Page 18 of Queen Takes Rook
His face hardened, his eyes flashing like his blade.:I begged Coatlicue for centuries to lift this curse from me. Or at least allow me to die, so Tlacel could have a normal life. But she refused to even allow me honor in death.:
I softened my grip on his face and lightly trailed my index finger over his lip. His eyes narrowed, suspicious of even the smallest caress.:Did it not occur to you that your goddess has a purpose for you? That I may have a purpose for you? Despite these dark needs you’re worried about?:
:I do not wish to be a darkness that only reminds you of how precious and wondrous the light is when it returns. Take Tlacel. Sacrifice me. It’s the best option.:
The goddesses whispered in my head.Make the sacrifice. Grow the heart tree. Plant our seed in Zaniyah’s nest. Another tree in Our grove.
Would this tree be able to communicate with mine at home? What kind of tree would She grow? How much blood would it require?
I let these questions flicker through my mind, a distraction while I thought about my options. I wasn’t eager to die on a heart tree again, but I’d do it without hesitation, if it would protect Mayte and her people. But I didn’t feel called to give them my life’s blood this time.
I felt called…
To give themhis.
I hesitated, making sure of Her will. I wasn’t even sure which goddess wanted his blood and the promise of his life, whether it was Isis, Coatlicue, Morrigan, or even this Great Spider Goddess I’d never heard of before. Or all the above. The desire for his blood, pain, and ultimate sacrifice swirled through my power. Like an eager drip of blackest ink on crystal clear water, swirling and spreading to stain the entire pool.
He wanted to die and prove himself needed. He wanted me to punish him for the dark gifts he carried.
When my own power would revel in those gifts.
I reached down and picked up his obsidian blade. Straightening, I watched his face, and more importantly, I listened to his bond. He didn’t flinch, look away, or pretend surprise that I was apparently willing to take him up on his offer. His bond remained as grim as before, eerily silent except the low, mournful whine of his black dog, pleading for forgiveness when his master could not.
“I require your blood, Itztli, and quite possibly, your life.”
“Take every drop of blood in my body, my queen. I’m yours.”
8
Shara
Tipping my head back to look up at the rising moon, I raised the black blade above my head. I wasn’t usually so ceremonial, but with the Zaniyah clan watching, I felt like they needed to see my respect for rituals and the goddesses. “Great One, your last daughter offers a sacrifice to You and Your sisters tonight.”
Instantly, the rain stopped, as if someone had shut off the heavenly faucets. People whispered around me. Pale, Mayte stared at me silently. She wouldn’t dishonor me, or herself, by protesting my decision in front of her people, but I felt the need to comfort her, at least a little.:This will be ugly, but it’s nothing that I haven’t already done myself and survived.:
I made sure Itztli heard that thought as well, but his only reaction was a slight huff of his breath.
:Do what you must do, my queen,:Mayte replied softly.:Brother, I love you.:
:And I love you, sister.:Sincerity echoed in his bond, a heart-wrenching twist at the thought of not seeing her, or Xochitl, again. He didn’t look away from me, though, even as he said goodbye to his twin.:At last, you’re free of me, brother.:
Tlacel dropped to his knees beside him and looked up at me. “Take me, too, my queen. We came into this world together, and we’ll leave it together.”
I tipped my head to the side, listening to the distant whispers on the wind. Night fell quickly. “You already risked your life to save me and Xochitl today. This sacrifice is not required of you, Tlacel.”
“I won’t let him die without me.”
I laid the obsidian blade on my left palm and drew a deep cut. “I will decide who lives and dies tonight.”
With the scent of my blood on the air, all my Blood focused even more intently on me, automatically drawing closer, a tight ring at my back and on either side of the two men kneeling before me. Mayte took a step toward me, but I shook my head. “House Isador makes this sacrifice for House Zaniyah tonight. This sacrifice will strengthen your defenses and give you a direct connection to my nest in Arkansas, but it takes a great deal of blood and power to complete it.”
I let my blood fall on the muddy soil between me and Itztli. Despite his misgivings about feeding, his nostrils flared, and his eyes blazed with heat. He hungered, and no wonder. He’d never fully embraced his needs, for fear of releasing the dark god’s power.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on my blood that dripped down my fingers. I held out my bleeding palm, but I didn’t touch him or tug on his bond. He had to want to taste me of his own accord, or I could never bring him fully into his power.
His lips brushed my index finger, his tongue flicking out to gather some of the droplets before they could fall. His eyelashes fluttered down. His breath caught, his pulse leaping at the immediate adrenaline kick. Through the bond, I felt the heavy pounding of his heart. The surge of brutal desire. He quivered with need, his muscles straining to keep him locked in place on his knees.
My fangs descended, forcing me to open my mouth and bare them to the air, or risk puncturing my own lips. Tiny electric bolts flickered through me at the sensation. My mouth ached, my fangs too sensitive, too bare, needing to be buried. Deeply.
