Queen Takes Darkness 2

Chapter 1

HELAYNA

Even though I’d lost most of my memories, I knew one thing for sure.

Well, two things.

First of all, my Blood loved me without question, even my newest Blood, Lokken. Secondly, I’d never had my very own place of safety before.

Most of my memories had been destroyed, but I’d lived at my mother’s rustic Minnesotan cabin as a child, and I’d fostered as a young queen in Norway. Though I didn’t remember anything about the location, let alone the people at House Fólkvangr.

I paused in the foyer of my new home in Vík í Myrdal and simply gazed around with wonder.

My consiliarius, Clara Helsdóttir, had outdone herself when she’d commissioned the new house on the site.

The gray slate from the exterior continued on the floors across the foyer and into the main living area as far as I could see.

The back wall of the house was all glass with magnificent views of the ocean.

The interior walls were covered in smooth honey-colored wood with black trim around the windows and doors.

Sleek, low couches made a large horseshoe in the center of the main living area. At least ten people could sit comfortably, even men of my Bloods’ size.

Bj?rg wriggled in my arms, so I bent down and let her explore.

Clara watched my face anxiously, trying to gauge my reaction.

“There are offices, several guest rooms, and staff bedrooms on this main level. A kitchen, of course, and a large formal dining area. I’ll introduce you to the people I’ve hired to open the house, but if you don’t like them for any reason—”

I laid my hand on her arm. “I’m sure they’re lovely people. I trust your judgment.”

Smiling, she patted my hand, her shoulders relaxing. “Then let me take you to the queen’s suite so you can bathe and rest after the long trip. Unless you’d like to dine first?”

My gaze flickered to each of my Blood, checking their reaction and health.

My three dark alfar gleamed like black oil shining in moonlight at midnight, their dark essence fully restored after I’d been forced to drain them to the point of exhaustion.

I’d been feeding them, both blood and food, as much as they could hold to try and make up for taxing them so hard.

:It’s our greatest pleasure to serve you any way you wish, my queen.: Dorr’s bond rumbled like distant thunder. :You have no need to make up for anything.:

My attention lingered on Lokken’s torn shirt. My newest Blood hadn’t hesitated to rip the expensive-looking material so I could make our bond complete. He hadn’t even brought spare clothing when he’d abruptly left the human conference in Minneapolis.

He’d simply walked to my remote island cabin, bringing a blizzard with him.

“Rest, I think,” I said aloud. Though dragging my gaze back to my alpha, I wasn’t sure how much resting might be involved.

We’d been at sea for a few days. While the boat had seemed large standing next to it at the dock, confined on board with five other adults plus the crew, it’d been impossible to have any personal time to be intimate.

Certainly the tiny cabins and beds hadn’t been conducive to anything but taking a nap.

While I wasn’t shy or embarrassed by public displays of affection… I didn’t care to be screaming out my pleasure with humans nearby.

Myrk coughed, Svar smirked, and I was blushing enough that I didn’t dare meet the new Blood’s gaze again.

Lokken’s bond flowed through my head like a shimmering snow shower, ice crystals flashing in the sun. :I’m most eager to learn how you subdue your Blood, my queen.:

My cheeks burned hotly. Hopefully Clara didn’t notice. I liked my consiliarius very much, though from my few remaining memories of her, I’d thought she was my grandmother, not my consiliarius. But that didn’t mean I wanted her to know all the spicy details of my bedroom life.

“Being so close to the cliff, this building site had some interesting crevices in the rock formations that allowed us to build a floor underground. It might seem like an unusual choice, but we put the queen’s suite in the basement.

” She opened a black door, grunting a little at its weight.

The thick black metal was several inches thick.

“For your security, this door locks from below, and no one can open it from this side. Not even me.”

She touched the wall, illuminating a staircase carved into the rocky cliff itself. Glancing back at me over her shoulder, she winked knowingly. “This suite is very safe, private, and yes, soundproofed by thick rock and steel.”

Myrk guffawed, making me roll my eyes. Of course she’d noticed my pink cheeks. As my consiliarius, she was probably almost as observant of my habits as my Blood, even without a bond. It was her job to know what I needed, before I needed it.

