Chapter 6
Slate
“Why are we here?” Onyx Valor asked from beside me, the white flecks in his midnight hair glimmered in the light of the low-hanging chandeliers of the ballroom.
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine,” I said, pushing through the crowd to try and reach the front. “Come on, let’s get closer in case it’s something important. Don’t wanna catch any shit if we miss it,” I called over my shoulder.
Onyx rolled his eyes. “If it’s something important, my dad will fill me in.”
“Privileged,” I scoffed. “I mean, I could ask mine, too, but where’s the fun in that? What if it’s something huge, and we’re in the middle of making history?”
Onyx’s grin stretched wide, a sparkle of excitement. “Okay, fine. Can’t pass up a chance to witness history.”
I chuckled and squeezed through the excited Kinetics.
Because this wasn’t a formal occasion, everyone was dressed in their everyday attire, many masking their vibrant currents from view.
“It’s probably just an announcement about King Forest making another deal with the human government ‘on our behalf’. ” I said sarcastically.
“Careful…” he warned under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear. The Kinetics who had the ability to manipulate sound and hear literally anything were surely listening everywhere on the king’s behalf for security reasons.
Onyx and I halted at the front of the crowd. Where a throne usually sat, a raised dais was in its place. The room had been cleared out to leave the floor bare for this event. The blue runner rug split the crowd on either side, while the bar to the side was empty. No revel tonight.
I wondered what type of announcement would warrant being called on a Sunday evening.
I didn’t think any major news had come from the human government lately, so what could possibly be the issue?
I wondered if this was about Prince Griffin Silas ordering the Elementals to increase human depletions by targeting entertainment events?
My heart sped up at the possibility that this was related to Chrome and my failure three nights ago at The Phantom.
The second Elemental still hadn’t been found and killed.
Once we sought a spot at the front, I glanced at Onyx, who’d scrunched his brows in confusion at the empty dais.
The audience closed in tighter around us, growing more claustrophobic by the minute.
At least Chrome wasn’t here. His energy would be wound taut, and we’d be forced to move to the back.
But he’d been absent since his branding ceremony two nights ago.
He was usually stationed in front of the crowd set far enough in the back near the royal tapestries like a statue, where no one could really make out his exact features.
He was our prize. Our hero. Untouchable.
Just a kid. In the twenty-first century. Didn’t they see how fucked this was?
I sighed, growing impatient at the wait while Onyx bounced on the heels of his feet. Nothing like the hurry-up-and-wait bullshit with the king. Typical.
Finally, the crowd began to quiet, facing the front as Grim entered the stage first, followed by Amethyst, and then King Forest.
Everyone, including Onyx and me, dropped to a knee and dipped our heads as the king strolled to the dais. The black suit clung to his broad shoulders and arms, accentuating the saturated verdant shade of his hair and beard. With his chest flexed in self-importance, he intoned, “Rise.”
Every Kinetic rose to their feet at once, which birthed his usual prideful grin. “Good evening, my beautiful Kinetics,” he greeted, scanning his eyes over the crowd, taking in all of us.
“I imagine you’re all wondering why I’ve called you here tonight. And while I wish it was to deliver the good news of an approved Congressional lobby on our behalf, this one is a bit disheartening in nature.”
I angled my head to meet Onyx’s gaze, who seemed to share my confusion.
“It burdens me to do this,” the king paused, adjusting the gray tie tucked between his lapels, “but I feel that transparency is invaluable when it comes to being a leader. You entrust me to lead you to be a strong people. As such, you entrust me to leave you in the hands of a capable predecessor. Therefore, you must see for yourselves that I do not choose favorites within my hierarchy. It is time for you to see that I discipline my daughter for her transgressions just as I’d order for anyone else who would breach my trust.”
Amethyst stepped to the king’s side, her deep violet hair braided down her back, skimming the arch just before her ass. The feline-like grace with which she moved was so similar to Chrome’s that I would never doubt he was her son—fluid and lethal.
Warning bells sounded in my head as a guard escorted Princess Gray onto the dais, her head hung low. Standing beside her father, she looked up, finding a spot in the back of the room and focusing on it with a vacant stare.
