Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
SLOAN
Once they had lain Oliver’s body in the ground and covered it, Edison and Elwood rolled the headstone over.
It was nothing more than a simple rock, too plain to be what Oliver deserved, but it would have to do for the time being.
The inscription was short and to the point, chiseled in with a hammer and chisel provided by Elwood. It read:
Doctor Oliver Livingston
The best and brightest among us. Your death will not be in vain.
Sloan walked with the rest of the group back to Kimberly’s estate. Aareth and Ashley walked in silence. Edison was explaining to Elwood why they couldn’t just bring Oliver back from the dead like Ashley.
Citizens from the town of Term walked by on their various day-to-day tasks, stealing glances at the group.
It was impossible for anyone to have missed the events of the previous night.
Sloan and Kimberly’s slug match would have been enough to cause chatter, let alone the altercation between the New Hope soldiers and Aareth.
Sloan couldn’t help seeing that a few of the glances sent their way were more sneers than simple intrigue. One face in particular made her pause. Kade was under the shade, the porch of The Shifter provided. He leaned against one of the posts, arms folded across his chest.
He waved to Sloan and motioned her over.
“I’ll meet you back at the estate,” Sloan said to the rest of the group. She was beyond exhausted, but seeing Kade reminded her of a promise she had only recently made to herself about not having any more regrets.
“Are you sure?” Aareth spoke for the first time since they left the cemetery. He eyed Kade up and down. “We don’t know anyone here.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sloan said over her shoulder as she crossed the dirt road and joined Kade on the porch.
“I don’t think that big guy likes me very much,” Kade said, loud enough for Aareth to hear. “He looks like he wants to hurt me.”
“Yeah, well, Aareth is going through a lot right now.”
“So are you.” Kade nodded toward the cemetery. “I was going to ask if you needed anything, but it looked like a time for you to share with your friends.”
“You were right, thank you.”
“Listen, I know you’re dead tired, but word on the street is that you, Kimberly, and some kind of wolf shifter killed the entire detachment of New Hope soldiers last night.”
“Word on the street would be right.” Sloan took the opportunity to sit on the railing that surrounded the porch of The Shifter. “Before you say it, I know. More soldiers will be coming soon.”
“I was going to say that.” Kade took a seat next to her, so close their arms brushed.
“But I was also going to say you should talk to the people here in Term. They’re a salty bunch, but they’ve all had their run-ins with New Hope.
Along with that, Kimberly has a strong say in the goings-on in the city.
If the two of you work together, you might be exactly what this city needs. ”
“And what would that be?”
“Leadership to finally stand up against New Hope.”
“The power the queen possesses, and the amount of soldiers and magic she has would overwhelm Term if it came to an all-out fight.” Sloan rubbed at her tired eyes. “We can hold off the next wave of soldiers that come, but after that, they’ll send an entire battalion.”
“You sound like you have experience with the crown.” Kade shifted his orange eyes in her direction. A hint of anger laced his words. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were involved somehow.”
“Yeah, well, good thing it’s none of your business.” Sloan stood from her seated position. “Listen, you’re cute and you were nice to me, but unless there’s something else, I should really get some rest. I’m dead on my feet.”
Kade stood from his spot leaning on the rail. He looked like he wanted to say more, but all he said was, “I’m sorry. I can get a bit aggressive when it comes to New Hope. You don’t deserve that. Once you’ve gotten some sleep, you’ll need to eat. I’ll swing by, and we can go grab a bite.”
The first thing Sloan thought of was: what would Kade’s reaction be if he knew she was an ex-soldier from New Hope? And … had he actually just asked her out on a date? He had, hadn’t he?
Sloan blinked, trying to buy more time. Her sleep-deprived mind wasn’t cooperating at the moment. Although she wanted to make a quick decision, the thoughts just weren’t coming fast enough. The idea of living life without regrets pushed forward. She knew what she had to do.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Sloan did her best attempt at batting her eyes, but the whole flirting thing had never been her strong suit.
“Yeah.” Kade leaned in closer. “Are you okay? Do you have something in your eye?”
“What?” Sloan immediately stopped blinking. The sly, seductive smile she thought she was sending him disappeared. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Kade raised an eyebrow. “You had some kind of nervous tic or something going on with your eye, and your lips were all crooked.”
“Are you messing with me?” Sloan let out an unexpected laugh. “I should punch you right now or something. I would, if I had the strength.”
“Of course I’m messing with you. But you didn’t give me an answer.”
“Yes, that sounds nice.”
“Great, get some sleep. I’m sure Kimberly will want to talk with you, as well. I’ll swing by her estate tonight.”
Sloan looked at Kade, wondering what she was supposed to do next.
She had never been out on an official date before.
Sure, she had hung out with members of the opposite sex, but terms were always muddied.
When she really thought of it, this was the first time anyone had ever used the word “date” when talking with her.
The proper etiquette for the moment escaped her.
“Earth to Sloan.” Kade waved his hand in front of her face. “Go, get some sleep.”
“Right, well.” Sloan was about to offer a salute, then just patted Kade on the shoulder with an awkward motion of her hand. “See you tonight, then.”
Sloan walked off the porch, too tired to be embarrassed. She walked down the dirt roads of Term like she was in a dream. Shadows of the citizens passed by on either side of her, but Sloan was too tired to tell if they were looking her way or not.
When she reached the estate, none of Kimberly’s guards moved to stop her. Sloan trudged up the long flight of stairs and found the room where Oliver Livingston had passed. The bed he had died in was there. Blankets messed and a shallow impression of his body still lay on the sheets.
The midday sun still streamed through the open window when Sloan curled up in a ball by the side of the bed. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she did remember the nightmare that came for her after.