Siren's Song: The Gray Court, Book 5 (20 page)

“I remember him.” A huge, ugly human when he wore his Seeming, Snod was devoted to his mistress, following her like a faithful dog. He had even stepped between Robin and Michaela at one point when he’d been afraid Robin was going to hurt Michaela. He couldn’t have been more wrong, but it ended up proving to Robin that Snod would throw himself on a grenade to keep Lady Goodfellow safe. Robin had declared Snod to be one of his people, under his protection. “I’m glad he’s settling in nicely.”

“And keeping my bondmate out of trouble, a task I envy no man for.” Robin smiled, his bondmate’s supposed antics far from bothering him. “Now, we need only discuss punishment.”

Cassie blinked. “I didn’t think Michaela was that much trouble.”

Robin shot her a wicked glance. “My dear, you have no idea.”

“He meant for Gloriana.” Oberon stood and tugged Cassie toward his desk. He settled back down in his chair with a sigh, pulling her into his lap and settling her down to his satisfaction. “There must be a consequence for her actions.”

“You can’t take her from the throne.” To do so would throw the balance of the courts out of whack for centuries to come.

“No, I cannot. Not unless she goes directly against the edict of the gods.”

“And technically, she hasn’t.” Robin grunted in surprise as the door to Oberon’s office was thrown open. “Snod?”

The redcap stood there, heaving, sweating and looking terrified. “The vampire woke up.”

Robin was on his feet in a flash, disappearing in a cloud of swear words that would have made a whore blush.

“I gather Michaela is with the vampire?” Cassie waved when Snod bowed to her.

“Hello, Gray Lady. Hello, Gray Lord.” Snod bowed again. “My lady is with the vampire.”

“Etienne?” Oberon caressed Cassie’s hip. “Do you know when he woke?”

“About five minutes ago, sire.” Snod bit his lip. “I ran for Robin as fast as I could when it wouldn’t let go of my lady.”

Now Oberon swore, shifting them both until they were standing in the room Etienne Valois had been resting in.

Cassie watched as Robin tried to talk to the newly created vampire in a soft, crooning tone that belied the rage she could sense dancing along his melody. She had to do something before Robin lost it and destroyed the man holding his bondmate. “You don’t want to hurt her, Etienne. Let the pretty lady go.”

Etienne shook, his eyes blood red, his nails black and sharp. He’d successfully completed the transition from Sidhe to vampire, and now the hunger was riding him hard. “It
hurts
.”

“I know.” Cassie took a step forward, brushing off Oberon’s attempt to stop her. She could sense Etienne’s terror and knew she could help him. “I can help you. Let me hear your song.”

“Make it stop.”

She waved her hand behind her back, hoping Oberon would get the hint. “You need blood, Etienne.”

“What did they do to me?” Red-stained tears filled his eyes. “What is happening?”

Michaela, held tight in Etienne’s arms, whimpered.

Robin’s sapphire blue eyes flashed to glowing green. “Let her go, Etienne.”

“Why does she smell like food?” Etienne shoved Michaela at Robin, who whisked his bondmate out of the room. “What have they done to me!” Etienne shrieked so loud Cassie covered her ears.

“Calm yourself, Etienne.” Oberon had apparently had enough. Cassie found herself thrust behind him, his broad back protecting her from the sight of the rampaging newborn vamp. “If you don’t I will be forced to destroy you.”

“Do it.” Etienne’s tone was savage. “Kill me. I won’t be this…this
thing
they made me.”

“You have no choice.” The high king’s tone was uncompromising. “This is your fate. Choose what you will do with it.”

Etienne shrieked again, the sound so lost, so forlorn Cassie tried once more to go to him. Oberon wouldn’t let her, forcing her to remain behind him.

Cassie couldn’t stand it. The pain Etienne was in was too strong, too fierce. He would be lost in it if she didn’t act.

She began to hum, ignoring the way Oberon went still in front of her. She had to help the man who was vibrating with pain, had to find a way to ease his suffering without ending his life.

