Forgotten Days (Fate's Intent Book 6) (31 page)

“Well, I’m done.” Ruby said after a few moments of silence, allowing herself to eat.

“Me too.” Jaylyn added.

“Yeah, I guess we should be getting to bed now.” Adele said as the three of them stood up. “Thanks, Sedrik, for the food and the memories.”

“Anything for you three, you know that.” He stood up as each of them approached him and thanked him by kissing him on the cheek.

“Are you guys coming?” Adele asked us.

Zayden looked at Sedrik and then up at her. “You go. We’ll be there in a minute.”

“Don’t be long.”

“Come on, Brutus. You can stay with us tonight.” Jaylyn said.

The dog looked up at Sedrik for his approval. “Hmmm. Tempting offer. I’d take it before it gets away.” Brutus barked and followed the girls out of the dining hall.

We stayed behind like Zayden wanted of us and kept glancing up at Sedrik from across the table.

“Your girls are quite delightful. You are truly lucky men.” Sedrik sat back down and held up his glass to us.

“Yes, we are.” Zayden replied. “But you can stop pretending now, they’re gone. We all know what you’re really like.”

“Oh, Zayden, you always were so determined to see things your way, even as a child but you’re forgetting something.”

“Oh, really and what might that be?”

“We’re not children anymore and if I so choose, as King, I could tell you that your marriages aren’t honored here and have every one of your girls as my own.”

I sat tense. I’d like to see him try.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Sedrik laughed. “Oh, of course not. It’d be all too easy. You know I live for a challenge.”

“You’re over your head on this one, Sedrik. You forget what we can do if you pursue this.”

“Oh, right, right. The Great Seni Fighters come to call. Are you going to kill me, Zayden? Is that you’re plan?”

“It’s crossed my mind once or twice.”

“It’s because I’m a threat. You’re worried that Adele will realize who she should truly be with and when she does, she’ll come crawling back and I think I just might permit her to stay down there for a while, you know what I mean? She’s always been quite the enthusiast.”

Zayden immediately stood up and Troy and I stood up after him. “You can go ahead and think whatever you want but know that will never happen. So, I suggest you should be the one to worry.”

We turned our backs to Sedrik and walked out.

“Wow.” Troy muttered. “Trever was right about him, wasn’t he?”

“Yup. He covers it well around the others.”

“I’m sure that’s part of his plan.” I said. “We better all keep an eye on him.”

Chapter 50

Troy

That was by far the worst dinner I’ve ever been to. I walked back a little tempered. The girls were clearly hung over him in some way and it was worse to me that Jaylyn was. I didn’t want her to stay here another minute but it would at least have to be for the night.

The three of them were sitting up on one of the beds with Brutus when we entered and Adele immediately scolded Zayden. “You didn’t hit him again, did you?”

“No. Wanted to but didn’t.” Adele glared and it was painful to watch. How could she not see it? “Shit, Love. You didn’t notice what he was doing at all?”

“What do you mean? We were having a polite conversation.”

I turned away and acted like I just didn’t hear that after getting to know the real Sedrik. She was completely—distracted.

“Come on, Adele. I didn’t want to get involved but he’s not exactly how we remember.” Ruby said. “Yes, he is still extremely charming and just as good looking but he’s doing that to try and win you back. Even I can see that. Why can’t you?”

“That’s crazy! Is this how everyone feels?” No one said a word though we all wanted to. “All right. Fine.” She got up and started walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” Zayden asked.

“I’m going to ask him myself.”

She left the room and Zayden turned to Ruby with just a look. “I’m on it.” She got up and left right after her.

We were left standing in the room with Jaylyn petting Brutus on the bed and he started to growl at us or at least Rift who was clung to Zayden’s ankles.

“Get that dog out of here.” Zayden said.

“Oh, he won’t do anything.” Jaylyn put her arms around the dog’s neck like she was hugging him. “You can’t be mad at him because you don’t like his master. Brutus is sweet.”

“Just like you think Sedrik is sweet?” I was thinking it but even more surprised in myself that I actually said it out loud.

Jaylyn’s reaction was somewhat unplanned. She looked at me like she used to look at Kole when she was mad at him and her voice sounded more like Adele’s. “I really hope you’re not serious.”

“You didn’t exactly try to hide how you felt.” The truth.

“I don’t feel anything!”

“Oh, please. You and Ruby were practically drooling like that damn dog.”

“His name is Brutus and you’re really in a bad position to be making me mad right now.”

“Really? How am I making you mad because you know I’m right?”

“You really better watch it. There is only four people in this world he obeys and you are getting on the wrong side of one of them. So, if you don’t want to be torn to pieces, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

“You think I’d let that dog close enough to me to do that?”

“His name is Brutus and you would have to because you left this over here.” Jaylyn reached behind her and picked up my sword.

She planned this or at least saw this coming in some way.

“You put that there didn’t you?”

She just smiled, proving that I was right. “You’re not the only one who thinks of everything.” I took a step forward toward her in anger but that mutt next to her sat up and started growling at me. “I wouldn’t come over here if I were you.”

I was only getting madder. I pointed at her and took a deep breath, trying to calm all this fury while saying all things foul in my head. “You are completely—” My anger made me pause and turn away, not finishing my sentence.

