Page 17 of Queen Takes Sunfires 2
If this fetus I carried had even a fraction of Sepdet’s evil inclinations, then the world would definitely be better off with it dead.
Slowly, I twisted around, wincing at the pain in my leg, but I wanted a better look at the room. It was too dark to see much, but I didn’t see anything else alarming. It certainly didn’t look like a dungeon or place of torture.
“Ah,” Helayna said, drawing my attention back to the desk. She was sorting through a stack of what looked to be papers. “Eivind hates the cellar, but he did at least bring in Mother’s official mail. All of these are from the Triune offices, but let’s see…” She picked one up and used a small blade to cut it open. “This is the most recent one, received just a week before I returned.
“”Salutations, House Ironheart. It is with great regret that we cannot address this communication to your reigning queen at this time, but since Their Majesties have not received the passing of Ironheart’s legacy, we’re confident your stolen heir is still alive despite Helle’s passing.
“’We write to announce the re-establishment of the third Triune, long thought lost and deserted. Her Majesty Shara Isador has resurrected the Triskeles and takes the first seat. Please join us in celebrating Aima power rising in the world with her ascension to the Triune. I have enclosed an updated Triune listing for your records, along with their respective consiliari.
“’All praise to the Mother, Kevin Isador.’”
Looking dazed, Helayna lowered the paper, though she kept glancing back down at it, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she’d read.
“I have no idea what any of that means,” I said.
“It’s truly miraculous. We lost the third Triune hundreds of years ago. I’m not even sure that it still existed when Mother was a young queen, but I’d have to go through her records to be sure. I wonder if Shara Isador is the one who helped me. It would make sense. I’ve never heard her name or house before, and this sudden rise to power makes me think she’s the one who visited me in the darkness.”
“Someone helped you before we found you?” Dörr asked.
“She told me I needed to call my Blood. I thought she was crazy. Trapped in that place outside of the world I knew, I couldn’t feel anyone or anything but darkness. So she told me to call the very darkness itself.” She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. “That’s when I found you. If it’s her, then maybe we can trust her to help.”
I surged to my feet. “Trust no one.”
My words rang in the underground room. Dörr tightened his grip on his queen, ready to whisk her away. Even Helayna looked at me with eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed. “If you feel that strongly about it, then I won’t call. I’m not sure how long just you and I can hold those skeletons off.”
Flames crackled inside me. My blood pounded, steaming and boiling inside me. My head throbbed, as if the top of my skull was going to blow off any second. “I’ll deal with them. I’ll kill them all.”
Brushing off her Blood’s concern, she stepped closer to me and laid her hand on my forehead. “Goddess, Karmen, you’re burning up. Svar, grab some ice from the freezer. Maybe some water too. She’s dehydrated.”
She helped me sit back down, propping me up with cushions. My eyes burned, hot and sore and dry. I licked my lips, not surprised to find them chapped. Everything inside me was burning. On fire. Blazing with all the heat of the sun.
Maybe the sunfire essence would solve my dilemma for me. Though I highly doubted any of Ra’s spawn would have a problem surviving solar energy.
Her hands were so cool on my face. “I know you said you’d killed some of the soldiers at the hotel, but this is different.”
“Sunfires,” I rasped, fighting back sizzling tears. “These soldiers have their sunfires. I don’t know how to fight them.”
She pressed a cup of cool water to my lips. “Then let me call and at least consult with the Triune. We don’t have any other option.”
I took a few sips, but the water didn’t quench the fire inside me. I could gulp gallons and it would just steam away. Water wouldn’t quench sunfires. I didn’t know what would.
:Blood,:the grim voice echoed in my head.
For some reason, it made me laugh weakly. Of fucking course. A bunch of skeletons… and the only solution… was blood.
8
Eivind
The doctor quietly asked a few of the staff to leave so we could have the lounge to ourselves. Harris paced back and forth, his face tight with fury. He didn’t like feeling stupid, and somehow this was all my fault.
I supposed in a way it was. If he hadn’t gotten suspicious about me last year, then we wouldn’t have this frenemy relationship. I wouldn’t have called him to get help for Karmen.
Ignoring me for the moment, he turned that anger onto Dr. Mason. “Tell me about this patient who was almost dead one minute and then walked out of the hospital and fucking disappeared in a matter of hours. And don’t pull that doctor-patient bullshit on me.”
Dr. Mason was youngish, in his late twenties. Probably just a year or two out of residency. He ran a hand through his hair and then dropped down into the nearest seat with a sheepish look on his face. “I was intrigued by her. I’ve never seen anyone heal so quickly.”
“Go on,” Harris retorted. “What were your general impressions of her? What did she tell you?”
