Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 (32 page)

“Really? Flirting with some young girl to get what you want? I’m so proud,” Gabe said with a smile.

“No flirting. I didn’t even smile at her. I think something weird is going on. When I came in here, three royals offered to find me a seat at their tables,” Adam said, glancing around the room.

Gabe cocked an eyebrow and glanced around as well. After a moment a small smile crossed his lips, and he looked back at Adam.

“No fair using the one Vampire power I didn’t inherit,” Adam said.

Gabe laughed.

“What? What’s going on?” Noelle asked, as Syney and Reed walked up.

“Hey, guys,” Syney said, sitting next to Adam.

“Where have you been?” Adam asked. “I went looking for you. I found some information about Vilori powers.”

“Reed and I went to the market.”

“She bought the whole damn thing,” Reed said, shaking his head.

“I did not!” Syney exclaimed. She looked back at Adam and eyed his hair.

He knew it was a little longer than how he usually kept it, but he hadn’t had time to get it cut; there was too much going on. “Why are you staring at my hair?”

“It’s just…”She reached over and tried to flatten a couple of pieces. The she looked at his face. She wet her thumb and rubbed a spot on his cheek while he stared at her as if she were insane. She brushed a hand down this black suit jacket then sat back to look at him. “OK, now you look good.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You can always play with my hair some more.”

She shook her head then stopped. “Well, maybe…”She started playing with his hair again.

Adam gently grabbed her hand and pulled it down. “What are you doing, honey?”

Syney smiled at him. “Honey? I like it.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I think you’ve gone crazy.”

“No, I haven’t. It’s just—” She was cut off by a loud banging that sounded before the queen was to speak.

They all looked toward the raised platform at the far end of the room. Mellisandrianna stood there, waiting patiently for the entire room to look toward her. Finally she held her hands out and spoke. “It is always with great pleasure that I announce another pairing within the palace. And now, after this morning’s council meeting, there will be much more to be joyous about. As most of you already know, the council has passed a motion to allow pairings between royals and nonroyals. This is a big day for the Village, with a change the high priestess herself has blessed.”

Adam’s mouth flew open, and he stared at the back of Syney’s head. She had done it. He looked at Gabe, who smiled back at him.

“To mark this big day of change, Venus has announced a very special pairing. Our very own seated queen, Syney of House Vilori, and Adam…Blaine,” the queen said, unable to hide her disgust. Nonroyals did not have houses, something she obviously had a problem with.

Syney held out her hand to Adam as everyone clapped. He took it, and they both stood, smiling at the room. Adam had never minded being the center of attention, but now he felt more uncomfortable than ever. Most faces seemed happy for them, while others—mostly royals—gazed at them with contempt. Obviously this wasn’t something everyone was embracing, especially in regard to their soon-to-be king.

“I look forward to your joining,” Mellisandrianna said before smiling once more and gliding out of the room.

Syney and Adam spent the rest of dinner being congratulated by just about everyone. Once he couldn’t take any more, he pulled Syney out and led her quickly to his room. It was much smaller than Syney’s, with only a bed, desk, and one window. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.

She smiled up at him. “Are you excited?”

Adam nodded. “I can’t believe you actually got it passed.”

“It wasn’t hard. Only Mellisandrianna and Adanna rejected it.”

“Really?”

She nodded and laid her head against his chest. “I’ve thought about this all day, and I’m really happy. And most of that is because of you.”

He planted a kiss on top of her head before pulling back and going to his bed. He pulled a bag from underneath and pulled things out of it until he found what he wanted. He blew some dust off a dark metallic ring with a dark-red gemstone and brought it to Syney. Then he slid it onto her finger.

“It’s beautiful. Did Gabe give it to you?” she asked, looking down at it.

He frowned at her. “Yeah, he did actually. He said it was my mother’s. And I want you to have it.”

She gave an odd look before shaking it off and smiling. “I love it. Thank you.”

Adam kissed her, wanting nothing more than to be close to her at this moment. He couldn’t believe how happy he was feeling. Syney had put herself on the line, and made the queen pretty unhappy, so they could spend the rest of their lives together. No one had done anything like that for him before. He just hoped he could show her the same amount of dedication.

“You’re pretty close to Commander Leaf, right?” Cass asked Helen. She never had seen Helen squirm as much as she did at that moment. Her face had turned a dark pink, and she started to pick at her fingernails. Cass almost laughed.

“I…I…don’t know if I would say ‘close,’” Helen stammered, glancing around the almost empty library.

For the past half hour, the two had been waiting for Syney. She had requested a meeting with Helen but was late. That wasn’t surprising. Since their mother had announced her pairing with Adam, Syney had become even busier than she’d been before. Cass had crashed their meeting, only because she desperately needed something to do. She had tried two more times to sneak in to see Wes, but there was no way she’d get past the two guards who were always on duty. The rest of the time she sat around thinking about him. He was set to be executed in two days. The thought broke her heart.

“Do you think you could talk to him for me? I really want to…I need to talk to the Shifter,” Cass said, turning to face her sister dead-on.

Helen stared at her for a moment. “What’s going on, Cass?”

“I just…I need to talk to him.”

“I can talk to Leaf, but he won’t let you in to see him. I can tell you that.”

