All Hail the Shifter King
Title: Lords of Kensington, Part 15
Word Count: 1490
Note: I've decided that I'm allowed to apologize for any "lots of dialogue" scene I write, except for ones where Atticus is speaking, because I am so not sorry for him on any level. XD
The room that served as the infirmary was built into the middle of the library, a small room with concrete walls and no windows, lit by battery-powered lanterns. The dim light would be useless to any human doctors, but she'd learned that when healing required only touch and had a tendency to leave patients with a hell of a hangover, the soft lights were welcome, if not entirely necessary. Atticus held the door open for her, and as she slipped into the room Ryder was the first person she saw, sitting shirtless and crosslegged on one of the beds and speaking to a woman with with a head of perfect platinum ringlets, gorgeous even in the pale blue scrubs she wore. He looked over as the door closed behind Atticus, and when his eyes caught Katrina's she felt herself go weak with relief - not just at the fact that he was alive but that he was in one piece as well. He slid off the bed as she approached and pulled her into a hug as soon as she was within reach, crushing her against him as if he hadn't seen her in years.
"You're alright?" he asked, leaning back to hold her at arm's length, studying her face. He frowned and rubbed his thumb against the faint scar on her cheek.
"It's nothing," she sad, taking his hand and pulling it away from her face. "Are you okay?"
"Thanks to Kerry," he said, nodding at the white-haired woman. "She's a saint."
"Literally," the woman said, smiling softly. She looked past Katrina to Atticus. "Do you want me to get the others?"
"If you would," Atticus said with a nod, and Kerry slipped silently from the room, pulling the door gently shut behind her. "So you're the good king of Rion Fell," Atticus said, extending his hand to Ryder. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Ryder said, shaking his hand. Katrina had been expecting some level of tension between the two men, but instead there was a calm understanding, almost a familiarity.
"Anya tells me you've some lofty goals." Atticus pulled over a rolling desk chair - Ryder returned to his seat on the bed with Katrina boosting herself up to sit beside him. The lanterns cast a gentle glow over his bare back, the twisted streaks of new scars against his tanned skin. "I hope you can appreciate my hesitancy to involve my family."
"Of course," Ryder agreed. "And I hope you can appreciate my frustration at being hunted like an animal."
"It's... unfortunate that you were pulled into this the way you were. I know from experience that it's not easy." Atticus straightened his jacket and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on his knees. "But we've been trying to kill Kaius for almost a century. He's far more difficult to destroy than his soldiers are and..." He paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "Well, you've already learned just how tenacious his soldiers are."
"I underestimated them," Ryder admitted - Katrina glanced sidelong at him, unable to hide her shock. "Next time -"
"You do realize you should have died out there tonight, yes?" Atticus interrupted. "They had you dead. Both of you." When Ryder glared at him, the typical Ryder response to anything he didn't like or agree with, Atticus chuckled softly. "I do love that about you junglekin," he said. "Once you latch onto an idea you become so utterly hellbent. It's admirable, really." He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees. "You intend to see this through, then?"
"Yes," Ryder said, firmly.
"For what purpose? You'll go back to Rion Fell soon enough."
"I've a bit of a thing against tyrants."
"You don't strike me as a man with such expansive morals."
"It's a good thing I'm not out to prove my character to you, then," Ryder told him, smiling. His comment made Atticus pause, his grey eyes brittle and thoughtful, and when he seemed about to speak there was a knock at the door. The three of them glanced over as Kerry stuck her head into the room.
"Everyone's here," she told Atticus, and he waved her in.
For all the time she'd spent around shifters, Katrina was oddly unaccustomed to seeing groups of them together. The kin of Rion Fell were not far removed from their Fel'danai ancestry and bore a strong resemblance to the locals in the small villages, so they never seemed out of place - people, for the most part, didn't move away from the places they were born, and it was very rare for anybody outside of the country to move in.
Kensington, though, was a melting pot of nationalities from around the world, and there was no "norm" to the appearance of the people who lived there. The same applied to the shifters, she realized, as members of Atticus' family wandered into the room and settled themselves. Some bore a strong resemblance to Atticus, pale-skinned with dark features and, unlike their leader, a bit on the shorter side - Anya, for example, who offered Katrina a flicker of a smile and a nod as she sat crosslegged on a bed against the far wall - and some bore more resemblance to Ryder, like Azrin and Kerry with their brilliant white hair and slender, muscular bodies. There were a few that Katrina didn't recognize, either, though she had a feeling that some of them had been out in the snow with her, protecting her from Kaius' brethren. It was a familiar sensation, the feeling of being indebted to people she didn't know - she tried to catch their eyes to offer a smile or some sort of silent thanks, but they were all watching Atticus, waiting for him to speak.
