“I was the same as dead,” Leonie whispered, though her voice quivered with rage. “Powerless. Trapped. A Valois sibling. Rosalind would’ve known where I was and could’ve at least put me out of my misery. If she wanted.”
I nodded. “I guarantee if one of my siblings was attacked and trapped, I would do anything within my power to free her.”
Blinking away tears, Leonie gave me a dazzling smile. “Which is why no other queen can ever hope to match Isador’s.”
I gave her a mental hug in the bond, a brush of our souls. “Rosalind will realize one of us must be fake, but which one? Am I masked as the elderly queen she allowed the Dauphine to use to get to Delafosse? Or am I Leonie and somehow using an illusion for Isabelle? She can’t attack us both at the same time or risk exposing her treachery and lies to her entire court.
“Plus she’s dealing with the queen of Rome’s entourage. Marne’s trying to strong arm her into joining her against me. I’m counting on it being a little chaotic and extremely tense, which will let us get as close as possible to both queens.”
“And then what?” Rik’s voice rumbled so deep the floor vibrated beneath our chair. “When do you bring us to you? Because it’ll be the perfect time for them to attack you as well. Especially the queen of Rome.”
I pulled his arm around me, hugging him snuggly to my chest. “I’ll have the Triune Executioner at my side, and Wu Tien Xin at Marne’s throat.”
As his silver wolf, Xin sat down beside Guillaume, tippedback his head, and let out a long series of howls and yips no one needed help translating to“fuck yeah, let’s fucking go.”
“Not good enough,” Rik retorted. “Rosalind Valois has at least fifty Blood, and I saw how many Blood were on that yacht with the queen of Rome. Plus we don’t know where the Dauphine’s former Blood may be. Maybe she sent them all home to Paris, hoping that’s where you’d go next.”
“I’m good but not that good,” Guillaume admitted. Though from the glint of challenge in his blue eyes, he really did think he could take them all on by himself.
“Which is why when Leonie and I exit the fountain at House Valois, I will leave it keyed open with my blood. When we’re attacked, you can all pass through the portal, and Sekh can bring the blood circle down.”
Rik’s jaws ground like crunching boulders.
“I know it might take him a few minutes, but it’s only one blood circle.” I loosened my grip on his arm so I could turn around on his lap and cup his stony face in my palms. “I assure you, my alpha, I’m fully prepared to rain down unholy hell upon everyone in that fucking house except my mother’s former Blood. I will not be in danger. No one will dare touch me.”
He gave a grudging nod. “You’ll have the Eleusinian Mysteries, but will you also wear Desideria’s jewelry as back up?”
I nodded. “As much as I hate using it, yes. I will use every weapon at my disposal.”
50
SHARA
It was a bit of a mad scramble over the next few hours. Gina retrieved Desideria’s jewelry from the vault along with a formal crown to match the stunning court-worthy gown Nevarre helped me pick out. Meanwhile, the Blood were arguing over who was wearing what to dazzle and amaze—or better yet, shock—the old, powerful queens, while still wearing things they could fight in and didn’t mind shredding if they shifted.
Finally we had bags assembled and we gathered at the edge of the grotto. Holding the vision of the statue pouring water into the pool in Paris, I allowed a drop of blood to open the way. Half of my Blood passed through first, then my humans in pairs. Winston and Frank, Gina and Julie—holding hands since our new people were nervous—and Kevin and Regina, who let out a squeal as the water closed over her head. Leonie and Jenrade went next, then the rest of my Blood followed until only Rik and I remained.
Such a rare moment for us to be alone, even if only for a few seconds. He picked me up so I could wrap my arms around his neck.
“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.
“I love you more, my queen.”
I deepened the kiss, stroking my tongue against his as he stepped out into the water.
For a moment, we hung suspended in dark, hot water. I shifted my focus to the pool Esetta had installed at the Park Avenue house, merging the two locations together. My blood opened the way. Cooler water, deep blue thanks to the lapis tiles. Sandstone walls and columns.
I touched Carys’ bond.:I’m ready.:
I felt her step into the pool, holding Magnum’s hand, and I pulled on her bond, my hand outstretched. Her fingers closed over mine, and I held her and Magnum with me as Rik took another step. Up. Into a shallow pool in Paris.
Inside an Isador blood circle—that wasn’t my own.
Stunned, I could only quiver in Rik’s arms, drinking in the remnants of generations’ worth of Isador magic. Closing my eyes, I could smell Mom’s familiar sweet vanilla and feel her arms around me, promising to keep me safe from the monsters outside our house. As Queen Selena, she’d added her blood to the circle with my true mother, Esetta. Blowing desert sands and smoky incense sprinkled with blue lotus petals. Mixed with vanilla. Together.
They flowed around this house, making it a safe and beautiful oasis within the sprawling city. In a way, I felt even safer here than at home in Arkansas, surrounded by their love and magic I’d never felt before. The London house probably had a blood circle too. Suddenly I wanted to travel to any of the Isador properties where my mothers’ blood might be, so I could add mine to theirs.
Carys inhaled deeply and beamed at me. “Nothing smells like Paris.”
