House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(50)
She looked amazing. And intimidating.
And I still hated her.
Royale warriors stood close by, their spears and spikes held aloft, looking all kinds of scary. I wondered, for a moment, if Xander went against his mother, would she send those warriors after him? Would she force his compliance?
She seemed like the type of leader who would do anything to get her own way. Especially if she thought it was for the good of her people.
Daniel and Callie, holding hands, moved to take their place as the fourth overlord majors. Imperial warriors shifted closer to them as well, backing their leaders. This was the first time I’d seen a large group of Imperials, and I noted that all of them had their hair cropped or shaved just like Daniel’s. Even Callie’s hair was very short, stopping just below her ears. Maybe it was really hot down there … the underworld might have gotten its “fires of hell” myth from Overworld as well.
“We have the location,” Lexen said to his father, and we all pushed in closer to hear the conversation. “We’re ready to find the stone and put an end to all of this. Have we figured out how to remove the secret keepers’ link to it?”
Colita stepped away from the nearby group. “The council can do that,” she said, gesturing to the half a dozen other Daelighters she’d been standing with. “We have devised a plan that will break the bonds between the four and the stone. The moment you find it, you need to contact us. We’re teaming up with the humans. They’ve decided not to hide the starslight any longer. Instead the location will be known, and a human and Daelighter army will rotate in guarding it.”
“They’re going to actually tell humans?” Daniel said cynically. “Is that the best plan? Humans are not known for taking news about impending end-of-world disasters well.”
Colita shrugged. “The human government assures us that they can spin this information to keep the panic at a minimum. They’re not going to break the whole aliens-walk-among-you to them just yet. We all agree that humans—most of them anyway—are not ready for that information.”
I’d barely felt ready for it, and I’d lived with being “different” my entire life.
Lexen moved on, his eyes doing that flashing white lights thing. “What’s the plan for right now? Should we leave the secret keepers in Overworld until we clear Laous out of Astoria? I don’t want Emma or any of them in danger. They must be protected.”
Emma elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop trying to leave me behind. We’re a team. I’ve told you that a hundred times. The eight of us … we’re stronger together. It’s a fact.”
His fierce expression softened, and he nodded. “I agree with you now. I feel it as well—”
“Finally convinced your stubborn ass,” Emma cut in.
His chest rumbled. “Yes, you did. But I also know that if anything happens to you, I will not be able to control my Draygo side. I will destroy the worlds, Emma Walters. A missing starslight stone will be the least of the humans’ worries.”
Roland reached out to comfort his son. “Lex, we won’t let anything happen to Emma … to any of them. Our number-one priority is to keep all of you safe. You’re our future leaders after all.”
Lexen didn’t relax. If anything, there was an even more animalistic look on his face. He reached out and pulled Emma into his side, and she must have seen in him the same thing I had, because she didn’t fight him. He was on the edge of losing it; one more thing would push him over the edge. Not that any of us thought for a second he’d hurt Emma, but everyone else was fair game.
“So what is the best way for us to clear Laous and the Gonzo out of Astoria with minimum casualties?” Daniel asked.
Colita waved over the other councilmembers. “We’re coordinating with the human army,” she said as the three males and three females joined us. “Any updates?” she asked them.
A dark-haired man answered: “They’re telling us that Laous has a lot of hostages. Pretty much the entire town has been taken. The army is surrounding Astoria, but they won’t enter until we give them the okay—apparently they have been tracking Gonzo for a long time, and they’re ready to take them down. They’re just waiting for us to come in from the inside.”
“They’re not in Daelight Crescent, right?” Emma choked out.
Roland shook his head. “No, I’ve got a barrier across the street. House of Darken powers it. So far it’s holding.
“What about our friends at the high school?” Emma continued, voice wavering. “Are there any casualties?”
Colita shook her head. “Not that we know of, but there was some resistance initially. I’m not sure what happened to those who fought back.”
Emma started to suck in deep gulping breaths, in and out, until her panic faded. As it did, anger took over. “We can’t wait another second. If he hasn’t yet, Laous will start killing them soon.”
“Does it have to be a war?” I suggested, for once not nervous to be voicing an opinion. Xander’s mother already hated me. How much further could I fall in her esteem? “What if we tried to make a deal with Laous? Get him away from all the innocent people by telling him that we’ll lead him to the stone? That he needs the eight of us to find it, so his best chance is to tag along with us?”