Chapter 16

When I opened my eyes this time I was really relieved to see I was in the giant dining room, the fear of ending up in the wasteland when doing this was never going to leave. I needed to ask for a map, so I could study everywhere and know how to get help if I needed it in the future if a cross over didn’t end well.

“Daxx!”

Almost jumping on the table, I turned around to see Quinton striding in my direction, fast.

“I’ve been wandering around waiting for you to get back. He stopped moving and eyed me up and down.

Obviously, the remnants of the dumpster I had to dive into to drag that punk out were still visible. Wait until he gets closer and gets a whiff, I thought trying not to smirk.

“What did you do to yourself?”

Eyes wide I looked down at my stained, dirty jeans. “I didn’t do this to myself.”

Scowling he stepped closer and brushed my hair back from my face. “What happened to your lip?”

Running my tongue over my lip, that still throbbed like crazy, I tried to shrug it off. It was embarrassing. “The punk got in a lucky shot.”

“Who got a lucky shot?” Arius wandered in carrying an arm full of rolled up papers. He paused and frowned at me. “What happened?” Setting them down, he moved around the table and came over and tipped up my chin. “Do we need to buy you a face mask, my Queen?”

Rolling my eyes at him I pulled my face out of his hand. “It’s nothing. He got one swing before I nailed him and had the cuffs on him.”

“Him? A male hit you?” Quinton’s tone sounded lethal.

Holding my arms out, I looked back down at my clothes. “Can we talk about this after I’ve had a shower? Maybe the smell isn’t bothering you but I’m starting to get tired of the stink.

“Arius, I found more in the library…” Michael froze where he was as soon as he saw me standing between his brothers. “Huntress, you’re back.” He smiled and then frowned before his face had finished the smile. “And I see you’ve been busy blocking blows with your face again.”

Before I could growl a response, Quinton took my elbow and guided me in the direction of the door. “She’ll explain after she’s gotten cleaned up.”

As he wheeled me around the corner, I glanced back to see Michael dialing his phone. Great the gossip chain had begun. It was a fat lip and a little garbage residue. It could have been worse. It had been much worse in the past.

At the second door, he led me through, we almost walked right into Victor and Leone. Leone spotted my swollen mouth, but didn’t say anything, just squinted with a look I could only describe as annoyance. Whether it was at the fact my mouth had taken a blow or because he didn’t want to notice, I wasn’t sure. Victor managed to shock me by grasping my chin in his big hand and lifting my face to look at it closely. “Quinton told us you assured him this would be an easy task for you.” His green eyes actually held concern.

“I was a little winded. The punk ran up an entire stairwell of a building, it had to have at least ten floors, and then went back down the fire escape. I caught up to him when he fell into the dumpster.” I shrugged. “He got one good swing in before I took him down.”

“Mmm, I see.” He backed up and looked down at my clothes. “That also explains the odor.”

“That I’m just going to scrub off.”

Nodding he stepped back further. “We’ll see you at the meeting then after you’re finished.”

“Meeting?” I looked up at the three of them, wishing for one moment that they were normal height. If I stayed around them too long my neck was going to get sore from lifting my head that high all the time.

“We’re going to sit down and figure out how best to round up the devices and the people responsible.”

Turning so I wouldn’t take too long, I headed in the direction I was pretty sure was my room. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Nodding in a regal way, Victor turned back to Leone.

“Can we just stick a bag over my head until I get to my room?” I asked Quinton who walked silently beside me.

“No need, they’ll all know before you get to it.”

“Great,” I muttered and turned in the way he pointed. He just chuckled and kept moving forward.

We didn’t even reach my room and Rafael came jogging up. When he stepped in front of me, I almost walked smack right into his chest. Lifting my chin with one finger, he frowned.

“Maybe I should just go with you on all your jobs.”

I gave him a blank look that I hoped he caught.

“Just remember I will always get your back if you need a hand, little Huntress.”

There was that word again. Little. I was almost preferring Chase calling me kitten to constantly being reminded I was not gigantic like they were. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m just going to get cleaned up and go to the meeting.”

Releasing my chin, he nodded. “I have something to take care of then I’ll be there, shouldn’t take too long.”

“Fine.”

