Chapter 72: Chapter 72

We arrived at 6 p.m. local time. I had taken Carmichael’s private jet for the first time, a Gulfstream G650, and was amazed by the luxury and comfort of the aircraft. Johnny and I were like kids browsing the cabin, while his passengers, Caleb, Marion, her sister Carly, Eric, Thomas, Sonia, Henry and finally Salomon, relaxed in their individual seats or on the huge white sofa that lined the right corner of the cabin, a glass of champagne in hand. I finally sat down next to Salomon, while a hostess walked towards me to offer me a refreshment. I ordered champagne, like everyone else.

“It seems that you gave them all a hell of a beating,” said Salomon with a proud look.

“Apparently, yeah,” I replied with a smile.

“We left the castes at the castle covered in bruises, but it seems to me that you spared those present from the marks of your wrath.”

“I was forgiving of them,” I said, laughing, “they all had to be presentable in New York, didn’t they?”

“Your power is remarkable, Everliegh. How happy I am to have you in our ranks!”

“Henry told me I had to be ruthless. I didn’t think I had so much power in me.”

“And he’s right, if we are to win, our people must have unshakable faith in their Queen. If you can’t win, then nobody can.”

“However, I don’t think it will be enough against the Six.”

“Maybe not with the Six at the same time, indeed, but, when they are separated from each other, we mustn’t miss the opportunity to kill them, and I believe that you’re ready, now.”

“No, she’s not,” whispered Henry, who sat across from us.

His remark confused me. What else did I have to do to make that damned Englishman seem satisfied?!

“Yet she has overthrown all her adversaries,” said Salomon, inclined to come to my defence.

“Yes, but she didn’t kill. She’ll only be ready when she fights to kill.”

“I told you I already killed,” I replied, annoyed, “Egeria, Naomi, Blake and Magnus’ minions…”

“It was self-defence! And when you have your enemies in front of you, there’s an essential difference between killing out of necessity to save one’s life, and killing to win a war. The battles ahead will be merciless. Get that into your head, Everliegh, because I’m afraid they’re coming sooner than we think.”

I watched him, doubtful. Could he be right and the Six attack us first? I thought. It was more than likely, even certain. They had already threatened us with reprisals if we didn’t join their ranks, and they were soon to take action. It became more than essential to convince our fellows during this campaign in order to increase our forces. We had to acquire even more fighters, otherwise it would be the end of us all. This reflection prompted me to think back to a disturbing element of the day before, during the fight, and I decided to speak to Salomon and Henry about it.

“Yesterday I fought Caleb and he fell asleep the moment my mind wanted him to. This had never happened before.”

“Because you certainly never tried to do it,” replied Salomon, who seemed to know a bit about the matter. “Carmichael, Prisca and Connor have this same gift, and if you remember correctly, when we were in Amsterdam and Prisca was probing the minds of the prisoners we freed, she killed a few of them that way.”

“I thought it was a psychic power that only they possessed.”

“I rather tend to think that it is your immortality which produces this phenomenon.”

“I agree,” said Henry, “if you know how to do it too, then that tends to prove what Salomon says. But if I were you, I wouldn’t attempt this attack on the Six. They’re too strong and you’d be wasting time. You already told me that you were very empathetic and that you knew how to read the intentions of the people around you, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I’m not a telepath, well... except with…”

Suddenly, I fell silent, leaving Salomon and Henry surprised. I realised that no one knew of the telepathy that bound me to Ethan before my death, nor the one I shared with Carmichael, since my resurrection.

“Anyway,” I continued, “I would like all our troops to be ready when the great confrontation takes place, and I’m counting on you, Henry, to take charge of this mission.”

“Of course,” replied the Englishman, with a nod.

The rest of the flight passed in silence, since I fell asleep, lulled by the silence and intoxicated by the many glasses of champagne served by the hostess.

