Page 47 of Queen Takes Knights
But if either of them thought that meant I’d be happy sitting back and let others make decisions for me, they were sorely mistaken.
I stepped close enough to lay my hand on top of Greyson’s. My fingers instantly went numb, as if he was sucking my essence through that simple contact. But I didn’t flinch away or show any emotion on my face. Up close, I could see that he used to be a very handsome man, though years of feeding off humans rather than his queen had damaged his appearance. His skin had grayed, sagged, and drawn back tight across his cheeks, making him look like a corpse. His long silver hair was pulled back in a queue at his neck and he had very aristocratic features. Honestly, he looked more like the traditional vampire prince Vlad than either of my Blood. He even wore an old fashioned suit.
“Are you under the same geas that prevents her name from being spoken?”
“The geas affects only the living, so no,” he whispered. “My queen.”
Alrik made a sound like a boulder slowly getting crushed into sand, but he didn’t interfere.
“Tell me my mother’s name, and I’ll reward you. I’ll give you what you seek.”
“Esetta Isador, high queen of Isis.”
“And my father?”
“That was not what you offered, my queen.”
I inclined my head slightly and allowed a smile to flicker on my lips. “But if you know… Would you tell me?” He hesitated, and I knew I had him. “You loved Selena. You watched over her, didn’t you? You only wanted to be with her. I can give you that again.”
“Leviathan,” he whispered roughly, as if each syllable was pulled roughly from his throat by force.
I felt a dead silence in the bond, a icy shock that made my stomach clench with dread. At least they knew that name, so I’d find out why my parentage was such an issue for the Aima court.
“Thank you.” I turned my wrist over, leaving the back of my hand against his fingers on the fence. “You may have your reward.”
He opened his mouth and it took all my will not to flinch back. Long, vicious black teeth tore into my arm. He didn’t have a pair of fangs, but a whole mouthful of teeth like a crocodile. I clenched my lips, refusing to cry out. Blood ran down my forearm in thick warm ribbons and puddled on the ground. He threw his head back, my blood dark on his ghastly pale lips. He paused like that, as if waiting for some great miracle. Only nothing changed. He still looked dead. He still had monster teeth and a skeletal face and he certainly didn’t gleam and glow with power.
He turned accusing eyes on me. “Give me my power. You promised.”
“No.” I jerked my hand out of his grip. “I said you would have your reward. What do you think is a fitting reward for the man who killed the only two people who ever loved me?”
He flung himself at the gate, howling, reaching for me through the bars. I didn’t step back. I didn’t flinch. Instead, I envisioned every drop of my blood inside him catching fire.
His eyes flared wide. He clawed at his face, tearing open the paper white skin. He opened his mouth to scream and flames blasted up his throat. His suit caught fire. He fell to the ground, screaming, howling, tearing at himself as if he could release my blood before I managed to kill him.
Because that’s exactly what I intended to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Alrik
I learned some very important truths about my queen this evening.
Her first gift from Isis was fire. And Shara Isador was not to be fucked with.
Greyson learned that lesson too as he burst into flame. She stood there, bleeding, until he was only a smear in the snow.
Softly, she asked, “Is he dead? Really dead?”
Daire leaped over the fence and batted one big paw at the stinking heap of ash.:Most definitely.:
“Good.” She turned to face me and swayed slightly. I caught her as her knees gave way. “Then he got what he wanted most of all.”
I carried her inside and up to her bed. I didn’t think the blood loss was affecting her, though she had definitely lost a large amount tonight, between us feeding from her and her ordeal with the thrall. No, she suffered from shock. Mental shock. Through our bond, I could feel the fragile tenderness in her temple where the pain had struck. Someone had intended her harm, or at least tried to stop her from learning anything about her parentage. One of Triune? A queen who wanted the third seat? Who had silenced Dr. Borcht? There was no way to know for certain, at least not yet.
I lay her gently on the bed and transformed back so I could hold her without worrying I might kill her if I sneezed. Daire lapped at her wrist, gently cleaning the jagged skin. Greyson had torn her wrist severely. She’d need a large quantity of blood from us to ensure it healed overnight.
Far from a hardship.