She sang, soothing the jagged edges of Etienne’s disrupted harmonies. The attack that turned him had been violent, scarring not only his body but his soul. His loathing of vampires came from…

Oh. Oh, dear. This could be a problem.

Cassie did what she could to smooth over the old wound, to dull the pain of loss Etienne had suffered through. It wouldn’t take away all of his hatred, but she could keep him from self-destructing over his own situation. She sang away some of the ravaging hunger a newborn vampire always felt, dulled the pain of transformation in his bones.

She could hear Oberon talking to someone, but her focus remained on Etienne and getting him through this first trying hour. If she could get him through the shock he stood a chance of surviving, but he would have to relearn everything he’d once known. He would no longer be able to shape dreams the way he had as a Sidhe. Instead, he would have the speed, reflexes and mind control abilities inherent in all vampires. He would be starting over, but he would still have his Blade training and his years as a Sidhe to help him. And if they could find someone willing to act as his sire and guide him it would be even better.

She watched as Harold came dashing into the room holding several plastic pouches. It seemed Oberon kept the palace well supplied.

Etienne grabbed for the pouch Harold held out, sucking down the blood within like a greedy child before dropping the empty bag with a whine.

Harold held out bag after bag, his hand steady as the starving vampire finally got to sate his hunger in a safe way. When she was certain he finally had himself under control Cassie stopped singing.

She sighed, sagging a bit against Oberon, who hadn’t once moved away from in front of her. She’d been forced to step a little to the side just to see Etienne, but that was as far as Oberon had allowed her to go. “Are you all right now?”

Etienne looked down at the bag in his hand and dropped it with a grimace. “No.” His eyes, when he looked at her, were no longer the red of a hungry, hunting vampire, but a warm golden brown. “No, I am most certainly not all right.”

“We’ll find someone to act as your sire, Etienne. You won’t be abandoned.” Oberon held out his hand. “Far too many young vampires are left to fend for themselves or dragged into Black Court covens. This…
you
are the reason I created the Blackthorn clan, to give vampires a safe place to go when they’ve been changed without having to go it alone, or worse, choose the Black because they feel they have no other options.”

Etienne scowled. “There needs to be a third option. Not all of us would choose to live like this.”

Oberon sighed. “I can’t stop you from walking into the sun, but I won’t be the instrument of your destruction because you think this is too hard on you.”

“Hard?” Etienne snarled. “They butchered my entire family and you think this might be a little hard on me?”

Cassie stepped around Oberon. “It will be a
lot
hard, but not impossible.” Cassie moved toward Etienne, stopping only when she was toe to toe with him. “You are a Blade, a Knight of Oberon. You can do this.”

He glared at her, but something he saw in her gaze forced him to look away. He seemed ashamed somehow, angry and hurting and unwilling to take the next steps he needed to. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

She smiled and held out her hand. “Then let’s find out.”

When Etienne took it, however reluctantly, she wanted to sing in triumph. He could be saved, given enough time and a hell of a lot of guidance. “We need to discuss who might be a good sire for you.” She began to cautiously lead him from the room, keeping her gaze on him the entire time. It meant she was forced to walk backward, but she trusted Oberon to catch her if she began to fall. “Do you have anyone in mind who you might like to work with?”

“Not Blackthorn.” Etienne was firm on that.

“No. I was thinking someone older. We could ask Robin for a recommendation.”

Etienne bit his lip. His fangs were still out, so there must be some residual hunger or anger remaining in him. “I…might be willing to talk to him.” He stared over her head, still with that humiliated expression that tore at her heart. “I wasn’t going to hurt Lady Goodfellow.”

“I know.” He’d been frightened, terrified when he woke up starving in a strange place with all his senses heightened. He’d reacted, and he would pay a price for that. “I’ll explain to Robin.”

Etienne stopped, forcing her to still in the middle of the corridor. “I…”

She tilted her head, silently encouraging him to go on.

“I’m glad the High King found you.”

She grinned as behind him Oberon muttered, “You and I both.”

