Page 42 of Queen Takes Checkmate
“I told her five minutes. As far as I know, she likes everything. She hasn’t turned her nose up at anything we’ve brought her yet.”
So I found myself carrying up a massive tray of soup, smoked salmon quiche, a tea kettle with half a dozen varieties of tea bags, juice, and my sandwich, though Magnum had insisted on cutting it up into little triangles. Guillaume opened the bedroom door for me, and I stepped inside quietly.
Shara sat up, carefully untangling herself from the new Blood’s long-ass hair that put us all to shame. Rik lifted her up and set her down at the foot of the massive bed. Vivian was still out cold. Had she managed to shift with her power? The bed didn’t look scorched. Yet.
We’d all felt the flames flickering in our queen as she’d bonded the new Blood. I still felt like if I opened my mouth, a puff of smoke would escape. Damned phoenix had nearly burned us all to a crisp. If anyone was going to blast us with fire, I would’ve expected that it’d be Leviathan.
The bed was large enough that the three of us could sit at the foot without disturbing the sleeping Blood. Shara sampled everything, declared it fantastic, and then loaded both hands with triangles of my sandwich.
Goddess. I loved her so much that I almost embarrassed myself by getting weepy over a fucking roast beef and rye. Granted, it was freshly baked bread, but still.
It was almost like those early days, when it’d just been me and Rik at her side. When everything had been strange and exciting for her as she faced a brand-new world. The worst thing after her was some thralls, which we could tear apart without even having to shift. There hadn’t been any mad queen with a demon child, a magic-mirror Triune queen, or a fucking asshole sun god after her.
I didn’t begrudge her one moment with any of her Blood. She needed us all. In fact, she needed about ten more. Maybe twenty. Who the fuck knew where her upper limit of power even was yet? But still…
This quiet time with her was fucking priceless.
“Do you still want to ride the motorcycles back to Eureka Springs?” Rik asked.
She smiled, her eyes brightening with excitement. “Definitely. Though only you and Daire have bikes. What will everyone else ride or drive?”
“G had a fucking 1967 GT500 Mustang,” I replied. “Did you hear that beast? She purred almost as loudly as I do. He’ll have every cop between Kansas City and Arkansas chasing us to the state line.”
“Your mother’s car is still there too,” Rik reminded her. “I could see Mehen driving a Jaguar.”
Her head tipped to the side, a smile tugging on her lips.
:What the actual fuck?:Mehen roared in our bonds, making me choke on a bite because I tried to laugh and swallow at the same time.:What did I ever fucking do to you to deserve such an insult?:
:You bit our queen’s arm and broke it, asshole,:Rik retorted, though without any real heat. Water under the bridge and all.
:If you could drive any vehicle in the world, what you drive?:Shara asked.
:Aston Martin Vantage in British racing green,:he replied immediately.:It’ll match my scales.:
:Very nice,:she replied in the bond, though to me, she mouthed,“I have no idea what that is.”:Nevarre, what would you drive?:
:Why ride when you can fly? I prefer to guard from above anyway.:
:Like a helicopter?:She asked him.
:Blackhawk would be nice.:
Ezra didn’t wait for her to ask. :I have my truck stored near the tower. I won’t drive anything but it.:
:Xin?:She asked.
:Ducati. Matte black. Sleek and deadly.:
:Same,:Itztli and Tlacel replied at the same time.
:Llewellyn?:She asked.
:I don’t drive. Some poor bastard will have to give me a ride.:
:You,:Guillaume and Mehen both retorted at the same time.
:You can draw straws later,:Rik said with his alpha rumble.
