Chapter 11

The dining room was bigger than the soup kitchen on the southside. It should have been called a dining hall, not room. I sat in the chair and looked at the wall, at some point there had been portraits hanging there. Many, if the dark spots were any indication.

“Alona had them sent to the palace to be hung there again.” Autumn leaned closer and told me. “It was only proper, or something.”

It made sense to me, I supposed. I glanced to the men at the other end of the table. “Are meetings always held in the dining room?”

She made a noise, I couldn’t define. “Yeah. They need a room just for meetings instead of bouncing from office to the practice room, or guard training yard.”

I watched Troy and Chase as they spoke to two people in black robes. The man held himself stiffly, his face was cold and, well reminded me of Victor. The woman in the robe was almost as tall as the males with white spiked hair. “Are they priests?”

Daxx snorted, sitting down on the other corner of the table. “No. They’re part of the elder’s council.”

I looked at her. “Elder? Usually implies someone of greater age.” I watched Victor go over and bow his head in a respectful way. “They’re older than Victor?”

“Yeah. A lot older we’re told.” Autumn answered softly.

How could someone be ‘a lot’ older than a person that was five hundred? I quickly forgot that thought when all five of them turned and looked at me. “Why are they looking at me?” I wasn’t really asking anyone.

“I think I’ll go find out.” Daxx got up and walked toward them.

Bethany sat down in the seat she’d vacated. “Any ideas what this is about?” She looked at Autumn.

Autumn shook her head. “Michael’s emotions have been iceman for the last few hours.”

“Uh,” Beth sighed, “that can’t be good.” She glanced at her phone. “Leone messaged on the way here and said he had to go take care of something and would be back later.”

“Did he say what?” Autumn asked.

Beth shook her head. “No. Which is unusual.”

“Something’s up.” Paisley said sitting down beside Autumn. “Arius is in beast mode and said he’d be unreachable for a while and I was to stay here or in the palace, nowhere else.”

“I was told the same.” Beth said.

“Ditto.” Autumn mumbled.

Frowning, Daxx started walking back toward us. “Kara, while we wait for a few of the others to arrive, could the kings have a word with you?”

I glanced around to the others in the room. Quinton and Emil were looking at a tablet and talking to some man I didn’t know. Rafael was standing near the door talking to three large men that looked like pirates. Alona was speaking with a woman I hadn’t seen before. There was too much going on in this room. I touched the red cuff under the table and was very thankful I had it.

“I’ll go with you.” Autumn stood up.

Daxx nodded and stood beside Bethany.

I got up slowly, and moved down the table, not sure why they’d need to talk to me. There was a room full of people, a whole realm of people that served them, why me? I stopped a few feet away from them.

Chase winked at me, then motioned to the two in black robes. “This is Elder Segos and Elder Drusla.”

I wasn’t sure which was which because they both bowed their head as he said it.

“We’ve been discussing a few matters and think you may be able to help.” Troy said with an unreadable expression on his face.

Moving just my eyes I looked at Chase for a second and then back to Troy. “With?” I couldn’t think what matters I could be helpful with.

“I have to say,” the female elder nodded to Autumn then smiled at me, “hearing of your shot at the palace yesterday is quite impressive.” She glanced to the other elder. “Don’t you agree Elder Segos?”

He inclined his head. “Indeed, a precision shot such as that requires great skill.”

So Drusla was the women, I surmised from that exchange. “You want me to shoot someone?” I inhaled through my nose slowly, then exhaled. “The idea of hitting anyone—seriously harming another being bothers me, but,” I looked at Autumn, “having a few blanks filled in, I could be persuaded to help in that way.”

“Noted.” Troy said abruptly. “However, that’s not the help we were referring to.”

I frowned. “Oh.”

Elder Drusla looked at the red cuff on my arm. “The inhibitor is working? You can’t hear what we’re thinking?”

“I doubt she could, Elder Drusla, without it. Our minds are too disciplined…”

Chase waved his hand, “That’s not the point, Elder Segos.” Chase gave me a questioning look, “there are a few thoughts we really need to know.” He looked at Troy for a moment, “to end this for good.”