Chapter Nineteen

Oberon stared at the computer and took deep breaths. He’d have to control himself during this call. If she said one thing against his bondmate he’d lose it, and then there’d be hell to pay. The kitchen worker who’d poisoned him was in custody, under questioning from Robin and Raven. Father and son had elicited much information from the woman, but all of it pointed solely at Atlantis and the former king and queen.

Gloriana was far too clever to allow herself to be implicated in high treason.

“Oberon?”

He glanced up, forcing a smile as Cassie entered his study, one of her ever-present shadows behind her. They’d decided to make the additional security permanent, and Moira, Duncan and Jaden were now living in the Gray Palace until Jaden could train replacements to his and Robin’s satisfaction. Moira was keeping herself occupied helping Lucy, who’d privately informed Oberon she’d hire Moira as
her
assistant in a heartbeat. The leprechaun had impressed his assistant with her organizational skills, proving which of the Malmayne-Blackthorns truly took care of the day-to-day running of the Blackthorn clan. Duncan, on the other hand, was doing what he did best, promoting the interests of both Oberon and the Blackthorn clan with subtle wit and centuries-old knowledge of how the dance of the court worked.

Meanwhile, Robin searched for clues as to whether or not the queens had worked together on the plot to overthrow him, or if the Black Queen’s men on the road over a month ago had been merely a crime of opportunity.

Oberon doubted it, but without that proof there was nothing he could do. As it was, Gloriana’s punishment couldn’t be nearly as harsh as he’d like. He had proof of a minor court acting against him, and their word it was on Gloriana’s orders. It was a maneuver both queens had used before, and one he’d no doubt see again. Use a lesser court and let them take the heat. It was the waltz of Seelie and Unseelie, one he’d dearly love to see end once and for all.

“Are you all right?” She settled on the edge of his desk next to his computer and took hold of his hand. “I could hear your tension all the way in Lucy’s office.”

He grimaced. “Ah. I hadn’t meant to disturb you.” He was still getting used to a bondmate who could hear his emotions. Hell, he was still getting used to hearing her emotions. Concern for him vibrated down their shared song as she twined her fingers through his. “I’m preparing to call Gloriana.”

“Want me here with you?”

One of the many, many things that set Cassie apart from Titannia was her instant willingness to give him whatever he needed. In a situation like this Titannia would have flitted off with her ladies-in-waiting, or worse, insisted on Oberon setting the distasteful task aside in order to amuse her. And once, long ago, he would have agreed. He would have done anything to make his truebond happy, unaware that she’d set her own people to slowly take over the court.

With Cassie, there was no deception, no need to drag him away from his work. Instead, she pushed up her sleeves and got to work with him, helping him where he needed it and backing off when he requested. There were still aspects of rule he didn’t want her to have to deal with, not until she’d gotten used to the way things worked in the Gray Palace. Her understanding and support were everything he could have wished for in his queen. He had to wonder if Titannia had even been his truebond, because what he felt for Cassie was so very different from his bond with Titannia. Breaking his bond with Titannia had made him cold and hard.

Breaking his bond with Cassie would kill him.

Which was why having her by his side for this call would show the world his queen was not one to be trifled with. “Drop your Seeming, my sweet, and let Gloriana know her plan has failed on all fronts. Let her see the true face of her queen.”

She nodded sharply as her hair turned aqua and her irises bled into the whites of her eyes. Her skin became pearlescent, the faint hint of scales making him want to forego calling Gloriana in favor of getting his truebond naked. He still hadn’t found all the places her scales grew in her legged form, a situation he enjoyed immensely.

She flushed. “Oberon.”

Her warning tone was husky, their arousal feeding off of each other along their shared song. “Soon.” He cupped her cheek, smiling when she leaned into the caress with closed eyes, stretching toward him like a kitten. “Let’s deal with Gloriana. But first, I have a present for you.” One of many he planned to shower her with.

Her eyes lit up. “What is it?”

She was practically bouncing on his desk, something he planned to explore later. “Here.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a gray-wrapped box with a silver ribbon.

“Oh.” She took it gently, reverently. “A bonding gift?”

He smiled. “Not exactly. That will come later. I still have to finish it.”

