The king chuckled.Snickers came from his subjects.
“She is a jealous one, is she not?”Xaniban asked all in attendance, his tone laced with satisfaction.A chorus of wing flaps followed.“Very territorial, just like a strong female should be.”
Resting his eyes on me, he added, “Do not worry.I keep no harem; Samuin speaks of the chambers where my father used to house his numerous females before he mated my mother.Now I offer that space to my female of choice, to use when I am away from my chambers.The harem shall be yours now.”
“I’m flattered,” I deadpanned.
“The food will be served in my chambers, then,” he told the young gargoyle.
“Yes, my liege.”Samuin bowed and extended a hand to me.“My lady.”
I stared at his blue hand, then at his bowed head, and finally at Xaniban beside me.
“Go without fear.”He gave me an encouraging smile with a hint of fang.“Samuin will ensure you are warm, clean, and fed until I return to your curvaceous side.”
I stepped further away to avoid another tail nudge.“I amnotgoing anywhere with him.”
A ripple of surprised gasps spread through the courtyard.
Yeah, what a shocker, not obeying the king.Xaniban was not my ruler, and I was nobody’s bed toy.Still, some tact was necessary here, in case my disobedience was punishable by imprisonment orexecution in this world.
“I already told you I am not going to your bedchamber, myliege.If your claim that you wish me well isn’t false, then I shall eat with you now.”
Xaniban’s brow furrowed.“I have kingly duties to perform.I do desire to fulfill all your wishes, but my brethren’s needs always come first.I must meet with my warriors now.Afterward, I promise to make it up to you by bringing you to ecstasy a myriad of times before the moon reaches its peak.”
Oh my God.He declared that loudly for everyone to hear!Cheeks burning, I forced myself to stay on track.“I wish not to keep you from your tasks,” I said respectfully, “but to join you and your warriors for dinner.”
Gasps from all around yet again.
Xaniban gave me an approving look, though.“You are feisty and courageous.You fought against our common enemy and survived when other skilled warriors fell.However,” his tone grew firm, “with so few females remaining both of my kind and yours, war is something you must not be involved in.You must be protected, not plunged into the violence my warriors and I face.”
I scoffed.“Sorry to inform you, macho gargoyles, but neither I nor the women in my community have the luxury to sit on the sidelines.We fight for our survival alongside the men, and guess what?We’re still standing.So, if you want to protect us, let me attend your war council and learn more about our common enemy.”
The king took a deep breath, his impressive chest expanding, then exhaled loudly through his nose.All the while studying me with an unreadable look on his face.
When he finally spoke, it was to Samuin.“Take her to the harem.”
“Yes, my liege.”
I yelped as I was tail-grabbed and thrown over Samuin’s shoulder like a sack of grain.“Wait!”
He held me in place with one arm and a tail and took off at a dizzying speed.
“Wait, dammit!I’ve got info!The zombie king!”
But we were already high in the air, Xaniban remaining far below us.I could barely see anything with those wings flapping right in front of my face.
“Halt.”
“My liege?”My ride stopped mid-air.
I held my breath.All I could do was listen, since I didn’t have eyes on my ass.
“What do you know about the zombie king, little human?”
Hope flared.“I will tell you… in the war room.”
A loud exhale.“You know nothing.Samuin, take her away.”
