See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(50)

“You are correct. It was my duty to make sure she was cared for. I have failed in this.” Conall looked concerned.

“I’m not a pet, you know? Plus I’m standing right here. Maybe ya’ll could talk to me like I’m a person. I can take care of myself,” I huffed.

“Sorry Izzy. I feel as though I have not fulfilled the promise I made to Kennan when he left you in my keep. He won’t be happy.” Conall looked uncomfortable. I reached up and placed my hand on his arm causing him to jump.

“It will be our secret. It isn’t your fault I forget to eat. A normal person would remember that they were hungry. Let’s just go get some food now, okay?” I moved past the men into the dining facility. I hoped they had a pizza somewhere. I was craving some carbs in a bad way.

“You are anything but normal,” I heard Conall whisper beneath his breath. I looked back to find Aberto assessing Conall steadily. Whatever was passing behind his eyes, I didn’t care about. All I could think of was food and getting back to trying to save the Seers.

I headed toward the kitchen area and found one of the chefs that the Council kept on hand.

“Can I help you, Milady?” he asked with a deep bow.

“Do you by chance have anything that I could eat? My stomach feels like it is about to eat itself.” I looked around the kitchen and heard the chef pull in a sharp breath as Aberto entered behind me. He stood entirely too close to my back. I felt his heat radiate out and wrap itself around me. I wanted to move away, but in the tight quarters there was nowhere to go.

“And you sir, is there anything I can get for you?” The chef bowed even more deeply.

“I will have whatever she chooses if it is no trouble,” Aberto said.

“It is no trouble at all. Shall I heat up what we served for lunch? A Seer named Molly came down and told me to set aside some portions for you. She said something about you forgetting to eat,” the chef mumbled as he made himself busy moving around the kitchen.

“That would be amazing.” God, I loved Molly. That girl was amazing. If I’d been in her shoes I would’ve been a pile of snotty, blubbery mess right now. She was a pillar of strength. When this was all over she and I were going to have some serious girl time. Hopefully sans Guardians.

“I shall bring it out to you if you would like to make yourselves comfortable.”

“Oh, Conall is with us. Do you have enough to feed him as well?” I didn’t want my substitute Guardian to go hungry.

“Of course, Milady. I will have it out to you shortly.” He bowed once more and I grumbled as I left the kitchen.

“Did he do something to offend you?” Aberto’s eyebrows creased in confusion.

“No, I just don’t like the whole bowing thing. Or the ‘Milady’s.’ Or the whole ‘you’re the new leader of our people.’ I’m just not used to it. I need an adjustment period.”

“Much has been asked of you since you came of age.” Aberto looked at me thoughtfully.

“Yep.” I was so not in the mood for a serious conversation. I wanted to eat and get back to trying to separate my soul from my body. Wow, that’s a sentence I never thought I would say. When did my world get so weird?

“Was there food made available to you?” Conall asked from a table that had a glass of sweet tea waiting on me.

“Yes, and thank you for the drink. You are a prince. Truly.” I sat down and took a long drink of the sugary delight. They’d started making sweet tea for me when I stayed after the lab incident. I think they had wanted to do anything that might appease the crazy person back then, but they’d gotten so used to making it that it was always available now. I wasn’t complaining. I felt the sugar rush into my system giving me a jolt. “He is bringing some food out for you as well.”

“You should not concern yourself with my well-being.” Conall looked surprised.

“Yes I should. You’re my friend and right now you are acting as my Guardian. So yeah, color me concerned. If you don’t eat, you can’t protect me. So really, I’m just being selfish.” I smiled at him, causing him to drop his guard a little.

The food arrived shortly thereafter. It wasn’t the pizza I’d been longing for. Instead I found a plate filled with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. I guess the chef was in a Thanksgiving sort of a mood. I wasn’t going to complain. Although I was a little concerned I would be sent into a tryptophan coma.

I devoured my food hardly taking a second to breathe. I looked up to find Conall and Aberto staring at me.

“What?” I mumbled around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

“Nothing, I just didn’t believe Kennan when he said you could out perform a vacuum. Not until now,” Conall said, earning him a kick under the table. He just laughed at went back to eating.

I tried to slow down in my hoovering but I was famished. Sometimes I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started eating. This was one of those times. I went back to ignoring the two men and continued devouring everything on my plate. By the time I finished, I felt completely sated. I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my stomach, earning a raised brow from Conall.

“What?” I asked.

“Is there something we do not know about?” Conall looked at my stomach.

“Oh, God no! It is just my food baby,” I said, looking down at my now full stomach.