The look she shot him was curious, but she unwrapped the gift with eager fingers. “What…?”

He took the clasp out of the box and showed it to her. It matched his own, a triple spiral triskelion. The bottom two spirals were white and black enamel, to represent the White and Black Courts. But the upper spiral, the one above them both, was done in pure, shining silver, the arms of the spiral reaching down to touch the white and the black, blending into them. It doubled as his crown when he was away from Court, and would act the same for Cassie.

Unlike his, however, a blue diamond sat in the center of Cassie’s triskelion. When transformed into her official crown, that diamond would be front and center in the circlet. The bands of white, black and silver would intertwine, making a woven pattern that represented how the three courts were supposed to work together.

“This is…” Her hands were trembling as she stroked the diamond, traced the silver spiral.

“Your crown.” He’d hunted for the perfect diamond for the center of his queen’s crown. It matched her eyes perfectly, pleasing him. He placed the clasp in her hair with a sense of satisfaction. Until her formal coronation wearing the crown of the queen might be viewed by some as a political faux pas, but Oberon didn’t care. The moment their truebond snapped into place Cassandra Nerice was his queen and had the right to wear the crown whenever she wished. “Touch the diamond in the center whenever you wish to change its appearance.”

She grinned and touched the diamond, transforming it into—

“A headband? Really?” At least she hadn’t pushed her bangs under it. She hadn’t worn that odd, rooster-like hairstyle since that day in the shopping mall.

“What? It’s comfortable.” She shrugged.

A chime sounded, informing him Gloriana was awaiting his call. “Show time.”

She stood next to him, her back straight and her expression grim. Cassie held his hand as he hit the button that would connect him to the White Court, giving him support in a way he’d never had before. Not even Robin had stood at his side during these meetings with the queens, preferring not to place himself in a position where he could potentially shame Oberon with his wicked tongue.

Gloriana looked up from her desk as the connection clicked into place. “Sire. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Her gaze remained firmly on him, not once straying toward Cassie.

“Won’t you greet your queen, Gloriana?” His tone was deadly. The rudeness toward his bondmate would end once and for all, or heads would roll.

Her cheeks turned red, but Gloriana bowed her head respectfully toward Cassie. “Queen Cassandra.” Her attention turned back to Oberon. “I’m sorry, sire. I’m dreadfully busy today. Was there something we needed to discuss?”

“I’ve dismissed the court of Atlantis.”

Her reaction was about what he expected. Her brow furrowed in annoyance. “I am aware of that. Finding a family to replace the Nerice royal line is taking up a great deal of my time.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll be replacing them.” Oberon waved away Gloriana’s instant objection. “Their treason was against the Gray. The Gray will determine who will work in the best interests of Atlantis and its people.”

“That isn’t your place. The Atlantean court is White Court and under my jurisdiction.” Gloriana’s outrage filled the air around her with fairy dust, an opalescent sparkle that would have been pretty if not for the sour expression on her face. “I will place a king or queen on their throne that has my approval.”

Oberon smiled. Normally, under different circumstances, he would have been forced to back down. But not this time. “Cassie.”

“Prince Dayton Nerice, heir of the Atlantean throne, has abdicated in favor of Oberon, Lord of the Gray, with the full approval of the Atlantean council.”

Gloriana took a deep breath, angry. “He can’t do that.”

“He did.”

“With what authority does he speak?” Gloriana smiled grimly. “Oberon ended the line of Nerice.”

“All except myself and Dayton.” Cassie smiled back. While her other sisters had not been in the room where Demetria had held her, under Blade interrogation they’d admitted to being party to their parents’ machinations. Believing war was inevitable between the White and the Black they’d agreed to arranged marriages. They planned on taking over their respective courts and directing at least part of the war effort. For their crimes they were currently within a Blade prison. “And as the consort of the Lord of the Gray and second in line to the Atlantean throne, my reign passes to my husband via me.”

They both could hear Gloriana’s nails tapping her desk. “This is outrageous. It’s a violation of the agreement the gods put in place to end the war.”

