Page 70 of Queen Takes Rook
Then he stepped forward and shoved me behind him. “Take me instead.”
Keisha arched an eyebrow. “Oh? You’re volunteering?”
“No, Rik!” I grabbed at his arm, tugging on him uselessly. My alpha could never be moved when he didn’t want to be. “Please, don’t do this!”
“I’m not letting my queen in that fucking circle until she does some research and figures out a way to break whatever curse Ra has put on your daughter. Let Ezra out, and I’ll take his place. Tanza can feed on me while we figure out the best plan.”
“No!” I was crying. I was fucking pissed. It wasn’t an act. But it certainly helped sell our plan. “Rik, I won’t let you do this. There has to be another way.”
“I’ll do it,” he retorted, ignoring me. “But you have to swear before our consiliari here and now as witnesses that you’ll immediately declare that House Isador’s debt has been paid in front of all your sibs. The rest of Shara’s Blood are free to go. She loves me too much to leave me here, so you’ll get what you want. But I want to be sure her house is secure and safe first.”
Keisha looked at me and I felt her power on the air like a massive static electricity charge. I didn’t try to hold back my sobs. The thought of Rik being hurt in any way fucking tore my heart out and shredded it to ribbons. How quickly would Tanza start to hurt him? How long would it take for us to get Keisha to live up to her promise, assuming she’d even accept Rik’s deal?
I squeezed my eyes shut.Goddess, Isis, please tell me this is the right thing to do. If anything happens to Rik…
I gulped back another sob. I’d use the fucking red serpent. I would. I would do anything to save him. Even if someone else had to die. I couldn’t live without Rik.
“Agreed,” Keisha finally said. “I, Keisha Skye, Queen of Scathach, agree to publicly declare the blood debt with House Isador satisfied.”
“Immediately.” Rik’s voice vibrated with intensity. “As soon as you go upstairs. You’ll make the announcement.”
“Yes. Now I want to hear Shara’s oath that she’ll return here to heal Tanza.”
Each word tore from my throat. “I, Shara Isador, the Great One’s last daughter, will return to my alpha as soon as the blood debt is satisfied.”
“Not good enough,” Keisha retorted.
“I’ll free Tanza from her suffering as soon as I figure out how.”
Keisha nodded. “Yes. Agreed.”
“Duly noted,” Madeline said. “Gina, are you satisfied with the clarity of these terms?”
Gina was crying too, but she squared her shoulders despite the tears tracking down her cheeks. “I support my queen one hundred percent.”
Keisha looked at her daughter. “Okay, babydoll, let’s make a trade. You let the bear go, and you can play with this alpha.”
Tanza clapped her hands and nodded. “My alpha. Hungry.”
“Make him last,” Keisha said. “We’re going to work some magic and get you all better, okay?”
“Okay, Mama.” Tanza reached toward Ezra. He flinched away, but she grabbed his arm and pushed him toward us. He stumbled and fell out of the circle on his knees. Panting, head down, he shuffled closer to me, crying as hard as I was. “Come play, alpha.”
I clung to Rik’s arm, but he shook me off gently. Without hesitation, he stepped into the blood circle with the demon.
Like the fucking prime alpha he was.
29
Shara
Icouldn’t stop crying. Which I supposed helped sell the deal all the better to Keisha. Gina and Ezra both had their arms around me, supporting me as we rode up to the hundredth floor again.
The doors opened, and my Blood immediately breathed a sigh of relief when they saw me.
Until they realized Rik wasn’t with us. Until they saw my tears.
Daire jumped up and draped his paws over my shoulders to lick my face frantically.:Where is he? What happened? I can’t feel him.:
