Page 24 of Queen Takes Queen
Ezra looked from me to Daire and back. “You don’tknow?”
The trees murmured in the crisp winter air.Threat. Close.Many.
The invading ants were close, slowly climbing up from the underground cavern and approaching the roots, and yes, my nest. The trees swayed, leaves rustling, even in the stillness of the night. I sensed eagerness. Hunger. They were ready to defend their forest, their grove, and yes, mynest.
Feast, I told them.Kill as many as you can before they even reachus.
The trees rustled louder. Ezra cocked his head, noticing the noise despite the lack of wind. He suddenly reminded me of a bear, rising up on his hind legs, looking for food or danger. A big burly bear.Yes.
The sense of… rightness… surprised me, and my Blood too. Rik narrowed his gaze on the man, sizing him up. Daire sat on his haunches and started licking his giant paw, razor-tipped claws unsheathed. Guillaume lifted his head and blew out a hard breath, nostrils wide. Even Xin paused, nose in the air, my silent ghostlywolf.
Reluctantly, I closed my eyes and brought up the tapestry in my mind. I didn’t want another Blood. Let alone one with this kind ofcomplication.
But his red glow blazed on the outside of my nest, a giant grumbling grizzlybear.
:Fuck:Daire growled disgustedly.:Do you know how much trouble he got me into ascubs?:
Rik groaned silently in our bond.:Great. Just what we need. Another mischiefmaker.:
“No,” I said slowly. “I guess Idon’t.”
“Skye.” He spat out her name like a curse, which I could highly approve of. “She’s trying to force Devana to support her bid for the Triune, by using me, and indirectly Daire, ashostages.”
Daire slowly lowered his paw, staring at his friend.:Fuuuuccccck. Not good. At all. Huge breach ofprotocol.:
Blood loss made my brain too sluggish for court politics. I remained silent a few moments, trying to trace the convoluted threads of alternatives and options in my head. At first, I’d assumed he was sent by Keisha Skye with another ultimatum. But maybe he’d come of his own volition. To bemyBlood, though? Another from Skye’s court? Despite his promising red glow, I just couldn’t see it. For all I knew, she’d probably allowed him to leave as a dupe to cover up her own approaching attack. Then she could eliminate Ezra without repercussions, assuming that I would kill him, like I’d killedKendall.
My head hurt. My entire fucking body hurt. And millions of ants were descending on my nest inminutes.
Unobtrusively, Rik slid an arm around my waist and supported me against him. At least then I didn’t have to use my muscles to stay upright. Blood dripped down Guillaume’s withers, chest, and down his legs. He hadn’t fed, and now I was tormenting him, them all, with all this blood. I sagged a little more against Rik. I really needed to feed again so I could get these wounds sealed off. As long as I was still bleeding, I wouldn’t feel muchbetter.
:It’s a heavenly torment,:Guillaume said in our bond.:Imagine his torment. A queen, bleeding, in obvious need, a possible salvation in his darkest hour, or his greatestdanger.:
:Do you believehim?:
Guillaume bobbed his head slightly,:He smells sincere. That doesn’t mean Skye isn’t using him,though.:
Ezra let out a deep, low grunt. “I’m too late. She already hurtyou.”
I lifted my gaze to his. “You came to warnme?”
He jerked his head in affirmation. “And Daire. He ought toknow.”
“You want me to believe that Keisha Skye didn’t sendyou.”
“Nope.”
Rik growled. “Don’t ever fucking lie to her, Ezra. Your queen could command you back to New York City with athought.”
Ezra humphed out a laugh beneath his breath. “You think so? First of all, she’s stretched too far to use one drop of her blood to force me to do anything against my will. I’ve always been strong in thatregard.”
Daire rumbled in my mind, part exasperation and part laughter.:It’s true. Our queen often despaired of making him do anything he didn’t want to, even when we werecubs.:
Rik groaned and Guillaume humped his back slightly, enough to convey his disgust at the thought of having two troublesome Blood in ournest.
“Second of all, she’s got bigger fish to fry than an obstinate unruly sib with the penchant for roaming. Besides, few in her court would ever feed me. I’ve probably got less of her sib blood in me than thosetwo.”
I weighed my alternatives, letting my senses roll over this man and the surrounding forest. The trees liked his sense of wildness. They burned with hunger and eagerly stretched their roots down into the ground, waiting to entrap the approaching ants, but didn’t twitch a single branch his way. They had no interest in devouring him. Because he was mine? Or because he was innocent in thisplot?