Oberon gritted his teeth, the words he wanted to snarl on the tip of his tongue. She dared say that to him, after putting this entire chain of events in motion?

Cassie surprised him by stepping forward and leaning toward the screen. “This is internal to the court of Atlantis. The lines of succession are clear. However, in the interests of the Atlantean people, my king and I have jointly decided, together with Prince Dayton and his fiancé, to place someone on the throne who will be able to devote their time and attention to the Atlantean people and their concerns. As Dayton will become the consort of the future king of Pacifica, it was felt that a conflict of interest would arise should the two jointly rule the two courts, especially considering that Pacifica has just recently joined the Gray Court, thus making two members of the Atlantean royal family Gray as opposed to White.”

Gloriana smiled sourly. “Thus making the Atlantean court Gray whether they wish it or not.”

“Exactly.” Cassie nodded regally. “This solution is the best possible for all parties involved.”

“Not for me, my queen.” Gloriana took a deep breath, her expression turning blank. “As I have no choice, how will you decide who the new ruler will be?”

“Prince Dayton and Prince Osmond will approve the candidates Cassie and I put forth, with the ultimate choice belonging to me as the de-facto king of Atlantis.” As much as he disliked leaving Atlantis White Court, Cassie and Dayton had made a strong case against forcing them to accept a Gray Court leader. No, they had to make that choice themselves, and Oberon would honor it no matter which way they chose to go. “All candidates will be White Court, of course.” What he didn’t mention was not all of them would be merfolk. Undines, selkies and other saltwater fae of the White would also be considered for the position, a stipulation he’d included in his discussions with Cassie and Dayton that they’d readily agreed to. Even Prince Osmond seemed to think Atlantis could do with a little shaking up in the form of a ruler not of merfolk blood.

“I see.” Gloriana glanced at someone or something off to the side, out of view of the camera. “I get no say in this whatsoever.”

The queens of the Black and the White had forgotten once again just exactly who, and what, Oberon was. It was time to remind them. “No. You don’t.”

“As you say, your majesty.” Gloriana tapped her nails again, but none of her agitation showed on her face. “Is there anything else?”

“Congratulate me.” It should have been one of the first things out of her mouth.

She blinked. “On what?”

“My truebond.”

Gloriana paled. “Truebond?”

His gaze narrowed. “You did read the invitation to my bonding ceremony, did you not?”

“I was informed it was political, sire.” She glared in a different direction, and Oberon wondered who would be facing her wrath. “That you had taken the advice of your councilors and chosen someone to give you a true heir rather than a hobgoblin.”

“Lord Robin Goodfellow will be guardian of any children we have if anything happens to us.” Another possibility they’d discussed in the quiet aftermath of her family’s betrayal. If, somehow, someone managed to kill Cassie, Oberon would shortly follow, and vice versa. It was the nature of the truebond, that one could not live without the other. Thus, Robin had been appointed Regent to any children they had.

“Allow me to express my dissatisfaction, your majesty.”

“No.” This time Cassie was the one who told Gloriana off. “Robin and Michaela Goodfellow will be our children’s greatest hope should anything happen to us, and that is final.”

“You have no idea what depths the Hob will sink to in order to—”

“Enough. I will hear no more.” Cassie waved her hand. “Robin Goodfellow has my complete trust. This conversation is over.” And she ended the call with a quick flick of her wrist. “Hmph.”

“You’ve made an enemy, my dear.” Oberon put his arm around his bondmate and placed a quick kiss on her neck.

“She already was one. I just showed her I won’t be pushed around, not anymore.” Cassie sighed, slumping against him. “How did you do this by yourself?”

“Do what?” The scent of her hair was intoxicating.

“Deal with them every day, all alone.”

He shrugged. “It’s my job.”

“Well, it sucks dolphin balls.”

He chuckled at her disgruntled tone. “I have you now to help share the burden.”

“Yay.” She twirled her finger in the air. “Go me.”

For the first time in a very long time, after one of these phone calls with a queen, Oberon smiled. “You’ll get used to it.”

The look she shot him was so full of disbelief and horror he couldn’t help but laugh.