XX6

I am escorted into a room. My heart is racing. I'm nervous as shit. Opal is next to me. She is a lot calmer. A part of me wish my Grandmother would have made Opal the Ambassador. I was reckless. Opal is standing here looking civilized. She almost looks like she is from the District. She has on a plain, classy black dress on and heels. She looks beautiful with her sharp features and her intense, knowledgeable glare.

I look like an idiot.

“I was told you requested a meeting?” the voice states as we walk into the room.

The guards and assistants leave the room. It was Opal's idea to try to talk to the President Tailor of District. When we see the President he is in a wheelchair. He is physically fragile like my own grandfather but far from weak. It is a hovering wheel chair that glides across the room. He has a very serious stern looking face. The men next to him have laser guns. Diamond used to tell me stories about how the District had guns that could blow off limbs in a single shot. My heart is racing when I see the guards and I am thankful that none of the Stingers lost their limbs.

Over the President's right shoulder is Anastasia Tailor. She has her hand on his wheelchair and stands firmly like a supportive wife.

“Sir,” Opal starts off, “Firstly we wanted to apologize for the incident that happened yesterday---”

“Are you the ambassador?” the president asks.

Opal seems stunned by his question. He cuts her off mid sentence. His eyes are glaring at her so hard that I feel like his eyes are those laser guns that Diamond used to tell me stories about. I'm just as scared of those eyes as I am of those guns.

“No sir.”

“Don't speak again,” he warns her, “I only listen to ambassadors. Now...carry on. And make this quick. I have business I need to attend to.”

I hadn't prepared to talk. Opal had assured me that she had this taken care of.

I try to wing it as best as I can, “Sir, I am the ambassador of New Florida. My name is Gem Zoe, grandfather to the president of New Florida.”

“President Zoe. I knew your father,” the old man states at that moment, “We were quite close.”

I smile, “It's nice to know you two were close. I'm here on his behalf to hopefully see if you can rethink this war that you declared on my country and also release my three sisters.”

President Zoe doesn't return my smile, “I never said I liked him. Matter of fact I hated him. He was weak. Pathetic.”

Opal and I exchange looks.

“Sir...” I start off, “I'm sorry to hear that. I just came here to apologize.”

“An apology,” President Zoe laughs, “Weak. Just like your grandfather. I remember when I raped his wife right in front of him. Remember that Anastasia? Wasn't that hilarious?”

My heart drops.

I take a step forward. I'm ready to snap this old man's neck but Opal grabs at my hand. I'm breathing heavy. She is staring at the laser guns and warning me. If Opal wasn't in this room I would have.

He raped Ma Zoe.

This...fucker raped my grandmother.

Anastasia smiles, “Yes I remember. I remember quite well. It was at the last convention New Florida attended. You raped his wife right in front of him and he still wanted to trade with you. He was so desperate for help.”

Anastasia laughs. The old man laughs. I look at them and it's taking every ounce of me not to spas out. My grandfather never mentioned this. Ma Zoe never mentioned this. The fact that Anastasia is standing here laughing at this is almost making me want to tear her eyes out. She is standing there like some trophy wife, tall, lean and delicate while she laughed at something so disgusting.

President Zoe's wheelchair comes close to me. Dangerously close. Dangerous for him. Beryl had taught me 5 different ways to kill a man with my bare hands when I was only 5 years old. I could kill him right now. The lasers would follow up. They would kill me but maybe it would be worth it. Maybe just to get rid of this sickening man.

He stares at me, “Your people have disrespected me. I don't forgive. You ever wonder how the District managed to survive the Maneater Outbreak and managed to collect more fertile men than any other nation? We became heartless. So there will be no peace. I'll destroy New Florida. Unless you give me something in return...”

My heart is racing. I want to kill him.

Opal looks at me. She warned me before we came in this room to keep my cool and remember why I was here. I was an Ambassador for my country. I wasn't here for myself. I was here for the betterment of my country. There was no way in hell New Florida would survive a war against the District.

I bite my tongue, I swallow my pride. I look at him and ask, “What can I give you?”

The old man licks his lips, “You have a nice figure. A nice ass. I'm an old man now. I want to experience many different things. If you agree to be my sex slave...I may consider not destroying all of New Florida...maybe just killing off the leaders and turning it into a commonwealth...”

