Chapter 48
Aiden
“Holy shit,” I said, blinking at the empty spot where Alejandro had been. “Where’d he go?”
Even Wyatt looked stunned, staring at the same empty patch of floor while Rafe sauntered over to Skye, then promptly tried making out with her.
She kissed him back for a few seconds, then pushed him off with her affinity. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes a little wild as she looked to me in disbelief.
Rafe furrowed his brow, looking thoughtful as he considered my question. “Hopefully his office.”
“You don’t know?” Skye asked breathlessly, her chest still heaving.
Rafe grinned, attempting to pull her close again, and Skye’s back arched as she tried to lean away from him.
Her squirming was making the t-shirt ride up her bare thighs, and I was beginning to think that was Rafe’s goal.
“I hope it’s his office. I’ve never tried using the shadows as a portal before, but I saw it in one of those old-ass books you’ve been reading. ”
Skye’s eyebrows shot to her hairline, and her hands stilled on his chest.
“You’ve been reading my books?” she asked, her voice sweet.
“Rafe,” Wyatt said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I know,” Rafe said, suddenly sober, letting Skye slip from his grasp. A shadow twirled around her leg as she stepped away. “Wyatt, did you file the Chain paperwork?”
“Of course not,” he snapped.
I cleared my throat. “I did.” Wyatt and Rafe both groaned, and I continued on quickly, “It was just me and Skye, though. I wanted to get away from my parents. Is that a prob–”
“Not at all,” Wyatt almost snapped. “We understand. We just don’t understand why Alex wouldn’t have read the fucking file before coming here.”
“He’s an idiot,” Rafe said flatly. He ran a hand through his hair. “Announcing Skye will send my mother into a spiral.”
“Why?” I asked. “And no offense, but why do we care?”
“The Princess is on thin ice,” Wyatt muttered, still staring at the empty floor. “The Gulf especially isn’t happy with her. If Skye is claimed by the Royals, the citizens of the Gulf might have something violent to say about that.”
Oh, my God. Politics were not my jam. I knew enough from growing up with a social-climbing family Chain, but this type of shit…
“That makes no sense–”
Skye cut me off. “It does. The people don’t want the Princess to be the queen on her own. A lot of people are already in favor of the line passing over her and going directly to Rafe. Me being from the Gulf means they’ll have the support there, too...”
Skye trailed off, giving Rafe a look before chewing her lip.
I didn’t understand that look, either. Skye never made me feel stupid, but Rafe and Wyatt did all the time. Unintentionally, of course, but it worried me. A small, insecure part of me felt like Skye might see how much smarter they were compared to me, and she’d decide she didn’t need me anymore.
Skye was perfect, though, so she knew I was spiraling, even if she didn’t know why. She sat down on the nearest barstool and held a hand out to me, and I shyly took it, letting her pull me into her side for a hug.
I nuzzled my face against her hair while she spoke. “With support from the Gulf, the courts could decide to pass the Crown over the Princess directly to Rafe.”
“That, and…” Wyatt trailed off, looking to Rafe who sighed in resignation.
“I wasn’t being funny before. My mother is not well. Her only affinity is telepathy. She’s slowly losing her mind. She doesn’t trust herself to even shield her own thoughts anymore.”
Wyatt looked at Rafe like he hadn’t known that detail.
“So…the Princess isn’t just a woman…she’s nuts.” I said, summing up all the issues people would have with her.
“Yes, and she’s incredibly tone-deaf. She asked for my counsel on how to appear less so and she’s refused all of my suggestions.” Rafe ran his tattooed hand through his hair, then looked at Wyatt sharply. “What else?” he demanded.
Wyatt blew out a breath, and I wondered how the hell Rafe had known he had something else to say.
“I don’t like that comment Shafer made,” Wyatt said. “About Sensors locked in a dungeon.”
“That hasn’t been sitting right with me, either.” Skye admitted, and Wyatt looked at her like she was the sun come out after a storm. “It’s not a figure of speech. I think…he was being literal.”
“Yes, and after witnessing my father and the Crusader exit the dungeon in the Palace, I’m feeling…twitchy.” Rafe said.
Me and Skye had matching faces of shock as Rafe pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I promise, I wasn’t keeping this from you, I just didn’t know what it meant yet,” he explained.
“Right, and I’m an idiot, so I wouldn’t be able to help you figure anything out.” Skye snarked.
Wyatt barked a laugh while Rafe looked genuinely upset.
“Darling,” he started, but Skye only shook her head before looking away. Rafe’s eyes grew wide, and he looked like he might fall to his knees in front of her.
