King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(4)
He snorted, and I knew people were watching him strangely. Feeling I had done my job properly, I stopped. His eyes met mine. I knew there would be retribution involved. Probably a little good and a little bad.
“What’s wrong with him?” Elly whispered, her golden eyes swinging to me.
I tapped my temple and grinned.
Her mouth fell open. “That’s just mean.”
I chuckled. It was funny stuff.
The King Elemental, King Fergus, went next, speaking fluidly and easily to the assembly, his green hair shimmering in the light. “Our next King Elemental will be Jack Collins. He’s lived in Tokyo for his entire life and, like the other Prodigies, he’s thrilled to be here at King Hall for his senior year. His experience is immense…” Yada, yada, the same junk all over again. It sounded like they had all been through the same experiences since being chosen at a toddler’s age through a spell that let the current Kings know who the next Rulers were. “And here’s the next King Elemental.”
Jack Collins came out of the side curtains like Dominic had. I clapped right along with everyone else but didn’t add in the hoots like some of the girls were doing. He was hot. No doubt about that. He was about six foot, two inches, with a touch of Asian ancestry, and had bright blue hair that he wore stylishly over his right eye. He was dressed in a black suit that was fitted and trendy — not stuffy like the Kings’ — and his blue, extra-thin tie matched his hair. I could see his eyes were brown and his features bordered on pretty, but his muscled body was anything but slight.
He waited politely for everyone to quiet, then began with a slightly accented voice. “My name’s Jack Collins, and it’s a pleasure to be here…” More yada, yada.
Next to come forward was King Nelson, the King Mage, and he began with a soft grin, his hand brushing back his golden hair. “This is a monumental day, because for the first time in over five hundred years we will have a woman as our Ruler.” There were gasps throughout the audience. I had no clue a female Ruler was such a big deal, but clearly it was. “Our next Queen Mage will be Pearl Cooper. She’s lived in London for the entirety of her life, and her experience…” Heard it all before.
When Pearl Cooper walked out the crowd went wild. Especially the females. You would think the men would have been cheering the loudest but, I swear, women’s rights were taking a firm grip on every female in the place as Pearl took the stage. She appeared to be six feet tall, curvaceous, and with golden hair and golden eyes. She was drop-dead gorgeous, more than a normal Mys. She was so flawless she reminded me of a doll. She wore a black, checkered dress like a retro version of a 1950s house wife, except she paired it with a wide, glistening gold belt and gold platform shoes, to perfection.
I glanced down at my own jeans and plain white t-shirt with a smidge of disdain, thinking that perhaps I should pay a little more attention to my attire instead of just worrying if it was from the clean pile.
“Hello, everyone.” Pearl greeted the world with a celebrity wave, her English accent really freaking cool. “I’m so happy and honored to be your next Queen Mage…” She went on, and in her speech I noted she also had been recently mated. There were many groans from the men. Couldn’t blame them. She was that attractive.
Up next, the King Vampire, King Venclaire, nodded to the audience pleasantly and stated simply, “Our next King Vampire will be Ezra Zeller. He’s originally from San Diego, California, and has lately been traveling the world; his most recent location was South America. His power is truly remarkable.” The King smiled a little at his words, then turned toward the curtains. “Ezra, if you would, please.”
When the King didn’t drone on about his Prodigy’s experience, I asked, He’s done?
Guess so, Dominic replied, intently watching the curtained area.
Ezra Zeller walked onstage.
The first thing I noticed was the deep sapphire, hooded velvet jacket he wore. He had its hood up so I couldn’t see his face, and its hem was so long it skimmed the floor. It was unbuttoned, and he wore a simple white t-shirt under it with a pair of faded jeans, trendy holes in the knees. He had paired those with a clunky black belt and boots that looked identical to Dominic’s.
I clapped with everyone else, though my gaze was rapt on his size. He was as large as Dominic, at least six foot, five inches, his muscles massive. That was a little odd because, normally, Vampires were as tall as Shifters but were usually leaner, like a swimmer instead of a brute. His velvet jacket appeared worn, with patches at the elbows, and I was unsure if they were for fashion or economy’s sake. His vast biceps looked like they weren’t helping the stitching any, straining the material. His white t-shirt showed every ripple of muscle in his pecs and abdomen, and his faded jeans hugged his thighs flawlessly. You couldn’t even see his face, and I could already imagine the women in the audience licking their lips.
“Oh,” Elly whispered, leaning forward. “For a Vamp, he’s delicious.”
My best friend was one of them.
King Venclaire sighed and his hand flashed out, yanking back Ezra’s hood.
Flashes went off as everyone got their first decent view of him. He had skin like smooth mocha and he wore his red and black hair about three inches long in styled spikes all over his head. His features were perfectly sharp: high cheekbones, a straight nose, arched, black eyebrows, wide red lips, and an angular jaw. He wore a pair of unusual sunglasses — black and thick with round, platinum pieces on the front — and I stared at them, wondering what color his eyes were.