He reaches over. He touches me. His slithery, squishy, wrinkly hands rub against my skin. It sends a sick feeling into my gut and I think I'm about to vomit all over this man. I attempt to stand there as he runs his hands over my body. I can't take it anymore.

I run out of the room at that moment.

I'm in the hallway.

When no one is around I'm dry heaving.

“You need to get back in there,” Opal states.

I look at her at that moment. I raise an eyebrow, “Bitch are you serious?”

“This is for New Florida,” Opal explains.

“No...no he doesn't,” a voice states.

When I hear the click of heels I know who it is already. There are tears swelling up in my eyes and the First Lady has approached me in the hallway. She looks nervously around to see if no one is looking. Hell the President and his guards are probably still laughing in the room to notice that she has followed us out into the hallway.

“You...” I say looking at Anastasia Tailor, “You knew your husband raped my grandmother?”

Anastasia stands there. She doesn't have to answer the question outright. Her face says it all. She is so classy and so demure but there is no emotion behind it. I can't read her. Looking at her I can't see if she is sad, or upset, or angry or confused. Most of the Amazons I knew, even Opal, had trouble hiding their feelings and emotions. Anastasia was a painting. It's almost like she was plastic.

“You were sent on a mission,” Anastasia responds coldly, “That's the reason you are here. You talking to the president was not your mission.”

“Don't you know that he declared WAR?” Opal asks her, “Gem go back in that room. Suck his old wrinkly dick. Deepthroat it if you have must.”

“Fuck you bitch.”

“You've done it before,” she responds clearly referring to Rahmell.

I am ready to go off on Opal in this hallway but Anastasia butts in between us.

“You've done enough. All of you have,” Anastasia explains, “We don't need any of you making anything worse. You were sent on a mission. Trade with the Carolinas. Do your mission. That's all.”

Opal and I are staring at Anastasia. Something is off. This woman was an Amazon then why was she so worried about this mission? Why the fuck didn't she care about what was going on with the war? I look at her and I cross my arms.

I'm really getting the feeling these conventions aren't going as well as I thought they would. And these people in the District are getting more and more strange.

“Why the emphasis on the mission?”

“Reach out to your grandmother. I don't need to explain myself to you,” Anastasia states before starting to walk off and stopping halfway down the hallway, “Word to the wise: Don't show yourselves around here again.”

The afternoon is weird. There are more auctions for fertile men going on but the thrill of it all is over for a lot of people. I find myself with Shaddius. He's the only one I can really stomach being around right now strangely.

I tell him as much as I feel comfortable telling him about what's going on with my sisters and I. Everything is falling apart. God knows how long my grandmother had.

“Do you think there is anything Carolina can do?” I ask Shaddius.

Shaddius is walking me to my room. It's late at night. We spent the whole day walking around trying to brainstorm ways out of this. Shaddius hasn't offered much but for some reason I feel protected being around a guy that was so big and protective looking. By the time we get to my room he is holding my hand and for some reason it feels good.

Rahmell used to hold my hand all the time when we were younger and I loved that too, but I always knew that Rahmell wasn't holding my hand 'in that way'. With Shaddius it was different.

Shaddius was definitely holding my hand 'in that way'.

“Carolina and the District are allies,” Shaddius tells me, “The best I can do is try to convince the President of Carolina to stay out of the war. To be honest the chances of that are even relatively low.”

“New Florida doesn't stand a chance do we?” I ask.

“Listen. President Tailor is...maniacal,” Shaddius explains, “You don't become a world power by being nice. You are probably in danger here. I know you're an ambassador...but you need to start worrying about you.”

Shaddius looks a little worried. He's not the type to beat around the bush. He is blunt and a little rude at times so now that he seems to be holding back I'm a little worried.

“What are you getting at?”

We'd spent the whole day together and Shaddius hasn't even let me out of my sight. It seems like there is something he had on my mind.

“I'm saying you can't stop him. A senator is dead. He wants blood,” Shaddius drills in, pushing me up against the wall so I get his point, “We should leave. You can come to Carolinas. As an ambassador of my country, I can give you political asylum.”

“What about my sisters?” I ask.

“We can bring Opal. The other ones...they belong to the District,” he explains shaking his head, “I'm sorry...”

“My sisters are sitting in a prison. My country is about to be attacked. You want me to go hide with you?” I ask at that moment, “You don't know much about Amazons do you.”

