by Sunny
"Yes!" they answered unanimously.
I prayed to God that I was strong enough for their trust. "Then I gladly welcome you into our family. I promise I will do my best to keep you safe and happy."
They knelt and kissed my hand. I pulled them up and squeezed Jamie and Tersa's hands. "I've always wanted a brother and sister."
I told them, smiling.
Chapter Eighteen
Prince Halcyon was waiting for me in the front parlor when we returned. Chami and Tomas studied the Demon Prince warily while Rosemary and her children nodded to Halcyon respectfully. Amber and Gryphon remained with me while the others went upstairs to settle in.
I seated myself in a tailored leather wing chair across from where Halcyon lounged with casual grace on a plump leather sofa.
"We have finished questioning Mona Louisa and her men," Halcyon announced. "Miles has already been executed."
"By you?" I queried.
A brief hesitation. An acknowledging nod.
"Good," I said coldly.
"Bloodthirsty, aren't you?" Halcyon's tone was one of approval.
"Yes."
"How wonderful. I shall ensure that Miles views some of our more unusual landscapes personally," the High Prince of Hell promised.
"The other men?" I asked.
"They are to be punished. But they will live."
"And Mona Louisa?"
"She will lose her territory for her complicity and will be moved to a smaller, less important territory."
"Complicity?" I arched an arrogant brow. "She masterminded it. She should have been executed along with Miles."
"Ah, but she is a Queen, much more precious to the Council. We never execute our Queens. You are the bloodlines and matriarchs of our world," Halcyon said pragmatically. "More good news is that the Council has amended the law so that it is now forbidden to take the lives of Mixed Blood Queens."
"You and Lord Thorane must have pushed hard to pass that through," Gryphon observed acerbically.
"The Queens were the only ones opposing it," Halcyon said.
"Surprise, surprise," I said, crossing my legs. Halcyon's eyes followed the gesture, making me suddenly conscious of my body. I felt almost an invisible caress against my skin beneath my skirt that caused me to draw in a quick breath. He lifted his eyes back to mine with a small smile.
"They managed, however, to include in the condition that other Queens may take a Mixed Blood Queen's life, like any other Queen, if she threatened them personally. I would watch myself with the other Ladies. They will no doubt try to draw you to challenge them."
"Are they powerful enough to defeat me?" I asked curiously.
"Some Queens have great powers. Others have even greater treachery," Halcyon said gravely. "Do not underestimate them. They are very dangerous."
"I won't. And the law that Mixed Bloods cannot kill any Moonies?"
Halcyon's lips quirked at my quaint term for them. "An exception was made for you. Try not to kill too many of them."
I blinked my eyes lazily. "Only those who deserve it."
Halcyon threw back his head and laughed with rich appreciation.
I loved hearing him laugh so. Smiling, I went to Halcyon, bent down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He stood, bringing his body so close to mine that we were almost in an embrace. I felt Amber and Gryphon tense behind me and ignored them.
"What was that for?" Halcyon asked softly.
"For your concern and for your help. You're a good friend."
Halcyon turned my right palm faceup and traced my pearly mole with one sharp nail. My hands remained trustingly relaxed in his grip. "Friend," he said with a half smile. "For now." He slanted a glance at Gryphon. "As I said, I can wait."
I shook my head in amused exasperation and stepped back. "You need to find yourself a nice sassy demon lady, Halcyon."
His teeth flashed startling white against the gold of his skin. "I've already found my hell-cat. None are as sassy as you. Nor as pretty."
I laughed, enjoying his flattery. "How very sweet you are."
"Sweet." Halcyon nearly strangled on the word, a pained expression on his face.
"If I can help you at any time, please come to me," I said softly.
Halcyon's smile made Gryphon shift nervously behind me. "Oh, I will. I most definitely will. That is a promise."
