“Do we have a place here for her to stay, assuming she works out?”
“About that…” Gina gave me a crafty-slash-smug smile. “Since your Blood were eager for some livestock, we purchased a farm just minutes down the road. Other than helping us sort the Dauphine’s properties, I thought Julie’s first solo project could be renovating the existing farmhouse and stocking the animals.”
I nodded. “That’s great. She can renovate the house exactly the way she wants, and the guys get to hunt something. Win-win.” As Winston topped off my iced tea, I sat back in my chair and patted my happily gurgling stomach. “Whatever that was, it was delicious. Thank you, Winston.”
“Linguini with clam sauce, Your Majesty. Clams are an excellent source of iron with over twenty milligrams per serving.”
“Clams are better than liver for sure. I could definitely eat more similar dishes like this.”
“Wonderful. I have a few surprises up my sleeve. Hopefully they’ll be just as suited to your tastes.”
“I’m sure they will be. Thank you.” I saw Guillaume in the kitchen, so I gave him a nod. No surprise, Sekh popped in with him. They both came to the table and sat down, Sekh beside me, and Guillaume opposite, his back to the bay windows. “That’s not good if you both need to speak to me. And you’re sitting down. What’s wrong?”
But it was Rik who started the conversation by dropping down to his knees between me and Gina. He took both my hands in his, his face solemn. “We wish to speak to you about protecting yourself, my queen.”
I nodded silently, internally bracing.
“As your alpha, I feel the need to express my concern. I formally request that you don’t attempt to heal Basilia. Free her, yes. End her suffering. But don’t heal her. Guillaume will explain in greater detail.”
I turned back to G, searching his light blue eyes. His craggyface, lined with age and sorrow despite the new vigor and healing I’d been able to give him. Of all my Blood, he knew the intricacies of the Game of Queens the best. The subtle—and blatant—power plays between Triune courts. How a seemingly innocent whisper could wound without a sword—or how a single sword could decimate an entire court.
“You don’t think I could do it?” I asked softly.
He shook his head. “I know you could do it, my queen. Shara fucking Isador can do anything you set your mind to accomplish. But at what cost? I don’t believe restoring Basilia would serve your best interests or your house.”
With a slight flick of his wrist, he dropped a small silver blade into his hand. Without even looking down, he rolled the blade back and forth across his palm, making the silver dance between his fingers.
“Firstly, you won’t be able to fully restore her as you did Leonie. Her hand and tongue were destroyed along with the Dauphine’s body.”
Damn. He was right. I hadn’t even thought about retrieving Basilia’s trophies before Sekh disposed of the body. What kind of life would Basilia have if she was constantly reminded of the torture she’d endured at the Dauphine’s hands?
“The general hasn’t been able to determine when exactly she was trapped, but we must assume it was nearly as long as Leonie. Potentially decades. More concerning, Basilia was a Skolos Triune queen. I never met her directly, but if I judge her power against Undina’s, then I would say Basilia is likely in the top twenty of the strongest queens I’ve ever met.”
He leaned forward, holding my gaze, even though the knife continued to flash and spin. “A powerful Triune queen wouldn’t take such imprisonment and torture well, my queen. I fear her mind is likely fractured. Her pride, her house, her power, all have been decimated. Her Blood destroyed. Her standing in the Skolos courts, obliterated. For a queen like her, it’ll be adevastating blow to her ego and sense of self-worth, even if she’s still sane.
“Then consider the increased strength potential she might wield. Again, I never met Leonie before she encountered the Dauphine, but she was widely considered a minor American queen. Even if she and her mother successfully hid their power for centuries, she still only needed two Blood to sustain her. For centuries.”
“And now?” I asked softly.
“She’s as strong as Gwen right now,” he said softly. “Without Blood to sustain her.”
BecauseIhad been sustaining her. I gave her my blood freely, both regular and menstrual.
“Some of her increased strength came simply from enduring her imprisonment, but most came from the blood you gave to heal her. Your blood, my queen, at great cost to you.”
“What you did for her is incredible,” Sekh added. “None of us will question anything you choose to do, Your Majesty. We serveyou, in any way you desire, as long as we live. If you choose to restore Basilia, we will serve you still, as long as we can. Even if you end up as her sibling.”
Startled, I involuntarily sat back against my chair. My mind whirled, messy and turbulent thoughts colliding. I didn’t want to be subservient to another queen. I didn’t trust anyone else to keep us safe. Pride? Ego? Probably. Yes.
Basilia, in her own right, was already a Triune queen. Not as strong as Undina…
“We don’t know that,” G broke in. “The Mother’s table measures the amount of Her blood carried in the queen’s bloodline to determine the speaker. Not direct strength. A queen can still have a great deal of power but carry less of the Mother’s blood. As you well know, some gifts are more powerful than others, no matter how much of the Mother’s blood a queen claims.”
“If I give her enough of my blood to heal her…” I exhaled, shaking my head. “It could rebalance the Skolos table entirely.”
“As well as Triskeles,” G said grimly. “Leonie gained exponential power comparatively. If Basilia sees such power gains, she will surpass not just the queen of Rome but also you. She could very well end up the most powerful Aima queen alive—and be completely and utterly insane.”
“Leonie isn’t your sibling because you gave your blood to her first, or because you saved her,” Sekh said. “She’s your sibling because you’re the stronger queen. You may sacrifice your own blood to heal Basilia, and then find yourself unable to act without her will.”
