Gena Showalter - Unraveled

“Only I have to attend,” he said after swallowing a bite of the runny eggs. “But they were waiting until their elders arrived. The witch we captured told us that the elders were due to arrive any day. Maybe they’re finally here.” His eyes widened. “Maybe…maybe we don’t have to look for them. Maybe they’ll find me.”

“That is my hope, though I will destroy them if they even scratch you. But we cannot rest our hopes on that. If we are wrong…”

Everyone he loved would die. His hopes sank. What could he do, then? How could he gain the information he sought? As he cleaned his plate, making sure to moan and grunt a few times as if he were consuming heaven itself, the souls tossed ideas around.

Mostly, they contemplated possessing the body of the captured witch, walking her into town and shouting until one of her friends appeared. Not bad, but that might just get Aden thrown into jail for disturbing the public or something like that.

The possessing thing, though… That might actually work.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said, resolute. “When I finish with your people, I need you to take me to our witch. I’ll possess her, and try and travel back through her life, to last week and the following days, to see if she ever spoke to anyone about us.”

Victoria’s electric blues widened. “That’s brilliant!”

“Thank you.” He only prayed he didn’t encounter static like he had with the nonhuman doctor.

Wait. What? Static? When had he been inside Dr. Hennessy’s head?

“Before you face off with the witch, you need to be warded,” Victoria said, pulling him from his thoughts. “And perhaps I’ll add extra wards to my body, too. I think I told you that my beast has been snarling for release more than usual lately. Ever since our kiss in that car…” She shivered, then shuddered. “I can barely stand the roars in my head—and the fear that comes with them. What if he gets out? Solidifies? What if he attacks you, like he seems to want?”

“I don’t think he will,” Aden said. “Attack, I mean.” He couldn’t know for sure until he actually faced the beast. He just remembered the way the thing had reached for him, as if to caress rather than rip apart. He could be wrong. He certainly had been before. “Let’s worry about that later, okay?”

“You’re right. Come. I’ll take you to the meeting, and while you’re in session, I’ll gather the supplies we will need for the wards.”

ADEN AND THE COUNCILMEN sat in a room of black. Black walls, black metal table, black chairs, domed black ceiling with a chandelier dripping with black crystals. The only decoration to be found was those strange symbols. The wards. They covered every flat surface in the chamber.

All eyes were focused on him, and some of those eyes were glued to the pulse hammering away in his neck. Some of the vamps even licked their lips. He was almost afraid they’d demand a snack, and his blood would be the only food available.

Un-com-fort-able, Caleb sang.

Maybe, I don’t know, do something, Julian said.

Elijah sighed. I want to leave. I don’t like this .

Aden cleared his throat.

Several of the men shook their heads and found their wits.

“We have much to cover today, so let’s get started. First order of business,” one of them said. Aden was having a hard time telling them part, and for the life of him, he couldn’t recall their names. “Many challenges have been issued.”

“Challenges?” Aden asked.

With the question, an entire conversation took place around him, as if he weren’t even there.

“Several of our elite wish to challenge you for control of the crown.”

“I’m only surprised they didn’t cut the boy’s throat while he slept.”

“They feel there’s no need for subterfuge, that he’s too weak to handle them. They’ll learn otherwise, of course.”

“Anyone strong enough to kill the man who killed Vlad deserves our respect. But I think their refusal to launch a sneak attack is based more on their desire to have the entire congregation witness the new king’s defeat. Such confidence is foolish, I think, and they deserve what they get.”

“And don’t forget the wolves. The elite wanted to act honorably so they wouldn’t anger the wolves.”

Nice, but Aden couldn’t worry about any of that now. “Hello, everyone. Have you noticed my presence? I’m here, and I’d appreciate it if you spoke to me rather than about me.” When they nodded, shamed, he added, “Thank you. Now, I’m happy to address your concerns.”

“We are on your side, Majesty.”

“And I’m grateful. Please tell my detractors that I accept their challenge. Later. We’ll set dates for…two weeks from now?” Hopefully by then, the witches would be taken care of and he’d have already picked out his replacement, so the challengers could fight themselves.

The thought brought a tide of anger. A replacement? Hell, no.

He shoved the silly emotion—and the thought—aside.

What are you doing? Elijah demanded.

Caleb gasped. You’re actually going to fight them?

“Excellent. We did not doubt, not for a single moment, that you would take your duties seriously.” All of the councilmen nodded, and one of them banged a gavel—a black gavel, of course—over the tabletop. “Next order.”

“The use of colors,” someone said with obvious displeasure. “There have been complaints.”

“Why did you authorize the incorporation of such…human colors? Not that I wish to question your judgment, but we have traditions, you see.”

The councilmen’s eyes flew to him. They looked so serious, so grave. “ I’m human,” he reminded them.

A murmur of “as if we could forget” arose.

“Perhaps, if we limited the use of color to personal bedchambers…”

“And clothing,” Aden said, a picture of Victoria in her pink tank top rising in his mind.

There was a sigh, a few nods.

“Agreed,” the one with the gavel said, and then added, “done,” and then he tapped that gavel over the tabletop. “Next order. The dating.”

Another murmur arose, only this time, Aden couldn’t make out the words. Victoria hadn’t exaggerated. As quickly as this meeting was moving, it wouldn’t last more than an hour.

Then he heard the words “Your chosen,” and stiffened.

“You haven’t given the girls a sufficient chance, Majesty, yet you shared a bedroom with Princess Victoria last night.”

“I don’t need to give the others a chance.” Aden gripped the edge of the table. “I know what I want. Know who I want. I’ve made that clear from the beginning.”

“Why can’t you simply wed them all?” someone suggested. “Vlad had many wives.”

The man makes a good point, Ad, Caleb said. You should consider —

I want to slap you, Julian muttered.

Boys, Elijah interjected. Let Aden answer the guy .

The answer was simple. Because one, Aden didn’t want the other girls and two, Victoria would go crazy. While some Neanderthal part of him still liked the thought of her jealousy, he wouldn’t put her through that. “I’m not Vlad,” he ended up saying. “I desire only one.”

You’re ruining everything! Caleb sulked.

“Besides, Victoria and I aren’t getting married.” Yet. “We’re too young.”

Another murmur. This time, he had no trouble discerning what was being said.

Difficult. Stubborn . And yet, even while calling him names, they somehow remained respectful.

He could do no less in return. “Besides, I can’t have vampires coming to the ranch where I live. My friends will discover the truth, and I don’t think you want that. You’ve gone to great lengths to keep what you are hidden.”