Shaddius rolls his eyes, “Your pride will get you KILLED!”

“So be it,” I respond, “Let's make this clear. You don't know me Shaddius. I'll figure something out. Running and hiding is not how I was raised.”

Shaddius must realize that I'm getting defensive. He stops talking and lets a few seconds pass. It's almost like he's letting me calm down. It works. I stop getting worked up over his suggestion.

“Ok. Listen. I apologize,” Shaddius tells me, “I just want to make sure you're safe. I know I don't now you like your sisters or hell...even Rahmell. I don't have that history with you. That doesn't mean I don't want to have that history with you.”

“Then give me the hacker for something else,” I say.

“What?”

“I can't leave my country right now. They need me. Trade me something else.”

“There's nothing else I want,” Shaddius explains crossing his arms, “I'm sorry but New Florida isn't brimming with resources and shit babe. There's nothing that country can offer me.”

“We have rare stones.”

I take my necklace that my grandmother gave me off. The Exa stone was tucked underneath my shirt. It shines right now reflecting beautiful light. Shaddius looks at the stone.

“What the hell is this?”

“We have more where this came from. This is rare.”

Shaddius is hesitating, “Stones are worth anything nowadays. You know people only care about fertile men.”

“We don't have those.”

Shaddius continues to push back, “I care about you. I really want to get to know you but as an Ambassador I can't sign off on this kind of trade.”

“Then sign off as a friend,” I suggest.

Shaddius looks at me. He looks at the stone for a minute, “I have some appraisers in Carolina traveling with me. Let me take this back to them and see what quantity they'd be willing to trade you for.”

“Thank you Shaddius,” I state.

I am about to open my room door but Shaddius stops me. He pulls me back into the hallway. Shaddius is glaring at me. There is a hard look on his face.

He kisses me sloppily. His tongue presses up against me. People walk by at that moment but Shaddius could care less. I can feel him breathing. It's so deep and sexy. At that moment I feel like this is the perfect ending to the perfect day. Shaddius spent time with me and actually is helping me out. He wants to be with me. He was going against his own nature to try to help me.

When he pulls back he whispers in my ear, “Just so you know Gem. The shit I'm doing for you---I'm doing it as more than just a friend.”

I don't know what he means by that but I feel wanted when he says it.

I walk into my suite with a smile.

“What are you smiling about?” Opal asks me as soon as I walk into the suite, “We are in turmoil right now.”

She is in the common area. She's not alone. Rahmell is with her. He has a worried look on his face. Opal looks like she has been pacing around the room.

Rahmell walks over to me and grabs me, “Where you have been boy all day boy? You scared the fuck out of me.”

I had been MIA all day. Seeing Rahmell react like this almost brings a smile to my face. Almost. Being around someone from the District however just reminds me of what kind of person their president was.

“With Shaddius,” I respond.

“Shaddius?” Rahmell states, “What's going on between you two? Opal filled me in with the fact that your Grandmother wanted you to trade with him. But what's all this extra shit?”

“Of course Opal filled you in.”

I look over at Opal. I can't stand her right now.

“Don't get an attitude with me. You don't listen to me. You only listen to Rahmell,” Opal explains.

“Did you tell him about the fact that you wanted me to sleep with President Tailor after he admitted to raping our grandmother?” I ask Opal.

By Rahmell's reaction I can tell that she didn't give him that little piece of information. Rahmell sits on the couch at that moment.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa...run that back,” Rahmell states squinting at me with those beautiful eyes of his and they damn near change color right there in front of me.

Opal shakes her head, “We are at war. Our entire country is going to get destroyed. Grandmother would want you to do what you had to do.”

“Grandmother wants me to trade with Carolina. That's what I'm going to do. So how about you fuck off. You heartless bitch!”

“I'm calling Grandmother.”

“Do what the fuck you want,” I respond.

Opal is pissed off. I expect her to run back and tell our Grandmother what happened with the Stingers. She always runs back. I'm used to her putting her emotions aside for her intellectual arguments but she was just going too far by thinking I would be OK doing this.

I head to my own room.

