and nodded. “I shall keep the door open and will remain on watch here. There are no other exit points, but guards will be posted around the building.”
Zoey turned with a smile. “Great! Let’s shop til we drop.”
Liula frowned. “Why would we drop? Is that a peculiar custom of your people?”
“No, uhh, just a saying on Earth.”
“Hmm.” Liula turned, nose in the air, and Zoey gave Macon another frantic look. He just shrugged.
With a feeling of impending doom, Zoey followed.
“Fedora hasn’t arrived yet,” Liula explained. “So I told Madam Tillard we would take refreshment while we waited. Her lateness is out of character.”
“I’m sure she’ll be along soon.” Zoey smiled at Madam Tillard as she poured them two glasses of cool Sola. “Thank you.”
Madam Tillard nodded then left silently.
“You do not need to thank her for doing her job.”
“It doesn’t do any harm to thank someone.” Wouldn’t hurt Liula to try doing that once in a while. She acted like the servants in the palace were invisible.
“If you are going to remain here then you need to learn our customs and cultures.”
“But I’m not staying, am I?” She took a large gulp of liquid. It tasted a little off, but she wasn’t about to say anything.
“This tastes odd.” Liula stared down at the drink in her hand.
“Its fine,” Zoey said quickly, not wanting Liula to get on Madam Tillard’s case.
“If you spoke to my son you could convince him to stay.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Zoey asked, placing the glass down carefully. Suddenly, she felt quite light-headed.
“This is his heritage. This is where he belongs. A proper mate would support him. Would want what is best for him.”
“And you assume that staying here is what’s best for him.”
“Of course,” Liula stated, blinking a few times as she glanced down at the glass in her hand. “This is what he was raised for. Where his family is.”
“Then why don’t you listen to him? Why don’t you let him do what he was raised for?”
“He, well, he…I feel rather odd.”
“Me too.” Zoey slumped down in her chair, her eyelids closing. She forced them open, spying a blurred figure walking towards her. “Whaat?” Her eyelids closed again and blackness engulfed her.
Macon stood at the doorway, keeping watch. He gazed around, trying to spot Boris. The other male had disappeared shortly after Zoey went inside the building.
Three figures walked towards him, the one in front obviously female.
“Lady Fedora,” he greeted the tall female as she walked up to him. Her two guards nodded at him.
“Macon.” Fedora nodded before sweeping inside.
Macon returned to his pacing. He wished the Crown Prince was here. Or even Thor or Koran. They would have more chance of getting Zoey to listen. He really didn’t like that she was inside the boutique on her own. But Koran was busy with training today and Thor was at the medical center.
“Macon.” He turned to stare at Fedora, who was standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at him in concern.
His heart sped up. “What is it?”
“Zoey isn’t here. Neither is Madam Tillard.”
“What? What about her Royal Highness?” He brushed past her to get inside.
“Liula? Liula was here as well?” she asked, following behind him.
His pulse raced as adrenaline pumped through him. He searched every room thoroughly. They couldn’t have disappeared. There was only one exit point and he had been standing in front of it.
When he returned to the front sitting room, Boris was sniffing at a half-filled glass of Sola. Another lay spilled on the floor.
Boris held the glass out to Macon.
“What is it?” Macon asked, even knowing the other man wouldn’t answer. He sniffed then went to take a sip. Moving so fast, he didn’t even see him, Boris grabbed his hand, taking the glass. He shook his head.
Macon stared at him in bewilderment until it suddenly clicked.
“Poison,” he
Zoey turned with a smile. “Great! Let’s shop til we drop.”
Liula frowned. “Why would we drop? Is that a peculiar custom of your people?”
“No, uhh, just a saying on Earth.”
“Hmm.” Liula turned, nose in the air, and Zoey gave Macon another frantic look. He just shrugged.
With a feeling of impending doom, Zoey followed.
“Fedora hasn’t arrived yet,” Liula explained. “So I told Madam Tillard we would take refreshment while we waited. Her lateness is out of character.”
“I’m sure she’ll be along soon.” Zoey smiled at Madam Tillard as she poured them two glasses of cool Sola. “Thank you.”
Madam Tillard nodded then left silently.
“You do not need to thank her for doing her job.”
“It doesn’t do any harm to thank someone.” Wouldn’t hurt Liula to try doing that once in a while. She acted like the servants in the palace were invisible.
“If you are going to remain here then you need to learn our customs and cultures.”
“But I’m not staying, am I?” She took a large gulp of liquid. It tasted a little off, but she wasn’t about to say anything.
“This tastes odd.” Liula stared down at the drink in her hand.
“Its fine,” Zoey said quickly, not wanting Liula to get on Madam Tillard’s case.
“If you spoke to my son you could convince him to stay.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Zoey asked, placing the glass down carefully. Suddenly, she felt quite light-headed.
“This is his heritage. This is where he belongs. A proper mate would support him. Would want what is best for him.”
“And you assume that staying here is what’s best for him.”
“Of course,” Liula stated, blinking a few times as she glanced down at the glass in her hand. “This is what he was raised for. Where his family is.”
“Then why don’t you listen to him? Why don’t you let him do what he was raised for?”
“He, well, he…I feel rather odd.”
“Me too.” Zoey slumped down in her chair, her eyelids closing. She forced them open, spying a blurred figure walking towards her. “Whaat?” Her eyelids closed again and blackness engulfed her.
Macon stood at the doorway, keeping watch. He gazed around, trying to spot Boris. The other male had disappeared shortly after Zoey went inside the building.
Three figures walked towards him, the one in front obviously female.
“Lady Fedora,” he greeted the tall female as she walked up to him. Her two guards nodded at him.
“Macon.” Fedora nodded before sweeping inside.
Macon returned to his pacing. He wished the Crown Prince was here. Or even Thor or Koran. They would have more chance of getting Zoey to listen. He really didn’t like that she was inside the boutique on her own. But Koran was busy with training today and Thor was at the medical center.
“Macon.” He turned to stare at Fedora, who was standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at him in concern.
His heart sped up. “What is it?”
“Zoey isn’t here. Neither is Madam Tillard.”
“What? What about her Royal Highness?” He brushed past her to get inside.
“Liula? Liula was here as well?” she asked, following behind him.
His pulse raced as adrenaline pumped through him. He searched every room thoroughly. They couldn’t have disappeared. There was only one exit point and he had been standing in front of it.
When he returned to the front sitting room, Boris was sniffing at a half-filled glass of Sola. Another lay spilled on the floor.
Boris held the glass out to Macon.
“What is it?” Macon asked, even knowing the other man wouldn’t answer. He sniffed then went to take a sip. Moving so fast, he didn’t even see him, Boris grabbed his hand, taking the glass. He shook his head.
Macon stared at him in bewilderment until it suddenly clicked.
“Poison,” he
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