House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(17)

Letting them see me vulnerable was scary, but I felt like the only way to know their true intentions was to put myself out there fully and see what happened.

Emma was draped completely across Lexen now. She crawled over his legs so she was close enough to hug me.

“There was probably an easier way to do that,” Lexen said with a shake of his head.

Emma tilted her head around to stick her tongue out at him, then shimmied back to her spot beside him. When she was there, she leaned out and said, “We have your back, Ava. Fighting is not so bad when we share the load.”

Callie snorted from my other side. “Dibs not sharing my section with Emma. Girl can trip over literally anything.” She softened those words by blowing Emma an exaggerated kiss.

Emma just laughed, seemingly completely unoffended. “So true. I feel sorry for anyone who has to be next to my uncoordinated self, but I promise you won’t be alone. Or have any feeling in your toes.”

“I’ll stand with you,” I said in a rush. “I can handle it.”

Before she could reply, Lexen made an intense rumbling sound and then Emma was in his lap. He moved her so quickly I literally didn’t even see it happen. “I have enough coordination for the both of us,” he told her, and she practically melted into him. His eyes met mine then, and for the first time the endless darkness in them didn’t freak me out. “Em is right, you’re not hefting the load on your own anymore. No longer will any of us walk this road alone. The eight of us are meant to be together. We’re meant to rule Overworld together.”

“You’re insane if you think our parents are going to let us unite the houses like that,” Xander said, his voice flat, but the mild undertones of disbelief were there. “Sitting together at lunch is one thing, but you’re talking about trying to overcome decades of hate and prejudice.”

Daniel cut in. “No one said it would be easy, but there has been too much dissension in our world. The fact that Laous managed to recruit members of all four houses to his cause should tell us that we can all work together.”

“It’d be nice if we all worked together for a cause to better our people,” Callie said. “Not one that could kill everyone.”

From my position, Xander looked to be staring out into the wall opposite where we sat, his expression unreadable. He finally said, “I think that you’re all looking at this from a na?ve, simple perspective. Hundreds of years of hatred and rivalry is not going to be undone just because the four of us are best friends. Or because the three of you have found your mates. But I will go with the majority … I’m willing to try.”

He got up then and walked away, and I almost went after him. Mostly because I wanted to yell at him. I really loved the dynamics of this group. For the first time in months I didn’t feel alone, and he was making things awkward and uncomfortable—even if I did think that he made some decent points.

“My mom always said that the first step to any change is simple … just take a step in the direction you want to go,” Maya said in her soft voice. “Be the change you want to see. We can talk about hoping and wishing for a difference all we want, but we’re the only ones in a position to actually do something about it. I think seeing the four overlords, major and minor, coming together, is that change that your people need to start seeing.”

“Our people,” Chase reminded her.

She shot him a rueful smile. “Right, still wrapping my head around that.”

“I know I can get my parents in,” Lexen said.

“Same,” Chase added.

Daniel chuckled. “I’m already overlord major, so you know I’m in.”

There was a beat of silence and we were all thinking the same thing. Xander said he would go with the majority, so hopefully he’d convince his parents as well.

“We can’t do anything until we figure out the map and find the stone, though, right?” I asked.

For some reason, knowing that this map was contained within me, I really needed to figure out how to do that part first.

“Right,” Lexen said, getting to his feet with Emma somehow still in his arms. He dropped her gently down and they remained close together. “First thing is to figure out where the stone is and prevent a war and the possible destruction of two worlds. Then we can figure out the best way to move our world forward. As a team. The fates didn’t bring us all together for nothing.”

Speaking of fate in a literal manner gave me chills. I wasn’t religious, but I believed in powers bigger than me. I communed with Mother Nature a lot. You couldn’t surf the massive swell, feel the power of the ocean, and not believe that there was a greater power out there.

Everyone else got to their feet then and the three overlords quickly discussed their next steps.

“We need to inform our people here about what is happening now,” Chase said. “I think most of them should return to Overworld. We’ll keep a few here for backup security.”

“I agree,” Lexen said, then turned to me. “We’ll make sure your friend is safe.”

I nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Doc is a good man who’s already been through a lot of tragedy. Nothing can happen to him.”

“It won’t,” Emma promised. “The Daelighters are strong. They will protect him if needed.”