King Cave (28 page)

My whole body jolted. “Pause it.” My eyes slammed open to Elder Harcourt. “Rewind it, and magnify the sound, please.”

He stopped the film, eyes on me. “What did you hear?”

“I’m not positive.” I shook my head, not wanting to say if I was wrong. “Just rewind it, please.” I glanced at King Kincaid, Elder Merrick, and Elder Talus — the King Shifter, and the Elder Shifters I knew — while Elder Harcourt did as I asked him. I said, “Listen close. Tell me what you hear.”

Slowly, they nodded.

The video on the golden cube started again, and I closed my eyes, listening to the magnified sound. Once more, my head cocked as the leader got to his particularly loud rant. I heard it for a second time and threw up a hand. “Elder Harcourt, stop.” The sound turned off, the video pausing again, as my eyes flew open to the Elders I had spoken with. “Did you hear it?”

As one, all three of them shook their heads.

“Shit,” I muttered, pushing up from my seat and staring at the image. I felt incredibly stupid that three more powerful men hadn’t heard it, but I knew I had. “I think…” I stalled, clearing my throat, jaw clenching as everyone stared at me expectantly. “Okay, I think I know two things about the man in question.” I stared at the image and not the intimidating Elders and Kings around me. “One, I believe the man is Philip Masterson.”

I saw everyone become still around the table, and I quickly explained for those who weren’t in the know. “He’s a Congressman in the United States. I know him personally, since he tried to rape me a few months ago. I recognize his voice.” My gaze went to King Kincaid’s wide eyes. “It’s him. I know it is. And it also explains the timing of his disappearance.”

“Goddamn mother-fucker,” King Nelson muttered, eyes solid on the screen. A pause. “Elder Farrar, you followed him. Did you see any signs that it could be him?”

Antonio’s gaze was glowing a bit as he stared at the screen. “I saw nothing out of the ordinary at the time, but Lil’s right. It’s his voice, now that she mentioned it.” Golden eyes swung to me, his grin feral. “I believe you have something else to say.”

I snapped my attention away from his scary-as-hell face, and just blurted it out there, “I heard him growl.” I fluttered a hand at the screen when everyone gazed at me blankly. “As in, a wolf’s growl.”

Pretty much the entire room stared at me, hard.

“Let me get this straight,” Elder Talus murmured quietly. “For those of us who are a bit slow.” He pointed at the screen. “You and Elder Farrar have actually been around this man, Philip Masterson—”

I cut him off. “Ezra, Pearl, and Jack have also met him.”

His eyebrows only rose. “Alright, so you five have physically met him, and none of you thought he wasn’t a Commoner?”

“No, sir,” I murmured quietly. I blinked. “But he could have been masking.”

He snorted. “No one masks so well that you can’t feel their power at all.”

I snorted this time. “Wanna bet?” In response to his startled expression at my insubordination, I held up a finger, stating slowly, “Give me a second.”

I let my head fall, closing my eyes. It was harder with the Queen power flowing through my Core, but it was still doable. Sometimes, I practiced late at night when I couldn’t sleep. My Vampire magic was a natural habit to mask, but I rolled my head around on my shoulders, took a deep breath, and reined all of my magic in, stuffing it down deep inside me, not letting any out, before slamming a metaphysical door inside my chest. Another roll of my shoulders, and I peered up at him.

Waggling my fingers at him, I stated, “Go ahead. Test me. Tell me if you feel a thing.”

I felt a rush of power hit me from all angles, not only him doing as requested. Bracing my feet, I bit my lip because so much was hitting me at once, but I stayed standing and got a first-class view of seeing everyone’s eyes go wide, except for King Kincaid, who already knew I could do this, and Antonio, who had taught me the basic idea behind it before leaving directly after my first Awakening. If they pressed hard enough, they would feel my Shifter power, unlike my Vampire magic since it was spelled to be hidden, but they would have to be searching damn hard to feel even the tiniest sliver of my Shifter magic.

