My other hand found short, spiky hair and I pulled Nox closer so I could taste him directly on my tongue. His beast was a giant pterodactyl-like bird with blue feathers on his belly and sweeping black leathery wings. His beak was long and pointed, revealing rows of sawblade teeth when he let out a glad shriek to welcome me.
He nestled into my other arm to feed.
Okeanos’ bond jolted with recognition.:He came to see me when I was still caged. Before the queen of Rome took me.:
:Our queen was searching for a trapped kraken she saw in a dream,:Nox said.:By the time I was able to locate you again, it was too late. You were already caged in Rome. We still hoped to free you, even inside the queen of Rome’s court. My sincerest apologies, mighty kraken. Marne must have suspected we had clandestine orders from our former queen and forbade us from ever approaching your prison. Her blood held me to that oath.:
Arms curled around them, I let them feed as long as they wanted. A lesser queen might have only given them a taste. Just enough to establish the bond.
But I was Esetta Isador’s daughter, and I reveled in blood.
:Welcome home, my Blood.:
55
SHARA
Ah. I loved a good full circle moment. Though there wasn’t any koi pond to look at, there were certainly beautiful roses to admire. Of course they couldn’t hold a candle to the fragrant blooms on my heart tree, powered by my willing blood sacrifice.
Seated outside under the pavilion in my new Parisian house—that I had no intention of ever visiting again—I sipped a cup of mediocre tea, waiting for Marne to say something. Our consiliari stood nearby, poised to take dictation—or file proceedings expeditiously. Though the table was round, Leonie and Carys very clearly sat on my side of the table across from the queen of Rome.
Not surprisingly, Marne’s mood improved when my flesh eaters began to clean up… and she found herself still alive.
Though her renewed confidence was most certainly premature.
We might have purged the Paris court, but I still heard the war drums pounding with my heart and the quiet caws and whispers of ravens.There’s still work to do.
“I’m curious,” Marne finally said, drawing my gaze to her face. “How did you know I was meeting Rosalind today?”
I allowed my lips to curve in my mother’s secretive smile. “A little bird told me.”
Sekh snorted.:This sphinx weighs about a thousand tons, Your Majesty.:
:Motherfucker has a fat ass.:Mehen chuckled, smoke curling through his bond.:And he doesn’t even have wings.:
Xin sat beside Marne’s chair, his silver eyes locked on her, desperately willing her to do something. Anything. So he could kill her.
Behind me, Rik gripped my shoulders in both hands, a little harder than he normally held me. Not that I was complaining. I needed the contact as much as he did. I hated being away from my alpha, even for one second. Our Blood stood scattered around the garden, matched up in pairs. The rest of her entourage waited in the ballroom with the surviving Valois siblings. A man I presumed to be her alpha stood behind her chair. Not that she’d introduced him.
“I’m glad Kevin has the chance to visit with his grandfather, though I’m surprised you dragged your first consiliarius all the way to Paris for a simple Blood exchange with House Valois.”
“Yes, well, I feared there may have been a… clerical error we needed to discuss, which may have negatively affected Rosalind’s interests. I wanted my best advisor on the case.”
Byrnes had Kevin’s file tucked beneath his arm. I didn’t know the older man well, but red spots burned on his cheeks.
I recited the law Kevin had gathered into our evidence. “In the event that a queen cannot act as primary signatory for contractual obligations, any sibling of Her Majesty legally declared and recognized by the Triune may sign a statement of agreement in her place. Triune Articles Section 3, Consiliari agreements, paragraph 11. Gwenhwyfar Findabair Camelotgraciously affirmed Julie Summers’ transfer in her former queen’s place.”
“Byrnes assures me the documentation is satisfactory.” Marne smiled brightly. “Though I find it amusingly coincidental that Gwenhwyfar is now House Isador’s sibling. It’s too bad Elaine can’t file a formal complaint with the Triune. I would be quite interested to discover who killed her, especially given her first consiliarius is now working for another house whichmayhave profited from her demise.”
“Oh, didn’t you know? Elaine’s not dead. She’s merely not with us any longer. I’m sure she’d be more than pleased to converse with you in Annwn if you care to visit. I hear sheadoresmirrors.”
Already settling into her family’s former holdings in England, Gwen was eavesdropping—with my full consent. In our bond, she giggled at the mirror comment.:She’s not with us—because Merlin forced her to scurry back to the bowels of hell where she belongs.:
I took another sip of my tea, but it had steeped far too long at too hot a temperature. Grimacing at the bitterness, I set the cup down on the table. “I’m curious too.” I waited until Marne met my gaze. “Why does the Morrigan want you dead?”
Marne froze, cup midway to her mouth, her lips parted. “What?”
“You heard me.”
