Chosen Thief (10 page)

I stared for a long moment then felt my lips twitch. “Do they pound and
jump about making the staff run in terror?”

He nodded once, placing his napkin on his lap. “You must be psychic because that is, indeed, the current gossip.”

I chuckled quietly, lifting my spoon, and played along with his attempt to lighten the situation. “Well, I won’t have that issue since I don’t have enough clothing to overload the machine.”

“Ah,” he pointed around his fork, lips quirking,
“now it all makes sense, because there was some complaint of how many clothes the Rulers go through on a daily basis.”

I tilted my head, expression turning thoughtful. “Perhaps while the Rulers discuss the situation of the poverty-stricken Prodigy, they should discuss raises for the house staff.”

His look turned sly, eyes narrowing with a curve of his lips that was of a pure scoundrel. “Why
not add in the health benefits and life insurance?”

My eyes popped wide. “Brilliant.” I thumped King Collins on the shoulder. “Take notes.”

London murmured from out of nowhere, his baritone carrying no matter how quietly he spoke, “And don’t forget about the purchase of new, larger laundry machines.”

There was a tiny pause, then Sin muttered in awe, “I think the pacifist just cracked a joke.”

I leaned over the table, my fist raised in London’s direction. “
Sick
, London. I knew you had it in you.” Appearing all kinds of sweet, the hulking Mage lifted a large arm and pressed his equally large fist to mine, fist bumping me.
Gently
. “Well, that’s a start to using those huge guns you’ve got.” I rested in my chair, eyeing his muscles. “Seriously, I’ve never seen a Mage as big as you before.
How often do you work out?”

“I’m betting at least two hours a day,” Sin stated, tossing an arm over the back of my chair, then he pointed at my food. “Eat, Caro.”

I did start eating as I listened to London speak softly. “Sin’s correct. I work out two hours a day with Brann, sometimes three if I have the time on my own.” He shrugged his bulky shoulders. “I try to treat my body like a temple.”

I opened my mouth to comment, but I jumped when a beast of a lion raced into the kitchen before sitting proudly, chest puffed out and his chocolate mane rustling about his head while he roared at us, clearly pissed. Breath caught in my chest as I stared, frozen, with wide eyes at the impressive beast. I watched as his head turned to the way he had come before lifting and growling at us. Then he
raced through the kitchen out the other entrance. Only moments later, my heart nowhere near slowed, I blinked as I watched a black-haired, mocha-skinned toddler race through the first entrance, his arms raised high and fingers bent like claws as he roared, a decent imitation of the lion’s. He ran as fast as his little legs would take him through the kitchen, disappearing out the same door the lion
had. Then a thirtysomething, harried Mage woman raced in after him, coming to a stop in the center of the room, her eyes darting all about.

“What. The. Hell,” Sin murmured quietly.

I nodded slowly in agreement, my jaw hanging open. “It’s a circus castle with lions and midgets. I wonder if they’ve got those really tasty funnel cakes, too?”

“Powdered sugar or strawberries on top?”

“Powdered
sugar, of course.”

“Did you misplace something, Bindi?” King Zeller drawled slowly to the Mage woman, ignoring us.

She half sighed, half growled, muttering a few curses under her breath, then stated, “Queen Ruckler, your son is antagonizing Clyde again.” She threw her arms wide, scowling at the Queen. “I thought you talked to him about that. You know Clyde will retaliate — probably in my room
again — and I’m sure as hell not cleaning up that mess.”

“Calm down, Bindi,” Queen Ruckler stated, appearing all types of amused. “I’ll have another talk with Erik, and King Zeller with talk with Clyde before he leaves you any surprises.” She pointed out the entrance the lion, apparently Clyde, and the boy, apparently Queen Ruckler’s son Erik, had gone through. “They went that way.”

Bindi sighed
heavily, still appearing frazzled, then she turned and raced through the kitchen and out the door.

Turning back gradually in my chair, I shook off that little scene to ask King Zeller, “Why would you talk to a Shifter and not Queen Ruckler?”

King Zeller’s lips curved. “That wasn’t a Shifter. Clyde is my Vizoac.”