“I’m completely what, Troy?”

“Blinded!”

“Oh, I’m blinded? Really? I can’t believe you! Do you actually think that I’m like everyone else around here?!”

I calmed my voice when hers started to crack from being upset. “I never said that.”

“You don’t have to say it! It’s pretty clear that that’s what you’re thinking!”

“Now, wait a second.”

“Just forget it. I can’t be around you right now. Come, Brutus. We’re leaving.” She walked to the door leading outside in the gardens and the dog followed.

She slammed the door shut and I sat on one of the beds and put my hands on my head to think of what I’ve just done. “So much for being perfect.”

“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you two fight.” Darius said.

“Over something as stupid as this too.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll forgive you.” Zayden said. “Even if it is this stupid. Take it from a professional.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see.”

“I sure hope Ruby is having a better time than us.” Darius said.

Chapter 51

Ruby

I did what Zayden silently asked of me and followed a safe distance behind Adele but she did not go back into the dining hall like I thought she would. Instead, I followed her up the stairs until she stopped at a door and knocked on it like she knew exactly where she was.

“I’m not in there but I’m impressed you remembered where my room was after all these years.”

Adele was jumped and turned to Sedrik coming from the other direction. “Some things you can never forget.”

“What do you need?”

“Can we talk?”

“Of course. Come in.” Sedrik opened the door and went in. “I was just about to go to bed but I can make time for you.”

Adele walked in and Sedrik closed the door behind her, giving me the chance to sneak up on it and listen to the conversation going on inside, only getting a tiny visual through the key hole.

“So, what’s up?” Sedrik asked.

“I’ve been hearing some things about you and I just want to know if they’re true or not.”

“All right. I’ll be happy to assist you in the truth. Do you mind if I get changed?”

“No.” Adele turned and sat on the bed. I had clear view of it.

Sedrik took his shirt off while Adele watched and continued the conversation. “What have they been saying?”

“They are telling me that you’re trying to get in between me and Zayden by winning me back.”

“What?! That’s crazy! I would never try and ruin what you have. I know that it’s special to you and I just want you to be happy.”

I knew he was lying right to her face but understood why she believed him every time; he sounded so sincere.

“I know you do but everyone else is convinced that I’m wrong.” Adele said. “And you know I don’t like to be wrong.”

Sedrik walked over and kneeled down in front of her. “Hey. Don’t let them get you down. You’re not wrong. I may still cherish what we shared but I would never ever try and get between you and Zayden. I just lost both my father and my sister in the matter of days and my mind has been on other things.” He started to act sad and now I knew it was just an act.

“I’m sorry, Sedrik.”

He stood up and turned out of my sight. “I know. I have a responsibility to my country and I’ve been trying to live up to my father’s image but it’s been hard.”

Adele stood up and put her hand up but I couldn’t see where, probably touching him somehow. “You’ll be a great King. I know it and I’m sure your people know it too.”

“Thanks, Adele. You always know just what to say.”

She stepped out of my line of sight too but I didn’t hear anything for a few seconds. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“I understand. You better go.”

“Thank you.”

She started walking to the door and I quickly made my way back downstairs to the other room so she wouldn’t see me. “She’s coming.”

I sat next to Darius that would be a normal sight for Adele to walk in to but she wasn’t the next to walk in. Jaylyn did with Brutus and something strange happened.

Troy looked at her but she immediately looked away and laid on an entirely separate bed with Brutus jumping up beside her.

“Did I miss something?”

It was quiet.

“They had a fight while you were gone.” Darius whispered.

“Oh.”

Adele finally walked in and everyone was quiet again while looking at her. She didn’t say anything. She just went over to a bed and laid down. Brutus got up from laying with Jaylyn and jumped on her bed and nudged her arm. Adele put her arm up and he laid under it, putting his head on her pillow.

Zayden walked over and was about to put his hand on her but Brutus lifted his head and growled.

“No, Brutus.” Adele said quietly. “Go to sleep.” Brutus put his head back down and closed his eyes.

“Love?”

“Please don’t. Just let me go to sleep.”

Zayden backed away and looked at me.

I got up and walked out the outside door, waving my hand for them to come out with me. One by one, they slowly made their way outside and the door was closed so Adele couldn’t hear.

“What happened?” Zayden asked.

“He lied right to her face and she believed him. You won’t believe how good he is at it either. I almost started to believe him.”

“I’m not surprised that he did that at all.”

“Then he decided to play the sympathetic card and she—” I paused and looked at the others.

“She what?”

“Well, I’m not really sure what exactly. I only heard what she said. I couldn’t see.”

“Well, what did she say?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“What did she say, Ruby?!”

“I told you. She said, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Zayden stood still and I was ready to see his eyes change but they didn’t. “So, he tried to make a move on her and she refused? Good. Maybe we can make her see for herself who he really is.”

“How?”

“He’s running out of time, knowing we’re about to leave and soon he won’t except no for an answer.”

“Are you suggesting that you’ll actually let him get close to her?” Troy asked.

“I trust her. She won’t take it too far but he is not the type to back down from something he wants and when he realizes that she won’t give it to him, he’ll take it from her.”