Page 45 of Queen Takes Checkmate
Molten solar energy shot up through him to blacken the ceiling, obliterating him into a handful of ashy motes that slowly drifted down to the floor.
Stunned, the tiger didn’t react quickly enough when his captive did the same thing. Liquid sunlight flared up his paw and he roared with pain, jumping back before his entire body went up. The wolf dropped his prize just in time as the man dissolved into a small pile of soot.
“Fuck.” I opened my eyes and pushed up out of bed. “They killed themselves, the same way that Ra agent did when the attack on Xochitl failed. Though at least this time, the fireball was contained. They could have brought down the entire building.”
“Fucking boobytrapped pussies,” Mehen growled, striding naked toward me. “We saw a large box truck parked down the street that seemed out of place. Nevarre flew down to investigate, and they drove off in a hurry.”
My Blood gathered closer. Nevarre was still his massive raven, and Daire padded toward me as the warcat. Glass sprinkled the floor, though the crisp winter air slicing into the damaged room actually felt nice. The cold had never bothered me.
What did bother me was the idea that someone could control thralls. That they’d actually loaded up a bunch like cattle and brought them here to attack me.
I’d been hunted all my life by these monsters.
Had someone been directing them from afar all this time? A master thrall like Greyson? No. I didn’t think so. This was too thoughtful. Too coordinated. Greyson had been driven by his urges, while this plot spoke of planning and coordination.
I rubbed my arms briskly. It wasn’t the cold that made me shiver, though I didn’t complain when Rik wrapped me in a blanket and pulled me into his arms.
“Are you well, my queen?”
I nodded, still mulling over the implications of the attack. Humans, including Russian Intelligence, had broken into my building and tried to destroy the mummy I’d found locked away in Keisha’s basement. I’d been too worried about Huitzilopochtli to wake him up, but maybe I should, at least before someone managed to destroy him. Or was that all a plot to trick me into doing exactly that?
“You haven’t taxed your reserves?”
Hearing the surprise and faint worry in Rik’s words, I turned in his arms and lifted my gaze to his. “I’m fine. Great, actually. I’m still hungry. We need to let Magnum—”
“Already here, Your Majesty,” Magnum called from the door. “Oh dear. Let’s get you comfortable in one of the other rooms until we can get the glass fixed.”
Carys stood beside her, bleary-eyed and grouchy. “I thought I told you not to get into any more trouble tonight.”
I grinned at her and slid out of bed. “I told you I wasn’t making any promises.”
“Humph. Maybe I should have stayed at the tower. At least I’d get some sleep.”
Rik swept me up into his arms, ignoring my protests. “There’s glass on the floor. You’re barefoot.”
“So are you.”
“When you can turn your soles into granite, then I won’t worry about your pretty toes getting cut up.”
He had a point.
In a matter of minutes, Magnum had us stationed in another bedroom. The bed, regrettably, was nowhere near as large. Rik set me on the fluffy down comforter. Daire hopped up and curled around me. Winston handed Tlacel another tray of food and then quietly retreated. My Blood shut the door, enclosing us all in a sumptuously decorated room in golden silk.
But sleep couldn’t be further from my mind. I touched Gwen’s bond and found her healing the tiger’s burns and securing the mummy’s room once more. I touched Gina’s bond and found her with Madeline, going over accounts. I wasn’t sure why, but hopefully they could figure out where the intruders had come from.
I started mentally making a list of all the things I needed to do. Like secure the tower with a blood circle. Should that be just me? Or should Gwen do it? Or both? I wanted to tell Gina about my desire to ride home from Kansas City on the road. I still needed to talk to Dr. Borcht about my crazy reproductive cycle before I accidentally had a child. I needed to examine the legacy—
“Shara,” Rik said, louder, as if he’d been saying my name awhile.
I focused on him and noted the furrow between his eyes. “I’m fine, really. I just have so much to do…”
“You aren’t tired?”
“No, but I will take a chunk of that sandwich.” He handed it to me and I dug in like I hadn’t eaten in days. “Mmmm. It’s good, but Daire’s is better.”
Daire purred louder and swiped his sandpaper tongue over my arm.
Rik dropped down on his knee in front of me and leaned closer. Cupping my chin, he stared deeply into my eyes as he ran his bond through me. It felt like he was examining my internal organs and lightly touching me deep inside. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it made me shiver a little.
