Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) (23 page)

“Except you don’t get nearly as much snow as we do.”

“How would you know that?”

“Heard things.”

“Then I suppose that’s true but I probably wouldn’t have guess your age accurately either.”

“Why?”

“You just seem too serious to be younger than me like you’ve forgotten what fun is like.”

Her mouth dropped with a quiet laugh only because she secretly knew I was right. “I know how to have fun. You’ve only been around me for a few days and what was fun about any of that?”

“Some of it was actually quite fun.” I flickered my eyes down to the cleavage exposed by her top and tried not to stare for too long.

She smiled and covered it with her hand for just the duration of her reply. “We’re not going to talk about that.”

“Well, it was all you. Yeah, you may have used it to try and kill me but it was still worth it.”

She sighed and her voice became mellower while she looked away. “Please stop. It was kind of an in the moment thing. It’s not like I planned for it to happen like that or any of this really.”

“You regret it, don’t you?”

I wanted to know what she was thinking and was glad that she at least felt comfortable enough to explain something. It was a start. “I regret a lot of things. For instance, coming here. I did it for all the wrong reasons, never thinking it would actually end in my death.”

“But it won’t.” I sat up with a more serious tone than all of my previous playful bantering. “My decision won’t change on that.”

She laughed but it was in a sad way and she slowly shook her head. “I didn’t mean from you or anyone in Seni for that matter. It’s because of my mistake. Something I’ve done.”

“Does this have anything to do with keeping us alive?”

She took a breath and I think she was trying to keep herself from crying in front of me. “Yes, as is the way. Rules that have been set down for all of the Assassins before us.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Mostly for Ruby and Jaylyn, especially Jaylyn. It’s not their responsibility to stress about things like that. It’s mine. I failed them but they’ll even have to pay for my mistake. They don’t need their minds on that right now. That’s why I didn’t say anything. I want them to savor their last chance at happiness and this is it. I don’t really care where it comes from anymore as long as they get it.”

“You should have at least told me.”

“It wouldn’t change anything. Killed by you or our own Queen, it doesn’t matter. The end result remains the same so it shouldn’t matter if we get along. You’ll never see me again after all of this and we’re sent home.”

I didn’t want to believe it and I didn’t want to believe that she would be killed by her own people. Her father surely wouldn’t have allowed that, right? My mind was racing and I came up with one idea. “Have you ever thought about a royal assassination just to get her out of the way?”

“What?!”

“Have you ever thought about killing her?”

“I know what an assassination is. It’s kind of my job. I just didn’t think you’d actually suggest it.”

“Well? Have you?”

“Of course I have. Everyone knows she’s not fit to rule.”

“See? Now you have motive.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Zayden. This wouldn’t benefit you in any way.”

“But it will keep you alive. At least for a time.”

“No. It will keep us alive for a lot longer but it’ll be bad for you.”

“How if I’ll never see you again? That sounds a little redundant.”

“Arianna doesn’t have any living relatives. Who do you think would take her place? For Kalu, next in line would be their General.”

I paused and started to figure it out on my own. “Your father.”

“Exactly. You shouldn’t be encouraging this. He hates you and what you did to him would give him means for revenge. You don’t want that.”

“If it keeps you alive then you should do it.”

She looked away again while she spoke. “There are always reasons not to do something.”

I didn’t mean to but I smiled with this easy opportunity to change the mood. “You’re worrying about me, aren’t you, Love?”

She looked back, smiling in defense. “No! That’s not it at all!”

“It’s okay. It’s just us.”

“How do you know they’re not listening? You know that isn’t an actual door. It’s just an open space.”

“Don’t worry. They’re not. Their attention is on their girls.”

“
Their girls
?”

“Yeah. You had to of noticed that’s already been established. They share in that happiness you spoke of. They didn’t listen to our first private conversation because they were too focused on each other.”

She sighed and I knew she probably didn’t want to hear that but it was true. “Well, you’re wrong for once, about me worrying about you. I’m not.”

“Who’s the one lying now?”

“Okay, I’m done with you.” She got up and started walking around the bed. “You can go.”

“Go? I don’t want to go.”

“Then what do you want?”

I tilted my head to look back and gave her my classic smirk I knew she couldn’t resist. “You want the truth?”

“Obviously.”

I got up and was still looking in her eyes as I stepped closer to her and brought my hand up to her face but stayed an inch away from touching her. “Then honestly, I want to kiss you—badly.”

I could almost feel the heat rush to her cheek as my hand hovered over it but she looked away to stop it. “Ah, no. I don’t think that’s something I want anyone catching me doing and think that it changes anything because it wouldn’t.”

“No one’s watching. They can’t see us in here.”

“I think that makes it worse. They’re probably already thinking it or hoping.”

“You mean because they’re all together so we should be?”

“It doesn’t mean we
should
. It’s just how they are.”

“Well, maybe they’re right. I bet I could change your whole outlook on this.”

Adele laughed more loudly and looked at me again. “Through one kiss?! You’re serious?!”

“Don’t make me steal it from you. That’s not how I want to get it.”

“Oh, thought about it, did you?”

“You should already know that but so have you.”

She walked around me back to the other side of the room with a joking way about her voice. “Oh, yeah! You’re the highlight of my deepest fantasies.”