After the ordeal of American customs, where the agents were rightly suspicious, in view of our very strange troop, and after these same agents had been mentally manipulated in order to avoid asking too many questions, we arrived in Manhattan and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. We only stayed a few hours at the hotel, the time to get ready for the evening planned for our occasion. Carmichael, happy to find a certain intimacy in my company, had joined me in the shower. We were still under the warm waters projected by the enormous pommel above our heads, when Johnny burst into the room adjoining the bathroom.

“Eve, move your ass, we have a job to make you presentable, damn it!”

Carmichael smiled at me, and, as a precaution, I held the bathroom door closed with my thoughts. I left the room, a bath towel wrapped around my chest and in my hair. There I found Johnny sitting on the bed with his legs crossed. On the other hand, I hadn’t foreseen the colony of women at his side ready to take care of me, waiting, tapping with their toes, eager to get to work.

“There you are!” said Johnny. “We only have three-quarters of an hour left. Oh and… hello, Carmichael.”

Johnny’s expression changed and immediately softened. He tilted his head to the side, as did all his new girlfriends. I realised that my husband was sneaking up behind me completely naked. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the cheek.

“I’m going to leave you with all these lovely people, and…”

“No, no, no, pretty boy!” Johnny cut him off, squinting. “You stay, because we’re here for you too.”

I burst out laughing before curtly asking Carmichael to wrap a towel around himself. He eyed me defiantly, but quickly realised that Johnny’s trap had closed on him too, and I relished seeing him in such a predicament. You couldn’t get rid of my best friend that easily, and it was Carmichael who had asked him to take care of everything.

Once made up, dressed and done by this horde of women in Johnny’s service, I had the right to look at myself in the mirror. Entirely dressed in white, I wore a long flowing dress whose neckline gave a glimpse of my chest. My slicked-back jet-black hair cascaded down to my waist, a bright red lipstick adorned my lips, and my eyes were made up in black, the smoky effect of which further enhanced the translucent green of my irises. Johnny slipped a beige coat over my shoulders and invited me to turn around to discover my stunningly handsome husband, whose eager gaze seemed to confirm that he liked my appearance. Carmichael adopted the same style of dress in his all-white three-piece suit. His dreadlocks loose on his shoulders, he sent me a satisfied smile and came over to me, sliding a finger down my cheek.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. And you, very elegant,” I replied. “Do we look like a king and queen, do you think?”

“I don’t care what others see,” said Carmichael with eager eyes, “you are My Queen for eternity.”

As he approached to kiss me, a hand burst between our two faces.

“No, but that’s okay?!” shouted Johnny, his eyes wide. “You’re going to smudge her lipstick!”

Carmichael looked annoyed, while I burst out laughing at my best friend, furious that we didn’t take his efforts to make ourselves presentable so much to heart. We heard a knock on the door, it was Salomon telling us it was time to go.

Four huge black SUVs were waiting for us in front of the hotel. I climbed into ours, accompanied by Carmichael and Johnny, who I assumed wanted to make sure we weren’t going to ruin all his work by enjoying a brief moment of privacy. The rest of our group followed in the back, but I didn’t have time to catch a glimpse of them until we arrived at the reception area, too captivated by New York and its incredibly tall buildings, crowded streets and blinding lights. All the rest of the way, I tried to print in my memory what I saw, knowing that we wouldn’t stay long.

“We’ll be back,” Carmichael told me, understanding my frustration at not taking the time to visit such a mythical city as the Big Apple.

