He gave me the best grin, one I remembered from back before I was politically powerful and scary and all that stuff. “Sure, Janie.”
The door closed, and I was alone in one of the tiny rooms that were scattered all through HQ. Rooms that had probably once been furnished with daybeds or chaise lounges used as private feeding rooms. Ick.
I leaned back and thought through what I wanted to say. Wrassler delivered a tray of food and slipped back out. I popped the top on the Coke, drank, ate, and thought some more. I dialed Brandon Robere.
When he answered, it was with the same title Wrassler used. “My Queen, how may I assist you?”
“Two things. One: I shot a powerful Onorio in the head. She has no heartbeat, isn’t breathing, and she looks dead. But she doesn’t smell dead. And two: I need to know about binding Onorios. Rule of thumb says Onorios can’t be bound. But. Is it possible for a stronger, older Onorio to bind a younger, less powerful one, or maybe multiple Onorios to bind one?”
“I heard about the head shot, My Queen. Nice shooting. And no. If she isn’t decomposing, then she is trying to heal. That may not work at all, or she may come back with a scrambled brain, like a revenant, or she may come back fine. No one knows. If you want her dead, take her head. If you want her alive for some reason, you must guard her well.”
“Okay. And binding Onorios?”
“Yes and no. I have never heard of an Onorio being forcibly bound, but we can be drained, our power and our life force taken by another, leaving us vulnerable to death by normal mortal violence. I’ve also never heard of multiple Onorios binding any of our kind.”
Never heard ofdidn’t meancouldn’t happen. “What about voluntarily agreeing to be bound?” I told him about the beings in the bloody hull of Monique’s soul home. When I finished, he was silent for a time.
“I’ve heard about Onorios in the past who agreed to amutualbinding, much likeanamchara. That may be what you saw in your vision. But when you shot Monique, the binding was interrupted. If there are other Onorios involved in this mutual binding, then they will be desperate. They will do anything and everything within their power to get her back. Even without her mind intact, she would be useful to them.” He hesitated again before saying, “My Queen. My suggestion is to have your executioner address this situation.”
Kill Monique. Not yet. “I want to use her to draw out the others. I’ll see she’s guarded well and I want you and your brother to take extra precautions too.” Because Monique wasn’t the only Onorio in NOLA. “Now. About the whole crowning of Eddie. Where do we stand?”
“The papers are all drawn up, My Queen. We are prepared.”
***
I worked until close to dawn, making sure that Monique was well-guarded and securely locked down. With Cowbird Protocol in place, Monique should be fine. But I wasn’t taking chances. Eli and I also spent time with the security teams, going over wedding protocols. Busy work, but urgent and necessary busy work.
I was still in half-form, and the nice soft lining of the fancy outfit kept catching on my pelt and pulling it. The pants rode up, the back got stuck, and I looked ridiculous. When things seemed in place and going smoothly, I made a trip to Leo’s room—my room—and left the outfit on the floor. I was sure someone would pick up after me, because the bloody sheets were all gone, the bed was made up neatly, and the shower and bath had been cleaned into shiny spotlessness.
There were no jeans or tees in the closet. The only thing that looked comfortable was a sweat suit, and it was an ugly shade of white-people flesh, sort of like mayo with a hint of peach. Not that I’d ever say that to them. I pulled it on, and it was just as uncomfortable on my pelt.
Beast thought at me,Ugly human clothes. Jane has pelt. Should not cover up beautiful pelt.
I pulled out the neckline of the top and looked down at my hairless boobs.Nope. Not happening.
Beast chuffed with laughter.
I checked to see if Quint’s number had been added to my cell, and it had. That meant that Alex had access to my cell and all its settings. I thought about lodging a complaint, but I could also just buy a burner phone most anytime. With the danger we were all facing, Alex’s access allowed him to track and find me if I went missing. Frowning, I texted Quint my clothing request. Her first job would be to change out my wardrobe.
I texted Bruiser that I was ready to go home. He met me in the downstairs entrance. The doorway still smelled of fire and burned chemicals but looked better than I expected, except for the charred cement and the burned hulk of a car. We crawled into the back seat of an SUV. It had a limo-worthy privacy panel in place, and so I laid my headon my honeybunch’s shoulder. As we pulled out of the back gate, Beast shoved her claws into my brain. I/we saw a form out the side window. We sat up fast.
“What?” Bruiser asked. He was already holding a nine-mil.
“Something. Don’t know. A shadow?” I pointed. “Another one.” They were shadowing the SUV. I couldn’t make them out, but I did see crotch-rocket motorcycles on side streets. I looked at my honeybunch. “You put people watching my every move.”
He holstered his weapon. “Guilty, my love.”
“Mmmm.” I snuggled back onto his shoulder. “So when I got shot, how did you get to me so fast?” I smelled his reaction as fresh adrenaline shot through him, the scent of distress.
“I was close,” he said carefully. “Alex told me the front gate had been breached.”
“So you knew the front was being attacked, and you ran outside without backup. You got pinned down first. In a firefight. Then I ran outside and got pinned down too.” I was half irritated at both of us, and he had to hear that in my tone.
“I was never in imminent danger,” he said, the beginning of anger tinting his tone. “But you had to lead your people into battle, still thinking you are immortal. As we know now, you are not.” He pulled me close, intense emotions making his English accent stronger. “You were not supposed to be there. You were supposed to be safe in the security room.Pleasedo not rush in where angels fear to tread when you have been told tostay put.”
Beast does not need help. Beast does not stay put,she thought at me. Into our shared head space, she sent images of hunting, killing, attacking a massive boar.Beast is best hunter.
I thought about the terror that was pumping through Bruiser’s blood. Thought about what it meant to be the Dark Queen. Very softly, enunciating each word, I said, “You ran outside. You. In the face of enemies.”
