Alrik closed his hands over mine and pulled my hands away. “No. It won’t. First of all, the Isador legacy is rich enough that you could buy this whole state if you wanted to.”
“But—”
He leaned down, a fierce look in his eyes. “You’re the fucking queen of Isador and you clean nothing. You pay for nothing. You worry for nothing. This damage is nothing. We will take care of it.”
“But—”
He pressed his lips to mine in a hard, searing kiss. Goosebumps raced down my arms and my inner muscles clenched. It’d be very easy to lie back on the mattress and pull him down with me. My stomach gurgled again, so hungry for food, his blood, and his body that I couldn’t tell which I wanted more.
“Trust us,” he whispered against my mouth. “I swear on your sweet blood burning in my veins that there’s nothing we can’t take care of in your service. Absolutely nothing.”
Trust wasn’t something that came easily to me. I’d never had anyone but my parents to rely on, and they’d been gone a long time. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. My brain still whirled frantically about the best way to get blood out of the carpet, but I nodded.
“I’ll pack your things. Just tell me where everything is.”
I pointed to the backpack by the door. “That’s it.”
He looked at the single bag and Daire winced.
Alrik tightened his grip on the bedding and something ripped in protest, but his voice was even when he spoke. “Very well. We’ll get you dressed and get the hell out of this fucking town. As Isis is my witness, we’re taking you shopping in New York and Paris as soon as possible.”
I’d never been out of the Midwest, let alone the country. I still couldn’t get my mind wrapped around the idea of having that kind of money, rather than cleaning rooms just to have a roof over my head, but I let it slide. “I should jump in the shower first.”
“There’s no need,” Daire said as he grabbed my bag and last night’s clothes so I could decide what to wear. “You’re bathed in power now.”
Bathed in power? What? I looked down at my self and cringed. Blood splattered my skin and I felt gummy and sticky between my thighs. I should have gotten up in the night and cleaned up—
Alrik gave my shoulders a gentle shake. “My queen cleans nothing, even herself.”
“But—”
“Last night, how did you seek us that first time? Before we reached you?”
Unsure what that had to do with anything, I answered slowly, “I imagined the area around me like a tapestry in my mind.”
“Go there in your mind now. Picture this room as the tapestry.”
I closed my eyes and brought up the internal map of my surroundings. Involuntarily, I gasped. We glowed. We glowed so brightly it hurt my inner eye to look. Daire and Alrik were the deep, rich hue of molten lava and red-hot embers, and I gleamed with a soft pearly light that spun rainbows out in all directions. For miles and miles. Before they’d found me, I’d only been able to feel a few miles out, but now… I swear I could see the Missouri border, without even trying. A spot on the tapestry gleamed like a tiny candle in the window. I knew without touching it that was my childhood home in Kansas City more than two hundred miles away.
“See the blood in this room,” Alrik whispered. “The drops shine like jewels. If you touch one, you’d know whose blood it was.”
I pulled my awareness back to our vicinity, but it took me a few moments to see past the glowing lights to the droplets of ruby blood. They did glow like priceless jewels. I concentrated on one and I could taste Daire, feel his fur rubbing against me.
“Draw that blood into yourself. Pull it to you. Gather it up like you’re picking flowers, or calling birds home to roost. Our blood is yours to command. It will come to your call.”
With my eyes closed, I opened my arms and turned slowly, basking in our brilliant light. It was like dancing naked in a clearing beneath a full moon, incredibly liberating and exciting. The droplets of blood rose, dancing around me like ruby-red butterflies. They swirled for me, wove patterns in the air, and when I dropped my arms, the blood butterflies swarmed into my light.
I quivered, feeling the impact of that power in our shared blood. Even old and dark stains still carried power.
“Let the power roll through you. Imagine it pulling away anything impure that you don’t want to be on your body.”
The power was already washing down my body, as if it’d known what I wanted before Alrik had given me the idea. I could feel the prickle of energy racing down my skin, head to toe, and yes, I did feel cleaner. I opened my eyes and pushed my hair back. It was full and floating about my head, as if I’d loaded it with static electricity. “Um, wow.”
