Chapter 41 Heidi
HEIDI
"Heidi?"
Blinking, I realize Everett was just talking to me while I zoned out. Asher frowns at me, clearly to ask why I was staring at him, but I turn to my brother with a smile.
"Sorry, what?"
"Where did you find the bracelet?" he repeats, and I realize he's frowning at the charm bracelet on my wrist.
Oh, right. I told Everett I lost it at some point so he would understand why I was a little tentative about leaving my house without finding out the liches in the Nether destroyed it.
"It was under Heidi's bed. Ian found it," Zak shrugs before smirking at Everett. "I'm sure you can imagine what he was up to around her bed.”
Oh my gods.
This is the first time Zak has ever seemed any kind of truly demonic to me. My face is suddenly bright red, and so is Everett's.
He glares at Ian. For a second, I'm scared my brother is going to freeze his best friend, which would be super inconvenient because he’s my boyfriend now. There's an intense, unspoken tension between them as they have a little stare-off.
Meanwhile, Asher looks at Zak. "Stop being a shit-stirrer."
"Just wanted to get it out of the way," he shrugs. "The sooner this walking scar accepts that we're hers, the easier it'll be on Heidi."
Just as ice starts to form on Ian's red hoodie, I step in front of him, giving Everett a look. I'm aware lots of people are watching this exchange, thanks to how disturbingly interested in me these people are—and since my brother is a member of the Amato quintet and they're a very big deal.
"I know you're being protective because you love me, but don't pick a fight with Ian.
I know he's a thrall and I know he's struggling right now, but he's mine—and by the way, you still haven't apologized for letting me go all those years thinking he was fucking dead," I huff, suddenly mad enough to swear.
I forget that I sometimes have intense mood swings, just like any other shifter, until I'm right in the middle of one. Kind of like right now.
Everett blinks down at me in surprise. All my boyfriends are gawking at me, too, and I realize this is probably the first time they've seen me angry. Not that it's impressive, because I'm about as intimidating as…well. A doe.
"You're right," my brother mutters finally. "You deserve an apology for that. I thought a clean break would be best at the time, but I'm sorry I lied to you. And listen—no matter what happens today, I just want you to be happy," he reminds me earnestly.
My anger evaporates at once. How could I ever stay mad at him, after everything he's done for me?
"I know. Thank you for that."
Although he casts one more look at Ian and the rest of the guys around me, Everett leaves us to return to his quintet. The mingling is still going strong all around us, but at least slightly fewer people are glancing over at us now.
Kaenon meets my eye, smiling softly. "My brave mate."
"Brave and so fucking adorable," Zak grins.
"That was adorable," Asher agrees, his green eyes lighting up momentarily when someone uses magic in this room. He smirks down at me. "One time, I saw a squirrel hiss at Devil. Kind of the same thing."
I fight a smile and elbow him, but then I blink. "Wow. That was like trying to elbow a stone wall. Have I mentioned your body is something else? Seriously, how are you all so ridiculously sexy?"
"It was my true curse all along," Ian jokes before leaning down to kiss my lips, one of his fingers brushing against my birthmark. "Thanks for sticking up for me, Sunshine."
"Like a chihuahua barking at a freight train," Asher adds, shaking his head.
"Stop," I warn him.
"A sparkly little goldfish blowing bubbles at a fucking kraken."
The others are cracking up, and so am I as I try to jab him again and only end up bruising my own elbow, but then Brigid Decimus takes the stage.
She's dressed in her military attire with a gold sash over her shoulder and her eye patch in place as she smiles at everyone.
Even though she's shorter than I am, she just has such a presence.
A magic spell makes her strong, confident voice carry across the room. "Everyone, welcome to the first Seeking since the fall of the Entity!"
People cheer and clap as they tune in. I glance around, noting that Crypt is near the stage with the rest of the Amatos. I don't see Jessica or Athanis, but I'm still scanning the audience for any hint of Veld or Nivarrah.
Or for any hint of drowsiness. If Veld can put an entire town to sleep, who's to say he won't do it here?
Brigid Decimus goes on.
"Thanks to recent events and some big changes that I'm sure you're all familiar with, this is the largest Seeking ever to be held here at Everbound.
