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But her knees didn’t wobble, and her spine was straight. Determination was a fierce mask she wore despite what’d happened, and Rukia didn’t look back as they strode toward the compound without a word.
Chapter Seven
Rukiacontinuedtoclingto the Raeth sovereign she barely knew, while walking firmly on her own two feet. There, in the protective circle of his embrace, was the solitary comfort she’d latched onto as she struggled to breathe.
Five wolves breezed by them, their fur rippling under the midnight sky. Humid June air had cooled with the setting of the sun and the night air kissed the drying tears on her face.
Isaiah walked alongside her, while Jeremiah followed wordlessly behind. The rush of air conditioning chilled against her skin as they stepped back into the compound, and suddenly, the eyes of innumerable immortals landed on her.
Long had Rukia hidden behind Gideon’s leadership, and now, targeted to lead in his absence, she felt something hollow out in her gut.
Sensing her sudden discomfort, Isaiah stopped walking. Jeremiah halted alongside them, his hand reaching out to gingerly cup her shoulder. Spinning toward him, Rukia loosened her grip on Isaiah and walked into Jeremiah’s waiting arms.
Feeling both foreign and familiar, Rukia relaxed into Jeremiah’s chest, no words necessary. But he was comforting her as much as she comforted him; both souls lost in a world without their monarch. Without their friend. Without Gideon.
Rukia cleared her throat as she pulled away, swallowing the lump that’d formed in her throat. “It goes without saying that we’d prefer to weather this storm without an audience. Should you need accommodation for the evening, I can arrange it, but if it’s all the same to you, please leave.”
Acknowledgement manifested in the nods around the hushed room. Derikles came to stand beside Isaiah before Circe and Lucius materialized from within the assembled group. Given her proximity to the Raeths, Rukia couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
Derikles, the ivory clad Raeth beside Isaiah, looked to the other man for confirmation. “Are you staying, sovereign?”
Panic knifed through Rukia’s chest as she thought about Isaiah’s potential exit. Why she should fear his departure was a complete mystery. The unknown sensations that iced through her veins were wholly unfamiliar and entirely unpredictable, but Rukia’s fears turned out to be unfounded.
“Only for as long as I’m needed here. Inform me if my presence is required in Utah.” Isaiah straightened.
Nodding resolutely, Isaiah’s second stepped toward Lucius and Circe and the trio disappeared within seconds. In the stilted atmosphere of the great hall, other Raeths were taking the same liberty, large groups of immortals vanishing into thin air.
Unable to speak, Rukia merely watched the disappearances with unseeing eyes. Every breath felt like crushed glass in her lungs, every second an unbearable, never-ending eternity. A sinking feeling lodged in her gut while she fought for a clear head.
The alpha wolves came trotting back into the cavernous interior room seconds later, shifting to their human forms one after another. Seth looked to his alpha. “No Citizens.”
Rukia pushed past her grief. “Good. Thank you.”
Pulling out her phone, she checked through the warning systems set in place by Gideon nearly a year ago, confirming their alarms were activated and their people safe. Speaking to no one in particular, she said, “Perimeter’s secure.”
No one responded.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she engaged the alert system on her phone, sending out a brief text to every Elemental in the Midwest.
Several pings erupted from the phones within earshot, letting her know the alert had gone through. Without a word, she pocketed her phone and began moving toward where chairs had been set out for their guests. She registered that the alpha wolves were gathering to leave, but she said nothing to Aidan or Lucy.
Numb fingers began to slowly stack each chair, the grating sound of metal upon metal doing nothing to cut through the grief within. Perhaps if she just kept moving, if she continued to keep herself busy, she wouldn’t remember the way Gideon’s face had been so still.
Eyelids shuttering, she swayed on her feet. A hand steadied her, and she didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was Isaiah. The subtle scent of evergreen and spice whispered against her, a soothing blend that sung to her senses.
“Rukia,” his deep voice reverberated in her ears, “let’s find somewhere for you to sit.”
“These chairs aren’t going to put themselves away.”
There was a brief pause before he came alongside her, stacking chairs as he went. Somewhere, she registered that the electronics were being taken apart, but she didn’t glance over to confirm who’d undertaken it.
The tears dried on her cheeks, and she made no move to remove them. As the chair stacks grew tall and the great hall became silent as the grave, she pressed her palm against the pounding behind her temples.
“Come on, Rukia.”
She nodded at Isaiah’s soft words, the ache in her head overwhelming any resistance she would have typically felt. The Raeth gently guided her toward a sitting area near the east end of the compound. Jeremiah was a shadow behind them, but he said nothing as he trailed at their back.
