King Tomb (Forever Evermore) (7 page)

I paused, gauging him. “Sin?”

No reaction, though I hadn’t expected one.

“Stealing?”

Nothing.

“Love?”

The barest flinch…and my grin was purely malicious because I was about to be a huge bitch. “If you’re still upset about losing your mate, it may be time to get over it.” His file stated his mate had died years ago, and compared to his age…wait…there was no reaction on his part. “Oh…not your mate.” When every muscle in his body appeared to go taut, the corner of my lips tilted up at the edges. “Interesting.” My chuckle was pure menace, with no humor to really be found in it. “The supposed badass King Zeller mopes in his bedroom, drowning his sorrows in drugs, all over…pathetic, useless love.” My icy glare met his. “Now, King Zeller,”
asshole
, “did you really beat me?” My public words were a hundred times worse than what he had done.

Antonio and Elder Zeller had gone mute some time ago, even if Antonio was still working on me while Elder Zeller gripped one of my ankles, sending me serenity to take away my pain. But I wasn’t paying them a bit of interest, my attention wholly focused on the furious Vampire standing over me like the devil’s own.

Silently, rigidly, he deliberately lowered until he was squatting, staring down directly into my face, his eyes glowing a smidge, he was so angry. “Nicely played, even if you’re incorrect.”

“Easy target.” My lips lifted when he stared daggers.

His head cocked, and he lifted his hand slowly, still glowering, and ran a single finger gently across my cheek. “I believe having you here at camp will be,” he hummed quietly, pulling his finger back, “interesting.”

My lips were pinched; I was hating that I hadn’t been strong enough right now to jerk away from his touch, and it was slowly dawning on me that I was still half-naked lying on this floor. “I want my clothes.” An afterthought. “And my phone and weapons.”

A single eyebrow raised as he placed his elbows on bent knees. If I wasn’t feeling the peace his dad was giving me, I would have been pissed when his eyes flittered down my body, pausing at all of my private bits. “You’re a Shifter,” he murmured quietly, talking to himself as he continued his perusal. “Why would this bother you?”

My eyes snapped to Antonio. “Give me your shirt.”

“Just a sec, Lil. I’m almost done.” Antonio didn’t even glance at me.

And fucking King Zeller was still staring at my body, doing it on purpose, obviously trying to figure out my reasoning.

“There,” Antonio muttered, taking his hands away.

So did Elder Zeller.

I wasn’t quick enough, the lingering pain disturbing my effectiveness to work the ice back into my veins. Embarrassment at being viewed as I was flooded my system in a heady tide. “Shirt,” I stated harshly, feeling my cheeks flood with color. “Now, Antonio.”

King Zeller’s nostrils were flared, and he had an elbow crooked on his knee, his hand over his mouth as he stared down at me. Bizarrely, even though he was definitely scenting, and seeing, my emotions, he made not one comment as Antonio stripped his shirt off and gently pulled it over my head, dressing me, the material covering me to mid-thigh. Instead, King Zeller stood, stating, “I’ll get Queen Ruckler’s things.”

Elder Zeller stared at his son. “After that, you and I are going to talk.”

King Zeller snorted, turning his back to his dad, moving toward the opened tent flap. “Are we? Somehow, Elder Zeller, I doubt that.” I knew that tone well. He didn’t like his dad much.

Damned, meet damned.

“We’re late,” Antonio growled, his narrowed, irritated eyes flicking to me, then back to the tents of King Shadow. “Do you know how rude it is—”

I held up a stopping hand. “Antonio, I’ve had enough. I know we’re late. And I don’t give a flying fuck.” I met his glare with one of my own. “Besides, having this ‘meet and greet’ dinner is absurd after what happened last week.” My gaze went to the red tent. “I think I know everything I need to about King Zeller.”
Asshole.

He growled again. “This was scheduled for our first night, so we are going to attend as if the events of last week never happened.” He jerked my arm, tugging me forward. “Think of this as a fresh start.”

My eyes widened on him as I let him pull me forward. “That’s it. You’ve officially lost your damn marbles.” I messed with my outfit, which consisted of hip-hugging black leather pants and a blue — like my eyes — tight cashmere sweater with a wide neck, hanging off one shoulder, and a long, hooded, black fur coat that almost swept the ground. “That comment was just about as crazy as you wanting me to wear a dress for this ridiculous dinner.” Of course, when he had actually suggested that earlier at the hotel, I had flicked him the middle finger and worn what I wanted.

