The dining tent was magnificent. The night was slightly cool, and the fancy new electricity-powered, twinkling little lights at the top of the fabric. Below those were strung larger bulbs that gave us enough light to see with.
The part of the tent we had been seated in was for the officials and guests. The other part was for the soldiers and their families—as always, the temple took care of the people of S’Kir. Our fare was no better or worse than those in the soldier’s area. We just had a permanent table and seating available.
“So this is what’s become of the druids,” Belshazzar said, picking up a roll and pulling it apart with his fingers.
“Yes,” I said, feeling defensive. “We rather like it. It’s not a utopia, but it’s a pleasant way to live.”
Dorian put his hand on mine. “It’s all right,ilati. Bel means no insult. And if he does, I’ll kick his ass.”
The queen’s fingers twitched, and I could tell that she wanted to pull her gun out. Bel shook his head. “You need to get used to how brothers act, Gwen. We were always assholes to each other.”
“I can’t believe you have a damn twin brother.”
The king chuckled. “We don’t much look like twins, do we?”
“No, you don’t,” I answered. “But I see the resemblance in your personalities. You’re both assholes.”
Belshazzar tipped his head back and laughed. “You’re starting to grow on me. No one would call you meek.”
“Kimber is anything but meek, Bel.” Dorian lifted an eyebrow and chose to spread some butter on his roll. “Your woman is not meek, either. She’s quite the handful.”
“You think Gwynnore would have become queen without being a bitch?” King Belshazzar smiled.
Gwen grinned, flashing a fang—proud.
I shook my head. They suited each other.
“So, how do you handle three guys?” Gwen asked quietly.
I nodded. “It really wasn’t my intention, but they kind of lured me into their bed.”
Gwen laughed. “I get the feeling that it didn’t take much to convince you.”
I tried not to laugh, but it didn’t work.
“That’s what I thought. And what about the tall, dark Asian over there?”
“Asian? Is that a different word for a vampire?”
“No, it’s a region on Earth—you know what? Never mind. What about the tall, dark vampire with the olive skin? Is he yours, too?”
Pursing my lips, I pushed the carrots around on the plate. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh, honey, I understand that.”
Considering the person she was with, I was sure she understood complicated. Biting off a bit of the carrot, I chewed thoughtfully on it. I didn’t know if I liked this queen yet, but she certainly wasn’t a terrible person. Just very different from other people I knew
She was a vampire, too, and the chance to talk to another female vampire who wasn’t insane or under thrall would be welcome.
“So, how do you handle the blood thing?”
“Hmm?”
“The blood thing. Do you share with the king?”
“That’s a terribly personal question,” she answered, picking at her salad.
“I’m sorry. I’m not a very good vampire yet.”