“We’ve been down to the dungeon,” Wyatt said quietly, taking the attention off Skye. “We didn’t see any Sensors. And we sure as shit didn’t see any Trackers.”
“When’s the last time you looked?” Skye asked.
Wyatt and Rafe fell silent.
“Yeah, and how deeply did you look?” I asked. “Because a couple kids running around a dungeon isn’t real searching.”
Skye’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to the side to view the screen without letting go of me.
“No fucking way,” she scoffed.
“What is it?” Rafe asked.
A shadow materialized from the tile and began prodding at Skye’s ankle. She dropped the phone, and it disappeared into the darkness, then appeared in Rafe’s hands.
His dark eyes darted across the screen quickly, and then he dropped his head back and groaned. “Another gala invite from my father. This one says required in red letters.”
“You think that means there will be another attack?” I asked.
“Why would that mean there will be another attack?” Wyatt scoffed.
I felt small again. “Because…there was one last time?” Skye squeezed my hand.
Rafe gave me a look that definitely didn’t make me feel like an idiot. In fact, he almost looked a little awestruck.
“Fuck, why haven’t we considered that!” Rafe cried suddenly, making Skye jump. “Wyatt, fuck you. You’re supposed to be the smart one.”
“What? Fuck you! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Wyatt said back, and I felt Skye stifle a giggle.
“Aiden and I think Lucille knew about the attack,” Skye said. “And she’d planned for him to be counted as one of the dead.”
“Of course,” Rafe said. He began to pace, his expression growing wild. “That’s why my father wanted you and me at the gala. Because–”
“Because he knew too,” Wyatt said.
“Now that we’re all on the same page,” Rafe snarked.
Wyatt shoved him. “You asshole, you could have just told me.”
Rafe shoved him back, and Wyatt stumbled. “You’re supposed to be the smart one.”
“You’re the one that literally reads minds!” Wyatt fired back, and the fancy wooden coffee table began to vibrate.
And then it stopped abruptly, and Rafe and Wyatt both froze in place.
“Both of you, knock it the fuck off,” Skye hissed, jumping off the barstool and getting to her feet.
“Skye,” Rafe spoke, and I chuckled. He looked ridiculous, completely frozen while his face moved. “If there’s another attack coming, you cannot be here. They’ll be searching for you.”
“Or,” Wyatt said, looking just as ridiculous. “The attack will be at the gala, and that’s the reason he wants to ensure your attendance.”
“That’s a good point,” Skye said, and Wyatt seemed to glow for a second. “Then we’ll all go.”
“What?! No way,” Wyatt said, then nearly fell on his face as Skye released her hold on them. “Rafe,” Wyatt huffed as he regained his balance. “Tell her.”
“I do not care what Rafe has to say,” Skye said, narrowing her eyes.
“It’s actually the perfect distraction,” Rafe said.
“Wait, what?”
Rafe scratched at his chin. “Skye can distract everyone, and you and me can escape to the dungeons.”
“No,” Wyatt said, looking dumbfounded. “Fuck no. That’s not what I meant.”
“We’ll all go,” Skye said, ignoring Wyatt. “We were all in a fight once, we can do it again.”
“Come on,” I said, a little exasperated. “We’ll all be there. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“The worst?” Wyatt snapped. “Your mother could be there. With her entire Chain. Maybe they actually kill you this time. Rafe’s father will be there.
He’s been trying to get Skye alone for months.
And even worse still – what if my fucking father is there?
None of us can protect ourselves if he’s there.
He’ll have you all in a fucking mental facility within minutes. ”
“No, he won’t, Wyatt.” Rafe sighed. “I can protect you.”
“You can’t protect all of us and still be of any use,” Wyatt snapped.
“I can.”
All three of us looked to Skye.
Wyatt looked like he was in physical pain. He shook his head almost frantically, slowing when Skye spoke again.
“I can block all of our minds, even as I infiltrate someone else’s,” she went on. “They won’t even feel me.”
“My father would,” Wyatt said weakly.
“He doesn’t even feel me, Wy.” Rafe reasoned with him in a way that told me they’d had this conversation before. “Whoever was in Landon’s head, pushing him into that fight didn’t feel Skye.”
Wyatt looked to Skye, who nodded grimly.
“Can’t you feel it, Wyatt?” Skye asked gently, so gently it gave me chills. She was using the same voice she used when we were alone when I was on my knees for her. “You know I can do it. Have a little faith.”
Wyatt looked away sharply, like that would break whatever spell she’d put on him, but he nodded curtly.
“Alright,” Skye said. “Now that that’s settled, let’s come up with a plan.”