Page 32 of Queen Takes King
G snorted. “I would not take it as a solemn oath, my queen. From what I can sense, he’s barely more than a pup, a bit older than our Daire. His honor won’t mean much tohim.”
Our Daire. It made him stand taller, more assured, though his eyes still had a haunted look to them. He knew the monster was under the bed better than all of us. Even if we were all there withhim.
“Okay. Here’s our options as I see it.” I paused a moment, letting every alternative light up in my mind, playing it out like a movie. “I’m pretty sure I could burn him out ofDaire.”
He nodded hard. “Yes, please. I want himout.”
Xin took a step closer, making Rik rumble out a warning. “I don’t believe that’s possible, myqueen.”
I tipped my head to the side, running through exactly how I’d do it. I already had a bond with Daire. I’d give him more blood, watch the way my magic flowed into him, and then I’d light up that fucker that was hiding under my bond. I’d burn him out just like I’d done toGreyson.
G whistled softly. “That might just do it, my queen. Though it’ll probably hurt like hell and you might have to do some serious healing for him when you’redone.”
“It’d be worth it,” Daire said. “Even if I burn too. I know you can healme.”
Xin’s shoulders were tight, his face drawn, looking from G to me and back again. “What?How?”
For the moment, I was very glad I didn’t have a bond with him yet. He was acting so strange. Even when G had first come to me, and I’d been so worried that he might try and kill Rik, I had still felt him. I’d heard his hoofbeats. I’d seen him on the tapestry that rolled through mymind.
Xin was still a blank. Even with him standing soclosely.
“I won’t accept him as Blood, if that’s what he’s offering. Not happening. I refuse to give Keisha Skye eyes and ears into my nest once we move. So we can send him away now, without even talking to him. Or I can talk to him politely and send him away with some vague political correctness to ensure Keisha doesn’t try for us yet until we’re stronger. Or…” I hesitated, not quite sure what my Blood would think. “We can kill himoutright.”
Xin’s head whipped around and he stared at me intently. I definitely had his attention. Maybe he was thinking about whether I’d kill himtoo.
Rik’s bond didn’t waver in the slightest. Rock hard, steady, and sure. And yeah, pretty fucking proud of me.:My fearlessqueen.:
Aloud, he said, “There would be ramifications. He’s not a high or close Blood, but Keisha would not take his loss lightly, especially when she sent him toyou.”
The fucking arrogance. To send a Blood to me as if I couldn’t get my own. Or I’d be too stupid to know that she’d have a hook in me, then. Or maybe it was all a ruse and they intended to wipe us out now before I could gain enough power to stake my territory. That I’d allow them to waltz in without hesitation… or worse, be too scared to fight. No fucking way. “If she thinks that she can send someone intomyhouse and hurt one of my Blood, then fuck the ramifications. I’ll light him up before he can step foot in mydoor.”
G moved slightly, like he was going to flick a piece of lint off his shoulder. And a knife gleamed in his hand. “I can chop off hishead.”
“Or I can use my gift and kill him before he even knows he’s in danger,” Xin said, his voice tight and sharp with… desperation. At least that’s what it sounded like tome.
Was he so desperate to win a spot at my side? Or desperate that he prove himself so he could get closer… for some nefariousreason?
:No way to know unless you taste his blood.:Rik whispered in my head.:Then he will have no secrets fromyou.:
:Or I might give him, or some other queen, a foothold into my mind. Is that what Kendallwants?:
:Verylikely.:
:Not fuckinghappening.:
I looked at each of my Blood, and then Xin. I had to decide about him. I didn’t like that he was an unknown while we were facing an externalthreat.
He came closer and dropped to his knees before me, his palms on his thighs. On the surface, he looked relaxed and calm, but I sensed a sharpness around him, like the whisper-soft sound of a blade being drawn from one of G’s hidingplaces.
“Burn me up if you must, my queen. Or poison me with your cobra. Whatever you must do to assure yourself that I’m worthy of becoming your Blood. I’ll doit.”
I didn’t take his words lightly. He’d seen what I’d done to Rik this morning. Just the thought of doing it again nauseated me. I looked at Daire first, assessing how he was holding up. I didn’t want to waste time with Xin if we had to get rid of Kendall sooner than later. “Can he hear or see what you do? Or can Keisha see throughhim?”
Daire’s eyes widened and his head tipped slightly, as if he was listening. “No. I don’t thinkso.”
But we couldn’t be sure. “G, I want you close, but out of sight. I’m going to assume they know about Daire and Rik, since they were in the Skye court. But I’d rather them not know how many Blood I have, or who theyare.”
G bowed low and headed for the kitchen. “If you need me, I’ll come like thewind.”
