When had we gotten a menagerie? Isowanted to compliment Queen Sabine on it, but I was cross with her.
“That honeybadger is magnificent. I once gutted a man with a badger. It was a different beast…probably.” I squinted at the creature. “Same judgmental eyes, at least. Do you think he’d enjoy watching me gut someone? It’d make for some excellent enrichment. He’s a predator, after all.”
Sidney and her shadow wielder recoiled in surprise. The redhead raised a brow, glancing between them and me like he’d missed something. I turned my focus elsewhere.
“Queenie Sabiney,”I sang in her mind, making the mental connection effortlessly. Telepathy was one of my first stolen powers from a rather unhelpful mentor. He’d thought he could wield a blade better than I could. When he’d tried to eliminate me for my “combativeness,” well, turned out I was faster.
Maybe it was a bad thing my mind wandered each time I used a stolen ability. Sidney was trying to talk to me. Her words drifted in and out of my ears, unheard.
Well, it didn’t really matter. Situations like this were all kind of the same after a few hundred times.Blah blah blah challenge. Blah blah blah ancient revenge pact. Blah blah blah deserved it.
“…Help us,” she said in a pained rasp. My attention sharpened all at once.Thatwasn’t in the script. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I think we could be great friends.”
I chortled. “This is a unique overture of friendship, don’t you think? You could’ve just brought me bananas and asked nicely. Did you know they float when you put them in water?”
My gaze drifted to the yummy fruit laying bruised and forgotten on the floor. Such an unforgivable offense.
“I really don’t care,” she muttered.
“Well, if we’re going to be friends, I’m going to tell youevery banana fact I know.” I grinned up at her from the thicket of my beard.
Queen Sabine responded to me telepathically. She always took her time. I’d almost forgotten why I’d started the conversation…oh right. I was mad at her.
“What is it this time?”she asked in her whip of a voice. So young. So impatient.
“Anyway. I’m going to tell you a few secrets because I want to make a deal with you. Okay?” Sidney’s question drew my attention back to reality when she was about halfway done speaking.
“Your secrets are safe with me,” I responded honestly. “What were we talking about again?”
The shadow wielder groaned low in his throat. “Let’s just kill this clown and find someone else,” he suggested.
Sidney waved him off. She took off a bracelet, and her body transformed, complete with mouthwatering curves and burnished hair. Those sharp facial features gained human imperfection and softness. My mouth parted in an intrigued O. I just wanted to lick her. Maybe nibble on her neck and leave my mark behind after a little taste of her unusual blood.
“I think something marvelous is happening,”I informed Queen Sabine in a slow, measured voice. Just to annoy her.
“I’m secretly a vampire slayer. Look, I’m showing you my biggest secret as a sign of trust so you know I’m speaking true. If you agree to help us, I will get you into the House of the Sanguine, and you can feast on as much of your enemy’s blood as you like.”
Ah. I would’ve snapped my fingers but…right, shadow restraints. She was not quite human. A dhampir. It’d been another age since I’d last smelled the blood of a half-breed, but its aroma was unmistakable since she’d removed the magic cloaking it.
Oh my.I couldn’t kill such a fascinating flower, even if she did attack me in my own retirement suite.
“Well, what is it?”The queen’s voice jarred into my thoughts, further fracturing them.
“I’m taking a holiday at the House of the Sanguine. Want any souvenirs?”
There was a beat of judgmental silence.“Noir. What?”
“I’m going to present you as my nemesis at the second trial for the Sanguine crown. After that, we can pretend that you’re my servant while you help us eliminate our enemies. And some of your own. What do you think?” the dhampir was asking.
I worked my jaw. “Let me get this straight.Youwant to kidnapme?”
“That isn’t precisely what I said,” she responded coolly.
The redhead was looking her way. He signed,It is kind of what you said, though.Oh, was he Deaf? What an interesting little group. I was flattered they’d singled me out for this.
My face split into a big smile. “Sounds like the most fun I’ve had in centuries!”
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
