Page 25 of Queen Takes Rook
She smiled at Xin and shook her head. “No, my wolf knows the way. I trust you’ll take care of your traitor yourself?”
Mayte looked down at the woman curled in a fetal position, covered in mud as she’d struggled to crawl away. Whatever spell Mayte had used on her was a brutal one. The woman’s arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles. Each time she tried to flee, another bone cracked.
Our queen would do well to learn this spell. I had a feeling she’d need every trick in the bag when she went after House Skye.
She came closer, her gaze meeting mine. “Are you sure that I’ll go after Skye?”
I nodded without hesitation. “It’s what I’d do.”
“Why?”
I gave her my most dragon grin without shifting into Leviathan. “Because I’d be fucking tired of her bullshit.”
Shara gave me a slow, glorious smile that dripped with vicious anticipation. “Exactly right.”
11
Shara
Letting my gaze move over each of my impressively aroused Blood, I let out a sigh of regret. “I’d very much like to see to each of your needs, but something tells me I need answers from our unwanted guest first.”
Rik picked up the blanket I’d dropped and jerked his head slightly at Itztli, a silent command to get out of his way. They might have objected before, but this time, they let go of my hands and stepped back without argument.
Rik wrapped the slightly soggy blanket around my shoulders. I shivered at the dampness, but it was better than being completely naked. He didn’t pull me in against him or make any other possessive move. My alpha was above such displays because he was fully confident in his place.
I leaned against him and wrapped my arms around his waist anyway.
“Xin, Nevarre, Mehen, Guillaume—take the prisoner down to the room,” he ordered. “The rest of us will dress and join you momentarily.”
“I’ve got him stashed over here.” Xin turned and headed into the night. “Just outside the nest boundary. Mayte’s Blood gave me some rope to tie him up.”
As he moved away, my skin prickled like I’d stumbled into a nest of fire ants. “Stop!” I barked out, my heart racing. He stopped immediately and started to turn toward me, his mouth opening.
Instinct took over. The shrill siren in my head wasn’t something I’d ever ignore. I drew on my blood and envisioned a shield rising above us. A giant dome, like a billion-dollar football field. I pushed it out as far as I could, nearly to the nest boundary itself, straining to make it stronger. Higher. I didn’t want anyone inside this nest hurt.
Mayte’s bond swelled inside me, spilling lush green power into mine, buoying me higher.:What is it? What’s wrong?:
I couldn’t answer, other than sending her a sense of urgency. I didn’t know what was going to happen, or how, only that it would be bad.
The heart tree that I’d just grown with Itztli’s sacrifice grounded me. I reached through its roots and felt my grove at home respond. The earth energy of my ancient trees poured into me, and I let my power blaze higher. Fire whipped to the heavens. Moonlight shimmered like beautiful opals in the air.
Then Nevarre added his gift of Shadow, Morrigan’s thick blanket of darkness. Fire and moonlight, green jungle and shadow braided above us.
Automatically, my Blood started to shift. Their instinct was to protect me. Leviathan crouched, wings unfurling, ready to soar into the sky with a roar.
I screamed at them through the bond.:No, stay low! Don’t fly!:
An explosion lit up the night a few paces outside of the nest—where Xin had been leading us. A golden fireball ballooned toward the nest, solar power so hot it melted rock, disintegrating everything it touched. The ground rocked beneath us. Rik swayed and stumbled, clutching me against him. People screamed.
The golden wave of power hit the nest and cut through Mayte’s boundary like butter.
I braced for impact. Rik, my rock, shielded me with his body. Guillaume’s hell horse and Daire’s warcat pressed close to me, too, and the rest of my Blood made a defensive ring around us, just in case my shield failed.
Liquid gold slammed into my shield. Power crackled and sizzled in the air. My hair shot out like I’d stuck my finger in a light socket. My ears rang and the fine bones of my face ached like someone had slammed me with a bat. Repeatedly. My eyes streamed tears, even though I’d squeezed my eyes shut without even realizing it.
The shield sagged, bowing under the massive weight of the golden bomb. In slow motion, I tried to lift my right arm toward my mouth, fighting to get my wrist close enough to tear open again. Blood. I needed more blood.
The warcat locked my wrist in his mouth, pressing hard enough to break the skin. With more blood, my power shored up the shield. I didn’t try to fight the golden wave, for fear it would only gain strength from me. Panting with effort, I concentrated on holding the shield firm and allowed the solar power to flow over it. Feet planted wide, head back, I strained to hold back the blazing might of the sun god.