“Some queens can change their appearance that way—though it’s said to take a great deal of blood.”
The slight grim edge in Alrik’s voice told me that “great” didn’t mean a single feeding. In fact, he implied… violence. Maybe even murder. “Like Elizabeth Bathory?”
“Indeed. The Magyar was well pleased with Her daughter. Since her death, her house has never been the same.”
I wasn’t surprised that some of our kind had been evil. The touch of power still hummed on my skin, making me feel alive and full of energy. My hair had never been silkier. I felt like I could leap tall buildings and outrun thoroughbreds after tasting my two Blood. How much more power would I gain as I fed from them daily? What if others came? How much power would I gain? It gave me pause and sent a chill down my spine.
I had no illusions about human nature, let alone my own nature. I’d had my fill of hiding and running from the monsters. If I had a chance to fight, I’d take them on. I’d take them all on. If a queen came after me, I’d take her on too. I wasn’t going to let anyone take this newfound power from me, certainly never take my Blood from me. I’d fight for what was mine.
And if I gained more and more power each time I fed…
I had no idea what kind of monster I was capable of becoming.
Alrik
My queen learned quickly. Her skin glowed with vitality, her hair flowing like black silk over her shoulders, her body strong and proud. She pulled on jeans and a shapeless hoodie, but even covered in plain human clothes, she reeked of royal power. Pride swelled in my chest and I couldn’t find the words to tell her how thankful I was that she’d called us to her side. Instead, I sent her a surge of emotion through our bond, surrendering my mind to hers. It was the greatest gift I could offer, short of laying down my life for hers.
Her stomach growled again, making Daire laugh. “Hurry up, Rik. We’ve got to feed her before she tears us limb from limb to satisfy that hunger.”
She checked the pockets of the jeans she’d worn last night, found the pocketknife she’d carried, and slipped it into her jeans. That knife was so fucking small I wouldn’t even call it a blade. “So what are we called exactly? Just vampires?”
I scanned the room, looking for anything she might have missed, but she’d kept her things in a single bag. She didn’t even have a hairbrush or toothbrush in the bathroom. I could only imagine the number of times she’d had to flee, leaving behind her things. “We’re Aima, the ancient blood of Gaia. All royal houses descend from the Great Mother.”
Daire picked up her bag and we headed to the door. She looked back into the room, nibbling on her lip. “Hosea was really nice to me. I hate to leave him such damage to fix.”
I took her hand and tucked her arm around mine. Daire went ahead and on outside to our bikes. I stopped at the concierge desk.
A young woman looked up from her phone and her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between us. By her reaction, it wasn’t every day she saw a man of my size. Let alone with her friend. “Shara?”
“Hey, Ellie,” she replied, blushing. “I’m taking off with some friends. Can you let Hosea know?”
“Oh, no. Sure. I’ll let him know.” She glanced back at me, and if possible, her eyes got even larger. “Does h
e owe you anything? It’s almost Christmas. I’m sure he’d give you a little extra for a bonus if you could stick around.”
“No, sorry, I really need to head out. I’m really really sorry, but there’s a bit of a mess…”
I started to lay hundred-dollar bills on the counter and Shara fell silent. Now her eyes were as big as the other woman’s and that pissed me off all over again. She acted like she’d never seen that much money in her life, when she had to be one of the richest queens alive. The Isador legacy had always been immense, and without her mother drawing on it the last thirty plus years, it had to have grown astronomical, unless the consiliarius was a complete idiot. Which I would believe, unfortunately, since Shara had been lost for so long.
“I broke a few things.” I tried to keep my rage out of my words, but Shara pressed against me, as if her presence could still my anger. And it did. “I forget how big I am sometimes. I’m a complete bull-in-a-china-cabinet. Please convey my apologies to Mr. Hosea. I believe this should be enough to compensate him for the inconvenience.”
“Oh. Oh. Yes. Uh. Yeah.”
