Reckoning (2 page)

I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud until he put his hand under my chin and tilted my face up. “I could never hate you. I’d have to rip the heart out of my chest for that to happen.”

I pressed my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stop the sob from escaping, but I was too late. The idea of what was to come was unfathomable. Trauma blossomed in me, like I’d witnessed a fatal car accident only to learn I’d been the one driving.

Alarmed, Riley’s eyebrows shot upward. “Hey. C’mon. You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. The consequences of telling Riley were worse than if I didn’t. Tell him, we all die horrific deaths. Don’t tell, he dies and maybe there’s a way out. Maybe. At least by not telling him, we had a slim chance to survive, but I hated the odds. The stakes were too high. If destiny worked a customer service window, I’d gladly walk up and announce I wanted a different life.

“Juliet?”

Leaning up on my tiptoes, I locked my hand around the back of his neck, burying my fingers in his silky hair and drew his lips down to mine. His tongue sought out mine, driving my need for him into the stratosphere. When I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth, he sucked in a breath and groaned my name in a voice heavy with need.

He gripped beneath my arms and lifted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he winced at the pressure.

I let go of him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He lifted his shirt. Dark bruises mottled his sides, and I hated his father even more for the pain he’d inflicted on Riley.

“Maybe we should wait until you’re better.”

He gave me a wickedly sexy grin. “That will make me feel better.”

I laughed and kissed him again, softer this time, and his hands dipped beneath my shirt. I was lost in him, in the sensations he created within me when footsteps drew closer to us from a darkened corridor off to the right. Riley pushed me against the wall and shielded me with his body.

His body went rigid, his hands drawn into fists. The tension drained from him when he saw who joined us.

I stepped from behind Riley but stood close enough so his arm brushed against mine. “Where were you?” I asked Stone

His eyebrows pinched together, and he gave me a look as if he knew what we’d been up to. “I was searching for fire-rocks. They’re around here somewhere, and if we find one, we’ll have light.” He fumbled around on the ground.

“Got one.” He ran his hands briskly along the sides of an oval rock and a flame ignited, casting a glow to illuminate a three-foot circle in the dimming light around us. Stone held my gaze for a second. The haunted pain in his eyes made me suck in a breath.

“I’m sorry,” I said, knowing even as I spoke the words how woefully inadequate they were.

His girlfriend, Chloe, had been killed and her body thrown into the Void at the same time Stone was cast in. I knew his hurt. Had experienced pain that tore up my insides like a rat was trying to chew its way out. I’d lost people I loved because of the cruel leaders too.

“Now you know why falling in love is against the rules.” He tightened his hold on the fire-rock. “You were worried about saving each other and risked everyone else’s life.” The fire danced when Stone jerked the rock toward Riley. “Chloe’s dead because of you.” He turned his attention to me. “And you.”

“Stone, please look at me,” I implored, hating the chasm growing in our friendship. “What happened to Chloe—”

“Didn’t have to happen.” He looked up at the ceiling of the Void, blinking rapidly. “She meant everything to me. Now she’s gone, and what am I left with?” He lowered his head and glanced at Riley with a sneer. “A king who had his kingdom stolen from him and”—he turned his bitterness my way—“the so-called savior of us all who’s nothing more than a lab experiment.”

The insult hit like a punch to the stomach, and I sucked in a breath. Stone had never cast a slur on the circumstances of my creation before.

I forced myself to push aside the hurt. Hadn’t I lashed out when grief had a stranglehold on me? I tentatively touched his shirt, sliding my hand around his waist, intending to give him a hug.

He put his hand on my shoulder and shoved me away. I staggered backward and landed hard on my butt.

Before I could get up, Riley gripped Stone’s shirt collar and backed him against the cold, unforgiving wall, their faces inches apart. “I understand your pain—how the rage and emptiness burns—and I know you’re grieving, but be a man about it. Don’t take it out on Juliet.”

Seconds ticked by, and I thought they were going to come to blows. They might have if a light hadn’t bathed us all in blinding brightness. I squinted and shaded my eyes with my hand. We’d been focused on each other, and we hadn’t heard the Guard approach. Guards weren’t known for their kindness. They were the reason some of the mixed-blood children had been maimed and others of them killed. I hated the sight of these heartless Supernaturals.

He swaggered closer, thrusting his wide chest out. “Dissention already?” His stomach hung over the sides of his utility belt, nearly covering his weapon. He reeked of dirt and sweat and when he smiled, he revealed protruding front teeth. He belched and his onion-coated breath wafted in my direction, so thick and putrid I could almost swear I saw the stench hanging in the air like a poisonous gas. My empty stomach rebelled, and I gagged. The Guard’s close-set eyes swung to me, and his gaze raked over my body. A gleam of interest flashed in his eyes. He leered and came closer. “What do we have here?”

RILEY

I wanted to kill the Guard for the way he looked at Juliet. It didn’t take a mind reader to guess his thoughts. Stone and I moved in front of Juliet, hiding her from the Guard’s view. Juliet was tough enough to kick ass on her own, but not down here. Not without her power. The idiot Guard kept walking closer and stretched out his hand as if to brush us aside.

“You’ll be dead the second you make contact,” I said, and some part of me wanted him to reach for her so I could feel justified beating him to death. I’d dealt with this kind of Guard before. Bullies who thought they could take what they wanted and leave others broken in their wake.

The Guard withdrew his hand and closed his fist around the handle of his weapon. “You want me dead, eh?”

“That’s up to you.” I’d always tried to maintain control of my emotions. I’d learned to from a young age, but the thought of anyone hurting Juliet stirred the bloodthirst in me.

Heeding the warning in my voice, the Guard spit on the ground, and lowered the light away from our faces. He shined it around his feet. Dozens of skeletal remains littered the dirt. “Friends of yours?” He seemed to think that was hilarious and let out a loud bout of laughter. Sending Stone a sly glance, he said, “Have you found a way to bury your girlfriend?” He kicked the bones. “Or is this how her remains will end up? Spread out in the open because her life didn’t matter?”

Stone dropped the fire-rock and lunged for the Guard. He grabbed him around the waist and punched him in the stomach, his fist disappearing into the fleshly folds of fat. Because Stone was powerless in the Void, he was no match for the strength of the Guard. The Guard backhanded him, sending Stone flying into the wall. His body landed hard, the sound echoing like a baseball hit with a bat.

I started forward and the Guard pulled out his weapon, aimed it at me, and barked, “Don’t move!”

Another Guard brushed past the first one and relief coursed through me. Mallen. I’d known him for many years. He was as good as this one was unkind, as tall as the other Guard was round. He had strangely shaped eyes with pupils that were a dull orange instead of black. Long gray hair hung down his back in a fat braid. He took in the scene with one glance. “What’s going on?”

“This one attacked me for no reason,” the first Guard said.

“You pointed your weapon at a member of royalty?”

The first Guard’s gaze flicked to Mallen, then back to me. “But he’s a prisoner.”

“That doesn’t negate his status.” Mallen bit out each word. “Holster your weapon and return to your station. I’ll handle this.”

Hitching up his utility belt, the first Guard nodded and backed slowly away.

I approached Mallen, and Juliet’s eyes widened in surprise when he gave a slight bow. “Did you have any trouble getting assigned the rotation?” I asked.

“No, but your brother, King Ide—”

“Don’t call him that. The thing that stole the throne from me is
not
my brother and sitting on the throne doesn’t make him a king.”

I’d always known I would one day become the king. I’d long ago accepted the responsibility of the burden, even though at times, I hated having my life prearranged for me. Hated how it hovered over my childhood like a bad omen reminding me I wasn’t free to choose. Not free in any way at all.

“Sir? Are you all right?” Mallen asked.

“I’m fine.”

Mallen pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and lowered his voice so it wouldn’t carry. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you this. I know how you feel about Juliet, but she’s your enemy.”

I instantly rejected his words. “I won’t listen to anyone casting a slur on the girl I love.”

“Here is the proof,” Mallen protested, trying to thrust the paper into my hands.

“No.” I trusted Juliet. I wanted to spend the rest of my life loving her.

Determined to convince me, he said, “The kingdom is at stake.”

The kingdom. My duty to always protect it. How many times had I heard that? “Please, read it.”

“No,” I said again and took the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and shoved it back at him, pinning it against his chest. “Choose your words carefully. Speaking ill of her will cost you your head. I love Juliet and when I take the throne, she will become my queen.”

He seemed surprised by my vehemence. With a nervous twitch, he unfolded the paper, smoothing it out. “You would change your mind if you read this.”

“I said no!” I forced myself to calm down, to push aside the disillusionment trying to take root, but it refused to go away. Hovering at the back of my mind, the question birthed to life. Was Juliet my enemy?

Chapter 2

JULIET

I touched the swollen area on Stone’s face where he’d been struck. Ironically, it was on the same side as the long scar he’d received from a different Guard in the past.

“I said no!”

At his outburst, I looked over at Riley. I hadn’t seen the no-give expression on his face since the day he’d first come to my house to tell me it was my time to train to protect the leaders. His hands were clenched into fists. Whatever the Guard had said to him, he wasn’t a fan of it.

The Guard’s body radiated his frustration. “If you cannot do what is best for the kingdom, perhaps you should not rule.”

“Don’t ever question my right to the crown again.” Riley’s voice could have been cut from ice.

The Guard’s shoulders stiffened. His jaw locked and his lips barely moved as he spoke. I thought I heard my name but couldn’t catch the rest of the conversation because Stone moaned again, drowning out his words. He blinked and sucked in a breath when I pressed gently on his cheekbone to make sure it wasn’t broken.

“Ow.” He moved my hand. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

“I don’t know.” Whatever it was didn’t sound too promising.

“Man, I saw stars. My ears are still ringing.” He eased into a sitting position and touched the back of his head.

“You shouldn’t have attacked the Guard,” I scolded, pushing his hand aside to feel the lump on his head.

He gave me a cocky grin. “He deserved it. Besides, I wanted these.” Stone opened his hand to reveal the knife he’d taken from the Guard’s utility belt and a small flashlight.

The shadow of the Guard Riley had talked to fell over us. Stone shoved the items he’d swiped out of sight, but the Guard shook his head. “Don’t bother.” He took two energy bars from the cargo pocket on the side of his uniform and dropped them into my lap. “It’s not much, but they’re all I have.”

“Thank you,” I said, stunned by his actions. I’d never once known any of the Guards to be helpful.

“I need to talk to you.” Riley crouched beside Stone. He sounded end-of-the-world serious. He sent a tight smile my way before he touched the side of my leg, running his hand up to the sensitive spot in the center of my back. “Alone, please.”

“Sure.” Surprised, I scrambled to my feet and backed away. I couldn’t imagine what he had to say to Stone that couldn’t include me.

“Juliet?” The Guard’s smile eased some of the severity of his features. “May I speak with you?”

He stepped away from Riley and turned his back toward him. Up close, his skin had a yellow tinge to it. Beads of sweat formed above his upper lip. “I’m Mallen. I was the first Guard assigned to Riley’s protection detail when he was a child.” He gave a soft laugh. “Even then, he took his duties as a royal seriously.”

I nodded, not understanding what the trip down memory lane had to do with me.

The Guard stroked his chin. “He’ll make a fine king. He’ll rule with kindness, and our people will flourish once again.”