Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5) (31 page)

Green eyebrows slowly lifted. “Grounded?”

“Yes.” I waved my hand. “For the drunken mud wrestling bit.”

“You were also drunk?”

“Bingo,” I mumbled, staring back to the door. “Caught on film for the whole world to see.” I rubbed at my forehead. “Plus there was the fact the announcer caught me on tape placing an illegal bet.”

Elder Fergus didn’t even blink an eye. “How much did you make?”

My lips lifted. “You’re only the second person to ask me that. It was ten large.” My eyebrows bounced once. “And it’s all mine.”

“Not bad.” He cleared his throat. “And the first person was?”

“Sin.” My lips pinched, and I blinked at the door. I cracked my neck and placed my hand on the doorhandle. “I really don’t want to go in there and see the One.”

His warm hand darted out, landing on mine on the handle. “Has he done something to you?”

“Nothing bad,” I stated instantly, hearing in his tone what most others probably wouldn’t: the sound of a calculated death in the works. “The bad came from the other one, which I’m sure you’ll read in the report King Collins has for you. The
real
One,” my laugh was cynical, “well, he’s dangerous in a whole other light. And he’s way more intelligent than he’s letting on. He’s also not too happy about my decision to have a break from romantic relationships.” My brows lifted slowly and I glanced from Elder Fergus’s hand over mine to amber eyes. “I’ve sworn off any romantic relationships until I can get my head screwed on straight, after what that bastard did to me.”

Eyes roaming my face, Elder Fergus lifted his hand from mine. “It’s all in the report?”

I snorted, twisting the doorhandle. “All of it, I’m sure.”

I pushed the door open, walking inside the room.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

King Collins stood to introduce the Elders to the spirits…after his eyes had narrowed on the dirt debris remaining on my clothing. He silently cast a glance at my chair, a direct order to sit my ass down. It was probable that in his eyes I was a disaster waiting to happen.

Which wasn’t
entirely
true.

Each of the Rulers handed their corresponding Elder a fairly thick file. I almost groaned seeing how—in such a short time of being here—I already had a file that thick. Because it was mostly about me and what had happened since I’d been named Prodigy Elemental.

King Collins sat down on my right, as per normal.

Elder Fergus sat directly on my left, relaxing easily on his chair. He was comfortable in his own skin, which was another sign of a self-assured Royal: someone who was at home in a conference room with many dignitaries.

I, on the other hand, took a calming breath. Inside this room…once more.

King Collins bent, whispering at my ear, “You’re not leaving this damn room again.”

My gaze swung to his. “I only knocked over a plant.”

A frank look. “I’m not talking about that. As soon as you left,” a head tilt down the table, “he started arguing and wouldn’t shut up.”

My lips parted in an ‘O’. “About?”

“I know you’re informing her what I spoke of,” the One groused from down the table. My attention swung in his direction. His glare was in full force. “Since she still has my property, I would prefer to do it.”

Instant reply. “My property. Not yours.”

Everyone stopped their quiet conversations or their studying of reports.

All eyes were glancing between us.

King Collins waved a hand. “Be my guest. I’m sure she’ll find your idea
interesting
.”

Well, I was bound to find it interesting with that lead-up.

The One rested his chin on his hand, gazing at me for a long moment, his silver eyes skimming over my face. “They believe it to be,” his head tilted, “cruel of me, since they do not know our ways.”

“Explain, please.” I leaned forward on my chair, my hands clasped calmly on the table.

“It’s no secret I can find any spirit anywhere on this earth. The only exception being you, of course.” A lazy shrug, even if his eyes were still narrowed. “My plan is to send one of our
less fortunate
individuals with the Primal Diamond to the location of Jacob Angel or Philip Masterson.”

I understood what he was saying and my gaze instantly hooded, not looking anywhere else but him. I was quiet while the newly arrived Elders had questions about what a Primal Diamond was, needing information to partake in this discussion. It gave me a moment to think. Queen Cooper gave a description, including a history of the diamond’s past and current ‘owners’.

Tilting my head back, I stared down the end of my nose into narrowed silver eyes. I rested more comfortably on my chair and steepled my hands in front of my mouth, thinking this through. When Queen Cooper was finished updating the newcomers, I stated quietly, “It would be a suicide mission, even if it was considered a mercy.”

