Jack stared. His words were curt. “Why should I believe anything you’re saying?”
I rubbed my lips together, then I pointed the vials at Pearl. “Queen Cooper, will you please place a truth spell on King Zeller and me while we’re inside this room?”
Instantly, her eyes flashed in fury and she snapped her fingers. “Done. Now say everything that you both just said all over again.”
Patiently, Ezra and I did as she had ordered, our vocals pulling the truth from us.
Silently, I placed each vial on the conference table, then I gently pushed them toward our best friends. I watched as they rolled silently to their hesitant hands. “Trust me, you want to drink it.”
Jack’s eyes flared. “Do you know why the memory wipe happened to me?”
Ezra nodded. “We do.” He paused, then he stated evenly, “I had a letter that I found inside my closet at King Shadow. All of my effects were already there when I arrived. When I had a Mage inspect the closet, he told me it was a Mage space. I believe it was Elder Farrar’s work. Nothing inside the space could be affected by Elder Harcourt’s spell. It was exactly as I left it the night my memory wipe occurred at King Cave. The letter was from Queen Ruckler, but she hadn’t left a name on it. I tried accessing some of the safe homes she had listed on there, and even tried a,” he glanced at me, then back to them, “post office box, but each location was protected by the same Mage space — the magic exact. Elder Farrar’s.”
I blinked. “The letter I wrote you when we were finding the Prodigies?”
He nodded, his lips quirking. “It was an interesting read.”
That was how my husband had known that I loved him completely. The letter was personal and extremely intimate, along with all the information I had written down. “Oh.”
He chuckled quietly. “Yes…oh.” Gradually, his attention altered back to our silent, watching best friends. “Did you have nothing like that in your closets?”
Eventually, they shook their heads, still studying us.
“Maybe that was for the best,” I whispered. “All I had was the shirt I was wearing,” I smiled gently, “and a pregnant belly.”
Pearl’s eyes instantly narrowed. “You were pregnant?”
The mother in me shined out in my grin. “Yes, I have daughter.” I paused, then my vocals urged me to state, “King Zeller and I have a daughter together. Her name is Isa.”
Their blinks were ever so gradual. No shock. No questions. Just the chill.
“Queen Ruckler and I are married.” Ezra lifted a cool black brow, unfazed by their silence. He pointed to the vials. “As are you two. You should probably drink those to remember how that happened.”
The first crack in stony countenance occurred.
Both jerked on their chairs, their gazes snapping toward each other.
Pearl’s jaw bobbed.
Jack’s blue brows rose…as his gaze lowered, and he eyed her cle**age. “Huh.”
I snorted softly. “Drink the damn vials.”
Instantly, Pearl uncorked her vial with shaking hands. She drank.
Jack watched her closely as she placed her head on the table as memories slammed her.
Her skin shimmered in a stunning gold. Quietly, she sniffled, not lifting her head. “Drink the bloody vial, Jack.” Though she did reach across the table, blindly holding her hand out to me.
I instantly grabbed it with both of mine, holding it tightly. “I missed you.”
Another sniffle. “Understatement.”
Jack’s gaze still had not left her, but he did lift his vial. Uncorked it. Drank it down.
His head tipped back, and he closed his eyes as his vial fell from the tips of his fingers to the conference room tabletop. The clink was loud in the silence as it landed, then it rolled off the table to the floor. Jack’s neck bobbed as he swallowed heavily. “My God.” When he lowered his head, there was an emotion flittering behind his eyes that I could not catch. Quickly, he hooded his gaze, peering at the back of Pearl’s head. “We’re married.”
Her face still stuffed against the crook of her arm, she nodded. “Yes.”
Ever so slowly, he lifted one of his hands and placed it on the back of her head.
Pearl shuddered at his touch…and started bawling.
My eyes widened, and I glanced at my husband. “Maybe, we should—”
“Yep.” He was already standing from his chair. “We’ll leave you two alone to catch up.”
I squeezed Pearl’s hand one more time, then I released it.
She damn near tackled Jack, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
He swiftly dipped his head and held her tight. “Shh. It’s all right. I’m here.”
I pushed from my own chair and hurried to follow my husband out of the spelled room.
We made sure the door was locked.
Chapter Nineteen
Two days later, I was driving in my Hummer — having almost arrived at our intended destination — and my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket while Ezra took the wheel, steering for me. Jack and Pearl were cuddled in the back seat, sleeping quietly. Our private lives had finally returned to normal, even though our professional lives would never be. The perfect indication of this was our current assignment of the President. Our intel had showed us his whereabouts, and he was our purpose for this road trip. It was time to end this war.
“Hello,” I answered, allowing Ezra to continue steering.
“I found her.” That was all he said. It was John Smith.
“Bring her to me,” I ordered.
“You won’t garner any information from her. She was dead when I found her.”
My wolf growled quietly. “Bring me her head.”
He was quiet, then he muttered, “It’s kind of burnt.”
“Is she recognizable?”
“Yes.” He paused. “Half of her face, anyway. Her body was in the carnage at King Hall.”
“Then I want her head.”
“I’ll bring it to you.” He hummed. “Have you ever heard of the Harcourt Division? I received an interesting letter from the Elder.”
“No. And I don’t want to hear that name again.” I blinked. “And you work for me.”
He snorted. “I do what I want.” His sigh was heavy. “But I will continue accepting assignments as you have them, my Queen.” His line went dead as he hung up on me.
“Aggravating ass,” I muttered, pocketing my cell.