Chapter 21

Barbie

Killian's shoulders relaxed as soon as he got me into the steel-and-glass building of the House of Chaos.

He ordered Rock to stand guard outside my door. "No one goes into her room, and make sure Barbie stays in."

I swallowed my usual line of, "But I didn't do anything wrong," and instead asked sheepishly, "So I'm under house arrest, high sir?"

"Hole up in your room until shit calms down," he said. "Boredom won't kill you, but many beings outside our house will want your head. I need to meet up with the other heirs to hash things out."

"Shouldn't I attend as well," I asked, "since it concerns my fate? Also, I'm good at brainstorming. I assure you that I always come up with bright ideas."

"Do you?" He snorted, yet heat flashed in his eyes. "As much as I admire your spirit, you've had quite a day. You can barely stand up straight."

I straightened my back and snapped to attention while looking at him head-on.

A faint smile ghosted his carnal lips. "Stay out of trouble for two seconds while I'm not around. That's all I'm asking."

Cami watched us silently, but Rock chuckled. "Asking Barbie to stay out of trouble is like asking a scorpion not to sting anyone."

I scowled at him.

"Then it's your job to make sure that little scorpion doesn't sting anyone," Killian said coolly. His gaze fell on me again, alighting on my lips. I remembered the delicious feel when he'd kissed me last time. I wondered if I would get another kiss. "Promise me you'll stay put in your room, Barbie."

I nodded.

I wouldn't break the promise, but Sy would. She'd need to feed soon after what we'd gone through. She was more than anxious to see Rowan, to fuck him.

"I need to hear you say it before I leave," Killian demanded.

"But sir, I need to find Pucker first," I said. "It's an emergency! I need to make sure he's okay."

"I'll find him later," Killian said.

"No, sir," I said. "He's in bad shape after he took that blow for me. He saved me. I won't rest until I find him!"

"He's a ghost," Cami chimed in. "What's the worst that could happen to him?"

I furrowed my brow in worry. "His existence could be erased. His soul could be erased."

A look of horror passed over Cami's face. "Who has the power to do that?"

I, my father, and probably the one who forged the torque and the chainlock in Heaven and Hell could harm Pucker beyond salvaging, but I didn't tell her that.

"Find him then and get him settled in your room until I come back," Killian said. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." I gazed up at him and said with feeling, "Thank you, sir."

He didn't need to stand up for me and defend me. It'd be so much easier to just give me up. I'd made his life a lot more difficult ever since I got into his house.

I remembered every kindness in my heart, and Killian was more than kind to me. He was my protector.

Does that mean that you've totally forgiven him for showing your perky tits in front of everyone in the ice rink?Sy asked hopefully.

"Help her find that ghost guardian," Killian told Rock. "And have someone bring food to her room."

The chaos prince sent me another lingering look before he departed, as if he couldn't bear to leave me, as if he wanted to pull me into his arms to make sure I'd stay safe.

I swallowed, my eyes full of feelings.

Shit, it felt good to have someone worry about you, even though that someone was overbearing.

I followed the faint,familiar bond that flickered on and off and found Pucker cowered in the corner of the basement boiler room, as if he needed all the fires to warm him up.

My heart ached as I saw that even in his ghost shape, he was deformed. He'd gone solid to throw himself in front of me to save me, which nearly erased his essence. And now he was trying to piece the two parts of himself together to no avail.

"Wait for me outside, please," I told Rock, who had followed me into the basement.

"I can't leave you alone here," Rock said. "His Highness's orders."

"You're welcome to do a security sweep, then you must step out. Guardian Pucker is here. I need to help him, or he'll fade."

Rock frowned.

"You can't see him," I said. "But you saw him go solid to take the blow from Medea that was meant for me. When he's in his phantom form, only Prince Killian and I can see him. Trust me, please. I need to help him." I fought back a sob. "He's suffering."

Rock hesitated for a second and stepped out.

Pucker turned to me, trembling.

I rushed to him, crouching by him and hugging the two severed parts of him to me. My goddess energy pulsed into him, infusing into his soul until his two parts meshed and he became complete again.

"Mistress," Pucker sighed, coming back to himself.

"Just Barbie," I said. "You always called me Barbie."

"You came for me."

"Of course," I said. "Even if you didn't save me, I'd still come for you. I'd come for you even if you stayed an identity thief and a bad actor."

He smiled. "I didn't take you for the sentimental type."

"Yet you threw yourself in front of me to shield me. You were nearly erased by that nasty blow."

"It was very nasty," he agreed before he shrugged. "I'm a dead man, but you've just started."

"Dead or living, I don't want you gone," I said, offering my wrist. "Take a few more sips. You've earned it."

"Nay," he said, standing up. "I'm going to drink from everyone else in the house. You need to keep your energy, as you're depleted."

And then he was gone.

When I came out of the boiler room, Rock was rubbing his forearm, which had goosebumps all over. With his superior werewolf hearing, Rock had heard the conversation between Pucker and me. He darted his gaze left and right to detect the presence of the ghost guardian, wondering if Pucker was sucking his energy at the moment, since he was the closest target.

"You look ashen," Rock said with a frown. "How much did he take from you?"

"Minimum. I'm fine."

"You should've let him take some from me," Rock said. "I don't like it, but in this case, I'd allow it."

"Only Sir Killian and I could put him together after he was almost—" I shook my head as fear of losing Pucker coursed through me. I'd have a word with him and warn him not to sacrifice himself again.

"Take it easy, Rock." I smirked. "Pucker will go to you tonight after you fall asleep, since you've volunteered to offer him a drink."