A heavy stone plummeted to my stomach just as adrenaline powered through my veins.
The urge to storm the dais, toss her over my shoulder, and run to safety seized me. I didn’t know, nor care why I felt like that, but I felt coerced to fight off any threats coming her way.
“What’s happening?” Onyx murmured next to me, not taking his eyes from the stage.
My breaths grew harsher and more unsteady, knowing what was to come. If Chrome’s treatment was any indicator, I didn’t think I’d be able to stand here and witness it in such a public forum. I really hoped my suspicions were wrong.
Princess Gray straightened her spine, standing as stiff as a sword, while Forest stepped back, allowing Grim to slither forward. I noticed the muted currents on Gray’s wrists, and I closed my eyes, my fears confirmed.
The princess and I had never spoken before.
I’d seen her around the palace, moping from place to place, but she always seemed to be in her own world—lost within her mind.
But the king had always made it extremely difficult to get close to her by orchestrating her schedule to contradict everyone else’s of her age.
She’d always been a loner, which I’d believed to be her own choice for the longest time.
But now, as I watched the defeated acceptance in her empty eyes, I knew it wasn’t.
The crowd hushed, waiting for what came next. I gauged the overall energy of the room. Nausea and fiery rage wrenched my stomach as everyone seemed to crave bloodshed. Sneers and bated anticipation with bitten lips and hungry eyes gave off animalistic cruelty.
Grim revealed a contemplating feral grin as he appeared to ponder how he wished to start. “Look at me,” he demanded.
The princess hesitated, but slowly turned her head to meet his beady black eyes and hooked nose.
“You never learn, do you? Think the rules don’t apply to you because you’re the princess?”
Princess Gray’s eyes widened as she shook her head.
Grim interpreted the show of fear as the perfect opportunity to strike, lashing a vicious backhand to her cheek and striking her to the floor of the dais.
I lurched forward on instinct, everything within me wanting to knock Grim out myself. I could easily take the fucking coward. But a firm grip on my shoulder snatched me back in place.
“What the hell are you doing?” Onyx hissed beside me. “You trying to fucking join her? Since when do you care about the princess so much?”
My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so hard, but I didn’t care. “I have to do something. I can’t just…”
A light vibration began to buzz through my body, starting from the center of my abdomen and radiating to my palms. The vibration was foreign, like a different type of current that begged me to release it from my hands.
“Dude,” he whispered between bared teeth. “You’re gonna what? Storm up there? Take on Grim and the king in front of the entire Kinetic court?” He shook his head, narrowing his eyes incredulously. “Fucking chill.”
I fought to suck in a deep breath, but my heart raced with a madness that oxygen couldn’t ease.
I didn’t understand why I felt this protective.
The feeling was so visceral that I would’ve fought through the entire crowd if it weren’t for Onyx’s reasoning.
This new, odd buzzing did nothing to calm me; it only urged me to act.
Gods, what am I doing?
“I can’t be here for this,” I gritted out, my body trembling from restraint as I squeezed my eyes shut. The crowd jeered around me with each blow to the princess as Onyx’s fingers dug into my shoulder. “I gotta go.”
“Go. I’ll cover for you if anyone asks any questions about why you left.” I turned to leave, but he yanked me back by my shoulder. “I’m finding you later, and you’re gonna explain.” The corners of his eyes tightened, the amber within them brightening.
I dipped my chin just before shoving through the crowd.
The thud of another blow wrecked my ears.
A low growl climbed up my throat even with the abuse at my back.
The crowd jeered, except for a few who tried to mask their disgust but failed.
At least there were some decent Kinetics in this snake pit.
I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and I couldn’t formulate any thoughts outside of wanting to protect the princess to try and figure it out.
It didn’t make any sense. I’d never been close to her before—never even spoken to her, in fact.
Of course, I’d seen her around at events over the years.
I’d admired her beauty, even if it was a sad beauty.
Never anything more.
So, what the hell was this?
With each step through the crowd, I resisted the urge to barge onto the dais and kill them all. That was obviously fucking treason. So, clearly, Onyx had been completely valid in stopping me. Thank the gods he had been there.