King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(23)
Keeping my expression pleasant, I shook his hand, having no clue who he was except to guess he had been the King Shifter directly before Antonio and Cahal’s group were in power. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Removing my hand from his, I gestured to Ezra. “This is Ezra Zeller, Prodigy Vampire.” I smiled sweetly at Ezra, pulling the attention off myself and also giving him a little payback for his comment outside.
Ezra’s lips twitched, but he greeted Elder Talus agreeably.
For me to only blink and see Cahal suddenly next to us.
Glancing once at Ezra’s dad, Elder Talus booked a hasty retreat.
Heh. Who would have thought having Ezra’s pops around would be advantageous?
“Did you get settled in alright?” Cahal asked Ezra, completely ignoring me.
I was perfectly fine with this, letting my gaze roam the room. My eyes landed on King Kincaid. Taking advantage of Cahal’s snuff a few beats later, I snuck away to where all four Kings were standing and chatting with a — I was assuming — set of four Elders.
King Kincaid tucked me under his arm, staring down at me like a proud papa. “You protected many. You did well yesterday.”
I smiled. It was gloomy. “There were a lot who we couldn’t save.”
King Fergus’s eyes darted round the room. “Have you seen Jack?”
“Or Pearl?” King Nelson murmured quietly, his eyes also scanning.
I cleared my throat and spoke quietly, since the four Elders they had been speaking with were now talking amongst themselves, but were also definitely eavesdropping with their not-so-covert glances my way. “Jack and Pearl won’t be attending today.” Realizing they didn’t know from their instant stunned expressions, which were quickly turning irritated, I stated, “Their mates died.”
Blank faces all around, including the eavesdroppers.
“Christ,” King Fergus muttered, glancing to the door. “That’s what happened when they fainted.” He cracked his neck. “I’ll be back after I check on Jack.”
Instantly shaking my head, I added, “He’s not exactly taking visitors right now.” A glance to King Nelson. “Or Pearl. They were both…” I let my words hang. They could make their own assumptions. But I did glance up at King Kincaid. “Fi’s alright?” Fi was his mate, who had treated me as a daughter for the past year.
Dark eyes so like Dominic’s met mine. “Yes. She’s fine.”
“Does anyone know about Pearl or Jack’s families?” Ezra asked, strolling to stand next to me, having apparently escaped his father. “I’d like to give them some good news if I can.”
King Venclaire nodded. “Both families are fine. They made the journey here with us and they’re staying. They don’t want to risk traveling.”
Ezra and I sighed in relief. At least there was something decent to tell them.
“If everyone will please take a seat, this meeting is being called to order,” an elderly Elemental stated just as I saw Richard, Elder Harcourt, slip inside the room.
I sat at the far end of the black and gray marble oval table. It was bulky enough to fit the roughly thirty men and me around its edges. I was fairly sure that all the men I didn’t know were Elders. Power exuded throughout the room, making it stifling since the door was now closed.
The older Elemental who had called the meeting to order remained standing. “By now, all of you know that the Commoners have attacked worldwide.” His wrinkled face was grim under his thick yellow hair, but not surprisingly, he was still handsome — the benefits of Mys genes. “The attacks coincided with the Awakenings. From what we can decipher, the original problem started with an email sent with a video attachment.” He had said the words oddly, as if he had just learned them. “It spread like a Com virus only a day before the Awakenings.” He gestured to Elder Harcourt. “We have a copy.”
Elder Harcourt flicked a hand — no glowing — and a golden cube appeared in the center of our group, hovering over the table. An image appeared on each of the cube’s sides. Standing in the center of the ‘screen’ was a man dressed in a red robe, his hood down over half his face, only his mouth visible. He was not the leader we had viewed yesterday. Elder Harcourt tilted his head and the image moved to life, its accompanying sound emanating from the cube.
“The Mystical race has lied. Deceived every Commoner of our precious world.” The hooded man took a few steps forward, his robe swishing around his legs. “Mysticals stated they cannot have children with Commoners. That is false. Mysticals have been raping and killing our women for generations to produce mindless monsters,” he threw an arm to the right, “like this.”
I watched in horror as a thing was dragged on screen by two other men in red hooded robes, who each held silver chains that wrapped around its neck like a collar, while silver shackles bound its wrists and ankles.
The Elders and Kings around me gasped.
Ezra did not.
I glanced at him, and he nodded once, indicating this was what he had been talking about during the attack at King Hall. The things he had killed. My gaze swept back to the screen.
“This, my fellow Commoners, is what happens when a Mystical hybrid mates with a Commoner,” the spokesman stated. “This particular breed is Mage and Shifter and Commoner.” He yanked up the head of the golden-haired thing so the world could see a hawk’s face on a supposed Commoner’s body: talons for hands, wings spouting from the shoulder blades, and the lower half with skin the color of bronze.