Chapter 19

I don’t remember going to sleep, or getting the rune tattoo put in my skin. My head was fuzzy and I woke to a drink of water, and then I remember the taste of blood and being held close by a warm body.

When I opened my eyes the next time, I was alone in the bed. Looking around I saw Daxx and Mitz sitting on the couch watching me. I lay there for a moment more to take a look around in my head, the flashes were there and there was no wall that I could find.

“Victor had to go feed and replenish a bit.” Daxx came over and sat on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“My head is a bit fuzzy.” I told her. “Did it work?”

She smiled. “Yes, and it’s all healed now. Victor gave you blood twice, to make sure.”

I frowned. “I only remember once.”

Daxx chuckled, “I think you were mostly still under the first time. He insisted on it so you’d feel no pain.”

“Oh.” Holding the blankets, I sat up slowly and then looked down to see I had a shirt on again. “The ooze and magic is gone?”

“It is. There is no spell, cast, or any of that other crap they can try to get through that rune mark. Ever.”

I smiled. “I’m happy about that.”

She nodded.

Mitz came over and smiled in her caring way. “You’ll need something to eat and drink, love, I’ll be back with it.”

I sat back carefully and noted it didn’t hurt at all. I smiled. “I think Victor’s blood made all my sore muscles better too.”

Laughing Daxx sat further on the bed. “Their blood is awesome, isn’t it?”

“What time is it?” I bit my lip. “Is it night realm time or day realm time?”

“I still hate that time thing. It’s day realm time, soon to be night realm. I was waiting for you to wake before I went to grab a nap.” She yawned.

“Thank you. I’m glad I didn’t wake up alone.” I looked at the pillow beside me to see the indentation from Victor’s head.

“Mitz and Chase basically dragged him out of here. He really needed to go feed and rest. Giving you blood three times and holding your flashes the whole time drained him.”

“He’s okay?”

She leaned back and looked at me. “As okay as a big dominant man can be, that had to watch his mate go through what you did.”

I looked at her for a moment thinking about what she said. “He’s not okay.”

She grinned.

“Knock, knock.” Chase called from the door. He walked in and smiled. “Thought I’d see how you were doing.”

“You spend much more time on this side, Chase and you’re going to have to become a nightwalker.” Daxx told him.

“Blasphemy.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t live over here with all the drama.” He chuckled. Standing beside the bed, he looked at me for a moment. “I finally persuaded Victor to rest for a few hours, and told him I would call if he was required. Is he required?”

I sighed, “I’d like to see him, but he should rest.”

“How are you feeling?” His grey eyes moved over me slowly.

“I’m okay.” I touched my hand over my shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt.” I looked at Daxx and then under the blankets to see I whoever had put my shirt on had put shorts on as well. “I’d like to see it though.” Pushing the blankets back I moved over and got up. “It’s on my body, but I’m probably the last one to see it.”

Daxx followed me in and flicked on the light. “Turn around and I’ll lift up your shirt for you.”

I took a deep breath and turned so I could see as much of my back in the big mirror. I bit my lip as she lifted the shirt and then stared at what I saw. “I’ve seen this before.” I said quietly. “Inside my head.” My scar was healed over as it had been, before the ooze started coming out of it. A black symbol was in the middle of it now. It was a half of a circle with no bottom, another circle filled inside, and a triangle was in that, then a mark through it from one side to the other. “I know I have,” I told her and pulled my shirt down and went quickly back to the room.

Rushing over, I found my pack beside the bed and opened it, searching for my notebook. Dropping the bag, I sat on the bed and flipped through the pages as fast as I could. “That symbol, it’s been in my head for…” I raised a hand to the air, “a long time.” I looked to Daxx, “just after I saw you… in my head, it came to me.” Flipping more pages, I stopped and tapped the page with my hand. “Here. See, it is the same.” I held the book out to Daxx.

She came over and took it, looking at my drawing and then a glance to Chase as she nodded. “It’s the same.”

“I didn’t know it was for me.” I said and took a shaky breath. “Nothing ever came with it to show that it was.” I watched Chase study the book with his brows drawn together. “I don’t usually see… me.”

