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“Morning,” I said softly.
“Morn—”
Bang!
I screamed as the door flew open, letting in a stream of uniformed, armored people. “What the hell is going on!”
“Quiet,” a tall, long-haired man with a square, scarred jaw and fixed sneer snapped at me. “We’re here on order of the council.”
Panic seized me. The council had come for me already? How did they know? If they locked me up, what would Selene do to get me out? What would happen to my mom if she didn’t?
“Please, don’t—”
“Master Damien, sir.” The no-nonsense man bowed low... to Alex. All six of the soldiers with him followed. “If you’d accompany us, sir, it is our honor to escort you to the palace.”
Master? Palace?
“What is the meaning of this?” Alex’s expression made pissed seem too small a word. “I’m of age now, Callan. I don’t need or want minders!”
“Yes, sir,” Callan replied. “Your father was simply worried when you didn’t return after your mission yesterday morning. Mundanes are a brutal race and we feared the worst. When word came back that you were spotted in Pergamon, we felt duty bound to follow up. If we’d known you were spending the night with a companion...”
The man said companion like most people say rotten banana peel.
“...there’d have been no need for alarm.”
“There was no need for alarm either way,” Alex gritted. “Your job description isn’t to stalk me any more than it is to follow up on who I spend the night with.”
“Yes, sir.”
“This is out of fucking line, Callan. I was expressly clear that the bodyguards and monitoring my movements stops as of four days ago.”
Callan was the picture of deference. “Yes, sir. Understood, sir.”
“As you can see, I’m fine, so all of you, get back on your horses and return to Trono.”
“I’m afraid not, Master Damien,” Callan told the bedpost. “Your father was most insistent that we escort you back immediately. He has something to discuss with you before you leave for Deucalion tonight.”
“I’m not leaving tonight. I have three more days before I’m to report in. I’m taking that time to visit my mother’s family.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When I’ve finished my business in Miliadis, I’ll stop in to see my father before reporting in to Deucalion. On time.”
“Yes, sir.”
No one moved.
“I won’t be needing an escort,” Alex forced through clenched teeth. “You can all go. Now.”
“Impossible, sir.” Callan raised his head, looking Alex in the eye. “Your father was most insistent.”
I ping-ponged between them, eyes huge. Who the heck was Alex’s father? Of course we talked about our families the night before, but all Alex said of the guy was that he was a strict, military man who never had much time for him growing up. Seemed like a sensitive subject, so I didn’t press further.
Alex glanced at me, warring emotions on his face.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll go, but you, you, you, and you.” Alex picked three women and one guy out of the pack. “You’re to escort Miss Vanda to my aunt Sara’s estate. I’ll write a letter explaining everything. Make sure it’s put directly in Aunt Sara’s hands.”
I tried not to shrink at the assessing looks all seven of them gave me. I didn’t need a mind-reading power to know they were all wondering why hiscompanionfor the night needed to drop in on his aunt.
