"Coming here was the right thing to do," says Blake. "What happened to Frazid isn't your fault. And he's still alive — believe me, he's worth more to them that way." He squeezes her hand. "I know where Zec is," he admits with a gentle smile. "I've been watching him and Odilia since I arrived on Earth."
Eva jerks her hand away, eyes blazing. "Why wasn't I contacted?"
"Because they don't know their true identities. Apparently, their protectors didn't make it to Earth alive, and it's impossible to restore their memories without them. They believe their parents were a pair of low-level house servants. The most important thing to do right now is to keep our king safe, understand? And for now, that means keeping him from knowing who he really is. Wally and I have been trying to discover the identities of the leaders of the EIRF. Once we find out, we'll decide whether to tell Zec and his sister the truth."
Eva, calmer now, nods in agreement. "So we just sit back and wait, I guess."
Blake stands up. "Yes, but I have something for you." He takes a tablet out of a cabinet and hands it to her. On the screen is the homepage of the Port Jervis Gazette. A photo of Zec is accompanied by a one-word headline: "HERO."
"He drew on your power to save a human friend's life. She's keeping that under wraps for now, thank goodness." He looks at her steadily. "Eva, we're going to enroll you at Port Jervis High School so you can keep an eye on him. Since this story came out, he's been getting way too much attention."
Eva nods again. Blake can tell that she's exhausted. "You need to get some rest," he says, and walks her to her room. "I'll come and get you once dinner is ready. You need to regain your strength, agreed?"
She stares at him. "Will you lie down with me until I fall asleep?"
Blake wants to say yes, but his conscience overrules him. He slowly shakes his head, mutters, "I'm sorry," and walks out of the room. Sighing, Eva flops onto the mattress and clutches a pillow. All her pent-up emotions and frustrations break out in sobs, and she cries.
Chapter 11
Blair looks down from the dance club's second floor at Zec, who seems to be having a great time dancing with his friends. As much as Blair hates these kinds of places, today is the prince's birthday, and there's nothing to be gained by complaining.
He watches the prince leave his entourage and approach two slender brunettes at the bar. Soon, the three of them wander off to who knows where. Lucky bastard. As the prince's guardian, Blair is forbidden from experiencing the pleasure of a woman, much less two of them.
He walks down the stairs and across the dance floor to the bar, then leans forward and shouts for an uísque over the music. The bartender pours him his drink, and Blair puts it down after only a couple of sips. Time to call it a night. He's halfway to the door when someone grabs his shoulder.
"Where do you think you' re going?" Zec asks. The women are standing on either side of him, a foot or so behind. Blair inadvertently looks into the blue eyes of the woman on the left. He can't remember ever seeing a girl as attractive as her. "Blair?"
"Sorry, sir, it's loud in here. I thought you left for the night."
"You're kidding, right? It's my birthday! Ladies, please meet my friend Blair. He swore an oath to protect me with his life."
"I'm Katye and this is Eza," the other girl says. "You're really an Atiru guardian?"
"Nice to meet you both. Yes, I am an Atiru guardian," Blair says, trying not to look too closely at Eza.
"That's fascinating," Eza says. "My parents have always respected and spoken highly of your people and your culture."
"I can't speak for the rest of the Atiru," Zec says, "but Blair is a truly fascinating guy. I'm sure he won't mind keeping you company while I dance with Katye?" Without waiting for an answer, Zec leads the other girl out to the middle of the dance floor.
Startled, and without even the remotest idea of how to proceed, Blair searches his mind for something to say — or better yet, an excuse to get the hell out of there. Eza gently puts her hand on his shoulder. "Would you mind getting me a drink?" she asks. "Then maybe we can join your prince on the dance floor."
"Of course. What can I get you?"
"A uísque."
Blair smiles. "My kind of girl."
At the bar, they order drinks and chat. Eza is curious about the ways of the Atiru, and Blair wants to know as much as possible about her. He studies her face as she talks, wanting to memorize it in case he never sees her again.
"The prince was right," Eza says after a while. "You are a fascinating man, but I want to go dance now." She grabs his hand and pulls him away from the bar.
"Now seems like the right time to mention that I've never danced before," Blair says, feeling self-conscious.
"It's easy. Just jump up and down in time with the music."
With the help of his buzz from the uísque, Blair starts to relax. They dance nonstop all the way through the DJ's last song, an Earth classic by Sarah McLachlan called "I Will Remember You." Zec staggers over with Katye at his side. "Dancing!" he slurs. "Blair, you were dancing, and actually having fun! Eza, you must be an extraordinary woman.