“Now,” I stretched, some dirt falling off my arms, “if none of you had met me before or knew who I was, would you think Commoner or Mystical?”

“Holy shit,” Elder Merrick muttered, his eyes flying back to the screen, his reaction answer enough. “That’s fucking amazing, Lily, but I want to hear the growl you say you heard. No offense, but I’ve never met anyone who can mask the way you are, and to find two people in one day seems a bit unrealistic.”

I let my Shifter power back out of my Core, the action a little daunting since I had so much. “Elder Harcourt, just rewind it a smidge, and magnify the sound even further.” I flopped in my chair, dried dirt flying to the floor around me.

Elder Harcourt nodded and did as I had asked, every Shifter in the place closing their eyes to listen. And this time, with the sound turned up to blaring levels, every single one of them stilled at the table. And then a round of quiet growling erupted from them at the same time as when Elder Harcourt stopped the film where I’d had him do before.

“Well, that answers that question,” Antonio stated, eyes on the pissed off Shifters. He held up a finger. “But, it doesn’t explain why I can never see the leader in one of my visions.”

Everyone’s eyes, including mine, went back to the still image.

As we stared at it, Ezra’s quiet chuckle sounded throughout the room. He pointed at the screen. “The answer lies in his robe.” He cursed under his breath. “He’s a hybrid.” My head flew in his direction, as did everyone else’s. “Gold and black. Mage and Shifter. It makes sense for the war he’s bringing on everyone.” His gaze swung to Antonio. “Would it be possible for him to create a spell to deflect anyone tracking him through visions?”

Gradually, Antonio nodded, resulting in a round of curses flying around the room.

It was decided that a group, including the Executioner, were to be dispatched by Elder Camden and Elder Harcourt — they would discuss who would go and find them later — to go to Philip Masterson’s home and take him out, if he had returned from his MIA status. The news of the leader’s hybrid nature would be passed on to the Elders speaking with the Com leaders so that they could disclose this information to them, in the hope that Philip had put them under some type of spell in relation to their ongoing hostility. Then, after two rebellion videos, the meeting was adjourned.

I left immediately, not wanting to risk talking with Ezra.

I ran into Finn in my rush.

Entered his room, having all night long that pleasurable but empty sex King Fergus and I had spoken about, and not leaving until the sun rose on King Cave’s ceiling, lighting my way to practice with Elder Merrick in the fighting arena.

My practice was cancelled due to Elder Merrick’s absence, of which I didn’t find out about until I stood in the middle of the arena with no teacher. Apparently, the entirety of Antonio’s posse had been called away, a gossiping Shifter told me while I waited in vain for my teacher. So I trudged back up the walkway and headed for my bedroom, ready to crash. And that was exactly what I did once I had entered, lying down next to Pearl, who was still snoozing away with Jack — Ezra had left for kitchen duty already — and fell asleep.

I woke to a hard thump on the mattress, and gruff words stating, “Someone’s knocking on your door.” Ezra’s voice, sounding growly and deep.

My eyes shot open just as he kicked the mattress again, and I heard the knocking at the door. I rolled, falling straight onto the hard floor, which reminded me that I had lain on the edge of the bed, not wanting to disturb Pearl or Jack, and not wanting to lie on the side that smelled of Ezra. “Shit.” I jumped up, brushing my hair back, and rushed through the room to the door. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I opened it swiftly, keeping a firm hold on the handle.

King Fergus’s eyebrows rose as he took in my state of dress. “I’m seriously beginning to question if you’re hitting on me.” A pause, his head cocking. “Although, if I were you, and that’s what I was going for, I would rethink my ensemble’s provocativeness. Or lack thereof.”

Or not so much dressed.

I squeaked, slamming the door shut in his face. “Shit.” Staring down at my turtle underwear set, I now remembered that I had stripped down so I didn’t get muddy clothes on the bedding, too tired to throw something else on.

Sighing heavily, I opened the door again, but only a crack, to peek out into the hallway. Where King Fergus was laughing his ass off. My eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t funny.”

