Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (14 page)

“You know it wasn’t. I just—”

“It was still your choice.”

“I did what I had to.”

“For your father? That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“I couldn’t just leave him.”

“No, instead you left us. Must have been an easy choice for you. You don’t belong here.”

My eyes were becoming glassy and Zayden handed the papers back to him. “You’re out of line, Captain.”

“Forgive me, your majesty but if you know her, why is she here, breathing?”

“How do you know her?”

“Apparently, I don’t.”

“Then I trust you’ll keep this quiet.”

“Of course and I’ll take care of these myself. I suddenly need an excuse to leave.” Zayden only nodded and Deven looked back at me. “Don’t even think about looking for them. No one wants to see you unless it’s hanging from a scaffold.”

He turned around and walked out, leaving me sitting here with the others as a tear ran down my face. I thought of one thing first. “Thanks, Ruby.”

“What?”

“It’s a huge city. What are the chances? Pretty good for me and my recent streak of bad luck.”

“Do I even want to know?

I couldn’t look at Zayden when he asked. “No, probably not.”

“You should tell him.” Jaylyn said quietly.

I laughed only to keep from shedding more tears. “It wouldn’t change anything. It can’t.”

“Well, making him find out on his own would be worse.” Ruby said. “Just tell him.”

I paused and looked into Zayden’s curious eyes. “Is it important?”

“I—can’t tell you.”

“Stalling.” Ruby muttered.

“No one is supposed to know! I’ve been obligated not to say a thing and so I won’t!”

“Then can we?” Jaylyn asked with an innocent smile.

Why did I even try? I find myself asking that question a lot lately and I had my eyes on the floor in front of me while my voice mellowed. “None of it matters.”

“Still doesn’t mean they can’t know.” Ruby said.

I sighed and laid my head on my knees without a reply.

“Okay.” Ruby smiled. “Well, this is about her mother. She’s—Senian.”

I didn’t look around to see the probably stunned faces to find out that awful truth.

“What?” Darius muttered.

“You’re a Senian?” Zayden asked.

“Only half.” I corrected.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“How could I?”

“I guess I don’t know but he was right, I don’t know you.”

I didn’t want him to be mad and began to explain. “My name―is Adeleigh. I shortened it to Adele to equalize life changing events. My mother was born and raised here until she met my father. It was dangerous for her to leave but she did only it didn’t last forever. The war continued to grow and my father fell deeper into it. My mother hated that. She didn’t want that life for me. So, whenever he was away, she would take me here to show me that not everything was to be hated. She always stayed with her sister. Deven was her son, making him my cousin.”

“Blood relative? Wow.”

“I grew up differently than even he could understand, caught in the middle of two worlds. No one could really understand. My mother was the bridge that always linked me back here. When she died, it was broken and I could no longer live that life without her. My father drifted into a dark stage and I knew I couldn’t leave him. I was all he had left but I knew her family had to know. So, my father had some disguised soldiers bring me back here for the last time. I told them what happened and they reacted the same. They assumed I was to stay but when they saw who came with me that thought immediately changed.

“I tried to explain why but they didn’t think of the war the way I did and said he didn’t deserve it. I couldn’t believe that. He was my father and he needed me. I turned my back on them that day. I was only seven years old when I put it all behind me and went back to Kalu for the last time as Adele. I was never supposed to come back here.”

“What changed you then? I mean, you’re a killer now.”

“It took a few years but my father somehow got over it long before I have. Looking at him now with his collection of women, it’s like she never even existed. I never liked to see that because I remember how in love they were. We moved around every few months the more he got promoted and I rarely began to see him. I actually planned to come back here around then and beg them to let me stay but something happened before I could that changed everything.

“I was nine when my father was promoted to General and we moved again. I still wanted to leave until he introduced me to a family he knew nearby. It was a small family much like ours and they didn’t have a mother either. It was easy to relate for me and my will to stay in Kalu got just a little stronger.”

“Was it one of them?” Troy asked glancing over at Ruby then down at Jaylyn in his arms.

I actually smiled for the first time since I began. “It was Jaylyn. It didn’t take long for us to become close and then leaving got even harder for me when I started to school in that district and she introduced me to her best friend.”

“Me.” Ruby smiled.

I laughed while thinking back on that moment. “Yeah. First impression of the nine year old Ruby was like, what, are you kidding me?”

“Oh, thanks.” Ruby laughed.

The others laughed too but I tried to explain. “No, it was just weird for me. She was so different from anything I’ve ever known. Out of the three of us, she’s the one that was bred for this life. Born for a single purpose, to kill. She easily referenced everything to death and it was hard for me to understand at first because of the way I was raised.”

“Well, you got used to it.”

“In time I did and it was part of what changed me.”

“But not the real thing.” Jaylyn muttered in a sad tone, changing the mood.

“We don’t have to talk about that. I don’t want you to start thinking that way now that we’re actually here.”

“I wouldn’t. You can tell them. It’s part of your story so you kind of have to.”

I paused for a moment and looked over at Ruby. I didn’t know if it was really a good idea but she was right, it was part of my story; a big part. “Okay, well, it was within that same year that Jaylyn and Trever got the news that changed all of our lives. Their father, Bryce, was killed.”

Jaylyn sat still as everyone glanced over at her and I knew she tried not to look upset.

