That did it. My buddy Zane and I were performing a vivisection on him as soon as possible.
“I shall give it due consideration. Thank you, Lord Regent.” She gave a haughty sniff. He inclined his head and made his exit from there.
Sidney waited a minute, gesturing for quiet as she nibbled on her bottom lip. I folded my hands like paws again, which drew an amused glance from her.
“Let’s have a seat. I think we need to be sitting down for this,” she sighed.
We relocated to her new receiving area. Finn and Zane bracketed Sidney on one of the couches, leaving me to perch at the end of an armchair. I leaned forward awkwardly with the restraints pinning my hands behind my back.
“I could really go for a banana right about now.”
“Later,” she said. I sighed, then remembered myself and barked. “Why do you keep acting like a dog?”
“I’m thegoodest boy,” I said cheerfully.
Maybe it is the rope collar,Finn suggested.
Zane rolled his eyes and gestured. Shadowy fingers plucked at the knot securing my makeshift collar around my neck, causing it to slither away. I rolled my stiff shoulders. “Now the manacles?” I suggested.
“Not yet,” Sidney answered.
“You’ll have to feed me.”
She raised a brow.
I bounced mine back at her. “Did you know bananas are considered the most phallic fruit?”
A tint of pink touched the icy skin of her vampiric illusion. “Anyway,” she said, a little more forcefully than necessary. “That confrontation with Tierney was telling. I’m not sure anyone will accept that Noir, the storied assassin, is my loyal personal servant. He’s the sort no one can tame, so pretending he’s my obedient servant won’t fool anyone.”
Zane cast a glare in my direction. “He doesn’t have much choice in the matter.”
“I think the only way we keep the ruse going is if I declare him to be the next member of my Devotion.” As she spoke and signed at the same time, Zane tensed and Finn’s nostrils flared with a shocked inhale. Her palms flashed in a placating gesture. “It’s not a serious offer. It is what I said—a cover story so he can move around freely.”
“Him? Sunshine, he made you drive that blade into your own body. You could’ve died.” Zane’s tone was full to the brim with scorn. “No matter what role you put him in, no one will believe he willingly?—”
“You want me to court you?” I blurted.
Oh, what a delight. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d courted a lady. I was already full of ideas of what kinds of gifts to give her. She seemed like she’d like roses.
The next half-moon would arrive soon enough. And I hadn’t had sex in…
My lips quirked thoughtfully. Had it been decades? It’d definitely slipped my mind between one year and the next.
“Not necessarily. But if you could pretend to be enamored with me, it’ll lift a lot of suspicion from us,” she answered carefully.
“Pretend?” I exaggerated my gasp. “Why would I have to pretend? Wait—important question. Which version of you do I get to kiss?”
“I hate this already,” Zane put in. Of course he did. But he’d get over it. Vampiresses were meant to be shared. And he was my buddy, even if he didn’t know it yet.
The Flask will probably require that you follow through,Finn signed. He gestured to himself with a meaningful flourish. Something more private passed between them just from a shared glance before she rested her hand on his knee.
“Look, we shouldn’t waste time on the details. My disguise has a week left, once I go refresh it tomorrow.” She sighed, running her free hand through her hair. “And that’s all the time we get. We kill the other candidates and secure the crown on my head in that time, or else. We don’t have until the next half-moon.”
“I’m ready to finalize this union now. Why bother waiting for a half-moon?” I gave her my most seductive smile.
“The ceremony can only be held on the half-moon,” Sidney said.
I wilted in disappointment. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. But surely a night like that warrants a preliminary run. I’m more than willing to contribute.”
