Jeri should have been asleep. She didn’t know what time it was, but it had been after eleven when Trendan had shown up to talk to her. Now, several hours later, she was sitting in an office that belonged to the Alterealm royal women. She smiled and looked around. That alone was cause enough to stay wide awake. She’d heard about the realms ever since Capri had found her. In all that time, she never imagined she’d be in one of them.
“When is this meeting in Solrelm?” Alona asked. She was curled up on one of the small sofas.
“Arius didn’t know when. I’m hoping we at least get a nap before going there.” Paisley yawned and then leaned over to see what Bethany was writing.
They all seemed like normal women, Jeri thought, if you didn’t take into consideration what powers some of them had. She looked at the Queen, who was obviously pregnant—or biting people to live.
“I need to convince Chase that I can go,” Alona said and turned to look at Daxx, who stood leaning against the back of the sofa.
Daxx glanced down at her. “The doctor told you that you could port now. Just not in the very beginning, right?”
“Yes. Trying to convince Chase may be more difficult.”
Daxx turned around, leaned on it, and looked down at her. “You’re a Queen. It is your right to go to a meeting that important.”
Alona chuckled. “The queen card may work for you, but it doesn’t me.”
“Okay. So just tell him. Don’t ask.” She shrugged and straightened up. “I need to be doing something if I’m going to still be awake after this many hours.”
“Telling Chase doesn’t work. I’ll have to use emotions.”
Daxx gave her an amused look. “I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”
Alona shifted and then slid so she was sitting up. “I didn’t mean that way. I meant I’ll get emotional, and he’ll give in.”
“That works?” Daxx crossed her arms over her chest. “I might have to try it.”
Bethany looked up from what she was doing and smiled at her. “You need to show emotion to do that, Daxx.”
Daxx scowled, “I can do emotion.”
Paisley laughed. “Yes. Anger and aggression are emotions—more or less.”
“Right.” Daxx nodded and walked toward them, “what are you two working on?” She leaned over the desk and looked at what Bethany was writing.
Bethany glanced up. “A Welcome to Alterealm guidebook.” She looked around the room. “For women that end up here that aren’t all-knowing of the tidbits the males never share.” She looked at Kinsley and then Reagan.
Reagan got up and went over to the fridge. “My mother told me everything.”
Kinsley pulled out her phone. “I was born here, so—” She shrugged. “I wish Emil would answer my message.”
“Quint won’t let me in the room, so I can’t go see how she’s doing.” Reagan picked up her phone and glanced at it.
Daxx looked around. “Crissy is there.”
“The privilege of having the justice as a mate.” Alona looked at Paisley. “So, what are you writing down?”
“What are you going to do with it?” Daxx went around to the other side of the desk. “Is there going to be someone greeting people when they land and giving them this like a hostess does a menu in a restaurant.”
Paisley and Beth exchanged a look. “We haven’t got that far in the planning yet.”
Daxx shrugged. “Give me the pen.” She held out her hand. Bethany gave her the pen and then moved out of the way so Daxx could lean over the desk and write.
Paisley moved to stand where she could look over her shoulder and see what she was writing. “I forgot about that one.” She mused and then smiled.
“You can’t put it all in one paragraph.” Bethany objected. “Telling them everything at once is as bad as telling them nothing.”
“If you don’t die, you were meant to be here?” Paisley shook her head.
“What?” Daxx paused and looked at her. “It’s a real thing.”
“It is.” Alona agreed.
“Gloves,” Kara said as she got up and went over to them.
“First thing on the list.” Bethany nodded. “Clarifying what you’re agreeing to before you do anything is right after it.”
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.” Paisley looked at Daxx and then around at the others. “There is more than one realm, and you are not home anymore.” She shrugged. “Wording could use a little work, but yeah.”
“None of you are from here?” Jeri got up and went and sat on the same sofa that the Queen was.
“No.” Kara pointed at Kinsley, “Except her.” She snorted. “None of us had a clue what was going on.”
Bethany started laughing. “We can’t put that, Daxx.”
“Why not?” Daxx looked confused.
“If you’re dating, make him wear a mouth guard to stop his fangs?” Bethany laughed some more. “Maybe we should put the different types of feeders in it.”
“Eye color.” Daxx and Kara said at the same moment.
Daxx nodded and bent over the notebook again.
Eye color made Jeri remember where she was. “One of the women under Capri’s care can’t leave her room because people die if she goes near them.”
All of the women stopped and looked at her.
