Page 17 of The King

“Do you understand what that means? Do you have any idea of the gold mine we have lying here before us? Of how careful we have to be?"

“How the hell does she know about your heritage?”Eden snapped."At least your Father."

Not answering in favor of continuing to listen, Ettie concentrated, and what she heard was nothing short of a pile of bullshit that pissed her off and made her want to jump out of bed and smack the doctor right upside the head.

“We simply cannot lose control of her. Do you understand? We have only the smallest idea of her true capabilities. Of the abilities of something like her. No one in our field has ever studied the offspring of a god and a Shifter.”

“Well, at least that’s a little bit of good news. But that bitch called me a thing.”

“She is the untapped resource to wiping these abominations off the face of our Earth once and for all. We captured her through good fieldwork, incredible vigilance, and quick thinking. We cannot let that go to waste.”

"Yes, Dr. O'Baoill. I understand," Nurse Weatherly answered as the men nervously cleared their throats. "You are right. She is much too strong and impetuous to be left to her own devices. She's an animal, a…"

“Wait one fuckin’ minute. Is that bitch talkin’ about us?”Eden snarled.“An animal? Did she just say we were an animal? I don't give a good gosh damn what she smells like. That girl needs her butt kicked. Just wait till I get my claws back. I’m gonna show her what it means to mess with Queen Eden of the Iolair Convocation of the Golden Empress Eagles and the lucky lady who shares her soul.”

“Yeah, I am lucky.”

“Aww, you do love me.”

“Like I said before, don’t let that shit go to your head,”Ettie jested. Then, back to the task at hand, she whispered,“Something about this doesn’t feel right.Didn't you hear it when the nurse was talking? Something is off."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I heard was that - that woman…” Her voice was filled with disdain and rage.“…call us an animal.”

“Yeah, I heard that too. But I’m talking about the WAY she said it,”Ettie countered."There was no conviction. She didn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She was just saying it to agree with her boss.”

“Whatever, silent complicity is just as bad as committing the act. That's why the accomplice also goes to jail for murder. I have no sympathy for her – especially if she knows what she’s doing is wrong but continues to do it anyway.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not the nurse we have to worry about,”Ettie asserted.“And this is the last thing I’ll say about her. She doesn’t believe a word she’s saying. She needs the paycheck to take care of her mother. What’s important is what she called the bitch who thinks we killed her family. Did you hear that?”

“No, I must’ve missed it.”

“Yeah, ya’ did when you were bitchin’ about being called an animal.”Not waiting for a response,Ettie kept right on going. “So, just like you used to tell me when I got caught up in the minutia of a situation, pay attention. Look at the big picture. Don't make me get all 'angry birds' on ya.'"

“Yeah, alright. I guess I deserved that,”Eden grumbled.“Never let it be said that I can’t take as good as I get. So, are you gonna tell me what she said?”

“Of course,”Ettie huffed.“But you’re not gonna like it.”

“So, what’s new? I haven’t exactly been thrilled with anything that’s happened since we stepped foot across the border.”

"Yeah, well, hold onto your tail feathers. The nurse called her boss, Dr. O'Baoill."

“Yeah, and… Wait! That name… Holy shit! Are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m not…”

"Hold on, just one second! That can't be right. We took all three of those assholes out almost seven years ago – well, us, your cousins, the Big Cats, and the Dragons. We were there when the Black Dragon, Kyran, took out the dad. He dropped his nasty hide in the fire from five thousand feet overhead. The brother died first after that at another of their 'facilities,' then the Guardsmen tracked that evil bitch of a sister down, and she decided it was better to die with her boots on than be captured."

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing,”Eden sharply countered.“They’re all gone. You had to have misheard or…”

Unable to finish her thought as the doctor snapped, "What are we waiting on, orderly? What is taking the elevator so long?" Ettie didn't respond.

The squelch of a radio was followed by a staticky voice that said, “The elevator is on the way, Reg. We had trouble with the asshole in Isolation 4 Room 5 and had to lock it down. Bastard broke another silver chain and used it as a whip to take out three guards and Mark, the nurse practitioner."

“Hand me that radio at once,” the doctor demanded.

Ettie knew the doctor was so close she could reach up and wring her bloody neck. Sadly, she was still immobilized. Infuriatingly, all she could do was think about it, dream about it, and plot and plan to do it as soon as she could move.

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