Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets #3)(73)
Author: A.M. Hudson

Emily and I stepped back, covering our smiles as the other knights jumped up and piled onto the stack.

“Typical boys,” Morgaine scoffed, coming back into the room. “Do they ever grow up?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” I asked, watching the ‘men’ flounder around on the floor like children.

“It’s so good to see the Lilithian family back together again.” Morg wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“So, what do you think, Morg?” I asked, branching us away from the chaos. “Mike wants to move the knighting ceremony to tomorrow.”

“He already spoke to me about it. I agree. We might as well be a complete unit by weeks’ end.”

“Then it’s unanimous?” I turned and faced the guys as they stood up, patting themselves off, breathing heavily.

“Aside from one vote.” Mike placed his phone at the centre of the table. “I officially call this meeting to order.”

Everyone laughed.

“David? You there?” Mike said.

“Here.” David’s voice came through the phone like a long-forgotten melody, and I nearly melted to the floor. Emily pushed a chair under me as I sunk down, ignoring the roaring amusement of my council. “What are you all laughing at?” David asked.

“Ara,” Mike said. “She practically fainted at the sound of your voice.”

“Ara?” David sounded weary, detached. “My love, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Are you?”

“I’m fine,” he said, but he sounded puffed-out.

“Are you around humans?” I asked.

“Yeah. How can you tell?”

“You never breathe heavily unless you’re walking fast—in public. And I can hear your footsteps, too,” I said.

“Oh, right. Uh, well, I’m at the store. Had a hankering for pizza.”

“Oh. Lucky. I wish my life was that simple.”

“Hey guys?” Mike spoke louder. “You do realise the rest of us are here, right?”

“Shut up, Mike,” I said.

“So what’s on the agenda for today?” David asked.

“Well, we’ve all agreed we want to move the knighting ceremony forward—to tomorrow, rituals being done tonight, and…” Mike hesitated.

“And?” David said.

“We wanna move in on Drake,” Mike finished.

“When?”

“Monday,” four of us spoke at the same time.

“Uh—” David paused, probably rubbing between his brows. “Right. Well, I agree to the ceremony being moved. But, why Monday for Drake? It seems a little soon. And who’s going? Ara? You’re not planning on—”

“Do you really think I’m that stupid, David,” Mike interrupted.

David just groaned. “I know you’re not, bro. But I know Ara. And you and I both know if she wants to go…there’ll be no stopping her.”

“Yeah.” Mike looked at me. “I know.”

“I’m going.” My hands fell on my hips. “I don’t care if you try to stop me. I’ll be coming with you.”

Everyone looked at me.

“Guys?” Morgaine piped up. “Ara won’t be strong enough after the coronation. The whole process will weaken her.”

“Don’t care. I’m coming.” I held firm when Mike looked at me again.

“What if we leave it for a week or so—the attack?” Falcon asked Morgaine. “Will she be strong enough then?”

“I would bet my life on it.”

Mike nodded, exhaling heavily through his nose. “Fine. Okay. You can come—”

I jumped in my seat a little, clapping.

“But, we can’t leave it too much longer,” he continued. “Drake’s rebuilding his forces—killing humans every day to do it. We need to act soon.”

I hugged my arms to my chest. Maybe he was right. Maybe we should attack now. I couldn’t stand the thought of all those people dying every day for a thing as simple as not having the gene to become a vampire. “Will he make them immune?” I asked, breaking through their conversations. Everyone looked at me. “If he plans to attack our vampires, they’ll need to be immune. How will he do that without our blood?”

A cool calm washed over the room. “No one but us knows about immunity, Ara. Hopefully he hasn’t figured that out.”

“But…he survived an attack with a tipped blade. He must know about it.”

Mike looked at Falcon, who looked at me. “We’ve already thought of that, Princess,” Falcon said. “You needn’t worry. Let us do that part for you, okay. You need to focus on your coronation.”

I nodded. I wanted to argue, but I knew Falcon was right.

“Right,” Mike said, then looked at the four guards. “And, guys? I want to brief you again over the knighting ritual before afternoon training today.”

“Sounds good to me.” Ryder smiled.

“Second that,” added Blade.

“Great.” Mike looked around the room, cupping his hands together. “Then, let’s do this.”

Morgaine touched my shoulder and squeezed gently, looking at Mike. “Okay, can you call this meeting, Mike. I need to brief Amara, too.”

“Right then.” Mike picked up the phone. “Meeting adjourned. David? I’ll call you later,” he said and hung up without letting me say goodbye first.

“Mike?” Emily practically snarled.

“What?”

“Ara might’ve wanted to talk to David.”

“Oh.” He looked at me then the phone in his hand. “Sorry.”

I shook my head. “Never mind.”

The rest of the knights fled up the stairs in a crowd of excited hurry, laughing and bumping each other until their noise disappeared. Eric touched my shoulder, smiled sympathetically at me, then followed them up, taking two steps at a time.

“I’ll see you up there.” Mike kissed Emily on the cheek, then disappeared too.

“Nervous?” Emily sat beside me.

“A little. How’s David?” I asked.

She looked over my shoulder at Morgaine, then smiled back at me. “Actually, he’s a mess.”

“A mess?”

“Yeah. He’s like a mopey teenager. He’s fine when he’s focusing on work, but he hasn’t got a lead on your family history or word on what’s happening in La Château de la—lysium,” she corrected. “He’s miserable.”