When Seeds Take Root: An Everleaf Series Novella Page 9

  Tetrick laughed. He was so handsome when he laughed. “I think Coal would appreciate the reprieve,” he added. “He is miserable without you.”

  “Good. He deserves to be miserable.”

  He grabbed a metal bar in between each hand. “If your bed is cold, I would be happy to warm it for you.”

  There it was: his true reason for coming. She approached his cell, lifted her hand, and with her index finger, Chalcedony pushed him back. “Come to Legacy again without permission, and I’ll kill you.”

  Before she pulled her hand away, he grabbed it. “Is that a yes or a no?”

  Trying to ignore the intense heat from his touch, Chalcedony shook his hand away. “No, Tetrick.” He was just trying to cheer up, and she loved him for it, but the love she felt or Tetrick wasn’t as deep or as intimate as what she felt for Coal.

  “We would have been a great together,” Tetrick said. “We could have given Queen Isis and my mother something to fear.”

  “Maybe,” Chalcedony admitted. “But I guess we’ll never find out, will we?”

  “How is the baby?” he asked, changing the subject.

  Still alive, Chalcedony thought. “She’s fine.” Chalcedony fought the urge to rub her belly. Before the nightmare with Deedee, she hadn’t known how she felt about being pregnant with Tetrick’s baby. But after the dream, she knew she would protect her child with everything she had.

  “Our baby is going to be powerful,” he said with the same pride Coal had held just a few days ago.

  “Are you serious about working with Queen Isis and Jade?” Chalcedony asked.

  “You know you only have to say the word, and I would leave them and serve you.”

  If she didn’t before, she did now. “Maybe it’s better if you stay where you are and let me know if they are keeping anything from me.”

  “I will do what I can, but I doubt they’ll let anything of importance slip while I’m present.”

  “If you don’t think they trust you, then why did they offer you the job?”

  “Queen Isis strives on being unpredictable. Employing me as a shadow guard is very unpredictable.”

  “Have they really made a potion to control the Troll’s bloodlust?”

  “I haven’t seen it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Jade is gifted with potions. She has apothecaries and laboratories spread throughout the fey and human realms.”

  Chalcedony was working on a spy network, paying for as much information as she could find about Queen Isis and Jade, but none had known about the labs or apothecaries. “I’m curious. Do you like working for them?”

  “It’s new and exciting.” The corners of his mouth lifted, but his tone was flat. She couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth or not.

  “I didn’t know you were interested in the new and exciting.”

  “I am. That’s why I’m here.”

  “I have to go,” she said quickly as Legacy blared in her head. “Is there anything else you need?”

  Tetrick paused. “He’s returned.”

  Chalcedony furrowed her brow. “How did you know?”

  “The flash of hope in your eyes gave it away.”

  Chalcedony silently spoke the word to release Tetrick from his cell. “You’re free to go. Next time, use the front entrance or the back if you don’t want to be seen. If you phase directly into Legacy again, you’ll end up right back here. Next time I won’t let you out.”

  “Yes, My Queen,” he said before he bowed and disappeared.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Coal stood near the window, staring at two burlap bags sitting near the door of the room he shared with Chalcedony. ‘Coal’ was written in thick black ink on each bag. His heart thudded in his chest as he looked through the bag. Inside were all of his clothes, a hair comb, and a few of the hair ties used to tie the ends of his braids.

  “I was going to have a messenger return your things,” Chalcedony said standing in the opened doorway. “You didn’t have to come back.”

  She looked perfect, beautiful, and unapproachable as she stared at him with her cold, red eyes. It was the glower she used to keep people at arm's length. He knew Chalcedony well enough to see past her hostile exterior. He knew she loved to be touched. She didn’t laugh often, but when she did, it was the most magical sound in the world. When he was able to make her smile, it made him feel like a king.

  Jade had told him to make sure he was making the right decision by leaving. As he stared into Chalcedony’s stoic red eyes, he realized how much he missed her. He knew the only place he wanted to be was with her, through good or bad.

  Coal straightened. “I’ve only been gone two days.”

  “I know you want to start your new life. Why delay things?” she spoke as though she was trying to check off the next item on her agenda. “Good luck with Queen Isis and your mother.”

  Chalcedony turned away, but Coal grabbed her shoulders before she could leave the room. She tried to shake his arms off, but he refused to let go.

  “No,” he turned her around to face him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Remove your hands or I will break your arm,” she seethed, her eyes alight with red hot anger.

  “You’re not going to break my arms.”

  Her jaw twitched, and he could see she was debating it. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she would break his arms. Before she could follow through with the threat, he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I was acting like an imbecile. I shouldn’t have left. I know you were just trying to protect me.”

  Chalcedony relaxed into his arms. For a brief moment, Coal thought she had forgiven him. But just as quickly as she relaxed, she went rigid and pushed him away.

  “No, Coal,” she began, “we can’t keep doing this to ourselves. It’s best that you leave.”

  “No,” Coal shook his head. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have left.”

  “I walked out on you first,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “That’s right. You should be apologizing to me, then.”

