King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(167)
“She is your Queen,” Ezra expounded, Antonio’s hands not faltering at Elder Merrick’s pronouncement, massaging into my shoulder blades. “What makes you think she’s not?”
Elder Merrick sounded like he was restraining himself. “A hybrid should be Lawfully dead. A hybrid is what creates those f*cking freaks of nature. But most importantly, a hybrid cannot do a f*cking Awakening!” He cursed hard.
Ezra took a deep, shuddering breath, and with as much restraint as what Elder Merrick had sounded like having, he said softly, “Your Queen has had her tubes tied magically so she can’t have children. Your Queen has done an Awakening. Successfully. And I, and your Queen, believe that f*cking Law to be archaic, and brutal to the extreme of murder.”
Silence.
Sounding mystified, Elder Merrick muttered, “Truth. All of it.” A pause, then a half-frenzied, gravelly chuckle sounded from him, which he tried to contain as he muttered quietly, “The no condom thing makes sense now.”
“The four Awakenings before graduation,” Cahal said softly, ignoring Elder Merrick. “That’s when she did it.”
“Yes,” Antonio spoke calmly, kneading his fingers into my back muscles. “I have it all on videotape in a secure location so that no one can claim otherwise.”
Elder Jacobs sputtered, “The Elders have been lying to us this whole time?”
Massaging the small of my back, Antonio answered quietly, “I don’t know. They may truly believe it, a fabrication made long ago to keep hybrids from being born, when they saw the offspring of a hybrid and a Com. Or maybe hybrids couldn’t do it in our earlier days.” A pause. “I don’t know their reasoning, but I’ve done the research and plenty of it — not even including Lily’s proof with my own eyes — has declared itself in journals. Hybrids can indeed do Awakenings.”
“So, I ask you again,” Ezra said softly. “What makes you believe she is not your Queen?”
There were a few beats of silence, and then Elder Merrick growled, “Nothing. She is the Queen Shifter.” He sounded pissed the f*ck off, but no longer hysterical. “Although, there are now some Elders I would like to dig up to rip their f*cking heads from their corpses.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Antonio interrupted Elder Merrick’s rambling of shredding already dead Elders, mumbling quietly, “Lil, I have to touch your…behind. You have muscles there that are used for walking and fighting.”
I snorted. “You changed my diapers, Antonio.”
“Yes, but you were much smaller then.” He sighed. “It’s so hard when kids grow up.” He quickly zapped my ass, then went straight to my legs.
“Ow!” That had hurt.
“Sorry,” he rumbled, sounding embarrassed, which was funny in itself. He quickly changed the subject, speaking to the others while saying evenly, “This news is not to be leaked. In due course, the four current Rulers may present the change, but right now is not the time to advertise Lily’s hybrid nature.”
Elder Jacobs snorted. “Agreed.”
“No shit,” Elder Merrick muttered.
“Of course not,” Elder Zeller murmured.
“Good,” Antonio stated, then he muttered, “And I’ll see what I’ll have to do with Bindi. She is still in the apartment, isn’t she?”
Ezra and Cahal actually chuckled, glancing at each other, and then Ezra flicked a finger over my head, whispering, “She’s eavesdropping right outside the door.”
Softly, Antonio muttered, “Good, because if I have to wipe her memory I really don’t want to have to chase her down.”
Ezra’s lips pinched, his gaze meeting mine before moving back up to Antonio’s. “She’s a good physician and I don’t believe she’ll say anything. She knew the twins were hybrids, and she didn’t rat us out.” His finger flicked again. “She’s only curious.” A memory wipe was horrible in both of our minds. It was like mind rape, taking away knowledge you had gained.
Antonio grunted, patting my foot. “Roll over, Lil.” I rolled onto my back, biting my lip as my joints ached like an old piece of machinery that hadn’t been serviced recently. Antonio smiled, apparently pleased at seeing that I was able to move — as was I — even if like an old Com, but he glanced back at Ezra, stating loudly, “I’ll see just what secrets she can keep. A permanent memory wipe is only a last resort, but if it’s needed, I’ll do it.” He tilted his head at the door as he started working on the front of my legs, now going in reverse. “Just tell me if she runs.”
“Will do,” Cahal murmured when his son didn’t reply, leaning back against a wall, arms crossed.
Antonio’s gaze hit mine, and I could tell he was still upset with me, barely hiding it with his actions and words as his fingers dug into my stomach muscles, magic sizzling.
I met his eyes evenly. “I would do it again.”
“I know,” he stated gruffly. “That’s what scares me.”
“If she’s going to be ill for a week,” Elder Merrick began to pace, interjecting our exchange, “The Elder Shifters will need to be told something when our Queen suddenly disappears for a week with a war knocking at our door.”