Queen Takes Checkmate (Their Vampire Queen Book 5)

by Joely Sue Burkhart

  Her fingers delved between my thighs and she sucked in a hard breath, her body going rigid. I started to pull back from her throat to see her face, but she cupped my nape with her other hand, keeping my mouth to her skin.

  “Such a miracle,” she whispered, her voice lowering to a husky growl. “I never expected to find a queen who’d actually bond me as Blood. Let alone a breeding queen. I can’t even comprehend the fact that I’m here, touching you, feeling your blood on my fingers, and your alpha isn’t ripping my head off for taking liberties when he should be helping you conceive.”

  :I’m not ready to have a child yet. I won’t even consider it. Not until I’ve dealt with Ra.:

  Her wiry body vibrated with intensity. :Do you… Do they…:

  I listened to her bond, trying to understand why she shook so hard. What she fought against. Then I smiled against her throat. :Yes. They have. I do.:

  She let out a rough groan and lifted her bloody fingers to her mouth. I should have warned her. But she did it so quickly…

  Her back arched and she let out a guttural cry. I tightened my thigh across her hips, gripping her as she came. Her fiery blood turned to warm, thick honey in my mouth. Sweet and luscious with pleasure. I sank my fangs into her again, pushing her climax even harder. Just because I could.

  Gasping, she reached between my thighs again, sinking two fingers into me. She didn’t thrust inside me, but stroked, swirling the pads of her fingers against tender nerve endings that screamed with sensation. In seconds, I climaxed too, quivering against her. Though I never let go of her throat.

  She curled around me, tucking me close. And this time, when Rik slid in behind me in bed, mindful as always to not touch another woman as I’d asked, she didn’t tense or even spare him a look.

  Not when she had my blood to lick from her fingers.

  16

  Daire

  My queen filled my head and I immediately froze, gripping a knife loaded with mayonnaise in midair. :Is the sandwich king perhaps making a sandwich?:

  I rumbled out a low purr in her bond. :Would my queen like one too?:

  :I’m starving.:

  :Give me five minutes, and I’ll make you the biggest sandwich you’ve ever seen.:

  I pulled out another long loaf of freshly-baked bread, and Magnum arched a brow at me as if shocked. Okay, maybe I had already eaten three sandwiches, with a fourth in progress. But after the way Guillaume and Llewellyn had emptied the fridge, she could hardly be surprised. The only Blood who hadn’t fallen on the kitchen like a pack of starving wolves was Mehen. Shara had managed to heal him enough to let him shift, but he’d muttered under his breath that he wouldn’t eat for at least a week.

  Nevarre and I had a private bet. I had Mehen eating tomorrow. Nevarre thought it’d take him at least three days to eat again. But I knew the dragon’s appetite better than anyone but our queen. He’d be rummaging around in the kitchen in no time, complaining that none of us heathens would know fine dining if it hit us between the eyes.

  But the dragon had a point. If our queen had New York City at her disposal, why would she want a simple sandwich? I turned to Magnum. “Our queen said she’s starving.”

  Magnum’s eyes widened, and she leaped to the fridge, shoving me out of the way like I was an annoying house cat rather than a formidable warcat. “Goddess! Does she like seafood? Her mother did. I wasn’t sure, but I’ve stocked all her mother’s favorites. Lobster bisque, clam chowder, smoked salmon, grilled trout… Though that might take too long.”

  “I told her five minutes. As far as I know, she likes everything. She hasn’t turned her nose up at anything we’ve brought her yet.”

  So I found myself carrying up a massive tray of soup, smoked salmon quiche, a tea kettle with half a dozen varieties of tea bags, juice, and my sandwich, though Magnum had insisted on cutting it up into little triangles. Guillaume opened the bedroom door for me, and I stepped inside quietly.

  Shara sat up, carefully untangling herself from the new Blood’s long-ass hair that put us all to shame. Rik lifted her up and set her down at the foot of the massive bed. Vivian was still out cold. Had she managed to shift with her power? The bed didn’t look scorched. Yet.

