Page 11 of Undertow
The guards who adored her.
And on, and on,and on.
The only one who seemed to see reason was Benson and even he thought I was a bit much on her. He saw her overreaching now that my parents were gone to try and not lose everything she’d had but nothing more.
I bristled when he’d said that, my hormones cooling around him for once. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Someone who is in charge of my security should be better at spotting an actualthreatbecause she is one.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth and annoyance filled his eyes.
“Or if nothing else, I would hope if you’re going to be in charge of keeping me alive, you wouldtrust mewhen I tell you that someone is a problem I’m worried about,” I continued. “Otherwise, this won’t work out very well, now will it? But no, please, tell me how hard things are right now forher.”
“Sagan, wait,” he sighed when I spun away.
I flipped back around and jabbed my finger in his chest, shocking us both. “I don’t know what fucking siren’s song she’s got on all of you fools, but you arefools. I’ve known she’s been a conniving leech since I wastenand she set up that bullshit of me supposedly pushing her when I was home on break. I didn’t even know who she was and she set it all up.
“Even Mother and Father finally saw through her act and were trying to get rid of her. I forgave them because they had too much on their plates and never believed her over me. But you? You—fine, go worry about her some more and I’ll work on keeping myself safe on my own.”
His jaw ticked and I was just glad we were both pissed now.
Apparently, I could be immature if it was Benson instead of handling everything as well as I had been.
I went to leave but then glanced at him over my shoulder. “If you don’t believe me—which I’ve never given you reason not to—figure out a way to watch us next time she thinks we’re alone. You’ll see her drop the act then and mock me that I’m not welcome in my own home and she has more power here. That everyone here would pick her over me. Glad you would too.”
I left, my emotions too all over to hide how he affected me for once.
Hopefully, I could at least smash down my love for him in a deep corner somewhere. Probably the same place I’d been stashing my grief that was trying to bubble over.
That will end well.
Everything went agreeably with the details coordinating having my parents lie in state at the main temple at the capital. I was numb walking the procession. The only thing I noted was when Elira tried to walk next to me.
Finally, people reacted to something unhinged she was pushing and they couldn’t hide their horror at that. I was the only heir and child of the king and queen. Even my aunts, uncles, and cousins couldn’t walk next to me.
And a ward of the royal family had the gall to suggest something so insane?
I was eternally grateful when my mom’s older brother, Uncle Darren, made several comments that Elira had gotten a bit big for her britches and being so close to power had gone to her head. Oh, and when did she plan to get a life of her own and stop living off the kindness of the royal family meant forchildrennow that she was almost thirty?
Favorite uncle ever.
I shot Benson an unfriendly look and snorted. Glad some people around me were seeing reason.
Mostly.
My father’s younger brother kept “joking” that maybe he should be regent. So… Nothing was perfect.
Ever.
Butthis part of my parents’ wishes was. It hurt my soul that they were in closed caskets—for obvious reasons. I couldn’t even see them to say a real goodbye and have closure. There wouldn’t be a viewing for any of us to have that.
Something my father’s youngest sibling acknowledged would be difficult since they rarely saw each other.
It was beyond difficult and there was so much to do that I didn’t even have time to process any of it. I had to get caught up on everything that my parents had both been handling while juggling all of this and accommodating all of the Alpha families coming.
And even more now that Elder Hardin had set his plan in motion. That would absolutely not end well for me, and I was resigned to accept that I would have to take a hit or five to not end up cornered.
Which was why I actually sought out Uncle Darren after dinner Monday night. It was just over a week after my parents had died and I was still in such shock, but to survive what came next, I needed a trusted outside perspective.
Seeing how tired and wrecked he looked, it made me feel guilty to ask for more. He had scruff when he was always clean-shaven.