****

The only brothers I hadn’t had to explain to were the two rulers, no doubt though one or more of their siblings had told them what happened. It didn’t stop them from pausing in their conversation to give me a once over, identical expressions on their face and the same concern in their matching hazel eyes told me my fat lip had been noted and would be filed for future reference when it suited them.

I paced along the length of the table, wishing everyone would hurry up and get here. The last we waited on was Rafael. Maybe it was being back here that had me edgy or I was still pissed for letting that asshat get a shot at my face, but I was jonesing for some action and drawn out meetings weren’t within my comfort zone.

Troy and Chase were off in the far corner, heads down, words I couldn’t hear being spoken. At that moment, they looked every bit the rulers. There were lives at stake and laws had been broken, both Kings wanted swift resolution and justice.

I killed a few minutes trying to see if there was any sort of visible difference in them. The only thing I could see was Chase’s goatee and that he wore his hair loose, where Troy bound his shoulder length hair behind his head. Other than that, if there were differences they had to be internal.

Spinning back to go over my footsteps again, I paused behind the chair Quinton lounged in. “Someone should have mentioned snacks—that would have brought everyone together faster.” I said quietly so only he would hear.

He chuckled and lowered his head so no one would notice.

The door opened and I hoped for Rafael, but instead Welsley walked in and looked around. He nodded to Victor and then spotted me and I swear the room almost iced up from the look on his face.

Nudging Quinton’s shoulder, he turned and looked up at me. “What is that guy’s position around here?”

Quinton rubbed the side of his face and game me an odd look. “He was our hunter.”

“Well, shit. No wonder he wants a piece of me,” I murmured.

Welsley waited until his rulers turned and then bowed his head gracefully. “I was told that perhaps my assistance would be needed.”

Troy and Chase exchanged a look. Before they could answer, I went around the table. “I’d like Welsley in on this.”

A shocked look appeared on the white haired one’s face. When he started to bow to me, I quickly added. “Don’t you dare bow to me when we’re just here for a brainstorming session. Try it and your hair will be much shorter when you lift that head again.”

Giving me a wary look, he nodded and moved around me to sit at the table.

Chase was grinning at me when I turned back to look at them.

Rafael walked through the door pulling a shirt over his head.

“God, I hope she was good to make us all wait this long.” I drawled at him.

He froze. “I—what?”

Troy started laughing. “Go sit, Raf. Our Huntress is getting a little antsy.”

“A little?” I snorted and walked toward the table.

With everyone finally sitting, the twin Kings took their seats and filled us in on how many subjects were missing from both sides. This had been happening for a few weeks now and they hadn’t been able to put it together until Wanda told us what was going on. At last count fifty were gone, which left twenty more, if Michael’s count was right, waiting to cross over into my turf.

I listened to the plans, not adding much unless it was in reference to my side of the realms. Welsley I noticed also didn’t contribute much more than I did, but I watched his eyes flare several times when he had something to say, then didn’t speak it.

Holding my hand up, everyone paused and looked at me. “I think it’s fair to say that this is a hell of a lot more than I signed up for.” I grinned, “Okay, I didn’t volunteer for any of it, but wonder woman I am not. There’s no way I can track the fifty missing on my own.”

There were several nods around the table. “I need a couple of captains to even the odds a bit.”

A brief glance passed between Chase and Troy. “What do you have in mind, Daxx?” Troy asked leaning forward so his hands rested on the table, much like his brothers did when things were being discussed.

I glanced at Quinton. “I want Quinton and…” I looked directly at Welsley. “Welsley as my captains, or whatever you’d call them. Who knows the territory better on this side?” Welsley sat straighter. “I know the lay of the land and the natives on my side, but I know nothing about here. I can only take down one at a time, with their experience I think we could crack down and get this done before too much damage takes place.”

“I would be honored to assist you, Huntress.” Welsley said in a proud tone.

Chase winked at me and then glanced at Troy out of the corner of his eye, Troy was smiling.

“I’m in.” Quinton stated without ceremony.

“Great.” I sat back feeling like I had just built a huge bridge over troubled waters.

“What do you need from us, Daxx?” Victor offered up, again surprising me.

Pausing to smirk at him, I stood up and leaned on the back of my chair. “Give me some history on those missing, whatever you can dig up and pictures of the jumpers too.” Moving down the table I stopped beside Michael and picked up the watch device. “They have to keep them on at all times?”

