Saxon shrugs and smiles good-naturedly, and he allows her to blindfold him before she passes him the stick. She spins him three times and then faces him toward the hanging object.
“Go,” she cries as I finally figure out what this game is. She pronounced it wrong. It’s a piñata, and it involves taking turnshitting the object with the stick until it breaks open and candy and prizes spill out.
“Where did you find a piñata?” I ask Musette, who is glaring at her sister.
“Oh, we have black market contacts. They smuggled us one from Earth,” she says as Saxon takes a swing and misses. The crowd jeers, his brother the loudest of them all, and I can see his jaw set with determination. Shit, Saxon isn’t immune to the Vilaxian competitiveness.
Something occurs to me. “So that’s a regular Earth piñata, and it hasn’t been reinforced for Vilaxian strength?” I ask her, and she cocks her head to the side and shrugs.
“I don’t think so.”
I turn back to see Saxon lift the rod once more and cry, “Wait!”
It’s too late. He swings with determined precision. The stick hits the piñata with such force, it is knocked off the string and becomes a lethal projectile, flying across the throne room at super speed. There are screams and shouts as people duck and move out of the way of the deadly flying object. Luckily, no one gets caught in the path, and it smashes harmlessly against a wall where it shatters into a million pieces, the insides sliding down the wall in a musical tinkle. It looks like they filled it with coins and gems, and not the usual candy like on Earth.
There’s a quiet pause as everyone stares in shock before chaos descends as there is a mad dash toward the prizes. People scramble around the floor, trying to fill their pockets. There is more bloodshed, hair pulling, and bitch slapping than a catfight in a warlock’s harem.
“Holy shit.” I shake my head at the carnage, but again, the queen claps her hands.
“This is the best party we have ever had. We will be the talk of Vilax.”
“Your mother is quite insane,” I mutter to Musette, who shakes her head with an amused smile.
“No, not really. She just likes to keep them all on their toes. She isn’t wrong, though, this is fun. Seeing such pompous assholes fight over such petty things really is glorious. They are going to be so ashamed when they sober up and realize how they behaved.”
“That’s devious,” I remark.
Lila is pulling the blindfold off Saxon and congratulating him on a job well done. She sees me watching her and gives me a subtle wink. I chuckle as Xavier approaches us. He’s frowning, so I instantly go on alert. I know he was scanning minds today for nefarious plans.
“What’s going on?” I ask him.
“Xenos is going to try to get a reaction out of Saxon. He’s annoyed that Saxon hasn’t even noticed that Hale and Velorina are with him and his clan again.”
Musette scoffs. “Of course he is. He isn’t happy because the attention isn’t on him. He’s happiest when Saxon is off world because all the focus can be on him. He was so angry when the others decided to go with the circus. I am surprised he’s actually forming a clan with them again. I’m sure it isn’t for the right reasons.”
“He’s going to flirt with me to try to get a reaction out of both Lila and Saxon. Do me a favor and take them away. Ask to see his bedroom or something. Keep him occupied while I deal a blow to Xenos’s ego.”
“Will that cause a problem with the queen? We don’t want to upset Saxon’s aunt,” I ask him, and he and Musette exchange a glance before bursting into laughter.
“My mother will think it’s entertaining. She lives for drama now that Vilax is at peace. It feeds her need for war without bloodshed. Saxon will be the only one hurt. Go distract him.I will make sure the bloodshed isn’t life threatening,” Saxon’s cousin insists.
“His life, not mine,” Xavier growls, and his fingers spark with lightning.
I sigh, knowing there is no talking him out of it. He is offended for his lover and wife and will not take the insult lying down.
I look around the room and find Saxon and Lila standing off to the side. I hurry over to them just as Xenos makes his way to Xavier. He practically slinks like a cat, but unlike Saxon, who unknowingly exudes sexual charisma and lethality from his pores, Xenos kind of looks constipated and awkward, like he’s trying too hard.
I reach Lila and Saxon at the same time as I hear Xenos greet Xavier. “It is a great honor to be in the presence of the warlock. It would be my pleasure to show you around the palace if you would like.” Xenos puts his hand on Xavier’s arm.
A rumbling growl comes from Saxon’s mouth, and Lila hisses.
“What is that asshole up to?” she spits out, her eyes locked on Xenos’s hand.
Instead of shrugging him off, Xavier looks down his nose at the hand on his arm. “You dare to touch me?”
Xenos doesn’t take a hint at the obvious threat.
“Oh, I can do way more than just touch you if you’d like. I heard your sexual appetite is great. Have you ever been bitten by a Vilaxian before? Or a whole clan?”
