Jack grunted, cocking his head, staring at the Com under me. “Yours was worse.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “The fall did that to them, not my elbow.”
Ezra glared. “That was too close. He almost shot you.” Rough cursing. “I’m going to have to work you harder.”
Oh, thank you, master Vampire sensei.
Swallowing hard, I stared at the Com under me. The enemy was dead around us, spread over the sand like beached whales. If they weren’t quite dead yet, they were dying shortly the way their heartbeats were fluttering. I had killed my fair share here, but this was the only one I had done with my bare hands. I scarcely kept from ralphing all over his corpse.
Jack yanked me off the dead body, enfolding me in his warm arms, and rubbed my back as he held me tight, whispering, “Don’t puke. It’ll ruin our cool factor. Laugh a little. It’ll keep the stuff down.” He chuckled at the expression I gave him. “It works for me. Try it.”
I did. Ended up belching.
“Alright, bad idea.”
“What the hell did you think you were doing?” King Nelson shouted in Pearl’s ear.
King Fergus pointed a finger near Jack’s face. “What possessed you to do that?”
“So help me, Ezra!” King Venclaire yelled. “I don’t know what to do with you!”
“YOU. SHOULD. HAVE. RUN!” King Kincaid bellowed directly in my face.
The four of us stood in a straight line in King Nelson’s home for this specific rant.
“Technically, Ezra and I did run,” I muttered.
Ezra grunted next to me.
Jack and Pearl snickered on the other side of him.
Antonio’s lips twitched as he sat on the windowsill.
King Kincaid did not find it as charming. He had been walking away, but pivoted sharply, his wolf growling. Stalking back to me, I felt the pulse of his power unleash as his fury exploded. It rocked everyone in the room until he got control of it, a grunt escaping past my lips as he aimed it directly at me. I couldn’t breathe as he towered over my smaller frame.
He hissed, “I am still your King, young lady.” Another pulse of power, my chest squeezed. “Do not disrespect me!” A harsh, powered push and I physically stumbled while sweat began dripping down my face. “I love you like my own, but don’t you dare,” a wolf’s low growl and a throb of power, my eyes tearing, “disrespect me.” He stared me down, his black eyes glowing, the command blatant in their depths as he really let his power ripple.
A scream fell from my lips as I fought his magical push. My body arched as my mind, and my body, begged me to bow down before him in submission. Still, I battled it with all I had.
“Enough,” Antonio uttered quietly, all previous amusement gone. And when an Elder gives an order, a voice of knowledge and experience, those around listened, even Kings.
The King’s power pulled away, dying a slow and painful death.
I was still dizzy and disoriented, and I staggered, hitting the wall.
King Kincaid spun to face Antonio. “Elder Farrar, she’s going to be Queen. She’s no longer the little child you raised. She is so powerful she doesn’t even know she masks it.” Yes, I did, having finally mastered that goal. “She’s a tremendous asset to not only the Shifters, but to the Mystical community as a whole.” King Kincaid paused, and then really bellowed, “She could have been killed! She’s not ready for combat!”
Gulping much-needed oxygen, I sniffed the air, scenting his aggression, but also his protectiveness. He was freaking, not handling it right. He was scared I was going to end up like Dominic.
Pearl and Ezra each took one of my arms, helping me right myself while all three of my best friends stared at King Kincaid with death’s own glare, but they wouldn’t do anything to interfere between us. The four of us never stepped in when one of the Kings was having a meltdown. We knew their places, and we knew ours. Every Mys faction was diverse in the way they taught and treated their people, because they were different. Although, sometimes it was harder than other times to keep our mouths shut. For the other three, this was one of those times.
“I know her value as a Queen.” Antonio’s voice was soft, and his eyes glowed as he peered off to the side. “However, pushing your will on her is not the answer,” a sharp glance at King Kincaid, his eyes no longer glowing, “and she will always be the child I raised.” He held King Kincaid’s gaze for another beat. “We need to focus on the attack. Talk to Com leaders in the United States. Find out what they know, keep the relations strong.”
Resting against Ezra and Pearl, I watched as all four Kings started shouting again, but this time at one another, and even at Antonio, while I recovered.
We waited for their verdict. We knew we were going to be “grounded” again, since we had been told before — repeatedly — not to fight with Coms. To run until we were stronger. We had directly disobeyed their rule. What we waited to hear was if we would be allowed in the discussion with the United States Com leaders, that now being the subject of their argument.
Eventually, they agreed we would, but disagreed on one subject, which I hadn’t even realized was a subject until it was stated and, seemingly, neither had my friends, because all four of us froze at the comments being voiced.
We had known Antonio was traveling the globe, asking certain high-powered Mysticals to transfer to our school, which they had done. First, there had been Felix. Next, was Aros — wolf Shifter. Then, Alex and Ally — Vampire twins. Later, Ross and Jordan — Mages. Lastly, Chris — earth Elemental — and Eda — air Elemental. What we hadn’t put together was why they had been specifically asked here. Now, we knew.
For us.
Essentially, they were here to be our elite guard, sworn to stay near, and protect us.
I stiffened further as a ghastly thought intruded my mind. As they argued about whether our elite guard should be introduced to the United States politicians, I interrupted loudly, ice in my tone, grabbing their attention. “Do they know what they are?” My friends stayed silent beside me, and I repeated my question, the Kings’ confusion clear. “Do they know what they are? That they’re supposed to be our elite guard? Training for it outside of school, perhaps?”
King Nelson’s golden eyebrows came together. “Of course they do. And yes, they’re training outside of school.”
While attempting to push back my ruthless assumption, I asked slowly, “None of you thought to tell us this?”