I am about to slam the door but I'm not surprised when Rahmell comes in after me. He sits on my bed, lays back and stares out onto the roof as though he's thinking. I go run water for a bath that's attached to my bedroom. District technology is amazing and the water is instantly there. Jacuzzi bubbles are swirling around the water. The water even reflects sound waves letting out a slow, easy symphony of music. When I come back into my bedroom and looks at me even as I start taking off my clothes.

“I'm going to take a bath,” I tell him, “I need to relax.”

“I don't give a shit. I'm not ready to leave. Nothing I haven't seen before,” Rahmell explains to me crossing his arms, “Or are you being brand new because you have a boyfriend.”

“He's not my boyfriend,” I respond, “We're just friends. And I just need to be alone right now.”

“No you don't. You need me.”

I roll my eyes at him but that doesn't stop me from getting butt ass naked. Rahmell's right. He's seen me naked before. I walk into the bathroom and get in the tub.

I lean into the water. I'm so stressed out. My sisters are in jail. They are bitches and a little crazy but I feel like they are in there because they were protecting me. It is my responsibility to get them out of jail. I have to get them out of jail no matter what.

“Gimme the rag,” I hear Rahmell's voice say, “I'll wash your back.”

I look up at him to see him over me. He's followed me into the bathroom. I swear I had a wet dream about this at some point in my life. Of course I know that Rahmell isn't even thinking anywhere near that. I get him a rag and hand it to him. He starts to clean my back slowly, making sure to apply some pressure. It's clear that he's trying to relax me.

Rahmell shakes his head, “I didn't know about the President. I'm sorry about that.”

“The District is horrible.”

“You can't just put all of us in that box,” Rahmell states, “I live in the District now. Do you think I'm evil?”

Rahmell makes sense. That's why I hated being around him when I wanted to be mad. Right now I wanted to be angry. I wanted to hate the President. I wanted to hate the District. It would be easier to deal with the fact that we were at war with the District right now.

“Sometimes you go all Darth Vadar on me but today you're aight,” I smile.

Rahmell splashes the water on me, “You want to drown in this tub? You remember you've never been the best swimmer right?”

I laugh.

“I learned when you left. I learned a lot of things when you left New Florida,” I tell him.

Rahmell gets quiet. It's not an awkward quiet but I just think he has a lot on his mind. He's reminiscing a lot.

“I resented your grandfather so much for taking me away from my mother and my best friend,” Rahmell explains shaking his head, “I thought he was so...”

“Weak?”

“Yeah.”

“That idea is floating around a lot lately,” I state, leaning back in the tub, “I can't say I honestly disagree.”

I sit there thinking about all the ways my grandfather was just a pushover throughout the years. My grandmother followed his steps. I guess this was progress for her having me at this place to begin with. Soon I realize that Rahmell has the rag back in his hands. As I lay back he starts massaging my chest with the rag. He rubs my chest, he rubs my stomach...and he gets lower getting dangerously close into my lower abdomen.

All of me just wishes he'd go lower. I don't complain about the fact that I can wash my front. I like being catered to. Still a part of me feels this pain because I know that Rahmell won't go lower. He won't put the rag down and use his hands. He won't jump in this tub and make sweet love to me. It's all in my mind.

It always is...

He doesn't go to my privates. He hands me the rag and lets me do it myself.

“I used to be so jealous of you when we were younger,” Rahmell states.

It's random.

“Where did that come from?” I ask.

“I guess I'm just thinking about your family,” Rahmell states, “You had it all. Your family seemed so big and supportive. My mother...she was crazy.”

I laugh, “Hey, I didn't want to say it but your mother is a lunatic...”

Rahmell's mother was super feminist. She was scary. She was the kind of woman who never did her hair and thought all men were “Out to get her”. After hearing what President Tailor did to my grandmother I guess I didn't blame her.

“I think that's why I got so close to you,” Rahmell explained, “I wanted to be part of your world so bad. You know. No matter what. I wanted to be in your loving family. I wanted to walk like you. I wanted to look like you.”

“Look like me?”

Rahmell nods, “You know you were always the more attractive one when we were young. Sometimes I still feel like I'm that kid with the acne following you around.”

“Funny how things change.”

“Hey I'm ok now...but you're still that precious Gem who shines everywhere he goes,” Rahmell states.

I take a moment. I don't get why he says things like that to me. He looks at me and I feel like I'm the only man in the world. My heart stops every single time he does that. I hate it. I hate the fact that Rahmell has this impact on me.