“What color are her eyes? White or bright green?” Alona asked.
“I don’t think white is that dangerous. I mean, it’s probably not fun, but it’s not as serious as green.” Paisley said.
“They’re green.” Jeri got up.
Daxx and Reagan exchanged a look. “You need to talk to Sith or Gudrun.” She nodded.
“They’re our guards,” Reagan shrugged, “well, Gudrun is also my uncle, but he has the same feeding class.”
Jeri nodded. “This is all so different. Understanding the differences of eyes and abilities.”
“Abilities.” Daxx leaned over the book again.
Princess Autumn came in. She was dabbing her forehead with a towel. Jeri didn’t know what she’d been doing, but she was soaked in sweat.
“What are we doing?” She looked around.
“Where’s Viola?” Bethany asked.
“Michael is watching her for a few minutes.” She rolled her shoulders. “I needed to go work out.”
“We’re working on a guidebook for women that are new to Alterealm.”
Autumn nodded. “Two porter bracelets. Always have a backup.” She shrugged and went over to the fridge. “Iceman said the seer from team bad was found.”
“Her soul was screaming,” Jeri said quietly.
Alona gave her a startled look. “You can see things like that?”
Jeri nodded. “I’ve never experienced it like that before.”
“What did she say?” Kara glanced over Daxx’s shoulder and looked at the book.
“She begged to go home; said she wouldn’t do it anymore.” Jeri watched Autumn set the drink down, go over to a target, and pull out the knives. These women were nothing like what she’d imagined royalty to be.
“That’s sad,” Bethany said. “I hope she’s all right—not because I’m sorry for what she did, because it almost got many of us killed, but…”
“She may have the information we need,” Alona said quietly.
“Yes.” Bethany nodded.
“Do you know much about Solrelm?” Jeri hadn’t intended to ask, but it seemed like these women would understand that she had.
“Not a lot. No.” Paisley said. “Crissy is our info board; we usually just ask her. Why?”
“Trendan and my soul are mates, I suppose is the way to say it.” She gnawed on her lip for a moment. “And Bastian blurted out the fact that if his brother shares his soul with me, then I would end up a queen of a realm I’m not from.”
“Wow. Men are jerks in all realms, huh?” Autumn looked at her for a moment and then turned and flicked the knives at the board one, right after the other.
“You don’t want to be Queen?” Alona asked.
Jeri opened her mouth and held it that way for a second before speaking. “I don’t know.” She grimaced, “my life hasn’t been something that would prepare me for something like that.”
“Trendan is much more stable than his brother.” Bethany offered.
Jeri smiled. “I’ve noticed that.” She chuckled. “One of the girls I live with calls Bastian Prince Crazy.”
“It fits.” Reagan ginned. “I thought he was insane the first few times I saw him.” She sobered. “I might meet my father soon.”
Jeri remembered the princess’ father was one of the men. “Many might be meeting their fathers soon.” She looked back to Alona. “That’s what the meeting in Solrelm is about. They want to gather them all up and put them somewhere safe and then announce to the entire realm what has been going on.”
“Whoa.” Paisley looked around. “That must be why Arius is helping Raf in the guard’s yard tonight.”
“I guess we’re invited.” Daxx grinned. “Are they expecting trouble?” She glanced at Autumn, “I need trouble soon.”
Autumn nodded, tossed the last knife, and then started for the door. “I will be there.”
Everyone watched her walk out of the room.
“You’re a good friend to have.” Alona smiled at her. “You seem to be told things and not kept in the dark.”
Daxx nodded and then pointed at her. “You need our numbers. You tell us everything that Trendan tells you.”
Jeri thought she was kidding for a moment until she noticed they were all looking at her. “Oh. Okay.” She took her phone out of her pocket to enter them.
“We’ll talk to Sith and Gudrun for you and see if one of them can go over and see if they can help your friend,” Paisley told her.
Jeri walked over and handed her the phone. “Thank you. Vex never gets to leave her room. She also looked twice her age.”
“She’s starving,” Reagan stated. “I may be able to help heal her.”
Jeri gave her a curious look.
“I heal.” She shrugged. “Unless Quint is there, and then I stand there and glare at him instead.” She smiled.
“We’ll get Trendan to take one of the guys over, Rea, and you can go too.” Daxx took Jeri’s phone from Paisley.
“Excellent.” Reagan exhaled loudly. “Someone that understands I was given this ability to use it.”
Jeri looked around at them. They were nothing like she could have imagined. At all, but she liked them, and Capri would too.