Page 44 of Crowned

“I didn’t die.”

“It hurt like you did,” I whisper.

The fierce determination etched on her face softens for a moment before returning. “Vance died too.”

“And I almost died,” Bhodi pipes up.

“What?” Malia whirls on him.

“Helpful, dude,” I snark at him, curling my lip and shaking my head.

“Let’s not get off track,” Reef says hastily, trying to regain peace. “We’re all here now and that’s all that matters. But we want to keep it that way, which means being extremely careful. I think, where possible, we should stick together or at least operate in pairs, and someone should stay with Malia at all times.”

“I’m not being held prisoner here!” She shouts, surprising us all with her outburst. “I don’t care how fancy this place is, I’ve spent too much of my life trapped to go back to living like that!”

I lay a hand on Malia’s shoulder, trying to calm her down. “No one is suggesting that, Mai-Tai. We just want to keep you safe. We’ve all been through too much to risk losing each other now.”

Malia takes a deep breath, visibly trying to collect herself. “Sorry. I know, Cove. I’m sorry, it’s just hard. I don’t want to be a burden or a liability.”

I grimace, knowing only too well that Malia’s been made to feel like that her entire life, and hating that we’re close to doing the same.

“You’re not,” Reef chimes in, his expression softening. “You’re an important part of this team, Malia. And we need you with us.”

The professor nods in agreement. “Reef is right. We wouldn’t have come this far without you.”

Malia smiles gratefully at them, her eyes shining with determination. “Okay, I’ll stay close and be careful. But I still want to help in any way I can.”

“We wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” Bhodi says with a smirk, lightening the mood. “And I can think of a way or two you can help.”

Malia smacks him with a cushion, laughing. “Pig.”

“Yeah but I’m your pig, and you love me.”

“Ugh.”

As the banter continues, a surge of warmth fills my chest. Despite the uncertainty looming over us, this camaraderie and shared humour acts as a shield against the darkness threatening to seep in.

After the levity settles back into a more serious discussion about our next steps, we delve into the details of our plan. It’s clear that each of us holds a crucial piece of the puzzle, and only by working together can we hope to unravel the mysteries that surround us. The professor’s eyes gleam with determination as he outlines our tasks, his intellect a guiding force that inspires confidence in all of us. Reef’s steady presence reassures me, his analytical mind already piecing together clues that had eluded us before. Bhodi has already reached out to his underground contacts and I’m left wondering what I can do.

Stay with Malia and keep her safe I guess.

Looking at her laughing with Bhodi, it feels like I got the best deal.

I know Cove’s trying to distract me from worrying about Bhodi and the others, but it really isn’t working. Reef and Vance have been gone since before sun up and the remaining three of us spent the day exploring the palace, which actually is deserted, and reading in the library. Well, I read in the library, the guys played a heated game of cards, which I didn’t understand at all.

Then the sun set and it was time for Bhodi to go, and all my anxiety came rushing back.

Cove has dragged me to the kitchens to make dinner, to the indoor pool for a swim, which was breathtaking, and now to the in-home movie theatre. But I can’t focus on the film. I’m too worried about the others. I thought Reef and Vance would be back from their meeting with the Council of Elders by now. I can’t stop worrying that something has gone wrong. They were planning to put the feelers out to try and gauge who might be trustworthy, but maybe their questions have got them into trouble.

“Mai-Tai,” Cove groans when I shift on his lap yet again.

His cock is rock-hard under my ass and I have to bite back a smile, even though I wasn’t meaning to rile him up. “Baby, you have to keep still.”

“I can’t. Let me sit in my own seat and I’ll stop bugging you.”

“I can’t.” I giggle at his reply. “I have to keep you close.”

“I’ll be right beside you,” I say, tutting and shaking my head, but smiling in spite of myself.

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