He stated bluntly, “It would be their choice.”

This wasn’t what I wanted to do. “You would be signing their death warrant.” I inhaled heavily. “As would I, if I agreed to this.”

He lifted a white brow. “I know.”

My lips pinched behind my hands before I slashed a hand through the air, furious with his blasé attitude during a conversation such as this. “They are fucking innocents, Leric. They can’t help how they are.”

He leaned forward on his chair, his eyes instantly furious, which showed me he did care about them. “And how they will be forever.” He stared at me pointedly. “Put yourself in their situation. If you were given the option of an honorable death, wouldn’t you take it?”

I ground out between my teeth, “Your plan is to send one individual, track them, and when they come back—too fucking injured to be saved—we’ll have the location. While the poor, innocent bastard dies in front of us?”

“Yes.”

“Your damn job is to protect them. Not to send them off to be slaughtered.”

His nostrils flared. “Caro, this isn’t an easy decision for me, so don’t make it any harder by attacking my position.” He stared me down. “I want you to seriously attempt to put yourself in their situation. I know what I would want if I were them.” He shook his head slightly, lifting his hands as he sighed. “But what would you want?”

I stared down at the table, again leaning heavily on my elbows…but I already knew the answer to his question. My eyes shut slowly, my voice void of all emotion. “There’s no guarantee this individual would even make it back to us. He or she could easily die there, and then the diamond would be in the wrong hands.”

With wide eyes, King Collins interjected, “Caro, you cannot seriously be considering this…”

Roselle’s voice was rough. “You may think you know our ways, but you know nothing.” I opened my cold eyes to her. Her face was flushed with anger as she glared at King Collins. “This is a hard decision to make but with all due respect to you, King Collins, and the rest of you here,” her jaw clenched, “you all need to shut the fuck up and trust Ms Jules to make the correct decision.” Blue, frosty eyes met mine. “I have no idea how the hell you’re going to survive here with them.” She stared at me hard. “You should rescind your choice and come home where you belong.”

“Roselle, enough,” the One murmured quietly. But it was a direct order. “Her choice is currently here.” Silver eyes met mine in the silence Roselle’s outburst had created. “To answer your question, I can find any spirit anywhere.”

My nostrils flared as I realized he was saying—in code—that he could pull the individual through the ether, back to us. “Christ, Leric.” I shoved out of my chair, standing, and started pacing. I rubbed at my forehead.

This decision was eating not only at my gut but at my heart as well.

Elder Fergus murmured into the quiet, “You’ll have to excuse me because I am new to this situation, but if what I’m understanding is correct then I would like to know if this individual can make a sane, cognitive decision to do this.”

The One answered smoothly, “The individual I have in mind was once a Guardian, a strong protector and fighter.”
God, the poor man.
“If I asked this of him during a moment of sanity, he would unquestionably want it.”

“So it would be his sane decision to take the mission, if he chose to.” Elder Fergus rested further on his chair with a casual shrug. “With what I’ve overheard, I back the idea.” More than a few heads turned his way, including my own. Green eyebrows rose. “The man’s obviously in for a lifetime of hell he can’t escape, otherwise the One and Ms Jules wouldn’t even be considering this.” His head tilted, green curls dangling over his cheek. “Think of it as a Com who has an incurable, excruciating disease and wants to do one last good deed before his life ends.”

“Finally someone here is thinking outside the box to understand us,”
Reese muttered under his breath, but everyone heard him in the thoughtful quiet. He nodded to the Elder. “Thank you, Elder Fergus. That metaphor is fairly accurate.”

“You’re welcome.” Elder Fergus dipped his head in return, but his voice turned stony with his next words. “But if this is a choice we decide, then we will want to hear the man say with our own ears that he desires it.”

I explained the best I could. “We truly will be cruel if we brought him into this room.” I met amber eyes steadily. “I can’t explain but,” I waved an arm at the individuals around the room, “with these people and the lives they’ve led, he wouldn’t do well.” I rubbed at my forehead further, letting my eyes fall to the ground. “I can go to the Temple and meet him, and judge for myself if his decision is credible or not.”

“I don’t agree with this,” Queen Cooper argued. “Any sane person wouldn’t agree to a suicide mission.”

I shook my head. “You’ve never experienced the life—no, the permanent hell—he’s experiencing.”

