Nadine Book 3

73. Moving Targets

Thora is standing in the center of the conference table pointing a sword at Dipak. Dipak has a big blood spot on his forehead. Frode is telling her to get down.

"We're ok now, Thora."

She gets down and whispers in my ear. "I didn't say anything. I just beat him up."

"Thank you. I would rather people didn't know this."

"I can understand that."

We sit down and she smiles. "We're ok now. You can start."

Frode gives her the weirdest look. "I'm glad we're ok now."

Dipak and Tye stare at me.

"Where did we leave off?"

Frode goes through some paperwork. "You got to Egypt and were on a 40-hour wait. The charms had already been placed."

"Really it was a waiting game at that point. We tried to keep ourselves entertained and kept checking on you all. Nothing happened case relevant during that time."

Dipak holds a rag to his head. "Starting again when we woke up."

Tre, Tye, and Omar take over.

4 hours later, they get to the part where Bud sees me standing in the doorway and the man leaves the castle.

I stand up. "It's lunch. I need to move around."

"Meet back here in an hour everyone."

Tre and Tye try to get me to go shoot the blow darts at things with them and Johen. I really don't want to. I go back to my place alone and get some lunch.

I connect a door to the king's office. Dipak is at the desk by himself trying to eat. But he's crying again. I watch him for a minute. Why do I feel bad for him? He slams his plate of food against the wall. Then he puts his head in his hands and starts to sob.

I can't even help it. I go through the door. He doesn't even notice. I go over to him and run my hand through his hair. He drops out of the chair and on to his knees. He wraps his arms around me and lays his head on my stomach. I rub his hair. He's really sobbing.

"I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done and caused. I will never hurt you again. I don't care what you do to me. I don't deserve to live. I don't want to anymore. This is killing me."

I pull him up and then push him, so he sits in his chair. I sit on the desk in front of him and cross my legs.

I let my vision go red. Then I push it back. "I was going to hurt you. I was going to take the throne back. I was going to leave you in the commander spot. Because really, I have no better option. Tre said I'm a good ruler. I could do it alone, and we would be fine."

"You're amazing. You don't need me to rule."

"Then I remembered that I love to shop. And I still have a lot to learn. I have no idea what the scepter does. My magic is still new. I like to go out dancing. It's to hard for me to do those things or learn about them and rule at the same time. Ruling takes so much time and I get so bored in this office. I really am young, and I'm still learning about so much. So, I'm not taking your throne back. I don't want your job."

I hop off the desk.

"I don't care about the job. I care about you."

"I'm even more broken now. Omar says I have flashbacks. He's going to work with me more. I can't have s*x anymore, because of you. So, add that to the growing list of things that I'll never do again. Yea, that's how I am. Tre tried to have s*x with me this morning and instead my body decided to remember how you pretended to want me so you could hurt me. So, I cried on him instead. I'm having a great f*****g day."

"I didn't pretend to want you. I did want you. I wanted you all day. I wanted to take you right there in the challenge. I wanted you before we went into the ball. And in the carriage." He looks in my eyes. "I did everything wrong. I had none of it right. But don't for one second believe I only pretended to want you. I really did want you. I wanted to f**k you and make you scream my name. Then once we started, I remembered you kissing him. It made me mad, and I wanted to beat your ass. I was drunk. I took it to far. I should never have done that drunk anyway. But then the dragon power came in. I was to drunk to even notice it. I seen the bruises on your arms. It scared me so much. I wanted to f**k you all night. Smack your ass a couple of times. Never anything else."

"Do you still want me as a mate?"

He gives me the weirdest look. "Yes sweetheart. I love you more than anything. I will never change my mind about wanting you."

"Even if I can't have s*x forever?"

He raises his eyebrows. "As long as you cuddle with me on occasion and give me hugs, I will be alright." He smiles at me. "You're going to be fine. I'm always here if you want to talk. I'll help you through anything. Especially when it's something I caused. But I would help regardless."

He stands up and wraps his arms around me. "I promise it's not forever. Your body and mind are processing this. You will be fine. It takes time. I'm so sorry I caused this pain for you. I would give anything to take it back." He lays his head on mine and I can tell he's crying again.

I wrap my arms around him. He picks me up and sits in his chair with me on his lap.

"I can't forgive you yet."

"I know sweetheart. I understand if you never can. But I'll always be right here if you want to try or if you need a hug." He wraps me so tight in his arms.

Then someone walks into the door on the other side. It's still sealed, so it was just a loud thud. I get up and open it.

Dracul comes in first rubbing his head. I try not to laugh as he goes by. Then everyone else comes in. We all sit down. Then Dipak starts talking again.

About 30 minutes of staring at the ceiling later, I stand up. "I am at my maximum limit for office time."

"I see that... Ok. We are going to the river for 2 hours. We will meet back here after that. Then we will be here until dinner again. You can go to the river or find something else to do. But in 2 hours we will return. This will give everyone a break."

Johen asks Dipak. "Can we bring the blow darts?" Dipak nods.

I grab one of the tubes and some darts. Me, Thora, Tye, and Johen all walk out first. I look at the king's guard following us. My eye's must get big because Tye smirks.

"What baby?"

I point at the king's guards. "MOVING TARGETS."

We take off running to the river.

Then we blow darts at the guards. They are hilarious. Running all over the place. We chase them around, shooting at them.

"I GOT HIM IN THE BUTT." I'm laughing so hard.

Gunner shows up and watches us with his eyebrows up.

Then Dipak and Tre show up. They see what we're doing at the same time.

Dipak gets mad. "KNOCK IT OFF. GET OVER HERE ALL OF YOU."

The 4 of us all sit down by the river.

Tre glares at us. "You can not shoot the kings guard with blow darts." Then he shakes his head. "That is something I never thought I would have to say."

Dipak tries not to laugh. "Do not shoot the king's guards or any guards or servants with blow darts. That's a new rule."

I put a dart in the tube and blow it at Dipak's leg.

"WOMAN..." He pulls it out of his leg and thinks about it. "No shooting guards, servants, advisors, or the king with blow darts. That is the new rule."

Tye scratches his head. "What's the punishment?"

We watch Dipak and put darts in our tubes.

His eyes get so big. "No leaving the castle for a month. For any reason."

I roll my eyes. "Fine."

They turn around, and I shoot Dipak in the butt.

He turns back around so fast. "WHO DID IT?"

I point at Johen. The 4 of us crack up laughing.

He takes the tubes. "No more blow darts until you want to follow the rule."

Thora throws hers at him. "FINE DAD."

Tre rubs his eyes. I can tell he's trying not to laugh. "Do you want some fish?"

We all nod.

"I'll make a fire. Send the girls in for fish."

Me and Thora run to the big rock. The boys watch us and laugh. We wait.

Dipak comes over. "I'll throw you 2 in if you stop hitting me with darts."

Thora jumps at him. "I DIDN'T SHOOT YOU AT ALL. IT WAS ALL HER. THROW ME."

"YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TELL HIM THORA."

"I WANT TO GET THROWN IN."

"I DO TOO. MOVE OVER. YOU TOLD ON ME. I GO FIRST."

"WILL YOU STOP SHOOTING ME?"

We nod super fast.

He cracks up laughing. Then he grabs me and launches me into the water.