Antonio glanced at me, surveying my attire, ignoring my commentary. “Although it’s not what I wanted you to wear, you do look beautiful.”

Pure sarcasm. “I’m thrilled you approve.” He was yanking on me awfully hard, moving at a fast clip. “Mind the merchandise, Antonio.” I jiggled my arm, but he didn’t release me.

In fact, he pulled me along faster, again muttering, “We’re late.”

Bindi, Felix, and Aros had gone with the Shifter who had taken our bags to where our tents were set up. This was a formal dinner for only Elders and the King and Queen, a meet and greet, which was just ludicrous now, but it didn’t appear I was getting out of it. Antonio had filled me in a little more on Elder Zeller since he was part of his four, telling me that the man knew Antonio had raised me, and so I had reread the file on him. He was a badass. There was no other way to describe it. The gene had obviously been passed on to his son — I had also reread the file on him after our encounter. Both equally vicious when they needed to be.

“Well, we might as well make our late appearance,” Antonio sighed at the tent’s entrance.

Entering the red tent, which I had already been in and knew it was spelled to be much larger inside to accommodate all of the Mysticals in this camp, we followed the Vampire who met us at the opened tent flap to the back of the room where King Zeller sat, and next to him his dad, Elder Zeller. Even from where he was sitting, I was reminded Elder Zeller was just as gigantic as his son, dressed in a black Armani suit. Last week, when I had been incoherent from blood loss, I hadn’t taken a lucid perusal of him. He was Native American with shorter red and black hair. His muscles straining his suit jacket, he was extremely handsome like all Mysticals, and his facial features were very similar to his son’s, and just as hard.

I saw him glance in our direction. Do a double-take. And he glanced at his watch.

Antonio sighed next to me, having seen this, but quickly schooled his features when Elder Zeller met his gaze with an arched black eyebrow, which was also identical to his son’s.

I was too busy getting my hatred under control to worry about our tardiness, when I saw King Zeller follow his father’s gaze to us, his face carefully blank. Christ, it was truly an amazing feat that I could feel such abhorrence for someone as handsome as him, my face just as blank as his to easily hide my loathing, and I imagined he was doing the same. From his sitting position, all I could see he wore was a hooded dark silver robe, unbuttoned and opened to reveal a billowy white silk shirt, the only two buttons at the top undone to reveal a portion of his smooth mocha chest, the material resting against his flesh like a whisper. Like my hair, which was back to its normal neon red color, his hair was back to its natural color, which was black and red, and spiked to perfection around his head, his green eyes sparkling under the golden glow of the Mage sparks.

Yep, the frost in my veins had a seething partner now that I’d seen him and remembered, while hatred, pure hatred, flared right alongside the frigid ice. Survival instincts — year-long, honed survival instincts — took root, saving my ass since I could not legally attack him. Instead of leaping across the room to slit his throat, which was only a switch of restraint away, my eyes were hard and cold, frost coating my heart, mind, and soul with — maybe — a bit of a heat in my thoughts reserved just for him.

Finished making our way through the many bulky, wooden picnic tables filled with Mysticals eyeing us, their conversation quieting to mere murmurs, Antonio and I stood across from King Zeller and Elder Zeller, both having stood along with the table’s other occupants; it was only then that I belatedly realized there were others sitting at the table. I blinked and glanced at them, seeing two faces I had met before, the memories between the black voids in my mind.

One was Elder Merrick, and I knew him because he had been my teacher for honing the use of my Shifter strength at King Cave, and was the Shifter of Antonio’s four. He looked no different than the last time I saw him: bold features, black hair, bronze skin, and navy eyes. The other, Elder Jacobs, the last of Antonio’s four and an air Elemental, also looked the same, his yellow hair short against his head, his dark ebony skin appearing almost polished, a fierce contrast to his hair, his body and features delicate. I hadn’t known they were going to be here, too, but it made sense for Elder Harcourt to have pulled them in, bringing together the four Rulers who had led the previous war, uniting their strength.

All four at the table stayed mute — staring.

Antonio cleared his throat and said, “Cahal, Merrick, Jacobs, it’s nice to see you again.” They nodded with greeting, and Antonio turned his body in my direction, lifting an arm, gesturing across the table. “Queen Ruckler, I don’t believe I’ve ever had the privilege to,” he glanced at me in warning, “formally introduce Elder Zeller,” his arm moved to the right, “and King Zeller.”

