"Can we show her?" Katia asked.

Lottius shrugged. It was just the three of us. Ravan and Skylar had a date, and Gus was off the island.

"Show me what?" I asked.

"You'll see. Let's go to the bathroom," Katia whispered, glancing at me and then Lottius.

"I'm staying right here," Lottius said, adjusting her sungla.s.ses.

"Come on, Lottie," Katia said.

"There's nothing Lilith can do. Our people will never change. You saw what happened to the minions she tried to help in the elite guards. Nothing."

I rounded on her. "You know what, Lottie? I'm tired of your defeatist att.i.tude. Just because nothing has changed doesn't mean I'm ready to give up. You don't want to be involved? Then shut up and stay out of our way."

She glared, and I glared right back.

After a few seconds, she sighed. "Fine. I'll be the decoy and keep them preoccupied." She slanted her head toward Callum and Rudy, my favorite bodyguards, and two other security guards.

Ruby and Callum followed us inside the ice-cream parlor while the others stayed by the entrance. I'd become very good at ignoring their presence, since no amount of complaining had convinced my father I didn't need them twenty-four-seven.

Several girls came out of the bathroom and smiled when they saw me. "Hi, Princess Lilith."

I loved that they had stopped bowing. I smiled back and waved, finding it hard to remember the lessons Lady Nemea had drummed into me over these past several weeks.

"We're having a party at our place," one of the girls said. "Would you and your friends like to come?"

"Ask her later," Katia said, pulling me into the bathroom. "Follow my telegate."

We appeared on a narrow and rocky beach packed with picnicking parents and children. Some lined up to get snow cones and drinks from a lone building by the rock wall bordering the beach. Others splashed in the water, swimming.

To our right was a rocky divide that went all the way to the sea. It was the same pile of rocks I'd seen the first time I'd come to the beach, which meant it separated this beach from West Coronis Beach. A waterfall to the left neatly confined the occupants to the narrow land. It didn't seem to bother them, though.

"Is this part of Coronis Beach?" I asked.

"No, this is Rocky Beach," Katia said. "Or, should I say, the minions' beach. On the other side of the waterfall is East Coronis Beach, which, if you've noticed, is favored by families."

The beach had more pebbles than sand. No wonder they called it Rocky Beach. "What happens when a family has a child without powers?" I asked.

Katia chuckled. "I don't know. They keep it to themselves, I guess. Do you see her?"

I followed Katia's gaze and saw who she was talking about-Seraph, the little girl I'd healed weeks ago. She'd seen us and was pointing.

One by one, the minions dropped to their knees, bowed their heads, and pressed hands to their chests. "No, don't kneel."

By the time we walked across the sand to their side, the entire beach was on their knees, on the rocky ground. Please, stop bowing. Get up. Now.

No one moved.

Please, stand up, I added.

One by one, heads lifted. They were confused, but they got to their feet. I recognized faces from the castle. Most workers there rotated, getting a few days off every week. Surprise flashed in their eyes when I remembered their names, but I didn't dwell on it, because Seraph was running toward me, two of her friends following. I was sure she was going to hug me but stopped short and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

I knelt down. "Hey, Seraph. I promised I'd come."

She just stared.

"Sorry it's taken me so long," I added, feeling a little guilty.

"Five weeks, twenty hours, and fifteen minutes late."

I looked over my shoulder at Green Eyes. Dressed in a black surfing suit that hugged his masculine chest and taut abs, his hair plastered to his head and falling past his shoulders, he looked utterly male and tempting.

"I didn't know you were keeping count," I said.

"I always keep count, Princess." He glanced at Katia. "Hi."

"It's you again," Katia murmured. "Are you stalking us?"

"No. I just happen to have a large family to feed and must work as often as I can."

"But the High Council is in charge of making sure everyone is fed," I said.

