Chapter 46 — Trust

Mom and I were on her bed in our pajamas drinking tea, “So is Lexus always high?” Mom asked. We were on the topic of relationships, so I guess that’s why she had to throw that question in.

I chuckled nervously. “Only a quarter of the time. More often now that we’re not in the castle anymore. Do you think that’s bad?” 

Mom shook her head. “I guess it’s fine as long as he does what he needs to do.” She took a sip of her tea then said, “It was just a little bit of a surprise seeing him like that after dinner two weeks ago.” 

I could understand that. “Mom… have you been keeping up with the news? Everyone’s calling me a trader.” 

Mom sighed. “Yeah, I’ve seen it. Don’t let it get to you Aqua, you’ve been doing good.” I had told her about the little things I was doing for the village I was staying in and the neighboring villages. I think you should start doing bigger things you know. Magic users and spell casters usually take jobs posted online or on notice boards.”

I finished my tea and put the cup on the counter. “You think I’ll be up to it?” 

“Of course, your abilities are maturing and you’re a natural at magic.” My mother had been picking up where our gram left off with teaching me. 

I laid back. “I’ll do that, but you’ll have to come with me when I take my first official big job.”

“I will but you need to join the coven first, I think it’ll really be good for you.” She insisted.

I grabbed my shoulder. “Shit.” I swore from pain.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” My heart started racing from fear. 

“Is it Lexus? What kind of pain is it? Is he hurt or…”?

There was no way to interrupt the signal of a mark of true mates. Even being here with my mother’s protection spell didn’t cancel out our connection the way it did for my father and Lynn. ‘Is everything okay?’ I asked Lexus telepathically.

‘Yeah, someone accidently touched my mark, that's all.’ He explained and I told my mother.

“They accidentally touched it?” She didn’t believe him. “Do you trust him, Aqua? You know what he’s capable of.”

I frowned. “Do you trust Dad?” We were in similar situations so I’m not sure why she’s talking to me about trust.

She looked away. “I do. He loves me more than he loved Lynn. He never cheated on Lynn with anyone else, it was always only me.”

“Lexus cheated on Sadia with Vella… not just me but he didn’t love Sadia, he didn’t even like her romantically.” We both had our reasons for trusting the men we were with despite them cheating with us.

I looked at the door as Dad walked in. “Should I come back?” 

Mom shook her head. “No, no we can all be together, I love when we spend time as a family. I feel like it makes up for the lost time.”

“I hope I’m not spoiling anything then.” Cade said as he walked in behind Dad.

“No, you’re welcome Cade.” Mom said. “Gray is welcome too.” She muttered.

Dad rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “That’s probably not going to be for a long, long time.”

Cade sat down in a chair. “My mom should probably know about you two being together beforehand. Trust me, she’s not ready to know about it yet. Hey Aqua.”

I smiled. “H-ow.” My smile dropped. I rubbed my cheek where I felt the pain which didn’t hurt too much. It wasn’t as bad as my shoulder. It was just a surprising sting.

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked.

Mom looked annoyed. “Accidents.” 

“Is it Lexus?” Cade asked. “I told you to leave him and instead you mated with the asshole.”

I rolled my eyes. ‘Hey, did something happen?’ I asked Lexus but he didn’t respond. “He’ll probably let me know what happened later.”

“Read his mind.” Dad suggested.

I got out of bed. “Oh, I can’t, he blocks his thoughts when we’re away from each other.”

“Do you block yours?” Cade asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t, Lexus just values his privacy, it’s hard to have any when you’re with someone with my abilities.”

“Use your abilities to see where he is.” Dad suggested. I must have been the only one who did trust Lexus. I felt like they were getting in my head and made me worry about nothing. I guess I couldn’t prove it was nothing unless I spied on him, but I don’t need proof. All I need is for him to explain what I felt.

I didn’t want to spy on him. “I try not to spy on people anymore. Plus, I think he’s too far.”

Cade looked the most pissed. “Too far? You can see half a kingdom away now, a large kingdom.” Everyone was making me feel more nervous. “Is he back in the village?”

“I don’t know where he is.” I turned to my mom. “I’m ready to join the coven, let’s go now.”

Mom was hesitant. “Do you have your gems with you, you’ll be able to see further.”

I sighed and grabbed the bag I keep them in. I gave into the pressure and grabbed the gemstone that helps with my third eye. I meditated with it and used my abilities to see Lexus.

Lexus was in a really nice manner. “The prince of Wilwar and former heir is coming to me for a job?” She was a beautiful woman with light brown skin and long black straight hair. “Aren’t you rich? Even richer than my family.”

Lexus followed her up the stairs. “My parents are rich, and they cut me off. I’ve been disowned, I have money that will last me the next few years, but I need a career.” He went asking a woman I didn’t know for a job. I didn’t know anything about this but despite how my family feels I trust him.

