Page 92 of Glass Hearts
“Oh, love, I will get on my knees for you my whole life.” I lean down and kiss my dark prince.
“Come on, you two,” Sylas says as he finishes buttoning up his attire. We look like our own group of deadly mercenaries, ready for a fight. “You also need to eat breakfast, Vixen.”
The inn’s restaurant returns to its regular state, and the patrons are all loud and jovial. We instantly find the large mercenaries sitting at one of the hidden corner tables. Sylas heads to the counter, most likely getting me a needed coffee. Always the considerate man taking care of me.
“Well, well, don’t you clean up nicely, Blondie. Should have taken you to bed the night we met,” Jax whistles.
Instantly, Archer grabs him by the throat. “What did you say, dead man?”
“Really, Jax?” I slide into the booth across from him, crossing my arms. “You don’t have any self-preservation skills, my friend.”
Elliah and Smith laugh as Archer continues to choke him. Gray is twirling a knife, looking menacingly at the idiot. Jax looks at me pleadingly.
“Arch, Gray, he is just an idiot with no filter, come sit with me.” They both relented, albeit hesitantly.
“I take it everything is good in paradise?” Smith asks as he takes a sip of his coffee, looking relaxed. Jax is rubbing his neck, but grinning like an idiot. Crazy bastard.
“She is ours. You should remember that.” Koi points his knife at Jax, joining in on the barbaric display.
“I was just saying she is hot. Fuck, I won’t cross that line, jeez.” Jax coughs.
Sylas slides into the booth with two coffees, one for me. I smile at my caring prince. Bert and Kip slip out of my pack and go for my muffin and fruit already waiting for me.
“So now that we all understand boundaries, we need to discuss how we are going to take back control of the castle. I am not sure I want to trust you all. Yet we need as much help as we can get. What is your magic?” Archer asks.
“I am a shifter, I shift into a few different animals. A wolf is my secondary, and that’s all you need to know. Jax can manipulate time, specifically in the slowing down of time. And don’t ask; he cannot go back in time. Nobody can do that. And Elliah here is a null. But what he lacks in magic, he makes up for with his smarts. He is the best at creating gadgets. Like this.” Smith sets down a strange device that almost looks like a timer, but with no dial.
“What is it?”
“Clearly, you are all novices at missions, since you are already loudly talking about sensitive details out in the open. Anyone could have heard us. But this device creates a bubble of sorts. The other patrons haven’t been able to hear us,” Elliah states simply.
We really were being quite loud about our plans.
“And you have more interesting gadgets? Any in particular that could work for this task?” I ask as I inspect the unique device that is delicate and light. I can feel magic pulsing from it. Though I thought he was a null?
“He has a few workshops of gadgets,” Jax snorts, “But we brought what will be essential.”
“Which is?” I ask, setting the device back down.
“For us to know. When it is important for you to know, we will share. What is important right now is to know what we are up against. Who are Victor and Bernice, and what powers do they have?” Smith questions as he waves for the waitress to fill our coffees.
“Whattrya up ta, boys? Why can’t I hear ya?” the waitress asks as she tops our coffees.
“Always nosy, Rosey!” Jax’s joke earns a chuckle from the waitress as she parts.
“All I know so far is that Victor is a Mage, and is more powerful than I thought him to be. I had always seen him do small soul spells. But we now know he has the power to transform; he had been hiding in plain sight as a councilman. Something tells me he has more up his sleeve if he is already moving along with his plan so confidently. My stepmother, Bernice, is a null. But she is cunning and cruel. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had Victor fashion something spelled for her. So she needs to be watched just as much.”
“Mages are a tricky lot. We normally don’t take jobs involving them,” Elliah says. The mood sours, and he must notice as he chuckles. “Calm your royal selves. We will still help you. We are the best, after all.”
“And very egotistical,” I deadpan. The three mercenaries laugh as I roll my eyes. “So what do you reckon we do,oh great ones?”
“Finally, Blondie understands how great we are. Careful, princes, she may change her mind and come to me.” Jax winks at Sylas. Clearly, he has a death wish.
Before any of my princes can react, he continues, “I think the five of you should approach the castle. We will wait in the shadows as a backup. Can’t show them all the cards up front of course.” Elliah takes out a small pin as Jax fills us in on their end of the plan.
“This here is a communication device of sorts. Whoever wears it will have access to us. We can hear everything that is said through this little pin. So when we hear you are in trouble, that will be our cue to jump in.”
“How does this work?” I ask, picking up the small, strange-looking device.
