Chapter 30
SHARA
It only took fifteen minutes for Frank’s team to knock on Regina’s door and bring her along with Alex to my house.
I kept Rik, Guillaume, and Sekh close, but the rest of my Blood stayed out of sight.
I didn’t need Ms. Curiosity counting heads and then trying to track down even more details about our life.
Or worse, passing that information on to another queen, even unknowingly. I liked my privacy inside the nest. I didn’t need other queens knowing my private life. How I interacted with my Blood, or how Rik cycled them through guard duty.
Leonie and Gina sat with me at the small round table, and we continued eating breakfast as if picking up people at a hotel and bringing them to my home was no big deal.
When I felt them approaching the blood circle, I tapped my awareness into my magic, so I could make sure they didn’t gain more than temporary access to the nest.
I shouldn’t have worried. Gina had coached Frank long ago about how important it was to limit access to my nest. With a casual hand on both human visitors’ shoulders, Frank said, “You are allowed to visit Ms. Isador’s home today only. Once dismissed by her, your access to the premises is revoked.”
“Wow, okay, dude.” A white man in his thirties, Alex wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a matching hat, though his accent didn’t sound Texan to me.
Not like Ellie, one of the other cleaning staff at the motel where I’d worked just outside of town.
She’d had a pronounced drawl that announced her upbringing as soon as she opened her mouth. “Message received loud and clear.”
Frank personally escorted them both to the house and knocked on the door. Gina took her time answering.
“Alex Manning and Regina Beal to see Ms. Isador,” Frank said. “Neither are currently armed.”
Currently. So that meant at least one of them did have a weapon—that Frank’s team had already taken care of. Great.
:No firearm or bullet is going to put one of us out of commission,: Rik assured me.
:I know. But I’d rather not test out anyone’s speed against a bullet or my ability to heal a gunshot wound.:
He snorted. :You reattached a limb and a tongue. I think a bullet hole will be no big deal.:
“Right this way.” Gina didn’t introduce herself and led them straight to the kitchen. “You have visitors, Your Majesty.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw both humans startle. Quick glances at me, each other, the very large man glowering at them behind my chair, and back to me. They didn’t spare a glance for Sekh casually standing near the back door, or Guillaume, who now blocked their retreat to the front door.
I calmly put down my fork and picked up my coffee cup before slowly turning in my chair to face them. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
The young woman still had traces of sunburn on her freckled cheeks, now blushing even redder at my question. “I’m sorry, Ms. Isador. Um, ma’am. This is all my fault. Alex helped me find your address but that’s all. He was going to go home today.”
I took a sip of my coffee, letting her babble. “Why did you want my address?”
Her eyes were wide and bright, her lips trembling with excitement and nerves. “I saw you on the beach. That was you. In Galveston.”
At my silence, she shot a pleading look at Gina. “Please. I’m right. Aren’t I? I just wanted…” Her shoulders fell at the stoic, cold look on Gina’s face. The last thing she’d ever do was let something slip to an outsider. “I had to find you. I don’t mean any trouble. I swear.”
“So you locate me in the remote mountains of Arkansas and stake out my home to track my coming and going?”
Regina made a desperate, soft sound. “Um, yeah. Sorry. I was hoping to see you again to make sure this was the right place.”
“And what did you see?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly. Too quickly. “We got scared when we saw so many security guards, and we left.”
“The girl didn’t mean any harm,” Alex said. “Your name’s everywhere. If you didn’t want someone to start snooping…”
I couldn’t see Rik’s face, but I could feel his intensity racketing up another notch. No doubt all his muscles were bulging and swelling with power.
Alex coughed lightly and changed the subject. “Honestly, it was a long shot this was even the right place given how many properties you own.”
“Indeed.” I tipped my head to the side, watching Regina. “How did you decide to come to Arkansas?”
Her blush darkened and she shrugged awkwardly. “I dunno exactly. It just felt… right. Alex had a printout of addresses. I pointed to this one and said let’s start there.”