  We’d all felt the flames flickering in our queen as she’d bonded the new Blood. I still felt like if I opened my mouth, a puff of smoke would escape. Damned phoenix had nearly burned us all to a crisp. If anyone was going to blast us with fire, I would’ve expected that it’d be Leviathan.

  The bed was large enough that the three of us could sit at the foot without disturbing the sleeping Blood. Shara sampled everything, declared it fantastic, and then loaded both hands with triangles of my sandwich.

  Goddess. I loved her so much that I almost embarrassed myself by getting weepy over a fucking roast beef and rye. Granted, it was freshly baked bread, but still.

  It was almost like those early days, when it’d just been me and Rik at her side. When everything had been strange and exciting for her as she faced a brand-new world. The worst thing after her was some thralls, which we could tear apart without even having to shift. There hadn’t been any mad queen with a demon child, a magic-mirror Triune queen, or a fucking asshole sun god after her.

  I didn’t begrudge her one moment with any of her Blood. She needed us all. In fact, she needed about ten more. Maybe twenty. Who the fuck knew where her upper limit of power even was yet? But still…

  This quiet time with her was fucking priceless.

  “Do you still want to ride the motorcycles back to Eureka Springs?” Rik asked.

  She smiled, her eyes brightening with excitement. “Definitely. Though only you and Daire have bikes. What will everyone else ride or drive?”

  “G had a fucking 1967 GT500 Mustang,” I replied. “Did you hear that beast? She purred almost as loudly as I do. He’ll have every cop between Kansas City and Arkansas chasing us to the state line.”

  “Your mother’s car is still there too,” Rik reminded her. “I could see Mehen driving a Jaguar.”

  Her head tipped to the side, a smile tugging on her lips.

  :What the actual fuck?: Mehen roared in our bonds, making me choke on a bite because I tried to laugh and swallow at the same time. :What did I ever fucking do to you to deserve such an insult?:

  :You bit our queen’s arm and broke it, asshole,: Rik retorted, though without any real heat. Water under the bridge and all.

  :If you could drive any vehicle in the world, what you drive?: Shara asked.

  :Aston Martin Vantage in British racing green,: he replied immediately. :It’ll match my scales.:

  :Very nice,: she replied in the bond, though to me, she mouthed, “I have no idea what that is.” :Nevarre, what would you drive?:

  :Why ride when you can fly? I prefer to guard from above anyway.:

  :Like a helicopter?: She asked him.

  :Blackhawk would be nice.:

  Ezra didn’t wait for her to ask. :I have my truck stored near the tower. I won’t drive anything but it.:

  :Xin?: She asked.

  :Ducati. Matte black. Sleek and deadly.:

  :Same,: Itztli and Tlacel replied at the same time.

  :Llewellyn?: She asked.

  :I don’t drive. Some poor bastard will have to give me a ride.:

  :You,: Guillaume and Mehen both retorted at the same time.

  :You can draw straws later,: Rik said with his alpha rumble.

  Shara looked over at the sleeping woman in her bed. “Any guesses what she’d like to drive? Or would she rather fly like Nevarre? I need to make sure Gina has time to hunt down everything for our trip home.”

  We hadn’t been loud at all, but Vivian raised her head, her stunning eyes flickering with blue flame. “Hummer all the way with military-grade bullet proof glass. That way if we run into trouble, Rik can throw you inside with me.”

  “There won’t be—” Shara froze, her eyes going distant and unfocused.

  I scrambled off the bed, ready to fight. Rik p
ressed against her, a formidable wall of stone. Vivian was suddenly on her other side, her hair flying like a banner in her urgency.

  Blinking back into focus, Shara whispered, “Trouble. Now.”

  And the wall-to-wall windows suddenly shattered.

  17

  Shara

  I screamed instinctually, even though Rik and Vivian both shielded me so well that not even a single splinter of glass struck me. It was habit, that old childhood fear. So many nights, I’d lain awake in dread while the monsters tried to break into the house. I’d taken the dark tower room in the attic, simply because there weren’t any windows.

  I knew my Blood could handle this threat. Easily. For fuck’s sake, it was only thralls. Even if there were a hundred, I could incinerate them in a heartbeat if I was bleeding. I wasn’t powerless and scared any longer. I was the fucking queen of Isador. Last daughter of Isis.