He handed the book back and sat on the bed. “Is there anything else in there that might fit now?”

I hadn’t thought to go through them and search for pieces that fit, not after all this time. “I don’t know. I would have to look at each one and remember if it’s happened before or after I put that one there.”

He glanced to the thick notebook and shook his head. “That’s a lot to sort through, cutie.”

I nodded. “But what if other answers we haven’t been able to find are right there waiting to be found?”

“Is that possible?” Daxx asked.

“Is what possible?” Victor asked walking in.

Chase turned to him slowly. “That was a short rest.”

Victor came over, his eyes on only me as he did. “I thought I would rest better here, so I wasn’t laying there wondering.”

I smiled at him. “I’m okay now.”

He sat on the bed and I had to think it was a good thing that the bed, like everything here, was a big as it was.

“Now, is what possible?” He asked again.

“Oh.” I held out the book and pointed to the sketch I had made years before. “I saw the rune on my back, soon after I saw Daxx. I just didn’t know it was meant for me.”

He took the book and looked at it for a moment. “Is there more in here about it?”

I frowned. “I don’t know. Chase wonders if there might be more that I’ve written down that would fit together now.” I bit my lip and then nodded quickly. “Maybe I have had answers all along for the things we can’t find.”

Victor had a strange look on his face. “It wouldn’t even surprise me if it were true.” He touched my cheek softly and then looked at Chase. “I thought you were going to call me when she woke up?”

Chase smirked, “No, I believe I agreed to call if you were required, not when she woke up.”

Victor gave him an unhappy look and then turned back to me. “Is it feeling alright now?”

I nodded. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”

He smiled and leaned over to kiss my forehead again. “Perhaps a day without falling on the mats would be advisable, just to be sure.”

I glanced to see Daxx roll her eyes from where she sat behind him. I smirked. “Perhaps it is.”

“Alright, love, I have a light meal and some juice.” Mitz stopped in the door and looked at the others sitting on the bed with me. “Should I have brought more?”

~

For the rest of that day, after it was night again that is, Victor stayed with me. We had very little time alone though, as everyone had to come and check on me once or twice to make sure I was still okay. I was, and glad to be.

It was still nice to spend that much time with Victor. We played cards, which I found out I wasn’t good at. We walked the halls and he showed me behind some doors I still hadn’t seen. He even told my coaches we wouldn’t be practicing today.

I wanted to go through my book of seeing, but he said it could wait one more day. He hugged me or held me, and kissed me many times, but always stopped and then backed away.

Daxx gave me a thumbs up when he wasn’t looking on her way out the door before dinner. I wasn’t sure what it was for, but made a note in my head to ask her later.

When it was time to sleep, Victor lingered long after saying he was going, and I should rest, and I thought he was finally, finally going to stay with me.

Sadly, I was wrong.

The next day, I didn’t see him at all the whole day. He was gone again, doing whatever it was he did.

That was three days ago, and I’d seen him a whole of an hour in that time. I stood in my room after the coaches left and stared at the dish of small balls the telepath had left. She used them to show me focus, I don’t know why. I couldn’t juggle them with my mind. Or my hands, I discovered, having tried then crawling around to find them all.

Turning, I spotted one I had missed and went over and picked it up. I wasn’t going to try juggling again, but I did bounce it off the wall, and then the floor and found myself standing there doing that over and over again. The rhythm was soothing, and I realized I was sorting through flashes faster than ever before as I did it. I caught it and stared at the little red rubber ball. Was it something that simple? I paused for a moment and checked in my head again, just to make sure I hadn’t just wanted it to be that easy. There were just as many flashes as always.

Turning back to the wall, I tossed the ball and caught it, then bounced it on the floor, caught it and started again. Yes, it was easier to focus on the flashes without really trying, as my hands went through the cycle of moves. Catching it after ten times of wall to floor to wall again, I stood there. I would keep the ball with me today and keep trying it at different times to see if it worked all the time, or just this once.

Tucking it in my pocket, I wondered what I should do now. Daxx and Rafael were getting me more lists from our side of the longest living people, so we could test that idea of mine… that finding others born on that side would be easier that way.

