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“Do it,” I agreed. “And have Vitor leave more of my blood somewhere on their coven since they have so much free time to plot.”
“Gladly,” he chuckled darkly. “Anything else?”
“You have the names of everyone Emil made deals with to be in my court or whatever?”
“Yes, the princesses and nobles who agreed. Several nobles wouldn’t get on board like Eddie or wanted to make their own deals with you.”
“I want that list given to every ally of ours and made clear we want any of those people.”
“Most of them are dead.”
I nodded but then met his gaze. “People thought Safie was as well, so we take no chances and tell our allies who is a threat to me, and thus, them.”
He gave a firm nod. “You’re absolutely right, and I agree. They should know who was even open to something so heinous so any remaining survivors of those covens can be checked out if they seek refuge. I was saying it for you to know and be comforted that most of them are gone. Even if they miraculously fled in time like Safie, they wouldn’t have power.”
I nodded, glad he explained it. “I understand where your head is and yes, that makes sense. I just didn’t want anything to be brushed off again.” I snorted at the look he gave me.
Tian wasn’t someone to brush things off. He took everything seriously and as a threat. He was just as distrusting as I was—maybe even more—which was why I trusted him with important things even if he had the personality of a board as Vitor said now and again.
“There is one last thing you need to know, something I wish to be rewarded for,” he hedged, waiting until I nodded. “Emil did have a phrase to trigger your brainwashing. I doubt it would work after losing all of your memories, and I believe that was Aether’s wisdom to keep that from happening.”
“But you know what the phrase is?” I whispered, scared out of my mind.
He knelt before me. “Princess, I would never. I have the power to do such horrible things, but I cannot to good people. I swore to Aether many years ago that I would never use that power unless to fight evil.”
“I believe you, but it’s terrifying to think there’s just a random phrase someone could say to control me.”
“Emil said it wasn’t like that and I haven’t—it’s not a magic trick. It’s training and… Please forgive the analogy as it’s crass, but if you train a dog to listen to commands, no random person can order that dog around. It would be useless.”
“I was the pet in his eyes,” I muttered. “And he only wanted me to obey him. Terrifying but at least good to know someone won’t just say a phrase and own me.”
“It’s not something that could ever be randomly uttered. It’s awkward and meant to never be said in passing,” he assured me. “And I locked it in Emil and Josephine’s minds. They cannot utter it ever again. I used my power to make it so.”
“We know there’s always a loophole on that stuff,” I whispered, still worried.
He raised his head and smiled evilly. “Yes, which is why I also manipulated their minds that if they ever say or hear the phrase, they will slit their own throats. So if they break one layer of what I have put in place, there is still a failsafe that they can’t control you.”
That was smart. Incredibly and evilly smart. “That’s what you want to be rewarded for?” I waited until he nodded. “What is the reward you want?”
“I want to drink from you, Princess,” he said quietly, ignoring when Sisay and Petre growled.
“Why?” I was surprised when he flinched, not having thought I would ask him that. “Do you want it from my wrist or something more?”
“I would never ask for your attentions as a reward, but I’m always open and would welcome them,” he said firmly.
He could have knocked me over with a feather. I thought Tian didn’t like me as a person and found me annoying. He knew I was the right one to follow given I was Aether’s champion and how much I’d accomplished, but while he never spoke out against me, it always seemed… Yeah, I thought he didn’t like me.
Then again, you didn’t really have to respect someone to fuck them.
“What do you want the blood for? Just—” I glanced over at Petre and Sisay. “Would either of you ask for that? Like a juice-up for you guys?”
“I would simply for the intimacy,” Petre hedged. “But I’m even older than Tian so—we don’t really need to charge up.”
“I would because it’s the ultimate reward from how we were raised,” Sisay said after a moment. “And the tie that his power—which comes from blood—did something only he could to protect you. Normally, it would be frowned upon since he’s not sworn to you, but you’ve made a new level for nobles in your coven.”
“True, but I wouldn’t make it public knowledge. No one should—you do as you wish, Princess.”
I nodded and focused back on Tian, making it clear that I wanted an answer.