“It was hard on them and Jaylyn moved in with me then. Several days after the news, his body was sent to us. We were still only nine so my father wouldn’t allow us to see him but Jaylyn did because he was her father. I don’t want to describe what she saw. It’s too painful to say. Having to actually see it would have just been worse.”

Jaylyn sat up from leaning on Troy and the topic of her father was starting to get to her even more. “He trusted the wrong people.”

“Jaylyn!” I immediately got up and went to her side, putting my arm around her shoulders and leaning into her ear. “I said don’t. His death has already been avenged years ago.”

Jaylyn sat quiet as Troy put down his leg and leaned forward, rubbing her back. “Is that when things changed?”

“It is.” I answered, removing my arm from around Jaylyn. “That’s when I realized that everything my mother taught me, everything that she showed me was just a mask. His death opened my eyes to what the world really was and I made my decision. I would become one of them. We began our training years ahead of schedule because of it. It should be clear now why we can’t stay here.”

“I told you not to worry about that.” Zayden sighed.

I was getting a little angry and got to my feet. “And yet I can’t help but. Do you know what could happen to me if anyone were to find out what I am? My own people don’t even know. My father kept it hidden well over the years except for those closest to me. I’ve never belonged anywhere but I’ve already made my permanent choice as to where I’d stay.” I lifted the front of my shirt to my stomach, showing the Black Wings of Death marks on my hips. “Staying here is not an option. I was never supposed to come back. Especially like this.”

I couldn’t stay in there another second. None of them could understand how this has always been for me. Being here now only made it worse and I had to just get away and keep to myself.

Chapter 18

Zayden

She walked out without saying another word and I leaned back, sighing both in my mind and aloud.

“Why don’t you just tell her?” Troy suggested in a tone sympathetic to my mood.

I laughed in an emotionally distressed manner and looked up. “Tell her what? That I’d give it all up for her because I love her?” My smile faded. “She wouldn’t believe me.”

I got up and left through the other entrance, not to hear a single reply from anyone about what I had said.

I knew where she would have gone but I needed to take the long way and think. I always knew there was something about her and now I knew what that was. She had a Senian mother and even her true name sounded Senian; Adeleigh. It was beautiful but this news made some things in my plan change just a little. I knew more of why she kept saying it wouldn’t work. Perhaps she knew from experience of seeing it for herself or she just didn’t want to try but one thing was still for sure, I still wanted her and didn’t shy from letting everyone know it.

“Zayden!”

My train of thought was instantly clouded with the sound of my father’s bellowing voice and I turned to see him coming out of a room I had passed.

“Yes, father?”

“Where have you been?”

“I was just—”

“Never mind. A rumor has reached my ear that Adriane spent the night in your room last night and not her own. Is this true?”

“It’s not going to work. I know that you told her to stay away from me and it was wrong of you.”

“Wrong of me to protect your future?”

“The future you want me to have! Not the future I want!”

“There would be no future with that girl! Would you get it through your head?!”

“But you like her! You said so yourself!”

“Not enough to want her to one day rule by your side! She is not worthy of you!”

“Just give her a chance, father. I know she will prove to be worthy.”

“I will not. You will understand your place someday and maybe by then you’ll realize that beauty is no equal measure to worth.”

He walked off just like that and I was left to watch him.

My hate for my father’s continuous rejection was growing inside me, only fueling me to follow through on my intentions.

“So sad to hear your father’s disapproval of the girl.”

I quickly turned around and saw Lamar step out of the shadows. I wasn’t in the mood for him right now. “What do you care?”

“More than you think. I can help us both get what we want.”

I was about to just turn away but interest struck and I stayed to hear what he had to say.

“You want what it is your father won’t allow you to have and as a result, I want what you’re stopping me from getting.”

“Which is?”

“The throne.”

My brow creased and I kept my scowling eyes on Lamar. I never once thought that’s what his goal was and no one had to ask, I already disapproved of it—greatly.

“It’s clear that you don’t want it. You never have so why deny my right? After all, I’m the son your father should have had. Take the girl, runaway with her and you shall have the happy life you’ve always wanted so long as you never return.”

In a way I wanted it. I knew I wanted Adele but I also knew I couldn’t let Lamar get the throne and break the line of Kings laid down by my ancestors before me, no matter how much I never wanted it. Seni would be ruined. It was the most powerful country in the world and I couldn’t let that change. I wouldn’t. At least that’s how I needed Lamar to see it.

“No. I can’t do that. You’ll never get the throne as long as I’m alive.”

I turned before he could say anything else to me or even before I could see the hate on his face.

My mind was heated as I took the stairs.

Lamar’s true colors were showing and I couldn’t believe his request but is that what I was really doing anyway? If I left, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to come back and my throne would be reassigned to a lesser one than I. That thought has never really crossed my mind until now and I was beginning to feel split in my decision even if it only lasted a second.

“Your majesty, these just came for you.”

One of the servants was walking towards me with a vase of blooming blue roses.

“Thank you.” I took them with me and carried them back to my room.

When I saw Adele laying in my bed under the blankets, I smiled and placed the vase on the empty table where our morning activity took place and went to her. I placed my crown back in its box on the stand while kicking my shoes off and climbed in bed next to her.