Yield (4 page)

Her hands shot out before the feeling shot through my own.  This voodoo hex I’m under being able to feel her power start up like a car turning over wasn’t pretty.  When it hit, it kind of numbed my hands and made me look like a wuss not being able to defend her titan sized power surges.  I didn’t have time to help her with Caydon, but I wasn’t sore about it much.  Caydon was a dog sometimes.

Emma didn
’t have a clue why I had to let her do this.  She couldn’t predict how this visit would play out.  I knew one detail for sure.  Trigger was going to get the beating of his life for not knowing Caydon’s whereabouts.  He’d said he was four cities away and nestled into a fog of humans at a bar.  The smooth talking dog could drink like a fish and never get drunk on human alcohol.  He used that skill to his advantage on more than a few occasions.

For the most part I wasn't any different, but his puppet show would end.  He didn't want my girl for the right reasons.

“First, I want you to meet some people.  Then, I will show you your parents’ room.”

“My parents?” she asked leaning his way.  This was so jacked up.

“He hasn’t told you anything, has he?” This was said to her, but directed to me. 

The glint in her eye was magnificent as sh
e winked at me and said, “He told me a lot.  I’m guessing it’s your job to tell me the rest.”

If Caydon caught my frustration, he didn
’t acknowledge it.  He walked away from both of us with his back leading the way now.  A few servants and others walked past us, but he didn’t stop.  After leaving the outside area, an open hallway built similar to my own realm led us to a series of doors.  Caydon opened the floor to ceiling double wooden doors where two guards stood at attention.  Will, whom I was well acquainted with, nodded not in a friendly way.  It was a reminder that he felt he’d win and I’d lose.

The older guard speared his eyes her way and returned his gaze to empty space.  Will, undressed her with his eyes and then some.
  Another gave her quite the appreciative glance.

This was going to be hell from the inside out.

I was unprepared for the inside of the room
’s decor.  It was the exact replica of the main room at Ames realm, but on the ceiling in bright, beautiful colors was a mural of my parents...and me.  It was the painting I’d seen of them in the cave covered in dust a million times larger. 

“How?” I asked no one in particular.  I forget all manners of being in a strange place and greeting first because I
wasn’t
in a strange place. 

“We were all aligned together once, remember?” Ames asked me.

Feeling strangely protective suddenly, I said to Caydon, “Oh yes.   I do remember you sharing that, Ames.”  My hand wrapped slowly across his the front of his shoulder blade and pressed against the indentions there.  Caydon watched at first then walked away.  I was hoping for some boomerang sarcasm.

Caydon ignored my ploys and began moving fashionably fast towards a sitting area surrounded by little tables.  All the tables sat bare.  All the chairs were full.

A snap in the direction of one of the servant girls brought her nearly to the tips of his toes when she jumped up. 

“Sir.”

“Greta.  Can you have the kitchen bring out something for our guest to celebrate with?”

The servant named Greta bowed and left.  I, once again, felt like I was in the presence of Joshlin but a slightly nicer version.

“Emma, please get comfortable.”

I could almost hear the duplicity in his voice.  He had agendas I wasn
’t aware of yet and I feared their revealing.  I backed closer to where I knew Ames was behind me hoping for his hand to find its way to my back again. Sadly, it didn’t.

“I
’m fine standing.”

Caydon continued standing as well, but inched in a little closer.  I tried again to step back, but my foot caught on the small step I took to get to the center of the room.  Before I knew it, Caydon
’s arms were wrapped around my waist and setting me back to standing. 

My eyes wide, I flailed around to admonish him, but that same smile knocked me down again.  Was a sexy smile part of the requirements for running the goblin realm?

I made myself look back at Ames to see if he would rescue me or get a jealous act like he usually did to guys too close to me.  He was passively looking at the stone floor like a tense cyborged robot.  It was unrealistic of the Ames I knew. 

A girl was kind enough to move in my direction and ask if I needed anything.  She was just being nice, so I smiled.  Pretty, I admired her shiny brown hair.

