House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(14)

“I’m really glad Laous didn’t succeed,” I told her sincerely. I wasn’t sure if it was the electrical shock we all generated, or whatever bond they were talking about kicking in, but the kinship I suddenly felt was very real ... and a little scary.

“I’m glad too. Missing out on knowing Daniel is something I don’t even want to think about,” Callie told me. “Not to mention finally finding a family with all of you.”

It warmed my heart to be included like that. I could tell she meant it as well, and my stupid emotional tears were trying to surface. Forcing them down, I turned to Maya. “You and Chase ... you’re bonded as well?”

She nodded, her long, wavy, purple-streaked hair tumbling across her shoulders. “Yes, he is from a land where the trees are gods, pretty much. They tethered our souls together. It’s a forever sort of bond.”

My throat felt full, my chest felt tight, and I was trying to figure out if I was about to have a full-on breakdown. “Xander,” I spluttered, shaking my head. I couldn’t get any more words out, and suddenly Emma was wrapping me up in a hug.

“Don’t worry about Xander,” she whispered to me. “He is part of our group, the same as you are, but it doesn’t mean that you two have to be together. That’s not how it works. You’re free to make your own choices.”

I sort of snorted, and when she pulled away I quirked an eyebrow at her. “You three had a choice?”

“Yes,” Callie said without hesitation. “The connection to our guys was there from the start, especially for me and our soul-bond. But I chose to be with Daniel. We could have just stayed friends. Or allies.”

Maya distracted us then when she attempted to jump up to sit on the sink. She was so tiny that her butt just skimmed the edge and she tumbled down. Callie managed to grab her before she hit the floor.

“Dammit,” Maya groused. “This is why being short sucks. Especially when I’m surrounded by all you supermodel types.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Girl, I’m so far from a supermodel.” I waved my hand at her, letting them all see the scars. For some reason I knew they wouldn’t judge me. That was rare, and I really hoped I wasn’t wrong.

“That’s from the shark?” Emma asked, wide-eyed as she reached for my hand.

I nodded. “Yep, just a baby one, thankfully.”

Maya and Callie both leaned over for a closer look.

“The scars show how badass you are,” Emma said as she stepped back. “Don’t ever doubt how gorgeous you are. You’re probably the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a supermodel. No one cares about a few marks on your hand. You are perfect.”

“How tall are you?” Callie asked. “I rarely meet women taller than me. It’s a nice change.”

“You’re definitely beautiful,” Maya put in quietly. “Honestly, you didn’t see Xander in the boat because I could tell you were trying not to look his way, but he didn’t take his eyes off you the entire time.”

My heart swelled, and I realized the strength in a group of strong, confident women who weren’t trying to tear each other down. Support and encouragement. They were straightening my crown rather than trying to steal it, because they all wore crowns as well.

Until this moment I would have been that chick who said they preferred to have male friends. Dudes were chill; we’d surf together, drink together, and be mostly drama free. But I knew now that I’d been missing out by not having girlfriends.

“You three are … so nice,” I said, sounding like the biggest loser, but wanting to express my feelings anyway. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted before.”

“We’re a team … a family,” Maya said, her voice wavering. “A bond that is beyond any normal human friendship. The four of us might not have been physically together for that much time, but our souls have been connected since birth.”

“When we all touched,” I told them, “I felt that. Whatever nerves I had about being in this world … they’ve almost completely faded away. I never would have believed it could happen like this … but here we are.”

The next knock on the door was not quite as heavy. I still jumped of course, because it felt like I was in a bubble in this room. A warm, sweet bubble.

“We have food out here,” Chase said. His voice I would recognize anywhere, it was so damn smooth. “Whenever you’re ready.”

My stomach growled in response, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten at all today. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt like hours since I woke for my swim.

“I could eat,” Callie admitted, laughing. “This soul-bond thing is kind of draining on me, especially when I’ve been away from House of Imperial for an extended amount of time.” She met my eyes then. “Are you okay to come out now? Because we can totally stay in here longer if you need more time.”

“I’m hungry too,” I decided. “Let’s eat.”

Emma clapped her hands and the other two threw indulgent smiles at her. “Emma is our cheer squad,” Maya told me with a huge grin. “Even though I’m the one who was the actual cheerleader, Emma is the one who rallies us all together.”

“She’s the best,” Callie added.