Lord Cato’s tone was tender. “You will have us to help guide you.”
I nodded, still overwhelmed. “I know. That’s the only reason I didn’t faint when my lord informed me of theSecret.”
Lord Otto chuckled quietly. “You handled it well enough from what he told us. He only had to repeat it twice.”
“And Lord Belshazzar will be the king of the druids, their sole ruler,” Lord Pippin added. “I’m still unsure how the hell that’s going to work out, how the druids will take the news, but you will have him by your side too. Druids and vampires will finally come together as we should be.”
I peeked up at my lover. “Howdo you plan to handle the druids following you?”
Lord Belshazzar tugged me back against his side and placed his arm over my shoulder, kissing the top of my head with a caring brush of his lips. “If we weren’t about to go to war, I would have handled it much differently, but since we are, I take action with an iron fist. It’s the only way it can be.”
I pushed. “Are you sure you can handle them? They’re already going to be frantic with the war.”
“I can manage them easily.”
I blinked. “Don’t get overconfident.”
Lord Belshazzar snorted, full of that confidence. “I could wipe out the entire druid faction if I wished. But I don’t. I want our peoples together. They never should have been fractured in the beginning by the fucknut and his backhanded actions when he killed his friend. He’s only hurt us by his selfish actions. Druids and vampires are meant to be side-by-side.”
I rubbed my lips together and eyed him carefully. “You could end them all? You can’t be that powerful.”
His grin was lopsided and cocky as hell. “Trust me, your majesty, you don’t know everything about me.” His wink was adorable—not even sure how that was possible. “Even if you think you’ve seen everything.”
That…was frightening.
And more in line with what I thought of the man.
Lord Cato’s question was quiet and serious. “What if you’re wrong, Lord Belshazzar? What if you can’t control them?”
My lover’s sigh was heavy. “If they truly will not accept a vampire’s rule, then I’ll bring out the big guns…as much as it pains me to do so.”
“And that would be?”
“Someone I know. He will make them bow, and they won’t dare defy him. He’ll make them see reason.”
Lord Pippin’s head snapped back in surprise and complete bafflement. “You know someone more frightening than you?”
Lord Belshazzar’s lips twitched. “Not more frightening than me, just a little different. Enough so that they’ll listen to him without question.”
Lord Otto lifted a finger into the air. “Perhaps you should contact whoever this individual is to have them on standby. I’m worried as well that the druids will rebel when we need them the most. We can’t win this war without them, and vice versa.”
My lover tipped his head and placed his cheek on top of my head, resting there. “I plan to bring him back from S’Kir—along with whatever or whomever this Breaker is.”
“Wait. You’re planning to go?” I asked, unable to move my head and look up with the weight of his thick skull on top of mine. “When did you decide this?”
“Yes, I’d like to know that too,” Lord Xenon drawled. “We never discussed who would be going.”
With finality in his deep baritone, Lord Belshazzar stated, “As soon as we have both amulets, the queen and I will be going to S’Kir together to retrieve what’s needed. It is happening. All of you should prepare for it.”
Ah…shit.
“YOUR MAJESTY,I’VE BEENLOOKING ALL OVERfor you,” King Niallan growled, stopping me in my tracks as I was making my way back to my room. His gaze roamed up and down my frame in a quick assessment. “Where have you been?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk,” I lied easily. I crossed my arms over my chest and yawned, wanting a few more hours of sleep—in my own bed. What I did not want was to be harassed after a secret meeting, not by the man we were plotting to kill. “What do you need, my king?”
The handsome druid king ran his fingers through his tousled hair, also wearing his pajamas. He turned his body so that my bodyguard, Crow, was behind him to give us a semblance of privacy. He whispered under his breath, “I’ve been trying to call you all night, but it’s just going to voicemail.”
“I’m so sorry. I turned my phone off last night and left it in my room.” I took a step closer to him and placed my right hand on his left shoulder. I asked again, “Did you need something?”
