“Kricket, he’s obsessed with you,” Trey says. He turns toward me and reaches down to help me to my feet. Cupping my chin, he uses his thumb to brush away my tears. “He wants you for himself. I don’t believe that he’ll ever give you his permission to commit to anyone, even a perfectly acceptable match.”
“Trey, all of that is meaningless. The only thing that matters is how we feel about each other. I love you and that’s never going to change,” I promise, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’m yours,” I whisper, shifting my lips to his other cheek and kissing it, too. “And you’re mine,” I continue, looking in his eyes, before touching my lips to his.
Groaning and collecting me in his arms, he murmurs, “I’d break every rule for you,” Trey breathes, watching a grin slowly encompass my face.
Ustus’ voice startles me. “That’s quite a lovely sentiment, Trey,” he says from the doorway of my room. “But, I’m afraid you’re never going to have her.”
“Ustus!” I gasp, tensing. Trey shifts me behind him. “Get out of my room!” I order, appalled that he overheard my intimate conversation with Trey.
“Kesek Trey, you and your men have overstayed your welcome here,” Ustus says, eyeing Trey cautiously, as he raises his automatic weapon. “You are to return to your base. I’ve been instructed to inform you that you’re to have no further contact with Fay Kricket.” The last is said with no small amount of satisfaction.
“Ustus, don’t be stupid.” I scowl at him. “I’ll talk to whomever I want.”
Trey walks toward Ustus menacingly. Ustus, in turn, points the gun at Trey’s chest. “You’ll have no one to speak with if Trey continues to move,” Ustus barks out, fear creeping into his tone.
Grabbing Trey’s wrist, I try to step in front of him, but he brushes me aside. “Wait!” I plead, afraid that Ustus will pull the trigger. “It’s okay, Trey!” But Trey doesn’t stop.
Ustus swings the gun in my direction, pointing the blue laser at my chest. Trey stops dead; he stiffens. “Lower your weapon, Ustus.”
“Not until she walks down those stairs with me and we depart,” Ustus says. “I have orders to take her back to the palace. I cannot have you leaving with her, Kesek. She can survive a bullet if it keeps her here.”
“SIR!” Wayra says from the door, training his weapon on Ustus.
“Tell him to lower his weapon,” Ustus orders with sweat slipping down his face as he continues to train his gun on me.
“Wayra, easy,” Trey says. “Lower the gun.” Wayra complies slowly, not making any quick movements. “We’re going to allow Ustus to escort Kricket to the skiff. It will take them back to the palace without incident.”
“Let’s move,” Ustus says to me, using his head to indicate the stairs.
My eyes flicker to Trey’s and I see him nod. Wringing my hands, I walk forward, moving toward the stairs. Ustus falls in behind me, never letting his weapon waver from me. Passing Jax and Hollis, they both reach for a weapon before Trey orders them to stop. I walk out the front door and to the hovering skiff. Several Regent police surround us.
Silently, I get into the hover car and remain mute all the way to the palace. I refuse to even look at Ustus. When we arrive, Ustus doesn’t use his gun, but merely gestures me to follow him from the vehicle. We head straight to Manus’s personal arcade on the north end of the estate. Once in the Amethyst passage, we quickly arrive at the Regent’s sitting room.
Ustus leaves me with the attendants who offer me a drink from the bar. Accepting a glass of water, I try not to gulp it down. I walk around the room and absently touch the small statuary on the tables. I’ve never felt more awkward in my life.
“You’ve put me at a disadvantage, Kricket,” Manus’s deep voice sounds behind me, startling me because I didn’t hear him come in.
“How so?” I ask, trying to recover my cool. Looking up, he’s by the door of his bedroom, dressed in an elegant, black robe. His hair is a little less meticulous than usual and his violet eyes are trained on me.
“I was not aware that you were…lonely,” he replies, accepting a fazeria from his attendant and then waving him out of the room.
“I’m not lonely,” I say, trying to figure out what he means.
“Then why was Kesek Trey in your room this evening?” he asks, and I about choke on my drink. I set it down on the table.
“It’s been a frightening evening for me, Manus. I was afraid, so I asked him to stay with me…to guard me,” I lie, knowing that I have to protect Trey.
“Mmm,” Manus says in a non-committal tone. “You won’t mind putting these on for me then…just to see?” he asks, holding out a pair of the grandma goggles to me. Knowing that the visor will scan my entire body, I grit my teeth. Walking to him, I take them from his grasp. Placing them briefly on my eyes, I wait for only a few seconds before handing them back to him.
Analyzing the data that I’m sure is telling him that everything is still ‘intact,’ I watch his expression, seeing a small smile creep to the corners of his lips. “What was the point of that?” I ask.
“You know what the point is. I needed to know if you were still a virgin,” he replies, smiling.
“Why?” I shoot back. “That’s personal. It’s my choice.”
“No, Kricket, it’s my choice,” Manus counters, losing a little of the satisfaction he was sporting. “Things are changing quickly. I have many decisions to make and you seem to be at the center of them all.”
“Am I?”
“Mmm,” he nods. “It would seem with your new ability that you are even more valuable than before. Unfortunately, I was not able to keep this ability from Skye, like I have with your other ability. No, this one is more…overt.”
“I’m not loving it either, if that’s what you’re saying.” I take a sip of my drink and walk toward the double glass doors that lead to the private terrace.
“You can see the future?’ he asks me point blank.
“I don’t know. I saw a version of it that didn’t come to pass—”
“Because you changed it.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. It all happened so fast. But I’m sure you heard the communication. What do you think?” I ask, curious to hear his interpretation of the event.
“I think you intercepted an event in the future and changed it.”
“I have no idea how I did it or if I can ever do it again. I can’t tell you what triggered it or even how to recreate the event, so…” I see his smile broaden.
“You’re so humble…it’s an endearing trait, Kricket. Do you know that?” He approaches me and lifts a piece of my hair, letting it slip through his fingers.
“Okay,” I say, feeling uncomfortable with him this close, touching me.
“When you first arrived here, I was astounded by you,” Manus admits. “You’re such a beauty, but it’s as if you’re not even aware of it. And the way you speak to me, like we’re friends, but you never overstep…and you never underplay…you just glide effortlessly along…”