“Now you are the heartthrob on a stage with hundreds of people bidding for your precious man mayo.”

“Man mayo? Really?” he asks splashing me, “Corny ass.”

“You not going to keep splashing me,” I warn him.

“Or what? You still can't beat me,” Rahmell has teasing smile that spreads across his face flashing pearly white teeth and a menacing eyebrow tension.

“Oh huh?” I ask.

I reach over and grab Rahmell at that moment. I don't know what gets over me. I pull Rahmell into the water with me. Rahmell is fully dressed and on top of me drenched in the bathwater. There is so match water when he hops in there that the tub overflows slightly.

“REALLY!” Rahmell screams at me.

He faces me, tightening up those lips of his. He's laughing like crazy but I'm not laughing. There's something about Rahmell on top of my naked body in this tub that is turning me all the way on. His wet shirt clings to his body. It clings to his thorough shoulder blades and his beaming frame. He is laughing in my face and I take in as much of his sweet breath as I can.

I'm breathing heavy.

So heavy.

“Remember...the tent,” I state at that moment, “When I kidnapped you.”

Rahmell might not realize how intense this is. It's not awkward to him at all. He doesn't seem to mind being over my naked body in this tub. He seems amused by it all. It doesn't cross his mind at all.

“Boy I said I'm over it. We're good.”

“That's not what I mean,” I state.

Rahmell gets quiet at that moment.

“What's wrong? Gem. Talk to me...”

“Rahmell that moment in that tent was the best moment of my life.”

Silence.

The awkwardness is finally here. Rahmell's goofy smile is wiped away followed by a straight face. His serious face is just as beautiful. It turns me on just as much.

“Gem...”

That's when I do it. I kiss Rahmell. I kiss him as hard as I can in the mouth. I try to push my tongue in his mouth but he doesn't let me. Rahmell pulls back at that moment. He jumps out of the tub...wet and all. He stands there on the side of the bathroom dripping and just awkwardly staring at the ground.

“Dammit...I'm sorry,” I state realizing I fucked shit up.

I lay in my bed and hear Rahmell taking a shower. I'm in my bed facing the wall feeling like shit about everything. I can't believe I just fucked up everything with him in a matter of seconds.

“Can I borrow some clothes?” Rahmell states, “All mine are soaked still...”

“Of course.”

There is silence. I don't expect Rahmell to come in the bed at that moment. I turn around to realize he hasn't borrowed a ton of clothes. He just took a wifebeater from me and a pair of my underwear. My underwear fit a little tight on him, showing damn near everything. I am using all of my fucking will not to just grab the bulge that has formed in his crotch.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Sleeping with you.”

“Rahmell. You don't have to do that,” I state.

“I want to,” he responds, “You're going through a lot. I want to be there for you. Besides. This isn't the first time we've slept in the same bed. Remember you used to get beat up by the Stingers and be so mad that the only way you'd go to sleep was to crawl in my bed.”

I laugh at that moment, “They used to drag me for sport. No kid should have to go through that. All my sisters were bitches. I had to go to my only male friend for affection.”

Affection.

There is an awkward glance between us.

“Nothing's changed between us,” Rahmell responds, “Nothing ever will.”

“Ok bro...”

“You don't have to keep calling me that,” Rahmell states.

“Why not?”

Rahmell shrugs, “I dunno. You ask too many questions. Lay down and come close it's cold.”

Rahmell grabs me...pulling me close and wraps me in his arms. It's not the first time we've slept like this. We'd spent countless nights sleeping like this. A lot of the times I was covered with bruises from the Stingers. It's hilarious they'd kill someone for touching me but these were the same girls who used to beat the living fuck out of me for years growing up. Only Rahmell was around to make me feel better afterwards. He'd hold me and he'd tell me that next time Beryl fucked with me he'd kick her in her puss. I knew he wouldn't but it made me feel better that he said it.

“I don't know if I can sleep like this.”

“Why not?” he asks me.

“You know why. Rahmell. We aren't kids anymore. Things have changed...about me. About how I feel with you. You can't keep sweeping it under the rug.”

I pull away from Rahmell. I go to the edge of bed and try to fall asleep again. Rahmell clearly isn't used to us sleeping like this. I don't know how the cuddling started but it was INTENSE cuddling. I'm talking about some bonus level type of cuddling. Extreme cuddling. When Rahmell and I used to sleep together, which was pretty often because my sisters beat me up pretty often, we'd sleep under each other all night.

