Plague of Mybyncia (35 page)

“Would anyone like more Hunnis?” Mallup walks
around the table, already filling bowls. She pauses next to Reid
but looks at me with a vindictive smile. “I am sorry, but you
cannot have any. It will counter the treatment.”

“Did you hear me say I wanted any?”

A sudden, palpable intensity fills the
air.

“I just wanted you to know you could not,”
Mallup sneers, leaning closely to Reid as she fills his cup. She
rubs up and down his arm, biting her lip in the same suggestive
pout, “let me know if there is anything else you would like from
me.”

Blood boils through my body at the sight of
her touching him.
Again
. I’ve given her enough chances and
excuses but she obviously isn’t getting it. Reid tried to make it
clear for her, but I guess it’s up to me now.

“I’m not sure,” I burn her with a heated
glare, “but I believe you’ve been educated when it comes to him.
So, what I can’t decide, is if you’re
deliberately
disrespectful or just plain stupid.”

“Oh shit…” Jace tries to stifle his laugh
somewhere in the background.

“Excuse me?” Mallup scowls.

“So it’s ignorance?”

“I do not—”

“Understand. No, I get that. You’ve proven
your inadequacy to listen and follow simple directions. So allow me
to explain this to you
one
more time,” I lean forward. “Do
not touch him. It’s
rude
and quite frankly, it’s
dangerous.”

Mallup’s mouth drops open. “Are you
threatening
me?”

“Caught on, have you?”

“Fallon—” Reid starts.

“Is it not your custom to wear rings?” Mallup
sneers with a glance to my naked left hand. She sets the jug down
and crosses her arms. “I do not see anything.
Technically
he
is not even yours.”

“Okay…” I nod calmly, trying to keep from
immediately launching myself at her. Placing my hands on the table,
I start hoisting myself up. “You’re beyond idiotic because
now,
I’m going to
kick your ass!”

Reid moves Mallup out of the way and rounds
the table. In one deft movement, he sweeps his arms around my body,
scooping me up. “Alright, time to go.”

“You are leaving?” Mallup frowns.

“Yep,” he barely acknowledges her, but
glances to his untouched Hunnis. “And I told you it wasn’t for me.
It’s time you understand that.”

“Oh, man…” Werzo chuckles under his
breath.

Mallup shoots him a seething glare, but
redirects it quickly to me. “I do not understand what it is about
her. She is skinny and pale and
not
very pretty,” she
scoffs. “You can do so much better. You could—”

“Put me down,” I squirm in Reid’s arms. “Put
me down
now!
I’m going to kick this bitch’s ass!”

“Oh shit!” Jace laughs aloud as a fluster of
movement breaks out around the room.

Mallup retreats a step, just as Pratt comes
flying her way. But Tucker scoops her up, all the Rogues suddenly
on their feet, trying to separate a raging Pratt and a
flabbergasted Mallup who is still trying to keep her focus on Reid.
Booker, Werzo and Jace place themselves between the rose-haired
mayan and the rest of us, blocking views of one other. I’m still
struggling in Reid’s arms but he calls out to Tucker.

“Take care of this. I’m taking Fallon
back.”

“On it,” the Rogue Leader carries Pratt to
the other side of the Dining Hall. “Jace, get Mallup out of
here.”

“No,” I push against Reid, yelling over his
shoulder. “IT’S ON, BITCH! COME ON!”

But we’re out of the hall and down the
tunnel, the scrambling scene quickly disappearing behind me. I’m
still struggling once we reach the Great Hall, but Reid’s arms are
steel bars around me, suffocating all possible movement. Finally, I
acquiesce with an exasperated sigh and Reid carries me back to the
room in silence. Once we arrive, he sets me on the bed and then
retreats, pacing.

After a long moment passes, he stops and
turning to me, he raises a brow. “Well?”

“Why’d you take me back?”

“Because you need to calm down.”

“No—
she
needs a good smack-down.”

“Fallon.”

“I’m serious.”

“What’s that going to prove?”

“That she needs to give up and keep her hands
to herself. That she can’t have you.”

“I know that.”

“Does she?”

“Does it matter?” he folds his arms,
narrowing his eyes. “
I
know, and that’s all the
matters.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Boss,” Jace rushes into the room, the other
Rogues on his heel. “Mallup is going to the queen. She’s pushing to
have Fallon banished from Mybyncia,” his eyes flicker to me. “Says
she fears for her safety.”

