Frost & Bothered (10 page)

Danielle shot me a smug look before turning and stalking upstairs. I blew out a breath, wondering what the hell a queens’ council was, and turned around to look at Logan. He shook his head when I started to speak, and I closed my mouth. He looked pretty grim. Great, I’d gotten him into big trouble.

Terra gave the order to have the other queens informed, and marched away, back down the hall. I stood there until Alanna gestured for me to follow her.

Right, I was a queen here too. With a last glance at Logan, I followed the petite brunette down the hallway.

The conference room was down at the end, through the same door I’d seen Terra leave a few minutes before. Chairs were the only furniture present. I sat next to Alanna, and looked at Terra. She offered a tight smile in return.

No one was talking, and I received the distinct impression we weren’t supposed to until the other queens had arrived. It was hard to stay quiet, the lovely luncheon Logan and I had shared beginning to congeal in my stomach.

T
en minutes passed before all the other queens joined us. Danielle glared at me as she entered the room behind Moira, the red-haired shamaness. Moira chose to sit on my other side, which was strangely comforting.

Once all the women had arrived and sat down—there were about twenty of us in total—Terra stood up. “This council has been called by Danielle. Stand and state your reason.”

The dark-haired woman inclined her head while rising from her seat. “I believe the Protector has neglected his duties to Queen and clan several times since I joined. His duty lies first with our Queen, and second to the clan, yet over the past few months he has forsaken his duties and placed our Queen in danger.” Danielle’s glare made it super clear who she blamed for it.

“Part of Logan’s duties as Protector have been to lead the clan until our Queen was ready to take her place,” Alanna said. She didn’t bother standing up. “In pursuit of those duties, he’s made certain alliances. He’d be a poor leader and Protector if he failed to uphold our end of those alliances.”

“He shouldn’t place the Queen in danger to do so,” Danielle countered.

“You’re assuming I was in danger.” Terra smiled. “I was protected by Teague, two powerful witches and their familiars during the search for Discord’s mother.”

The older woman inclined her head. “Perhaps you weren’t in danger then, but last night and today? What if we’d been attacked?”

I raised my hand. “Do I get a turn?”

Terra nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Thanks. Okay, Logan’s spent what? Eighteen years leading the clan and protecting Terra? Everything I’ve heard points to him doing a damn good job of it.” When I paused for air, most of the queens made quiet noises of agreement.

“Unless I’ve missed something, Terra is officially Queen now. She’s eighteen, and came into her own over a month ago, whooping the holy hell out of that overgrown douchebag in the process. I think that means she’s pretty capable of taking care of herself. Especially here, at home, with everyone around.”

That earned some more murmurs of agreement, and gave me the nerve to keep talking. “I don’t think you realize it, Danielle, but insisting Logan’s the only one who can keep Terra safe isn’t a good thing. It kind of undermines her, and the clan. I mean, if people start hearing our Queen can’t take care of herself, they’ll begin believing it. They hear that they’re not capable of protecting her, they’ll start doubting themselves.” I had to stop for air. “And if they start believing that they’re weak, that Terra’s weak, then others will begin to believe that too. Words have power, and the feelings words convey have power.”

Moira nodded, a smile playing about her lips. “Our newest queen has raised valid points.”

“That is not my intention.” Danielle’s glare was gone, her face slightly slack with surprise. “My intention was to assure that the Protector is reminded of his foremost duties.”

“Sure it was.” I winced, not having meant to say that out loud. But there it was, dangling in the air. “You made it perfectly clear not twenty minutes ago that you don’t like me, and you don’t like the fact that Logan and I are friends.”

“Until he is no longer our Queen’s Protector, he has no right to pursue any personal interests.”

Alanna suddenly snorted. “If he hadn’t done that, the clan would be in bad shape. It’s his personal interest in vehicles that gave us our start after the Melding. His personal interest led to us finding a home, and to our financial stability.”

“That’s important, but what’s more important is that I want my cousin to be happy.” Terra wasn’t smiling. “It’s not fair that he spends years and years taking care of everybody, and never has time for things that will make him happy. It’s not fair to make him wait to build a life for himself that isn’t centered solely on the clan.”

“It is his duty,” Danielle insisted, and she may have said more, but the teenager cut her off.

“Screw duty. He’s done it for years, and I know he’ll continue doing it, but he’s earned time off to do his own thing too.”

“But...”

“I have spoken,” Terra snapped, her lips drawing back to expose her teeth. “Does this council agree with my decision that the Protector can begin reaping the rewards of his years of selfless devotion to Queen and clan?”

“Yes,” Alanna said, and others repeated her answer, including me. Danielle was the only hold-out, remaining silent.

“Then this meeting is ended.”

I felt like jumping up with my fists in the air, but refrained after checking Danielle’s thunderous expression. That would probably set her off, and this time, she might not check herself because of Terra.

Instead, I stayed quiet and followed everyone out of the room, grateful that Alanna and Moira continued to flank me as we walked.