  But there was still a small part of my heart that wanted to throw the covers over my head and curl up in a ball on my bed.

  :There’s no need for you to bleed,: Rik growled in my head, his arms locked around me. :Allow us to protect you. This is what we live for.:

  :I know.: I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my face to the hot, bare expanse of his chest, allowing the thunder of his heart to drown out the chittering screeches that made me want to clamp my hands over my ears.

  Something tickled in the back of my mind. Despite Daire’s roars and the rush of Blood surrounding me and leaping out the two-story-window to take the battle to the street, I heard something soft and quiet inside my head. Like a squeak. Small, but urgent.

  It wasn’t words, so it took me a moment to realize that it was the rat I’d set to guard Huitzilopochtli’s resting place. I sat straight up and met Rik’s hard, furious gaze. “It’s a distraction. There’s something going on at the tower.”

  I reached for my new bond with Gwen and touched Gina’s at the same time. :Take our most powerful shifters down to the basement. I’ll guide you to the location. We have intruders in the tower.:

  Focusing on the small squeak, I tried to slide deeper into my rat friend’s bond. She had my blood, even if it was a drop. If I was careful…

  Goosebumps flared down my arms and I was there, in the basement. I heard the soft whisper of soles on the floor, headed down the hallway. We were high up in the vent, giving me a good vantage point.

  Three men approached. She bristled, sharp teeth bared, but I held her quiet, safely hidden in the vent. :Do you have some friends who can help us?:

  She squeaked and her—my—nose twitched in agreement. I couldn’t tell how many rats might be close, but I trusted that they’d come and do whatever they could until Gina and Gwen arrived.

  “Which one is it?” One of the men whispered.

  “I don’t know,” another replied. “The report said there were rooms deep in the basement that we should check. That’s all I know.”

  “He’s got to be here somewhere.”

  He. My heart thudded heavily. :Rik, they’re after Huitzilopochtli.:

  :Fuck,: he growled. :The last thing we need is an Aztec sun god running around the city.:

  I felt for Gina and found her waiting on the service elevator, impatiently tapping her toes but still looking incredibly elegant in shoes I would have kicked off hours ago. She was on her phone, likely calling Frank’s team that’d be taking over security of the building. Gwen stepped off the crowded elevator with a couple of people who immediately shifted. A wolf took the lead, using his nose and stealth to track the intruders. Two lions and a tiger prowled after him.

  Gwen paused a moment in the hallway and used something hanging from her throat to puncture her wrist. I wasn’t sure what it was, but the rat smelled her blood. I felt her power rising, and a soft, glowing white light filled her. She shone like the full moon.

  House Findabair, the White Enchantress.

  :What weapons do these men have?: Guillaume asked.

  I focused on the men, watching as they checked each door down the hallway, and let that image filter through my bonds.

  :They each carry a 9mm handgun and extra ammunition,: Guillaume said. :Looks like a hunting knife on the lead man’s thigh. He walks like a soldier. Special Forces, maybe Green Beret. The other two are GRU.:

  :What’s that?:

  :Russian Intelligence.:

  I didn’t bother asking how he knew. He’d probably tell me he smelled the guns again, though I didn’t know how that was possible. With that thought, I was sure the rat smelled gunpowder and a hint of metal. :Who told them about Skye’s basement secrets? Gwen, that’s something else we have to ferret out, unless they already fled.:

  :I agree,: she replied. :There are several houses that may have been disgruntled enough with Keisha to supply information to Ra. Certainly several queens were Marne’s eyes and ears inside the tower.:

  My stomach tightened. Had Marne managed to plant a spy in my court? But who? Everybody close to me was sworn to me. They were either Blood, and impossible to corrupt, or human, and so above reproach and dedicated to Isador that I couldn’t imagine them betraying me. Accidentally putting me in danger, like allowing a stranger inside the nest, was one thing. But deliberately supplying information to a queen that wanted to eliminate me?

