"How did that Gabe guy turn into dust? Did you stake him?"
"No," Rhyland replies tightly, staring down at me with his brows furrowed.
I squint up at him. "Then what happened to him?"
Rhyland shifts his weight, tensely massaging the back of his neck. "Gabe has a gift … "
"What sort of gift?"
"A gift he shouldn't have."
"What do you mean?"
Rhyland glances around the area, then offers me his hand. "I'll explain more, but not here"-his gaze flicks to the field-"where anyone can hear us."
I don't want to take his hand, nor do I want to go with him, but I don't really have a choice. Not after what happened. Not when I can't get to my feet without help. So, I place my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet. Then I jerk my hand away and limp forward, trying not to wince from the aching pain in my leg.
Rhyland walks beside me, staring at my leg. "What happened?"
I shrug. "I think that Gabe dude broke my leg." I touch a hand to my neck. "He tried to choke me, too, and his hand burned my skin."
Rhyland stops me by putting a hand on my shoulder, his widened, panicked eyes assessing my neck. "He burnt your neck?"
I nod. "Yeah, it was weird."
He grinds his teeth. "God-fucking-dammit. I hate that fucking bastard."
"When did that happen?" I ask dryly. "Because, the last time I saw him, he was with you, and you guys seemed … " I waver, trying to figure out the right word. "Conspiratorial."
He swallows hard. "That wasn't what you think."
"You don't even know what I think."
"Yes, I do." His gaze welds with mine. "Because it's what I wanted you to think it was."
"So, you're saying that you really didn't shove me into my locker in hopes that the demon you let loose in the school would kill me?"
"No."
That's all he says. No offered explanation of the truth. No what he and Gabe were conspiring that night. No why he shoved me in the locker at all.
Ready to leave, I step forward, when he captures my arm. "You shouldn't be walking around on that leg while it's hurt," he whispers. "Let me carry you."
It takes all my willpower not to laugh. "No thanks."
"Raven, I … " He struggles for words. "Please, just let me carry you. It's my job as king not to let you be in pain. And to take care of you."
"Well, it's my job as queen to take care of myself." I wiggle my arm from his grip.
"That's not true." He walks beside me, warily watching me struggle as I limp toward the black SUVs parked on the street, which I'm assuming belong to the vampire mafia surrounding us. "It's my job to take care of you. In fact, it's the rules."
"Well, if that's really true, then I know the first thing I'm going to do once I officially become queen." I stop at the curb to catch my breath.
"And what's that?" He sounds partially amused with a bleeding drop of wariness.
I smile sweetly at him. "Change the rule to the queen being able to take care of herself. She shouldn't have to rely on someone to do that for her."
His lips twitch in amusement. "You can do that, but you're still going to need help. No one can take on that job without help."
"Yeah, so? Maybe I'll put in a request to find my own help." I lift my chin and give him a sassy smile, despite the pain in my leg. "Maybe I'll eliminate the role of the king altogether."
"Hate to break it to you, but that can't happen." He reaches out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Rules or not, you and I are stuck with each other forever."
My mood splatters like spilled blood. Great. Just what every vampire wants to hear from their sworn enemy-the words stuck and forever in the same sentence.
Sighing, I turn away from him and face the street. "Which car am I riding in?"
He points to the largest SUV. "Climb into the back of that one."
"Okay." I pause as I notice almost every mafia vampire is watching us. "So, what's the deal with all these vampires? Are they, like, your bodyguards or something?"
"They're our guards. They're all emperors and empresses, and you can trust them with your life."
"But there's so many."
"That's because your life is very important. The most important, probably." He studies me, his eyes searching mine. "You'll also have a few personal guards as well, but we'll get to all of that tomorrow."