Chapter 6

 

My jaw dropped and I knew it but didn’t rush to close my mouth. Slowly I looked over this fine specimen of male stretched out across from me. There was barely a wrinkle on his face. “I need to get the list of vitamins you take. You have two hundred and thirty-four years on me but look like your thirty.”

“Your approval warms me,” he stated with a hitch of humor.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Don’t be getting all warm anything. You said pure bloods are born here, where does everyone else come from?”

All traces of humor left his eyes. “Your side.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

He leaned forward onto his knees and made eye contact with me. “There are those that want out, that aren’t meant for the reality they’re born into.” He paused briefly before continuing. “For hundreds of years there has been speculation that somewhere in the family tree a pure blood bred with one of your kind, but we’ve never been able to trace it back to substantiate is as fact.”

I held up a hand. “So, what am I? Are you saying I’ve got some ancestor that was from here?”

“Perhaps you are, but there’s no record of it. For as long as I can remember even for my father and his father, there has been a prophecy of a huntress that is neither from one side or the other. She, in fact, has a foot on each side—so to speak. It is told that she and she alone will stand equal with the throne and keep the balance.” He shook his head when I leaned forward. “Let me finish before your sultry lips spew something that will make me cringe.”

I pouted by didn’t say anything.

“The Cross Over Huntress will only come to be in a time lawlessness is prevailing and threatening the balance.” He looked upset for a moment before shaking it off. “I can only surmise there is more going on than I am aware of, or you wouldn’t be sitting in front of me now.” Leaning back, he looked me over for a brief second. “The first thing we need to do is find Wanda and see her back here safely. For her to cross and do what she did and not return…”

“Her ass is in deep shit.” I finished for him.

“Yes.”

I sighed loudly and long, trying to take all of this in. “Can I ask a few questions before we go rescue your witch?”

“She’s not my witch, but yes you may.”

I didn’t bother asking what he meant by that. “Back tracking here to the foot on either side part. Explain.” He stretched out an arm along each side of the back of the couch. I had to mentally smack myself a few times to focus on what he was going to say to take it all in with him offered up like that in front of me.

“Like my brothers and I, you do not need a device to cross over between your realm and ours, once you’re taught how you will be able to do it with little effort.”

“Ah…kay, we’ll come back to that one later. Next question, what do you mean I stand equal to the throne and keep the balance? What am I a princess or something?”

A serious look flashed in his eyes. “More a Queen.”

I laughed. Loudly. “Have you got your prophecies and fairy tales mixed up.”

“Were there any more questions?” His tone wasn’t soft any longer. I’d offended him.

“Roughly a thousand.”

He stood up. “There will be time to find all the answers you need. You should rest, we’ll go over at dusk and locate Wanda.”

Getting to my feet quickly, I looked around the room. “I’m staying here for the night? Day?”

“I think it best. Now let me take you to your room. If you want anything to eat or require any sort of assistance, I’ll leave Quinton at your call. He knows as much as I do.”

Grabbing my jacket, I hugged it and followed him. “Is he as old as you?”

Troy paused by the door, a sad look crossed his face. “Older actually. I believe he’s in the neighborhood of four hundred and fifty. He’s actually my big brother.”

Closing my mouth, I looked down at the floor. “Oh.”