Page 2 of Tracking Fate

Papa Connor pulled out his cell phone and walked to the other side of the room. I looked away from him and up into Papa Christian’s face. “I’ll be safe. I promise.”

“It’s not you who I’m worried about. It’s everyone else. The Chang’s never came. The Dumont’s haven’t changed. I worry.”

“He’s always been good at that,” Mother said, staring up at him as if she was as enamored with him now as she was when they first met. It warmed my heart to see them like that. Her look only reaffirmed my decision. I wantedthat. That thing you couldn’t put into words, but the picture conveyed it all. It was a feeling, an emotion. It was as if my mother’s soul was stripped bare every time she looked at them.

After Papa Christian bent down to kiss her on the forehead, he turned to me. “You’ll need your cell phone on at all times.”

“Of course.”

“You’ll take part, but always keep in mind that you are the Princess.”

“Yes, Papa,” I said, trying hard to keep the embarrassment out of my voice. When he didn’t say anything else, I asked, “Is that all? The car is waiting to take me back. I just had to grab my things.”

He pulled me to him. His strong hands holding me. I relaxed into him, giving him an embrace in exchange. “I’ll be fine,” I promised again.

“I know.”

We broke apart and Mother grabbed my hand as she led me toward the vestibule. I passed Papa Connor and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Papa Nic was still at The Fort preparing for the next day, and Papa Stephan had gone to the clinic to do a few things since he’d been preoccupied in this all day.

She laced her fingers with mine and pulled me to a stop where my bag lay just inside the house. Her eyes latched onto mine. “I was proud of you today. You did the right thing. As long as you’re following your heart, you’re doing the right thing.”

I nodded.

She lowered her voice. “Don’t get too upset with Papa Christian. He doesn’t want you to hold yourself above others. He truly doesn’t. He just wants to make sure you’re treated as you should be. Not for the title you hold, but for the person you are.” She stopped for a moment before continuing. “There were times when he couldn’t do the same for me, so I think he takes extra special care in reminding you of who you are. Whether you’re a real princess or not, Papa Christian would call you his princess and expect everyone to treat you that way. No real thrones needed.”

She rolled her eyes, and I laughed with her. “I love you, Mom.”

She smiled, her lips tight. I recognized the face. The face that said she was trying to hold back emotion. She moved forward and kissed me on the cheek. “You better get going before Christian thinks of something else to keep you back.”

I turned and grabbed my bag, heaving it over my shoulders as I opened the front door. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

I stepped outside and the wind bit at my cheeks. The driver stood straighter as I approached the car. He smiled down at me and waved me inside.

“Sorry that took so long.”

“No problem, Princess. I’ll have you over to the training facility in no time.”

I slid into the backseat and placed my bag on the leather seat next to me. There was so much room in the back of the limo without the rest of my family in here. The darkness crept over me like a shadow, so I turned on the interior lights.

That made it worse.

I could see every inch of the empty seats. Hear every silence.

I turned the lights back off and sat back. I’d be at The Fort in no time. It would’ve been shorter if I’d just ran there, but Papa Christian wasn’t taking any chances. After I’d had my visions, he and Papa Nicolai had amped up all our security.

The one thing about my vision was, I knew what could happen, not how it started or when. Until then, we’d have to be careful.

The car pulled away, and I braced myself for what would come next.

Chapter Two

The halls of the Rajyvik Training Facility dorm smelled the same. It was as if I never left. I’d gone back into the main buildings since graduation, but never the dorms again. There just wasn’t a reason.

Suddenly transported back two years, I couldn’t help but smile as I made my way past the common area. How many evenings had I spent there hanging out with Alexei? Of any number of vampires and humans? My mother told me once I’d been lucky to be surrounded by all those guards-in-training who only wanted one thing: to protect us and not have the sting of political barriers rising up everywhere. I heard her in my ear now and a swell of pride welled up inside me. The fact that I was even here, breathing, was a testament to my mother and my fathers. I’d never forget that.

I turned the corner and stopped short. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Papa Nic turned his head. He was sitting outside my old room, his feet pulled up so his forearms could rest on his knees. He smiled back a toothy grin. “Did you expect anything less?”

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