“Lily,” she said so softly.  If a girl was ever considered a delicate flower, she fit the description perfectly.

Oh!  That was her name.  Got it.  At first, I thought she was trying to guess mine.  “It
’s nice to meet you Lily.”

Caydon took her hand and led her to the seat close to where I stood.  He bowed his head in slow motion to her and looked back to me.

“Attention everyone.  Our guest today is no guest.  I want you to formally meet the beautiful exquisite,” he paused for effect, “Princess Loggin.”

A fierce whisper came over the crowd with a few laughs and giggles I couldn
’t place a reason for.  I hoped they weren’t laughing at me.

“Please come greet your future queen.”

Maybe he wanted to create shock value—I don’t know.  Either way, I froze in my steps and bit my lip enough to draw blood.  When he saw my obvious anger rise, he made another snide remark.

“You knew all this Jem, don
’t play coy.”  His smooth voice was so cleverly done much like Joshlin. So they were all messed up in the brain, even Ames.  But do they all have to take ownership of me like it's an expectation? I worried poor Caydon had a reason for favoring me more than just what my heritage deems so.

“My name is Emma.”

That was all I could come up with trying to avoid the explosion of unwise words that were bubbling in my brain and being pushed back down with every effort I could muster.  And my hands.

Caydon pivoted his foot to tip it against mine, but shot a look back in the direction of the girl who was nice to me.  His demeanor changed yet again giving me the distinct feeling I would keep getting a hot and cold play by play with him.  “I
’m sorry for my inconsiderate actions.  I really am not trying to offend you.  I will make good on my promise to share with you all the things Cahn has conveniently left out.”

Smooth like butter going on a bagel.  That
’s what his voice made me think of.  “It’s not that I didn’t know about things.  I told you this.  It’s the fact that it is all real.”  And perhaps the fact that you’re acting like I haven’t a choice.

“Real as you are standing here,” Caydon
’s eyes roved over me appreciatively, but not necessarily creepy-like.  “You are meant to be the queen.”

There was still a double meaning in his words I couldn
’t place.  Maybe he was a little flirty, but he was nicer than Joshlin and I think he really was trying to help me despite his male aversion to acting like a total guy.

“Real or not, I am not anyone
’s queen unless I decide.  You can show me around, Caydon...” I waved my hand in front of his face to hint at telling me his last name.

“Morrow.”

I smiled at getting him to finally answer something I wanted.  “Well Caydon Morrow, Ames and I thank you for your kindness and hospitality.  I would love to see the realm’s layout.”

Reluctance was written on his face from my dismissal, but Caydon ducked his head in and led us out of the room without another comeback.  Ames was puffed out like a supercilious cloud looking far from the sullen jealous man he was minutes ago.  And they say men are not full of drama!

Emma is one amazing girl. She wasn
’t taking his oozing crap to heart.  She could tell he was laying it on thick and slapped it right back in his ugly face.

I was feeling less pissed about being here for the briefest of moments when Caydon, the witless twit, leaned in and made a point to say his piece.

“I will not leave her side either, Cahn.  I haven’t yet.  She
will
be ours.  I’ve never not completed a mission.”

Wasn
’t that my line? “We will see.”

Not the best comeback, but my girl was walking away with the enemy and I didn
’t want her to think his butthead remarks were law.  My mind was backpedaling with murderous thoughts of who all I had to destroy to keep the girl.

A long tour of the different areas, including the guard
’s secluded area stationed where most of our realms kept them comfortable near the entrance, we finally ended up at the main room again.  Once inside, Emma seemed more relaxed and sat when I motioned for her to rest.  I stood beside her longing to put my hands all over her territorially, but knew better than to piss off the demon boy who was trying like everything to take my girl.  Sick and twistedly so, I knew his reasons for the measured steps.

Caydon left her surprisingly for a good five minutes saying he needed to take care of something.  That left us surrounded by too many friggin
’ girls. 