"We lost seven more yesterday," he said finally, watching Ryder but speaking to the room, his voice even and cold. "Paul's people in Balewood." A gentle sigh drifted through the room. "They're becoming brazen. Attacking in broad daylight, killing humans. The incident outside Antovinn alone claimed fourteen mortal lives." He looked down at his hands, gathering his thoughts. "You have all done an incredible job, protecting yourselves and each other from asperi attack. You know that I would never ask more of you than what you've given already. But our friend from Rion Fell, here," he said, gesturing at Ryder, "has proposed an attack on Kaius."
It was so quiet in the room that Atticus' words felt almost too-loud - the snort of derision from the hulking blonde-haired man at the back of the room in response to his last sentence, though, was considerably louder. Katrina glared at him without thinking, and he met her gaze with a sort of amusement, completely indifferent and perhaps somewhat pleased with her irritation.
"I am neither supporting nor condemning his actions," Atticus continued carefully, "but I am granting him freedom to pursue this as he sees fit."
"What a joke," the blonde man muttered, and Katrina saw the corner of Atticus' mouth quirk into a smile.
"Quiet until I'm finished, Colin, thank you," he said, and then fell silent, twisting his fingers together, lost in thought. For a good thirty seconds he said nothing, and the others simply waited, watching him. "Those of you who decide to aid him will answer to him as a Lord of Kensington, until either his success or failure. I expect a decision from all of you by nightfall tomorrow. You're dismissed." The group filed out of the room, some whispering to each other and others casting long, hard looks back at Katrina and Ryder - Atticus caught Benjamin's arm as he passed and held him in place a moment. "Take them home, please," he said, and then rose to his feet to leave.
"Thank you," Ryder said, before Atticus could reach the door. "For the vote of confidence," he clarified when Atticus turned back to look at him, obviously confused.
"Confidence?" Atticus snorted. "That had nothing to do with confidence."
"Then what -"
"Make no mistake about it, this nonsense quest of yours will kill you," Atticus interrupted. "But my family is desperate for retribution and they need direction. They are accustomed to an authoritative structure and I will give it to them, even if it means placing a semblance of faith in you that I am far from having." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and removed a pair of black leather gloves, tugged them on over his slim hands. "You are a brazen, beautiful beast, Ryder Athari. I imagine you've lived out your centuries with no regard for anybody but yourself." He looked up and held Ryder's stare as if willing him to argue. "But as a Lord of Kensington you are responsible for any and all beneath you," he added. "And should any of my family die on your watch, I'll end your wretched and chaotic existence myself."
Word Count: 1490
Note: I've decided that I'm allowed to apologize for any "lots of dialogue" scene I write, except for ones where Atticus is speaking, because I am so not sorry for him on any level. XD
The room that served as the infirmary was built into the middle of the library, a small room with concrete walls and no windows, lit by battery-powered lanterns. The dim light would be useless to any human doctors, but she'd learned that when healing required only touch and had a tendency to leave patients with a hell of a hangover, the soft lights were welcome, if not entirely necessary. Atticus held the door open for her, and as she slipped into the room Ryder was the first person she saw, sitting shirtless and crosslegged on one of the beds and speaking to a woman with with a head of perfect platinum ringlets, gorgeous even in the pale blue scrubs she wore. He looked over as the door closed behind Atticus, and when his eyes caught Katrina's she felt herself go weak with relief - not just at the fact that he was alive but that he was in one piece as well. He slid off the bed as she approached and pulled her into a hug as soon as she was within reach, crushing her against him as if he hadn't seen her in years.
"You're alright?" he asked, leaning back to hold her at arm's length, studying her face. He frowned and rubbed his thumb against the faint scar on her cheek.
"It's nothing," she sad, taking his hand and pulling it away from her face. "Are you okay?"
"Thanks to Kerry," he said, nodding at the white-haired woman. "She's a saint."
"Literally," the woman said, smiling softly. She looked past Katrina to Atticus. "Do you want me to get the others?"
"If you would," Atticus said with a nod, and Kerry slipped silently from the room, pulling the door gently shut behind her. "So you're the good king of Rion Fell," Atticus said, extending his hand to Ryder. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Ryder said, shaking his hand. Katrina had been expecting some level of tension between the two men, but instead there was a calm understanding, almost a familiarity.
"Anya tells me you've some lofty goals." Atticus pulled over a rolling desk chair - Ryder returned to his seat on the bed with Katrina boosting herself up to sit beside him. The lanterns cast a gentle glow over his bare back, the twisted streaks of new scars against his tanned skin. "I hope you can appreciate my hesitancy to involve my family."
"Of course," Ryder agreed. "And I hope you can appreciate my frustration at being hunted like an animal."
"It's... unfortunate that you were pulled into this the way you were. I know from experience that it's not easy." Atticus straightened his jacket and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on his knees. "But we've been trying to kill Kaius for almost a century. He's far more difficult to destroy than his soldiers are and..." He paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "Well, you've already learned just how tenacious his soldiers are."