“How did you find Alex to do your snooping?”
“My dad recommended him. He’s done some PI work for the family in the past.”
:I’m going to tap my blood to see if there’s anything we’re missing,: I warned in my bonds. Clasping my hands together loosely in my lap, I discreetly punctured a fingertip with my nail to draw a single drop of blood.
Rik’s hand tightened on my shoulder, kneading slightly.
I heard Leonie’s deep inhale behind me. The humans’ heartbeats thundered like tympani drums, though for different reasons.
Alex knew they were in deep shit, though he was trying to play it cool.
He recognized the fact that their exits were both blocked, and from the size of my alpha standing at my back, he knew there’d be no escape. Not if I meant them harm.
Sweat glistened on his skin, dampening the pits of his shirt.
The acrid burn of fear and rising adrenaline palatable on the air.
But I didn’t sense anyone else’s influence.
Nothing magical sparked in him. I couldn’t read his thoughts directly but from his fear, I didn’t think he’d care to come back anytime soon.
Regina was a different story. There was a spark in her. A resonance, faint but unmistakable. Somewhere in her family line, there was a bit of goddess blood.
:Are you able to sense anything about her lineage?: I asked Leonie.
I smelled her blood, her magic sparkling to life like a fresh spring water bubbling up out of the ground. :She has a protective guardian spirit with her. A female ancestor on her mother’s side. Oh.:
I waited a moment, not sure what was happening. :Are you okay? Is she one of the practitioners we’re looking for?:
:Sorry, my queen. Marion has a lot to say.
She’s been trying to guide Regina to find a queen to serve since she was a child.
She claims Regina has a great many gifts a queen like you would find useful, even though she’s only human.
But I’m not detecting anything related to the goules that attacked or even that kind of magic. :
:I take it Marion once served a queen?:
:Elspeth White in Edinburgh.:
Nevarre had served a queen in Scotland. I touched his bond. :Is the name Elspeth White familiar to you?:
I wasn’t prepared for the low growl rumbling in my gentle Blood’s voice. :I served her, aye. She refused to let me answer my mother’s call for help until it was too late. By the time Elspeth freed me, both my mother and the grove were gone.:
:Does she still live?:
Evidently the quiet venom in my voice surprised him just as much.
Relaxing enough to chuckle, he replied, :I have no idea, my queen.
You restored the part of my heart and soul that died with the grove and my clan.
Elspeth at least freed me from my bond, so I could find Brigid.
The one who betrayed our clan died long ago. I made sure of it.:
“Tell me about Marion,” I finally said out loud.
Regina gaped at me before stuttering, “Gran? Why? How do you…?” She shook her head slowly, gathering her wits.
“Marion was my great grandmother on my mother’s side of the family.
She died before I was born, so I never met her, but her stories are legendary in my family.
Mom and her sister, Janet, used to spend a few weeks at Gran’s cottage in Scotland every summer until she married Dad. Aunt Janet lives there now.”
“Legendary stories about…” I let my lips quirk. “Magic?”
Regina nodded slowly, her eyes widening. “Hidden queens who lived among everyday people. Daughters of goddesses.” She swallowed, clasping her hands together tightly in front of her to stop their trembling. No doubt playing back Gina’s words earlier. “Are you a daughter of a goddess?”
Without answering her question, I turned to Alex. “You’re free to go.”
His eyes narrowed, flickering to Rik behind me. “Just like that?”
“Just like that,” I repeated his words lightly. Though I couldn’t help but play with the man a little. :Itztli, do you mind showing our guest out as your black dog?:
:Do I get to bite him?: Itztli asked hopefully.
:Not unless he runs.:
I didn’t have to tell him to be dramatic. Sekh quietly stepped over to the back door and let him inside. Shifted, Itztli was bigger than a Great Dane. He trotted over to sit beside me, and I stroked his massive head.
“It’s real,” Regina said faintly. “I’ve never seen such a big dog in my life. Is the horse real too?”