I didn’t blink, struck dumb. “And you’re letting Queen Ruckler’s son around him?”
Vizoacs were a Ruler’s animal they received when they were Prodigies if there would be a time of unrest during their reign. They were to help protect the Rulers and were faithful and nice only to their owner. Since the current Rulers had received lions, it meant that King Zeller was the most powerful of the four Rulers. If Queen Ruckler were, they would have received wolves; if King Collins were,
they would have received hawks; and if Queen Cooper were, they would have received eagles. “If Erik touches him, he could get killed!”

Queen Ruckler held up a quick hand, her blue eyes still amused. “Clyde won’t hurt him. He follows King Zeller’s command unconditionally, and he’s been ordered not to harm him. Trust me, my son’s all right. It’s Clyde you should feel sorry for.”

Sin chuckled.
“And the babysitter.”

Queen Ruckler’s lips twitched. “Yes, Bindi has her hands full. Erik is…in a league of his own.”

“Sorry I’m late.” A breathless, orange-haired beauty dressed in a silver silk blouse, a black skirt, and black heels walked into the room, waving a hand. “Aria needed help with her outfit…and don’t ask, you’ll see soon enough.” She moved behind Brann and placed her hands on his
shoulders, leaning down as he turned his head to her, asking him, “Did you save me any food?”

“There’s plenty of waffles and bacon left.” Brann’s expression was patient.

“There’d better be, otherwise I’d kick your ass,” she stated with a smile, then she kissed his lips quickly before straightening with a pat on his shoulder as she moved toward the bar. “I’m famished after last night.”

Realizing
I had frozen at some point with my mouth open, a spoonful of oatmeal suspended in front of it, I quickly finished taking the bite. For some reason it hadn’t occurred to me Brann was taken. I peered down at my plate and slowly scooped up another bite. Oddly, after the phenomena that had occurred between us, I had automatically assumed he was single. After some contemplation yesterday in which
I was honest with myself, I had figured out I had been instantly, and bizarrely, attracted to the stuck-up, massive Shifter. And I had kind of thought the attraction had been mutual, even if in a never-to-be-touched sort of way, but I guess I had been way wrong on my theory. That was definitely for the best, since any kind of physical attraction between us would only cause problems.

“Sin, Caro,
I want to introduce my twin sister, Brenna,” Brann stated, and I blinked in surprise at my plate before lifting my head to see him gesturing at the orange-haired beauty. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was pleased with that pronouncement or not, since everything was back to weirdly complicated with the man who did a fairly good job of annoying me and yet making me feel comfortable at varying times.
“Brenna, this is Caro, the Elemental Prodigy and Sin, her…something.” And the word ‘something’ did not sound like a compliment.

Sin choked on a laugh, glancing at Brann. “Nicely put, Big Foot.” Then he glanced at Brenna who was staring at us avidly, her expression curious. “It’s a pleasure, Brenna.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Aria told me you were both here.” She seemed like the intelligent
sort, her eyes quickly assessing. “It’ll make things a bit more interesting around here.” Her amber eyes, much like Brann’s, landed on me. “It’s nice to meet you, Caro. And I’d like to say up-front: whatever you said to Aria, thank you. Although, I don’t think she’d say the same thing, so try not to tick her off today because she’s not in the best of moods.”

O-kay
. “Um…It’s nice to meet you,
too. You’re welcome. And I’ll do my best not to.”

She nodded once, the action efficient. “Good, because she’s actually trying.” She muttered something under her breath, then she cleared that foul expression, smiling widely. “And I’m always available if you need any help here.”

She was definitely a go-getter and go-giver, the type that was hard to think anything bad about, much less crack a joke
at. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.” When she turned to start loading her plate with waffles — and yes, bacon — I peered across the table at Brann. “She’s a lot smaller than you for a twin.” She was probably around five feet seven inches, which is normally short for a Mystical if you don’t look at the selected few like me or Queen Ruckler or Isa.

“And yet, still much bigger than you,” Brann returned
with a wicked light in his eyes.

“Only by a few,” I teetered my hand, “seven inches or so.”

Again he chuckled, earning a few glances, including one from his sister. “She and I have always been much different in size, not to mention attitude, but my dad says our noses and our penchant for spending money is the same.”

I pointed with my spoon. “And your eyes. You both have the same color eyes.”
And those amber eyes stared back at me straight on for a beat before altering to the side when he pulled out the chair next to him for his sister to sit down.

Brenna set her plate on the table, sitting quickly, her gaze intent on me and Sin. “I have an intrusive question to ask, and it’s not about your powers, Caro, since I’ve already been explicitly instructed not to question you on that.” She
paused as she inhaled. “Do you mind?”

