Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5)(27)

Chapter Eleven

“So…” I picked at a fingernail, studying it intensely. There was absolutely no way to get out of this. “I imagine you’re all wondering who ‘he’ is.” When no one answered, though I could feel their penetrating eyes on me, I continued working on my nail. I flicked my attention to Elder Farrar then back to my nail. “It would probably be easiest if you just take another memory from me.” I held up the finger I had been working on, lifting my eyes to his golden ones and stating very slowly, “Don’t you dare take one from when I was young.”

He blinked sluggishly. “You are young.”

I exhaled the laugh of the jaded, letting a bit of my true self show. “I was never young, but that’s not the point.” I waved my finger at him. “I’m telling you to extract one from age eighteen and up.” All I could hear was quiet breathing as everyone stared. I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face a few times. I let my head drop…only to have the troubled gaze I was trying to hide be seen in full view by the silver eyes steadily staring up at me from my lap. I grumbled in irritation, “Dammit, can’t you move?”

Calm words. “No.” His gaze traveled over my face unhurriedly, and in a tranquil voice he asked the question no one would. “Why not before age eighteen?”

I rubbed my face again, keeping my head down. I schooled my features behind my hands. When I lowered them, an utterly blank expression was firmly in place. I peered up to everyone and stated bluntly, “From what I’ve seen, everyone in this room cares about, if not adores, children. I’m sure the last thing you want to see is a child,” my lips pinched the barest bit before I could control the action, “not being…loved.”

I flicked my hard gaze to each of the Rulers. “And the last thing I want is for anyone pitying me, so I would much rather Elder Farrar pick something from when I was older and better able to…handle myself.” I ignored everyone else’s carefully neutral regard and turned my gaze to Elder Farrar. “So, if you want to see ‘him’, know ‘him’, that’s my deal. Only memories from age eighteen and above.”

Fluidly, Elder Farrar nodded before his lips actually twitched. He held up his still glowing hand and murmured, “I already pulled one.” His gaze fell to my lap—to Leric—then lifted to mine as I gaped at hearing him state blatantly he had stolen from me. He rolled his shoulders. “Reese already informed us what he saw, and you gave me access, so I took a recent memory of whoever ‘he’ is along with the one we just watched.”

Slow words from me. “You lied while Leric had his hand on you?”

A shoulder shrugged as he flicked his glowing hand, another screen appearing. “Yes.” A pause. “Ms Jules, Mr Damon doesn’t frighten me in the least.” He tapped his temple. “And I already knew you’d give me access for the memory.”

I couldn’t help but stare at the man. “You, Elder Farrar, are one interesting individual.”

“Thank you,” he stated, flipping the overhead lights off, his hand no longer glowing. “That is one of the better compliments I’ve received in regards to my eccentricity.”

I cleared my throat, stuttering, “What memory…did you pull?”

Elder Farrar shook his head, his gorgeous golden hair brushing his shoulders. “I have no clue. I only asked for and received it. I haven’t viewed it yet.”

“Well, let’s hope your version of ‘recent’ and my version of ‘recent’ are the same.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

As the screen showed an unmoving, moonlit bedroom, I felt Leric jolt on my lap. I stared unblinkingly at the enormous white bed onscreen, a slight breeze wafting in through the large windows on either side. The sheer white curtains were frozen in mid-billow. Leric’s face was smack in the middle of the screen, his eyes slightly glowing, his hair a few inches shorter. I sucked in a huge breath then squealed, “No, no, no, no!” I waved my hands at Elder Farrar, rambling too quickly, my voice high-pitched and most definitely girly. “Of all the f*cking memories, you took that one?” More waving of my hands as everyone’s heads cocked, staring between the screen, myself, and Leric. “Really, please take another one!”

Elder Farrar’s eyebrows were raised, and he stated offhandedly, “I did request one with Leric, too, so this must have been a two-for-one deal.” His lips trembled as his head swung between the screen and me. He didn’t care that Leric was as still as stone on the bed; Leric apparently was also not liking this memory being stolen, nor the fact that Elder Farrar had tried to invade his privacy. “So, this is what we’ve got.” Elder Farrar flicked his wrist and the screen moved into motion.

“Oh my God,” I wheezed. I prepared to watch the mortifying events from my past unfold. With a bare blessing of luck, it started well after my more embarrassing ramblings of seduction, after I had…offered many carnal services.

Leric gazed down at me, amusement in his eyes. Desire flashed in his glowing gaze as he purred quietly, “I’m not sure you could handle that.” He paused, his head cocking as his regard traveled over my face, his white hair glistening in the moonlight. “Since you won’t tell me your name, why don’t you tell me how old you are?”