Transformation through death could be beautiful, as the butterfly emerged from its cocoon and unfolded its wet, stained-glass wings to glitter in the sunshine. Though I couldn’t help but feel more like a caterpillar, slowly melting and turning into goo inside a death trap it couldn’t escape.
Minutes passed like hours, and then we saw her coming back to the house. Dressed in simple jeans, torn at the knees, with a T-shirt announcing some band I’d never heard of with a hockey mask logo. Her lovely face was as grim and hard as I’d ever seen, as if she’d been given terrible news. Her hair whipped around her as she approached, twisting into a long, thick braid that dragged the ground behind her. Though not a single leaf or stick dared tangle in those glorious strands.
Sekh opened the door in advance of her approach. Without breaking stride, she came straight to me. Not her alpha.
My young, beautiful, shockingly powerful queen met my gaze straight on, her eyes as sharp as Itztli’s obsidian blade. I started to drop to my knees, but she shook her head, her eyes flashing. She reached for my wrist, her fingers firm, to find the slim blade beneath my cuff. She slipped the blade free of its concealed sheath and pressed the tip to my throat, tracing the thickened scar tissue where my head had been severed so many times.
The ancient scars throbbed, echoing with remembered pain.
Pain I would pay a million times over to see this look of love in her eyes and touch her lips and taste her blood. Just one more time.
“I will not allow my knight to go to another queen. Either you serve me, Sir Guillaume de Payne Isador, or we die together.Myhonor requires nothing less.”
Relief made my knees tremble as much as my voice. “You honor me, as always, Your Majesty.”
She cut my throat, the wickedly sharp blade slipping so effortlessly into my flesh that I didn’t even feel it. Only the hot drip of my blood on my skin. Then her mouth sealed over the wound. She pulled hard on my blood, drinking until the edges of my vision softened out of focus. Goddess. Such capacity. Even Desideria wouldn’t have been able to finish me in one feeding. She’d tried, when she realized my blood was poisoned. She wanted me to die with her. Even though it was impossible to kill me completely.
My knees weakened, my body sagging against hers. Shara went down with me, on her knees, still drinking. Her arms around me.
Bliss. Heaven. I did not deserve.
She could drain every drop of my blood at this very moment. Let my body cool and stiffen. Even if the Motherdecided this one time that I was finally done and refused to send me back.
And I would still find a way to return to my queen. Somehow.
:You’re mine,:she whispered fiercely, her fingers digging into my shoulders.:Even if I must kill every living queen not my sibling. You’re mine. No one’s fucking taking you from me. No one!:
Her blood bloomed on my tongue. Her wrist against my mouth, filling me with her power. Instinct drove my fangs deep into her wrist, even though she’d already made the cut. I needed to be inside her. Hold her in my mouth.
Even if my limbs had been chopped off. I would find her. I would crawl on my belly. So I could give her the last drop of blood in my body. Even if she left my corpse to rot on the battlefield and rode off to victory.
:I will never leave you behind. Not you or anyone in my House.:
:We ride together, my queen. Into death and beyond.:
:Always and forever, my beloved knight.:
SHARA
Gina cleared her throat,drawing my attention to where she still sat at the table. “I take it we will not be swearing to House Gorgos any time soon.”
“House Isador swears to no one.” Kneeling with Guillaume sprawled across my lap, still feeding, I turned my attention to Okeanos. “Has your mother responded?”
Dropping down to his knees beside me, he nodded. “She moved her coral to Mykonos to investigate Basilia’s nest. Unfortunately she hasn’t been able to enter the blood circle. Theplace appears to be deserted. No one has responded to their presence, and no one stirs within, not even humans who may have been left as caretakers. She’s still in the area and offers to accompany you inside if that’s your wish.”
“Thank her and tell her we will arrive by midday tomorrow.”
His eyelids flickered. “Done, my queen.”
Still bleeding himself, Guillaume retracted his fangs from my wrist and lifted his head. My knight didn’t question me about what had happened at the grotto, or why I might have changed my mind. He simply gazed at me, his stunning blue eyes unguarded, shining with all the love and honor he still carried.
Waiting for my next order.
I cupped his cheek and leaned down to lightly brush my lips against his. “I will reserve judgment until I see Basilia with my own eyes. I need to know if I will feel the same for her as I do Leonie before I make my final decision. But I will never risk losing any of you to another queen. I will cut out my own heart and serve it to Coatlicue before I allow another queen to take you. Any of you. You belong to me, and I will die to keep you.”
“You’ll never love another Gorgon.” Stomping in from the living room, Mehen snapped his teeth loudly, his eyes flashing like burning emeralds. “I can tell you stories about Basilia’s line that will put white streaks in your hair, my queen. There’s a reason I fucking killed as many as I could find.”
“Too bad you didn’t kill Basilia and save our queen the fucking trouble,” Sekh said mildly.
