Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (8 page)

“It’s for his own good. He’ll see that someday and you won’t even be a memory.”

My lower lip was trembling. It only helped that neither of us looked at each other while we walked in a loop around this huge kitchen, being noticed by no one.

“I can assure you, I hold no feeling to this.” I said. “I know it’s not my place to be at his side. I am not nearly worthy.”

“That’s right. He will be wed to your Princess. Only she can teach him the true meaning of happiness.”

“And I have every confidence that she will, your majesty.”

“Good. Now come. It’s late.” He took my arm and started to escort me back.

It was torment to be at his side after listing to his words. He tried doing it politely but I’m basically scum to him and Zayden deserves a thousand times better. He was right though, wasn’t he? Zayden did deserve better. I have finally given in but why? What would be the point? I knew I could never really have him. It was better to try and let go early. At least, I had to keep telling myself that.

Chapter 11

Ruby

Everyone sat quiet when the King walked off with Adele and I had to say something to at least bring Zayden back to life. “Well. Tonight went well.”

“Yeah.” He muttered. “But it’s not over. Why didn’t you tell us about that mission in Ledia?”

“How were we supposed to know that he was there?” Jaylyn asked. “We didn’t mingle that long. Our performance got us there and afterwards we had a couple drinks to be polite and studied our target.”

“To be polite?” Zayden narrowed his eyes, a bitter reminder of who he was. “They’re your enemy. You went there to kill an innocent man.”

“It was our orders. We didn’t have a choice and how many innocent men have you guys killed?”

They said nothing and I wasn’t surprised. We’ve heard the stories a thousand times but I wasn’t about to get in the middle of it.

“All right, I get it.” Zayden said with a sigh like he didn’t want to argue it either. “We’re all horrible people in our own way. I just don’t want any more surprises when we’re trying to convince my father that you’re someone you’re not.”

“That’s fair.”

“Well, are there any other missions we should know about?”

Jaylyn looked at me and I answered quickly before she slipped and mentioned something about the last time Adele was here. “No.” If he were going to find out, it would be from Adele and I quickly changed the subject. “But wasn’t it great to know where you got your gift?”

“I should have guessed it but he’s never mentioned it or used it before, well, at least not around me.”

“Where do you think he got it?”

“I don’t know. You thinking the Enchantress?”

“It’s a good possibility.” Jaylyn smiled.

“But that’s in enemy territory. I don’t think he would have.”

“He’s never told you stories about his past?” I was curious to know if Zayden knew anything. I’ve been around Trever once or twice—or maybe a few thousand times but enough to know that he knew Izin and it was that past that was the reason for it.

Zayden looked next to him at Muscles and Troy. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to get them to say something or he just didn’t want anything mentioned.

“He doesn’t talk about it.” Muscles finally said. “And we don’t ask. No one likes digging into the past.”

That proved it. They didn’t know anything. Interesting. I was going to mention something of it but a door opened and caught my attention before I could.

Adele was walking back to us with the King at her side and she didn’t look too happy, not mad but not happy either.

“Well, it’s getting late. I best be settling in. Oh, and Adriane, one more thing.” Izin pulled her close and whispered something in her ear so we couldn’t hear.

She had a blank look on her face and nodded. “Of course, your majesty. You have my full appreciation.”

“Thank you.” Izin said as he started to walk off. “Goodnight.”

We waved then looked at Adele. She was watching Izin leave, standing still like she was about to let her emotions go. I’ve seen this before and wanted to know one thing. “What was that about?”

The door closed behind him and Adele nearly jumped like she was afraid. I’ve never seen her this kind of afraid before.

“Nothing of importance, really.” She said normally as ever.

I looked at Jaylyn but knew something was wrong. She was lying to us.

“Adele?”

She was standing still, her eyes glazing over and she spoke in a different mood. A mood of sadness. “Um—I’m just going to—” She turned away without another word and rushed to the door while holding her dress.

Zayden looked around at us then got up from the table and went after her.

“What just happened?” Troy asked.

“You should be asking, what did he say to her?” I replied. “I think the reality of all this is finally sinking in from whatever he said.”

“What do you mean?” Muscles asked.

“What do you think it means? I’m sure it has to do with leaving. She knows we can’t stay here. Deep down we always knew that but Adele knew it first. That’s why she’s been acting the way that she has, trying to save herself but she failed and because it’s with Zayden, it makes things more complicated.”

Troy looked at Muscles and there was a curious nod between them. “What if I told you it wouldn’t have to end that way?”

“Then I’d say you’re a fool to think it could end any other way.”

“Then maybe we are.” Muscles said. “Because we know of another way.”

“How?”

Troy took a deep breath like he was ready to spill a secret. “We leave with you—for good.”

“What? You mean leave Seni?” Jaylyn asked.

My heart was pounding just waiting for the answer. They wouldn’t do that, would they? “Yes, forever.”

My heart stopped this time with a question. “Just for us?”

“It’d be worth it if it meant staying with you.”

Jaylyn started to get all panicky. Her nerves were shaking her and it was showing on her voice. “But that’s crazy. You couldn’t all do that. What about Zayden? He’s the Prince. He’d have to stay. Wouldn’t he?”

“Well, this is Zayden we’re talking about here and he’s the one that mentioned it, not us.” Troy said. “We only agreed. That’s how much Zayden is willing to risk to have her. He knew it from the beginning.”

