Plague of Mybyncia (18 page)

“Sorry about earlier,” he rubs the back of
his neck. “I didn’t get you in trouble, did I?”

“I was only scolded a
few
times.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“You?”

Reid laughs. “Sampson asked where I was and I
told him,” he rolls his eyes. “You think I would’ve committed a
murder or something.”

“I must’ve been told it was unacceptable at
least five times.”

“Yeah…sorry. Didn’t think everyone would
freak out. So,” he folds his arms, growing serious, “how did it go
with Perio?”

“You were right. He didn’t want to talk about
anything other than them.”

“Nothing?”

“Not really. Kept saying he did everything
for her.”

“Did he see you?”

“Towards the end.”

“And?”

“He
really
hates outsiders.”

Reid narrows his eyes. “What’d he say?”

“The usual. Mybyncia is the greatest World…
everyone else is an outsider… we’re all going to pay for our
crimes. Blah, blah, blah.”

“Did he threaten
you
?”

“Only a handful of times.”

Reid’s eyes frost over.

“Did you expect anything different?”

He exhales, glancing around the Great Hall.
Eyes averted, he nods. “Sampson said it wasn’t very productive. At
least it’s out of the princess’s system.”

“Boss,” Jace cups his shoulder, red-eyed and
grinning. “You going to join us for some Hunnis? Tucker’s partaking
and so are Sampson and Clarence. Thinking it’s going to be a
good
night,” he glances my way. “Hey, Fallon.”

“Hi, Jace.”

Reid nods. “I will in a bit.”

“Oh,” he hiccups, “and Tucker’s looking for
you. He’s getting all panicky about something.”

Reid sighs, weighing a decision. Finally he
acquiesces. “Give me a sec. I’ll be right there.”

Jace nods and retreats as Reid turns back to
me. “You’re not heading back to your room yet, are you?”

“No.”

“Good. Let me hang with Tucker for a bit.
Don’t leave, okay?” a lump rolls down his throat. “I want to talk
to you.”

“Okay…” I feel heat burn into my cheeks.

“Okay,” he grins with a wink before heading
off into the crowd, disappearing almost instantly.

I wander for a bit and eventually Pratt and
Mae find their way to me, huge, giggling grins painted on both
their faces. Although Mae looks like she wants to be the one to
tell me, Pratt beats her to it. “Tucker and Ariana are
talking!”

“Cool.”

“It’s so much fun to watch,” she glances over
her shoulder. “He’s
so
nervous. I’ve never seen him like
this!”

I follow her focus but don’t find Tucker and
Ariana. Instead, my stomach clenches at the uncomfortable sight of
Reid paired off with a very pretty mayan. They’re talking a bit
down from the other Rogues who are slurping bowls of Hunnis. Except
Jace. He’s up against the wall with a different mayan tucked
intimately beneath him, working the same energy as last night.
Booker and Werzo drink and joke while Tucker and Ariana talk
nearby.

But all I see is Reid.

And the high cheek-boned, rose-colored hair
of the sage mayan smiling at him through her sparkling orange eyes.
She’s full-chested—fuller than me—and slightly spilling over her
shelled bra, her scarlet skirt hanging low off her narrow hips.
Laughing at something Reid has said, she strokes his arm, tossing a
clump of rose hair over her shoulder to reveal more sage skin.

“Uh-oh,” Pratt mutters. “Looks like you have
some competition.”

Biting my lip, I watch as Reid views the
caress, shifting slightly so she’s no longer touching him. But this
one’s not to be deterred. Smiling even sweeter, she brings a finger
to her mouth and drapes it casually along her lower lip. Tucking
her other arm beneath her chest, she pushes it up, so she’s drawing
attention to her mouth and cleavage.

“She’s playing dirty,” Mae whispers.

My spirits crash as Reid falls into her trap,
his eyes seemingly focused her luscious female parts. But then he
gulps and backs up again, scanning the entire room, looking for
something. He finds me and when our eyes lock, a new heat blooms.
Without breaking our stare, he says something to the mayan and her
haughty grin instantly disappears. In fact, she grows colder, a
look of frost icing over her lovely features as she glances around,
following his attention.

Finding me with a glare, she raises a
judgmental eyebrow, considering. Her orange eyes scan me before
returning their focus to Reid. She says something and he nods and
the two resume talking. But this time she keeps her distance.