"Weekly provisions are based on work hours, Princess, whether a minion works in some n.o.bleman's home, a shop, farms, or the palace grounds. You want decent meals each day, fresh fruit and vegetables, or even a decent home, you work your tail off. The problem is that when parents are busy working, the children are cooped underground doing nothing or working alongside them. Coming to the beach means lost work hours and less provision, yet the children need fresh air."

Rocky Beach was small for the number of people flocking it, but he couldn't be serious about food and home. The minions working at the castle always seemed happy. As an empath, I would have known if they were angry, hungry, or unhappy. As for their homes, I knew that most of the minions lived in the belly of the city, but I hadn't visited them.

I glanced at Katia. "Is this true?"

She nodded.

I studied the minions and something registered. No one was speaking, not even telepathically. Were they listening to our conversation? I knew the ones closest to us could hear us.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Just as you made sure Sir Kellion stopped abusing the volunteers and got him b.u.mped to number two, the rest of us need a champion, Princess," Green Eyes said.

"What? He stopped?" I laughed.

Green Eyes grinned. "Sir Norath is now the head of the knights. He started a new regiment made up of minions. They started training this morning."

"That's great!" I hugged Katia.

"Like I said, the rest of us need an advocate, someone who cares about our welfare. Someone who can go to the High Council and demand changes." He nodded at the minions. "Ask them what they need to make their lives better and you'll be surprised." He bowed and disappeared.

Why did he keep doing that?

I didn't realize I'd spoken out loud, until Seraph's mother said, "He's always been like that, even as a child. On Coronis Isle, he'd bring the children treats, then disappear. Now he brings supplies to the shop." She indicated the beach shop with a nod. "Drinking water and fresh fruit." She looked at something behind me and fear flashed in her eyes.

I turned and groaned. Lottius and my guards had caught up with us, but they weren't alone. Lady Nemea and several guards were with them.

"We are so busted," Katia whispered. She sounded scared.

Lottius hurried to our side, a broad grin on her face. "Are you done? I took them all over the island before they finally caught on. Idiots."

Katia giggled. "You won't believe what we just learned. They've started training minions as guards because of what Lilith did."

I tuned out Katia and Lottius as Lady Nemea and the guards drew closer. A psi scan said my father was in the castle. I tried to ping him, but his shield was up. I tried again, hoping he'd recognize my energy and respond. No response. Weird.

The minions took off, some going back to their activities. Others left the beach altogether. I waited, my mind already made up.

"Don't leave, please," I called out. A few looked back and smiled, but the majority acted like they hadn't heard me. Seraph and her two friends shuffled back with their mothers.

"What's going on?" Lady Nemea asked imperiously. Nearby minions looked down.

"Join us, Lady Nemea," I said. "We came to the beach to swim."

Her eyes narrowed on Katia accusingly, then Lottius, before coming back to me. "You're supposed to use West Coronis Beach."

I shrugged. "We like this one better. Lots of rocks and itty-bitty s.p.a.ce."

Annoyance simmered in her eyes. "Swimming? Where's your swimsuit?"

I looked down at my sundress, wishing it was a swimsuit. The material shifted and remolded to form a swimsuit. Grinning, I glance at Lady Nemea. "This swimsuit?"

She sighed. What are you really doing here, Princess?

I let the image of my sundress fill my thoughts, and the swimsuit transformed back into the dress. "My friends and I ended up on this beach and we wanted something fresh to eat and drink. You know, fresh fruit or a cold smoothie, but surprise, surprise, they didn't have enough to go around. That little shack"-I pointed at the lone building-"can hardly handle the needs of this many people. There should be more shops here."

Lady Nemea gave me a tight smile. "There's still a lot of work being done around the island, so more stores will be added on Rocky Beach." She glanced around at the minions and nodded. Three elderly ones-two men and a woman-had moved closer. Standing protectively behind them were buff younger ones in their teens or early twenties. From their expression, they didn't believe Lady Nemea.