Chapter Nineteen
My men's disapproval filled the parlor like a heavy dark cloud after Halcyon left. I sprawled in the comfortable sofa where Halcyon had sat, letting my body relax. Amber sat in the great chair across from me. Gryphon stood propped against the wall, a dark glowering presence.
"Go ahead," I said, after the silence had spun out long enough. "You can yell at me."
"Many things have occurred since I departed, it seems," Gryphon said in a carefully contained voice.
Amber snorted, unamused. "If you are referring to Halcyon, yes, he has made his attraction and intentions toward our Queen quite public." He did not look any more pleased about it than Gryphon.
"He does seem to care for her, in his manner," Amber reluctantly added. "It was he who caught her when she fainted after punishing the man who abused Tersa, and carried her to her room. I must confess, I have never seen the Demon Prince handle a woman so gently before."
Something twisted oddly in my heart. I had not known that.
"He has proven an invaluable ally," Amber pointed out.
Gryphon burst into motion, prowling the length of the room with agitated strides. "You think I know that not?" he snarled.
"Gryphon," I said placatingly. "He knows I want only to be his friend."
"That will not stop him from trying to seduce you."
"If that's all you're worried about… he won't be able to."
"How do you know?" Gryphon snapped.
"Because my heart is already given to you and Amber."
My quiet statement stilled Gryphon's pacing and changed Amber's eyes to clear, brilliant yellow. Gryphon sank down to knees before me. "Oh, Mona Lisa," he muttered, laying his head in my lap, "I have missed you so much."
I stroked his long silky hair. "Then you should not have gone."
Gryphon gave a laughing sob. "No, I should not have gone."
"You must never lie to me again," I said with gentle firmness. "Both of you."
"No, I shall not," Gryphon promised hoarsely.
"Nor I," Amber vowed, his beautiful yellow eyes glittering.
"And I promise to tell you both the truth, always." Starting now, oh god. Swallowing back the selfish raw possessiveness I felt, I took a deep breath and let it out. "You both are free now to do as you wish. You are Lords in your own right. You can go to any Queen's bed with your power and gifts."
"We do not desire to be with any other Queen but you." Amber's deep voice rumbled like thunder.
"We chose to stay with you," Gryphon said, gripping my hips almost painfully.
"But you don't need to limit yourselves to me any longer," I said, pointing out the obvious. "Any Queen would welcome you now that you no longer threaten them and they don't have to worry about controlling you. And you could gain even more power by being with them."
Gryphon's face spasmed with pain. "You no longer desire us?"
"No, I do."
"Then let us be with you," he beseeched.
I looked at him with hot agony. "I love you both. Do not ask me to choose between you. You must make the decision."
The room grew tensely still.
"Why should you have to choose between us?" Gryphon asked carefully.
The words flitted feather-light into my brain before their full import sank home. "You want me to be with you both?"
"Humans do so, do they not?" Amber asked.
"Some men do, but they're cheating. Being unfaithful," I said. "The natural state is one man with one woman."
"Why do you profess that is the natural state?" Gryphon asked most reasonably. "Human men have taken more than one woman to wife throughou
t your history, and even still continue to do so to this day in some countries, do they not? And you are more Monère than you are human. We see matters in a different light."
"You both want to be with me at the same time?" my voice squeaked.
"Not if you are not comfortable with it," Gryphon added hastily.
"No," I said in a choking little voice. "I would not be comfortable with that."
"Then be with us separately. Allow us to share you," Gryphon urged.
"How?" I asked in a low voice, tantalized despite myself.
"We could take turns," Amber suggested. "Alternate weeks."
"And you both would be okay with that?"
They nodded.
"It would not be cheating," Gryphon declared.
"You would be faithful to us both," Amber said.
For some ludicrous reason, I understood what they meant. "I… I don't know. It's such a crazy idea," I said faintly. "I have to think about it."
"We shall give you time." Gryphon's words echoed in the room, reminding us of another man's recent similar statement.
