Page 23 of Queens Will Play

Titania was a lost cause. While she’d come back from the edge and now ruled the Court of Light and Morning with the regality that had once been hers, she and Aeval didn’t talk much. If I hadn’t been around, I had the feeling they’d be duking it out, as they had before the Great Divide. A thought occurred to me. I might be chewing at the wrong bone, but…

“Let me make a couple of calls. Meanwhile, do you have the name of the woman to whom Aeval plans on handing Lahi over to?”

Vanzir shook his head. “She wouldn’t tell me. She doesn’t want her own child, but she doesn’t want me to have her either.” The bitterness bit into his words.

I headed for my office, mulling over Aeval’s behavior. Yes, she was scared of Desanguas—so was I. But I had the feeling there was more to her current state than fearing another Demon Lord. Aeval and I had butted heads more than once, but I thought she respected me, at least to some degree. Now, I questioned my assumptions.

I sat down and pulled out my phone. Hesitating for a moment, I finally called the one man who might be the conduit we needed.

When he came on the line, I let out a long breath. “Bran, I need to talk to you. It’s about your mother.”

Bran, one of my Keraastar Knights, paused before he answered me. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He was never one to mince words.

“Trust me, I would never joke about your mother. In fact, I need to talk to you as soon as possible.” Neither of us wanted to walk back into those murky waters, but I needed to do something. I couldn’t stand by and watch Aeval walk over Vanzir like this.

“Tomorrow morning? I can come over around ten,” Bran finally said, sounding ever so overjoyed. Not.

“Ten it is. Come to my private quarters, not the throne room.” I hung up, staring at my phone. After two years of relative peace, things were quickly sliding south. After a moment, a sound startled me. I looked up to see Vanzir standing there in the doorway.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help, but I’m trying,” I said.

Vanzir shut the door behind him. “Camille, I’m grateful for whatever you can do. I never thought I’d feel like this, but I guess…life has a way of making us all eat our words, doesn’t it?”

“I’ve got your back,” I said. He looked so hurt that I wanted to comfort him, to take the worries off his heart. Without thinking, I walked over to him and pulled him in for a hug. He rested his head on my shoulder. “It will be all right—we’ll do whatever we can.”

As we stood there for a moment, the energy thick, I could feel the ache in his heart. It wasn’t just about his daughter. Oh, definitely she was the biggest part in this mess, but in my heart, I believed that Vanzir had really fallen in love with Aeval. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was hurting from the rejection, as well as the loss of his daughter.

“What the hell?” Smoky’s voice echoed through my office as the door opened and my dragon stormed in. “Take your hands off my wife⁠—”

“Hold on,” I said, glaring at him. “Nothing’s going on. You’ve got to get a handle on this. Vanzir is our friend. For the sake of the gods and my sanity, let go of the past.”

Vanzir quickly darted back. “Hey—I’m only crying on her shoulder, dude,” he said, holding up his hands.

Smoky caught himself, his brow narrowing as he looked from Vanzir to me, back to Vanzir. His shoulders relaxed. He sighed. “I apologize. I made a mistake⁠—”

“Vanzir, can you leave us for a moment?” I asked.

Vanzir willingly ducked out of the door, shutting it behind him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, you big dope?” Hands on my hips, I stared Smoky down. That he was well over six feet, imposing as hell, and could turn into a massive dragon didn’t phase me. If I stood up to his pigheadedness, he’d back down.

“I’m an idiot, apparently,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I swear, it’s only Vanzir who can do that to me—I know very well that…” He stopped, then shrugged. “I admit it, I have a problem with him. Even though it was only that one time, it triggered something in me.”

“I initiated sex to save myself—his demon was out of control and he would have drained me of life-force, if I hadn’t distracted him. That’s literally not his fault—it’s in his DNA. You know that, and you know what your jealousy led to the first time. So knock it off—I mean it,” I said, leaning forward as he dropped into one of the chairs.

“I promise, I’ll control my temper. I love you so much.” He shrugged. “It’s been such an odd past few years, and after I couldn’t protect you from my father…”

“I know how much that affected you, but face the facts: I’m the one who bears Hyto’s scars, both emotionally and physically. But that chapter is long past, and Hyto’s dead, and we’re alive. Vanzir’s our friend. He needs our help and sympathy right now.” I filled him in on what Vanzir had told me. “I’m going to talk to Bran about seeing if Raven Mother will talk to Aeval. I think she might be the only one who can get through to her.”

Smoky frowned. “Won’t that put you in Raven Mother’s pocket again?”

I sat down on his lap as he leaned back in the chair, and his hair coiled around me to cradle me against him. “Maybe, I guess. But if you had a child, would you want to be cut off from contact with her?”

Smoky shook his head. “No. I don’t pretend to understand what Vanzir’s going through, but I can imagine how he feels. All right, do what you need to in order to help. I’ll go find Vanzir and make peace. For good, this time,” he added. “I give you my word. I’ll never act this stupid again.”

“Good boy,” I whispered, straddling his lap and, pressing against him. I kissed him long and deep, a sudden ache to feel him deep inside me spreading like fire between my legs. I caught my breath as I leaned back and looked into his eyes. “You know that you have a place in my heart that no one can ever hope to fill.”

He ran his hands down my body, lightly cupping and squeezing my breasts. “I know, my Witchling. I know.” Slapping my ass, he said, “Come on, you need to take a nap before going to Marion’s. I’ll go have a talk with Vanzir. This will all work out, love. I promise you.”