Chapter 5

• The woman that had asked me my name stepped to the wall. She gave me a curious look, then turned and said something to the black-haired man. He gave her a soft look, the kind of look only a man in love would have. Both turned and looked at Rafael.
• I followed their movement and also looked at Rafael.
• He didn’t look impressed by whatever they were saying. Dragging his gaze from me he looked at the scary redheaded man. With a brief nod, the scary one walked out of my view. Rafael turned to follow but was stopped when Chase put his hand out in front of him. With a jerky movement Rafael handed him my arrow.
• The whoosh of the door startled me again. I turned. The scary man stepped in and crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at me. Rafael stood in the open door.
• “I’ve been asked to hold judgement against you for the time being…” The scary one said with perfectly formed words.
• …like to see one of them get shot in the ass and see how forgiving they feel…
• I glanced to Rafael, then bit my lip and tried to focus on what the other one was saying.
• “…should you step out of line, even in the slightest I will…”
• …this is ridiculous. Embarrassing…
• “I’m sorry, Rafael.” I said quietly. Honestly feeling it this time. “I can’t even fathom how humiliated you must be feeling right now.”
• Rafael scowled at me.
• “I was so—” I decided to tell a small fib, “afraid that those women would be taken. I acted too quickly without assessing the situation fully.”
• The scary one turned and looked at Rafael.
• Rafael’s expression was that of a stone statue. He looked away from me after a long glare to the other man and jerked his head. Spinning on his heel he walked out of my view.
• “As I was saying…”
• I turned my attention back to him, having no idea what he said.
• “We need to ask you about some details. You told my brother Arius and his mate, Paisley, you were trying to stop more women from vanishing.”
• I nodded.
• “You’ve witnessed this happening?”
• I opened my mouth, then shrugged, “kind of, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be. I don’t stick around when strange things start happening.”
• He nodded slowly, considering what I said. “We’ll be able to ascertain if you have any useful information after you tell us more.” He unfolded his arms and started to turn, then paused. “Are you able to hear what I’m thinking?”
• I shook my head. “No.” It was the truth, but I was worried what would happen if I said yes.
• “You don’t need to fear if you can.” He titled his head to the side. “You are not the only person we’ve known with an ability of sorts.”
• I stood there, then realized he was asking me again if I could. “I can’t hear what you’re thinking.”
• “But you could hear what Chase thought?”
• I looked to the wall that Chase was on the other side of. “Not much. Odd things here and there.”
• He inclined his head to me. “Very well.” He motioned to the door.
• I looked down at my feet. “Can I have my boots back?”
• “We’ll stop and get them.”
• I gave him a hopeful look. “And my gear.”
• He gave his head a quick shake. “Not at this time.”
• “I figured.” Taking a deep breath, I walked through the open door and stopped outside it. I realized he intended to follow me and went a few more feet until I could see the space all those people had been in. Only Chase and the dark-haired man stood there. Chase motioned for me to come through. I did with hesitant steps.
• “We always knew someday a woman would bring Raf down,” Chase said with a slight grin, “we never imagined it would be with an arrow.”
• I chanced a glance at the dark-haired man on the other side of me, he looked like he was smirking. “You’re Arius?”
• His grey eyes locked on my face.
• I pointed behind us at the scary one, “he said I told Arius about women vanishing.”
• His posture relaxed, slightly. “Yes, I’m Arius.” He looked straight ahead again. “And that is Victor.”
• I nodded and kept walking. We were going through halls of glass rooms, either they were all empty or I couldn’t see into them. I kept control of my breathing so I wouldn’t panic. I glanced to Chase, he didn’t seem as tense as his brother.
• We stopped by a door and Arius went in it. Before I could figure out what was going on, he came out and handed me my boots.
• I took them and bent down to put them on, not wanting to annoy any of these large men that would make them put me back in that cube.
• …relax, cupid, I’ve got your back…
• I looked up to Chase. He raised one eyebrow quickly at me, acknowledging I’d heard what he was thinking. I took a deep breath and turned my attention back to getting my other boot on.
• “Your majesty.”
• I glanced up to see a man standing there with his head bowed.
• “What is it?” Chase asked.
• Majesty?
• The man handed him a tablet, then bowed and backed away.
• Chase put the arrow under his arm and took the tablet, tapping the screen a few times. He looked bored. Holding the tablet out to the man, he nodded. “If this is what was requested, then make it happen.” He lifted his hand like he’d dismissed him.
• The man bowed his head once more and walked back down the hall and out the doors.
• Chase shook his head and glanced to Arius. “The move of the furniture.”
• Arius took a deep breath. “At least Paize controlled what she wanted.”
• Chase chuckled, “my beloved did as well, or the entirety of the both sides of the chambers would be redone.”
• I stood up.
• Chase motioned to the doors. “Shall we?”
• I started walking.
• “You’re not complaining about furniture Victor, did Cutie not find anything?”
• “Bookshelves,” he replied. “An entire wall of bookshelves.”
• Chase smirked. “At least you won’t have piles of books to step over now.”
• We just kept walking, through miles of halls. I kept quiet, fitting pieces together while keeping an eye out for a window to see where we were. I knew most of the city, so if I could see outside, I might know where I was.
• If Chase was a majesty, I guess that made him a king? At least I had a king on my side, that was something. I frowned at the carpeting. Rafael was his brother. I stopped walking abruptly. “I shot a prince in the tush.” With huge eyes I looked up at Chase.
• He smirked. “Yes, you did.”
• With my mouth open I looked at Arius, he also looked amused. “I-I…” I turned to look at Victor, he didn’t look entertained by the idea, but he wasn’t giving me that death-to-you look. I put my hand over my mouth then dropped it. “I didn’t know we had a royal family…I mean, yeah I know there’s royal families, but-but…” I looked back to Chase.
• He gave his head a slight shake. “Let’s continue, we’ll cover who is who later.”
• I took a shaky breath and started walking, then stopped again. “Should I bow? Curtsy?” I frowned. “Do people still curtsy?”
• Chase chuckled, “many do attempt to, and shouldn’t.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s not get hung up on things like that right now, all right?”
• I nodded again. “Okay. Yes. Pish. I can’t believe I shot a prince.” I put my hand on my forehead and started walking. Leave it up to me to shoot an arrow into the butt of a prince.