While we’d had our meeting, the rest of the clan had assembled in the hallway or on the stairs. Logan was leaning against the wall next to the front door, but he pushed away to stand straight, his face impassive.

Terra took the opportunity to do him a little dirty. “The queens’ council has made a decision on the claim of dereliction of duty leveled at the Protector. We have taken into account your many years of service, and the results of those years.” She paused. “Our decision is as follows: You will continue to fulfill your duties to Queen and clan.”

Logan bowed his head. “Yes, my...”

“Don’t interrupt, I’m not finished.”

“My apologies.”

“However, we have decided to lessen those duties.”

Logan raised his head, a look of hurt flashing across his face before his expression settled back into neutral lines. I felt sorry for him, and I guess Terra decided not to jerk him around anymore, because she said, “This is not a punishment, but a reward. We’ve made the decision to allow you leisure time to pursue personal interests. You have more than earned it.”

He blinked, and a slow smile found its way onto his face. “Thank you, my Queen.”

“You’re welcome. I think you should start by taking a two-week vacation.”

Logan’s jaw dropped.

“B
ut we need to discuss...”

“Geeze, Logan, can’t you take a hint?” Terra spun around, her hands flying to her hips. I quietly shut their apartment door and leaned against it. “I don’t need a babysitter anymore. What I need is a chance to really be Queen.”

“Okay, I get that, but...”

“No buts. I need an advisor more than a bodyguard now. Advisors don’t have to hang around constantly. They get to lead their own lives too.”

He nodded, and I had the feeling he hadn’t really been listening to her. “All right. I just...”

“Need to go pack. I don’t want to see you for two weeks, unless something comes up and I call you. So don’t forget your phone.”

“Wait. You’re kicking me out of the apartment?”

“Well, yeah, dummy. I know you. You won’t do the vacation thing if you stay here. So you need to go somewhere else.” She dropped her hands. “And the rest of us need some practice at not running to you for every little thing.”

Logan ran his hand over his hair before slowly nodding. “Okay.”

“Good. Go pack, ask Alanna for some cash, and then go have some fun.”

“I could just stay in another...”

“Dude.” When he turned to me, I grinned. “When the boss offers you an all-expenses paid vacation, you do not argue. You say ‘thank you’, and you hurry to pack before she changes her mind.”

“I, uh,” he threw his hands in the air. “Okay, fine. I’ll go pack.”

He crossed to his room. Terra waited until he’d closed the door before pointing at the front one. Out in the hallway, she pursed her lips. “Why did Danielle try to jump on you?”

Uh-oh. I winced. “It was my fault. I got smart with her.”

She nodded, but said, “We can’t have two queens fighting. It’s bad for morale.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“You mean, you’ll try not to let it happen again.”

Well, yeah. It wasn’t as though I could control Danielle or make her stop disliking me. “Yes.”

Terra tugged at the ends of her pale blonde hair. “I’m not saying don’t defend yourself or anything like that.”

“I know, I get it. Don’t be a jerk. I’ll try not to be,” I promised. “It just made me mad that she jumped all over Logan like that. I know it was because of me.”

“I can understand that, but I think you need to hear something. Logan likes you. Danielle doesn’t have a chance with him. She’ll want to be the boss in any relationship she has, and he won’t go for that. He’s been a leader too long.” She wrinkled her nose. “That didn’t come out right. What I mean is, he’ll be equal, or he’ll lead, but he won’t choose someone who’ll try to boss him around all the time.”

“I have gotten that impression.”

Terra flashed a smile. “Just saying it because I want you to know that Danielle’s not a threat to anything you and Logan decide to do. She doesn’t realize that yet, but it won’t hurt you to ignore her comments and stuff. Okay?”

Look at me, being schooled by an eighteen-year-old about showing some maturity. “Okay. Thanks, and I’m sorry I caused trouble.”

“It’s okay.” She nibbled on her lower lip for a second. “You know, it would help if you could find a way to spend more time with us. Not like every single day, because I know you’re busy most of the time. But maybe Sunday evenings? We all eat together and watch movies or play games then.”

Bonding time. Definitely something I should take part in, since I still didn’t know every clan member on sight or by name. “That sounds fun. I’ll come as often as I can.”

“Great. But not tomorrow or next Sunday, okay? I need you to keep Logan as busy as possible while he’s on vacation, or he’ll turn up and there goes that idea.”

I saluted her. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am.”

Terra giggled, and we heard muffled footsteps inside the apartment. “Here he comes.”

Opening the door, Logan gave us a suspicious look. “What are you two conspiring about?”

“Nothing. I have to go see what Dane wants to tell me. Come with?”

“Well, since I’m at loose ends.” He lifted the dark blue duffle bag he held. “I guess I will.”

“Cool.”

Logan grinned and kissed Terra on top of her head. “Don’t burn the building down while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“And call me if...”

“Shoo!” She flapped her hands at him.