“What?” I asked innocently. “Some like to blather endlessly…while others prefer silence.”
My King wasn’t stupid as I quietly snubbed Elder Farrar. “Caro…”
“Fine,” I cleared my throat, “In the future, Elder Farrar, never touch the screen.”
“Caro…”
Dammit. “And don’t get too close to it.” Only I could do that.
“Caro…”
I sighed heavily. “And never try to send anything magical through it.” The results were not pretty for the sender.
My King cleared his throat when Elder Farrar muttered another curse under his breath, hearing of the ways he could have been injured. “Apologize, my Prodigy.”
I snorted, snuggling my head further on the pillow. “Not happening. And besides, he knew the worst of the dangers.” The others would have just hurt him…a lot.
“Caro…”
I intoned deeply, “My King…”
King Collins growled quietly, but didn’t try again, muttering, “One day, Caro…you’ll have your own Prodigy to deal with.”
As one, everyone but Sin, Brann, and I started chuckling quietly.
Gaze still on Cain’s, I scowled, and he promptly tried to bite back his mirth, snorting with the effort, and appearing better, I chose that time to cut off the peace I was sending him, which only seemed to affect him a little, his own soothing peace quietly diminishing while the others laughed it up, not noticing any fluctuations in powers, our fingers still intertwined, just holding the other’s hand in the darkness.
“Keep laughing…because,” my lips tilted evilly, “a Prodigy under my training…only means another similar to me to deal with in the future as Elders.”
King Zeller coughed hard, muttering, “Jesus, she’s right.”
I crooned grandly, “And with that lovely thought, I bid everyone goodnight.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Exiting the meeting with elite Guardian representatives—whom my Lajaks had not enacted retribution on yet—that morning, I learned Cullo and Jeria had been seized completely by the Guardians. The two new elite Guardians, which were currently in Eski and Nosa helping to keep the peace, were being given their orders to start their reign in their designated city, to start the city afresh, Guardians to stay posted within both city limits for no less than a year to help maintain the peace. No new information was reported on who the leaders of the rebellion were. We had high hopes the Guardians had killed them off in one of their raids, but Mr. Damon was still leading this search, continuing on under Leric’s and my orders for more intel, since Leric had done a bit of digging when we first arrived at the Temple, and discovered it had not, indeed, been Reece who had fueled the flame—not everything could be blamed on the silent traitor.
But, today was the day we were finally leaving the city where I had recovered from my injury, and I couldn’t say I was any less thrilled than my Lajaks were to be moving out of the hotel suite where, I swear, the cushions were beginning to have permanent indentations, showcasing where everyone’s favorite spots were, which meant we had been there way too damn long for anyone’s liking, everyone itching with cabin fever at this point. Luckily for them, the ride on horseback was going to be a three day stretch to the next major city, only cabana style rooms available along the lush, but deserted stretch of traveling, giving them a chance to unwind. Unluckily for me, I knew I was going to be sore as hell, since yes, I was healed, but no, I wasn’t a hundred percent. But, it didn’t matter. We were moving out.
I had handled the first stretch of the day…decently. I hadn’t whined or complained as I was apt to—at times—when I was ill. I knew everyone wanted to move, so I had. And I had kept moving…until the latter part of the day, when the world seemed to dim on me, tilting, appearing all askew. I had waved a hand then, telling them I needed a moment. To which, when I had felt I was far enough away from the mass, I had promptly puked my guts up all over very beautiful violet flowers, managed to wipe my mouth off, took a small sip of water before the world completely dimmed on me, and I had passed out in exhaustion and soreness.
Not entirely sure what had happened following those lovely moments, I only knew I had woken at some point in Leric’s arms while he was riding his horse…to promptly pass out again. The next thing I knew, I was being laid on a soft bed, the smell of succulent, sweet flowers filling my senses, Leric tucking a blanket around me, barking at unknown individuals, “Find me if she gets worse.”
A door somewhere slammed, then I felt Sin’s familiar warmth behind me as he brushed my hair from my damp cheek, crooning softly, “You were strong today, love.”
Closing my eyes, I breathed out a tired exhale. “Tell that to those poor flowers.” My white, satin skirt and top felt a bit rough against my skin as I snuggled against the bed, but I quickly forgot the oddity as a warm hand lifted mine from the bed, placing a cool glass in it.
I peeked my eyes open, and saw Cain squatting next to the bed, holding the glass steadily in my hand, face neutral as he stated evenly, “You’re dehydrated. You need to drink this.”
I blinked slowly. “You need a shower.” He had dirt and mud all over his face, hands, and black clothes. “What happened?”
“Her antibiotics,” my King mumbled at the end of the bed. “She needs those. Where the hell are they?”
Elder Samson voice was bland. “Her bag, I think, which is still tied to her horse outside.”
“I’ll get it,” King Zeller murmured, the door opened and shut not a second later, only to re-enter a moment later digging through my bag, a breeze wafting in with him of succulent flowers.
My slitted eyes narrowed further on Cain who was trying to get me to sit up to drink, noticing blood dried lines on his forearms. “Explain, please.”
Sin brushed hair behind my ear, also keeping a steadying hand on my back, and I noticed he also had some dirt on his clothing, the stuff flaking off on the white sheet over me, the room appearing to be a small cabana, the enormous bed taking up more than half of it. “You see, love, where you decided to…rest…was actually a very dangerous location. Underneath all those pretty flowers surrounding you, the ground was uneven. We raced after you when we heard a splash, and followed the crumpling of the flowers where you had apparently rolled…right off a rift.”
I choked on my water, my hand shaking to where Cain grabbed the glass from me. “What?”