“Caleb, you seem to like them when no one else does. Do you know where the meeting will be?” Aden was beginning to feel guilty he hadn’t done more.
Wish I did, buddy, but I’ve got nothing.
One day left, tomorrow, yet he’d made no progress. Six days had passed, and he’d learned nothing. Yeah, he’d been busy fighting goblin poison, meeting the vampires and dying. Twice. But when it came to the safety of his friends, there really was no excuse for his lack of results.
The door creaked open, and then Victoria was standing in the open entry, wearing a pink tank top and a blue miniskirt. Her dark hair hung to her waist, glittery green ribbons woven into the strands. She’d never looked so human. Or so hot.
“I cooked you breakfast,” she said, grinning as she approached him. She kicked the door shut behind her, her hands occupied with a tray of food. “I’d never cooked before, but one of the blood-slaves helped me. I hope you like the results.” She sounded unsure, nervous.
His chest did that constricting thing. “Thank you. I’m sure I’ll love it.” And even if he didn’t, she’d never know.
Still grinning, she closed the rest of the distance and sat at the edge of the bed, balancing the tray in his lap. “I hate to rush you, but you’re expected below. I wasn’t able to keep your location secret—everyone sensed you, and since you’re here, the councilmen would like you to preside over their morning meeting.”
The scent of pancakes, sausage and syrup wafted to his nose, and his mouth watered. “We don’t have time for a council meeting.” Not that he planned to go to school. Was this even a weekday? He couldn’t remember. Still. They had to get some answers out of their witch. They’d run out of time.
“It will only last an hour, and it’ll be better if you attend. They decided not to punish me for breaking the rules and seeing you, since they were desperate to speak with you. If you don’t, you’ll be hounded or even followed. If you do, we can leave without incident afterward.”
A worthy reward. “What will be expected of me?” He took a bite of the pancakes and lost his train of thought. They were oversalted and raw in the middle, but he didn’t allow himself to cringe. He chewed and he swallowed.
“Well?” she asked hesitantly.
“Delicious,” he said, and smiled.
Her own smile bloomed. “I’m glad. So what do you think of my outfit?” She stood and twirled. “I borrowed everything from Stephanie.”
“You look amazing.” And she did.
Her grin widened as she reclaimed her seat beside him, her hip pressed against his. All that heat and softness…“Are you nervous?” he asked, his voice huskier than he’d intended. “About the meeting?”
She didn’t have to ask which meeting he meant. They weren’t discussing the council any longer. She nodded. “A little while ago, Riley told me that he went into town last night, and there were no witches. None. If they left Crossroads, that means they left us here to die.”
Aden pursed his lips and thought back to when the witches had surrounded him, Victoria, Riley and Mary Ann in the forest.
“We will call a meeting in one week’s time,” one of them had said, “when our elders arrive. You will attend that meeting, human. If you fail to do so, the people in this circle will die. Doubt me not.”
“Only I have to attend,” he said after swallowing a bite of the runny eggs. “But they were waiting until their elders arrived. The witch we captured told us that the elders were due to arrive any day. Maybe they’re finally here.” His eyes widened. “Maybe…maybe we don’t have to look for them. Maybe they’ll find me.”
“That is my hope, though I will destroy them if they even scratch you. But we cannot rest our hopes on that. If we are wrong…”
Everyone he loved would die. His hopes sank. What could he do, then? How could he gain the information he sought? As he cleaned his plate, making sure to moan and grunt a few times as if he were consuming heaven itself, the souls tossed ideas around.
Mostly, they contemplated possessing the body of the captured witch, walking her into town and shouting until one of her friends appeared. Not bad, but that might just get Aden thrown into jail for disturbing the public or something like that.
The possessing thing, though… That might actually work.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said, resolute. “When I finish with your people, I need you to take me to our witch. I’ll possess her, and try and travel back through her life, to last week and the following days, to see if she ever spoke to anyone about us.”
Victoria’s electric blues widened. “That’s brilliant!”
“Thank you.” He only prayed he didn’t encounter static like he had with the nonhuman doctor.
Wait. What? Static? When had he been inside Dr. Hennessy’s head?
“Before you face off with the witch, you need to be warded,” Victoria said, pulling him from his thoughts. “And perhaps I’ll add extra wards to my body, too. I think I told you that my beast has been snarling for release more than usual lately. Ever since our kiss in that car…” She shivered, then shuddered. “I can barely stand the roars in my head—and the fear that comes with them. What if he gets out? Solidifies? What if he attacks you, like he seems to want?”
“I don’t think he will,” Aden said. “Attack, I mean.” He couldn’t know for sure until he actually faced the beast. He just remembered the way the thing had reached for him, as if to caress rather than rip apart. He could be wrong. He certainly had been before. “Let’s worry about that later, okay?”
“You’re right. Come. I’ll take you to the meeting, and while you’re in session, I’ll gather the supplies we will need for the wards.”
ADEN AND THE COUNCILMEN sat in a room of black. Black walls, black metal table, black chairs, domed black ceiling with a chandelier dripping with black crystals. The only decoration to be found was those strange symbols. The wards. They covered every flat surface in the chamber.
All eyes were focused on him, and some of those eyes were glued to the pulse hammering away in his neck. Some of the vamps even licked their lips. He was almost afraid they’d demand a snack, and his blood would be the only food available.
Un-com-fort-able, Caleb sang.
Maybe, I don’t know, do something, Julian said.
Elijah sighed. I want to leave. I don’t like this.
Aden cleared his throat.
Several of the men shook their heads and found their wits.
“We have much to cover today, so let’s get started. First order of business,” one of them said. Aden was having a hard time telling them part, and for the life of him, he couldn’t recall their names. “Many challenges have been issued.”
“Challenges?” Aden asked.
With the question, an entire conversation took place around him, as if he weren’t even there.
“Several of our elite wish to challenge you for control of the crown.”
“I’m only surprised they didn’t cut the boy’s throat while he slept.”
“They feel there’s no need for subterfuge, that he’s too weak to handle them. They’ll learn otherwise, of course.”
“Anyone strong enough to kill the man who killed Vlad deserves our respect. But I think their refusal to launch a sneak attack is based more on their desire to have the entire congregation witness the new king’s defeat. Such confidence is foolish, I think, and they deserve what they get.”
“And don’t forget the wolves. The elite wanted to act honorably so they wouldn’t anger the wolves.”
Nice, but Aden couldn’t worry about any of that now. “Hello, everyone. Have you noticed my presence? I’m here, and I’d appreciate it if you spoke to me rather than about me.” When they nodded, shamed, he added, “Thank you. Now, I’m happy to address your concerns.”
“We are on your side, Majesty.”
“And I’m grateful. Please tell my detractors that I accept their challenge. Later. We’ll set dates for…two weeks from now?” Hopefully by then, the witches would be taken care of and he’d have already picked out his replacement, so the challengers could fight themselves.