Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

CAMERON

N ervous dread was the theme of the day. Depending on what we discovered tonight, we could be going up against the faction soon. Honeymoon period would be over. Cut short. Too short.

It was selfish to think it, but I would have liked a week or so more to float in bliss.

"Cameron? Are we going to spar or not?" Shar asked.

"Shit, I'm sorry."

She stood hands on hips, head tipped to the side. Her hair was up in a braided ponytail today. Her eyes were ringed in kohl, and gold bangles glinted at her wrists. She looked badass and beautiful.

"I get it; you're worried about tonight," she said.

"I'm worried about finding the faction. About going head-to-head with them. We know so little about their operation."

"And hopefully Ulrickson might know more."

I huffed. "Yeah. Probably."

We wandered over to the bench by the wall and sat down. "How are things with you and Derek? Did you do the mate bond thing?"

Her cheeks went pink. "Yeah."

Wait a minute. "Shar, look at me."

She buried her face in her hands. "Argh."

Oh. My. God. "Did you two?—"

"Shut up," she growled. "I don't want to talk about it."

They'd done the deed. "I'm so fucking happy for you. Wait…You are happy, right?"

She nodded and dropped her hands to her lap. "I'm so happy, Cam. So happy that it's scary."

We locked gazes, and my stomach tightened. "I know. I feel it too." The fear that everything would be taken from us. "It's the calm before the storm."

"I wish we could stay in it."

"Me too."

Derek materialized holding a tray with two Stone Comfort coffee cups. "You finished training?"

Shar arched a brow my way, and I nodded. "Yeah, we're done."

We'd never really started. "You know what I fancy? A board game afternoon. You guys want to play?"

"Fuck it," Shar said. "Why not?"

"I've never played a board game," Derek said.

"Well, today is your lucky day."

I was determined to have one last round of normality before whatever horrific revelations this evening would bring.

"You can't take that city!" Palia cried. "That's cheating."

"No, it's not," Ginia huffed. "Last round you used an abandon card and killed half my army when it says in the rules that you can't use an abandon card if you've already applied disguise, so?—"

"That's not what it says!" Palia reached for the rule book for the umpteenth time, and a collective groan went up.

Serath leaned in and whispered, "Whose idea was this again?"

I glared up at him. "Seriously."

He rolled his lips into his mouth, eyes twinkling with mirth.

I couldn't help but smile.

Across the table from me, Levi was staring at the board intensely, calculating his next move, while Curi looked like he wanted to sweep all the pieces onto the floor.

Touron brought over a tray of replenished snacks. "Damn, I'm so annoyed I didn't agree to play," he said sarcastically.

"See!" Palia jabbed a finger at a spot in the rulebook.

"She's right." Shar backed her up.

"Well, this game is just stupid," Ginia said, sitting back in her chair with a pout.

"Is it my turn now?" Levi asked.

He seemed to be the only one enjoying the game, something called Territory and Conquest. Probably not the best game to have pulled out of the stash. But it had been this or cards. Maybe we should have stuck to cards.

He caught my eye and smiled thinly. I knew that look. He was just as nervous as me about tonight. Of course he was. He'd roped in his mother to help, after all. This all hinged on her seducing Ulrickson into going back to the elite house with her.

Guilt pricked at my senses. I should have spoken with him and checked up on him instead of insisting we play this stupid game.

Orix and Derek entered, bringing the perfectly distracting aroma of pizza with them.

"Food!" Curi cried. "Game over. Clear the table."

Palia and Levi groaned in disappointment.

"We should pack up," Serath said. "Lionel will be here soon."

I glanced at the clock: six-thirty. Adaline was meeting Ulrickson at seven for their reservation, so we had about an hour and a half before they'd start making their way back to the elite house. We needed to be there before them.

"Yeah. Let's pack away and eat."

Curi was more than happy to sweep the pieces of the game into the box while Derek and Orix laid out the pizza boxes on the island.

I grabbed plates, and Serath filled a jug with water, while Touron helped Selas over to the table to join us.

The meal lifted our spirits in a way good food tends to do, but it was over too soon.

The buzzer went just as we were cleaning up, and my stomach clenched. "Lionel is here."

"I'll get it," Levi said.

Two minutes later, Lionel was standing in the lounge. "Is everything ready?" he asked Levi.

"Yes. They had a reservation for seven," Levi said.

My gaze flicked to the clock. It was now seven forty-five.

"Good." He pulled an orb from under his coat. "Then we can get going. I'll need to be back in a couple of hours at the most. If someone is watching the tower, they'll wonder why I'm taking so long. A couple of hours is fine, considering I could be visiting with Cameron as well as checking in on Selas. So who's coming with us?" he asked me. "I can't take more than six."

I'd thought about this. "Serath, Levi, Curi. Shar, Orix, and me. Derek will find us if we need him."

"Good. Everyone who doesn't want to be transported should leave the room."

"Good luck," the twins said.

Touron scooped up Selas. "See you soon."

Palia summoned the elevator for the four of them, and a moment later, they were gone.

"All right," Lionel said to us. "Are you ready?"

We gathered round, and Serath took my hand. Taz appeared out of nowhere and climbed up Orix's leg to settle on his shoulder.

"You got room for one more?" Orix asked Lionel.

"I think the orb can manage one feline," Lionel said with a smile.

"Then we're ready," Serath said.

Lionel smashed the orb, and the world disintegrated.