“What happens if they come back?” Marcus thankfully asked.
“That won’t happen.”
“But what if it does?” Rayne reiterated, not taking Caleb’s answer. “Will that make the whole test null and void? How will we be punished if your abilities are not up to par?”
Caleb stalked over to Rayne coming face to face with the red head. Annoyance pinched his eyes as he flashed his fangs at Rayne. “That. Won’t. Happen.”
“Now, now, Caleb.” Tuma waved the other man off. “It is a sensible question.”
Visibly forcing himself to calm, Caleb stepped back from Rayne and folded his arms over his chest. “The likelihood of her memories resurfacing is slim to none. However,” Caleb interrupted before Rayne could ask again, “If by chance, they do reappear you may contact me to have them repressed until the test has concluded.”
“And how do we contact you?” Wynn questioned, coming to Piper’s side. “How will you know the test has been completed?”
Caleb smirked. “I’ll know.”
Before anyone could press further, Tuma stood from the couch. He leaned over and picked up his glass from the table, touching his drink for the first time since we’d been there. “Sunrise will come soon. You will want to clean Miss Piper up and put her to bed before you make your preparations for the coming months. We thank you for giving us your time.”
Tuma lifted his glass to us before drinking from it, turning his back on us. Odette chatted to her doll completely ignoring us while Caleb took one last look at Piper, an arrogant look on his face that I couldn’t figure out and then walked out of the room.
We had been dismissed as easily as we had been called. I nodded to the others who with reluctance headed for the door. Rayne lifted Piper into his arms with Marcus and Wynn close to her sides. The twins led the way with me bringing up the rear.
“Antoine,” Tuma’s voice called out before I could leave with the others.
I paused. “Yes, your excellency?”
Tuma picked up his hat and sat it on his head, adjusting the brim just so. “I have always admired you. You broke away from your master which is no simple feat. You’ve made yourself a small empire and even the hunters fear you. I would hate for you to lose all that over a simple woman.”
My lips curled up, making Tuma’s brows raise in question. “Piper has been called many things. Simple is not one of them. She’d be insulted to hear as much.”
Tuma chuckled. “I did get that impression.”
“As far as ruining everything, what is the point of living forever if you must do it alone?”
Tuma tipped his hat to me and I took that as my turn to be dismissed. I headed back outside to where the others were waiting by the car. Piper had been placed inside already with Rayne and Wynn. Marcus and the twins waited outside for me.
“What did the doctor want?” Drake asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
Allister snorted. “Doctor?”
Drake gestured toward the club. “The guy in the purple suit. He looks exactly like I’d think a witch doctor would look like.” He rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. “Though, I would think he’d have more bones for decorations or perhaps a piercing through his nose.” He pointed at his own nose to show his brother.
“You’re so weird.” Allister sighed and turned to me. “What did Tuma want?”
I shook my head. “Nothing of importance. Though, I had the impression that he thought I should hand Piper over and be done with it. He went so far as to call her simple.”
Everyone laughed as I knew they would.
I peeked into the car and looked over Piper’s sleeping form. “What shall we do about Piper?”
“I suggest we take this discussion inside.” Marcus held the door open. “We do not know who might be listening.” His gaze slid over to the two large guards standing nearby.
Nodding, I entered the vehicle. I sat next to Piper, placing her head in my lap. I picked at a piece of her hair that had stuck to her face by Morpheus’s leftovers. “We should probably wait until we arrive home. Darren will want to hear about this.”
Rayne groaned, holding onto Piper’s legs laid across his lap. “Great. He’s going to be a big drama queen about it all.”
“Especially since the council seemed to not know anything about Piper’s relationship with him.” Allister stroked his jaw and peered down Piper’s unconscious form. “I wonder if Caleb suppressed her relationship with him as well?”
As the car began moving, I stared down at Piper wondering how we’d get through the next few months without her. “I suppose we’ll find out soon.”