Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 (58 page)

Adam smiled at her, catching her look. “Hey, you’re the one who wants to leave.”

“Not
wants
so much as have to,” she said wrapping her arms around his bare chest. “I’ll only be a couple of hours or so. Will you be here?”

He nodded, pulling her even closer. “I might run down to see Gabe and Noelle while you’re with Helen.”

“Be careful. I don’t like you walking around the palace by yourself.”

“I will,” he said, pulling back. “And make sure Reed is with you wherever you go.”

“Of course.” Syney gave him one last kiss before heading to the door. Then she turned around and looked at him for a moment before leaving.
When did I get so lucky?
she wondered, as she stepped into the hallway.

Reed stopped in midlaugh and jumped to his feet to stand at attention. His face turned bright red as Ivy, who’d been sitting next to him, also stood up and gave a bow to Syney.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty,” Ivy said with a soft smile.

Syney hadn’t spent much time with the guard but knew some about her from Helen and Leaf. She used to be stationed on the front lines and had been discharged from being a guard for something that had happened out there. Syney was pretty sure it had something to do with Cass but didn’t ask any further. Leaf had asked Ivy to stay around, and that was all Syney needed to know. If Leaf and Helen trusted her, after everything that had happened with her last Protectors, she did as well. “Thank you,” Syney said with a smile.

“Did you, um, need to go somewhere?” Reed asked Syney as he glanced nervously at Ivy. He looked like a little kid who’d been caught stealing a cookie.

“I have to go meet with Helen, if that’s OK.”

“What? No, of course it’s OK,” Reed stammered. He looked at Ivy. “Um…”

“I’ll stay,” she said with a smile.

Reed nodded and looked back at Syney. “Where to?”

Syney looked back and forth between the two before answering. “Council-meeting room.” Once they were walking, she looked at him, waiting for Reed to talk, which of course he didn’t. She rolled her eyes. “So…Ivy…” she prompted.

“Long story short?”

“Always.”

“The queen decided that instead of Adam getting Protectors, he’d just use yours.”

Syney stopped and looked at him. “I only have one.”

“Technically you have four, and I’m surprised Commander Birch hasn’t noticed that I’m the only one around you.”

“Or he noticed and doesn’t care.”

“Either way, this was the queen’s decision, considering we’re so many guards short. Ivy stayed around to watch Helen when Commander Leaf left, so when the queen made this announcement just after your joining, Ivy came to me and offered to help with the both of you,” Reed said.

“OK,” Syney said as she started back down the hall. “Anything else interesting happen while I was hibernating?”

He shrugged. “Not much. But the queen’s been MIA.”

“She wasn’t even at my joining, which was a little odd. But at least she wasn’t trying to ruin my day or kill me, so it was actually a good day.”

“They postponed the last council meeting in honor of your joining, but I think it has something to do with the fact that she’s been in her rooms for a while.”

“Her rooms?” Syney asked, glancing at him. “Not the throne room?”

“Nope.”

“Now that
is
interesting.”

They were quiet for a while, walking through the Great Hall, before Reed glanced at her, a shy smile on his face. “How’s married life?”

Syney smiled. “Lovely. You should try it.”

He rolled his eyes as they entered another empty hallway. “Maybe one day.”

“Everything isn’t rosy with Hyacinth? I haven’t seen her lately. Although you don’t have much time off lately either.”

Reed made a face but didn’t say anything.

“What? What happened?” Syney asked, pulling him to a stop.

He looked at her for a moment before shrugging and looking away. “We didn’t see eye to eye on some things.”

Syney frowned. What was there not to be in agreement about? They were both guards and had the same beliefs. Then it hit her. “Oh, this is about me.”

“Commander Leaf was right to take everyone off your detail but me. I’ve been hearing a lot of stuff lately. Mostly negative things about you and Adam,” Reed said, staring at his boots.

Guilt ran through her body. Direct attacks were one thing, but now there were ripple effects. And it was still all her fault. “I’m sorry.”

Reed looked up at her and shook his head. “Don’t be. Ivy’s cuter.”

A smile slowly crept across her lips. “That’s my boy.” She took his arm and started to walk again. They were almost to the council room when a bad feeling slowly slipped up Syney’s gut. Anxiety filled her whole body as she stopped abruptly. “Something’s not right,” she said, looking at Reed.

He pulled away from her and peered down the empty hallway in both directions. “Stay against the wall.”

She shook her head and pulled out her knife. “We should keep moving.”

“No,” he said, just before he staggered forward and fell to his knees. He looked up at her and jerked forward, as if being hit from behind. With a rush of air, he collapsed at her feet.

Syney’s anxiety rose as she scanned at the empty hallway in front of her. There was definitely nothing there, but there had to be. She sensed a presence. “You’ll leave me alone if you know what’s good for you!” she yelled, slashing her knife at the air.

A low chuckling sounded in front of her. “I always know what’s good for you,” a male voice said.

Tears burned her eyes as recognition filled her head. She would know that voice anywhere. She pushed off the wall behind her, charging for the spot from where the voice had come, but didn’t hit anything until the next wall. She was about to turn when something large and heavy hit the back of her head.
I should have stayed in bed
, she thought as blackness washed over her.

