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“Okeanos Isador.” A surge of pride tightened my chest. I hadn’t introduced myself as belonging to my queen before.

“We keep smelling a wolf but we can’t find him,” Yaxkin said.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You won’t find him, either. That’s Xin. He belongs to my queen as well.”

A relieved smile cracked the stern lines of the older man’s face. “I wanted to be sure. I remember a wolf in Her Majesty’s party who has a nose for finding things he shouldn’t.”

The younger Blood coughed and elbowed his partner. “I’m sure he’s very useful to your queen.”

There must be some history that I didn’t quite follow. Must have been before my time in Isador. “He is, yes.”

:Before our queen took theirs as a sibling, she hid her young heir beneath the house,: Xin said. :No one outside Zaniyah knew the child existed. Let’s just say they were none too pleased to have their secret discovered. Though all turned out well in the end.:

The younger man sat on the edge of the fountain beside me. “How long have you served Isador?”

“Not long,” I said slowly, not sure why the man wanted to talk to me. Was it a trick? Were they fishing for information on my queen?

The older Blood snorted. “I’ll say. When Isador visited us at Christmas, your queen only had a handful of Blood. Now there are dozens of you.”

“Not quite that many.”

Yaxkin looked at me, his head tipped inquisitively. “We’re all jaguars.”

“That’s very interesting.”

“You smell salty.”

“And fishy,” Maxtla said. “No offense.”

“None taken.” I shrugged. “I’m a kraken. Of course I smell of the ocean.”

“You don’t say.” Yaxkin’s eyes widened. “I’ve never heard of a kraken Blood before. What was your birth house?”

“Ketea.” His brow furrowed and he shook his head slightly. “We were of the Skolos Triune.”

“Ah. That must be why I don’t recognize it.”

“There was a bear in your group too,” Maxtla said. “I haven’t seen him around here.”

“Ezra? He’s here. I can ask him⁠—”

“No, that’s fine. I’m sure he’s on duty. Though I enjoyed his company.”

:What?: Ezra asked with a grumpy huff, even though I hadn’t said anything in our bond.

:If you’re free, this Zaniyah Blood, Maxtla, remembers you.:

:Oh, for sure. I’ll grab a few beers from the kitchen, if the snooty French have anything that isn’t wine. And snacks. Can’t drink without good snacks.:

If you say so, I thought, but didn’t reply directly. I couldn’t recall drinking alcohol before.

“He’ll be here shortly,” I told the other two Blood. “He’s going to raid the kitchen first.”

The older Blood sat down on my other side with a disgusted sigh. “Probably fancy gourmet shit.”

“Have you been to Paris before?” The other Blood asked.

“No. I’m of the ocean, as I said. I haven’t been to any cities other than New York City and Rome.”