Chapter 34 #2
“Basically, Onyx had said it required going down to the prisons. And when pressed why, he wouldn’t elaborate. So, I followed him one day and listened in on a conversation between him and you.” The smile that spread across her face was sinful. I wanted nothing more than to slap it off.
My nostrils flared, but I nodded. “Well played, Royal,” I conceded.
“Just know this. When Chrome finds out, because he will, he will very much enjoy killing you slowly.” I leaned forward until my breath brushed against the shell of her earlobe.
“And if he doesn’t, then I fucking will.
” She deserved a slow justice where she lived in paranoia, waiting for karma to come out of nowhere. I reigned in my anger.
Stepping back, I crossed my arms, looking at her with pure disgust. “So, what is your goal then? Remove all competition blocking you from being in the king’s favor?”
Royal giggled. “Yeah, brilliant, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “How original. Good luck with that. Also, enjoy staying alive with the Elementals swarming the building. It’s a bloodbath, from what I hear.
” I winked before backing away and left her there with fearful eyes.
Just before I turned around, I gifted her the middle finger.
“See ya around, Okrafor. May the strongest survive.”
I spun on my heel, taking off into a sprint toward the stairwell once more. Hazel should be in the family suite, and Dad would probably be gathering with the other Warriors, most likely wondering where the hell I was.
I trekked against the tide of Kinetics in the stairwell, processing Royal’s duplicity. I wondered if she’d only been using Onyx to spy on Chrome the entire time. But a large part of me believed her true target was the princess.
I breathed a sigh of relief. It didn’t seem Royal knew anything about the insurgency. Still, I had no way of questioning her about it without piquing her interest.
Putting Royal aside to be an issue to resolve another day, I focused on the current plan to find Hazel, then my father. I’d get my orders from there. Surely, he knew the truth of what was happening.
Reaching my family’s ensuite, I punched in the code before ramming my shoulder against the door multiple times in my impatience.As soon as it swung open with a click, I hollered, “Hazel!” as I rushed through the foyer. “Hazel, you here?”
“Slate!” Hazel appeared from the hallway to my left. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know. But it’s something to do with Chrome. They’re not telling anyone anything,” I exhaled. “Where’s Dad?”
“In the War Room with the rest of the battle-ready Warriors,” she said, her eyes rounded with fear. “Where’s the princess?” she asked, making my world come reeling to another halt for the tenth time today.
“Fuck…” I shoved my hands into my hair. “Fuck, I assume the king has her locked up in the King’s Suite. At least, for once, I hope so.” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t once thought of Gray since all of this had begun.
“You need to go to the War Room. Find Dad. Figure out what’s going on,” Hazel urged. “Stay vigilant.”
“Right. Just had to check on you first,” I said, relieved that at least one thing went right.
“I’m fine,” Hazel insisted with an eye roll. “Now, go change into your gear.”
A few minutes later, I found myself back in the stairwell for the third time since leaving Aunt Amethyst’s office.
As I reached for the handle, the building jolted again; this time, worse than the first. I threw my body weight against the door to hold my balance.
“Godsdamnit, Chrome. What is happening to you?” I muttered to myself as the building’s quakes subsided.
I sprinted through the hallway until I reached its center, snatching the door open. A room of battle-ready Warriors awaited me, all facing the front where my father headed it, ordering instructions and layouts of where to strategically place specific squadrons around the King’s Palace’s perimeter.
I waded through the crowded room. No one paid me any attention as I did, all too focused on the plans being displayed ahead of them.
They were all under the belief that we were prepping for an Elemental attack, so I needed to garner my dad’s attention and somehow pass the message along to him that that was unnecessary.
As soon as he made eye contact with me, he faltered in his speech. I shook my head and waved my hand in a slicing motion, which was the universal sign for “call it off.”
My father frowned, so subtle that no one else would’ve caught it unless they were looking for it. But I insisted, shaking my head again, reinforcing my point. Elementals weren’t the target.
My father cleared his throat to recover his hesitation, returning to the dry-erase board he’d marked all over with black and blue marker. “Let’s take a five-minute break to see if any new information arrives regarding the latest attack.”
Warriors broke apart and loud chatter erupted in the War Room where everyone began discussing amongst themselves their theories of what was happening and what threat awaited us. I pushed ahead, approaching my dad.
Setting down his pen and paper, my father faced me, his Warrior mask on and his tone hard in his greeting. “What do you know?”
“This isn’t an Elemental attack. No matter what they say. Chrome…”
My dad’s eyes widened in realization, and he turned away, mouthing the word, “Fuck.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure. Also, Royal Okrafor—” I ran my hands down my face, exhausted. “She’s been spying on Chrome via Onyx for the king,” I said in a low murmur, ensuring no one could hear.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
I fought against the urge to shrink back, his anger roiling from his shoulders. “Unfortunately, I’m not. She told me herself,” I retorted. “She was a bit proud about it, in fact.”
“That little—” My father cut himself off before insulting a woman, even if that woman happened to be Royal.
The door slammed open to the War Room, a loud boom gathering everyone’s attention.
A freshly inducted Warrior with hair the color of stardust burst in, out of breath with fear oozing from his aura in massive waves.
“Sir! I am to report”—He inhaled a rough breath—“that Chrome Freyr…” the Warrior struggled not to hyperventilate on his next words.
“Chrome Freyr is dead. He was killed by the lost Elemental prince, Griffin Silas.” The room plummeted into a sickly silence, but the messenger wasn’t finished. “The king just declared war.”