"I will talk to Ka.s.set and make sure your supplies are increased, but right now Princess Lilith has duties in the castle that require her attention," Lady Nemea added.

The expressions on the faces of the minions didn't change, but their thoughts filtered through unchecked. They didn't expect their situation to change. They didn't trust Lady Nemea, and if I did nothing, they'd never trust me, either.

"No, Lady Nemea. My duties are here, serving my people." I indicated the minions with a nod. "They need me."

"Princess-"

"I will return to the castle, Lady Nemea, but first, we need some..." I glanced at the elderly woman.

"Fresh fruit," she said.

"How many crates?" I asked.

"Three or four."

"Thank you, ma'am. Four crates of fresh fruit."

"And at least two barrels of drinking water," one of the men chimed in.

"Anything else?"

"Fresh vegetables," another added. "Three crates."

Lady Nemea sighed. "Princess, I don't think there's enough to go around this week. They've already been given their weekly supply."

I hated arguing with her in front of the minions, but dang it, Mount Hermon Island was home to all of us. "I know, Lady Nemea, but they need more now." The minion elders nodded. "I know you've been busy preparing my etiquette lessons and probably haven't had time to visit the storage, Lady Nemea." Chances were she had, but I couldn't accuse her of lying. "But there's enough food to feed everyone on this island for years. Just yesterday, I saw crates of fresh apples, pineapples, mangoes, and peaches." I paused and smiled at the elderly minion woman. "May I know your name, ma'am?"

"Halib," she said, then pointed at the man on her right, "Jalal and Dadelon," she pointed to the man on her left. "We are the elders and representatives of the P-zero group."

I winced. This crazy way of defining people by their power had to stop. P-zero meant they had no powers. Having no psi power didn't mean they were powerless or insignificant. Someone needed to remind them that as long as they were contributing members of the society, they were important. But that was for later. Now...

"How many barrels of water do you get daily, Halib, and how many more would you like daily?"

"We get water in our homes, Princess," one of the elders explained. "It's only here at the beach that we don't have enough. But the waterfall is nearby."

As the minions went into details about what each household needed, which included fruits and vegetables, Lady Nemea's disapproval grew.

"To add that amount to their supplies, we need to talk to Ka.s.set," Lady Nemea said. "She's in charge of food."

I'd spent enough hours visiting the servants in the kitchen and Ka.s.set in her office in the sublevels. She would understand.

"Can I have some volunteers, please?" I called out.

Several men and women raised their hands. I waved them over. The others stepped aside to let them pa.s.s. When they reached us, they went on their knees and touched their chests.

"We are here to serve you, Princess," a woman said, and the others echoed her. I recognized her from the rides. She was the one manning the booth where I'd healed Seraph. "My name is Jazreel."

"Nice to see you again, Jazreel. Come with me. All of you." I didn't look at Lady Nemea.

"Princess, what are you doing down here?" a short, round woman with rosy cheeks and white, curly hair asked, hurrying from an office when we appeared on the second sublevel. Behind us were huge barrels, crates, and sacks on raised platforms.

"Hi, Ka.s.set. You said I could visit you whenever I liked."

"Yes, to get a few pieces fruit or share the cook's pie. Today, you brought visitors." She studied the men and women who'd teleported behind me, her eyes locking with the woman from the rides. "Jazreel."

"Mother." The anger and hurt in that one word said it all.

"Can we talk in your office, please?" I asked.

Ka.s.set nodded, her glance going to her daughter one last time. Once inside, she faced me. "What's going on, Princess?"

"We need barrels of drinking water, fresh fruit, and vegetables sent to Rocky Beach."

"May I know what it is for? Are you having a party?"

"It is for the people. I just found out some of our people are not getting enough fresh vegetables and fruit. I hate using the word minions or P-zeros, but they're just as important as P1s, or the Specials, for that matter. The bottom line is they need water on the beach and fresh fruit, and I'm hoping you'll give us some. Whatever their daily or weekly rations, I would like to see it-"