The car drove towards the ocean, and I could already make out the Statue of Liberty in the distance. I smiled as I watched the monument draw closer, and I hoped the reception venue would overlook her. And indeed, we parked near the quays, a little away from the houses, where the breathtaking sight of the statue prompted me to take a huge breath of fresh air as I got out of the vehicle. I wanted to breathe in this moment, to admire the horizon, while behind me stood the buildings and the striking lights of Manhattan. I was so happy at that moment. Carmichael took me by the hand and led me past a building with original Neoclassical architecture. A circular dome was supported by white marble pillars, linked together by huge bay windows. From the outside, you could make out the purple colours of the lighting and the white tables set up for the occasion. An incessant hubbub coming from within reached us. I assumed then that the guests had already all arrived. Eric and Thomas got out of their vehicle, accompanied by Carly Stanton. She grabbed Eric’s arm and giggled as if he had cracked the funniest joke she’d ever heard. It was visceral, she annoyed me, and I suspected she enjoyed having that effect on me. Only, I have to admit, tonight, she was beautiful. Her long auburn hair was styled in an elegant braid, brought back to her chest, itself wrapped in a black bustier. Her straight, red skirt hugged her flattering shapes without vulgarity. Her sister Marion, accompanied by Salomon and Caleb, wasn’t left out in an ultra-chic blue jumpsuit. Sonia and Henry got out of the last vehicle, and their knowing looks told me that Johnny might have been right about the closeness of the two telekinetics.

Johnny called the whole company and invited us to follow him. In a sleek black tuxedo, my best friend walked up to the hostess at the front desk. She told him that everything was ready, took our coats, and with a wave of the hand asked us to enter the room. I went to follow them, when my best friend stopped my momentum.

“The king and queen will go in last,” Johnny ordered us, exasperated, noting that I had completely forgotten the protocol he himself had devised.

Carmichael and I waited behind a purple brocade curtain, separating us from the reception room and giving me a glimpse of what was going on there. Round tables and chairs, covered with white linen, were positioned in staggered rows around the room. There were at least fifty of them and the centre was empty, apparently left free for guests wanting to dance after the meal. Each table was prettily decorated with candles and vases in purple tones, and further on, at the back of the room, only one stood out with its rectangular shape. Two huge velvet armchairs stood behind it, so I imagined those were our seats. I lifted my head and stared at the domed ceiling. In marble, its worked and sculpted lines suggested characters following each other, while two lions curled up in the centre of the fresco.

And finally, when I couldn’t make out anything new between the drawn curtains, Johnny asked us to go inside. I took Carmichael’s arm, took a deep breath, and stepped forward from the top of my expensive, high-heeled shoes.

Inside, a sudden silence fell, as each caste present observed their Sovereigns. The pressure fell on my shoulders, but I let nothing show in my attitude, and advanced, a thin smile on my lips, which I hoped was pleasant and efficient. The truth was, I was scared to death and very intimidated.

“I feel like I’m completely naked!” I said to Carmichael in thought.

“I’d love that,” he replied as his smile widened.

“No, I’m not kidding, I feel all the effects, even the less honourable ones, remember?!”

“You must only think about the effect you have on me.”

“It’s not easy.”

“You’ve mastered it better, I assure you. But for them, it’s the first time they’ve seen you, they’ll get used to it quickly.”

“I hope so,” I mentally replied as the combustion reached my cheeks.

Our short walk brought us to the centre of the room. Johnny had asked us to stop and turn around, so that everyone could look at us. The silence was still present when the audience launched into a common bow, a sign of their respect and loyalty. I wondered then how many of them were sincere in the midst of all this assembly. Then the first castes came to us and shook hands.

“What a pleasure to meet you!” one of them said.

“We were so looking forward to seeing our Queen,” said another.

“We have heard so much about you, my Queen,” repeated yet another.

The tributes followed one another, and it was a real benevolent smile that I addressed to each of them, conquered by this surge of devotion among our people. It gave me hope.

Finally, we went to our table. The armchairs were particularly comfortable, and we had barely sat down when a man came to stand in front of us. Carmichael stood up quickly and shook his hand, obviously very happy to see him.

“Mike, what a pleasure to see you, my friend!”

“I’m very happy about it too, Carmichael,” he said playfully, before turning to me. “And you, my Queen, are absolutely fascinating.”

I shook his hand, thanked him, and sensed his confusion about my presence. He felt my gift of attraction and hardly concealed his emotion.

“I have never met anyone like you, ma’am.”

“This is the case for everyone here, and I won’t hide from you that it’s very embarrassing, in fact.”

“I can believe it.”

Carmichael called a stewardess, and asked her to fetch a seat for his friend. Mike was dark-haired, had piercing black eyes and a well-built body. I wondered what power he might possess.