“Are you going to marry Caydon?  He
’s so dreamy.”

My arms and face froze in their position.  I know I should have given her some background on all this, but who could tell the girl they love that another man is about to try to take you, and well, he might do just that.  Especially since she hadn
’t heard it from me.

“Um...no.  I just met the guy.”

The obsolete girl giggled and replied, “No silly.  You are the queen.  You have to marry him.”

“
Um...no, I don’t.”  Emma was getting annoyed and handing out directives just like she does.

The girl giggled yet again.  “Of course you do.  Your father said you have to.”

And there it was. 

Emma was searching for answers in my face.  I wanted to lie and tell her it was all long, long ago and just a minor detail, but lies have a way of making enemies of friends.  And loved ones.

“When you father signed the treaty—

“The same one you talked about?” she said slyly.  She was scared though.  I could feel it.

“The same.  When King Warren signed it, he foreclosed any rights to his children marrying out of the realm.”

Emma speculated the idea, even brought her finger to her lip.  I glanced behind me to see if loserville had resurfaced.

“I don’t see how a treaty about peace could involve the children of the king or who they marry.”

Very good Watson.  “It doesn
’t...completely.  But my father didn’t have any daughters and decidedly expected your father to provide him with a bride if he asked.  Your father refused saying his daughter would never marry a Cahn.  He was only looking out for you.”

Of course, my father wasn
’t aware of what he was asking at the time, but I didn’t want to think about that, the curse that I couldn't prove, or arranged marriages in the first place.

“How kind of him.  Guess he didn
’t have the fortune teller gift.  If he’d known that his plan would backfire—

I broke the boundaries and grab both her shoulders.  “Emma, he was just looking out for you.  His little girl.”

Her disposition changed.  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

I couldn
’t force her to stay with me if she hated me for not telling her.  I lost all ability to look her in the face, “Because your realm deserves you too.  Caydon deserves a chance to prove me wrong.”

I can’t believe Ames just said what he did.  He actually just said he’d leave me.

“You
’d give me up so easily?” My words stumbled all over the place making different pitches with each syllable.  He didn’t get a chance to answer me, the man with the chance had returned.

“What
’d I miss?”

Wiping the tear from my eye away from Ames or Caydon
’s view, I realized the young servant girl who’d been so giddy was staring me blank in the face.  She’d heard it all. 

Putting on my game face, I stood tall and told Caydon, “What about my parents
’ room?  You said I could see it.”

“Sure thing.  I just returned from preparing it.  If I
’d known you were coming," his eyes shifted to Ames for a brief second, “I’d have livened it beforehand.  No bother.  It’s all done now.”  Caydon twirled around once and back to me.  “I see they have placed out our refreshments.  Care to take a snack with you.”

I bounced in my step anxious to get to my only physical memory left of my parents that I can be sure they touched at one time.  Except the orchard. 

“No, thank you. Let’s just get going.”  I was still hurt from Ames’ comment and needed an escape before I said something stupid which meant the balance between excitement and anxiety was sketchy.

I took two steps up to where Caydon stood and waited still bouncing on my feet with the fake excitement I wanted them to observe.  Ames could read one hundred percent the opposite, but I was ignoring that.  When we weren
’t moving I tilted my head back to see the hold up.  Caydon and Ames had some kind of male telepathy going on that told me they definitely knew each other more than just strong acquaintances.

“Very well. I will bring her back to you in fifteen minutes.”

“You’re not going with me?”  My heart fell.

Ames nodded fisting his hair into a mess.  “This is your realm.  His realm.  I will let you have it to yourselves.”

I stuffed the huff back inside my brain to figure out why he was acting really weird.  Stupid treaty junk.  If he didn’t want me, he should just tell me.  Except, it didn’t make sense.  He wouldn’t have said all the things he did just to discard me at the first chance.  And his body said otherwise.

