Page 5 of Captivated
Her compassion—not just for the pain she’d sensed, but for not forcing her way into my head—made my eyes fill with tears. “It’s only an old nightmare.”
“Only?” She asked doubtfully. “The pain was horrible. Not just the physical pain, but…” Her breath sighed out. “The betrayal.”
Oh yes. I knew betrayal all too well.
“How close is Lance?”
Relieved that she changed the subject, I concentrated on my approaching Blood. They burned like white-hot fires inside my mind, blazing light and love and urgency as they raced to me. I knew one of them was Lance, and that he had two others with him, but I couldn’t be sure who they were. Not yet.
If only I could feel Arthur the same way. If I could warn thembeforehe attacked. Or if I could be on the lookout myself. But I felt and saw nothing else amiss, even with the additional power Shara had given me with her blood.
Until I had my own Blood… My powers would be limited.
“Close,” I whispered hoarsely. “Hours away yet, but they’re approaching quickly. I think they’ll be here by noon tomorrow. Or rather, today.”
“You mentioned earlier that what I’d heard of the legends wasn’t the truth. Are you in danger, Gwen?”
I clenched my jaws a moment, fighting down the urge to wail and scream at the same time. I was afraid, yes. I was scared shitless. But I was also beyond furious. My rage burned inside me like a tangible flame I could feel scorching my bones. “Yes, always. The curse repeats itself every generation. I’m torn from my Blood by Arthur because he can’t bear for me to love another. Even if Lance reaches me, I’m afraid we still might not survive. You probably should have listened to Carys and chosen another sibling to hold your city, Your Majesty.”
“Shara,” she said firmly. “And no. I chose exactly who we need in New York. Have you ever had a queen sibling before to help you fend off Arthur?”
“I don’t know. I can sense the past like a winding, endless river flowing through me, but I can’t see all the bends and twists. I know the curse is his doing. I remember dying at his hands over and over and over. I remember losing Lance. I remember Arthur cutting off each knight’s head while forcing me to watch. Once, Elaine Shalott had Lance collared like a dog and there was nothing I could do to free him. She was stronger than me, because Arthur had refused to allow me to take my Blood.”
“But how could he do that? You’re a queen. He shouldn’t have any power over you.”
“Do you know what an Aima king is?”
“Ah. That makes sense then. He can shift at will without a queen, so he’s unpredictable and even more dangerous.”
“Exactly,” I replied grimly. “His beast is always a red dragon. Merlin saw him fighting a white dragon before Arthur’s birth, and the red dragon always wins.”
“And you’re the white dragon.”
“Supposedly, though no queen in my house has survived long enough to claim her power in several generations.”
“Well, this time you have Isis’s daughter at your side, as well as Coatlicue’s daughter. Plus hundreds of siblings that we’ve claimed for House Isador. You have a foundation of power to draw from whether your Blood arrive or not. So use it. Use us.”
I blinked, unable to comprehend what she was offering. A strong queen didn’t offer her power to her sibling. Not like this.
“I mean it, Gwen.” Her bond inside me shimmered with opal moonlight, but it wasn’t soft or gentle. It cut like a glass. “This isn’t your battle alone. You have sisters ready and willing to help you. If you think my dragon can help fend off Arthur, then we’ll turn around and fly right back to New York City in the morning.”
I didn’t know what to say. I’d never had someone actually offer to help me. Not like this. “My queen.”
“Shara,” she repeated firmly, though I could hear the smile in her voice. “You’re not alone, Gwen. Not this time.”
I swallowed the sob down, but tears still streamed down my cheeks. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”
“I do,” she said softly. “I was alone for most of my life. I’ll be home in another hour, two at most. The trip is taking us a bit longer than we planned. Should I be present when your Blood arrive? I can have Gina ready the jet and we’ll fly back to you as soon as we reach Eureka Springs.”
I didn’t answer right away. My knee-jerk response was to insist that she stay put. I wasn’t used to asking for assistance. But this was bigger than me or my pride. If I could save Lance and the rest of my Blood by accepting my queen sibling’s assistance, then I’d go down on my knees and kiss her feet if that’s what she wanted.
But Shara had just faced danger I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. She’d need time to heal and recuperate, and a much needed few days of rest in her nest would probably do her a world of good. “I’d hate for you to come all the way back here so quickly. Lance is close. If I could reach out to you…”
“Of course, my bond is always open to you. At the first sign of trouble, draw on my power. We’ll light the fuckers up.”
I let out a started laugh. “Sounds good. I owe Arthur a very large bonfire.”
“Then it’s a very good thing you’ve got a queen sibling whose gift is fire.” She laughed, but her voice echoed with the dark, furious power of a goddess’s retribution. “No one’s going to hurt one of mine and get away with it.”