“What’s up, Mike?”

“Do you know about your brother? He joined the Six.”

“I found out about it yesterday and I really couldn’t believe it,” Carmichael replied. “But knowing that my father is in their hands, I’m hardly surprised after all.”

I masked my emotions by lowering my eyes. I knew Connor had gone to join the Six on my orders, but not hearing from him since had me worried. Could it be that he really betrayed us?

“All the castes in this room have no desire to join the Army of Six,” Mike said, “They crave freedom, and know it will be hampered the moment they travel to the Isle of Eos to swell their ranks. But Connor’s defection hurt us a lot, there are countless castes who have already left for Greece. I thought we would be much more numerous here when you informed me of your visit.”

“I have almost three hundred people, that’s already good.”

I observed the guests in the room, and a burst of good humour made me forget for a moment the concern that everyone must have felt at those moments of trouble. Carmichael and I had this gift of spreading positive vibes by our mere presence, so I hoped that the peace in the hearts of all the castes present this evening could last as long as possible. Of course, I knew that wouldn’t be the case for long, because the time of the great war would come, and then their choice to side with us could cost them their lives. I saw Eric and Thomas at Johnny’s table, the latter blending into the background in the company of all these strangers with unsuspected powers. He didn’t look like a human in these conditions, and yet, I noticed a few bewildered looks watching him. Carly Stanton walked over to us and her arms wrapped around Mike.

“Mickey, it’s been so long.”

“Carly, you look great.”

“So you’re with us, that’s wonderful.”

“Did you doubt it?”

“With Connor gone, I didn’t know what to expect coming here. I’m reassured.”

“I was just talking to Carmichael about the number of castes willing to join him. But to be honest with you, I was hoping for more. Between those who join the Six and those who don’t want to take part in the confrontation, we aren’t as numerous as I had hoped.”

“I’m sure that’ll be enough,” Carly said, her voice cracking a little, revealing signs of concern then. “See you later, Mickey!”

And she left, preferring, I supposed, not to spoil this evening by brooding over the idea that we would be beaten soundly in the battles to come.

The rest of the evening was quiet, even boring. Our status as queen and king of the castes forced us to stay in our places, so that everyone could admire their Sovereigns. Johnny had been clear on that point, and he might not have been wrong. Our aura had to diffuse through the room, the mystery to permeate and the devotion to increase tenfold. So I spent the evening surveying the room, scrutinising each guest, counting the number of women and the number of men. Eric and Thomas came to see me to distract me, but a cold look from my husband at Eric scared them away. I blamed Carmichael for his jealousy and he apologised, before trying to distract me himself.

“I’m more used to putting on a show than you.”

“And again,” I said wearily, “I’m not comfortable with all this, sitting in my chair pretending to be enthroned in an imaginary kingdom.”

“But you’re not pretending,” Carmichael corrected me, “you sit in a kingdom, and it’s far from imaginary. And, no pressure on you, but if you don’t, we’re screwed.”

“Great!”

“Raise your head, give a big smile and honour each of the guests with your presence.”

“I have the impression of being a painting which we look at while we wonder if we like it or not.”

Carmichael laughed, but the burst of his laughter was soon drowned out by the music being turned up. Johnny was next to the DJ, seated in a corner of the room, and the beat began to seep into the limbs of all the guests. Many got up and went to the centre of the dance floor to wiggle their hips.

“I guess I can’t dance either?” I asked softly.

“We’ll go later if you want. For now, let them have fun without their hormones heating up the dance floor.”

“Perfect!” I said, annoyed, “That’s perfect!”

The minutes ticked away and it seemed to me that the music was gaining momentum. The centre of the room was packed and the body movements were getting more and more passionate. Again, I felt the heat radiate through my flesh. Our presence warmed the crowd, and it rose to a crescendo. I smiled watching the bodies undulate in rhythm, the couples kissing with passion, the meetings materialising in union. I never got tired of this vision when, suddenly, the drama happened, and the windows burst under the fire of the bullets.