However, this one will be structured a little differently from how it's been done in times past. Until just over a year ago, legacies would receive their matches but wouldn't be bound to their keepers until they graduated.
Graduating from Everbound is no longer mandatory, and so, today, you will receive your matches and be bound to them, unless any match requests otherwise. "
People are clapping about this news. Zak hugs me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"This is boring," he grumbles, inhaling near my neck.
"It'll be over soon," I promise.
If Jessica or Athanis don't come back soon, I'll slip out of here just before the actual matching-up begins and go look for Veld myself. Or, if he's not here, maybe we can just go, and I'll figure out some other way to help Crypt and the Amatos stop Veld before he hurts anyone else.
"Now, before we get started, I thought you all wouldn't mind a small address from my daughter-in-law, who—"
People are already beginning to cheer so loud that Brigid laughs, glancing over her shoulder at Maven as the demigoddess walks onto the stage, her quintet with her. Maven is dressed in comfy black clothes as usual, clearly not worried about impressing.
"Who, as you know," Brigid goes on, "is not only a demigoddess and the reason we're all here today like this, but she is also one of the most remarkable people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, let alone welcoming into my family.
I asked her to share her thoughts on this Seeking, so here she is—Maven Amato. "
The applause is so thunderous as Maven takes center stage to address everyone that I have to cover my ears for a second, even though I'm grinning at my sister-in-law.
Kaenon is also covering his ears from the assault of sounds, and I have to say, it's nice having another shifter around who understands the pain of loud noises.
A few other shifters in the crowd are also covering their ears.
But everyone quickly falls silent, awed by Maven and eager to hear what she'll say.
She studies the crowd with dark eyes, her face inscrutable. "Let's clear something up. The gods won't match any of you today."
Horrified, shocked silence falls over the room.
Me? I'm more than okay with that, if it's true. I have everyone I want right next to me.
Maven's lips twitch, the barest sign of harmlessly sadistic amusement at the discomfort she wrought so easily.
Behind her, I see Silas and Crypt also smirking at the expressions in the audience.
Baelfire looks like he's holding in a laugh, and Everett shakes his head slightly, fighting his own smile.
But then their keeper goes on.
"Fate will. That's what matches the right souls together like pieces of a puzzle.
Even the gods bow to the decrees of fate.
It's a force beyond total understanding, but one thing that's obvious about fate is that it willed legacies to unite. It curbed the monstrous natures inside of us by matching us together in perfectly balanced quintets—one keeper and one member from each of the Four Houses. Very rarely did quintets not match that perfect pattern.”
Her shrewd, dark gaze sweeps over the massive audience in the ballroom. Everyone in here is still deathly silent, waiting for her every next word.
"But look around. Unity has been established, and we're in the start of a new era for legacies.
So don't be surprised if, today, fate focuses less on traditionally balanced quintets and unity, and more on piecing together souls that complete one another in unexpected ways.
And on the off chance any of you are planning to reject whoever fate marks as yours, good luck.
Fate is a bitch…and I wouldn't have it any other way," she finishes, looking over her shoulder at her quintet.
They're all gazing at her like she's the center of the universe as every single person in this room goes nuts, applauding, cheering, and whistling.
"That's my sister-in-law," I proudly brag to the guys around me, my ears covered again.
Asher groans. "Don't remind me. I'm with you all the way, Shorty, but your relatives are fucking insane."
Brigid Decimus retakes the stage as the Amato quintet moves off of it. Once the applause has died down, she clears her throat.
"Many people here are students housed at Everbound. However, if you get matched and bonded, it's entirely normal and expected to…want to jump your quintet's bones," she says, shrugging like she can't think of any other way to phrase that. "Gods know that's what I did at my bonding ceremony."
Several people in the audience laugh. I see a couple of Brigid's quintet members, including Baelfire's birth father, smack their foreheads like they knew they couldn't trust her at a public address.
Off to one side of the stage, Baelfire is covering his face while the rest of his quintet openly laughs at him.
"If that's the case today, please, for the love of all things holy, don't just start having a godsdamned orgy out here," Brigid goes on, confident even as she looks knowingly over all the legacies snickering in the audience.
