Page 54 of Queen of Darkness
“What?” I said, pushing myself up into a seated position. “No, of course not. I gave them to the Broker in exchange for the information I needed. The bastard must have known what they were, or at least some of what they could do, so he robbed me of their powers, powers which would have helped me get through this much easier.”
“Ah,” Vir said. “The Broker. I suppose I shall have to pay a visit to him.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
Vir shook his head. “No. I was trapped in the Direen long before he rose to his current station. Still, I have heard of him. It is past time we met.”
“Yeah. Sorry about the rings,” I said. “I didn’t really see any other choice.”
“You did what I would have urged you to do,” Vir said. “I gave them to you with the knowledge you would do best by them. I have no regrets.”
“Thank you,” I said, relief lifting my spirits.
Vir nodded, patting my leg before rising and departing. In the background, I heard the crackle of the fireplace. I couldn’t see it from where I lay. The bed was blocked from the rest of his home by an L-shaped wall. But I could still hear it. It sounded lovely. And warm.
Slowly, I swung my feet out from under the covers and onto the floor. My arms trembled as I pushed myself to a sitting position, but they didn’t threaten to fail. I was getting stronger.
If I could make it into Orrin’s office and out again, I can make it over to the fire, I told myself sternly before taking two breaths in preparation for the next step.
“Andup,” I urged, pushing up and standing in one motion. It wasn’t smooth, and I nearly went down in a flail of limbs, but I made it. Now it was a simple case of walking a few dozen steps. I could do that.
I’d gotten about halfway before Aaron caught sight of me and realized I wasn’t Dani. He surged to his feet in a blur and was at my side in less time than it took me to take half a step.
“No,” I said, snatching my arm back. “I’m going to do this myself.”
Aaron started to protest.
“You can walk at my side and catch me before I fall. But I’m doing thisalone.”
“But you’re not alone,” Aaron whispered.
“I know,” I said, smiling at him as I took another step. “I have you. And two awesome friends. I have you to catch me if I fail. I’ll take that. But I also need your support in my decisions.”
Aaron looked at me with exasperation, and he hovered over me the entire way to the couch, but he didn’t try to hold me up again.
“Thank you,” I said, half falling and half sitting back into the couch, basking in the warmth of the fireplace. “For a lot of things.”
“You’re welcome. You deserve it.”
I shot him a surprised look.
“You do,” he said insistently, taking a seat next to me. “You’re the strongest woman I know who’s still essentially human.”
Dani snorted from where she sat in a loveseat with her nose buried in a book. “Rude.”
Aaron mock-glared then looked back to me. “I’m serious. What you just did? Nearly killing yourself, just so that you can have a chance at taking out Elenia so thatothervampires can live a better life?”
“That’s not quite why I did it,” I whispered. “It wasmyBlood Letter, after all.”
“That was part of it, though,” he countered. “Whether you want to admit it or not. It was the most selfless thing I’ve ever seen a vampire do, I think. Elenia would never in a thousand years contemplate putting herself in harm's way to help others. She would sooner sacrifice a thousand of our kind than risk even a hair on her head.”
I looked away, embarrassed at what he was saying.
“That is what separates you from the likes of her, Jo,” he said, uttering words that he knew would get through to me. “Her caring for herself is what makes her a monster and why she’s unfit to rule.”
“I know.”
“It’s also what shows that youaren’ta monster,” he said forcefully. “That youaren’tlike her, in any way. You are her better, and we would be better off as a race with you on the throne. I can see that. So can these two. The rest of my team knows it. They would follow you anywhere they would follow me. Probably even further. You’re a hero to them, Jo.”
