Page 47 of Queen Takes Checkmate
Shara
This time, when I approached the building formerly known as Skye Tower with my Blood and Carys, my reception was markedly different. Two human guards—different from the rude guys who'd been here when I’d first visited—snapped to attention.
One moved quickly to the door and opened it for me. “Your Majesty, good morning. Ms. Talbott asked that I alert her immediately when you arrived. Is that alright?”
“Yes, of course. What's your name?”
He was dressed in a black polo shirt and khakis with a gold emblem embroidered over his heart. “Hammel, Your Majesty.”
I stepped closer so I could make out the symbol, and my mouth fell open. It was a golden pyramid with an ankh in the center.“House Isador”was written beneath it in bold capital letters. “Oh my goddess, that's awesome! Are you one of Frank's guys?”
He smiled and tapped his chest proudly. “Absolutely. He's the best. It's an honor to work for Isador, Your Majesty.”
He tapped an ear piece as we walked past. “Our queen is headed upstairs now.”
Inside, all the gold furnishings were gone. The white marble floors and empty walls made the large plaza level seem cold, and our footsteps echoed loudly. Some color or textiles would help warm things up. Maybe a carpet of some kind? Decorating giant office buildings was not my forte.
A woman and another man dressed the same as Hammel stood at the elevator. “Good morning, Your Majesty.”
“Good morning. Has there been any trouble today?”
“Not at all.” The woman clenched her jaws and looked down at the floor. “I'm terribly sorry about the break-in last night. We should have taken over the guard shift immediately, rather than waiting until this morning. I guarantee there wouldn't have been any intruders if we'd been on duty.”
“It's fine. We handled it. I'm glad to have Frank's people here.”
It seemed like forever ago when Gina had hired Frank McCoy’s security company to guard my Kansas City house. I missed having him close, but I’d needed to leave someone guarding the nest too, and I’d rather have someone of my blood there. If I concentrated, I could feel his bond and know if anything was amiss without a single phone call.
The elevator opened on the fourth floor and she inclined her head toward the other elevator across the plaza that would take us to the secure area of the building. “Angela is waiting to take you upstairs.”
“Thank you.” I knew the drill. I waited beside Rik while my Blood stepped out of the elevator and took up positions throughout the area. Then I stepped out with my arm tucked around Rik's and we headed for the other elevator. “This is where Keisha had her blood circle, isn't it?”
“Yes. She rented out offices in the first four floors, but the blood circle kept everyone outside Skye from approaching the secure elevator. She always had guards placed here, too, but it was the circle that kept everyone out.”
Angela was one of Gina’s assistants, though she was usually armed. When we’d stopped in Dallas to shop before visiting the Zaniyah nest, Angela had guarded my jewelry and crown.
“I love the uniforms.”
She grinned. “I asked Gina if we could do something fancy, and she agreed. I hope we didn't overstep.”
“Not at all. I love it.”
As we stepped out of the elevator, Gina, Madeline, and Gwen waited for me. I smelled coffee and something sweet, which made my stomach growl again. Even though Winston had fed me at the house before I came over.
It was so loud that Gina laughed. “Good morning, Your Majesty. You're certainly up and around way earlier than I expected!”
“Me too.”
Carys scowled. “You have no idea how many times we were up last night. It was like a fucking circus.”
Her owl squawked and fluttered her wings in agreement.
“Gina, let me introduce you to my new Blood, Vivian Helios.”
Gina was too much a professional to betray her sudden alarm, though I read her concern in her body language. Her shoulders tensed and her smile was hard, a flash of white teeth like a dog warning off a strange dog from her master. “Helios, huh? That's very interesting.”
Vivian was dressed in her black leathers again, though she'd twisted her long hair into a tight cord, bound every few inches with gold bands. Her hair was so long that the ponytail hung down to mid-thigh. If she swung her head, she could use that tight cord as a weapon. “Interesting isn't an adjective I'd ever use to describe growing up Helios.”
“I know what it means,” I said softly, trying to assuage Gina's concerns. “Our goddess sent her to me.”