“This is Itztli. He’ll walk you out to the gate.”
Itztli stood and took a slow, menacing step toward the man. Silently bristling, his lips peeled back from his teeth, he made a low whuff, breathing in deeply.
“Once he has your scent, he can find you anywhere in the world. Do we understand each other, Mr. Manning?”
The man nodded jerkily. “Crystal clear, ma’am. Have a good day.” He glanced over at Regina. “Are you coming?”
She dragged her gaze away from Itztli—but only to look up at me. Not her companion. “Am I allowed to stay?”
“You’re free to go with him. Now. But if you stay…” I looked over at Gina, letting her step in.
“I’m certain we have employment opportunities inside House Isador, though our contracts and nondisclosure requirements are ironclad.”
“Meaning once you know too much, they can’t let you leave,” Alex translated. “Come on, kid. You’re in over your head on this one.”
The young woman’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Excitement. And yes, magic. As if she had finally found something she’d been looking for her entire life. “I’m staying.”
“What about college?” I asked gently. “Weren’t you on spring break?”
With a sheepish laugh, she shrugged. “I don’t care. I was only going to college because Daddy insisted. It was college or join the family business, and I don’t want to learn about investments or oil refineries either.”
“What do I tell your father?” Alex asked.
“I’m twenty-one. I can make my own decisions. I’ll tell him myself.”
“If they let you keep your phone,” he muttered with a glare in my direction.
Itztli let a low rumbling growl roll from his chest.
“Of course you may keep your phone.” Ignoring the man, I turned back to my breakfast. The scrambled eggs were cold, but I hadn’t finished my fruit yet.
“You may leave whenever you wish, Regina. If you decide to stay on permanently, you’ll go through contract negotiations just like anywhere else.
Are you hungry? I’m sure Winston has more eggs and toast.”
As if I’d conjured him out of thin air, Winston stepped over to the table with a fresh serving dish of steaming eggs. “Of course, Your Majesty. Should I set another place?”
Hesitating for only a moment, Regina lifted her chin and walked over to the empty chair opposite me. “Yes, please. Thank you so much, ma’am. I’m starving, actually. I’m never up this early.”
I laughed softly. “Me either, to be honest.”
Gina returned to her seat. Winston set the bowl of eggs down beside my plate but before I could help myself, Rik took over and scooped some fresh eggs for me.
Then he passed the bowl to Gina. In a flash, Winston returned with a place setting for Regina, and Sekh helped bring more toast and a carafe of coffee to the table.
Among the clinking of silverware and quiet bustle, I heard Itztli’s claws ticking on the floor as he escorted Alex outside.
“So, Regina, what kind of job would you like?” Gina asked.
“Anything, to be honest. I don’t know what I’m good at, but I’m eager to learn.
I’ve never…” Staring down at her plate, she sighed softly and then raised her gaze back to mine.
“I’ve had all the privileges and advantages of a wealthy family, so I’ve never really worked for anything.
But I promise I will work hard for you, Ms. Isador. ”
“You’ve always been in the right place at the right time,” Leonie said, nodding, her head tilted as if she was still listening to Regina’s great-grandmother. “That’s why you were on the beach exactly where you’d be able to see and hear our queen. So you could find her.”
Regina swallowed hard, her hand trembling enough that most of her eggs fell back onto the plate. “I’m sorry, uh, Your Majesty. I don’t know the protocols, but I swear—”
“It’s alright,” I broke in with a smile. “We’re not sticklers for propriety around here.”
Though Winston winked at me, dressed in a gorgeous pinstriped suit and tie as usual.
“How are you with numbers?” Gina asked. “We’re looking to hire several assistants to help us sort through property and contracts we recently inherited.”
Leonie gave me a gentle mental nudge in the bond, as if to say, “Watch this.” “What’s the square root of 57,121?”
“239,” Regina replied around a mouthful of eggs.
Gina grinned. “Fabulous. I can’t wait to introduce you to Kevin.”