“She should,” I mumble.

Reid runs his hands down his face as Tucker
steps forward. “Jace tried calming her down, but she said she’d
have Fallon gone by the night.”

“It won’t happen.”

“Of course it won’t. But she’s still going to
try. She said,” Tucker takes a breath, “she said if
you
talk
to her, she may reconsider.”

“Don’t do it!” Pratt huffs at the doorway,
Mae and Ariana behind her. “She’s trying to get you alone!”

“Obviously,” Reid turns his attention to
Tucker again. “When is she going to the queen?”

“Said she’d wait to see if you wanted to
talk. But I get the feeling soon.”

“This is unbelievable,” Ariana exhales. “I
will go talk to her. I will tell her this is not acceptable and
that she simply—”

“No,” Reid shakes his head, his eyes
darkening. “
I’ll
go. She obviously hasn’t gotten the hint.
I’ll clear it up for her.” He’s out of the room without another
word, leaving us in momentary silence.

“She’s such a coward,” Pratt plops down on
the bed next to me. “After you left, I got loose from Tucker and
nearly slapped her. She screamed like I was a Gorgen or
something.”

“It was actually pretty funny,” Jace runs his
hand through his blonde hair and then clears his throat. “At the
time.”

I look to the princess. “Would your mother
actually consider banishing me?”

“Absolutely not. After all you have done for
us.
No
,” she shakes her head. “Mallup is only embarrassing
herself. She is used to getting what she wants.
Who
she
wants,” Ariana blushes. “She is not used to disappointment.”

“Well she better become familiar with it.
Quick
.”

“Yeah,” Werzo laughs. “I think Boss is on
that. You see that look in his eye?”

“I’ve only seen it a few times,” Tucker
strokes his chin, “and mostly when dealing with the Kings.”

“He has dealt with Kings before?” Ariana
asks. “Which Kings?”

“Oh, no,” Tucker shakes his head. “It’s not
like that—they were a group of humans from Harrizel. They did some
pretty bad stuff.”

“Oh…”

“But he had that same look. Like he’d been
pushed past the point…” Tucker exhales, crossing his arms. “We’ll
see what happens.”

“Hopefully she’ll get the point,” Mae folds
her arms around herself. “And she’ll stop this whole thing.”

“Like I said,” Werzo leans back, “Boss will
end it. I just hope he goes easy on her.”

“I hope he doesn’t hold back,” I mutter,
uncomfortable with the thought of the two of them alone
together.

Silence engulfs the room but after only a
couple minutes, Reid returns with an intense glare still set in
place. If I could, I’d jump up and meet him at the door but Tucker
and Jace are already surrounding him, searching his face for
clues.

“She going to the queen?” the Rogue Leader
asks.

“Not anymore.”

“What happened?”

Reid’s eyes fly to mine. “She tried to kiss
me.”

“
And
?” I grip the blanket.

“I pushed her away. I told her not to ever
try it again or
I’d
go to the queen about
her
actions. Seemed to stop her real quick.”

“I cannot believe she tried that!” Ariana
glowers. “I will talk to my mother about this
immediately
.”

“No,” Reid shakes his head. “This thing is
over
. I’ve made sure she understands, so let’s not worry the
queen with it. But, uh…” he gulps, his focus on me, “do you guys
mind if I have a minute alone with Fallon? I know it’s not proper…”
he turns to Ariana.

“It is fine,” she nods, already heading for
the door. “Take all the time you need.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Jace passes him, “we’ll
be in the room if you need us.”

Tucker winks and leaves, Werzo and Booker
following him out. Mae and Pratt trail after, closing the door
behind them. Once we’re alone, Reid paces the room, focused on the
ground. He makes two full laps before I can’t take it anymore.

“So she tried to kiss you?” I break the
silence.

He nods.

When he doesn’t elaborate, I sigh, crossing
my arms. “And? What else? What’d she say? How’d—”

“She told me she wanted me and wouldn’t take
no for an answer.”

My chest tightens as I imagine the scene,
picturing her that close to him. A violent knot stirs in my stomach
as I quickly contemplate locating her and making good on my
threat.

“Then,” Reid laughs, drawing me back to the
present, “she about lunged at me.”

“And?” I wince.