Following Caydon was very hard without Ames, but seeing my parents
’ room was pressing so deep into my chest I wanted to scream and just run all the way to the room. 
If I knew where it was.

A door that matched the main door, only smaller, stood at the end of a hall.  It was open with four guards lining the wall right outside in a jagged line.  Caydon followed me in.

The walls were dark and candles were hung everywhere.  A bed was neatly made in the farthest corner with sheer hangings all around it.  Tall cabinets and wooden tables lined the room.  It was a very business oriented bedroom. 

“Some of these things were not here before they died.  They were moved in to preserve them for you at your arrival.”

My arrival.  No they weren’t.  He was trying to make me think all this was for me, but I wasn’t born yesterday.

“Sad that they won
’t ever get used.”  I ran my hand across the very clean wooden table before me.  I couldn’t decipher one wood from another to say what it was made of.

“Why wouldn
’t they?” he asked.

His voice was suddenly too close and I felt my hair sweep away from my neck when he moved it.  I jerked and kind of tumbled away from him to create distance.

“Why wouldn’t they get used, Princess.”

“Don
’t call me that.  And don’t touch me.   They are being wasted just sitting here in the dark.  Someone could have used them.” I ignored my run away feeling and indulged in checking out the bed.  My parents slept here.  I sat on the edge of the silky bedspread and drummed the pillow top.  Was this my father’s side or my mother’s?  I wanted to lie down and take a whiff, but that would make me look crazy and it probably didn’t smell like them anymore anyway.

“You could have this room if you like.” His words were slow, careful now.

I really,
really
wanted to mock his words like I used to with Tonya and her borrowing my clothes, but I knew it was childish.

“I think it’s fabulous that I have
the chance to see all this, touch it even.  I can’t thank you enough.  But I also think that is should be used somehow instead of sitting dormant in a lifeless room.”

A candle went out and Caydon relit it.  “It wouldn
’t be lifeless if you were in it.”

I sighed as quiet as I could trying to expel my anger.  I didn
’t want to get angry enough to do damage to him again.

“Why are you trying so hard to get me to stay if you don
’t even know me?”

“I do know you and human ways are not like ours.  You were meant to be the heir of this realm and tradition should not be broken.”

Aha!  Reason number one steps up!

Popping up from the bed and stomping my foot, “Tradition might include not hiding the dang queen for the majority of her young life and let her think she is a peculiar type of human, but that
’s just my thought on the subject.  Treaties, wars, kings, queens, boys who run a realm and make bad decisions are not my thing.”

He studied me for a long minute before saying, “Then why did you move in with Ames?”

Well, that’s just dandy there Sherlock.  “Different.  And I didn’t
move
in with him.  He helped me.”

“I
’m helping you.”

“You don
’t know me.”

“But I want to,” his voice deepened getting husky and slow, but I could tell it was forced.

“You just met me.”

“And he wanted to turn you over to Joshlin.  How am I considered any less of a prospect?”

“This isn’t what’s behind bachelor number one’s door.  You can’t just say you like me after meeting me twenty minutes ago and expect me to think you are genuine.  Rules or no rules in this freaking realm, I make my own.  No one tells me who to love.”

“They will not let you marry him.”  Caydon hadn
’t moved since relighting the candle.  I’d been right in my assessment.  The over exaggerated flirtation.  He was following the treaty, not wooing me.

“Who is
they
, Caydon?” I asked making my frustration apparent.

“My realm.  Your realm.  A treaty is a treaty.”

“Well, said treaty is a disgustingly archaic, behind the times kind of thing that should be discarded.”

“Can
’t.”  He looked at his watch.

“
Or won’t.  Am I wasting your time?” My arms folded on their own accord.

Caydon
’s mouth opened like he was about to retort, but instead came back with more of his other self.  “Look Jem, I mean Emma, I have something else you need to see, but not today.  I have to get you back.  Ames needs to know you’re safe.”

My curiosity peaked with the idea of new knowledge, but more was the need to get back to Ames.  I was still mad at him, but I couldn
’t stay that way for long.

