Birthright

Chapter Twenty Three

Polly made his way over to the breakfast trays and started stuffing his face with doughnuts. Heath renewed his efforts to get Polly to eat the pastries he didn’t like. Cibrian helped. 

“Nervous?” Gideon cocked his head to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Being nervous is understandable. That business with William and then coming into our world and meeting Donovan… He shouldn’t have waited so long,” Gideon said with a scowl in his son’s direction.

When Jordan said nothing, Gideon waved his hands. 

“What’s done is done. New day. You’re here now and that’s all that matters. You only have to go through the Declaration Ceremony once in your lifetime. You’ll probably end up at The Academy.”

“Why?”

“Even if you’re not a Grounder, you’re a Parker. Parker’s always make headlines, good or bad. The best place to do that is The Academy. My great grandfather was like Donovan. Brilliant, eccentric. He could have done anything, but he chose to live on the sidelines. He turned his back on our world and spent most of his time in Ignorant territory. Built a school in Texas that no one thought the Gem would acknowledge, but…” Gideon shook his head. “It’s become the most prestigious school in our world.”

“This school is in Texas?” Jordan asked.

“Yeah. I think my grandfather’s idea was to force our people to interact more with the Ignorant. It worked. Texas has the elite of our world buying property there.”

Gideon’s eyes, so like Mr. Parker’s, searched her face. Jordan looked back at him, wondering how different she would be if she grew up knowing him. She was on the verge of telling him what happened at the temple when the front door opened again, distracting them. Gideon’s face darkened as Mary Ann shoved the Lafita out of her way as if they were harmless teenage boys. The men gave way, looking stunned and a little out of their depth as Mary Ann shrugged out of her coat, handed it to one of them and danced down the steps towards Gideon. Today she wore a lavender tunic over leggings. 

“Long time no see,” Mary Ann said in a sweet voice.

“Not long enough,” Gideon said through clenched teeth. “I thought you didn’t leave that cursed house of yours.”

Mary Ann’s dazzling smile widened. “I can’t miss the Declaration Ceremony with so much new blood on the scene. I think this year’s going to be more interesting than the others. What could possibly drag you from your all-consuming duties and bikini clad people of Paradice?”

“Damn it, Mary Ann-” 

“It’s no wonder your fifth wife divorced your sorry ass-” Mary Ann said scathingly. 

“Well, well, look whose graced us with her presence.” Polly sneered as he strolled up, jelly smeared on the corner of his lip. 

A wicked twinkle entered Mary Ann’s eyes. “Still tagging along after Gideon, Polly? Get a life.”

A blush rose in his dark cheeks. “I’m Gideon’s personal security,” he blustered. 

“More like Gideon felt sorry for you and he can afford to pay you to follow him around like a puppy. Neither of you has changed,” Mary Ann said. 

Polly was so enraged, a trickle of steam drifted up from his nostril. “How dare you!” he choked. 

“I dare,” she said with a shrug. “What are you going to do? Eat me?” She glanced down at his protruding belly.