Part 15 (1/2)

”They also said you'd like to visit them more often?”

Color flooded Lottius's naturally pale cheeks. ”If it is safe to do so, sire.”

”I will talk to Sir Malax about giving you young people more opportunities to visit your parents.” Lord Valafar studied Ravan and Skylar, and I wondered if he recognized them, too. ”I hear congratulations are in order for you two. I may have not attended your pactus ceremony, but I was told both your parents approved.”

”Yes, sire,” Ravan and Skylar said at the same time, smiling.

”Good. Life is too precious to spend centuries with someone you don't love.”

I decided I would have to remember to remind him of that when the topic of my mate came up. Thoughts of mates disappeared from my head when he said to Katia, ”We are still trying to find Angelia, Katia. No matter how long it takes, we will not give up.”

Katia nodded, but her chin trembled. Once again, I wondered who Angelia was. Servants appeared with trays of food and drinks. They set bowls of soup in front of us.

”And how was your first lesson, daughter?” Father asked.

”Easy. Two pretests. Math and geography. I aced geography, but math...” I made a face. ”I have to work on a few areas.”

”And tomorrow?”

”History.” I shuddered. ”One month and I should be ready for the Academy.”

”Don't be in a hurry to finish,” he said softly and picked up his soup spoon. ”There's so much more Master Rahm can teach you.” His gaze s.h.i.+fted to the door and annoyance crossed his face.

I followed his gaze and bit back a smile. My melodramatic older sister had chopped her hair to a bob cut and added fuchsia streaks. As for her leather pants and top, I didn't need to see Lady Nemea's disapproving expression to know that her outfit was inappropriate for dinner.

”Good evening, folks,” Solange said, shrugging off her black duster. One of the minions hurried forward to take it. ”Don't stand on my account,” she told my friends, who'd started to get up. She studied them with a slight smile as she handed her gloves to another minion, then waited for a third to pull out the chair for her. She didn't look at them or thank them. ”When you said we had dinner guests, Father, I a.s.sumed you meant lords and their mates.”

”We do have lords and their mates,” I said, glancing at my new friends. They hid smiles. ”They're just young and fun, and my friends.”

”Hey, brat,” she said, sitting down. I didn't let her bait me this time.

”I'm happy you could join us, Solange.” Lord Valafar tasted a spoonful of the soup and added, ”Your sister and I were discussing her lessons.”

Solange winked at me. ”If you need help with anything, don't ping me. I was never a good student. Although I find history very interesting.”

”History bores me,” I mumbled. ”Love your hair.”

”I did it at a human salon. Do you want me to take you?” Even though she was asking me, her eyes were on our father.

The frown on his face matched his feelings: he didn't approve. I couldn't help teasing, ”Should I, Father? You know, crop it short and color it?”

He chuckled. ”I don't think you should, but what do I know of female fas.h.i.+on?”

”Who selected my clothes?”

”Not me. Shopping bores me,” he added, imitating the tone I'd used when describing history. Snickers and giggles came from my friends. ”However, I don't think you are ready for the outside world yet.”

Good. I never wanted to leave the island. Solange's presence eased my new friends' nervousness. She kept conversation going while our father watched with an indulgent smile. He occasionally added a comment. He had a dry sense of humor and it showed. If anyone had told me two weeks ago he'd be this nice and all smiley, I would not have believed them.

There was so much food, and once everyone relaxed, they packed it away. We lingered after Father and Solange left the table.

”I cannot believe how nice and approachable the king was,” Skylar said, and everyone had something good to say about him. I watched them and grinned.

Something about Lottius had been bothering me since we met. I didn't get a chance to ask her until just before they left. ”So, how come you don't drink blood like your parents?”

Her eyebrows shot up. ”That's why you kept staring at me during dinner.”

I made a face. ”I didn't think you'd notice.”

”You're as subtle as a wart on a nose. Coronis bred my kind to extinction, so most of us are mixed-breeds. My mother and my uncle are the only pure Nosferatus left. My father is part Neteru, so I inherited quite a bit of his genes. I can tolerate the sun. I also can go without drinking warm blood. It's still a delicacy, and the effect...” She sighed and smacked her lips. ”Better than anything out there, but I don't have to drink it.” She glanced at Katia.

”I am more Neteru, but my half-sister is more Lazarus,” Katia said, eyes watering. ”My stepfather was a Lazarus.”

”Your half-sister? Are you talking about Angelia? The one who's missing?” I asked.

Katia nodded. ”I know she's out there. I hate that I never really knew her. They were the last group of hybrids and Queen Coronis guarded them like precious jewels. My mother and stepfather were killed during the raid on the island, and I thought Angelia and the children at the inst.i.tute had died too, until we heard she was seen in L.A. Before we could locate her whereabouts, she'd disappeared again with the others.”

”That's awful.” She was furiously plucking at her dress. I gripped her hand. ”Who could have taken them?”

She glanced at the others and then sighed. ”We don't know for sure, but some people think the Guardians took them.”

”If they did, that's their first mistake,” Gus said.

I frowned. ”Why?”

”The Specials are scary powerful,” Gus explained. ”They were taught to work together from when they were little. The Guardians won't stand a chance if they decide to attack.”

”I don't think they'll attack unless it's in self-defense,” Katia said. ”Besides, Lilith has given us hope.”

”Me?” I asked.

Katia nodded. ”You are a Special, too. You lived with the Guardians for fourteen years and they didn't hurt or brainwash you.”

I made a face. ”So, how many Specials are missing?”

”We don't know,” Gus said. ”There were about fifty at the inst.i.tute when the Guardians attacked Coronis Isle. Somehow, they got out and found each other. They tend to gravitate toward each other.”

”That's because they communicate at some weird level the rest of us can't hear,” Lottius said ”The worst part is that Queen Coronis had them living at the inst.i.tute away from their parents, so most weren't close to their families,” Gus added. ”Safety to most of them is being with each other, not their parents.”

”I don't care,” Katia said. ”With my parents gone, Angelia is the only family I have left. Immediate family,” she added, glancing at Lottius.

”Then why aren't our people out there scouring the world for them?” I asked.

”We are. My hunting team goes out daily to search for them,” Gus said. ”The few times we thought we'd located them, we found them gone.”

I went in search of my father after my friends left. He wasn't in his quarters. Downstairs, Sir Malax met me before I entered the throne room.

”Your father is having a hearing in the council chambers, Princess,” he said, bowing.

”Oh. Okay. Then I'll see him tomorrow.”