Page 71 of Queen Takes Checkmate
I turned to Gina and before I could ask, she inclined her head. “The jet stands ready, my queen.”
28
Shara
Egypt, the land of my ancestors. I’d never imagined what it would feel like to stand on the ground that Isis must have walked Herself thousands of years ago.
I stared out over the sprawling city, wondering what She would think of Cairo now. Modern houses and high-rises had been built on top of the ruins, though here and there, hints of the ancient city remained. I couldn’t see the Great Pyramid from here, reinforcing the size of the ancient city.
To be safe, I waited past midnight before stepping out of the jet. I didn’t want Ra knowing that I was here until I was ready. On the flight, Vivian had plotted the portals out on a map and we’d spent the trip arguing over who should pair up and come through which portal. Rik insisted that everybody stay with me, which I knew was impossible.
Grudgingly, he agreed that if my distraction waswithme… it wouldn’t be much of a distraction.
I didn’t tell them exactly what I planned until we were on the ground in Cairo. I needed time to prepare myself mentally, to run every option over and over through my head. I had whispered each option one by one to Carys and watched her flinch and sweat and shake her head vigorously over and over.
Each idea was worse than the last.
“You can’t do it,” she moaned, mopping her face with a handkerchief. “Every avenue sets you up for failure.”
Winnifred looked like a frazzled feather duster from all her queen’s frantic pets. I wasn’t overly worried, because I hadn’t even told her my real plan yet. I’d already gone through each of those options and discarded them. They didn’t feel right. But with her probabilities, I’d at least devised the best placement of my Blood to attack through different locations.
I met my dragon’s glittering emerald gaze. “Do you think your hide can stand up to some demon acid fire?”
“Fuck yeah.”
Vivian said there was a portal in Giza, but it led directly into the sunfires’ lair. “Then I want you to head to the Great Pyramid and access the portal there. Cause as much damage as you can before the sun demons can come after me.”
“A pleasure, my queen.”
“Guillaume, I’m hoping your hell horse will be just as impervious to Ra’s power. I want you to come through the portal near the citadel.”
“If the fires of hell can’t burn me, I should be fine.”
Vivian made a low sound of disgust. “You’ll see, knight. Hellfire and sunfire are very different things.”
I focused on her. “I want you to get to the breeding grounds and get out any queen you find there. Start with the youngest first, but I’m counting on you to get them out.”
She narrowed a hard look back at me, her blue eyes piercing straight to my heart. “And then I’m coming to you, wherever you are. It won’t take me long. I don’t even know if he has any queens held captive any longer.”
“I hope not. I hope it’s a quick trip for you to check.” I took a deep breath and scanned the rest of my Blood. “I don’t know how well you’ll be able to withstand sun demons and Ra's power, but I need at least Rik and Nevarre to come to me as quickly as you can. Ra’s palace lies beneath the obelisk. That’s where I’m going in.”
Vivian’s breath hissed out. “The fucking front door? Are you mad?”
Rik said nothing, but I felt his body hardening against me into solid granite. His rock troll was not amused with my plan.
Carys moaned. “Twenty five percent chance at best, my queen.”
Something creaked oddly. I looked up, worried that we might be under attack. The plane moved and jiggled. Then the chair Rik and I were sitting in exploded. He only fell a few inches, but enough to jounce me on the boulders of his thighs.
Daire snickered. “I guess even fancy jet seats aren’t impervious to a rock troll’s weight.”
Unbothered, Rik gathered me closer, his massive hands even larger now. Cold stone touched me everywhere. “Who goes in the front door with you, my queen?”
“Huitzilopochtli,” I whispered, braced for Rik to start tearing apart the jet around us. Or maybe his massive weight would crumple the floor and we’d just tumble down onto the runway.
Carys focused on me, her head tipping slightly. “How?”
And now the part that none of my Blood would like. “I want him to feed on me to the point where I’m barely conscious. I’ll appear weak and defenseless. He can take me to Ra like an offering and demand that Ra make him immortal again.”