I laid another hundred-dollar bill on the counter and pushed it to the young woman. “Thank you, and Merry Christmas.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and I suddenly wished I’d given her two or three bills. “Bye, Shara. Good luck.”
The roar of a motorcycle engine made Shara jump. “Thanks, Ellie. Bye.”
We headed outside. Daire was already seated, revving his engine. “What sounds good to eat? My queen, what’s wrong? Why is she crying?”
I pulled her to me, alarm rising, tightening my throat. Had I offended her? Hurt her? Neglected her in some way? I hadn’t felt any dismay through the bond, but I might have missed something while indulging in my own anger.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “That was really sweet. A hundred dollars will be the difference between her having a nice Christmas and maybe not having enough to eat when Hosea has to lay her off.”
Relieved, I lifted her up onto my bike so she’d sit in front of me. She might rather hold on to me against my back—but I’d die before I left my queen’s back unprotected. I helped her with her helmet. Daire tossed me my leather jacket and I tugged it on and buckled my helmet. I didn’t need either for protection—I doubted even a horrific accident would kill me—but it helped us avoid attention if we dressed like humans and followed their laws. “I can run back in and give her more. This is nothing, Shara. Honestly, you should have tens of millions times such a paltry sum.”
“No, if you take more to her, it’ll wound her pride. It’s still a windfall for her.”
I climbed on behind her, enfolding her against me. She was small enough that I’d have no problem seeing around her, and I’d serve as a windbreak at the same time. I started up the bike and let her get used to the way it rumbled beneath us.
She lifted her head, stretching up toward my neck, so I leaned down to hear her. “What kind of bike is this?”
“Harley.”
“I like it.” I started to sit back up, but something in the bond made me hesitate, listening, waiting. “Would it be too much to ask for a leather jacket like yours?”
I licked her throat beneath the rim of the helmet and grazed her skin with my teeth. “Nothing’s too much for my queen. If you want a jacket coated in diamonds and rubies, we’ll get it.”
She curled up against me like a kitten. “No jewels. Just leather. I like the way it smells. Almost as good as you.”
Daire raised his voice over the rumbling engines. “Where to, my queen?”
“Mom’s old safe house was in Kansas City.” She gave us an image of the map she carried in her head, with the candle flame to the north. “I think we should start there.”
Daire tore off immediately, leaving a black streak on the grayed concrete parking lot. I pulled out more leisurely, very aware of the precious cargo I carried with me.
My queen. Mine. After so long.
She wriggled back against me tighter and wrapped her palms around my biceps. Exhilaration burned in her bond. She’d never ridden a motorcycle. She’d never gone anywhere without worrying about her safety. :Can we go faster?:
Without answering, I blew past Daire. We flew down the curving, winding road that led out of Eureka Springs.
My queen leaned forward into the wind and lifted her hands out to the side, her glorious laughter like a spur to my flank, urging me to push well past the speed limit.
Stupid? Yeah. Reckless? Hell yeah.
It was going to be a brutal ride with this massive of a hard-on.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Shara
I lifted my head from Alrik’s chest as we neared my mother’s house. We’d stopped only for pancakes and a quick shopping trip in Springfield, Missouri, where he bought me the softest, most delicious smelling leather jacket. I still felt guilty about spending his money, though every time my conscience twinged, he glared at me. I didn’t need it for warmth, but the weight of it across my shoulders felt good. I’d managed to doze off the last hour or two. Evidently even Isis’s last queen needed to sleep now and then after a night of sex.
My heartbeat quickened as we entered my old neighborhood. Despite being only a short drive from downtown Kansas City, Stuller had a small-town vibe with fields, small farms, and green space. Most of the town had fallen by the wayside over the years, even more so since I’d left five years ago. The old abandoned church had actually fallen down and was only a pile of rubble beside some leaning grayed tombstones from the 1800s. We passed the park where I’d played softball until Dad’s death, now an overgrown field dotted with junk cars. Large old trees lined the road we turned down. No other houses were on this street, so we didn’t pass any cars. As far as I remembered, we were the only house, our yard bordering the back of the park. The house had been old, though grand, five years ago. I couldn’t imagine that it’d fared well in the years since I’d left.