“I wonder what Tucker and the princess are
talking about,” Mae murmurs, eyeing their conversation over her
shoulder. “He seems calmer.”

“It’s the Hunnis.”

“Or the princess. Wow,’’ she looks to me,
“what if they really hit it off? Could Tucker be a prince?”

“I think it’s too early for that.”

“But it could be going in that direction,”
Pratt grins, following Mae’s stare. “Prince Tucker. And Jace can
make out with every mayan in the kingdom.”

“Is it the same one from last night?” Mae
asks.

Pratt shifts, trying to get a better view.
“Hard to tell.”

“And I think he’s doing more than make out…”
Mae squeaks, turning red.

“Come on, guys,” I sigh. “Leave him alone.
It’s his business.”

“But he’s doing it out in the open!” Pratt
exclaims. “In front of everyone!”

I squint, finding Jace tucked tightly against
the wall. He’s paired off with a mayan in a corner, the barrier of
Rogues shielding them from the Mybyncians who aren’t paying any
attention. “He better not get us in trouble…” I bite my lip,
distracted by Reid and the mayan nearby.

My stomach plunges at the sight. He says he
wants to talk… but about what? Us? Or what almost happened earlier?
Glee rises inside me until I think about his current location. He
said he was going to hang with Tucker and now he’s talking with
some mayan, one who’s still keen on drawing his attention to her
mouth.

“You’re not leaving yet, are you?” Mae reads
my expression.

“What?”

“You can’t go,” Pratt shakes her head. “Not
right now. Stay a little longer.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Good.”

“You just looked so upset,” Mae glances to
Reid and the mayan, then back to me. “They’re only talking.”

“Looks like she wants more,” Pratt huffs with
a shrug. “Oh well—too bad for her.”

“Here he comes,” Mae looks down.

My heart races as I look up and find Reid
making his way for us, moving in and out of Mybyncians, his eyes
set on mine. My blood boils and suddenly, no one else is here. It’s
just him and me. I try to remain standing as he crosses the room,
closing the distance between us. He reaches our group and I
gulp.

“Ladies,” he nods without breaking our eye
contact. “I need to steal Fallon from you.”

Before either are able to respond, Reid slips
his hand in mine, tugging me toward the tunnel to the Docking
Station. When I think we’re going to stop outside of it, he
surprises me by pulling me through, leading me almost halfway down
the hall so we’re far from the crowded Great Hall. The
conversations grow faint in the distance when he finally stops.

“Sorry…” he drops my hand, running both
through his hair, “…wanted to get away from everyone.”

I nod, unable to say anything at first. After
a minute, I reach for the only words I have. “So…who was she?”

“Who?” he frowns.

“That mayan…”

Confused for a second, realization dawns and
his face relaxes. He laughs, “No one.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Believe me,” he assures with a grin, “she’s
no one
. Um…” he snaps his fingers into his other hand, eyes
down as he turns to pace. “I… uh… wanted to apologize.”

This surprises me. “For what?”

“
Everything
. I…” he clears his throat.
“It’s just been a lot. In my head. It’s not an excuse or anything,
but when I said I needed time…there’s just a lot I have to sort
through.”

“Oh…” I nod, unable to stop myself from
asking. “Like what?”

“My family for starters,” he exhales, running
his hands down his face. “My friends... Allison.”

“Who’s…” but I already know. It’s her, the
fiancé. The girl he’s never going back to. Her name floats through
the air between us, as palpable as the person it belongs to. It
weighs heavy,
deep
and I’m stuck between a choking,
deafening fear, and a painful guilt that she’ll never get to see
him again. “Oh.”

“They’re constantly in my head… and some
days…” he inhales, “they’re all I can think about.”

The knot in my chest grows, pushing all air
from my body. I’m afraid I’ll drown in the tight pressure, unable
to do anything other than replay the only thing I can hear.

Allison
.

Her name is Allison.

It’s so pretty… like I’m sure she is. She’s
probably the most beautiful girl in their town, and that’s why Reid
was able to call her his. Does she think about him still? Think
about the future they were going to share? It tightens my chest in
more ways than one.

“But…” Reid says, cutting off my painful
suffocation. “There’s one thing I can do to quiet it,” he stops
pacing and looks at me. “I think of you.”

