Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy (26 page)

Cass nodded, too excited to give anything more than a quick goodbye. It wasn't until she played it over again in her head that she realized what Raine had said, and it wasn't the first time she had heard it. She wondered how close Raine and Becca really were.

Syney

"It's called Wild West City because it looks like the Old West with dirt roads and old buildings. And there are actors who play different characters, like the sheriff and patrons at the saloons. Anyway, they made all of us kids deputies, and we were supposed to have an old-fashioned shootout with a bank robber. They gave us plastic water guns, but the robber had a real gun with blanks, so when he turned and shot, the loud bang scared the life out of me. I turned and ran straight to my dad and cried for at least three hours. He called me his 'little runner' from that day on, just to add insult to injury."

The entire table laughed, even Syney, who had given in and told the story of her childhood. It was one of her favorite memories of her dad. She had been thinking about it a lot lately. It was one of her safe places she played in her head whenever the Village seemed to be too much for her.

"See, we all have embarrassing childhood memories. No need to keep them to yourself," Syney said, sweetly looking over at Hunter. He had squashed every attempt of someone at the table to tell any stories about him for the entire meal. Now that they were eating some sweet cakes and cookies, Syney decided there was no way she was going to spend an entire night in his childhood home, with a room full of people who had known him growing up, and not get some good dirt.

Hunter shook his head, but the beginning of a smile was playing on his lips.

"There's no harm in a little storytellin'," Rose said, rolling her eyes at her son.

"All right, all right, I'll be nice," Lake said with a smile.

He was Leaf's older brother, Syney had found out during dinner. She could easily pick out the similarities between the two. They had the same hard, lined face, but Lake's was much softer, and he smiled much more. Their mother, Raven, sat next to Lake's mate, Vine, and shot Syney looks the entire night. At first Syney thought the older woman didn't want her there, but after a while she realized the looks weren't from anger but fascination and... joy.

"No, no stories." Hunter shook his head.

"Too bad." Lake gave Syney a devious smile and leaned forward. "When we were younger, just pups, Hunter, Leaf, and I were playing seek-and-find over in the center cities where there are a lot of butcher shops. Hunter was hiding and found his way into one of the workrooms for one of the butchers."

"Stop, please," Hunter begged.

Syney smiled over to him. There wasn't any force behind his words. He even laughed, amused at the situation.

"So Hunter hid in there for about ten minutes before running and screaming all the way back here. He even passed us on the way. He was crying and screaming that the animals were all going to die and that we were monsters. We chased after him all the way here. Rose tried to calm him down, but he wasn't having it. Finally he ran out and let all of the animals loose—and I mean, all of the animals. It took two whole days to find them all. And while we did, Hunter got up on the stage in the town square and tried to get us to stop, declaring animal rights above hunger."

Syney almost died with laughter, picturing little Hunter protesting as the town scurried to find the lost animals. It was sweet, almost too sweet. And now she saw yet another side of the man who was quickly becoming a central figure in her life.

"That was nothing!" a young Lycin said through laughter. "What about the time you three crashed that Psyche party with the hundred cases of vino and beer—"

"Oh, enough stories," Hunter said quickly shutting up the young man with a look.

He laughed. "Drunk for a week, right?"

"I think Hunter is right. Enough stories. Girls, grab the dishes," Rose said, putting an end to the conversation.

Maybe there were things Syney didn't want to know about Hunter, she thought with a laugh, as all of the younger women hurriedly cleared the dishes. The men also left and headed outside. Hunter remained in his seat, his face a
little redder than usual. Syney thought of him again as that little boy fighting for animals. The thought made her smile. He looked up and stared into her eyes for a moment before returning her smile.

"The men all went outside, Hunter. Why are you still here?"

They both looked over at Rose, who was still seated at the head of the table.

"I shouldn't leave Syney."

"With your mother, you mean? She'll be fine. Now go. I didn't raise a rude boy, and not excusing yourself after dinner is rude."

Hunter sighed and headed outside with the rest of the men.

"What are they doing?" Syney asked.

Rose studied her for a moment before speaking, just as older woman had done throughout the meal. It wasn't the same look Lake's mother had sent her; there was more of a sadness behind it. "After dinner the menfolk always indulge in some fumant. It's made of burning leaves and herbs. Not a very attractive habit, which is why we only put up with it on festivals."

Syney nodded. "I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay. Everything was really good. And it felt nice to have this family...feeling again."

"Poor dear. You feel alone up there, huh?"

"Have you ever been to the palace? I think loneliness and secrets are lined in the walls," Syney said, a little too bitterly.

"I have spent many days there." Rose leaned closer to Syney. "And I couldn't agree more. I never did have a good taste for the place. Hunter's father loved it, but not me. I almost jumped for joy when I got pregnant. I was able to move into the inner Lycin city then and leave those gray walls behind."

"Got any advice on how I could do that?" Syney said jokingly.

Rose didn't laugh. "There's no way for you. I'm sorry for that."

Syney's smile fell. Rose's tone was completely serious. It sent a chill up Syney's spine.

