Page 30 of Gua rdian of Blood and Shadow

I offered them smiles, not trusting my voice with the nerves currently lodged in my throat. My legs felt shaky as I stopped in front of the throne and hesitated, unsure what to do. I turned to Javier and whispered, “Do I stand, or…” I looked from Javier to the throne and back.

“You sit,” Javier said, his voice hushed. “You are the High Queen of the House of the Moon. You stand for no one, save for the goddess herself. Once the emissaries arrive and bow, you can stand, if you wish, or even offer to speak with them in the seating area.” He glanced toward the cluster of armchairs and small tables set up off to the side of the dais. “But you don’t need to. If you stand as they approach, they’ll view it as an act of deference, and this must not happen.”

I gulped and sat, my body humming with anxiety. I desperately wanted to sink into myself and hide, but I forced myself to sit tall, back straight, forearms on the armrests. I crossed my ankles, uncrossed them, then crossed them again.

The vampires throughout the hall shifted into a formation that spoke of centuries of court protocol, the ghosts fading out when in the way, only to fade back in elsewhere. Two particularly imposing guardians moved to flank the main doors, their hands resting casually on concealed weapons.

The doors opened, and I jumped, my heart lurching into my throat.

The man who entered first radiated power. Magic crackled around him, making the air thick with the scent of ozone. My consorts tensed in unison, their varied energies bristling. Throughout the hall, the vampires’ collective awareness sharpened to penetrating focus, a ripple of silent readiness sweeping through their ranks, warrior and civilian alike.

“High Queen,” the elemental said, stopping a few steps away from the dais. His bow was perfectly calculated, deep enough to show respect without appearing to grovel. “I am Prince Reiji of the House of the Stars. We come seeking alliance in these troubled times.”

I started to respond, but movement behind him caught my attention. A woman emerged from his shadow—tall and lean, with short black hair and dark eyes that seemed to strip me bare, weighing and measuring me in a single sweep. Unlike Reiji's dramatic entrance, she moved with subdued potency.

“And this is Ren,” Reiji added, his tone suggesting she was an afterthought. “My guard.”

But the way she carried herself spoke of someone too powerful to be dismissed so casually. Her striking features held an androgynous beauty that drew the eye, the sharp angles of her face softened by full lips that seemed perpetually on the verge of a knowing smile. Her stare lingered on Wes's pendant nestled between my breasts, and I fought the urge to curl my fingers around the silver tree of life. When our eyes met, her gaze held curiosity—and secrets.

“Welcome to the Moon Sanctuary,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the way Ren’s stare and Reiji’s circling magic unsettled me. “We weren’t expecting you until later.”

“The stars suggested haste was prudent.” Reiji’s smile was meant to dazzle. “And who are we to argue with the heavens?”

Ren’s expression flickered—just the slightest tightening around her eyes. I filed that reaction away, adding it to my growing suspicion that “guard” was the least interesting thing about her.

“Who, indeed.” I stood and gestured to the formal seating area set off to the side of the dais. “Please, join me. We have much to discuss.”

As we moved to sit, I watched how Ren positioned herself—not following behind Reiji, but walking alongside him, like an equal. Her movements were liquid grace, reminding me of Bastian in his panther form. When she caught me watching, her dark eyes met mine with an intensity that made my cheeks heat and my skin prickle.

Something flickered in her gaze, a brief, unexpected softness that contradicted her otherwise guarded demeanor. It vanished so quickly I might have imagined it, but the momentary connection left me strangely unsettled in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant.

Javier’s hand brushed my shoulder as he took his position beside my chair, his energy wrapping around me like a shield against Reiji’s persistent magical prodding. His eyes never left our visitors, tracking their every movement even as he appeared relaxed.

Micah, Isador, and her consorts arranged themselves strategically to my right, close enough to signal their allegiance but far enough to give me autonomy. One of Isador’s consorts—an undead vampire gentleman with silver hair—whispered something in her ear, causing her to cast a measured glance at Ren.

Reiji settled into his chair with practiced elegance, Ren taking up a watchful stance behind him. “We’ve heard fascinating rumors,” Reiji said, his voice hitting that exact note of cultured interest I was still struggling to master. His smile turned sharp. “About the ratherdiversecollection of consorts you’ve chosen to serve you.”

Through our bonds, I felt my immortals bristle at the implied insult. Near the walls, the additional vampire guardians shifted almost imperceptibly, reading the tension in my consorts’ postures and adjusting their own stances in response.

“I prefer to think of them as partners,” I said, keeping my tone pleasant. “Each brings unique strengths to our alliance.”

“As you say.” Reiji’s gaze flickered between my consorts with poorly concealed interest. “Though I notice you’re still short of the traditional seven. Perhaps the House of the Stars could assist with that?”

Was he suggestinghecould fill that role? Behind me, Bastian made a sound low in his throat, and I felt Javier’s cold fury through our bond. Throughout the hall, the temperature seemed to drop as dozens of vampire eyes focused with predatory intensity on the elemental prince.

Before I could tell Reiji exactly where he could stick that suggestion, Ren made a soft sound—not quite a snort, but close enough to draw Reiji’s attention. Ren moved around from behind Reiji’s chair and sat, their eyes meeting in what seemed like a silent argument.

“What mycolleaguemeans,” Ren said, her voice low and rich, “is that we seek true, lasting alliance, not merely political maneuvering.” Her dark eyes met mine. “The shadow grows stronger. We all feel it.”

The direct acknowledgment of the threat sent a chill down my spine. My vision of the Shadow King’s invasion flashed through my mind—blood and fire and endless darkness consuming everything I loved. Through our connection, I felt my consorts’ attention sharpen.

“Tell me what you know,” I said, dropping the diplomatic facade. Screw politics—if they had information about the shadow, I needed to hear it.

Reiji’s smile faltered slightly, but Ren’s expression remained steady as she held my gaze.

“The shadow seeks gaps in the barrier between realms,” Ren said, her voice dropping lower. “Places where the barrier has grown thin.”

Reiji’s magic pulsed with irritation, but Ren seemed utterly immune to his attempts to silence her. “The House of the Stars has preserved certain records,” Reiji interjected smoothly, trying to regain control of the conversation. “Prophecies that speak of a High Queen who will either save or destroy us all. Though they’re frustratingly vague about which outcome is more likely.”

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