“The Gates of the Dead are open,” I told them. “The Mother of the Nine ushers you across the river into Gaia’s eternal embrace.”
Power raged like a torrent through me. I pulled their spirits free of their damaged bodies and ended their suffering. With a thought, I burned their remains. Even the cabinet in New Orleans, the bits of flesh and bone turning into ash. Shuddering with revulsion, I pulled Isabelle’s hand and tongue out of my pocket and added them to the fire.
Opening my eyes as invisible wings fluttered across the Veil, I stared at the carnage around me. It was a bloodbath. Literally. Every drop of Valois and Viennois blood in the entire world had responded to my call. The marble was covered in thick, congealing blood, dripping from the columns and staining the frescos as if the blood had fountained all around the ballroom.
Still alive but drained, Rosalind sprawled awkwardly on the floor, leaning against her chair as if she tried to crawl into it but couldn’t muster the strength. The blue velvet was wet with her blood.
“Don’t kill me,” she gasped out. “I’ll swear to Isador.”
“It’s too late for that, Rosalind.”
“Despoina will avenge me! Save me! Please!”
Whirling winds swept my hair around me like a tornado. My heart thundered to the beat of war drums, and the cries of crows echoed in the distance. The sound of scales gliding over marble made a cruel smile spread over my face.
Maybe it made me a monster.
But she fucking deserved it.
“I think you’ll be surprised at the goddesses waiting for you on the other side, Rosalind. May you receive exactly what you deserve.”
My Triskeles Executioner dispatched her with the same kukri he’d used on the thrall.
Leonie stepped closer and I took her hand as my Blood reached me. Rik’s rock troll bulged with granite fists of fury, glowering at the gathered assembly. But there was no need.
House Valois had fallen. Their queen was dead. Her surviving siblings knelt around the ballroom, some weeping. Terrified. Watching their blood pour onto the marble and flow to me.
I stood in a lake of blood to my knees. Rising to my hips. Waist. Neck. But I didn’t want Jeanne’s blood. I wanted no trace of her inside of me, a lingering shadow to remind me of what she’d done to my mother’s Blood and so many queens.
Closing my eyes, I waited for the goddesses to pull me into judgment. After all, I’d killed another Despoina daughter, and She’d certainly been eager to strip me of a gift when I killed the Dauphine.
The creaking iron gate began to swing closed again. :THERE IS NO FURTHER JUDGMENT, DAUGHTER OF THE GREAT ONE. NOT WITH SO MANY OF THE MOTHER’S DAUGHTERS STANDING IN LINE TO DELIVER RETRIBUTION. THE MYSTERIOUS ONE’S PRICE WAS ALREADY PAID.:
Relieved, I opened my eyes. “I release this blood back to theMother. Let it water Her earth and bring forth new life to honor all that we’ve lost.”
Rippling in a slow swirl around me, the blood began to drain into the earth below the house, flowing through the cracked marble back to the Mother. Magic smoothed the damaged floor and cracked tiles, wiping away the smudges of smoke and soot from the burned remains.
Though dead Valois still littered the floor, and Rosalind’s velvet chair was still stained with her blood.
Releasing Leonie’s hand, I approached the dais. Rik plastered to my back. Ezra and Daire picked up the stained chair and moved it aside, while Sekh and Lew brought out a replacement. Just as ugly, I noted, making Leonie’s lips quirk with amusement.
As I sat down beside her, Marne Ceresa stared at me, quivering, pale and sweating. Xin gave me a disgusted huff in the bond.:She never once reached for her power, my queen, much to my disappointment.:
Silence weighed heavier, broken only by the soft weeping of some of the siblings who were sure they would be next. I waited for Gina and Kevin to make their way to me, which meant Byrnes came to stand by his queen as well. Julie and Regina followed with Carys. Julie was pale but from the reserved lines of her face, I could tell she’d seen queen-level shit before.
I’d thought about asking Gina to order Regina to stay at the Isador house. To spare the young human from seeing the carnage.
But she needed to see exactly what kind of queen I was—before she decided to stay.
Clammy and a little green, she gulped and tried not to look at all the blood. But she kept her mouth shut and stood with my people. Even when the rest of my Blood made quick work of the remaining Valois Blood, and my flesh eaters began cleaning up the space in front of the dais. The crunches and tearing were alittle much, even for me, but I waited, letting the court hear every swallow.
While the queen beside me quivered in her chair.
I could smell the acrid burn of her terror. Good. A small price to pay for all the harm she’d caused with her plotting and betrayals.
When Rosalind’s Blood were eliminated, I stared out over the gathered court and allowed my voice to carry. “We have two Triune queens present, Marne. Did you wish to hold a quorum?”
“Not today, Shara.” She gave me a tremulous smile. “Though I would like to offer my condolences for the former Isador Blood I exchanged with Rosalind. I had no idea she had such nefarious plans.”