The woman Lexus was with stopped when she got to the top of the staircase. “You don’t have to walk so far behind me. You're mated, aren’t you? I’ve heard rumors about it, apparently you ran off with the holder and you’re marked. You both are very controversial now.”

Lexus chuckled. “Yeah, I know. If you knew I might have been marked, then why would you touch my shoulder and kiss me?” I didn’t feel good after hearing that someone kissed him, but I didn’t stop watching because I had faith in him.

She leaned over the staircase railing. “I kissed your cheek, it’s not a big deal. I just wanted to mess with you. I think I can offer you a job since you are a childhood friend.” She gave an expression of thinking. “You’ve been taught to rule since you were like twelve so I can offer you a job to be in charge of one of our branches.” She walked down the hall. “It’s a shame you’re marked.” 

“Viv, I’m not here for you to realize your childhood crush. I’m here to find work. I care about my mate a lot and I want to be able to not just protect but support her too. I’m also not used to doing nothing.” I knew everything was fine and that my family overreacted.

“I’ll give you the job.” She smirked. “If you show me a good time. There’s a protection spell on the building, your mate won’t know.”

Lexus laughed. “You might not believe it but we’re true mates. I’m qualified enough to get the job without sexual favors.”

“True mates?? You're Kidding.” She threw her hands up. “I might have a mage employed who’s strong enough to prevent even a true mate from being able to know.”

I opened my eyes. “He’s in a manner with a childhood friend. He’s just trying to start a career since he’s not going to be king anymore.” 

Cade stood up. “What childhood friend?”

I put the gem back in my bag. “Tall, skinny, noble, long black hair—"

“Viv.” Cade put together who she was fast. “You should be there. Viv’s always had a thing for Lexus.”

I shrugged. “I don’t care, I trust Lexus. I’ll feel it if he does anything.”

“Aqua, you did feel it.”

“Twice.” Mom added. “Once directly on his mark.”

“Trust me, people don’t touch each other’s shoulders. It’s considered rude here because they could be marked. Accidents happen sometimes, people don’t think and do it, but I was marked for over fifteen years. I’d never let a woman get close enough for anything else.”

“I got a lot closer than that.” Mom muttered and I could see it made Cade uncomfortable. 

Dad sighed. “That’s different.”

“Exactly.” Cade stood up. “If Lexus wants to cheat, he’d find a way, even if it’s harder than it would be for non-true mates.” He walked out of the room.

I followed Cade. “You’re not helping me by trying to convince me that Lexus would do that. You’re still upset about what he and Vella did. Do you want to talk to him? Maybe it’s time to make up.”

Cade shrugged. “I don’t think it could be time to make up Aqua. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt you like he did me and Sadia. You deserve better than that.” He walked to the shelf and grabbed the portal splicer.

“Where are you going?” 

Cade opened a portal. “I’m going to confront Lexus. You don’t have to come but I have to go, I care about you too much.”

I didn’t go with him or stop. The portal closed and I walked back upstairs into my mom’s room. I closed the door as soon as I opened it. I heard my mom laughing then she opened the door. “We weren’t doing anything Aqua. Well, we were kissing but that’s all I promise.” She looked around. “Where’s Cade?”

“He took a portal to Lexus. He’ll probably bring the splicer back.”

“Oh good.” She turned her head to my dad. “I’m going to take Aqua to the coven. How long will you be here?”

“Lynn will have Gray for a while and Stewart is babysitting Kaya and Polly.” I hadn’t spoken to Stewart or Arma since I left. “I could stay over the whole weekend.”

Mom smiled. “Great.” She walked down the stairs. “Can you fly us dear?”

I followed her out the house. “Yeah, I can’t fly far but I’m getting better, your coven is close?”

“Yeah, it’s in the next kingdom over, we're pretty close to the border already.” I shifted and my mom climbed on. She climbed a lot faster than I could. “I can’t get over how beautiful you are in your dragon form. You’re beautiful in your human form too but you get what I mean.”

‘Were you watching me? Did you send Cade?’ Lexus asked but I didn’t answer because he didn’t answer me earlier. ‘Aqua, you said you would tell me when you were going to use your third eye to watch me. You don’t trust me, do you?’

I landed where my mom directed me. She climbed off and I shifted back. “I think Lexus is mad at me for spying on him. Now he blocked me from feeling his emotions too.”

“What’s the point of being marked if he’s going to do that?” She led me to the coven’s house. “I know you two are true mates but are you sure you didn’t rush into mating?”

“I love him Mom. I know everything with us seems rushed but it’s not. We’re usually together so it’s not like his thoughts and emotions are blocked often.” 

Mom stopped when we got to the house. “As long as you’re happy and he’s not cheating. You can’t go in because their protection barrier keeps anyone out who isn’t a part of the coven. I’ll be back.” I tried not to let everything others were saying worry me about my relationship. I needed to talk to Lexus and get this sorted out.