  She rolled her eyes and turned away.

  He reached for her shoulder. “I’m serious. I’m sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She lowered her head. “I don’t want to be scared you’ll leave me and run to your mother every time we have an argument.”

  “That was more than an argument. You lied to me. I’m in this for the long run, Chaley. I just need you to see that I don’t need your protection. Especially if protecting me includes lying to me. I could have handled the truth about the baby and Tetrick.”

  She touched his ears. “What are these?”

  The change of subject took him off guard, and it took a moment to recover. “Jade suggested that if you saw me as an elf instead of a human, then maybe you would believe that I don’t need protection. She thinks you still see me as a human with no magic and who can’t protect himself.”

  Chalcedony smirked. “I do like the ears, but your mother is wrong. Human or elf, my first impulse will always be to keep you safe.”

  “I know you’re an all-powerful queen, but I don’t need you to protect me. I want to be the one protecting you.”

  “That’s sweet.” The corners of her lips curved. “But how about we protect each other?”

  “You have to understand that lying to me does not equal protection. I can take the truth.”

  “Okay,” she sighed. “I promise to do better.”

  “Can we kiss and make up now?” Coal asked. They were only separated by a few feet, but it felt like a mile.

  “I guess,” she said in mock annoyance while she walked into his embrace. “I can’t believe you had my things packed,” he whispered into her ear.

  She looked up at him, her arms still wrapped around his neck. “Next time you leave me, I’m going to burn your things on the front lawn.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that.” He placed a kiss onto her lips. “I’m never leaving you again.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Coal us
ed his newly-created sentient sword to stab the straw-filled torso he repurposed using the burlap bag that Chalcedony had used to hold his things a few days ago.

  After a few jabs, he stopped to admire the sword. It was a wise and possessed much more patience than Mischief, the sentient sword he’d help create for Chalcedony almost a year ago.

  “I see you finally got it to work,” Jade observed, appearing a few feet away from the stuffed dummy.

  “Yeah,” he said with pride and exertion. “You were right. I needed to work with it, not force it.”

  Jade nodded “You haven’t called for me to come and get you, so I guess I was right about Chalcedony, too.”

  Coal took a deep breath. “Yeah, if I had stayed away for another day, I don’t think she would have let me come back.”

  “Why do you say that?” Jade asked.

  “She had my bags packed and ready to send to Queen Isis’s house.”

  Jade laughed. “That sounds like a queen. Isis would lay waste to the earth for me, but make no mistake, if I ever crossed her, I would regret the day we ever met.”

  Coal furrowed his brow.

  “Okay,” Jade said. “That was overdramatic, but you get my point.” She took a deep breath, her face appearing a little more sober. “A bit of advice, never walk out on the person you love unless you’re certain you never want to come back.”

  Coal nodded.

  Jade took the sword from Coal and swiped at the dummy. She was light on her feet, moving around the dummy in a whirlwind.

  “You’re pretty good,” Coal said.

  “I’m only as good as my sword.” Jade stood still and examined the blade. “It's an old soul.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought.” Coal took in the sight of the two of them together. “Maybe you should have it.”

  “No. It's your first. I know how important it is to you.”

  “Well, I already have one.” He held her gaze. “And you’re important to me, too.” He had to admit that he had enjoyed the last few days he’d gotten to spend with Jade. It didn’t make up for her absence, and he still didn’t trust her, but she was a part of his life now. The hole he’d had in his heart for most of his life was beginning to close.

  “Thank you.” Jade’s voice quivered, and she wiped at her eyes with her free hand. “Isis is going to be so jealous.”

  “So,” Jade began, standing straighter with her hands clutching her sword. “Are you anxious about being a father?”

  Coal swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m not really going to be the father. The baby isn’t mine.”

  “Are you serious?” Jade softened. “Growing up in the brothel, I had my mother, but she wasn’t the mothering type. I knew she loved me, but she wasn’t very patient. But that didn’t matter because I lived in a home where every adult was my parent. No one who lived and worked in the brothel ever hesitated to show me love or affection, or discipline if I needed it.

  “You met Gabi when you were visiting the brothel. She did more than change my diapers. She nursed me while my mother worked. She mothered me more than my own mother. Vaska made sure I was fed every morning, afternoon, and night.

  “My point is,” Jade continued, “never let the fact that you may not be that child’s biological father stop you from being a father. A child can never have too much love.”

  Epilogue

  Two And A Half Months Later . . .

  Something buzzed from across the room. Coal rolled over on the bed, hoping whoever it was would go away. For a moment, it stopped, but just as he was falling back to sleep, the buzzing began again.

  “Coal,” Chalcedony shook his shoulder. “Your phone is buzzing.”

  Reluctantly, Coal rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. The buzzing stopped for a few seconds but began again.

  “Coal,” Chalcedony moaned.

  “I’m getting up. I’m getting up.” It was still night. The sun hadn’t risen. He retrieved the phone from the solar battery charger on the window sill.

  “It’s Jade,” Coal said to Chalcedony, looking down at the screen.

