Page 21 of Queen Takes Checkmate
Shara frowned, her head tilting as if she listened to a voice only she could hear. “Really? Because she’s my choice out of this group, at least.”
Carys looked at the other queens one by one and nodded. “I agree. She has the highest probability of success out of these queens, at forty percent.”
“That low? Do you not have any Blood, Gwen?”
Gwen dropped her gaze to the floor, but not out of shyness. Her shoulders tensed, and she curled her fingers into fists at her sides. “No, Your Majesty. I’ve not been allowed Blood of my own.”
“By Keisha?”
Gwen raised her gaze to my queen’s, her green eyes burning with defiance. “Not directly. Keisha accepted my bond from another queen as payment for a debt, with the agreement that I could never call my own Blood.”
Intrigued, even Llewellyn lifted his head from our queen’s breast, so he could focus on this new queen.
“Who would make such a deal with Keisha Skye?” Shara asked.
Gwen’s face hardened. “Elaine Shalott. Our courts agreed that we should become siblings to help quell the bad blood between our families. I never would have agreed if I’d known she’d been dabbling in shadowed magic. Once I willingly gave her my blood, it was too late. She was strong enough to forbid me from ever taking a Blood, which would give me the strength I needed to break free of her hold.”
“How long have you been forbidden from calling your Blood?”
“Nearly four hundred years.”
Shara’s heart ached, pulling us all closer to her so we could offer comfort in some small way. Daire purred louder, dueling with the whirring sound that rolled from Llewellyn’s chest. Rik rumbled softly—which for a rock troll, meant that it sounded like boulders tumbling down a cliff. I lifted my head higher and rubbed my cheek on her knee. I would have pushed my head under her arm, but my spiky spines might have poked her.
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine being alone for so long, especially if I knew my Blood were out in the world somewhere, aching for me too, and I wasn’t allowed to call them to me.”
Gwen swallowed hard and averted her gaze, visibly struggling not to break down. “She did it on purpose, in the hopes that she could find Lance first. So it has been between Camelot and Shalott for over a thousand years. We are doomed to be reborn and repeat the vicious cycle of our ancient pasts over and over.”
“What about Arthur?”
“The once and future king has doomed us to repeat this vicious cycle indefinitely.” Gwen jerked her head around, her eyes flashing. “Let’s just say the stories don’t begin to tell the truth and leave it at that, shall we?”
Shara nodded, but I could feel the curiosity burning in her bond. “I would like to hear the truth someday.”
Gwen inclined her head. “I’ll do as you wish, Your Majesty. I can do no less.”
“That wasn’t an order, just a request to consider someday, when we know each other better.” Shara turned to Carys. “If she calls her Blood, what’s the probability that she can hold New York successfully?”
“If she calls any of her knights other than Lance, the odds improve to sixty percent. If she can call Lance…” Carys closed her eyes a moment, her mouth moving slightly. “At least ninety percent success rate, Your Majesty. I won’t be able to tell for certain until I feel the bond spark, but the odds are very good.”
Shara smiled. “So you need to call Lance. In the meantime, I’m willing to bet on your success. Gwen Findabair, would you do me the honor of becoming my queen sibling with the intent of helping me establish and hold Isador Tower in New York City?”
“You honor me, Your Majesty.” Gwen dropped to her knees. Although tears sparkled on her cheeks, she smiled, and even my old bitter dragon heart softened at the way her face lit up with joy. I could suddenly see why the knights of old may have fought for her hand.
The same way we Blood jostled one another to make our queen smile.
Shara stood, Llewellyn and Rik each taking her arms to lift her up and over me so she could get to the other queen. Gwen immediately offered throat, but Shara hesitated with a wry smile twisting her lips. “I should warn you that my bite carries an orgasmic punch. Would you rather my Templar knight use his knife?”
Gwen’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging open with surprise. I didn’t need a bond to know why.
She was shocked that a queen of Shara’s stature was actually giving her a choice. That Shara cared about her preferences, sexual or otherwise.
“Yes, please,” Gwen answered hesitantly, as if waiting for the trap to reveal itself.
Shara nodded and Guillaume stepped closer with his smallest blade ready in his hand. “My lady,” he inclined his head to Gwen, but then went down on one knee for Shara. “My queen. Thank you for allowing me to be of service.”
Gwen offered her wrist, and he made a small, neat cut in her skin.
If I hadn’t been the dragon, goosebumps would have sprung up on my flesh. Instead, the spiny ridges flared all the way down to my tail. Not from the scent of this queen’s blood.