“‘The moon was high in the sky as Lestra crept from her family’s home. She knew it was against the rules to be out so late at night, but Pheral’s magnetic force called to her even though she was so far away.’”

As Gabe read from the book, his voice soothed her nerves, even with the underlying tone of annoyance. He hated her beloved romance novels but still sat down every day to read to her from them. She had to admit that it was more fun having him read it to her. It was easy to tell when he started adlibbing, putting in his own dialogue or descriptions, which always made her laugh. Those were the moments she tried to concentrate on the rest of the time, when everyone was talking about the beautiful day or how hideous someone was dressing. Her mother always had told her to be happy with what you have and said it was a waste of time to cry over what you can’t change. Noelle needed to be happy that she was alive and just deal with the fact that she had lost her sight to get to that point. She wasn’t entirely blind, but it was enough to feel that depression you get when you lose something that means something to you. All she was left with was a bright white light and some dull, fuzzy shapes. She was grateful it wasn’t total blackness.
The little things
, she told herself daily.

Just as the heroine approached her lover’s door, Gabe stopped reading when they heard a knock at Gabe’s door, or their door to be more precise. After Noelle lost her sight Gabe had moved her to his room, so that he could watch over her
better. “Are you expecting someone?” Noelle asked, her anxiety rising. Ever since she had become dependent upon others, the thought of being attacked frightened her even more.

A very solid hand rested on her shoulder. “It’s OK. But the bathroom is ten steps in front of you, just in case.”

She smiled up at Gabe and touched his hand before he walked to the door.

A moment later Adam’s voice filled her ears. “See? I learned how to knock.”

“I guess marriage has had some positive effects on you,” Gabe said.

Noelle felt the seat next to her dip down and Gabe’s cold hand take hers. She smiled. It was nice to hear the sudden brightening in Gabe’s voice. She never noticed before how his voice changed whenever Adam was near, but all she could do was hear it now and not see his handsome face.

“You two finally come up for air?” Gabe asked Adam.

“Not by my choice. Syn had to meet with Helen.” He paused. “How’s everything been going with you two?” He sounded close; he probably was sitting across from her. She was getting better at figuring out direction and distance.

“The same,” Gabe said. “Everything seems to have grown very quiet over the last week.”

“Ivy said the queen hasn’t been around at all,” Adam said.

“Ivy?” Noelle questioned.

“She’s Syney’s new Protector.”

“I thought she was watching over Helen.”

“She was until the executive order came down that I shouldn’t get a Protector. Reed asked her to stay with me. I’ve got my own bodyguard now.” Noelle could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Not that you actually need one,” Gabe said.

“If I get ambushed again, I will.”

Noelle felt Gabe stand up. She wanted to beg him to come back; his presence soothed her.

“You won’t,” Gabe said. “Mellisandrianna’s done attacking everyone.”

“Why?” Noelle asked, not really wanting the answer.

“I think this is the end.”

“The end of what?”

“For her. She’s been getting weaker for a while now. Not only hasn’t she made her presence seen, she looks older and slower when she has been around.” He paused. “I think she might have a shelf life inside the bodies she takes.”

“That’s good then, right?” Noelle asked, sitting forward. “Syney won’t have to kill her; she’ll just die on her own.” Her comment was met by silence, an uncomfortable silence. “What?”

“I’m going to go,” Adam said quickly.

“She has Reed with her,” Gabe said. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

Noelle sighed in frustration. This was one of the things she hated about these two. They tended to talk without really talking to each other, which made it nearly impossible to follow along with the conversation. “What’s going on?” she demanded.

“I’m worried Mellisandrianna might decide now would be a good time to take over Syney’s body,” Gabe said, returning to her side.

The thought sent a shiver up her spine. “Then what are you two still doing here?” She heard him flick his fingernails, something he did in frustration or concentration—again, something she never noticed until she couldn’t see his look of concentration. “Go,” she said. “I’ll be fine here.”

“I’ll be back when I can,” Gabe said, touching her shoulder lightly.

Following the dark blurry figures that she could see, Noelle listened as they walked to the door. Once the door was open, they stopped.

“Helen, what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting with Syney,” Adam said, his voice rushed.

“I was supposed to, but she didn’t come. I went to her room, but she wasn’t there, so I figured I’d try here,” Helen replied, her voice sounding calm yet a bit concerned.

“Stay with Noelle,” Gabe told her as he and Adam rushed out of the room.

Noelle wrung her hands and sat back in her seat. This wasn’t a good thing. She trusted Reed of course, but the threat had become bigger than one Protector could handle. She felt Helen gently sit next to her and place a hand on top of hers. Neither needed to say anything.

The queen slowly sat down on the chaise longue at the end of her bed and looked at Grass. He had served her well. There was a moment when she hadn’t been entirely sure he would come through and actually get the damn girl here. “Well done,” she said, with a nod.

He feasted on the compliment like a hungry dog. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Mellisandrianna shifted her gaze to the two unconscious bodies in front of her on the floor. She looked harmless lying there, she thought as hate bubbled up in her throat. Mellisandrianna was surprised by the reaction; she’d never truly hated anyone the way she hated this girl now. There had been so many who had fought her coming to power, even some who had attempted to banish her from this world, but none had ever infuriated her the way Syney had managed to. The girl had managed to stay alive after multiple attempts on her life and had the independent thought of a human, an annoying quality.