23. Vivian
VIVIAN
Anticipation licked and burned inside me, flickering with phoenix sunfire.
I held the queen’s door as the rest of her Blood went to her.
Mostly one by one, though Itztli and Tlacel often went to her together.
Daire and Ezra had left together tonight.
Everyone was able to walk out under their own power and didn’t have to immediately stagger down to the kitchen for food, so Rik was letting them feed too.
From the smirk on Mehen’s face and the arrogance in his cocky stride down the hallway, we could feed as much as we wanted. Though he made sure to flash the fresh scar on his forearm before heading downstairs.
I hadn’t served a queen before Shara, but I fully understood the significance and pure privilege we had to serve in House Isador. Power was a thing to hoard and covet. Bargain and kill and trade your soul to gain one step closer to the throne. Or in this case, the queen.
I’d seen it play out time and time again in Heliopolis. Especially among Ra’s offspring. The crueler and more terrible they could be, the higher they rose in the ranks. Though gaining the god’s attention was a reward few would ever survive.
Shara’s court couldn’t be more different.
She didn’t covet power, or she wouldn’t have given so much power back to Leonie, and she certainly wouldn’t allow us to feed as deeply and often as we wanted.
Or very nearly, unless her reserves were too low.
Any other queen would’ve put Leonie out of her misery and then absorbed all that dark, grim power into her base.
Power raised from such pain and suffering carried a staggering punch.
What better way to strike your enemies than with power flavored with such agonies?
Besides, nothing raised immense power like suffering.
So I had learned at an early age under the lash of Sepdet and his ilk.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Even through the thick, stout door designed to act as a last defense to the queen’s chambers, power seeped through the cracks, spilling out into the darkened hallway.
Carrying the scents of sex and blood, the power twined around my legs like hungry vines.
Trying to draw me into her presence. Or perhaps that was my own lust speaking.
I fought the urge to close my eyes and let the currents of energy sweep me away.
A staggering amount of power, growing moment by moment, rising like a flash flood to pour through her entire house.
Spilling out into the night. Absorbed by the earth and trees.
All the green growing things and creatures who lived inside our queen’s nest. Flowers bursting with joy.
Trees stretching high to touch the sky. Green, velvety grass a lush carpet begging for her touch.
Even the night sky seemed to sing and dance with her, reveling in her pleasure.
Her unending hunger. Stars drawing closer, the moon hanging low in the midnight blue sky, rivaling the shine in her eyes.
A faint sound drew my attention, my right hand automatically sliding over my shoulder to the short sword on my back.
Leonie tiptoed closer, drawing to a halt when she saw me. Her cheeks darkened but she didn’t turn away or try to slip back to her room. Smoothing her palms over the front of the black silk robe, she stepped closer. She stopped a few paces away from the door and leaned back against the wall.
“I couldn’t sleep. I won’t be any trouble. I’ll wait until she calls.”
I let my hand drop back to my side. “It might be a while yet.”
“That’s fine. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
Same. Though I didn’t say it out loud. I sensed Llewellyn dropping to the ground outside, shifting to his human form before coming to our queen.
Unless I’d lost track, he was the last Blood this time around—other than me—though she welcomed us to stay as long as we didn’t have duty.
Guillaume, Sekh, and the twins had been inside for quite a while, long enough for Nevarre, Vore, Xin, and Okeanos to join them.
Though most of the last set of men had left already.
:Leonie waits in the hallway.:
:Thanks for the heads up,: Llewellyn replied.
The door opened and Nevarre strode out with his kilt wrapped around his hips.
I don’t feel sexual attraction for men, but even I could appreciate the chiseled abs disappearing beneath the plaid riding low on his hipbones.
The long black silk of his hair swept about his shoulders as he turned for the stairs.
Of course he gave an extra swish of his hips, making the kilt and hair swing.
He glanced back over his shoulder, a smug look in his eyes. Catching both of us staring.
Though admittedly, I was staring at the still oozing bite high on his thigh. Hoping our queen had a reason to bite my thighs. Both.
“Does she typically feed on all her Blood?” Leonie’s voice quivered ever so faintly.
“Yeah. At least this time everyone’s walking out on their own power.”
“Oh.” The word came out more like a squeak. “I thought she might have exaggerated.”
“Oh no.” I grinned, shaking my head. “Not an exaggeration. She can feed until we’re all comatose.
” I could have told her about when Shara called me to her side in New York City, but I didn’t trust like that.
Other queens didn’t need to know our queen’s business.
No matter how much Shara might want her.
Besides, we knew very little about Leonie, other than the Dauphine had trapped her.
On the other side of the door, I felt Guillaume approaching, so I gave him a warning as well. :Leonie waits with me.:
:Fuck.: A rattle of blades made me laugh as I pictured Guillaume laying down all the weapons he typically carried so he could pull on his jeans.
Llewellyn came up the stairs two at a time in a pair of basketball shorts.
Ever since Shara had admired Guillaume’s legs, we all stole his shorts whenever they were by the back door.
