Page 59 of The Never List
Jax laughs again, taking another drink as if that is explanation enough about his reservations.
“Maybe that’s what she’s hiding,” Pierce says. “A troublesome family member? Maybe someone on the enforcers’ radar or in the prisons?”
“I’m not sure.” I press my lips together. We rarely dig deep into the potentials’ pasts unless absolutely necessary, not wanting to be swayed by things out of their control, like family connections. “I understand her hesitance. This is all still so new to her.We’vebeen through this six times, but…” I shrug. “Something about this timeisdifferent. It’s like all the Choosings before this were just stepping stones guiding us to her.”
“It’s been a month,” Pierce reminds me. “She’s now freeto reject us and leave. Has she given you any indication of contemplating leaving before venturing on with one of us next?”
“Not at all,” I say confidently. “I won’t pretend to know her mind like you could, Pierce, if you so wished, but I don’t believe she has any intentions like that as of right now.”
Axl releases his booming laugh, reaching across the corner of the pool to clap me on the shoulder. “Can’t fault your optimism, Kal,” he says, shaking his head. His hair hangs loose and over his shoulders today, a sleeveless blue tunic showing off his inked arms. I cock a brow at him, silently conveying my sincerity. He stops laughing, his eyes widening. “You’re serious,” he says. “You’re not just being your dreamer self…you actually mean it.”
“I do,” I answer. “She’s not performing for the Occuli when they’re observing, and there are times I swear she looks lost when we talk about the history of my city…like she’s never heard the stories before. And she doesn’t hold back out of politeness or some sort of duty to submit to royalty. She calls me on my bullshit.”
“Ohhh,” Axl says, clapping his hands together. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“What else?” Pierce asks.
“She’s expressed her desire to not be left behind the next time we face a Legend issue or a Fader problem.”
“You told her?” Axl asks at the same time Jax says, “She said that?”
My eyes dart between the two. “Yes, she was very adamant about never leaving her behind again,” I answer Jax first, then turn to Axl. “And no,” I say. “Mirren explained a few things when Rylee was worried about wherewe vanished to a few weeks ago.”
“She was concerned?” Pierce asks, and I nod.
“For all of us,” I say, glancing at Jax. “She was livid when I came home. There was genuine fear in her eyes at the thought of losing any one of us.”
“That soon,” Pierce says, his dark eyes calculating, considering.
“I know,” I say. “I doubted it, too, at first. Assumed she was just afraid of losing her chance at real wealth and power, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“How so?” Axl asks.
I fiddle with the drink in my hand. “I don’t know how to explain it,” I say, struggling for the right words. “It’s almost like she didn’t want or expect to get Chosen. There are times—split seconds—when I can see that she resents the idea of the responsibility that comes with being our mate. But then there are even more times when I see the fire in her eyes, especially whenever we talk about the lower cities and the hopes she has for them. She wants change there, just like we do. And she worries and asks about you all. I swear, she checks on your health more than she inquires about what she’ll receive at the end of this. After she learned about the Faders and the possibility of more attacks against us, she’s on constant alert, like the thought of losing us is abhorrent to her, even if she can’t understand it.”
Axl whistles before taking a long drink. “I’ve always hated it when they don’t voice their own opinions,” he says. “When they only say what they think we want to hear.”
I grin. “You won’t get that with Rylee. She holds nothing back.”
“And she wants to be with us when we…conduct ourLegend business?” Pierce asks, intrigue coloring his features.
“More than that,” I say. “I think she wants tobea Legend.”
Jax jerks his head my direction, wearing a look of shock I’ve never seen from him before.
“Not one potential has even wanted tohearabout our Legend business,” Pierce says. “Most said they’d rather not know what we do, and none has ever wanted to join us.”
“I know,” I answer. “I get it. And if you get to know her and think I’m off base, feel free to tell me. I’m just letting you know this one is different.” The hope in my heart builds. A true mate, someone who not only understands and supports us but accepts each of us for who we are. That’s worth more than the power we’ll receive at the end of this if she chooses us, if she survives…
My blood goes glacial at the thought of the Athanry. It’s too early to worry about it, and honestly, I can’t stand the idea of losing her. I’m that fucking attached already. Even now, sitting here among the friends I love, I’m already mourning the loss of her to Axl.
“Speaking of the Faders,” Pierce says, segueing into the second reason for our weekly meeting, “they’ve gone silent since the last attack.”
I clutch my glass so tightly it threatens to crack. I loosen my grip. “Any trace of the weapons they’re using?” The same ones that were able to slice me up, burn me, delay the healing process. That’s never happened before. Outside of the kings’ personal powers, nothing has been capable of making me bleed. One of the gifts my mother passed to me.
“Not a hint,” Pierce says, his tone dipping.
He’s never met a problem he couldn’t solve, either, and the Faders have been an unsolvable problem since their recent appearance. They started by only causing trouble where one would barely notice—petty thefts, setting fires, and damaging buildings—such low-level crimes, our fathers assume it’s youths acting out.
