you’re about to stomp your foot, just remember, you don’t have to. Being queen means you are one big foot-stomp. What you say goes, pretty little thing, so don’t feel as if you have to yell and scream about it.”
“ Okay.” I grinned. “Well, on the bright side, I guess this prepares me for parenting, too. Can’t have two foot-stomping teenagers under one roof.”
“ No.” He laughed. “We certainly can’t.”
***
Almost as if my stomach despised this as much as me, it groaned when I reached the field bordering the training hall. This week went by so fast, with so many things to take care of and so many discussions at dinner, I wasn't really sure I’d eaten anything human.
I touched the back of my wrist, running a finger over the raised vein there, thinking about Eric, wondering where he was, what he was doing.
“ Hey, gorgeous. What you doin’?” Mike said, catching up to me at a slight run.
“ Studying my veins.” I showed him my wrist. “Eric told me that when they look like this, I'm blood hungry.”
“ When was the last time you had blood?” He took my hand in his, flipping it over to look at my skin carefully.
“ This morning.”
He laughed and poked me in the ribs. “I'm gonna call you Miss Piggy.”
“ Shut up.” I backhanded him. “Where’s David? I’ll eat from him before we start training.”
“ He’s already in there.”
“ Okay. Cool.”
We both took a step forward, but though Mike moved, I stayed stuck on the spot, caught by my lace under the sole of my shoe.
“ How many times do I have to tell you to tie that up?” Mike groaned, glancing back.
“ Crud.” I lifted my foot and released the lace, ergo freeing my halted steps. “You go ahead. I’ll meet you in there,” I said. “From the sounds of that fight, I think David's opponent needs some medical attention.”
Mike grinned, listening. “He’s up against Falcon. This should be good.”
I smiled as he bounded away like a little boy heading to a mud puddle.
“ Sorry about that,” Jason said, springing up out of nowhere.
“ About what?”
“ Your shoelace.” He pointed down; it was already done back up.
“ You did that?”
He nodded. “I needed you alone.”
“ Why?”
“ They won't let me train with you.” He jerked his thumb to the training hall. “Or even watch, because I'm not a Council or Core member. But I need to be close when you shoot that energy of yours. I want to get a reading—see what it’s made up of.”
“ Well, can't you tell David it’s for research purposes?”
“ I did. He told me I wasn't to conduct any tests on you until the House had time to go over my proposal for the lab.”
“ Oh.” I frowned. “So, do you want me to shoot a bolt out the door for you?”
“ If you could.” He grinned. “I've got my equipment set up in the bushes just across from the doors. I just need about three seconds of that light.”
“ Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“ And…” He looked at my face, right above my eye, and ran his thumb along my brow. “Don't worry about the pain, Ara. I’ll figure this out, okay. I’ll find a way to stop the headaches.”
I nodded, closing my eyes. “Thanks, Jase.”
“ You lost, Queeny?” Quaid called out.
“ No, I was just talking to—” I started, but he was gone when I opened my eyes, “—myself.”
“ Nothing new there,” Quaid said with a laugh. “So, who you shooting today?”
I wriggled my fingers in the air. “You wanna be my victim?”
He stepped back, palms raised. “It took me a week to get over the last shot. Use Falcon.”
“ Can't. He’s fighting David right now.”
“ Ooh.” Quaid looked at the training hall. “Come on then. We better get in there and help him.”
As we reached the entrance, though, Mike and Blade walked past with an unconscious Falcon between them.
“ Is he okay?” I asked.
“ Yeah, he’s fine.” Blade winked at me. “King David snapped his
“ Okay.” I grinned. “Well, on the bright side, I guess this prepares me for parenting, too. Can’t have two foot-stomping teenagers under one roof.”
“ No.” He laughed. “We certainly can’t.”
***
Almost as if my stomach despised this as much as me, it groaned when I reached the field bordering the training hall. This week went by so fast, with so many things to take care of and so many discussions at dinner, I wasn't really sure I’d eaten anything human.
I touched the back of my wrist, running a finger over the raised vein there, thinking about Eric, wondering where he was, what he was doing.
“ Hey, gorgeous. What you doin’?” Mike said, catching up to me at a slight run.
“ Studying my veins.” I showed him my wrist. “Eric told me that when they look like this, I'm blood hungry.”
“ When was the last time you had blood?” He took my hand in his, flipping it over to look at my skin carefully.
“ This morning.”
He laughed and poked me in the ribs. “I'm gonna call you Miss Piggy.”
“ Shut up.” I backhanded him. “Where’s David? I’ll eat from him before we start training.”
“ He’s already in there.”
“ Okay. Cool.”
We both took a step forward, but though Mike moved, I stayed stuck on the spot, caught by my lace under the sole of my shoe.
“ How many times do I have to tell you to tie that up?” Mike groaned, glancing back.
“ Crud.” I lifted my foot and released the lace, ergo freeing my halted steps. “You go ahead. I’ll meet you in there,” I said. “From the sounds of that fight, I think David's opponent needs some medical attention.”
Mike grinned, listening. “He’s up against Falcon. This should be good.”
I smiled as he bounded away like a little boy heading to a mud puddle.
“ Sorry about that,” Jason said, springing up out of nowhere.
“ About what?”
“ Your shoelace.” He pointed down; it was already done back up.
“ You did that?”
He nodded. “I needed you alone.”
“ Why?”
“ They won't let me train with you.” He jerked his thumb to the training hall. “Or even watch, because I'm not a Council or Core member. But I need to be close when you shoot that energy of yours. I want to get a reading—see what it’s made up of.”
“ Well, can't you tell David it’s for research purposes?”
“ I did. He told me I wasn't to conduct any tests on you until the House had time to go over my proposal for the lab.”
“ Oh.” I frowned. “So, do you want me to shoot a bolt out the door for you?”
“ If you could.” He grinned. “I've got my equipment set up in the bushes just across from the doors. I just need about three seconds of that light.”
“ Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“ And…” He looked at my face, right above my eye, and ran his thumb along my brow. “Don't worry about the pain, Ara. I’ll figure this out, okay. I’ll find a way to stop the headaches.”
I nodded, closing my eyes. “Thanks, Jase.”
“ You lost, Queeny?” Quaid called out.
“ No, I was just talking to—” I started, but he was gone when I opened my eyes, “—myself.”
“ Nothing new there,” Quaid said with a laugh. “So, who you shooting today?”
I wriggled my fingers in the air. “You wanna be my victim?”
He stepped back, palms raised. “It took me a week to get over the last shot. Use Falcon.”
“ Can't. He’s fighting David right now.”
“ Ooh.” Quaid looked at the training hall. “Come on then. We better get in there and help him.”
As we reached the entrance, though, Mike and Blade walked past with an unconscious Falcon between them.
“ Is he okay?” I asked.
“ Yeah, he’s fine.” Blade winked at me. “King David snapped his
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