Elder Zeller asked, “How is he supposed to complete this mission if he can’t be in a room with us?” He shook his head. “His risk of dying would increase if he flashed into a room and started screaming.”

“Can he be sedated? Like a Com? We know Com drugs work for Caro.” Queen Ruckler asked gently, glancing up from the table and looking between me and the One.

My head cocked as I evaluated her. “To complete the mission? Or to help with his prolonged existence?”

She stared, her voice stronger. “If medication helped to improve his life, I’m sure we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m asking if he could be sedated to complete the mission and to possibly return to us alive.”

God, she really was a hardcore bitch when she wanted to be. My lips lifted cynically as I stared back. “Thank you, I just wanted clarification.” Eyes to the One. “Being sedated might work best, as long as you could still
find
him.”

The One’s eyebrows lifted lazily. “That won’t be a problem.” He turned his attention to Queen Ruckler. “I imagine a heavy dosage would help here, but it won’t help to the point it would save his life.” His lips pinched the barest bit. “You all need to understand, he more than likely won’t return alive.” Silver eyes looked to me, holding their gaze. “In the end, it is your choice since you hold my Primal Diamond.”

“My diamond,” I muttered quietly as I started pacing again. I waved a hand at the room. “And it’s not just my choice. This is a decision I believe everyone should make, not just me, considering it involves Philip Masterson and Jacob Angel.” I stopped behind my chair, staring at the table. I felt cold inside. “I’d like to call a vote among the Elders, Rulers, and Prodigies.” I swallowed heavily. “All in favor of the One’s plan, please raise your hand.”

And…I lifted my own hand, knowing I was signing the man’s death warrant.

Brann, London, Aria, Queen Ruckler, King Zeller, Elder Fergus, Elder Kincaid, Elder Merrick, and Elder Jacobs all raised their hands, everyone’s faces grave.

It was a yes.

I nodded, lowering my hand. “I’ll go to the Temple and watch the proceedings while the One asks him—to verify his actions are coherent.” Running a hand over my face, I stared across the table to the One. “Shall we? I’m sure they’ll need time to set up MSA agents around each of the business locations, and have others on stand-by if Philip Masterson or Jacob Angel is elsewhere.”

The One nodded. “It may take a while before he’s…”

“I know.” I placed my right hand on King Collins’s shoulder. “I’ll be gone a few days.”

King Collins patted my hand, glancing up at me, his eyes completely blank. “Make sure to take Isolde with you so she doesn’t go batshit crazy again.”

My lips lifted at his attempt at humor. “Sin would have fun with that.”

He blinked. “And make sure you tell Sin where you’re going so he doesn’t go batshit crazy.”

I did laugh at that. “As if I would leave without warning him.” My eyes opened wide. “I mean, I don’t want you dead.”

Cocky eyebrows rose, and he deadpanned, “Not today, anyway.” His head tilted, all seriousness returning. “Make sure to call me, or whatever it is you do from there, a couple of times a day to let me know you’re okay.”

I stared for a moment. “Old worrywart.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I was utterly spent from the conversation that finally happened four days later with the middle-aged Guardian, who was plagued by madness from the feedback of the Shadows. Some spirits were much more sensitive to the evil living throughout the world, eventually breaking. The evil ate through their minds continually.

I sat on the beach at the Temple, staring out at the blue water, wearing a bikini. I was trying to relax while other spirits sunbathed around me. I lay back on my white towel, petting Isolde softly, and waved a glowing hand. A screen opened in front of me, blocking the sun from my eyes. I asked for King Collins.

I instantly heard many loud voices from the neon blue screen, which was odd since it was the middle of the night there. “King Collins?”

“Caro?” King Collins asked, his tone urgent.

I finished the call and peered hard at the screen, trying to figure out what I was seeing.

The Elders, Rulers, and Prodigies were pressed together in a large mass.

“What’s going on?”

His nostrils flared. He was still dressed in casual, trendy clothing. “We’re being fucking attacked again.” I instantly sat up, the screen moving with me. His eyes shot behind me, and everyone on the screen also stared at all they could see on my side, as they had been doing with every other call I’d made in the past four days. King Collins growled, “While you’re
sunbathing
, Prodigy, Roselle, Reese and the Guardians have been fighting for the past three hours. While we’re stuck in this damn protective circle.”