“I don’t know what you mean,” Leonie said. “But I do have orders from the Dauphine. ‘Chasser. Tuer. Mutiler. Ressusciter.’”
I raised Isabelle’s frail voice as much as possible to shout, “I am resurrected!”
“No, I am resurrected,” Leonie retorted, giving me a glare.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I drew myself up stiffly, releasing Guillaume’s arm so he could leap into action when needed. “You’re embarrassing yourself in front of our queen, girl.”
“Enough.” Rosalind’s voice sliced like jagged ice. “Marne, give me the Isador Blood now, please.”
Eyes wide, her mouth slightly open and curved as if she were thoroughly enjoying the show, Marne gave a nod to her side of the room.
Three men stepped out of line and started toward the queens.
I could feel the spark of magic in them as they approached. Blood called to blood. Isador blood.
When Lew had smelled my blood in Skye Tower, he’d known immediately who I was.
So would they.
:They won’t betray you,:he assured me.:Your mother prepared us well for any court intrigue. They’ll die in silence before they reveal the truth before you’re ready.:
The three Blood turned sharply, their steps in unison, marching forward to halt directly between the dais and where Leonie and I stood.
“The queen who killed the Dauphine knows exactly what fate the rest of her precious Isador Blood met in the swamps of New Orleans. A different fate awaits these Blood, though not the way the Dauphine intended. I have no intention of allowing my grandmother to be resurrected, even if that were possible.”
Rosalind lifted her right hand in a casual wave, and three of her Blood stepped away from the wall and came to stand with the other three Blood before her.
Paired up. Blades in hand. And I knew before her smiling, smug lips uttered the command what she intended to do. Power gathered inside me, bracing to attack. Though I didn’t let any hint of magic to flicker around me.
I didn’t have to look to see Xin crouched, ready to spring at Marne if she reached for her power.
Beside me, loose and stooped, Guillaume waited, ready to draw his blade and begin his attack. He only needed his target.
“I have a very close relationship with my goddess, you see,” Rosalind continued. “I know exactly what penalty my grandmother’s murderess paid. I also know how sentimental the murderess is, especially when it comes to her mother’s former Blood.”
She paused, smiling wider at me and then Leonie, trying to tell which one of us was veiled. “When these Isador Blood are killed before you, you must watch with full knowledge that they’re beyond your powers, Shara Isador. You can’t resurrect them. Not this time.Tuez-les.”
Her Bloods’ hands began to move.
And I released the death knell.
54
SHARA
The most wondrous part of the death knell was Rosalind’s inability to tell from where the blow had come.
I slammed power into her and her three Blood at the same time. Her breath expelled in a heavy groan, her eyes rolling back in her head, her body twitching. Her three Blood fell to the floor, senseless and unable to move.
For a moment, everyone stared, frozen and shocked. Marne’s mouth hung open with surprise.
The rest of Rosalind’s Blood rushed toward their queen, which alarmed Marne’s Blood. Chaos reigned as the two sets of opposing Blood jostled and threatened each other, not quite coming to blows but tensions were strained.
In that chaos, the thrall attacked. Not me. Not yet.
He went after my mother’s Blood.
Of course Marne hadn’t allowed them to arm themselves either. That bitch knew she’d brought them to slaughter in Paris.
