Page 8 of Queen Takes Queen
I took a sip of coffee, mulling things over. “You said Mayte Zaniyah wants me badly. For what, exactly? I won’t be her pawneither.”
“She hasn’t said explicitly,” Gina said. “I grew up deep in Triune politics. I know how consiliari think and act, and I know most of them, or I have my mother’s and grandmother’s assessments and notes as reference. While I don’t know Bianca or Mayte personally, I knowofthem, and I know what the other courts think of House Zaniyah. With that experience only to guide my gut, I think she wants to be yoursib.”
“Mypawn? But I don’t want to make anyone a pawn either. Doesn’t that imply I can’t stand alone, independently? That I need an ally to help me hold my ownterritory?”
Xin’s wolf trotted into the room and sat on his haunches before me. It was so strange to see him inside the house, let alone visible. He was usually out hunting and guarding, silent in the woods and only the faintest whisper in my mind.:I would shift but I won’t have clothes. I remember your command to wear pants around otherwomen.:
My lips quirked. “Thank you,” I said aloud. “Do you know MayteZaniyah?”
:Not at all, though I know court intrigue inside and out. While she’s not weak—or she wouldn’t still be independent despite Keisha Skye’s best efforts to crown herself the queen of the Americas—she isn’t strong, either. She can’tbe.:
Though my other Blood were nodding, hearing Xin’s words in the bond, I repeated roughly what he said for Gina andWinston.
“That’s a very true assessment,” Gina added. “Mayte has been queen for several hundred years and has managed to retain her independence. She isn’t Keisha Skye’s sib. Neither is LeonieDelafosse.”
I thought about the meeting I’d overheard in my dreams between Keisha Skye and Marne Ceresa. It definitely supported the idea that Keisha wanted to be the queen in the Americas, as well as take a seat on the Triune. “So Skye’s been trying to make themhers.”
“Exactly,” Rik replied. “That’s why she finally allowed small groups of us to go out exploring for our own queens, with the goal of pulling more sibs toher.”
:That’s why Wu Tien dissolved the nest in San Francisco.:Xin said through the bond.:She refused to offer throat to House Skye but had lost too much of her power base to remain independent. She hoped to reunite with some of the Wu clan to regainstrength.:
“What about the queen who’d been in Dallas? Was thatMayte?”
“Perhaps, though she never established a nest or court, and I haven’t been able to get a full report from anyone in the area to besure.”
Thinking a few minutes, I polished off the last of the croissant and started on the fruit. I wasn’t a fan of the cantaloupe, but the strawberries, grapes and pineapple were delicious. “Have Leonie and Mayte formed analliance?”
“They may have an informal agreement, but they’re not sibs,” Gina replied. “They can’t be, not without infuriating HouseSkye.”
“True. Yeah. I could see that. If Skye thinks people are uniting against her, she’ll attackharder.”
“Which is why she made the move against you in Kansas City.” Rik’s voice rumbled toward rock troll at the memory. Skye had sent one of her lower Blood, Kendall, who had a blood bond with my first two Blood, in an effort to gain a foothold in my new court. Or betray me. We weren’t really sure, and we didn’t give Kendall long to show his hand before Xin killed him. “She had to see which way the wind would blow with you before you could connect with any otherqueen.”
“It’s a gamble for Mayte right now,” Gina said. “She doesn’t have any way to know how strong you are. Whether you can help her stand against House Skye. But she knows the Isador name and hopes that even if you’re half human, that you’ll be enough to defend her against KeishaSkye.”
“But she has no idea if I’m any better of a queen, or fairer, than Skye is. Why would she want to be my sib but nothers?”
Rik tightened his arm around my shoulders. “Trust me. Anyone who knows Keisha Skye would run in the opposite direction and hope for thebest.”
I nestled my head against his chest. “You’ve never talked about your time in hercourt.”
“For good reason. Thank the goddess Daire and I were too far down her list to worrymuch.”
I wanted to know more, but I was afraid to ask. I didn’t want to break down crying—or go off half-cocked with anger. Just the thought that my alpha and cuddly warcat had been unhappy made me want to cut the bitch, and I didn’t even knowher.
Gina’s phone rang, and I knew before she said anything that it was Mayte Zaniyah’s consiliarius. She nodded, meeting my gaze. Waiting to see what I woulddo.
:Taking a queen as strong and independent as Mayte Zaniyah will greatly expand your power base,:Xin said.:Their power becomes yours. Her Blood indirectly become yours. Some queens even take a few from her sib’s Blood, especially if she needs a particularskill.:
:I don’t want her Blood. I havemine.:
:Six Blood are not enough to protect you from the Triune.:Rik said.:You need more. This is one way to make that gain—without actually taking more Blood of yourown.:
I couldn’t imagine making it work. Not really. I liked my small team the way we were. I loved having my Blood so deep and close to me. If I had to gain ten or twenty more Blood to protect us from Marne Ceresa… I didn’t want that. Notreally.
:Sibs weren’t always like pawns,:Guillaume said in our bond, and I felt Xin’s immediate agreement.:Sib is short for sibling. At one time, this was a way to make your family larger. To make connections and share oaths of protection and fealty among the houses. It’s a risk for her to offer herself to you, but only because she doesn’t know you like wedo.:
That made my throat tighten and my heart suddenly felt like it’d grown too large for myribcage.
