The druid ruler turned his head and looked down at me. A blond brow lifted. “If I may ask you one in return.”
I nodded in agreement. “What do you love the most about your people?”
His forehead crinkled in thought. “I think the easiest way to answer that is for you to look to your right.”
I turned my head and searched the area. “What am I looking for?”
Master Niallan snorted. “You are such a vampire.” He leaned over me and pointed over my shoulder. I followed his finger to a child sitting on a man’s shoulders. “Do you see the way his daughter’s pulling his hair?”
The little girl’s hands were fisted in her father’s hair. She bounced on his shoulders to the beat of the music, unknowingly, jerking her father’s head side-to-side. The poor man grimaced with each yank, but he only moved closer to the celebration, allowing her a closer view.
I lifted a black brow. While I continued to watch the pair, my tone wasn’t amused. “If you’re saying vampires don’t know unconditional love, then you’re sadly mistaken.”
The druid snickered softly and draped his arms around my shoulders from behind, hugging my back to his front. He placed his chin on the top of my head, and said, “It’s the daughter’s innocence, your majesty. My people are comfortable with their lives. They enjoy themselves.” He turned us to face the revelry. “As you can see.”
I sucked in a large breath, and admitted, “While I don’t agree with many of your laws, and your leniency if druids stray from them, I will agree that the majority of your people are happy with your rule.”
The celebration only became larger.
More druids poured from their homes.
“My turn.” He kept his chin on top of my head and started swaying our bodies to the heady beat. “This one is hard, so you may not be able to answer it. If you had the choice to die to bring your mother back, would you?”
Lord Cato’s head jerked in our direction. His brown eyes narrowed on the druid’s face over my head. My father’s lips thinned, but he stayed quiet, not interrupting.
“That is a hard question.” I crossed my arms over my chest, directly over where his arms were crossed over my shoulders. My black brows puckered. I stated, “The correct answer would be to say, yes, of course, I would.”
Master Niallan hummed softly. “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”
“You’re right.” I swallowed and scrunched my face. “My mother wouldn’t want me to take her place in death. No loving mother would—and she did love me with her whole heart. So, my actual answer would be no, I wouldn’t take her place. It wouldn’t be the right choice. Not for me. Not for her.”
We continued to sway to the music.
Until Master Niallan suddenly released me.
The druid held out his right hand. “And is it the right choice for you to come with me tonight, your majesty? Or is it the right choice to save yourself for Lord Biotch, a possible mate for you? You’re playing a very dangerous game by having sex with both of us.”
I stared at his outstretched hand. I asked quietly, “What if I just wanted to sleep there? With you?”
He was quiet for a full minute. His hand never lowered, though. In the end, he replied, “Maybe you should go back to your room with him. Having sex with me is much different than what you’re asking for. And I have no more room in my life for another romantic partner. The two I have are all I need and want.”
And, yet, his hand was still waiting for me.
Because…he’d watched me kill Adelie.
Because he knew he’d have to kill one—or both—of his lovers soon. In the near future, they would be dead. He would be alone. The love and devotion he still had for his mother showed he took loss hard.
Master Niallan would be at his weakest soon.
I’d been right to ask that question. I was slipping deeper under his skin when he needed someone the most. I would be that person for him—until I wasn’t.
I placed my hand in his and lifted my head to look into his eyes. I said quietly, “Sleep only, Master Niallan. I need to get away from it all for a little while. Out of my own head. Away fromthem.”
The druid’s green eyes held mine. His fingers gently curled around my smaller digits. Without an ounce of emotion shown, he turned and pulled me behind him. “Only for tonight, your majesty.”
We both knew that wasn’t true.
It would be any night I wanted it.