But as we slowed at the iron gate, I couldn’t tell that a single year had passed. The lawns still looked well manicured, the street and private driveway were clean of debris. The old house looked the same: huge square tower, red brick exterior, doors and windows intact.
“Have you never come back to this house?” Alrik asked.
I shook my head. “I was too scared. The monsters knew I had lived here. I thought they’d leave a lookout, or know immediately if I came back.”
Involuntarily, my head turned to the right, my eyes searching down the dead-end road that went past the house. Even at high noon, the end of the road was cloaked in shadows. I knew the park lay on the other side. That had been the shortcut. The place my father, and then my mother, had been killed. Would I feel something of her there? Would her blood still resonate, like ours had gleamed in the hotel room? Or had the monsters sucked every last bit of her blood out of the concrete? Where had she been buried? I had no idea.
Daire rattled the gate. “It’s locked. I could tear it down if you want, but let’s try the intercom.”
“Someone had to have bought the house,” I said. “It doesn’t look abandoned.”
He shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. If nothing else, they’ll know who they bought the house from, and that should give us someone in charge of your mother’s estate.”
“Your consiliarius,” Alrik clarified. “There should be someone running the Isador legacy for you, until you come into power and claim your birthright.”
Daire hit the call button. I found myself breathing more quickly. Afraid no one would answer. Afraid someone would. Mom had never said a word about a consiliarius. But maybe she couldn’t. What if I could have had someone to arrange things for me all along? If I hadn’t had to starve and work shady under-the-table jobs, constantly on the run? But how could I have known? And could this person even be trusted?
“Good afternoon, Talbott Agency.” A woman’s voice came through the speaker. “Can I help you?”
The only word Daire said was, “Isador.
”
“Hold please. Ms. Talbott will be right with you.”
Anxious, I shivered slightly. Alrik tightened his arms around me, dropping his chin on top of my head. “Are you sure we can trust whoever Ms. Talbott is?”
“No,” Alrik replied. “But this is where we start. If we don’t like her answers, your warcat can eat her.”
Daire’s eyes lit up and he made a playful slash with his hand. It made me laugh—exactly as they intended. I knew by now that they didn’t go around hurting people. Only monsters who tried to hurt me.
“I will kill anyone, human or thrall or beast, who tries to hurt you,” Alrik whispered against my ear. “I won’t stay my hand for anyone but you.”
His words sent a warm flood through me. It shouldn’t have felt so good to hear him threaten to kill people. But it did. It felt very good to know I had him at my back. That I didn’t have to fight the monsters alone any longer.
“Good afternoon, this is Gina Talbott,” a woman said through the speaker, her words hurried. “Can you repeat that word please?”
“Isador,” Daire said.
“Is Shara with you? Is she all right?”
“I’m here,” I raised my voice to be sure it carried through the intercom. “Who are you?”
“Blessed be! Stay there, please, Your Majesty. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Crap. I guess she knew a thing or two after all. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to anyone calling me that.”
Fifteen minutes. Guess that was long enough to face my fears. I looked at Daire and he immediately came closer and took my hand, helping me step off Alrik’s motorcycle. He kept my hand, and Alrik took my other. They knew without asking what I wanted to do.
I led them down to the shadowed dead-end cul-de-sac. Massive trees blocked the sun and the wind. Old wet leaves made a thick carpet on the concrete. But as we neared the end of the road, I could feel a spot that didn’t feel right. Old pain lingered here. Death.
I dragged my gaze to the trees, refusing to look down, afraid to see my mother’s murder play out again. The footpath through to the park was overgrown, but still there as I remembered. “We cut through there to get to the park, rather than walking down the street to the front entrance. Dad called it our secret gate. They killed him, right here, and then they killed Mom too.” I looked back up at the house. The iron fence wrapped around the back of the property. “Always use iron,” she’d said. I still remembered her sprinkling salt around the fence too, every single month.
Queen Takes Knights (Their Vampire Queen Book 1) Page 7