"I underestimated them," Ryder admitted - Katrina glanced sidelong at him, unable to hide her shock. "Next time -"
"You do realize you should have died out there tonight, yes?" Atticus interrupted. "They had you dead. Both of you." When Ryder glared at him, the typical Ryder response to anything he didn't like or agree with, Atticus chuckled softly. "I do love that about you junglekin," he said. "Once you latch onto an idea you become so utterly hellbent. It's admirable, really." He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees. "You intend to see this through, then?"
"Yes," Ryder said, firmly.
"For what purpose? You'll go back to Rion Fell soon enough."
"I've a bit of a thing against tyrants."
"You don't strike me as a man with such expansive morals."
"It's a good thing I'm not out to prove my character to you, then," Ryder told him, smiling. His comment made Atticus pause, his grey eyes brittle and thoughtful, and when he seemed about to speak there was a knock at the door. The three of them glanced over as Kerry stuck her head into the room.
"Everyone's here," she told Atticus, and he waved her in.
For all the time she'd spent around shifters, Katrina was oddly unaccustomed to seeing groups of them together. The kin of Rion Fell were not far removed from their Fel'danai ancestry and bore a strong resemblance to the locals in the small villages, so they never seemed out of place - people, for the most part, didn't move away from the places they were born, and it was very rare for anybody outside of the country to move in.
Kensington, though, was a melting pot of nationalities from around the world, and there was no "norm" to the appearance of the people who lived there. The same applied to the shifters, she realized, as members of Atticus' family wandered into the room and settled themselves. Some bore a strong resemblance to Atticus, pale-skinned with dark features and, unlike their leader, a bit on the shorter side - Anya, for example, who offered Katrina a flicker of a smile and a nod as she sat crosslegged on a bed against the far wall - and some bore more resemblance to Ryder, like Azrin and Kerry with their brilliant white hair and slender, muscular bodies. There were a few that Katrina didn't recognize, either, though she had a feeling that some of them had been out in the snow with her, protecting her from Kaius' brethren. It was a familiar sensation, the feeling of being indebted to people she didn't know - she tried to catch their eyes to offer a smile or some sort of silent thanks, but they were all watching Atticus, waiting for him to speak.
"We lost seven more yesterday," he said finally, watching Ryder but speaking to the room, his voice even and cold. "Paul's people in Balewood." A gentle sigh drifted through the room. "They're becoming brazen. Attacking in broad daylight, killing humans. The incident outside Antovinn alone claimed fourteen mortal lives." He looked down at his hands, gathering his thoughts. "You have all done an incredible job, protecting yourselves and each other from asperi attack. You know that I would never ask more of you than what you've given already. But our friend from Rion Fell, here," he said, gesturing at Ryder, "has proposed an attack on Kaius."
It was so quiet in the room that Atticus' words felt almost too-loud - the snort of derision from the hulking blonde-haired man at the back of the room in response to his last sentence, though, was considerably louder. Katrina glared at him without thinking, and he met her gaze with a sort of amusement, completely indifferent and perhaps somewhat pleased with her irritation.
"I am neither supporting nor condemning his actions," Atticus continued carefully, "but I am granting him freedom to pursue this as he sees fit."
"What a joke," the blonde man muttered, and Katrina saw the corner of Atticus' mouth quirk into a smile.
"Quiet until I'm finished, Colin, thank you," he said, and then fell silent, twisting his fingers together, lost in thought. For a good thirty seconds he said nothing, and the others simply waited, watching him. "Those of you who decide to aid him will answer to him as a Lord of Kensington, until either his success or failure. I expect a decision from all of you by nightfall tomorrow. You're dismissed." The group filed out of the room, some whispering to each other and others casting long, hard looks back at Katrina and Ryder - Atticus caught Benjamin's arm as he passed and held him in place a moment. "Take them home, please," he said, and then rose to his feet to leave.
"Thank you," Ryder said, before Atticus could reach the door. "For the vote of confidence," he clarified when Atticus turned back to look at him, obviously confused.
"Confidence?" Atticus snorted. "That had nothing to do with confidence."
"Then what -"
"Make no mistake about it, this nonsense quest of yours will kill you," Atticus interrupted. "But my family is desperate for retribution and they need direction. They are accustomed to an authoritative structure and I will give it to them, even if it means placing a semblance of faith in you that I am far from having." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and removed a pair of black leather gloves, tugged them on over his slim hands. "You are a brazen, beautiful beast, Ryder Athari. I imagine you've lived out your centuries with no regard for anybody but yourself." He looked up and held Ryder's stare as if willing him to argue. "But as a Lord of Kensington you are responsible for any and all beneath you," he added. "And should any of my family die on your watch, I'll end your wretched and chaotic existence myself."