Page 35 of Queen Takes Blood
“What do we know about House Isador?” Vega asked. “I’ve never heard of her.”
“Her mother dissolved her nest and left her Blood for a human.” I could hear the sneer of disdain in Keisha’s voice. “No one knew she had an heir. Though how a half-human queen could be so…” She let out a rough growl. “Leave. I need to make a few calls.”
How a half-human queen could be so…strong?
“My queen.” Vega sounded fucking relieved to escape unscathed.
My skin itched. A furious, desperate queen was a serious threat. Let alone one with a streak of evil that was a fucking mile wide. Keisha Skye had a taste for torture. She especially loved to torture alpha males—because they lived so fucking long. I fucking hated that Daire had become so engrossed in Rik rather than me, but I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone.
“Get Devana on the phone,” Keisha said, likely to her consiliarius, though I couldn’t hear her response over the pounding of rushing blood in my ears.
Both Daire and I came from House Devana. Why would Keisha want to talk to our former queen?
Their voices softened and I couldn’t make out their words.Stay fucking outside. I need to know what you’re fucking saying to my queen!
“Christabel.” Keisha’s voice rang out clearly. “Thank you for taking my call.”
Relief surged through me and I breathed a little easier. Skye was still on the balcony. Though we were in fucking New York City, and evidently there was a five-alarm fire somewhere nearby because every fire engine in the city converged down the block. I stood up, pressing my back against the building, straining to my full height. Ear tipped up, pulling on my senses.
The wildness of the forest. A predator stalking his prey. Block out the sound of sirens. Focus on the softer notes of the queen’s voice.
“What are they worth to you?” Keisha asked, her voice almost sweet.
They who? I’d give my left arm to hear my former queen’s reply.
“They’ve fostered here for decades. The young cub is especially amiable and has learned everything you hoped he would in my court.”
Fostered. Cub.
The bitch was talking about Daire. They—so she included me too. Not that I fucking cared.
Christabel Devana wouldn’t fucking care about what happened to me. I was a nobody from a minor sib house. I wasn’t even offended, not really. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to serve some snooty high-level queen. Bowing and scraping went against every grumpy bone in my body.
Everybody fucking loved Daire, and he had a talent for making friends and keeping track of the “Who’s Who” of the Aima courts. Which queens were sibs to other queens, which ones had ties to Triune queens. All of it was Greek to me.
But to a queen who had a thirst for ambition and her eye on the empty Triune seat…
He was worth his weight in blood.
Keisha Skye made it no secret that she intended to win the Triune seat between the queen of Rome and the mysterious Dauphine. This new half-human queen that Daire had found didn’t stand a fucking chance against them.
Fucking hell. I was a fool. A fucking, useless fool.
“It’s simple, really.” The dulcet tone of Keisha Skye’s voice made my blood run cold. “Support my bid for the Triune, and your fosters remain safe and sound in House Skye. Otherwise, I regret to inform you that your silly young cubs might have made a mistake that put them in harm’s way.”
I was already moving. Running. Which for me, was quite the fucking feat. Bulky men my size don’t run for fun. I didn’t even go back up to my shitty cubbyhole room to pack a bag. I didn’t have anything I cared about.
Except Daire.
I have to get to him. Warn him.
He can’t ever fucking come back where Keisha Skye can touch him.
19
EZRA
Fuck me sideways. This fucking hike into the middle of fucking nowhere had better be fucking worth it. I hated New York City, but at least there was public transportation. Here in Bumfuck Arkansas it was hitchhike, walk, or steal some wheels. All of which I did to reach Daire, until I couldn’t stay on a road.