I couldn’t look for Emil right now either, because I needed Quinton for that, so I could go over and use the internet. Victor hadn’t liked the idea, but Quinton said he wouldn’t leave me alone for a second, and we’d come right back after.

I decided maybe I could find someone to help me practice today. Nodding to myself, I grabbed my pack and went out the door.

I moved along the halls quietly, although it wasn’t hard to do here. The carpet, endless miles of it, covered the floor. Only in the tunnels had it been left uncovered, which I thought was probably because they were tunnels and not halls.

If Michael wasn’t busy, I was hoping he could help me with the defensive moves we’d tried. I had practiced them yesterday for an hour or so, but they were the kind of moves that needed someone practice with. Alone, I just felt like I was dancing without the music.

Passing Victor’s office, I saw the door open and paused just long enough to glance in, only to see it was empty. He must be rampaging again. I nodded. I still wasn’t sure exactly what that was, but Daxx assured me again it was his way of working things out. Maybe I needed to learn how to rampage, I had many things to work out.

Michael’s office door was open a few inches, so I tapped it with my hand, making it seem as if I had knocked, and kept going. Others were in his office, making it seem small. I hoped I didn’t interrupt what they were doing. Leone and Michael stood talking quietly behind his desk. I looked around at the others, feeling all eyes on me. I was getting better at being watched, but I don’t think I was ever going to like it. I knew two of the men to be guards, but we’d never spoken. I thought of introducing myself now, but if I were disturbing an important meeting, I should just speak to Michael and then leave.

Quinton was leaning in the corner, and I hadn’t even seen him with all the big bodies in such a small space. I was getting used to men that towered over me, even if I thought it just wasn’t right to have so many so tall meaning the rest of us had to constantly look up. Stepping quietly around the guard, whose name I didn’t know, I bumped into a third I hadn’t even seen. It was silly really, to miss a body this size. I looked up to tell him I was sorry. I didn’t like being touched without warning, so doing it to another person was just rude.

The breath got stuck in my throat as I looked around him to see. It was a habit, I did to any I saw, most times I didn’t even know I was doing it, until I did. The space around him was dark and the color that only showed with lies, so many lies. His brows drew together as he looked down at me, but a look of something bad was in his eyes as they moved over me.

“Sorry.” I said in more of a squeak. I turned and gave Michael a wide-eyed look, and wanted to tell him what I saw, but my heart was pounding and my mind rushing too fast to speak. I spun on my heel and went back out his door and then stopped and stood there trying to decide what to do.

Turning back the way I came, I started to run to get far away.

“Cristy.”

Victor’s voice boomed out behind me and I stopped to turn and see him coming from his office door. I froze, wanting to get away, but needing to see him more.

With a frown on his face, he walked quickly toward me, his green eyes moving all over me.

“What is it?”

I held up my finger over my mouth, not wanting the man to hear. Then I pointed to the Michael’s door that someone had closed and covered my mouth so I would blurt it out.

He reached me quickly and leaned down close. “What has frightened you?”

I shook my head and grabbed his arm, turning to run to the practice room. Once through the doors I spun around and looked up at him. “The man. With Michael.” I nodded. “He’s not who he seems to be.” I shook my head. “He shouldn’t be here.”

“A traitor? In the inner chambers?”

I nodded. “Yes.” I put my hand over my fast beating heart. “The space around him so full of lies it’s black all the way through.”

He touched my cheek softly, his green eyes searching my face and then nodded. Pulling out his phone, he tapped the screen and put it to his ear. “Michael. How many guards are there with you?”

He nodded his head. “Bring all of them to the practice room. Now. Cristy saw a traitor in one of them.” He looked impatient. “Yes, ours.”

Putting the phone in his pocket, I noticed he was in battle gear again, and found it odd I hadn’t noticed before. He reached down and lifted my shirt to see if my belt and cable box was on me.

“Climb.” He told me.

I didn’t stop to ask him why, I turned and ran for the ropes. I paused at the middle one and shook my head and went up the one Victor had climbed that day to help me. When I reached the top, I went up on the beam and hung a leg over each side, resting my feet on the knot at the top. When I looked down I saw the door open, and in came the guards and everyone else that had been in Michael’s office.