  Chalcedony groaned - like she did every time he mentioned his mother’s name - and pulled the cover over her head.

  There were voicemails and text messages from his mother. The last text read ‘Coal, call me!’ ‘Is Chalcedony okay?’ ‘Have you watched the video?’ And ‘Is this video real?’

  Confused, curious, and still half asleep, Coal clicked on the video link.

  When he clicked the link, he assumed it would be a video from one of the press conferences he attended with Queen Isis and Jade. But it was just him in the video, staring directly into the camera in a small cramped room with white walls and bright artificial light shining down on him like a heat lamp.

  His mouth went dry as his insides turned to ice. His knees weakened, and he had to grab onto the window sill with his free hand to prevent himself from falling.

  When he was exiled to the human realm, he had bartered information about his mother to a U.S. government agent in exchange for implicating Chalcedony in Elizabeth’s abduction.

  The agent, Stephen Ellis, had recorded the confession with a video camera.

  Coal hadn’t wanted to think about what Agent Ellis planned to do with the information. In fact, as soon as Coal left the small cramped room, he pretended it never happened.

  “What’s wrong?” Chalcedony looked over his shoulder, her protruding belly grazing his back.

  Too ashamed to meet her gaze, he closed his eyes and looked away. Impulsively, he tightened his clammy grip on the phone, covering the screen and muting the sound.

  He wanted to hide the phone in his pocket and tell Chalcedony nothing was wrong. But that was naïve. The video wasn’t going to go away.

  Coal straightened.

  Chalcedony must’ve seen the dread in written in his features. Her curiosity turned to fear. “What is it?” she asked, taking the phone.

  With a deep breath, he handed Chalcedony the phone. He watched as her expression changed from worry, shock, to cold anger.

  “Is this television?” she asked.

  “It’s called YouTube,” Coal replied. “Yes, it’s a form of television.”

  Chalcedony looked at the screen once again. “This says the video had been viewed twelve million times.”

  “Yes.” Coal bit his lip. Blood roared in his ears. “That’s correct.”

  She walked away, heading out of the room.

  “Chalcedony, I’m sorry,” he began.

  She stopped, but she did not look at him. “Stay here. I need to be alone right now.”

  To be Continued in

  Giant Risk

  Confessions of a Giantess, Book 2

  An Everleaf Worlds Crossover Event (Coming Soon)

  Continue reading for an excerpt of

  Giant Change: Confessions of a Giantess, Book 1

  Giant Change

  Confessions of a Giantess, Book 1

  Visit: http://www.constanceburris.com/giant-change/ to grab your copy.

  Prologue

  Tessa's stepped into her house just as the school bus roared down the street. Her heart sank when she noticed the door was unlocked and her mother’s handbag was on the couch. This was a rare day that she hadn’t been assigned any homework, and Tessa had planned on spending her afternoon eating junk food and playing video games until her parents came home from work.

  She kicked off one of the black, patent leather shoes in the middle of the living room and made her way to the kitchen. Despite her 5 foot 10” height, she'd begged her mom for the high heeled shoes to wear for career day. All women lawyers wore heels, so Tessa insisted on wearing them too. And for once, her mother had lamented.

  The other shoe hit the wall with a loud thud after she flipped it off. “Oops,” Tessa grimaced around, wondering if her mother had heard that. After a few seconds of silence, she thanked God and shrugged off the hot, suit jacket she’d worn to match her pencil skirt.

  Caree
r day had been perfect. Everyone had known exactly what she was when she stepped into the classroom. Okay well not everyone; a few knuckleheads thought she was dressed as a teacher or a librarian, which was ridiculous because she had never seen any teacher or librarian who looked as good as she did in a blue pencil skirt, matching jacket, and white blouse. With her usually curly hair flat ironed and curled she had to admit that she looked amazing and grown up and classy.

  Unfortunately, the hot, twenty-minute bus ride had turned her straightened hair into a curly mess and her blouse and jacket two very large, smelly sweat stains on the armpit.

  She made her way through the living room to the kitchen. Tessa had not been eating bread as a way to prevent her hips (and boobs) from getting any bigger so, she had taken out the meat out of her hamburger at lunch, and she was starving.

  Tessa gasped and placed her hand on her chest when she saw that both of her parents were sitting in the kitchen as still as statues staring at an old leather book on the table. “Y'all about gave me a heart attack what are you doing in the kitchen?”

  They were both dressed in their work clothes. Jake Williams was a construction manager for the city. There was a hole at the bottom of his button-down plaid shirt. Holly Williams did secretarial work as a secretary at the University of Oklahoma, and she wore a pair of loose pants and a black t-shirt with flats.

  Instead of answering Tessa’s question, they looked at each other and frowned. Her dad stood, leaned against the counter, folded his arms across his chest, and proceeded to stare at bits of tar on his work boots. That meant whatever was about to go down would be led by momma.

  “Momma, what's going on? Did somebody die?” Tessa asked, her earlier hunger forgotten.

  “Sit.” Tessa’s mother motioned towards the chair her dad had just vacated.