Page 11 of Queen Takes Checkmate
“Forgive me, my queen.” Moisture dripped onto the back of my hand. “You suddenly sounded very much like your mother.”
Good. That confirmed that I needed to make a decision, rather than wait and see what would happen. “Gina, what Triune laws apply in this situation?”
“As the ruling queen, it’s within your rights to exterminate every sib and Blood in this House, for any offense of which you deem them guilty. You could blot Skye from the earth completely and no one would bat an eye, except possibly Rosalind, for fear that you might come after her next because of her former ties to Keisha.”
“Everyone?” I asked, my voice shaking. I’d been worried about dealing with Keisha’s Furies, but it hadn’t occurred to me that everyone might be scared to death. Literally.
When I’d gone to make Mayte my sib, her people had been nervous and even angry at first, because they feared I’d take everything away from them. Even if Keisha had been victorious and claimed Zaniyah as her siblings, she wouldn’t have killed them all. She’d have taken Xochitl from Mayte. She might have killed Mayte’s Blood in the skirmish. She might have forced Mayte to leave her nest and come here to Skye Tower. But I didn’t think she would have killed everyone left behind.
:Desideria did so, and quite often.:Guillaume’s bond rang like drawn steel.:Once the queen falls, the nest is yours to do with as you please.:
“No wonder so many people fled,” I whispered aloud, shaking my head. “I thought they were merely scared of what I’d ask of them before letting them join House Isador.”
“Zaniyah was different,” Gina said. “You didn’t go in with the intent of killing Mayte, but of taking her as your sib. You valued her House for their numbers and the strength they provided you. For all House Skye knows, you might want retribution for almost losing Alrik. Or for Skye’s audacity in claiming your Blood as hers and dragging you here to address her formal claim. Or for her Blood insulting you in the elevator and feeding on your Blood. Or perhaps your mother was slighted in some way by Keisha. The rumors are probably running through the floors like wildfire. That’s why picking a sib tonight and declaring your intent to build upon this House, rather than destroy it, will help settle the peace quicker.”
I took a deep breath and looked inward a moment, scanning through my body. I was weary, definitely, both of politics and danger. But I wasn’t in danger of tapping my reserves too deeply yet, not after three of my Blood had fed me.
I refused to think about how much of Keisha’s blood I’d taken, along with her life.
A couple of hours, tops, and I should be able to retire to my mother’s house and leave Skye Tower to fortify itself.
“Isador Tower,” Rik rumbled beside me.
I nodded, quirking my lips. “Add that to our list of a million things to do. We need to pull down any reference to Skye Tower on my building.”
Gina smiled. “Already on the list, my queen, though the list is abouttwomillion long already. Which leads me to the other thing I’d like to discuss with you, if you have the time.”
Llewellyn drew my gaze to him with his lips on the back of my hand again. This time, he swirled his tongue over my knuckles and flashed those smoldering falling star eyes up at me. “By your leave, my queen, I’ll go fetch Carys so you may meet her.”
I turned my fingers in his, so I could trail my fingertips over his cheek as he straightened to his impressive height. “Thank you, my Blood. I’d like a private discussion with her first, and then we’ll arrange the formal sib ceremony. Though I don’t want to use Keisha’s throne room. Is there another place in the building that’s big enough for everyone to hear me address them?”
“The ballroom. I’ll have them make it ready for you.”
I nodded, and he backed away, inclined his head once more, and then whirled smartly on his heel to exit the room.
“Should I leave?” Nevarre asked, already hovering at the door.
“No. Stay. What else did you wish to discuss, Gina?”
“I think Madeline would be an excellent addition to your team as second consiliarius.”
A surge of emotion tore through me at the thought of losing, or replacing, Gina in any way. I depended on her. She’d been the one to help me after my first two Blood found me. She was my connection to everything that I’d unknowingly lost my entire life.
Then I realized she’d saidsecondconsiliarius. She wasn’t leaving me.
“Of course, I’m not leaving you,” she retorted smartly, though her eyes were teary and she lightly touched my arm again. My reaction must have been strong enough that she had felt my emotions in her bond. “We can certainly look elsewhere for assistance, but we will need to hire quite a few staff members to organize the Skye legacy and meld it with yours. It’s not as immense, but the holdings are in crucial cities, like this tower, and are fixtures of society in a way that Isador holdings are not. It would be easier to bring Madeline, and her full staff, into yours, and then she and I can work together as you see fit.”
“That makes a lot of sense,” I replied slowly. “I’m just not sure if I can trust her. Mayte trusted Bianca and look what happened.”
The former Zaniyah consiliarius had betrayed her House to Ra, and their heir, Xochitl, a precious little girl, had nearly paid the price of that treachery.
“And you with her.” Rik pulled me back against him. “I will never trust anyone with your safety who isn’t Blood.”
Gina’s face blanked into a smooth, perfect mask. Try as she may, she would never be my Blood.
I took her hand and stepped closer to her so I could hug her with my other arm. Naturally Rik moved with me, though he didn’t touch her. Only me. “I trust you implicitly, Gina. Blood or not. I trust Winston implicitly. You’re my family.”
Nevarre didn’t say anything, but I felt him still hovering at the door. Alone.
