Page 4 of Awakened and Betrayed
Ryker’s voice is closer than it was before, and I pull my eyes from my first intended target. I was already moving toward him, and I hadn’t even realized it. I stop the advance and find Ryker. The paladin around him won’t let him get any closer, but they’re no longer trying to force him out of the room. “It’s okay. Don’t fight. It’ll just make things worse if you start killing people.”
Someone gives an incredulous snort, but I don’t pull my eyes from Ryker’s fixed sky-blue stare to glare at whoever it is.
“Just go with them, Squeaks. Call us when you get settled.”
He nods at me reassuringly, and I mirror the movement, even though I am anything but reassured at the moment. If he’s telling me not to fight, I’ll listen, for now.
“It’s going to be okay.”
Ryker gives me a sad smile and taps his chest with two fingers, right over the runes that sit between his pecs. Then he turns and walks out of the room, surrounded by paladin as they escort him away.
3
Istand staring at the door that Ryker left through. Images of my Chosen being forced away from me begin to mix with the memories and helpless feelings of losing Talon and Laiken too. It takes me a couple of minutes to get a hold of myself and rein in the loss that’s slamming into me like a tsunami. One of the paladin surrounding me gets impatient with my lack of movement, and a hand settles on my back as if the owner thinks he can herd me away with a simple guiding touch.
I whip around to punch whoever the fuck is touching me, but he jumps to the side avoiding the full force of my hit. I still manage to clip him, and he stumbles into the paladin on his right, causing a domino effect of faltering bodies.
“High five for having quick reflexes, but if you touch me again, I will fuck you up.”
I glare at the blond male, who doesn’t look much older than me. He tilts his head to the side and then with exaggerated slowness, clasps his hands behind his back. He hikes his eyebrows up and gives me a look that asks,happy nowbefore a smartass smile takes over his face.
“Watch yourself Paladin Rock; you’ve heard what Aydin’s been saying about her.” A stocky paladin to my left warns.
“That’s doesn’t even include what we all just saw happen with Elder Kowka,” another paladin warns the cocky blond asshole, who responds with an amused chuckle.
Well, I guess that clears up the mystery. Elder Kowka is the elder I just magicjacked. I fix my stare on the cocky blond idiot.
“Better listen to your buddy,Pebble,he seems to have more sense than you do.”
A chuckling paladin in front of me starts to move toward an exit, and I follow like the good girl I’m not. The group of warriors around me fall into step with one another, and I’m led through several sets of hallways to an underground garage. This one is different than the one the guys and I parked in earlier this morning, and I can’t get my bearings or figure out exactly where I am. I climb into a black Range Rover and try not to shudder at the brief flashback that surfaces.
I’ve about had my fill of black SUVs. The paladin that’s driving maneuvers us out of the parking garage and pulls out onto the roads of the town. He then begins to drive like we’re being chased by something. I take a couple peeks back behind my shoulder just to check that we’re not, in fact, being tailed, but there’s nothing there. I look to the faces of the others in the car, but they don’t seem alarmed by the Grand Theft Auto reenactment.
After thirty minutes, and more turns and winding roads than I can keep track of, the SUV pulls through a set of gates and comes to a stop in front of a house that’s sleeker and more modern than anything I’ve ever seen before. A giant wooden door that’s double the size of any door I’ve ever seen opens, and out steps Elder Cleary, Enoch, Nash, Kallan, and another young caster I’ve never seen before.
I blow out a frustrated sigh and quietly mumble a string of colorful swear words.Well, let’s get this shit show started.I let myself out of the back seat, slamming the car door behind me, which silences the growing laughter filling the car in my wake. I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought in expressing my displeasure about this situation.
My eyes automatically narrow at Elder Cleary’s calculating smile, and my angry look makes its way down the line of casters waiting for me by the front door. Gravel crunches under my feet, and I begrudgingly trudge towards my newhosts. The paladin escorting me catch up and match my steps. I hadn’t even noticed any of them get out of the car.
“Vinna, we’re delighted that you’re here.”
Elder Cleary’s blue eyes sparkle, and his overly welcoming voice booms out at me. I stop a couple of feet away from him. I don’t say anything. I just stare at him emotionlessly until he squirms from the uncomfortable lack of response. I’m not sure what’s really going on, but I don’t believe for one second that all of this stems from a genuine concern about my safety.
“Well, let’s give you a tour and get you settled in. I’ve already arranged to have your things moved over here. I expect boxes will start arriving by this afternoon,” Elder Cleary announces, as he turns to make his way through the oversized door.
I absently follow everyone into the house, tuning them out as I’m guided around. It’s very different from Lachlan’s mega-mansion, or any other place I’ve ever been, and I’m not sure what to think about it. The floors are polished concrete, and the space is open and encased by huge windows everywhere. Warm wood tones and textured carpets help break up the cold concrete and white walls, but there’s a definite masculine feel to everything.
It’s not a huge house, which surprises me. I don’t know Elder Cleary that well, but I assumed his home would be more ostentatious and showy. The tour takes me into a room that I’m told is now mine. A large bed sits against the wall in the middle of the room. A gray, tufted fabric headboard at its crown, a sofa in the same color set against the foot. The bedding and other décor in the room have been done in shades of purple and sage, and there’s a huge TV mounted on the wall across from the bed.
It’s clean and comfortable looking, and I’ve definitely stayed in worse places. Alarm bells go off as I take in the feminine decor. Either this is some other female’s room, or they’ve been preparing for me for longer than the thirty-minute drive it took to get here.
“I’ll leave you to get settled in, Vinna. Please let Enoch know if you need anything.”
I ignore Elder Cleary as I continue to look around, but my lack of communication or acknowledgment doesn’t seem to bother him as much anymore, and he turns away.
“Enoch, I’ll see you on Sunday for dinner. Be sure to let Straten know of any dietary restrictions she may have.”
“Dad, she’s right there, just ask her yourself,” Enoch grumbles from where he’s leaning against the doorway of my new—hopefully temporary—room.