Mehen and Daire both would steal Nevarre’s kilt if he happened to leave it unattended, so naturally he made sure to keep it secure with either me or Tlacel when he shifted.
We winged Blood stuck together like that, except for the motherfucking dragon.
As Llewellyn approached, Guillaume stepped through the French doors. Shirt open, blades hanging out of his pockets and others tucked in the crook of his arm with several leather harnesses he typically wore beneath his clothes to hold the weapons.
“I see you kept your head,” Llewellyn said as he passed into the queen’s room.
G laughed. “This time.”
Before the doors shut, a lion’s roar tore through the night, making goose bumps rise on my arms. For a moment, I feared the gryphon and sphinx might tear each other apart.
I even started into the room to help break it up, but Guillaume caught my left arm.
“Sekh lost a bet. He’s not starting a fight. ”
I let out a low whistle, my mind racing through who was inside. Who might have had enough balls to take on the general? Rik, yeah, but they’d settled the score before we went to New Orleans. Itztli and Tlacel were still with her, but I didn’t see either of them taking on the sphinx.
Guillaume pulled the doors shut, and I searched his face. “What happened?”
He glanced over at the waiting queen, weighing his words. He of all the Blood knew the most about the game of queens. Since she’d also been listening in on our bonds, he couldn’t simply tell me mentally either.
“Some Blood might appear to be soft or weak, but that gentleness hides an obsidian core that cuts as deeply as his brother’s.”
My mouth sagged open for a moment. “Tlacel took on the general?”
“He did indeed, and he won. He endured our queen’s hair longer than Sekh.”
Leonie’s eyes glittered like wide gold coins in the darkness. “Her hair is dangerous?”
G considered her words before shaking his head. “That’s not it. Her hair could be dangerous but not to us.”
“I don’t understand.”
Me neither, though I didn’t dare voice my ignorance to the far more experienced knight.
“Some people find delight in being controlled. Bound, seemingly helpless, they manage to surrender to a place that most of us can only dream of achieving. Tlacel finds strength in surrender. Sekh does not.”
I couldn’t imagine the stone sphinx ever being controlled or helpless. He certainly wouldn’t enjoy such feelings.
Me either. I’d spent too much of my life fighting to survive. I’d go down swinging and biting and clawing before I’d ever surrender.
Guillaume inclined his head to Leonie and then went down the hallway to his room.
Most of us didn’t bother with claiming a bedroom as our own.
What was the point? We didn’t sleep unless we were injured or weakened.
Maybe it was an older Aima thing, because Mehen claimed a room for himself too.
Though knowing the dragon, he kept his most precious books hidden in case Carys decided to reorganize the library again.
After a few more minutes, I felt the twins and general approaching the door, so I gave them the same warning.
When they finally exited, I was even more confused. Itztli came out first in nothing but jeans. His bare chest still bled from what looked like claw marks, as if he’d tangled with Sekh’s sphinx.
Leonie inhaled sharply but didn’t say anything. Itztli loved pain. For all I knew, he’d given himself all those marks with his own obsidian blade.
Tlacel and Sekh walked out together, sharing a blanket, one corner wrapped around each male’s hips.
With the general’s arm slung around the other Blood’s shoulders, they headed downstairs.
Nothing but easy camaraderie glowed in the formidable general’s eyes.
Maybe even, dare I say, affection? Even though he’d supposedly lost.
Grudgingly, I had to admit I’d always considered Tlacel a weak Blood. I assumed Shara had taken him as Blood simply because the twins were a package deal.
Evidently, I couldn’t be more wrong. I almost wished she’d called me into the room earlier, simply so I could’ve seen the challenge play out, even though I didn’t relish watching her fuck her males.
Daire was the other weak Blood in my mind. I couldn’t imagine Sekh walking down the stairs with his arm so casually draped around Daire’s shoulders. Sekh made his disdain more than clear for the other Blood.
“Damn,” Leonie whispered. “Do you understand what happened?”
“Not a clue,” I admitted.
“Why are you warning everyone that I’m here? Did I break a rule?”
“We don’t have any rules. I mean, outside of normal court rules. Blood to queen rules. Obey the alpha or suffer the consequences. But our queen doesn’t like her Blood to be naked around other queens.”
“Oh.” Leonie’s eyes narrowed with consideration. “She did say her alpha wouldn’t touch me.”
“Rik’s alright as far as male alphas go. He’s always been respectful of my personal boundaries.”
“Which are?” When I hesitated, she bit her lip. “Sorry, I know that’s a personal question. But I assumed… I mean you’re female, and she seemed to imply… I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m not offended, and you’re right. I don’t touch her males, and they don’t touch me. The only time I’m intimate with other people in my queen’s presence is with other females. Rik’s always there, of course, but he doesn’t mind vacating the bed.”
She nodded, weighing my words. Looking up at me through her lashes and then looking away. “Then I offer an additional apology for intruding on your private time with her.”
Relaxing enough to grin, I flipped my braids back over my shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, I owe you my thanks. Having another queen interested in sharing her bed means more opportunities for me to assist in any way she desires.”
She smiled back, her eyes softening. “You’re welcome.”