Page 117 of Queen’s Alliance

:Curruid.: Okeanos breathed out, stepping closer. I offered it to him and his fingers shook as he took the small item. :A fabled sea monster. It’s a piece of his bone. I can still taste the salt of the Deep Blue.:

:Why would House Skye have a piece of a sea monster?:

:The bone was used to make a famous weapon,: Okeanos replied. :Sir Warwick, is that what injured you?:

:You’re thinking of the Gáe Bolg of Cú Chulainn.: Warwick shook his head. :I was wounded by the Slaughterer. Cú Chulainn is a famous Irish warrior who trained with Scáthach. She only ever taught him how to wield the Gáe Bolg.:

:But it is a weapon from fae mythology,: I mused. :I wonder if it’ll glow like Excalibur? That might be useful to help me identify fae magic.:

:I do feel a sense of Curruid’s presence in the bone,: Okeanos said. :If you carry it, my queen, I believe he may help warn you of danger.:

:Can you tuck it into my hair like a comb?:

Reverently, he slid the bone into my braid behind my right ear. A bit of the notched end stuck out, its flared tip looking a bit like a flower.

:Thank you.: I turned my attention to the other two items. A thick golden necklace tapered on either end where it would latch behind the neck, carved with lightning bolts. Keisha’s power had been storms, and she’d thrown a lightning bolt at me when I first came to her court. So that made sense.

I already wore Desideria’s protective necklace so I didn’t think I needed another, and if I needed to throw lightning, I could do it without wearing the necklace itself. The other item was a brooch, surprisingly heavy in my palm. The pin itself was made to look like a thin sword behind the same boat that was on the cloth. I didn’t feel any particular urge to wear it, but I handed it to Rik to see if he had any impression of it.

:I never saw Keisha wear it,: he finally said, handing it to Okeanos. :I’m not sure what it means, other than it might have something to do with the ocean too.:

:I don’t sense anything.: Okeanos shook his head and handed it back to me. :Not like the bone.:

:If I need to know, Scáthach will tell me.: I put the brooch back into the box and gave a nod to Magnum. She carefully placed the lid back on the box, and the seam disappeared immediately. :Thank you, Magnum.:

Bowing, she laid the folded cloth on top of the box and stepped back. Signaling she would wait to put it back in the throne room until after I left.

I turned in the chair enough to look up at Rik. :Is there anything else you’d like to discuss before we head over to the basement?:

:You wish for the tree to be guarded.: He paused, waiting for my nod. :When Gwen needed to speak to Merlin, he was able to appear inside your nest without much of a warning. He has fae powers of his own, independent of his queen’s. He will be difficult to guard against if he’s not forced to use a singular access point.:

:I don’t suspect Gwen. Not exactly. Our bond is deep. I know her heart. I know how much she loves her knights. I don’t think she’d risk sending any of her Blood to infiltrate my blood circle, especially given Guillaume’s presence. But some of the French siblings may risk it despite our deep bonds. I don’t know them well enough to trust them fully.:

Guillaume gave a short bow. :Despite my immense pride in your statement, my queen, I feel as though I should warn you that even I might succumb to Lancelot’s blade. He’s a legendary swordsman in his own right, and with a fae blade, he may very well kill that which cannot die.:

I tried to imagine it. Lancelot and Guillaume dueling. The clash of their swords. Templar blade against the blue fire of Excalibur. My teeth ached from clenching my jaw too hard. :No. That can’t happen. I need you too much to even consider it.:

He dropped to one knee beside me, head bowed, but not before I saw the twinkle in his eyes. :We’re on the same team, my queen. Besides, I would never use my Templar blade in such a duel. After so many centuries outside of my tender loving care, the metal’s too fragile to take that kind of damage.:

I ran my fingers through his hair. :Speaking of tender loving care, does anyone need to feed before we go?:

:The better question is do you need to feed, my queen?: Rik asked. :Because whatever battle we go to face, more than likely, you will be the one tested, as much as it infuriates me to say.:

:I can always feed,: I admitted, letting the throb of my fangs glide down my bonds.

I heard a faint whimper from the direction of my two newest Blood, but I couldn’t tell if it came from Durandal or Warwick. One would be pleasure and desire. The other would be a sound of dread, I feared.

:But I won’t take the time to feed now, because once I get started...: I kissed the top of Guillaume’s head as I stood. :I’ll want to fully enjoy anyone who’s willing and eager to come to my bed.:

:Goddess,: Durandal groaned. :Point me in the direction of your enemies, Your Majesty, so we may end this battle quickly.:

SHARA

As I stood, Carys and Leonie both stood as well.

:We’re going with you,: Carys said in her tart, no-nonsense voice. :Even if my gift is slightly off kilter. If the numbers are hopping around, I’ll tell you.: