He had stiffened when I had said ‘get us all out’, and now he straightened even more. “I made it through the last war living in a damn sewer. I won’t live like that again.” King Cave isn’t a sewer, but it isn’t this place, and he sure as hell will be living there. “I have Coms that I trust bring food and supplies in and out.”
“There’s stubborn,” I stated. “Then there’s stupid stubborn. Do you know which category I would place you in?”
He chuckled, relaxing a little. “I can imagine.” He opened a door at the end of the hallway. “They’re both in here, taking naps.”
Before entering, I sniffed the air and listened. All I heard were two tiny heartbeats, steady breathing, and the ticking of a clock. But I scented… “The room’s spelled.” My gaze slammed to his.
Cautiously, he nodded. “If you mean them no harm, you can pass.”
My nostrils flared, and I nodded, smelling only truth on him. I carefully stepped through the doorway, not getting killed with the spell, which was probably how it was concocted. The lion Shifter followed me in, and I realized I hadn’t asked his name, so I did in a whisper.
“Lynn Johnson.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr Johnson. I only wish it was during better times.”
He nodded, and then gestured to the left where a tiny female slept on her stomach, her hair orange. “That’s Brenna.” A hand to the right where a not-so-tiny male — compared to the female — slept on his back, his hair a wild, curly black. “And that’s Brann.”
“They’re twins?” I asked in disbelief, studying their size difference. When Lynn nodded, I grunted, staring at the boy. “He’s gonna be big.”
Lynn smiled proudly. “He’s already a little rascal.”
Wonderful. My future may include training a ‘rascal’. “Let’s see if he’s the Prodigy.”
I set Bonnie on the floor with a swift order to be quiet and still, fishing for the die in my pocket. I didn’t miss how Lynn held his breath, watching me closely. I wasn’t sure if he wanted this for his son or not by his expression.
Oh, well, because if it was Brann, it was destined.
I fisted the die, and pulled it out, beginning to slowly open my fingers.
My phone rang, blaring in my other pocket. “Sorry.” I fumbled for it as the kids twitched in their sleep. I grabbed it and quickly hit a button, putting it up to my ear and whispering, “Hello?”
“Are you alright? You didn’t call and it has been over a half-hour,” Ezra rumbled.
On speakerphone.
“Shit,” I muttered, yanking the phone away from my ear.
A pause, then Ezra boomed, “Sweetheart? What’s wrong?”
I fumbled with the phone, Ezra’s voice encompassing the entire room as he ranted in a rising shout, “What’s happening? I knew I should have come with you. All those goddamn Elder f**ks probably don’t know shit about the spell—”
I found the button and his voice cut off for a second before I held the phone up to my ear. Hearing him work himself into a tizzy, I interjected, saying, “I’m fine.” I was pretty sure he didn’t hear me because he kept going on. And on. “Ezra.” And on. “Ezra!”
He shut up, and I said, “I’m fine. I need to call you back, though.”
Silence, then a clipped, “You aren’t lying?”
“No. Scout’s honor.”
He snorted. “Just call me.” He hung up.
Rolling my shoulders, I studied my phone, trying to figure out how to put it on vibrate.
“Ezra…” Lynn murmured into the silence, his kids miraculously still sound asleep. “As in, Ezra Zeller, the Prodigy Vampire?”
I nodded, finding what I was looking for. “Well actually, Ezra Zeller, as in, King Zeller now.” I pocketed my phone. Time to see if Brann was the brat I wanted. “Okay, let’s do this.” I glanced at him, ready to gauge his reaction as I again held out my hand with the fisted die.
And froze.
He was giving me a peculiar look.
“What?”
He blinked. “Did he call you sweetheart,” a pause, “in the middle of his outburst?”
I blinked this time and couldn’t come up with anything adequate in my addled, sleep-deprived mind. “Yeah. I think he did.” I shrugged. “I called him an arrogant ass**le a few hours ago.”
“Okay.” He smiled, which made him even more handsome. “I get it.” Approvingly, he nodded with grand motions.
I wasn’t sure what he really got, but he wasn’t fussing, so I went with it. I raised my eyebrows and nodded, like him, smiling. Then I jerked my head at Brann. “How about we do this?”
His eyes instantly hooded.
Ah. I caught it this time.
He wasn’t thrilled.
Too bad.
Slowly, I uncurled my fingers, but the die was only white like before the spell had been cast. “Shit.” God, I was definitely off my game. “Mr Johnson, I’m going to need you to take your daughter and drive around the block.” My gaze met his, and I saw his nostrils flare. “The spell doesn’t work if any other Mystical is nearby, but hopefully if you’re a block away, it will.” My lips pinched when I could tell he hated the idea. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you or your family. I’m here to find the Prodigy and protect him.”
It took five more minutes to convince him, even though he was scenting my truth the entire time. Protective he was, and I didn’t disagree with his reasoning, so I didn’t push my will on him, convincing him civilly, since I may have to deal with him in the future. I even helpfully carried the unconscious Com out to his car while he carried Brenna’s peacefully slumbering form. That wasn’t completely selfless, because I really didn’t want the Com waking to find me alone in the bedroom with the boy. I had a feeling that after being knocked out, she would shoot first and ask her questions later.
Finally hearing his car pull away, Bonnie and I sat in the middle of the twins’ bedroom, the white die in my opened palm. Waiting. A minute later, the die sparked to life, glowing an even brighter black, which pulsed in my hand. I jerked forward, the die literally pulling me toward the bed with the boy. I crawled, luckily already on my knees because the thing suddenly weighed a ton, and my hand hit the mattress. I watched in fascination as the black spark of knowledge beaded out of the die, leaving it white as before, and raised high into the air, floating above the boy’s forehead.