“See? Just let it happen.”

She shook her head and turned around to look at me and my determination. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“No. I’ve thought about it too much.”

“Well, if that’s how it’s going to be then just stop mentioning it and maybe you’ll get your chance—much later.”

“Really?” I was a bit surprised.

“I said
maybe
.”

“Oh. Maybe means no, doesn’t it?”

She laughed. “You’ll have to wait and see. Now get out. I don’t want them to get their hopes up.”

“Will you come?”

“I kind of planned on it. It was going to rain, right? Then that means I can shower.”

“Shower?” My voice was a little stuttered and I was already picturing her body naked and soaking wet.

“Yes. My gift allows me many luxuries.”

She turned without another word and I followed her out of the room. Now I was imagining me with her and my hands getting the chance to feel her smooth wet skin while we bathed. Things so far have definitely changed. I fell. Being Prince and doing what was right for my country didn’t seem to matter anymore. Adele’s beauty was more important and I wanted her, willing to be open about it if I had to.

Chapter 32

Ruby

We waited anxiously to see if this would even work. I would have liked it to because Adele seriously needed to chill but I knew her. It would have been too hard for Zayden to break passed her pride or so I thought.

The second I saw movement from back there, I looked to see something completely unimaginable. Adele had changed her outfit to significantly less and walked out with Zayden right behind her.

I wanted to scream with some excitement and little dismay but instead, I asked what everyone was thinking. “Well—what have you been doing?”

“Shut up. Nothing.” She still seemed like her usual self.

“So, you’re not going to lock yourself away from us anymore?” Jaylyn asked.

“I have other priorities.”

“Have a nice talk then?”

Zayden took a seat in one of the empty chairs and smiled. “Nice? Ah—” Adele quickly hit him in the shoulder while she was standing and I badly wanted to know what that meant. “There was no yelling. So, obviously, I was doing all the talking while she just sat there and looked as if she wanted to kill me. You know, the usual.”

Adele crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side while sighing again; a famous reply to most things. “Why do you do that?”

“What? Is that not what you wanted me to say? You should be more specific. I can’t read your mind. Ooh—that’d be a scary place.”

We laughed but Adele didn’t. She leaned down to Zayden, whispering something to him and he sucked in a breath and sat stiff. I’ve never seen her have that effect on him before. It only made things much more interesting. “Sorry. Maybe if you stop standing there being so beautiful, I’ll stop spitting out stupid things.”

Muscles and Troy laughed but I looked at Jaylyn and we froze, shifting just our eyes back to Adele. The word
beautiful
put a confused yet hated look on her face and she turned away.

“What’d I say?”

“You used the word
beautiful
in a sentence directed towards her.” Jaylyn said. “It’s funny and completely untrue but Adele doesn’t think she’s any such thing.”

“Don’t start.” Adele said as she started walking passed us. “And I never said that. Apparently, I just don’t see what
you
think everyone else does.”

“Oh, you mean that you’re perfect?” I said.

She huffed; another usual reaction. “How could you say that? You know as well as I do that I’m not the one people think is perfect.”

I quickly glanced towards Jaylyn with a smile, being very vague about who Adele was actually talking about. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about her.”

“Who?” Zayden asked.

Adele actually smiled and was about to answer but Jaylyn quickly cut her off. “Adele, no. Don’t say that.”

“Why? It’s true.”

“It isn’t. I’m not―I mean―”

“Jaylyn, we weren’t chosen for this life mainly because we wanted it. Assassins have always been images of seduction. Hence the phase ‘fatal attraction.’ Our looks are usually the main cause to all of our successes and yours has always been key.”

“Are you done?” She asked, feeling embarrassed.

“Oh, now you want to stop talking? Really? Why do you think you’re the only one protesting? Troy surely isn’t even after you almost killed him.”

“But I didn’t!”

The conversation was getting a little heated now and it didn’t much help that Adele went on with it in front of everyone whereas I just tried to stay out of it. “I know exactly what you did or didn’t do I should say so unless you really want to discuss it right now, you should just be quiet.”

I couldn’t help myself after seeing the look on Jaylyn’s face. Adele was still clearly pissed about what she did and I needed to break this horrible tension before someone said the wrong thing. “Adele, would you at least just admit we’re all perfect in our own way. It’s what makes us so amazing.”

Adele took her cold stare off Jaylyn to look at me and laugh. “You mean aside from the personality aspect which isn’t perfect?”

“And what’s wrong with my personality?” I felt the insult almost immediately and protested.

“Should I even go there? We kill people, okay. Our tolerance for others only goes so high when we’re trained to hate. We’re our own breed of something the world has yet to accept.” She reached up to her head and pulled out the metal things holding her hair up and her brown hair cascaded down the entire length of her back in one straight motion while she turned. “Appearances are deceiving, especially when it comes to us.”

It was like she planned that. Appearances are deceiving? Right. She has the most perfect hair I’ve ever seen. It’s so manageable and she only proved it by doing that. It was one of the reasons she was perfect.

“Not from what I’ve already seen.” Zayden said.

Adele looked over her shoulder without turning. “You haven’t seen everything.” She turned her head back and pulled her little shirt off, letting it drop to the floor.