Page 123 of Rebellious Royals

"Because for most of these people," I went on, "my mother is so powerful they're no more than a fly to annoy her. They could be her enemy and die, or find a way to be her ally and maybe, just maybe, be lucky enough to get overlooked."

"On one hand, the chance for power," Wilder said, lifting a palm. "And on the other, living a life of obscurity, never achieving their dreams, and ending up as nothing worth remembering." He lifted the other. "Both are terrifying in their own way, if you stop to think about it.

"Or," Rain said, "dying while doing the right thing." She paused. "I was supposed to be nothing, so I get that fear. I also know that being something isn't easy. It isn't the sort of thing that's just handed to you - and even when it is, you have toworkfor it. I'm doing the work."

"So are they," I reminded her. "They're simply working for the wrong side."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

KEIR

The moment Ms. Rhodes led the attackers away, I moved to Pascal, helping him up. Hawke caught him on the other side, and Aspen moved in to make sure he was ok. He wasn't, so he avoided answering, and we all let him. When Hawke suggested using the elevator to get down to the first floor, Pascal readily accepted.

So Aspen and I joined them. We took the car down first. Hawke and Pascal got off, then I pushed the button for the fourth floor, following Ms. Rhodes' orders. The queen needed to be protected, and I honestly didn't mind at all.

"You know we're on the wrong hall, right?" Aspen asked.

I shrugged. "I also know there's a way to cut through the lounge." Then I winked at her. "I've spent some time on the girls' side of the building in my term here."

Which made her giggle. "Keir, you slut, you!"

"I try," I admitted. "You also handled that well."

She shrugged. "I knew Rain and Jack would be right behind me."

"Yeah, and Torian was making a gate before I even knew anything was wrong," I admitted. "He all but dragged methrough it, too. Guess sharing first period with him is working out for me."

"And for him," she said as the car stopped.

So I gestured for her to go first, holding the doors so they wouldn't try to close, but she waited for me on the other side. When she looped her arm through mine, I liked it. Well, of course I did. Aspen was a beautiful girl, and so nice, it was hard to believe she and Torian were related.

Still, this girl made me feel comfortable with all of this. She'd been the one to get me wrapped up in the court's mess, making it easy for me to stay and hard to even consider leaving. Somehow, Aspen had learned to be the kind of leader everyone wanted: the sort who didn't look like she was leading even as we all followed.

"So, do you think we'll get the rest of the day off?" I asked.

"Possibly," she said. "In truth, Ms. Rhodes isn't worried about our grades. She'll make us learn more next semester if we have to, or even mandate summer classes to fill any gaps we get. Mostly, she just wants Tor and me to be protected."

"Seems to me like that's not going so well," I pointed out.

"It was worse before I came to Silver Oaks," she said, guiding me across the lounge to her hall. "The Hunt was a constant threat. There were also people who would've kidnapped me, or so my guardian said. Supposedly, I'd earn a high price as a bounty."

"Here, they just try to kill you," I countered.

She giggled, the sound too light for our conversation. "But I can handle that," she reminded me. "Well, Torian could at first, but I can now. Then there was Hawke, and Wilder too. Now you and Rain!"

"And I will protect you," I assured her. "See, I have a bit of a hero complex. My mom says it's because I want to fit in. Dad thinks I'm a sucker for the attention. Maybe a bit of both?"

"Or maybe you're just a hero," Aspen offered. Then she gasped, stretching her legs a bit. "Oh! I also need you to make a new friend!"

"Ok?" And now I was confused.

But she opened the door to her room and dragged me inside. Without stopping or letting me go, and using a flick of her hand to close the door behind us, she hauled me to the shelves by the bathroom.

There, a pot held a wispy-looking vine. The leaves were a purplish color with yellow spots scattered randomly on them. The markings were no bigger than a pea, and many were smaller, but the thorns with matching yellow tips made me realize what this was.

"Another Monarch's Assassin?" I asked.

The biggest grin took over her face. "Keir, this is Spot. He's a warm-climate variant, but compatible with Spike. Rain named him."