Beast hungered. Considered head of dog-fanged king of vampires. Was like alpha lion of strongest pride of African lions. Was tasty? Beastpawpawpawto head. Licked at neck. Was tasty. Strong blood. Beast extended claws. Pulled head to body. Lay belly to sand. Ate mouth and face of vampire. Ripped off jaw from alpha of vampire pride. Was strong blood. Strong flesh.
Would stay Beast for one day or five. Would be good to hunt for fish in water and kill birds nesting onshore. Crunched into skull. King of vampire brain was tasty.
Much later, after sun rose and its warmth stole territory from winter night, Beast looked up. Eli was watching. Leaning against tree, arms crossed to hide claws. Human sign of peace. Beast chuffed. Licked lips. Batted parts of skull to Eli. Crown of skull whirled in sand. Stopped. Beast panted. Waited.
“Leo’s in a box of blood. His head is still attached, but not by much. Probably not enough to save him.”
Beast growled.No. Leo head was gone. Flying. Eli is stupid kit. Leo is dead.
Eli said, “And worse, an arcenciel appeared out of nowhere and bit him. Arcenciel bites are psychotropic and psychotoxic. It might be months before we know if he survives and if he’s sane.”
Beast took a soft, slow breath, understanding. Arcenciel Jane set free hadn’t bitten us. Arcenciel changed time. Arcenciel bit Leo body.
Eli kept talking. “The Vodka boys set up a distraction with George’s boat and a SEAL team boarded Titus’s ship. Freed the captives—the Carusos, two witches who had been using a form of Cym’s obfuscation charm to hide the ship from the military, an Onorio who hung in chains. Turned all the others over to Edmund.”
Beast licked own jaw and muzzle free of blood. Tasted good on tongue.
“While Soul fought her own kind and then tried to save Leo, Derek and I took the fight to the water. Rick and Ayatas and a small group of SEALs caught Clan Des Citrons and the rest of Titus’s fangheads trying to get ashore. For once you didn’t just fly by the seat of your pants, Babe. You did good setting that up officially. Ayatas had the ear of the FBI, CIA. You figured he had the ear of the other government services and military too.”
A tone of satisfaction entered his voice. “The fangheads didn’t make it ashore.”
Beast chuffed.Jane is sneaky. Made sound of kit call, high-pitched and sweet.
Eli kept talking. “Edmund already took over the reins of the U.S. territory. Leo did well to make Ed his heir. He’s making peace with everyone, whether they want it or not.” Eli smiled slightly. “He’s good at this. He’s spoken to the press, to the governor, and to members of Congress on the phone. He’s making plans to go to Europe and take over there, in your name, and he’s taking Grégoire with him to take over those holdings at the same time. He appointed Alesha Fonteneau to run NOLA until he gets back. Once things are settled, he wants you to go to the European court and take over as the Dark Queen.”
Beast shook head in human way, side to side, trying to think like Jane.Leo head is not gone? Saw Leo head fly into air.Thought about arcenciel in crystal. About Soul hiding on island. Timewalkers. Better timewalkers than Jane.
Eli smiled tiny smile. “Molly’s okay. So is her baby. You staying here for a while?”
Beast nodded once. Stupid human move.
“There’s food in the house. Call when you want to come home.”
Home. To Jane den. With Eli and Alex. With Jane sick and dying. Beast snorted softly. Eli walked away.
• • •
I woke up under the low tree. Human shaped. Naked. The sun was a scarlet wash of color in the west. There was a bag that looked waterproof hanging in the limbs of the tree just above me. I reached up and touched it. The bag was dry. The sand beneath me was dry. The air was cold and damp, blustery, but the sky was bright, the cerulean blue of sunset with a single star and a sliver of moon half-hidden in distant clouds. The island felt empty. The house had no lights. Everywhere was dark, silent. Deserted.
I was alone.
I rolled carefully to my feet and untied the bag. Found inside a pair of jeans wrapped around undies and a bra, three T-shirts for layering, and a warm jacket. Running shoes beneath them with a pair of wool socks stuffed into the toes. On the bottom was a vamp-killer andle breloque. And the Glob. Memories came hard and fast. Deldying. Katie in danger of dying. So many others. My memory of Leo’s head flying. Flying. Flying. Over and over. And time bending, bubbling, twisting. Changing reality. Changing every moment of the possible present.
I blinked the images away, only to see them again, on the back of my lids. I had a feeling I would see them forever. Yet, atop that was the memory of Eli telling Beast that Leo might still live. That he was poisoned by an arcenciel bite. Things not in my timeline. I shivered hard in the cold wind. Studiedle breloque.
I had killed the emperor. I was now the Dark Queen of the vamps. De facto ruler of the fangheads. “This sucks,” I said to the empty beach.
I pulled on my clothes. Braided my hair in a sloppy braid. I picked up the crown, slid it over one arm, took the vamp-killer and the Glob, and trudged to the house. There were no lounge chairs dotting the shore. No fire pit. No people.
The island was silent. I was marooned on a deserted island? That would be a kicker, if I was stranded here. So much for being the Queen of the Suckheads.
I climbed the steps to the house and found the front door unlocked. I kicked the sand off my shoes and went inside.
The windows were shuttered closed, leaving the house dark inside. The furniture was cocooned under white sheets. The house sounded big and hollow and empty. It even smelled empty.
“Beast? How long did you keep me asleep?” My voice echoed in the empty rooms.
We grieved,she thought at me. Which was sort of an answer.