He stops pacing and looks me straight in the
eye. “I told her I was taken and that would never change. And if
she tried touching me or antagonizing you again, I’d bring it up
with the Fychu and the queen. Seemed to get the message at that
point.”

“Good,” my chest warms, my focus dropping to
the linen as I replay his words.

I told her I was taken and that would never
change.

“Fallon?” Reid approaches and I look up.
Suddenly my air is caught in my throat. I don’t know what to say,
especially to him, and
especially
under that paralyzing
gaze. “I mean it,” he sits next to me and slowly brushes a curl
behind my ear. “That’s never going to change.”

“Oh yeah?” I try keeping my voice steady,
unable to think with his hands on me.

“Yes,” he whispers, trailing his fingers down
to pinch my chin. Eyeing my mouth, he slowly leans in, and, ever so
gently, presses his lips against mine. I’m lit up, soaring to a
new, dizzying height as he slides his hands up my face and cradles
my head to his. Opening my mouth, he tastes me, and we begin a slow
sensual dance of the tongues that has me melting in his hands.

Withdrawing slightly, but only to tilt the
other way, Reid continues kissing me in a delicate torture that has
me aching deep in the pit of my belly. I’m losing control. Fast.
With the way he’s holding me and… that thing he’s doing with his
tongue… I can’t take it anymore. Sneaking my hands up his chest and
into his hair, I pull him closer, harder. He groans and I start
leaning us back but he stops suddenly, resting his forehead against
mine. He looks between my eyes, his breathing labored. He gulps. “I
need you to know. I need to—”

The door is pushed open and Tucker rushes in,
pale-faced and out of breath. Reid drops his hands from me with a
sigh, his head hanging between his shoulders. After a second, he
looks up and turns to the Rogue Leader. “What’s up?”

“Sorry, man,” Tucker pants, glancing between
us, “but they’re back already.”

Reid frowns. “Sampson?”

“It’s not good.”

“What happened?” I try to get up, but stumble
back to the bed with unbalance.

“Fallon,” Reid points for me to sit as he
makes his way to the Rogue Leader. “Where are they?”

“On their way here,” Tucker hooks his hands
on his hips, still panting from the run. “They just arrived in the
Docking Station. They—”

“We need room!” Clarence bursts through the
door with an unconscious Qippert in his arms as Sampson, Chancellor
Keller and the queen rush in behind him. Reid scoops me up just in
time for Clarence to place Qippert in the center of the bed, his
eyes closed and a deep red blotch staining the middle of his
stomach. “Water!”

Sampson turns to Tucker, placing a bloodied
hand on his shoulder. “Have the attendants bring some water and my
Vilbrees.”

Tucker nods and races out of the room.

“Sampson…” I scan his hand and the deep red
gash in his arm. Smudges of dirt and sweat cake his brow and a
swollen red spot marks his upper chest. “What…”

“There were more than we expected,” Sampson
shakes his head with a pant. “We were foolish to return.”

“How many?” Reid asks.

“Reuzkimpart must have expected we’d go
back,” Clarence jumps up, wiping the scarlet droplets from his cut
brow. “Had Vermix posted to every damn tree,” he moves throughout
the room, keeping his back to us. “We landed pretty close to Ellae.
Thought we could just grab it and go,” he shakes his head, “they
knew the second we arrived.”

“What happened?” I look between them.

“They saw me first,” Sampson says, “took
their shot. I told Clarence and Qippert to abort—there was no point
if our location was already compromised. Couldn’t risk getting
captured,” he sighs with defeat. “And then… they fired again.
Qippert took the hit. The Vermix were on us before I realized… we
got out just in time.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Pratt asks,
peering in from the open doorway. Behind her, Mae and Ariana stand,
the Rogues glancing in over their shoulders.

The queen inhales. “The Healers are on their
way. We will know more once they arrive.”

“It shouldn’t be fatal,” Sampson shakes his
head with a frown at his unconscious friend. “But it will be
close.”

“Excuse us!” Hillay races into the room with
Sonnora and Tamora right behind her. Reid backs up with me still in
his arms as Clarence, Sampson and the queen make room. The Healers
surround Qippert, furiously passing small objects and vials to one
another. “Here, quickly,” Hillay reaches out, taking something from
the red-haired Tamora, “all around it and yes, pinch it.
Now
.”