“Yes, your majesty?”
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
“Yes, your majesty.” He kept on laughing.
Bastard.
Lord Otto shook off his stunned shock, and stated, “I believe we all need a small drink to celebrate, don’t you think? After all,KingBelshazzar lied to all of us—including the woman he apparently wants to hump until babies spit out of her spread thighs.” He went straight for the sidebar. “Or maybe a large drink, anyone?”
Lord Pippin flicked a hand in the air. “I’ll take my usual, double scotch.”
“Then come and get it,” Lord Otto retorted. He grabbed a beer from the mini-fridge and turned around to glare daggers at the other lord. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you slacking on picking up duties. I had to field nine calls yesterday that should have been yours, and Lord Cato picked up half of the emails you were supposed to respond to.”
Lord Pippin’s eyes narrowed. “I was tired.”
“As are we all,” Lord Cato grumbled, jarring the other lord’s shoulder as he passed by him to the bar. He grabbed a goblet and poured blood into it. “But we’re still doing our damn jobs, and I didn’t appreciate that yesterday.”
“My apologies. To both of you,” Lord Pippin grudgingly stated as he headed to the sidebar. He poured his own glass of scotch and took a sip of it. “Your majesties, when will you create the rest of the new laws?”
I swung the Original vampire amulet around and around by its golden chain, stating, “When we get back from S’Kir with the Breaker. No outward changes will occur for the vampire faction until we’re back. They couldn’t handle it. They’re barely handling seeing our troops amass around our strongholds. And when you send out the news that war is coming with the humans, it’s going to be even worse. The four of you have enough on your plates to shove more shit on it. We’ll tell them when theyneedto know.”
King Belshazzar grunted. “Perfectly stated. It will be the same for me.”
Lord Pippin peered straight into my eyes, his concern for me flashing in his brown gaze. “Be safe in S’Kir. It’s been thousands of years since anyone on Earth has been there. You don’t know what could be waiting—”
The Overlord grunted and stopped speaking.
His dark red brows furrowed over his eyes.
Lord Pippin cleared his throat, rubbed at his head, and tried again, “What I mean is—”
He snapped his mouth shut and massaged his throat, his eyebrows lowering even further over his eyes. The Overlord shook his head hard and placed his glass of scotch down onto the bar. His eyes widened on his face, and in a burst of movement, he leaned over and stuck his finger down his throat.
I stopped swinging the Original vampire amulet, my head jerking back in shock, as the lord proceeded to make himself vomit.
Blood and his dinner from last night poured out of his mouth onto the carpet in a sickening splatter as his body convulsed. He swayed hard and dropped to his knees, then jammed his finger back down his throat, repeating the process.
Lord Otto grabbed Lord Pippin’s shoulders, demanding roughly, “Someone call a damn medic. He’s been poisoned.”
Lord Xenon yanked his cell phone out of his pocket, even as I rushed forward toward Lord Pippin.
But the vomiting suddenly stopped.
As did his racing heart.
It no longer beat at all.
Lord Pippin’s body slackened and slid out from under Lord Otto’s hands. He fell to the side in a graceless heap, his massive body smacking the floor with athud. His head bounced on the carpet, and then lay still, his arms under his chest at an odd angle and his legs on top of his own vomit.
I stopped breathing and stood in place right next to his head, staring down at the unmoving Overlord. Unable to believe the truth lying at my feet, I whispered, “Pippy?”
Lord Xenon dropped his arm down to his side, his cell phone crushed inside his brutal grip.
I quickly squatted and started running my fingers frantically through his wavy red hair. “Pippy, this isn’t funny. Open your eyes.”
My old love didn’t move.
“This isn’t happening.” I patted his cheek as my eyes burned. “I said open your eyes, damn you!”