Cass sighed and looked away. Of course he wouldn’t. She had learned a lot about Lycins from having lived with them for several months. They were the
most stubborn people she’d ever met. If Leaf didn’t want anyone seeing Wes, then no one was going to see Wes, even if they begged.

Syney walked into the library and slowly approached the table. She gave Helen a smile that melted a little as she looked at Cass. Syney was more like a Lycin than a Magic User at times, Cass thought.

Syney sat down across from the two sisters and folded her hands on the table.

“Congratulations,” Cass said quickly.

Syney mumbled a thank-you before addressing Helen. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

“Of course,” Helen said with a nod.

Cass sat back in her chair and pouted. She’d been the first Magic User to meet Syney, and what did it get her? Nothing! All because she’d made one stupid mistake.

“I need to find a way to remove a curse that’s already become permanent.”

Cass shot forward in her seat. “Is that even possible?”

“No, I don’t think it is,” Helen said with a sad smile.

“You’ve never come across anything in your studies? No stories?” Syney asked.

Helen put her thinking face on and after a moment looked back at Syney. “There was one story from before the war. It was part of the reason curses were banned. A royal’s daughter was cursed, and they didn’t realize it until she got very sick. It was a dying curse, but it only showed symptoms when the person reached the age that had been set for the death. In her case, it was eighteen, and the curse was permanent by then. Her father consulted other races to help and took his daughter all around the Realm. When they returned she was cured, but her father refused to say how he had removed the curse. There must be a way, but I doubt a Magic User could do it.”

“But another race can,” Cass said, nodding. “I wonder which one.”

Syney stared at her oddly. “Why do you care?”

Cass stared back at her, her annoyance level rising. She was done being nice. “Why do you?”

“Because it’s interesting,” Syney said slowly. She looked back at Helen. “You know that Vampire book you let me read after Gabe healed me? Is there a book like that about every race?”

Helen nodded. “Up in the restricted section.”

“Can I see them?”

“You have to get permission from Mother.”

Syney laughed. “Never mind then.”

“I could just let you in. I remember the code,” Cass said, wanting to get back in there herself.

Syney looked at her and finally nodded. “OK. But I can’t today. I have an appointment.”

“Joining business?” Helen asked with a smile.

Syney sighed and shook her head. “More like prisoner business.”

“You’re going to see Wes?” Cass asked quickly.

“Who’s Wes?” Syney asked.

“The Shifter,” Cass said, trying to sound uninterested but failing.

“Then yes.”

“Oh, that’s…that’s cool.”

Syney shook her head. “Anyway, I can come by tomorrow in the afternoon.”

Cass nodded. “OK, that’s fine.”

Syney smiled and got up. Cass watched her leave, wondering if she could sneak in later tonight to see Wes. Maybe she could place a spell on the guards or just use her “persuasion” so they’d let her in. Cass had found at a young age that she could tell a person to feel a certain way and they would agree with her. She had used her “persuasion” a few times to get what she wanted.

“What’s going on?” Helen asked, interrupting Cass’s thoughts.

“Nothing.”

“That Shifter means something to you, doesn’t he?”

“That’s crazy. He’s a Shifter.”

Helen stared at her for a moment before leaning closer to her. “Leaf is a Lycin, and he means something to me.”

Cass stared into her sister’s eyes as they filled with tears.

“It’s not so crazy. And I’m here to talk when you want to,” Helen said, standing up. She walked out of the room, leaving Cass alone with her thoughts.

That was the first time Helen had really opened up to Cass. She’d never heard Helen talk about any man, let alone a Lycin. She knew she should just open up and tell Helen the left-out details of the report, but she was nervous about it. Not that she feared punishment; it was more like she feared what people would think of her because she had feelings for a Shifter. She sighed and decided she had to tell Helen, especially since she practically had guessed it. She’d go see her tonight and tell her everything. Cass left the library resolved that her secret wouldn’t be her secret for much longer.

Syney met him outside of the Shifter’s cell. She was trying to make small talk with the two guards who were ignoring her while growing more annoyed with every comment she made. Leaf almost laughed at the scene.

Syney smiled when she saw him approach.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty,” Leaf said with a short bow.

“Thank you. I told you there was nothing to worry about,” she said with smirk.

Leaf rolled his eyes and unlocked the door. He walked in, and the Shifter immediately stood from the floor and took a seat at the table, as he did every time Leaf entered.

“Hey, lapdog. How are we doing today?” he asked.

Leaf stared at him silently for a moment before stepping aside and letting Syney into the room. He watched Wes’s face turn serious as he sat a little more upright. Leaf closed the door and went to stand behind Syney as she sat at the table.

“We haven’t actually met,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Syney.”

Wes stared at her hand for a while before relaxing into in his chair again and crossing his arms.

She sighed and dropped her hand. “I heard the report about your lands. I’m sorry.”

“So you admit they’re cursed.”

“Cursed?”

The Shifter looked up at Leaf. “I guess that report wasn’t totally accurate.”

“Then fill me in,” Syney said, sitting forward.

Leaf moved to stand at an equal distance from each of them. He wanted to be able to get to either at a moment’s notice.

Wes stared at her for a while before saying anything. He was being overly cautious, much more than he was with Leaf. “The lands have a curse on them that killed anything that might grow. Once our plants died, so did our animals.”