Page 19 of Queen Takes Blood
“Your power is great, my queen. The cost is high. But we willingly pay that cost to be here with you.”
At least I could agree with his words, though the casual physical intimacy still had me reeling. I wasn’t clear of their hierarchy, because it honestly made no sense. Sure, the alpha was big and strong but still a pup. Compared to the medieval knight, there was no question who should have the queen’s back. Especially if he was truly the Triune Executioner.
No Triune queen would cuddle and stroke her Blood like this. Cry over them. Love them. So openly.
“Was it my stupid oath that did this?” She asked. “Because if Rik had to die to give me fangs, then I would have rather done without.”
“I don’t think so, my queen,” the knight replied, lifting his head. “I’ve seen this happen before.”
“When?”
“When your mother came to me.”
She gasped softly, her eyes flaring. “But you said you didn’t know her name.”
“I didn’t. I still don’t. Even though you gave me her name last night, I cannot pull it up in my mind. But when I saw your cobra, I remembered another cobra queen. I remember being envenomed like Rik. And that is how I was finally freed from Desideria. She drank from me and died of the poison my blood carried.”
Holy fuck. He truly was the Executioner. How the fuck had he managed to stay free of Marne Ceresa to wind up here, kneeling beside this young queen’s bed?
His words tickled that foggy mist inside my own head. The cobra seemed familiar, somehow, though I couldn’t recall. Other than Wu Tien, I had killed every queen I ever came into contact with. So I surely hadn’t ever met her mother.
“Why didn’t your blood kill me then?” Shara asked.
“Because Desideria drank me to the point of death. Luckily for me, she died before she could finish me off.”
The alpha lifted his head, fully healed and dare I say, even bigger and badder than ever. “So I’m poisonous now?”
“To anyone who doesn’t carry our queen’s blood, yes,” the knight replied. “Her blood has the anti-venom that will counteract the poison.” He looked at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “If our new friend here tries to drink from you before our queen, he’ll die and it won’t be a pretty, easy death.”
The alpha leveled a hard glare in my direction with a mental shove that would have made me involuntarily take a step backwards if I wasn’t already on my knees. But that look paled in comparison to the blistering stare he turned on the other two Blood. Perhaps he did indeed carry enough power to dominate the elder knight. “I’m glad to have another Blood, but do either of you care to tell me how you allowed him so deeply into our queen’s home?”
I quickly said, “It’s not their fault. My gift is invisibility.”
To demonstrate, I wrapped myself in the cold fog that I carried. Still on my knees, unmoving, I completely disappeared. No scent, no sound, nothing remained to betray my presence. I could leap to my feet and slit the queen’s throat before any of them moved.
The strangled look of consternation on the knight’s face almost made me laugh. Out loud.
Me. The silent, deadly blade. Stunned, I could only shake my head. This court was already starting to infect me with their emotion, and I hadn’t even sworn to their queen. Unease crawled through me, another facet of weakness. Doubt gnawed in the pit of my stomach. A queen shouldn’t weaken her Blood. Her Blood shouldn’t weaken her, especially with their love. Devotion seemed innocent enough…
Until another queen twisted that knife in your back.
“I can still see you,” Shara said.
I unwrapped the fog so that the other Blood could see me once more. “Of course. You’re my queen.” Pausing, I blinked, stunned at how quickly the words had come from my throat despite the turmoil boiling inside me. “I could never hide my presence from you.”
“Who are you?”
I bowed my head. “Xin, my queen. Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner, but you were otherwise occupied.”
For a moment, a haunted, grim frown of dismay twisted her lips. “Such a nice way of saying that I was too busy killing my alpha to notice a new Blood. I don’t mean to be rude, Xin, G, but could we have some time alone?”
“Of course, my queen.” The knight stood and held out his hand to me. “I’m Guillaume de Payne. Let’s go make some breakfast.”
Shaking my head, I let out a low whistle of appreciation. The Triune Executioner, shaking my hand. What were the odds that the only other Blood who’d become famous for killing would be here in this court? Though I was far from famous. Mostly because no one lived to tell about the silent silver wolf who came to execute his mark.
“I’ve heard of you, Payne. I usually go for the stab in the back myself.”
The knight flashed a broad smile and slapped me on the back. We headed to the door, but I couldn’t help a quick glance back at the queen. So young. So powerful. A queen of death… and resurrection.