He nodded.

I turned it over and studied it. It looked unique enough that it would be hard to mistake. Raising my eyes, I looked from one pair of hazel eyes to the other. “This family of royalty accumulate any riches throughout the millenniums?”

Troy nodded slowly. “What are you thinking?”

Dangling the watch from two fingers, I waved it back and forth. “Someone sees this and they’ll remember who was wearing it for forty or fifty bucks if you ask in the right neighborhoods, at least on my side.”

“On ours too.” Quinton confirmed.

Troy looked to Chase, who agreed. He shrugged at me. “Let’s do it.”

Michael and Victor both stood up. “With Leone and Rafael’s help we’ll have your lists and information by tomorrow.”

I grinned. “Then I can go and kick some ass.”

****

I was standing looking over maps of the day walker domains, trying to get a feel for the area when I suddenly had the feeling, I was being watched. Looking up, I glanced around to see everyone had gone, except the Kings who were standing across the room in almost the identical poses. Their arms were crossed the same way, they were leaning against the table in the same way and both were staring at me with the same expression on their face.

“Where’s a camera when you need it.” I joked.

When they both started walking toward me, my nerves zinged and told me to bolt now for my own safety. I ignored them and straightened up.

Troy spoke first. “We would like to apologize for not telling you everything.”

I shrugged. “I’m over it. Mostly.”

“It still wasn’t right.” Chase motioned to me. “You’re not a pawn and this isn’t a game.”

“I didn’t think it was.” Moving away from them, I paced around to the end of the table. It was time to come clean. “Look, I’m a little, okay, that’s a lie, I’m completely freaking overwhelmed with all of this. The whole other realm, other race of beings—finding out my tattoo just grew there and it wasn’t the result of a bad acid trip.” Troy raised his eyebrows but didn’t interrupt me. “I’m a bounty hunter, so the easy part in all of this is that I’m the Huntress on this side, it fits, that works for me. As to being a Queen—have you seen where I’m from? Where I live?”

Moving back in their direction quickly I threw my hands up. “I’ve been alone—always, I never spoke to my foster parents as I bounced through the system. I bailed on that when I was fifteen and lived through the shit life tossed at me to get this far. Now, all of a sudden I find myself constantly surrounded by people trying to look out for me.” I pointed at each of them, I don’t know why I did, just felt like I needed to. “To top it all off, suddenly I have seven really older than me, huge brothers that are all in my face and one lover I have to choose to spend eternity with.” Throwing my hands up, I spun away from them. “Don’t even get me started on having to have twins in two hundred and forty year’s time.”

Taking a deep breath, I tried to find some calm before I faced them again. When I turned around to look at them, I wanted to scream. They stood where I’d left them, one with red eyes, the other with yellow. “Great, now I’ve set the both of you off as a grand finale.”

Troy moved in my direction first and then Chase. Neither reached for me, just moved closer.

“We’re not going to push you, Daxx.” Troy said quietly.

“We didn’t make the rules, kitten, fate did that. We just follow them.” Chase whispered.

Sighing I looked down at the floor, unable to deal with the whole eye color thing right now. “You don’t get it, Chase.” Feeling like a coward, I looked back up into two pairs of hazel eyes. “At some point in all of this someone is going to be hurt and it will be me causing it.”

“What would you like to do?” Troy tucked his hands in his pockets and looked down at me with compassion almost bleeding from his eyes.

“I thought before I make any decisions I’d get to know both of you first. Maybe spend some time with Chase on his side and some time with you here.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Troy agreed.

Taking a deep breath, I patted both of their chests. “Who knows I may loathe both of you in the end and choose just to go home.”

Chase chuckled. “You won’t take the easy way out, kitten, it’s not in you.”

I scowled at him, “maybe.”

Reaching down, he tilted up my chin and touched his thumb to my lip. “I still don’t like this, brother King, I think we should pay some retribution to the one that caused this.”

Troy placed his hand under the other side of my chin and smiled. “I think your right day ruler, we should indeed.”

Smacking both of their hands away, I turned back to the table. “Why don’t you two go rule or do something kingly.”

“Yes, my Huntress Queen.” Troy joked as he moved away.

“I’ll see you at dinner, kitten, try not to get beaten before then.” Chase retreated as well.