“Whoa, boss,” one of them said. “You guys have all the toys in your gym.”

Quinton smiled and Michael gave a shrug, but both were tense.

Leone glanced around and saw where I was, but made no motion to let the others know.

“Justice, are you here to teach us some new moves?” One of the guards I knew said to Victor.

“Something like that.” Victor said and a shiver went down my spine from his tone.

Everyone walked further into the large room, except Michael who stood by the door. I could tell by the way he stood, he was tense and ready to stop anyone who might try to leave.

Victor walked along and I couldn’t understand why he was just pacing around, until I realized he was turning their backs to hide where I was, but so he would still see me. I tried to exhale and settle my nerves, the guards all wore their weapons, and the only other person with any I could see, was Victor.

When the three men turned to watch him, he pulled both of his swords from the straps on his back and the sound the blades made against their case was loud in the silent room.

“We’ve been told,” he said in a low dangerous tone, “they’ve managed to get someone inside the inner royal halls.” He walked along and stopped in front of the first man, holding his swords out as if he were warming up to swing. His eyes glanced to me and I realized he wanted me to tell him if that was the man. I shook my head quickly. Pacing a few more feet, he paused again. “We are going to have to examine each staff member and guard that works in this part of our realm.” Turning, to face the next man his eyes flicked up to me. I shook my head quickly once more. I could see his eyes harden and the justice side appear as he stepped over to the last guard.

With a motion, so fast, his blades were raised and crossed in a way so the man of lies neck was between the blades. I held my breath unsure what he would do. “Ethan, Anthony, take this traitor to the cells.”

Leone moved fast and took the man’s sword as the other two guards pulled theirs and held them on the man.

I watched Victor’s jaw clench, the space around him now cold. He glanced to me then stepped back and cased his blades and watched the men lead him away. When the door closed, he walked toward me quickly. He held his hand up to me. “Come down.”

I did as I’d practiced and balanced over the beam, so I could grasp the rope with my legs. In a move, less awkward then the first thirty or so times I’d done it, I got down to the rope and quickly started for the floor.

When I was closer to the bottom, large hands grasped my waist and Victor lifted me down to set my feet on the floor. “Are you alright?”

I looked up to his concerned eyes and nodded. “I am now.”

“I can’t believe it was him,” Michael said walking toward us. “He’s been with us at least ten years.”

Victor made a noise that didn’t sound good. “We’re going to have to check all guards and staff, from both sides, that have access to the inner chambers.”

Leone stood there, leaning on the sword from the man. “How?”

“That’s close to two hundred people, Victor.” Quinton added.

He nodded. “I am aware of the numbers.” His green eyes looked to me briefly. “If Cristy hadn’t discovered him,” he waved a hand around abruptly, “anything could have happened.” He motioned to Leone with his head. “Call Troy. I want to know what is inside that traitor’s head. Has he been sharing the layout of the chambers, the schedules? We need to know now.”

Leone nodded and pulled his phone out then walked away.

Heaving a loud sigh, Victor looked down to me. “How close do you have to be to see the… aura, around a person?”

I looked from him to the other men watching me, waiting for an answer. “It isn’t always the same.” I clasped my hands and looked down at my red gloves. “If it’s pure or good, I can see it from a far distance.” I frowned and then looked up. “What do you want me to do?”

“She can’t meet two hundred people, Victor, she’ll have a panic attack.” Quinton said.

Victor glared at him. “I’m aware of what she can and can not do, Quinton. I wouldn’t ask her to walk up to so many strangers.” He jerked his hand to the door the guards had gone through. “We have to do something though, because clearly we are working alongside them and didn’t even notice.”

I didn’t like seeing him this upset, so I stepped closer and put my hand on his arm. “I can try to meet that many people.” I told him.

His green eyes caressed over my face, and he exhaled quietly. “We’ll find a way, so it doesn’t upset you.”

I nodded.

“What if we have department meetings?” Michael suggested. “Crissy can be present but not stuck in the middle or anything.”

Quinton nodded. “Yeah, for those she can see far away we’ll dismiss until we’re down to any that are spies.”

