Daniel let out a low rumble of laughter. “I figured you might need that to start the day.”
He had no idea; the scent of the coffee was actually bringing tears to my eyes.
“My mom got me addicted,” I said, lifting it to my lips. “When we would move towns in the middle of the night, she’d ply me with coffee so I’d stay awake and make sure she didn’t sleep. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.”
The first sip had my eyes closing; a sigh escaped. Holy God above, they made good coffee here.
“Do you think you can drink that and walk?” Daniel sounded amused and I opened one eye to glare at him.
“Could you maybe leave us alone? You’re interrupting a perfect moment.”
His grin was lethal. I was starting to think that between Daniel and coffee, there was too much stimulation going on right now. Placing my precious cup down just for a moment, I wasted no time pulling my shoes on, then we were off, moving along a hallway. I took sips as we walked, and with each mouthful I started to feel more like myself. The hall continued on for some time, and I kept expecting to see other doors, or rooms spanning off it, but there was nothing except some very fancy pieces of art.
I made a comment about that, and Daniel flicked his head to me. “This is the overlord’s wing,” he said. “We’re on top of the incubation level of Imperial; no one else lives here. It changed itself to my preferences when Laous had his title removed.”
I blinked a few times, stumbling and grinding to a halt. “What do you mean it changed itself?”
He had walked a few more strides before he realized I wasn’t following; he spun to return to my side. “This entire world is formed from a powerful energy…”
“The network, I know that,” I interrupted.
His lips twitched slightly. “Yes, the network. Imperial, being below the surface of Overworld, makes its connection stronger than any other land. My house literally changes with the whim of the overlord. I could rewrite everything here. The only thing which saved us when Laous was overlord is that the council monitors our activities, and any abuse of the system would start a war.”
Un-freaking-believable. “He probably kept his crazy contained because he thought he had bigger fish to fry with this secret keepers thing.”
Daniel nodded, eyes narrowed. “Yep, it was his plan all along. Kill my father. Somehow confuse the system and take over. We still don’t know how he did that, but there was something in the way my father died … I think Laous absorbed his energy, which made the network believe he was the next overlord.”
That sounded like a horrible way to die, and I wondered if Daniel had seen the body.
“He was a husk, drained of life and blood and energy. Like petrified wood.”
Guess that answered that question.
“My father was killed, too.”Oh, for fu—
Why did I over-share when I felt upset by something? This was not about me, it was about Daniel. He focused on me, concern creasing his forehead.
“What happened?”
I shrugged. “Workplace accident was what they told my mom. I wasn’t born yet, so I never met him. Apparently, he used to work in factories. The forklift malfunctioned and pinned him against a huge shelf. It was instant death.”
I still felt a pang for the man I had never known. In my mind, I always believed that he would have made my life better. He would have brought me love.
“Do you think the ‘accident’ had anything to do with the secret keepers?” I asked Daniel. It was something I couldn’t just disregard; too much was happening in my life that seemed to be connected to it.
He considered it, before shaking his head. “I doubt it. The secret has not been in jeopardy until recently. Most likely it was just an accident.”
I sighed. “Apparently my dad was the one who brought me into this crazy life. Probably why my mom has always been so angry with me.”
Daniel surprised me by stepping a little closer, his heat warming my exposed skin. “Did you know you were born in the springs which run through the bottom level of the justices? Redemption.”
I tried to swallow down my shock. I’d known bits of this, but the more I learned the crazier it seemed. I’d thought I was born in Austin, Texas. My mom was a little off on her geography.
“I’m still human, right?”
Daniel nodded. “You’re still a human. Just a more advanced version than the rest of your species. On top of the longevity of life, which you share with me, you should also have an increased ability to heal. The network helps us heal quickly, which is how your throat is no longer sporting a blade mark.”
On instinct I reached for my neck, those damn images of my death springing up again to torment me. Pushing them away, I said, “There’s at least three others like me. We can be a human super-squad, kicking asses and taking names.”
