The Lazy Prince

Chapter 15: What Is Our Plan

Callum Vanrose Irvine

Friday Night, Present

Valdis is sound asleep on my shoulder, his breath tickling my neck every time he breathes. I can't help but to wrap my arm around him and hold him a little closer. It almost feels like I have Atlas back. I know I don't but it feels just as nice. 

Lucian's green eyes find mine in the review mirror of the EMC, and I can see a soft smile curve his full lips. He knows exactly what I'm feeling. They all do.

Silas breaks the silence first. "I don't know if I believe him yet, but we are going to help him." He whispers shocking the hell out of me. Shocks all of us, disbelieving looks are on everyone's faces. "I may not like the Lazy Prince, but he is a part of this Quint." Silas nods his head up and down, as if he's trying to convince himself that this is a good idea.

"So what's the plan? Hope that he trusts us enough to tell us who has been hurting him all this time?" Kyro snarks in a whisper. "I don't know if you've been paying attention Silas, but we haven't been very welcoming. I doubt he tells us a thing more than he already has." I can't help but agree with Kyro. There is no chance in hell that Valdis will talk to us. 

"We only know this much because we intruded on his privacy." Lucian rumbles lowly in his delicious deep voice.

"And for good reason that we did." Kyro jumps in. "It's going to kill him. The Iron Coffin. I don't know how he's survived this long and I don't know when his luck is going to run out, but it will." 

"It's because he's strong." All eyes fall on me after my statement. It just slipped out without thought but I realize in this moment that it's the truth. He is strong, stronger than we give him credit for.

"No way-" Silas starts but I cut him off.

"Whatever stigma you want to have about Valdis needs to end. The facts are someone hurt him, badly I might add. He is a part of this Quint wether we wanted him to be or not. He is here." I take a deep breath to keep myself from yelling. "Nothing else should matter except that he is here."

"But Atlas-" Again Silas tries to start but I stop him.

"Atlas made his choice. A choice that he didn't trust us with." I rub my eyes with my free hand, trying to alleviate the stress. "It's time we started living with it instead of blaming the one person who couldn't have done anything to stop it." My attention falls to Valdis when I feel him shift against me in his sleep. His whole body shifts closer into me and I can't help but hold him that much tighter. Wether he knows it or not, I have his back. From this moment forward. I just hope the others have it too.