And then I heard it.  Needs to know I
’m safe.  Those words.  I knew who said it.  “I recognize you!”  My hand flew to my mouth.  “You’re the one.”

Caydon
’s face went ashen gray. “So you remember now.”

I double sighed and opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again.  That whole day started replaying in my mind.

“The day Rick tried to...take advantage of me.  It was you who saved me that day.”

His eyes stayed down as if he were ashamed of it. 

“Why did you do that?  Why didn’t you tell me?  Why couldn’t I know then?”  My breathing started doing funny things.  I shook my hands out to keep control of myself.  I didn’t need to freak out more on him.

“I was told to stay away from you like the rest.  I didn
’t agree that you should be left in the dark about who you are.  But at the same time, I didn’t want you hurt.  Our people would never be happy with a queen who lived a life of pain.”

“
I don’t know what to say.”

His eyes lifted again, showing me a glimpse of a caring, thoughtful man. 

“Ames doesn’t know, does he?” He couldn’t.  Otherwise, he would know more.

“The only one who knows about me being there is my brother. He will not tell anyone what happened.” 

“I’m not ashamed if that’s what you mean.  I am glad you saved me.  I was a stupid girl that day.”

“Not you.  Him.  He was the jerk.”  His hand reached for me, but returned to his side like he changed his mind.

“Yes, but again.  You were there and that’s what I remember the most.  I wish now you would have at least introduced yourself.  I knew you were like me in some way, but I was afraid to ask.  I didn’t know what would happen when someone knew how freaky I was.  I should have been able to save myself that day, but I was so caught in his trap.  I tried like anything to bust that door down, but nothing would happen no matter how hard I tried.”

“We wondered the same, but guessed it was the kind of act being forced upon you that gave you the hindrance.”

“It’s not like I was naked or something.  He was only in the holding me down stage.  How did you know he was going to do worse?” 

“I didn
’t.  My brother was afraid for you being alone with a human teenage boy like that.  Especially that one.  Their morals, his particularly, aren’t as they should be all the time and he said you didn’t ask to be in the room with that boy, so he called me to intervene.”

“Why didn
’t your brother just help? And how did he know I didn’t want to be alone with Rick?”  I narrowed my eyes now at this little bit of information.  Whoever this brother was, I’m betting I know him.

His smile was deceptive.  “He didn
’t want to reveal himself.”

Hmm!  That could only mean that I
did
know his brother too.  “And this is all a secret you’ve kept from everyone.  I’m guessing no one knows you saved the lost princess from the certain evil doings of a human?”                                                                                

His mouth lifted forcing his eyes to lift with it to the ceiling like he hated he
’d told me any of it.  “Ames will not like it.”

“Ames will liked that I was saved
.  He will like that I was saved.  That should be all that matters.”

“We will see.”

I waved a hand to dismiss the idea and asked him, “Can I work on my mom’s orchard?”

“It needs more than just a few touchups
, Emma.”

“Not a problem for me.
” I looked around the room one last time before leaving it.

He smiled sadly at me, “Sure.  I
’ll help you.”  I wasn’t sure if his mood change had to do with the prior subject or my mom’s orchard.  Why would that make him sad?  And I was starting to think he might be all a front with the evil playboy side.

“You will?”

“Of course.  Manual labor is fun.”  He said this sarcastically like he might not really want to help me.  I wasn’t sure.

“Oh
, wait.  One more question since we're on a roll?”

“Yes,” he asked as a question.

I’m sure I blushed from the purely senseless question I wanted answered for no other reason than to just know, “Do you have freckles?”

He laughed heartily.  “As one who has been to the human world, I
’m familiar with human markings.  But no, I have no distinguishing marks on my body.”

I was so embarrassed now that I asked.

When my back was turning in retreat to cure the ache of being away from Ames, Caydon called my name.

“Oh
, and Emma,” he waited till I faced him again, “Happy Birthday.”