Page 27 of Princess

“I do need to warn you,” I went on, “some of the families I’ve told you about don’t have an English speaker in the house.Does anyone speak Spanish?”

Silence.No hands went up.

I turned to Desmond.“Do they need your permission to answer?”

His expression darkened.“No,” he said flatly.“They just don’t want to.”

I exhaled through my nose, keeping my expression neutral.

Hanging Desmond up by his thumbs probably wouldn’t go over well.

Chapter Eleven

Marinah

“I need to speak to the four of you in private,” I told Desmond and nodded at the other three teens.

“And if we say no?”

This kid.Sheesh.He and Ruth would get along famously.

“If you say no, I will honor it.”I met his eyes, making sure he knew I wasn’t here to force them into anything.“We help each other on the island.We work together.That’s what I would like to talk to you about.”

The girl beside Desmond raised her hand.Her hair was a shade lighter than his, a bit longer but similar in texture.Siblings, most likely.Her nose matched Desmond’s.It was her eyes that set her apart.While Desmond’s were blue, hers were a vivid green, striking against the overhead lights in the gym.Shadow Warrior’s almost always had blue eyes and with her green ones, she made me think of Labyrinth.He had one of each.My gut tightened.

I nodded to her.She shot a glance at Desmond, a silent conversation passing between them before she squared her shoulders and turned back to me.“My name is Julia.I want to hear what you have to say.”

Desmond gently elbowed her, but she scowled, then shifted her gaze to the other two teens.“Come on.We’re here, and there’s nothing we can do about it.We might as well hear her out.”

She took a step forward, her posture straight but not stiff, and after a brief hesitation, the other two followed, their expressions wary and slightly resigned.

“Shit,” Desmond muttered before grudgingly stepping up as well.

“There’s a small meeting room next door,” I told them.“The children won’t be taken from the gym.You have my word.”

Desmond grumbled something under his breath, too low for me to catch even with my heightened hearing.I let it slide.No use getting into a pissing match with a teenager over his discourtesy.

I led them to the small office I had assigned to Ruth and Togg.Inside, the two of them were bent over a desk, papers spread between them.Their conversation stopped when we entered.

“I hate to ask,” I said, “but we need to use your office for a few minutes.Would you mind helping in the gym?”

Ruth’s gaze flicked over the teens, and interest sparked in her expression.For a second, I expected some kind of protest, but instead, the alien being that had possessed her body surfaced.“Come on, Togg.”

Ruth moved past me without another word.I barely stopped myself from gaping at how easily she complied.

“My Queen,” Togg murmured as he passed.

The door clicked shut behind them, sealing me in with the four wary teenagers.

“You’re her,” Julia said.“The female Shadow Warrior.”

Desmond grumbled.“We saw her shift.Unless there’s more than one, of course she’s her.”

Julia ignored him.They had to be siblings.She had that exasperated patience, like she’d been dealing with his foul moods for years.

“The mayor of Tully told us you had anti-venom for hellhound bites, but we didn’t believe her.I saw a hound bite you, and you survived.”

Desmond muttered something unintelligible again.

---