But time, it seemed, would be in short supply.
The wait was soon over. We were all called to the Great Hall to hear the announcement of my new territory. Lord Thorane didn't make us wait long. He made a short speech about the glories and responsibilities of being a Queen. An anthem was sung by a chorus of youths, their voices lifted like a choir of angels, and long horns were blown in gallant pageantry announcing the assigning of the new territory to a brand-new Queen.
"After a long and arduous consideration," Lord Thorane said after an acknowledging nod from the Queen Mother, "and wise counsel from the Queen Mother, we hereby assign our fine territory of New Orleans to Queen Mona Lisa. This assignment shall come as the law decrees with its attributes of assets in corporations, holdings in real estates, etcetera, etcetera, all to be listed in its great detail in this Book of Holdings that I shall now present to you. Step forward, Queen Mona Lisa. Put your hand on this book and swear that you will never forget your utmost duty to turn in your tithe and your attributes as also detailed in this book."
I stepped forward and repeated my vows in a clear firm voice. Lord Thorane passed the Book of Holdings into my care.
"Now is the moment of coronation," Lord Thorane announced.
The Queen Mother stood up, holding a gleaming crown in her hands. I knelt before her. Carefully, with full pomp and ceremony, she laid the crown upon my head.
"Behold, all fellow Queens. Behold, all fellow Monère. By the power of the moon, our ancestral planet, I hereby bestow upon Mona Lisa the title of Monère Queen of New Orleans. Hereon thereafter, all courtesy and respect must be extended to her in accordance to her status by the laws of this High Council." The Queen Mother looked down upon me. "May our Mother Moon always shine upon you. May her light always be your guide."
Tears of joy trickled down my cheeks as the bugles blared and the crowd cheered.
I am a Queen now, I thought, like my mother. How ironic. To be born in New York and to reign over New Orleans.
I was joined in the side chamber by my jubilant family.
"Louisiana. Wow!" Jamie whistled with excitement. "The French Quarter, Mardi Gras, jazz, and hot babes."
"Hot, period." His mother grimaced.
"True," Lord Thorane said, smiling. "Aside from being one of our oldest, more profitable territories, it also allows a seat on the Council, milady."
"The Council?" I echoed with faint distress. "I don't wish to become involved in your politics."
"Yours now as well, milady," Lord Thorane pointed out. He continued more gently. "Your presence is sorely needed there. You will not be required to attend more than half the sessions, if you so wish. The Council meets every other lunar cycle on the second weekend after the full moon. But I would urge you to attend all the sessions, milady." He paused then said bluntly. "It will allow us to monitor you."
I frowned. "Why should I want that?"
Gryphon pushed away from the wall where he had been lounging. "He means that it will reassure the respectable Councilmembers and the other Queens, in particular, that your men remain under your control."
"And not the reverse," Amber said in a deep growl.
I was outraged on Amber's behalf. "They would never turn rogue. Especially now." They were tainting the son with the father's sins. "How dare they even think that?"
"This matter with Sandoor has truly upset all of us and will continue to do so until he and his men are captured. Seeing you every other cycle at High Court, milady, with their own eyes will do much to reassure them," said Lord Thorane. He cleared his throat, as seemed to be his habit before broaching anything uncomfortable. "You will need to build an army to guard your new territory and ensure the smooth administration of your court. Never underestimate your power. You will be as powerful as the governor of Louisiana. But always bear in mind, never give the other Queens or the High Council the impression that you are building an army out of proportion of your function, threatening the balance of power among us and among your sisterly territories."
"I thank you for the warning, Lord Thorane," I said stiffly, formally. "I will heed it."
Lord Thorane bowed. "Thank you, milady. Lord Gryphon. Lord Amber. Your new positions also entitle you both to Council seats. I will expect to see you there each and every session."
"Well, hell!" Amber exclaimed. Even Gryphon frowned.
My lips twitched. "I'll enjoy the company," I murmured.
