The Queen's Consorts (15 page)

It said a lot about how far gone the table was that no one, not even Kayla, seemed to care when all three of her parents stumbled away from the table, kissing and groping each other. This was truly a strange, very hedonistic culture, and Sari felt a bit like she’d been thrown to the wolves as she sat there at the table of sex-starved Rayians.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Laysa asked, her clipped voice breaking the strange silence that had fallen on the head table. “Do you find our pets appealing?”

Sari blinked, realizing Laysa was talking to her. All the hair stood up on the back of her neck when she heard Taryen and Calder referred to as pets, but she cleared her throat, searching for civility when the repressed desire had her feeling confrontational.

“They’re, um—” Sari paused, still feeling lost in a sea of lust and fighting for decorum. “They’re very talented performers.” She finally settled on, because no one could argue that. “Certainly the most talented I’ve seen, and I’ve seen many.”

“Lovely.” Laysa seemed proud of that fact, as if she alone were responsible for Taryen and Calder’s talents. “We are Rayian. We deserve the best.”

“Indeed,” Sari agreed, lowering her head as she said it to hide her look of disgust.

“Which one do you prefer?”

Sari turned back to Laysa in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“Out of the two, which do you prefer?” Laysa said slowly, as if speaking to someone dim. “They’re quite different. Most have a preference for one over the other. Which pet do you find more appealing?”

That was a loaded question. Sari got the impression that like most things when it came to the leader of the Rayians, it was a test, and she said, “Taryen,” without hesitation, because it was obvious Laysa preferred Calder. “He seems nice.”

“Yes.” Laysa rolled her eyes. “Much like our Kayla, he’s defective. I personally don’t see the appeal. I would have sent him away ages ago, but many agree with you. Take him for the evening.”

Sari had been taking a long drink of her water, hoping to flush whatever poison had laced the fruit out of her system, but she ended up coughing when Laysa’s words registered. She would have said something, but the huff from Laysa’s other side distracted her.

“He’s mine for the evening,” Taris said in the demanding voice of one who was spoiled and used to having her way. She turned to glare at Laysa in a way few would. “Let her take Calder if you’re so giving.”

“She prefers Taryen,” Laysa said simply, looking unmoved by her second in command’s disappointment. “If she had said she preferred Calder, I would have given him to her for the evening.”

Sari looked past Laysa, seeing Taris’s death glare directed at her. Being aware she’d unknowingly made an enemy, Sari winced. “I really don’t need—”

“I insist,” Laysa said
,
her voice sharp and malicious as her gaze turned back on Sari. “
Take him
.”

Sari floundered, hearing a strange demand in Laysa’s voice. It was almost as if she wanted Sari to literally
take him
. Knowing sex with the consorts was forbidden, even to the sisters, Sari kept her observations to herself and decided to be gracious.

She gave Laysa her more courteous smile. “Thank you.”

Taris huffed, turning to fold her arms and stare ahead in a fury. It made the already tense air at the table even more uncomfortable. The rest of the room was empty, leaving a sea of half-eaten food for the servants to clean up, and she wondered how long they had to wait.

She was pondering it when she saw Calder and Taryen come out of a door near the stage, still dressed in their performance clothes, their muscular, bare chests gleaming with the sheen of oil and sweat under the sparkling lights of the grand banquet hall. Backs straight, gazes lowered, they paused outside the door as if waiting for something.

Laysa waved them over. “Come.”

The entire table seemed to
tense,
and Sari felt eyes on her, not just Laysa’s, but others as well. When she glanced at Macro and Haven, she saw they’d finally torn their gazes away from Kayla long enough to watch Sari curiously. Feeling conspicuous, Sari lowered her gaze, trying to keep from looking at Calder and Taryen hungrily because just their presence was making her body hum.

Laysa pointed to the ground in front of her. “Kneel.”

Both Calder and Taryen obeyed instantly, their knees bending, forcing them to fall to the ground as if their bodies had a mind of their own. Sari realized they really did have no free will. They were forced to obey whether they wanted to or not. It was a horrible sight to see, and it helped to clear some of the sexual fog as Sari grimaced with a horror she couldn’t hide.

Laysa stood, clearly enjoying the superior stance as she looked down at both Taryen and Calder. “Did you enjoy performing for us?”

“Yes, my lady,” Taryen said on cue.