They both pulled their attention to the men, who were filing back in, all looking a little happier. Hunter had his arm around Lake as they laughed about something. She felt a little warmer seeing him so relaxed. The men didn't get too far across the room before one of the younger girls walked over to a large wooden box sitting upon a rickety table off to the side. A moment later a fast paced song drifted into the air. Once the rhythm started, so did the dancing. Some of the oldest men came to sit at the table again, but most stayed out and danced as the women joined them in the middle of the room. Syney turned to face them all. She saw Hunter try to worm his way back to the table, but Vine grabbed him into a spin. He resisted for a moment before giving in and joining in on the dance. It was beautiful how they all moved together. It was a mixture of square dancing, line dancing, and maybe even some Irish step dancing, Syney
thought. The music definitely reminded her of Irish melodies, all drums and fast-moving violins. Syney was mesmerized, not only by the intricate dancing, but also by Hunter, who was smiling and laughing. It was a beautiful sight.

"These are always my favorite days," Rose said, staring out at the dancers.

"I can see why."

"He's a good boy, a man now. So much like his father."

Syney looked at Rose. "When did he die?"

"Oh, a long time ago. Hunter was very small."

"Was he a Protector?" Syney asked slowly.

Rose nodded. "The best."

Syney turned back to the dance floor. That would mean that the disgrace on his family had started pretty recently. Maybe with his father? She bit her lip. It wasn't her place to ask, she knew, but she just had to know. "So, um...the outcast stuff..."

Rose stiffened and put on a sad smile, still not looking at Syney. "It was hard to deal with at first, especially for Hunter. When he started getting older, he wanted nothing more than to go to training and be like his father. But he wasn't allowed to formally register for school or training. I did the best I could with the schoolin'. But he needed the gyms they had up at the palace to be trained right. Luckily my brother took pity on him. He's been head trainer for years. Started taking Hunter with him to work, sneaking him into groups to train. It's important that everyone knows how to protect themselves," Rose said, looking at Syney. "You should know at least some things, because you never know what will happen. Hunter wanted more than self-defense of course, and no one questioned him being there after a while. The head of the Guard had been a friend of Ocean's and looked the other way. Now I bet they haven't even questioned him being trained."

Syney stared in silence for a moment as Rose pushed back some tears. Syney had to combine the idea of young Hunter, animal lover, with Hunter, outcast boy. No one should have to feel as though they can't do something they were born to do. "I'm really sorry," she said.

Rose looked taken aback. "What would you have to be sorry for, honey?"

Syney shrugged. "You shouldn't have had to go through that." She looked back to the dancers and caught Hunter's eye. "He shouldn't have had to go through that."

Hunter whispered something to a young blond girl. Syney was pretty sure her name was Lily. The girl smiled at Syney, and the two headed over.

"Would you like to learn the dances, Princess?" she asked.

"Are they hard? 'Cause I am
so
not a dancer. And it's Syney. 'Princess' just sounds weird to me."

Lily laughed nervously. "They're not that hard."

"You just need a good teacher, and Lily's one of the best," Hunter said, pulling Syney to her feet.

She melted into the calm feeling for the brief moment in which he held her hand. "I guess so. Just be nice, OK?"

Lily giggled and nodded as she pulled Syney onto the dance floor.

Syney fell into step with the girl and tried to mimic her foot movements. Hunter was right—Lily was a good teacher, going slowly until Syney caught up with the steps. She smiled with triumph once she got the line steps down and sped them up. She sent a smile to Lily then looked over to Hunter, who was still watching her as he talked to Rose. She gave him a check-me-out gesture and kept going with the steps. He smiled, and she got lost for a moment. But it didn't last long, because she was swept up into a partner dance with Lake. She shrieked a little as he pulled her and twirled her. The room went into a blur as she laughed and smiled. Now this felt good. Good...this was the good in the Village. Hunter was right. There was more than just that palace, and this was worth staying for.

Hunter

Hunter took Syney's seat as Lily whisked her away. She seemed to be enjoying herself, which was all he could ask for. Bringing her here had been a gamble. He hadn't been sure his mother would even let them in—not that she was anything but a caring and giving woman, but Magic Users, let alone royal ones, just didn't go into Lycins' homes. He hoped his mother wouldn't see bringing her here as an inconvenience, one that might get her in trouble in the long run. But he should have known better than think anything negative about Rose. She was one of the good ones—always was and always would be. He followed Syney around the floor as she followed Lily's steps. She stopped a few times and laughed at herself as she stumbled. His chest tightened every time she smiled. This was the most relaxed he ever had seen her. She finally got the step and smiled over to him. He couldn't help smile back.

"Please don't," Rose said.

Hunter turned to his mother. She stared back at him, her eyes wet and full of worry. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can see it, you know. The way you smile at her. Protectors don't smile at their charges like that."

"It's nothing," Hunter said, looking away from her.

"She's beautiful and personable—just like her mother. You can't get yourself mixed up with that. It's your job to protect her."

"And I will." He paused and looked back over to her. "What do you mean by 'her mother'?"

Rose balked and looked away from him.

"Mom, they don't know anything about her parents. They looked through all the records. No Vilori recorded a pregnancy or child that wasn't then registered." He paused. "What do you know?"