“Oh, I’m not laughing at you,” he hooted. “I’m laughing at the Prodigy Shifter wearing turtle underwear.”

My lips thinned. “Snapping turtles. Get it right.”

Which made him laugh that much harder.

“Just give me a minute to get dressed.” It was time for our session, by the look of the sun.

He nodded, waving a hand as he rested against the wall, still chuckling.

“You’re so getting your ass kicked today.” I slammed the door again. And turned in a huff, already running my hands through my tangled hair. And stopped dead.

Ezra was standing a few feet back, arms crossed and resting his shoulder against the wall, staring at me with a hooded gaze. My own instantly hid half my eyes, and I went into motion, moving past him to…well, hide in my closet under the guise of getting dressed. But when I came out he was reclining on the bed, looking fucking good as hell. He was also waiting for me. Hell, at least I was now clothed in a pair of black cargos, a t-shirt, and boots.

Crossing my arms, I asked, “What?”

He stared at me for a long moment, and then asked calmly, “You’re not sleeping with him?”

I snorted, dropping my arms and moving into the bathroom to brush my hair. “No, I’m not.”

Another pause, then a quiet, “I’ve slept with four women since we stopped.”

My hands instantly trembled on the brush, but I gripped it hard and focused on my task, wanting to run the fuck out of here.

I heard the bed squeak, which it had started doing during our three weeks together on it, and he was suddenly resting his shoulder against the doorframe. “I thought you were sleeping with him. He’s never touched you before and he started doing it this week. You’ve been spending so much time together,” he ran a quick hand through his hair as I set the brush down and picked up a hair tie, “I thought you were having sex.”

Breathing through my nose slowly, I studied my hair in the mirror. “Well, we’re not.” My movements were slow and controlled, making sure I got my hair up right on the first try. “It doesn’t matter anyway, Ezra. I realize you were mistaken, thinking I was flaunting him in front of you, and that’s why you tried to hurt my feelings by saying what you did about Rose.” My gaze flicked to black robe. “It still smells of her by the way.”

He instantly backed up, undoing the buttons. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

I waved a hand, walking out past him. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just an adjustment period.”

“Lily, sweetheart—”

“Don’t call me that.” I stopped, my attention snapping to him. Too many memories.

He dropped the robe on the ground, and took three long strides to me. His hand lifted, wavering next to my cheek, and I quickly stepped back, away from him, utterly pissed, but trying to be cordial. His eyebrows slammed together, his hand dropping as his nostrils flared. He loomed over me, and my head crooked, staring up at him. He inhaled deeply, his eyes shutting. He took two steps back. “You were gone all night. I thought…” His eyes opened, void of emotion. “You smell like sex.”

I shrugged, turning and walking toward the door. “You asked me not to flaunt it, Ezra, so why are you asking me?” I stopped, turning abruptly to face him. “And why the hell would you tell me you’ve slept with four women? What on earth makes you think I would want to know that?” I didn’t care that my voice was the tiniest bit shrill.

His nostrils flared, and very slowly he asked, “Did you have sex last night?”

My eyes widened in incredulity. “And what makes you think you have the right to ask me that?”

He stared. “I told you honestly how many women I’ve slept with—”

“Which I didn’t wish to know!”

“—and I would like the same honesty from you.”

My own nostrils flared in anger. “Yes, Ezra, I had sex all night long.” I paused. “Does that make you feel any better?”

His jaw clenching was answer enough. “Who?”

It was too tempting to pass up. “Who are the women you’ve slept with?”

Instant. “Rose, Jessica, Kiki, and Catherine.”

Something inside me broke hearing the names of the women he had slept with spill off his tongue so fluidly. My shoulders hunched as I rubbed at my chest. My feet moved as if on their own, pulling me away from the man who was causing the hurt.

His hooded gaze darted across my face, and he inhaled deeply, then shouted, “
Goddamn it, Lily, I thought you were screwing Fergus!
”

I jerked at his hostility, but kept moving backward, shaking my head. “This is what we both wanted.”