“You may always ask,” I stated truthfully, since it didn’t mean we had to answer. I could have sworn I heard Queen Ruckler chuckle from where she was eating quietly.

“All right.” Brenna sat up straighter in her chair. “Are you two together? I’ve heard conflicting stories since yesterday, and you see, I have this fire Elemental friend who needs a date to
this work function and she just moved here and doesn’t know anyone.” She lifted a hand at Sin, speaking bluntly, “And you’re handsome, so I know she would be thrilled if you’d be her date.”

Sin and I stared at her wordlessly until I couldn’t stop my lips from lifting and I probed, “You, my dear, innocent-appearing Brenna, are the unscrupulous daredevil of the bunch, aren’t you?” Sin chuckled
quietly as he took a sip from his drink, his green eyes dancing merrily at me as I relaxed further on my seat while watching her closely. “Who put you up to that question, and moreover, how much money did you get for doing their dirty work?”

The table had gone quiet when she asked, and now she sat in the silence of her own making, staring back at me mutely. Slowly, her amber eyes turned from
innocent curiousness to calculating awareness. I couldn’t help but grin even more. She cracked her neck as she rested further on her chair, same as me, while stating, “I got a total of six grand from the varying amounts offered from just about everyone at this table.”

Sin whistled quietly, muttering to me, “Maybe we should ask for double for the answer.”

I chuckled quietly, patting his cheek.
“Triple, Sin. Always triple.”

“And you remembered.” He grinned evilly at me but rolled his eyes, murmuring, “You might as well give them a hint for the money they’ve already spent.”

My lips pinched in thought for a few moments, then I nodded once and turned my attention to those at the table who were watching us closely. “I’ll give you a not-so-blatant riddle into my life,” I waved my hand in
front of my face, “so Shifters inhale heavily for the
truth
.” I cleared my throat grandly, holding up a finger dramatically. “There was once a green-eyed angel I loved — who’s not male — but when push came to shove, I chose the green-eyed terror named Sin to run to with love’s warm embrace.” I bowed my head before peering up at them. “Now you can decide whether we’re together or not.”

London
blinked, saying shyly, “I’m bisexual, too.”

God, it took a lot to keep a straight face. “That’s nice, London.”

“At least they paid up-front,” Brenna muttered to me. “Because even though that was all true, it still didn’t explain a damn thing.”

I winked at her, whispering conspiratorially, “It wasn’t supposed to.”

“Who was the girl?” Brann asked, head tilted, studying me closely. “And how did
you get over her if you loved her?”

My lips lifted, but I peered down at my plate. I had eaten only half of the food, but I was no longer hungry. I shook my head, pushing my plate away. “The girl was sweet, compassionate, beautiful, sexy, fierce, loving…an honest-to-God angel.” I inhaled and peered up into Brann’s bottomless eyes. “I broke her heart on purpose so she would move on without me,
and that’s not something you easily get over — hurting someone you love like that even if you have,” I tilted my head at Sin, “love elsewhere. But time goes by…and you just do. You move or you get trampled in memories. I chose not to get trampled, and I pray she did.”

Sin hummed quietly, and I pulled my gaze away from Brann’s trapping one to see him peering at me expectantly. I glared at him,
but he said it anyway, “What she’s not telling you is that along with willpower and time, if I can remember correctly,” he hummed again, his lips twitching, “there’s also a lot of sex involved.”

I thumped his head, but he only grinned even larger. Brenna caught my attention when she started snorting, and London started laughing outright. “What? What did we miss?”

Brenna tilted her head at Brann,
her eyes twinkling as she chuckled. “Makes sense for the playboy here, who has a new girl in his bed every other day.”

I blinked at her, letting that register before I carefully looked at Brann, my eyebrows rising in question, not about to ask verbally.

He stared at me for a long moment, silent. Then he cleared his throat and shot his twin a scowl before peering back to me. “My mate, Dakota,
died almost two years ago when the private plane she was riding went down.”

That, I had not expected to hear come from his mouth, and I mumbled quickly, “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you,” he stated automatically, sounding like something he had said a million times over. He sighed, rolling his head on his shoulders and again shooting a quick glare at his twin. “Anyway, I apparently have too many bed
partners for my sister’s taste.”