They glared at me.
Lord Thorane watched us with amusement. "Believe me when I say that it will be in your best interest for everyone to see you serving the Council and the Queen Mother in this small manner."
"We understand," Gryphon grated. "One last question, Lord Thorane. Whose territory was New Orleans before?"
"Mona Louisa."
Ah, came the pleasant realization. Her punishment for trying to kill me. "Well," I purred, "there's some definite satisfaction to that."
"Let's's look at the Book of Holdings," Jamie said exuberantly.
They gathered around me eagerly as I opened the pages.
Page one held the deed of a mansion located on the French Quarter with my name printed on it.
"See, I told you. The French Quarter," Jamie crowed.
The original date of the deed was 1768.
The second page was the certificate of incorporation for a company called Louisiana Power and Electricity.
"A utility company. Steady income," Aquila observed.
The third page was a certificate of holdings in three thousand gold bullions.
"How much would that be worth?" Tomas asked.
"A lot," Aquila murmured. "You never wish to trade that, milady. That is your golden nest egg. Even better than dollars."
"You seem to know a lot about commerce, Aquila," I observed.
"I was a man of business before," he replied modestly.
"Hurry up and turn the pages, Mona Lisa," Jamie urged.
Someone knocked on the door. A footman entered and came straight to me. "A note for your eyes only, milady."
I extracted myself from the crowd busily reading the Book of Holdings and in a quiet corner opened the note.
My dearest Mona Lisa,
Forgive me for dampening your glorious moment of jubilation but I must tell you what is urgent in my heart. You must by now have found the folded note I left for you. Indeed, it is the whereabouts of your brother. That information came from a private diary that I have kept during my long service as a midwife.
Last night, as I was leafing through it, reviewing as I often do, the names and placement of each baby I was obliged to hand over to the care of humans, I detected the presence of a foreign scent lingering over your brother's entry. Upon closer examination, my eyes detected the fingerprints of an intruder of unknown origin. An alarm rang in my heart. I have a sickening sense that your brother's life is about to be intruded upon. I do not know for certain, but I believe it h
as something to do with your coronation and new status as Queen. As you know, power always draw flies of evil. You must hurry and find him before they do.
With warm love,
Sonia
"You own three casinos," Jamie shouted to me. His excitement dampened upon seeing my somber face. "You don't approve of gambling?" he asked.
"Close the book now," I said. "We must go to New York right away."
Chapter Twenty
It was good to be a Queen. The High Council authorized a private jet for our exclusive use. An hour later, we were winging our way to LaGuardia Airport. But my heart wasn't able to enjoy the luxury, the gold trimmings, the gourmet meals and drinks, the king-sized bed that came with a private shower on the jet—all befitting the status of a new Queen. Neither did anyone else. The mission in our hearts leadened the flight.
"I need your help, Chami," I said as we were descending. "Are you able to gain entry into a locked building quietly and unnoticed?"
Charm nodded, confirming what I had suspected. All of us could easily break down doors and smash windows with üttle effort, but Chami employed stealth in his practice. He killed quietly.
"Good," I said.
Chami's blue eyes glinted enigmatically. I knew he thought I wanted to employ his deadly assassin skills.
"Gryphon, Amber, and Chami will come with me," I said to them. "Aquila and Tomas, you will stay behind to watch the rest."
"I would like to fight for you, milady," Tomas said. "May I come?"
"You job watching over the others and our Book of Holdings is just as important a task," I told him gently.
Tomas nodded unhappily.
At LaGuardia we were met by two stretch limousines complete with two chauffeurs. Hats, uniforms, and all. They looked fine, but looks didn't matter so much as the tact that they could be bought. I couldn't afford the risk. Pulling a stack of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills, I said to the chauffeurs, "Take this and split it between you. You can go home now. We'll do the driving."
"What about our limos?" the taller driver protested.
"We'll take good care of them."