“It could work.” He nodded abruptly and motioned to the door. “Go get those set up. I want as many as we can manage done today. That guard had free run of our halls and knows where each one of us sleep.”

Michael and Quinton nodded and then quickly walked toward the door. Leone came back over and nodded.

“I heard. I’ll go wake up Chase. He’s going to be thrilled with this.” He turned and left too.

Taking a deep breath, Victor finally looked back to me. “I don’t like asking you to do this.” He said quietly, “but it’s the only way to ensure we all stay safe.”

I bit my lip and thought about it. “I want everyone to be safe.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Will you be there when I do this?”

“All of my brothers and Daxx will be present.” He paused. “We need to do the guards first, I want to know who among those we can trust.” Going over, he picked up my pack where I’d left it when I went to go get Michael.

“Victor?” He held my pack out to me.

“What is it?” Concern filled his face.

I clutched my pack to my chest and held his eyes with mine. “I miss you.” I nodded hoping he’d understand and then pointed from him back to me. “Like this, not on the phone.”

I watched his proud shoulders drop. “I am sorry for that.”

I shook my head. “It’s my fault, I upset you.”

He moved so fast and took my chin in a firm hold. “It is not your fault, any of this.” His touch softened as he searched my face. “I’m am running from myself, I admit, but you are not to blame.”

I frowned, not understanding how he could run from himself.

He smiled briefly and released my chin. “I didn’t mean it literally, heart, what I’m saying is I’m avoiding being alone with you because I do not trust myself, and do not wish to do anything that would compromise your freedom of choice.” He leaned over and kissed my mouth quickly and then straightened up.

I still didn’t know what he meant, but knew he was telling the truth and it was nice he didn’t want to do that, I thought. Putting my pack on, I glanced to him again. “How am I going to check so many people?”

Touching my shoulder lightly he started walking toward the door. “I’m still puzzling that out. Let’s go meet with the others and see if anyone has a feasible method.”

 

After a family meeting in the dining room, that included me, Troy came back from the cells and reported that the information he’d seen in the bad guards’ head lead him to believe there was a whole network of people inside passing information along. So, the meetings were all planned for today.

With all the brothers, Daxx, Tim, and Bronx dressed for battle, the meetings began. I don’t know how they did it so quickly, but supposed when your King ordered something it was done. I’d never known a king before, and now I knew two.

We did the guards from both sides first and found one more from the day side. Troy and Raf had to hold onto Chase so he couldn’t get to the man until they got him out of the room. Victor was beside me the whole time, Arius was on my other side and the rest were spread around the room.

As we walked to the next one, I glanced behind me to see what, to me, looked like the army in black following me. I glanced up at Victor. “Who are we seeing next?”

“Housekeeping for the Night realm.”

I nodded. “At least they won’t be armed.” I looked at the weapons on him that I could see. “How do you walk with all that on?”

Arius chuckled beside me. “Practice, many, many years of practice.”

“I keep forgetting how old you are.” Which I thought was okay, it was the first time I had to remember their ages were in the hundreds, not decades.

“We’re not old yet.” He grinned and glanced to Victor. “Well, some of us, at least.”

I smiled and looked at Victor, “some things get better with age.” I nodded.

He grinned and looked at Arius, but didn’t say anything.

I stayed silent for the rest of the walk, the flashes were many tonight and I needed to sort them, as much as I could. A few, I thought had come to me more then once, but I’d need some quiet time to figure those out, and the safety of everyone here was more important. A stick and book, a grey street sign and a purple door, but underneath. None of them fit.

Victor pulled me aside as the others went in the room. “The visions bad?” I must have looked surprised that he knew. He smiled. “I observe you often and have realized you get this look when you’re more inside your head than out.”

I could honestly say no one had ever noticed that before. I didn’t even know I did that. “There’s many, I’ll sort through them when I have some quiet.” I motioned to the room we stood outside. “This is more important right now.”

His green eyes studied me thoroughly for a moment. “If you need some time in between let me know.”

I nodded. “I will.” Taking a deep breath, I looked at the door. “Maybe there will only be those two guards.” I said trying to feel hopeful.

“We can hope, but I doubt that’s all.”

I felt the same, but didn’t want to say it out loud.