“A few missing fingers wouldn’t be so horrible.”
“With the queen in a mood?”
Kyldan put his knife away. “You’re right.”
They stepped back to stand against the walls on either side of the room, now standing sentinel quietly.
I snorted. “She’s got you wrapped around her twisted fingers. How did she manage that?”
Maon flicked a glance down at me, then back up to stare at nothing. Eventually, he stated candidly, “Land. We get land when all this is over.”
I blinked. “That’s it?”
“That is enough for us.”
“You know, I’m from Earth. I own plenty of land. I could give you a nice slice there if you’ll get me the fuck out of here and back with the man I came with.”
Kyldan snorted. “Earth is a myth.”
I gaped, and then stated quietly, “I thought the same about S’Kir, too. But here I am. In this fucking dump.”
Maon muttered, “That’s the blood withdrawal talking right there. It’ll get real interesting soon. She’ll even say she’s been to the moon.”
“I haven’t been myself, but astronauts have walked on the moon before.” I hummed deep in my throat, closing my eyes, near fainting with exhaustion—my stomach churned with agony. “I think that’s a splendid idea, though. I wouldn’t mind going to the moon one day. I wonder how much money that would take?”
Kyldan laughed outright. “This is getting good. What else can you tell—”
Ascreechrent the air, bloodcurdling.
The tiny hairs on my arms stood on end, and my eyes popped open in a hurry. “What the fuck was that?”
“Our queen.” Maon yawned, even as he stood at attention. “She is almost here.”
I watched the entrance of the room avidly. “Will one of you please sit me upright?”
Both of their noses scrunched in revulsion.
“Fuck you, too.”
Bat shit crazy walked into the room wearing a crown and a fine dress fit for a queen. Pearls roped around her neck too many times to be proper, and her sandy blond hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her wild, brown eyes darted to and fro, not stopping on one certain thing for more than a second. Her walk was the most elegant part about her, perfectly sedate, small steps so she didn’t ruin the stunning hem of her dress.
“Ah, shit.” I breathed.
Honey had done lost it a long time ago. Not a whole lot was going on upstairs in that pretty vampire head of hers. Had she ever been sane? It didn’t look like it with that gleam in her eyes.
Queen Niniane’s chaotic gazefinallystopped.
On me.
She blinked. And…whoa…
Lucidity returned to her eyes in a heartbeat.
The cracked queen stated pleasantly, “Now, what in the gods names are you doing down there, Gwynnore? Did you trip?”
I snorted. “Yes, right down the fucking rabbit hole, Your Royal Highness. It’s called S’Kir. And I don’t like it much.”
Chapter Seventeen
