King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(138)

“Shit,” I muttered, yanking the phone away from my ear.

A pause, then Ezra boomed, “Sweetheart? What’s wrong?”

I fumbled with the phone, Ezra’s voice encompassing the entire room as he ranted in a rising shout, “What’s happening? I knew I should have come with you. All those goddamn Elder f*cks probably don’t know shit about the spell—”

I found the button and his voice cut off for a second before I held the phone up to my ear. Hearing him work himself into a tizzy, I interjected, saying, “I’m fine.” I was pretty sure he didn’t hear me because he kept going on. And on. “Ezra.” And on. “Ezra!”

He shut up, and I said, “I’m fine. I need to call you back, though.”

Silence, then a clipped, “You aren’t lying?”

“No. Scout’s honor.”

He snorted. “Just call me.” He hung up.

Rolling my shoulders, I studied my phone, trying to figure out how to put it on vibrate.

“Ezra…” Lynn murmured into the silence, his kids miraculously still sound asleep. “As in, Ezra Zeller, the Prodigy Vampire?”

I nodded, finding what I was looking for. “Well actually, Ezra Zeller, as in, King Zeller now.” I pocketed my phone. Time to see if Brann was the brat I wanted. “Okay, let’s do this.” I glanced at him, ready to gauge his reaction as I again held out my hand with the fisted die.

And froze.

He was giving me a peculiar look.

“What?”

He blinked. “Did he call you sweetheart,” a pause, “in the middle of his outburst?”

I blinked this time and couldn’t come up with anything adequate in my addled, sleep-deprived mind. “Yeah. I think he did.” I shrugged. “I called him an arrogant * a few hours ago.”

“Okay.” He smiled, which made him even more handsome. “I get it.” Approvingly, he nodded with grand motions.

I wasn’t sure what he really got, but he wasn’t fussing, so I went with it. I raised my eyebrows and nodded, like him, smiling. Then I jerked my head at Brann. “How about we do this?”

His eyes instantly hooded.

Ah. I caught it this time.

He wasn’t thrilled.

Too bad.

Slowly, I uncurled my fingers, but the die was only white like before the spell had been cast. “Shit.” God, I was definitely off my game. “Mr Johnson, I’m going to need you to take your daughter and drive around the block.” My gaze met his, and I saw his nostrils flare. “The spell doesn’t work if any other Mystical is nearby, but hopefully if you’re a block away, it will.” My lips pinched when I could tell he hated the idea. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you or your family. I’m here to find the Prodigy and protect him.”

It took five more minutes to convince him, even though he was scenting my truth the entire time. Protective he was, and I didn’t disagree with his reasoning, so I didn’t push my will on him, convincing him civilly, since I may have to deal with him in the future. I even helpfully carried the unconscious Com out to his car while he carried Brenna’s peacefully slumbering form. That wasn’t completely selfless, because I really didn’t want the Com waking to find me alone in the bedroom with the boy. I had a feeling that after being knocked out, she would shoot first and ask her questions later.

Finally hearing his car pull away, Bonnie and I sat in the middle of the twins’ bedroom, the white die in my opened palm. Waiting. A minute later, the die sparked to life, glowing an even brighter black, which pulsed in my hand. I jerked forward, the die literally pulling me toward the bed with the boy. I crawled, luckily already on my knees because the thing suddenly weighed a ton, and my hand hit the mattress. I watched in fascination as the black spark of knowledge beaded out of the die, leaving it white as before, and raised high into the air, floating above the boy’s forehead.

It dropped, landing like a blot of ink before disappearing against his skin altogether.

The boy didn’t even notice, still snoozing peacefully.

I grinned, even as I felt the Prodigy ring and the Queen ring splitting, separating into two rings, and my eyes turned to Bonnie. “It’s him.” I tossed my die into the air, catching it with satisfaction at finding my mark. “Stay here and protect him while I wait downstairs for Mr Johnson.” I stood, pocketing the white die, Bonnie nimbly jumping onto the edge of the bed. “Don’t hurt him if he wakes and tries to pet you.”


“I found him,” I said over the phone to Ezra. I chewed on my thumbnail, standing in the foyer and waiting for Mr Johnson to return, not really wanting to say the next part, but needing to, so when he met them he didn’t react…oddly. It was only now hitting me as the adrenaline from the possibility of danger left my system. I was even feeling an ache inside my chest. “His name’s Brann Johnson.”

“And?” Ezra asked slowly. “I can tell something’s wrong.”

I sighed, rubbing at my chest. “He’s a twin. A boy and a girl. The girl’s name is Brenna.” My breath hitched. “They’re really cute. Brenna’s small with orange hair and Brann’s large with black hair.” A too-close representation of what our twins could have looked like.

I heard him inhale deeply — the licks just kept on coming — and he stayed silent.