I bit my lip and looked down at the red band. I’d helped once by listening and I had told the women I would do it again, but I couldn’t prevent the feelings of panic that went with it. “I can try,” a thought hit me, I looked at Chase, “one at a time?”

He nodded. “For now, yes.”

For now? My FOS jolted up a few points. I glanced briefly to Autumn. “I don’t know if I can handle more than one or two at a time.”

Autumn gave Elder Drusla a look. “Then we’ll make sure it’s only one or two.”

The elder inclined her head.

“I think we should start with Eunice.” Troy said in a low tone.

“Eunice?” I remembered Autumn mentioning that name—before my freak out at the office.

Autumn’s expression hardened. “She’s our ticket to Hubert. She’s in the cells.”

“Thanks to you, princess.” Elder Segos bowed his head to her.

“Yeah, I still have a few things to settle with her.” She looked back to me. “She says she doesn’t know what’s going on. Doesn’t know how she ended up in the cells.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced briefly to the elder. “We need to know if she’s full of it.”

“She could lead us to her brother Nelson.” Chase offered with a shrug.

“Is-is Hubert the same person as Nelson?” The kings had said they needed to get Nelson to end this.

“No.” Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “I suspect if we find one, we’ll find the other.”

I nodded slowly, processing. “I can-can try to see if this Eunice has any useful thoughts.”

“Excellent.” Elder Drusla smiled at me, then bowed her head.

I needed to ask someone why people kept bowing to me. Was it some sort of custom here, or an acknowledgment? I needed to know.

“We’ll set that up after we find out about the details of this message.” Victor nodded abruptly and glanced at his phone. “My brothers are on their way back from the communication center now.”

I frowned. Message? I turned to ask Autumn what that was about when Michael, Arius and Leone came into the room, a tall man in black robes with them. His long hair was black with pure white streaks going through it, his eyes almost as dark as his hair. He glanced to me as he approached us, my heart pounded hard in my chest from his dark appraisal.

The brothers stopped, the older man didn’t. He went right up to the kings and bowed deeply for a few seconds. “Your majesties.”

Victor inclined his head. “Elder Marinus.”

Straightening, the man nodded. “I have just confirmed the message is authentic.”

“What is it?” Troy’s whole posture changed.

“The communication is from Solrelm, Night King.” He bowed his head again.

Chase’s easy posture stiffened. “Solrelm? That’s,” he shrugged, “I can’t even remember the last time we heard from there.”

“It’s very rare, indeed, brother.” Troy turned back to the older man. “What is it they want?”

“An audience with the royal family.” Elder Marinus told him in a low tone, “it sounded urgent.”

Troy rubbed the back of his neck and glanced to Victor. “Set it up as soon as we’re able to arrange security.”

“Very well. Shall I limit their attendance?” This time he looked to Rafael.

Rafael came over to stand in front of him. “I’d prefer no more than three.”

“That’s three more than I’d like.” Quinton said quietly.

Ignoring him, Rafael continued, “Elders and personal guards present outside the doors.”

The elder nodded. “Very well. I will ensure it is arranged.”

“I’ll call Ira and get him to have escorts ready.” Rafael pulled out his phone and walked over by the door.

From silently observing, I noticed the men in the room seemed to know what was going on, and judging by the looks on the faces of the women, they did not. I bit my lip and debated, for about thirty seconds, about taking off the rubber inhibitor and listening to see how that was possible. How did none of the women know a thing about Solrelm, wherever that was. And more important why did I want to know?

All three elders bowed their heads and left through the other door. Victor went over and closed the door and then turned around and looked at the men that had been talking to Rafael. They inclined their heads and went out.

The woman Alona had been chatting to, bowed and quickly followed them.

Arius glanced to the man Quinton and Emil had been talking to.

“Ellis can stay.” Chase said.

With a nod, Arius closed the other door.

“Okay now I’m a bit concerned.” Alona said quietly and went to sit beside Daxx.

The door behind Victor opened and Crissy came through it. She stopped and looked at the other closed door and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Daxx stood up, “what is the deal with this Solrelm place? I’ve never even heard it mentioned before.” She waved a hand at the door. “and this is the first time those doors have ever been closed.

