the stairs, Jack and Ezra following directly on our heels, where she continued hauling me — silently — all the way to my bedroom, where she unceremoniously pushed me on my bed.

Jack slammed the door, rubbing at his palm, antsy again with his shuffling feet, but his expression told me he wasn’t going anywhere.

I didn’t even bother glancing at Ezra, knowing he would be scowling.

They stood directly in front of me, arms crossed, a solid wall of ticked off besties.

Pearl broke the silence, asking, “You knew, didn’t you?”

My lips thinned, but there was no point in lying about this part. “Yes. The first day of school, he thought I looked familiar.” I smiled weakly. “Only a few hours later, it must have clicked. He said I looked just like her. Said they were,” I used finger quotes, “friends.”

“Did you know that he loved her?” Jack asked. “Still does from the sound of it.”

I nodded. “Antonio knew them when they were together. He happened to mention it.”

Ezra exploded, “And you didn’t bother to tell us? A King falling in love with someone from a different Mys faction is
huge
!” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just not done.”

Pearl added, “Don’t forget, it sounded like Elder Farrar was with her mother for a time.”

I cringed, and gave the only excuse I could. “She was my mom.” I shrugged. That should be enough said. Nobody likes to gossip about their mom. “And Antonio didn’t actually say they were together.” I shook my head. “I never thought they were, anyway.”

Still rubbing his hand, Jack squatted to look me in the eyes, since I wasn’t meeting any of theirs. “You should have told us, even if she was your mom.”

Ezra bent next to him, directly in front of me, glaring. “If anyone had made a crack at my King on this subject, I would have been left high and dry, feeling like a fool for not knowing the truth.”

Pearl dipped next. “We have to know these sorts of situations in advance. Be prepared for any snide remarks that would, and probably still will, come out once he’s no longer King. That’s when they really hit. When you’re no longer their Ruler.”

My lips pinched even more, and I reiterated, “She was my mom.”

“We’re not saying anything bad about her, Lily. It wasn’t illegal, it’s just not done, so if others know about it, there could be talk,” Jack stated slowly and softly. “We need to have the correct information to know how to deal with situations like this in the future. You could have put Ezra in a really bad situation when he became King.”