unwary
Adrian helped her down from the stage as Brady took over for her.
"Have you seen Frey and Pensley?"
"They left a couple of songs ago."
"Oh." Jess looked around the thinning crowd. "Have you seen Julian?"
"He left around song two."
Jess stopped to look at him. Her face wearing a confused frown. "He did?"
"He did. You have a remarkable talent, my dear."
"So remarkable, I cleared out the place."
"That wasn't your voice, that was your gift."
Her frown grew. "What are you talking about?"
Since they were having to raise their voices to be heard, Adrian motioned her to the back of the room. Once there, he took her into his arms and started dancing. His head close to hers so they could talk.
"I should have realized it before now, it was confusing because we are connected. My feelings for you are strong, but you amplify them. Tonight, you're making everyone in this room want someone. Need someone."
It wasn't so farfetched. Frey always felt something when she sang, and tonight, she'd been specially trying to wake the dead. Aka, Pensley. "Once the advisors ordered me to stop singing because their people got over heated during one of my songs. What about how I'm able to move around? I thought that was my gift."
"I'm not sure, but I am sure that we will have the answers when we need them."
Grinning, Jess patted him on the shoulder. "I guess my gift is better than yours."
He chuckled. "Thank you, but I disagree. We aren't meant to be superheroes. We're meant to govern the world."
"Rule the world. You ever freak out about that?"
"No. I guess I've always felt... different. What about you?"
"Yeah, I guess I have too, but that doesn't mean I'm not still having trouble wrapping my head around all of this."
"If it makes you feel better, I think you're doing an amazing job. Before you were even Queen, you were saving your people by sacrificing your own happiness."
She ducked her head at his compliment. Julian always said things like that, but it was nice to hear it from someone else. "That's my voodoo talking."
"I don't think so. I think you can only enhance the feelings already there." Using his knuckles, he tipped her chin up. "I'm proud of you. You're born to be Queen."
"And Kellum? Is he meant to be King? He's been having a lot of doubts here lately. I feel it."
"I can imagine so with everything he's been through. Deception coming from men he trusts and counted on to guide him. He also has a lot of responsibilities for one so young, but like you, he was meant to be King. He'll find his way."
"I wish he had someone to talk to like I do. He has a whole set of New Rulers to lean on and I know he isn't close to any of you yet. Hayden is his guide, like you're mine, but because of those damn advisors he doesn't even feel like he can talk to her."