:That’s my job,: Dorr rumbled.

:And mine,: each of the others followed.

At the bottom of the stairs, another room of couches and chairs provided ample seating.

The rear wall of the room was raw stone with a huge built-in fireplace.

The rear wall—facing the ocean—was also completely glass.

However, Clara stepped over to the window and pressed another button, and heavy blinds silently dropped to the floor, making the room as dark as a cave except for a few soft lamps.

“Oh, Clara, this is wonderful. My Blood can keep their dark alfar even during the day in here.”

She nodded, smiling. “I didn’t know why building your suite into the cliff was a good idea, but it wouldn’t leave me alone. Now I know why. Blessed be, Lady Hel, goddess below, thank you for your wisdom.”

She pointed to another door. “Your bedroom is through here. Before I go back upstairs, I’ll show your Blood how to work the doors, lights, and blinds.

There’s another heavy door here at the foot of the stairs, so you have a second layer of protection, though I can’t see anything getting through that first door once it’s secured. ”

As we stepped into the next room, Lokken let out a soft whistle of appreciation, though it was Svar who said, “Now that’s a bed even we can’t break.”

Clara laughed delightedly. “I knew better than to put a regular human-quality bed in any queen’s suite.”

The bed was huge—plenty big enough for all of us to lay comfortably. The base looked like a shelf carved out of the cliff, with the intricately carved stone headboard rising all the way up to the ceiling. The thick mattress also had many pillows to cushion against the stone wall.

“This wall is glass as well, so you can lift the blinds if you’d like to see the sky or ocean any time.

” Clara stepped across the room and through a large doorway.

“Here’s the bathroom. Most of the house’s hot water is provided directly by the springs flowing closely to the volcano’s veins beneath the surface, so you may notice a mineral smell. ”

“Volcano?” I asked. “Is that safe to be so close?”

“Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice,” Lokken replied. “There are roughly one-hundred-and-thirty volcanoes on your island, my queen, though most of them are deemed to be safe for nearby residents. I believe you’ll sense the intense build-up of energy if an eruption is imminent.”

Clara nodded. “Katla is active but hasn’t had a violent eruption in over one-hundred years.

However, to be safe, we’ll always have boats ready to whisk your entire household away at a moment’s notice.

We have a private beach and dock, but it’s not large enough for the boat we used to leave the United States.

Now that you’re home, we’ll expand the dock to accommodate a larger House and all its staff. ”

“I appreciate the security, but I don’t want us to end up trapped down here,” Lokken said, earning a nod of agreement from Dorr. “What’s her quickest exit if we can’t go back up the stairs?”

“The windows will slide aside with a flick of a switch,” Clara said. “There’s also some rough steps down the cliff, but it’ll be better if one of you can carry her down.”

“Or fly her out,” Myrk said. “As long as it’s nighttime.”

My eyes lit up. “Oooh, I’d love to fly. If it’s safe, can you give me a ride one night? I’d love to fly out over the ocean.”

“Absolutely, my queen,” Dorr replied.

Flying. Goddess, I couldn’t wait. Smiling, I turned my attention to the bathroom, and my mouth sagged open with awe.

The entire room was carved from a natural bowl shape in the rocky formation.

Steaming water trickled down the walls into a surprisingly deep pool.

Small plants, moss, and flowers were tucked into the rocks, making it look like we were outdoors.

The opposite side of the room also held modern amenities, though I’d never seen such a large shower with half a dozen shower heads.

“Wow,” I breathed out. “This is incredible. I’d hoped for a tub big enough for my Blood to be able to bathe too.”

Myrk grumbled beneath his breath. “What use does a dark alfar have for sitting in hot water?”

Lokken raised his hand. “I’ll take his place, my queen.”

Grinning, I reached down to test the temperature of the flowing pool. “Can a frost giant sit in a hot spring and not melt?”

“Absolutely.”

Clara’s phone buzzed and she stepped away to take the call. Though she suddenly raced for the thick metal door and started to push it shut. “Quickly, help me. There’s an intruder!”