My heart stops.

Reid steps closer. “That’s not a very good
apology, I know, but it’s the truth. I’m just— I’m sorry we
haven’t… that
I
haven’t…” he lowers his head, planting his
hands on his hips. “It hasn’t been fair to you. I know it hasn’t.”
He sighs and looks up again. A lump rolls down his throat as his
eyes fixate on mine. “I just wanted you to know.”

I nod as the stark silence fills the air
between us.

“Say something.
Please
.”

“Do you still need more time? To… figure
things out?”

Reid inhales, finally shrugging. “It’s not
going to change—everything in my head. I just have to get use to
it.”

“And you’re thinking about…” I gulp,
“…everyone?”

He nods. “What they’re doing. If they’ve
moved on…” he closes his eyes, as if in pain. “That other life...
it’s right there. It’s who I was, what I was supposed to do…” his
eyes flash open, searing mine. “I feel like I’m split—like I’m two
different people, living two separate lives.”

“Why’d you choose this one?” I blurt out
before I can stop myself.

His face softens.

“There you guys are!” Pratt says, with
Tucker, Ariana and Mae standing behind her. “Sampson’s saying we
should probably head back to our quarters soon. Oh, and Fallon,
Ariana said she’s going to hang with us for a while. Isn’t that
cool?”

“Yep.”

“But if you two are busy…” the princess
grins.

“Actually,” Tucker clears his throat, “Jace
is getting a little carried away with the mayans. Sampson thinks
it’s best if we all head back—together.”

Reid nods and looks at me, a hidden smile
forming. “Guess I’ll see you ladies tomorrow,” he joins Tucker’s
side and with a final glance my way, he heads back down the tunnel
with the Rogue Leader.

Once they’re gone, Pratt, Mae and the
princess swarm me, all talking over each other.

“What were you talking about?”

“He’s so in love with you!”

“Has he told you?”

“What happened? Come on—tell us!”

“I…” I stammer, trying to process their
questions while still wrapping my mind around everything he
said.

“Fallon,” Ariana takes my hand. “You are
glowing. It is obvious how you feel.”

“You heard Tucker,” I move past them,
gesturing back to the Great Hall. “We should probably be getting
back.”

“What?” Pratt frowns, “no details?”

“Come on…” I’m already walking, “let’s get
back.”

“Okay…” the girls acquiesce, all still
grinning and exchanging glances with one another.

Once we’re back in our quarters in the East
Wing, I turn to Ariana, “Are you sure it’s okay for you to be
here?”

“For a little while,” she nods, gesturing to
an array of bowls laid out on the coral floor. “I have also had the
servants bring some Allnnis and Vair for us—I hope that is
alright.”

“What are they?” Mae asks.

“Allnnis is similar to Hunnis, except it is a
little easier on the pallet… does not burn as much. And Vair is a
very popular sweet treat.”

“So, Fallon…” Pratt grabs a packet of the
Vair and flings herself on the bed, “why don’t you tell us what
happened with Reid?”

“What?” I shrug. “Nothing.”

“Oh, leave her alone,” Mae smiles. “It’s none
of our business. Even if it looked like
something
was
happening…”

“What
I
want to know,” I direct my
attention to the princess, “is what happened with Tucker? You two
seemed to be hitting off.”

“Oh,” she blushes. “We talked. He is very
handsome. Very…” she deepens a shade, “…very sweet.”

“What’d you talk about?” Pratt turns on
Ariana, sucking down the Vair. “He seemed very nervous.”

“Did he?”

“Well…” she shrugs, “I’ve never really seen
him interact with many girls. Except Ansley,” she winces, “and that
was always about Reid. Tucker’s not a ladies’ man like Jace. Not
that I’ve seen, at least.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, he must
really
like you,” Pratt
slurps the remaining Vair. “This is good. Is there anymore?”

“Yes,” Ariana gestures to the floor and hands
Pratt another packet. She also pours a bowl of Allnnis for herself
and hands one to Mae and I. “To friends,” she holds it up high and
takes a sip.

Mae and I mimic the gesture as Pratt holds up
her packet of Vair. “To friends.”

We sit and drink for awhile, until we can’t
take anymore, gossiping over
everything
—from secrets and
silly scandals of the throne and back to boys again.