I barely repressed childishly rolling my eyes and yawning.

Both moved around the table to greet me, and I turned, following their movement while adjusting the velvety fur material strapped around my shoulders, which wrapped around Isa and held her secure against my back. I could feel her glancing around behind me, taking in the scenes, perky and fully awake after having her diaper changed and her bottle. She was also lightly yanking on my ponytail, but it was probably because it was brushing her face, annoying her. Behind me, I heard Elder Merrick make a startled noise when he saw her hidden, but I didn’t worry about him since I somewhat had considered him a friend at one point.

For the first time, I noticed Elder Zeller’s eyes were dark, unlike his son’s, which meant King Zeller must have inherited that trait from his mother. I met them with my own frosty stare and held out my hand to him. “It’s a pleasure to,” I paused just to annoy Antonio, “formally meet you, Elder Zeller.”

He took my hand, but instead of replying in kind, his head cocked, still staring, and finally he asked, “Why do you have two heartbeats, Queen Ruckler?”

“My daughter’s in a sling on my back.” And I was seriously hoping I didn’t have issues with this man about Isa, because if it came from him, the man with power practically oozing from him, then I might be in trouble. Although, I didn’t think it likely since he hadn’t been anything other than shocked when he had initially heard the news.

He stilled. “You brought Isa with you tonight?”

I nodded. “Yes, I thought it best not to hide her.” My head tilted, and since this Zeller wasn’t half-bad, I added, “But don’t worry, she won’t eat you out of tent and home.” I paused, and amended. “Well, she does drink a lot of formula.”

His gaze snapped to Antonio, his hand still holding mine firmly while his eyes scanned his face. “What is it like being a grandpa?”

Isa chose that moment to pipe up behind me, shouting, “Pa!” She giggled. “Pa!”

“It’s an amazing experience.” Antonio’s lips instantly lifted, and he moved behind me where I felt him begin to unravel the material around her. “Cahal, I want you to meet Isadora Marie Ruckler.” I took my hand back from the frozen Vampire and pulled my arms out of the material hooked over my shoulders to help Antonio, but I kept a watchful eye on Elder Zeller, never completely trusting him. A few minutes later, Antonio tossed the sling over my shoulder and stepped beside me holding Isa in his arms, bouncing her a bit. “Isa, this is Cahal.”

The table’s occupants stared blatantly at her, and Isa’s tiny Cupid’s bow mouth pinched, her large green eyes staring up at Elder Zeller; in my proud mind, she was analyzing him. I reached over and pulled her vivid green knit cap down farther on her head, covering her bitty ears against the chill of the autumn air, the decorative frog eyes jiggling on top. She peered at me, back to Elder Zeller, then back to me, staring.

I nodded, smiling at her cautious expression. “It’s all right, Isa.” I peered at Elder Zeller, gauging him long and hard as he gazed at her with a slowly growing look of adoration, which I was not wholly surprised about since she was that adorable. I was decided. “He’s a nice man.”

Antonio bounced her again when she stayed mute, her attention going back to Elder Zeller. “Isa, smile for me. Show him that stunning grin.” And when Antonio ducked his head and made a monster noise against her throat…she giggled, her cheeks scrunching as she smiled at Antonio, clapping a tiny hand over his mouth as he lifted his head. “There it is,” Antonio whispered, kissing her fingers and glancing at Elder Zeller, his chest puffing proudly. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

And I blinked, seeing the badass Elder Zeller…grinning…flashing white teeth down at Isa. Guess he liked the little ones. “Yes, she is.” I watched his hand closely as he raised it, tipping her chin up with a light finger to stare down into her face, smiling at her. He bent, softly saying at her level, “It’s nice to meet you, Isa.”

She grinned, wiggling in Antonio’s arms, clapping her hands, apparently decided that she liked him, too, and enjoyed his attention. I smiled at her, fiddling with her matching green knit coat, making sure it wasn’t bunching at her elbows and bothering her. She hated that. Then, when I was done procrastinating, I turned my attention to King Zeller and stuck my hand out to him, stating, “King Zeller.” I couldn’t say it was nice to meet him because Elder Merrick was behind me, and the man had an incredible nose for truths, half-truths, and partials, and I really wasn’t in the mood to explain why I wasn’t happy to meet King Zeller again.