"The last thing I'll say about this is, if you can't control yourselves or get the hell off school property before that bonding high gets to you, Everbound's east wing is full of plenty of empty rooms. Also, noise-canceling spells work wonders, so let's not forget those. "
More people bust up laughing. Brigid herself is laughing, but just as she starts trying to get everyone under control once again, Jessica appears next to me, her eyes wide.
"He's here."
The smile on my face dies, my heartbeat picking up. Before Zak can feel the switch to dread inside of me, I step out of his arms, but my other boyfriends notice.
Kaenon looks between Jessica and me. "Who is here? Heidi?"
"Is she talking to a ghost?" Ian demands.
Jessica covers for me, grinning at Kaenon. "My future husband is. His name is Athanis. Feel free to send him the news.
Kaenon's concern turns to amusement. "If you are in earnest, he would be pleased. He's smitten with you."
"Oh, I'm very in earnest, and I want to hear every little detail about Athanis being smitten, but would you mind if I steal my bestie away for a second? We need a girl talk."
"I'll be right back," I add, smiling before I hurry through the still-laughing crowd.
I can hear my guys' concern behind me as Kaenon starts to explain that I need "girl talk.
" I'm sure that won't hold up with the others for long, though, so I dart out of the ballroom quickly, turning the corner of a hallway to talk to Jessica for a second.
Despite how crowded it is in there, this hallway is empty.
"You saw him? Where?" I hiss.
"You said he had big leathery wings and claws and shit, right? Because I saw a freaky bat guy coming up some stairs from the castle’s basement or whatever is down there, but then he just vanished."
He's in Limbo.
Oh gods, I need to tell Crypt he's here and ask where Nivarrah is and—
"If you're going to ditch now, take us with you."
I startle, looking up to see Ian studying me. He ran in here so fast, I didn't even hear him coming. The others join us in this hallway within the next second, all of them frowning at me.
"Shit. You're about to get in trouble," Jessica sighs.
"What's going on?" Zak demands.
"Oh, just some girl talk and—"
"Don't lie with that pretty mouth right now," Asher cuts in, perceptive as always. His gaze grows stern. "What's really going on, Heidi? Why are we here at all?"
I start to fidget. What's the point in lying to them at this point? They all hate Veld, so maybe they'll be on board with this plan. I didn't tell them earlier because I didn't want them to stop me from coming to the Seeking, but we're already here, and it's already happening.
So I clear my throat. "I'm here to help take down Veld."
All four of the gorgeous men in front of me swear.
Okay, so they aren't on board with the plan, after all. Oops.
"Help who take down Veld?" Asher demands. "Who would—godsdamn it, is it Crypt? It is, isn't it? I'm going to fucking kill that son of a bitch for getting you involved in this."
"I wanted to be involved in this. I don't want Veld warning you guys off again and hanging over our heads like some big, threatening doom on the horizon. I want him out of the way so we can just—just be together. And anyway, Veld can't just stay on the loose, hurting innocent people—"
"He could hurt you," Ian snaps. "He's interested in you, Heidi. Godsdamn it—is that why that fucking DeLune asked you to do this? Don't tell me you agreed to be bait. Don't fucking say it, Sunshine," he pleads, half miserable and half furious as his unstable thrall emotions war with each other.
"I did. And it worked," I admit, looking between them. "Veld is here, so I just need to tell Crypt, and he'll help Nivarrah get revenge and—"
"Nivarrah is here?" Kaenon snarls. For the first time since I met him, he looks so vicious and mad that he looks every bit like a ferocious ancient warrior. "No. No, Heidi, we are leaving. I cannot abide you being in such great danger."
"She wants to kill Veld, not me," I explain.
"You do not know that," he shakes his head stubbornly.
"Yes, I do. Crypt saw her—"
"Fuck whatever Crypt saw and whatever he said to you," Asher snaps. "We're not—"
He doesn't get to finish his sentence before my doe is suddenly thrashing inside of me, panicking.
Danger. Run. Run, run, run—
Suddenly, an arm is around me—and it's not one of theirs. Before I can scream, a heavy sleepiness hits me like another bus.
The last thing I remember is Asher shouting my name.