“I was wondering the same thing.” Alona leaned forward on the table.

Troy rubbed the back of his neck. He straightened and looked at Daxx. “It’s not going to help Kara’s current state of mind to go into great detail about it right now.”

I looked from him to Daxx, then back. “What do I have to do with it?”

“Because,” Chase moved over to stand beside his twin, “you’ve just found out another realm other than the world you live in exists.”

“And we may have left out a few details in the past when discussing various topics with our mates,” Troy added.

“Oh?” Alona gave Chase a hard look.

“And here I thought the secrets and guessing games were all behind us now.” Daxx crossed her arms over her chest. “What don’t we know?”

Arius looked at Paisley, she raised one eyebrow at him.

“That there are more than the two realms.” He said quietly.

“How many more?” Paisley asked him.

“There are six in total.” Victor said without preamble. “Your world,” he looked at me, “Alterealm,” he glanced at the twins, “Solrelm is yet another...”

“This meeting is with people,” Bethany waved her hand, “or whatever from another realm?”

Leone nodded and then glanced to Daxx. “I’ve only ever been at one other meeting with them, so it’s not even something I think about day to day.”

“There’s information in the library. A whole section about the other realms.” Crissy stood up.

“And you’ve never told us?” Daxx asked her.

“How do I know what you want to be told and not be told?” She shrugged, “if you make a list, I can tell you.” Crissy frowned, “but I don’t know how you’d know what you want to put on the list if you don’t know.”

Everyone paused and looked at her. I felt better knowing they didn’t quite understand that either.

Daxx shook her head abruptly. “We’ll—deal with that later.” She turned and looked at Troy, an unhappy expression on her face. “So, other than you didn’t tell any of us,” she waved a hand to where the women were sitting, “that there are more realms.” She paused for a moment and looked at the floor, as if she’d lost her train of thought completely.

“You watch over our realm,” Paisley looked at Arius, “does this other one have a job?”

“What is this Solrelm? Its purpose?” Bethany asked.

Arius studied her for a moment. “They do.”

“Creeps me out.” Quinton stated bluntly.

Mitz came in the door the elders had gone out. “Sorry to interrupt, I’ll need the ladies at the seamstress shortly to alter sashes before the meeting.”

“Sashes?” Daxx crossed her arms and looked at Troy.

He cleared his throat. “We’ll have to be more formal for this…”

“Formal how?” she growled.

Troy’s lips twitched. “A robe to go over your clothes.”

“No bodice and gown?” Daxx clarified.

Mitz chuckled. “Only if you wish.” She turned and looked from Troy to Chase. “Robes, sashes and amulets only?”

Chase looked at Daxx for a moment. “I think that would be wise, lest Kitten stab her king.”

Mitz smiled. “I’ll tell them to leave the crowns in the vault.” She looked at me. “You’ll be wanting Kara to attend?”

Troy, Chase and Victor all turned to look at Rafael.

Rafael’s brows drew together as he glared back at them.

“Oh,” Alona said softly while smiling at Rafael.

“I knew it.” Autumn nodded.

Knew what? I looked around at the others trying to decipher what they were talking about. Most in the room were looking at Rafael with smirks on their faces.

Heaving an audible sigh, Rafael stomped over to the door and opened it.

“Raf, where are you going? We have to get security sorted out.” Leone gave him a hard look.

Rafael stopped and turned around. His expression wasn’t a good one. “I know.” He lifted his hand in the air, then dropped it. “I don’t want any of this.” He glanced at me, his blue eyes moving over me slowly. “But we can’t leave her just sitting outside the damn doors. So I’m going to get an amulet for her to wear. Temporarily.” He heaved another big sigh, “so I don’t have to listen to the questions why she’s in the chamber without one,” he turned on his heel, “and the blah blah blah.”

It was quiet for several seconds as everyone watched him go out the door.

“Blah blah blah is new to his vocabulary.” Chase said looking at Victor.

“I think there are many things in his world are about to be new.” Victor said, looking amused.

“Okay, ladies, let’s get to the seamstress’s quarters.” Mitz clapped her hands together.