“But your life is here.” I said. “We could never ask you to give that up for us.”

“You don’t have to.” Muscles replied. “We’ve already chosen to.”

Jaylyn was still trying to verbally figure it out. “Do you realize what you’re saying? You can’t be serious.”

“But we are.” Troy said. “There’s always been something missing from our lives and we have finally come to find out what that is. You.”

“Exactly.” Muscles agreed. “Over all the years and all the women we’ve been through, nothing compares to the way we are around you.”

“So, you’re really serious about leaving?” He sounded serious in a determined kind of way but I just had to be sure. It seemed too good to be true.

Troy nodded with the certainty I needed. “Unless, of course, you don’t want us to then we’ll just forget this conversation ever happened.” Jaylyn didn’t say a word and quickly brought up her foot and kicked him under the table. “Oh, fuck! What was that for?”

“You don’t get to answer for us. We never said we didn’t want you to. It’s just hard to believe you’d actually be willing to do that.”

“Is it really that hard to believe? After everything that I’ve already done?”

Uh oh. Jaylyn got up from the table and I seriously thought she was walking around it to unleash some kind of Adele-like fury on him about how dangerous it would be but instead, she lifted her dress just the slightest and sat in his lap, her lips finding his quickly.

“Well. I guess we know what she’s thinking.”

Muscles laughed as Jaylyn continued to kiss Troy right next to him. “And what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that it’s entirely up to you. I’m not going to pressure you to come back with us but if you want to then I won’t argue.” That was the perfect answer but not the one I was thinking. It was dulled down a lot. I figured screaming out with joy would have scared him away. I didn’t want to do that. He smiled and I looked over at Jaylyn and Troy still kissing and hit my hand on the table. “Hey! All right! That’s enough! We’re right here. This isn’t the place for that.”

“Like you cared about that.” Jaylyn said.

“It was different. No one was watching us. Everyone was asleep.”

“All right. I guess, we better be going then.” Jaylyn got up off Troy’s lap and looked back at him. “Are you coming? It wouldn’t be that much fun by myself.”

I turned my eyes right to Troy and he looked up at her with a smile and immediately got up like I expected him to. “Absolutely.” He put his napkin on his plate and they started heading out.

“We’re leaving you alone so you better behave!” Jaylyn called back.

I turned and looked at her leaving with a smile. “You should really think about taking your own advice! It’d might actually be good for you!”

“Oh please, I have no intention of doing any such thing after the day Fate just handed us!”

“I believe you!” I heard Jaylyn’s laugh echo in the distance and laughed a little myself. It was better to see her this way than depressed and I got up from my chair, walking around the table to sit next to Muscles. “She can be funny sometimes. She always feels like she needs to get right to the point. Especially on a physical level.”

“Is that so bad?”

“Of course not. That’s how we’ve always had to do it but we’ve been lucky enough to have a backup plan.”

“A backup plan?”

“Yeah.” I moved my plate over in front of me and started eating off it like the conversation wasn’t a big deal to talk about. I tried not to make it one and kept myself sounding casual. “Someone who’s there when I want him and not there when I don’t, nothing serious.”

“Right, Trever.”

“Yeah. I’m actually surprised she mentioned him at all. She usually doesn’t like to talk about him. After their father died, Trever has been overly protective of her and she hates it when he acts like her father. It’s kind of funny but he and I are just friends. It’s just a casual thing that I’ve been hanging on to. Do you have anyone like that? I wouldn’t be surprised with all the women you’ve been with.”

He was unusually quiet like he was thinking about telling me something deep about him but came out with a simple answer. “No.”

That was fine. I didn’t want to push him to tell me something if he didn’t want to and kept going with it. “Really? That’s actually shocking. Even Jaylyn and Adele have one. Kole and Ryon. They’re old friends of Trever’s. What about Zayden or Troy?”

“No. They don’t have anyone like that either. We’ve never really stuck with a certain one because in reality we can have anyone we want. Well, besides Zayden. He has that one regular that he pays because he hates it when he’s with a girl and she starts to automatically think he’ll make them his Princess or something.”

“That’s understandable, I guess but why change things now?” He laughed quieter like he didn’t really know what to say to that. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just different that’s all.”

“You mean, I’m different?”

“Yeah. You’re not like the women around here. I could tell by the look on your face when you first saw me.”

“What do you mean?” I took another bite of food and eagerly listened on, wanting to know more about this.

“You’re strong and independent. I could tell you weren’t fiercely intimidated by me which I can tell you is something I’m not used to.”

“I bet. Well, I find first impressions to be very important. It’s how people connect for the first time.”

“Well, don’t worry. Considering the circumstances, I’d say it was a very good one.”

“For all of us really. I mean, I knew what Adele was thinking when she saw Zayden and Jaylyn, well, her innocence always gets the guy and she has no problem with getting right to the point like just now when she left. She’ll never change that but I guess when people have always done things one way, it’s hard for them to change if they even can at all, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah.”

We were put into this weird silence between us that I didn’t really like. I would have rather kept him talking but I didn’t know what else to say and apparently, neither did he.

“Well, I guess I’m done.” I put down my fork with hopes to end this awkwardness. “I better get upstairs and get this dress off before I ruin it.”

“It looks good on you.” I followed his eyes follow me as I stood up.

“Awe, thank you but black isn’t my thing. It’s Adele’s. Too dark for me. Like I need another reason to look evil.”

He laughed. “You don’t look evil.”