Rahmell sits up. I can feel the bed springs. He is thinking for a few seconds and for a minute I'm kind of terrified that he is going to decide to just leave.

Rahmell stops me, “Ok let's try something.”

“Huh?”

“Let's just try what you wanted to try in the tub. And then we can sleep together. Compromise. Remember? We always used to compromise.”

I'm confused, “Rahmell. You want to kiss me?”

Rahmell shrugs, “Damn. I dunno. I don't not want to kiss you. All these damn questions...”

I can't help but to snicker at his awkwardness, “Melly that's not exactly what someone wants to hear before a kiss.”

“Well that's what happens when you want to kiss your bestfriend,” Rahmell states, “So are we this gay ass shit or naw?”

I get up on the bed. We are both on our knees. We are facing each other. There is an awkwardness to it. I'm not sure if I want to go first and Rahmell isn't sure if he wants to go first.

Rahmell puts his hand on the side of my face. I put my hands on the side of his waist.

He breaks into laughter.

“Be serious,” I tell him.

“This shit is just...weird.”

“The tent was weird.”

Rahmell shakes his head, “This is different. And you know it is...”

He's right. We did the tent because I needed his semen. Sure I sucked dick. It wasn't intimate...at least not to him. This was us...kissing. For no other reason then we wanted to.

I decide to make the first move before Rahmell changes his mind. I lean forward and kiss him. As soon as our lips touch he decides to be more of the aggressor. He parts my lips open when they smack together. He leans pulls me even in closer. Our tongues rub against each other. He cocks his head slightly to the left to have deeper access to my mouth.

As we kiss Rahmell starts rubbing my back. I'm rubbing the sides of his face. We kiss and stop. We look at each other for a minute because we both have lost our breaths. We kiss again. This time we kiss longer and deeper until we lose our breaths. This time we don't pull apart our lips. We just press our foreheads together.

We kiss one last time. This is the longest time.

I'm actually surprised that it's my thirsty ass that pulls back first. When I pull back he is sucking up my bottom lip.

I exhale deeply, “Shit.”

It was fireworks. It's exactly what I thought it would be. Fireworks. There's no other way to describe it. Rahmell touches his bottom lip. He sits there and thinks for a while.

I'm praying for him to say something.

Anything.

Rahmell just shrugs, “Ok...now can we go the fuck to sleep the way we REGULARLY sleep?”

I laugh jumping in his arms.

We lay together. We wrap each in each other's arms. I know that this doesn't mean that Rahmell is all of a sudden into me. I know this doesn't mean that him and I have crossed this huge threshold. This is a tiny step. It may be the smallest of steps. He probably just did it to make me happy. Still...it was a step.

And this was the best step in the world.

And for the first time really ever I think there may be a slight...glimmer of hope somewhere, anywhere that Rahmell and I may have a future as more than friends.

And I go to sleep with a smile.

There was something beautiful about hope.

“Guys...guys you got to wake up,” Opal states.

I'm not excited to wake up with her. Even waking up from some good sleep I'm still mad at her. I would say this is the best sleep I'd had in years. It's the best sleep I've had since the last time I slept with Rahmell.

“Your fat ass must have been dreaming about chicken again,” Rahmell states.

I don't know what he is talking about until I realize that I've been drooling on his goddam shirt. I have to admit I can't help but laughing.

“You going to stop talking about my ass.”

“Well stop making it so big,” Rahmell laughs.

“GUYS!” Opal interrupts us.

It's hard to acknowledge anyone's existence when Rahmell and I are together. It's always been like that. Now that Opal is screaming though it's clear that she has something important to tell us. We both look over at her.

“Good news or bad news?” Rahmell asks her, “I can't take anymore good news.

Opal is struggling with this.

“I'm not sure.”

“Spit it out,” I tell Opal.

Opal ignores me.

“Come in...”


My heart is racing when the door to my bedroom opens. I am panicking. Just when I thought there was hope. Just when I thought that something could possibly go on between Rahmell and I...things changed.

She was here.

She had a suitcase, a smile and a stomach that I didn't notice before.

Rahmell jumps up at that moment smiling from ear to ear, “Amethyst!”

To read the next chapter in advance go to www.crushedcrown.com