  I pushed those anxieties aside. I couldn’t deal with Marne Ceresa right now. But I could do something about these three men that now stood below me. They noted the protections on the door and looked at each other. The leader nodded and stepped back, hand sliding down into a utility pocket on his cargo pants. One of the other guys drew his weapon and took up position on the other side, while the other jiggled the door.

  They looked at each other again suspiciously when the door opened easily. We’d already unlocked it earlier. The door creaked open and they cautiously stepped inside.

  The rat slipped out of the vent and crept along a tiny ledge, ducked inside the door, clinging to the door frame and inching along until she grabbed on another small ledge on the inside of the room. She balanced precariously in the corner of the room but didn’t seem to be straining or fighting to hold the position.

  “Bingo,” the lead guy said.

  “You sure?” One of the others asked.

  He snorted derisively. “The witch was just as scared of him as the vizier. Come on, let’s get it done.”

  What did they even think they could do? They were human. I didn’t sense any Aima blood or power in them at all. So they couldn’t resurrect him. Maybe they were going to smuggle the mummy out of the building.

  The leader pulled out a silver lighter. It looked ornate and antique with lots of fancy engraving. He flicked it open and started spinning the starter, but it didn’t light right away.

  It finally dawned on me. They were going to burn the mummy. Not resurrect him. But why?

  He finally managed to get a flame and started for Huitzilopochtli’s carefully-wrapped body. The rat tensed, ready to send us flying down on top of the nearest man.

  :Now.:

  She leaped out at the nearest man and sank her teeth in his ear. He let out a shriek to raise the dead.

  Suddenly, it was raining rats. They dropped from the ceiling and poured up out of tiny cracks in the walls and floor like a horror movie. The men yelled and kicked at the vermin, scrambling away from vicious teeth.

  Only to find Aima shifters waiting for them outside the door.

  :Don’t kill them,: I ordered, hoping Gwen could relay the message quickly enough. :I need answers.:

  The leader whirled and tossed the burning lighter toward the mummy.

  Old, desiccated flesh and fabric would go up in flames in a heartbeat. I didn’t know why they wanted Huitzilopochtli destroyed, but I couldn’t allow it to happen. Not before I understood why.

  My rat leaped toward the table, scurried up the leg, and launched herself upward impossibly high. I didn’t know if a single drop of my blood was enough to power that kind of jump for her, or if that was her natural ability. S
he knocked the lighter off its trajectory. Flames scorched her fur and she screeched in pain, falling toward the hard ground.

  I felt the searing flames. I smelled her scorching hair. But I didn’t pull back from our bond. I’d suffer with her, though I strained to stop her fall, or at least slow the tumble.

  She fell into soft palms. Gwen cradled her gently while snuffing out the smoldering patches of fur. “Well done, Your Majesty.”

  Soft moonlight wrapped the injured rat in cushions of airy silk as Gwen healed her.

  I let my awareness fade from the rat, but I sent her a warm, gentle wave of appreciation. :Thank you, my friend.:

  Gwen focused on the intruders and sent me an image of one man dangling by his arm, trapped in the wolf’s jaws. The tiger had a big paw on one man’s chest, and the other man, the leader, slowly backed away from the two prowling lions.

  As he shoved his hand into his pocket, he screamed, “Lord of Heaven!”

  Molten solar energy shot up through him to blacken the ceiling, obliterating him into a handful of ashy motes that slowly drifted down to the floor.

  Stunned, the tiger didn’t react quickly enough when his captive did the same thing. Liquid sunlight flared up his paw and he roared with pain, jumping back before his entire body went up. The wolf dropped his prize just in time as the man dissolved into a small pile of soot.

  “Fuck.” I opened my eyes and pushed up out of bed. “They killed themselves, the same way that Ra agent did when the attack on Xochitl failed. Though at least this time, the fireball was contained. They could have brought down the entire building.”

  “Fucking boobytrapped pussies,” Mehen growled, striding naked toward me. “We saw a large box truck parked down the street that seemed out of place. Nevarre flew down to investigate, and they drove off in a hurry.”

  My Blood gathered closer. Nevarre was still his massive raven, and Daire padded toward me as the warcat. Glass sprinkled the floor, though the crisp winter air slicing into the damaged room actually felt nice. The cold had never bothered me.