His bronze face paled. "Didn't he already drink from you?"

"The more, the merrier! Guardian Pucker is as insatiable as Guardian Lady Magenta. Guardian Pucker never asks when he saps energy from any of you in the house. He's only polite to me, and of course he learned to stay away from Sir Killian unless he has permission to approach him."

Rock growled. "No wonder sometimes I felt exhausted even when I was fully rested."

I nodded. "You're one of his favorites, since you're more powerful than others. Both guardians can get a good, satisfying boost from sipping your energy juice."

Now that Pucker was fine, I felt lighter inside, even though more trouble would be waiting for me, brewing on the horizon even as I spoke.

One step at a time.

Sy preened. Next step is for me to see my sugar Rowan.

Next step is to have food, then nap for an hour or two. Killian will want to interrogate me when he returns.

He'll go easy on you. He always does, Sy said with a yawn, and went to sleep.

Rock cursed. "Tell them to stay away from me!"

"I don't like to tell other people what to do, you know," I said, then over his glare, I added, "Don't you worry, Rock. You won't feel a thing other than tired after Pucker takes a swig of your energy. It's similar to donating blood to Prince Louis. Only that Pucker is like a spiritual vampire. Ghosts need to suck energy to stay sane and positive. You know what I mean? Pucker has many flaws, and he's morally gray, but he isn't too bad compared to many other vicious beings."

Rock shook his head in disgust. "This can't continue in the house! I'll have to bring the issue to the prince. We must put a stop to it!"

"Well, you should scratch that idea," I said. "Or the ghost guardian will visit you more often when you fall asleep at night."

"Hello, werewolf." Pucker materialized between us on the staircase, grinning. He looked much better now, even younger. "Talking about me?"

"Fuck!" Rock jumped.

Pucker flickered back to his phantom form and followed me back to my room.

I sprang toward the table, where plates of food threatened to weigh it down. Pucker threw the door shut in Rock's face.

"Maybe you should go listen to Killian and the princes in their meeting," I suggested, "now that you're energized."

"Prince Killian can see me," he said.

"You can hide in the wall."

"There's no hiding from him," he complained. "He can sense me anywhere. The last thing I want is to spy on him. I don't want to get on his bad side. You don't even know how ruthless he is. And I'm still traumatized from being sliced in two!"

He was still worried about me, so he wanted to stay close to me.

"Fine, stay," I said.

"That's stress eating, Barbie," Pucker commented, watching me devour the food.

It was more than that. I had this endless void in me. I consumed as much food as I could and let Sy feed her way, so we wouldn't turn into the eater of the world like my father.

"You shouldn't feel guilty," Pucker continued, as he could feel a wave of renewed anxiety lapping at me. "She'd have killed you without an ounce of remorse. Medea had been seeking every opportunity to get rid of you. If she had lived, I bet all my money that she'd murder you in the arena as soon as the first bride trial started."

"You don't have any money," I said, biting into an egg and cheese burrito.

What's wrong with you?Sy chimed in, jerking awake from her nap. When was it an issue, especially if it was to kill or to be killed?

"I was caught off guard," I said, going for an onion soup cooked by Killian's personal chef. I was familiar with the taste since I'd raided his private kitchen a couple of times. "I didn't mean to kill her. I didn't expect her to just go up in flames."

"Would you feel better if you decapitated her instead?" Pucker asked.

You'd feel better beheading her first, then setting her on fire. Sy nodded her understanding.

These two didn't have a single empathetic bone in them. I might not have had empathy before I came to Mist of Cinder, but ever since I'd taken the role of its protector in secret, I didn't like to take a life in this realm unless it was absolutely necessary.

"There'll be hell to pay for killing a royal," I said, musing.

"Prince Killian will protect you," Pucker said.

"I've brought him enough shit," I said, my appetite gone. "The king and queen will come after me, and there's nothing he can do. They outrank him. The queen will want my head since I killed her daughter. The Council will back up Headmistress Ethel and the druid. Killian can't fight on all sides."

"He isn't alone. All the princes will fight for you," Pucker said. "We all saw how they defended you against that old bitch Ethel and the evil druid."

"In the end, they'll cave when all the kings and queens condemn me." I sighed. "And I don't want to put the princes at odds with their parents because of me. I've caused enough problems. I want to be a blessing instead of a curse for a change."

"You need to think of the big picture, Barbie," Pucker said softly. "In the end, who'll be able to defend this realm?"

My heart skipped a beat. Had he figured it out? I couldn't hide all my secrets from him, since he was my familiar, even though I hadn't told him a thing about Ruin.

Everyone saw the darkest flame,Pucker said. But we can't let anyone know that it came from you until one day you can reveal your true power. Now everyone is only speculating on the flame. Killian insisted that it was generated from the dark magic in the chainlock, and then it incinerated Princess Medea who activated it. It's good that no one understands your power and they all think you're an Echo. We need to keep it that way.

I swallowed hard. That's what I am afraid of, my own power. I lost control. I couldn't contain it. I didn't even understand it, as it just came roaring out and burned people. It was supposed to be my ace in the hole, but if I can't harness and leash it, what good is it to me?

Can you feel it now? Pucker asked. Let's practice. Hold a drop of it and lift it slowly.

I peeked inside, and the abyss stared back.

We'll practice in Underhill,Pucker said. You must tame it if you want to survive the giant shitstorm that will eventually roll our way.

I nodded. My ghost familiar had thrown all he had in with me, and it was time for me to truly trust him.

So I told the ghost guardian about my father, the God of Ruin, the eater of the world, and that he was coming.