Calder reminded silent, which caused Sari’s body to tense in fear for him.
Especially when Laysa grabbed his face, her nails digging into his cheeks.

“I asked you a question,” she said in a menacingly sweet voice.

Calder’s startlingly light eyes narrowed. His body was tense as a fine sheen of sweat broke across his forehead. Sari realized he was defying her. He was somehow keeping himself from speaking despite the demand, and she got the impression it was taking a startling amount of strength, because Taryen lifted his gaze to stare at Calder in concern.

“Stronger than usual I see, but there’s still no point fighting it.” Laysa sighed tiredly. “You’ll have to spit it out sooner or later. Now I’ll ask you once more, did you enjoy being taken for our pleasure? I demand you answer me.”

Calder took a shuddering gasp of air as he looked over to Sari in a quick, daringly bold move and then said with confidence, “Yes, I did, my lady.”

Laysa stared hard. It was clearly not the answer she’d been expecting.
“Why the sudden change of pace?
Have you learned to lie?”

“No.” Calder gave a subtle shrug. “Perhaps I’m simply learning my place.”

“Highly doubtful.”
Laysa still appeared unhappy. Then she suddenly glanced down at Calder with a dark, cunning expression. “Of course, your delay in answering me will add to your punishment.”

Taryen stiffened, his eyes closed as a look of intense pain flashed over his usually serene features.

Calder just huffed and said bitterly, “Of course.”

“Do you have something else to say?”

“I’d rather not, my lady.” Calder didn’t seem overly shocked that he was still being punished despite giving Laysa an answer that should have earned him a reprieve of some sort. “Silence usually serves me best.”

“Even when you’re facing punishment, you can’t curb that tendency to rebel, can you?”

Calder’s shoulders grew straighter, prouder as he agreed, “Apparently not.”

It was a tense, highly charged moment, and Sari finally looked away from the battle of wills to see everyone at the table had grown deathly silent. What was most distressing was very few seemed shocked or even disturbed by the exchange. Though Haven and Macro’s eyes were narrowed, their gaze darted to the ceilings as if waiting for something explosive to happen.

“Unusual,” Kayla said next to her, and Sari turned to see she was also looking to the ceiling. “The storms have been getting worse over the last few weeks.”

Sari followed their gazes to see the expensive chandeliers shook with the rolling thunder she only now noticed. Cracks of lightning could be heard startlingly close to the grounds, and it was obvious a serious storm was brewing outside.

“She is dead,” Laysa growled as if sensing the thoughts bouncing around at the table. “There is no great mother. She died ages ago. It’s simply taking time for the planet to adjust to a new mother.”

Haven opened his mouth, as if compelled to remind Laysa of something, but then he jerked and remained silent. Sari got the distinct impression Macro had stomped on his foot under the table.

Laysa seemed somewhat appeased when no one had any argument to offer her. It was clear she goaded people on purpose. That was part of her power, the thrill she got off confrontation. No one wanted to oppose a person who reveled in the challenge of utterly defeating an opponent.

“Hold out your hand, Calder.” Laysa reached into the compact purse hanging at her side, pulling out a round, light green bead that was about the size of a small berry. She placed it on Calder’s open palm. When he moved to close his fingers around it, she said, “Oh no, not yet. Tonight is a celebration. Our new sister has come home to us. That’s just to wash it down.”

Sari frowned at the small, green leaf Laysa placed on Calder’s palm next to the bead. She knew without asking they were drugs of some sort. The bead looked like sugar often used to disguise the taste of bitter herbs that were taken recreationally by people who needed an escape from their reality.

Calder’s eyes grew
wide,
making it obvious she’d surprised him. Then he blanched when Laysa said in a sadistically high voice, “Now give them to your lifemate.”

Taryen turned to him, glancing at his palm for one long moment before he opened his mouth. His dark gaze rested on Calder with a resolution that was soothing and compelling at the same time.

“This is a dangerous amount. To mix a full leaf with sugar already saturated with the herb.” Calder shook his head as if he couldn’t stop himself. “He’ll be ill once the effects wear off.
Very ill.”

“And how is that my concern? Give it to him.”

Calder closed his eyes, and for that brief moment his absolute revulsion for the life he lived showed on his face before he turned to Taryen. He grasped Taryen’s hand tightly in his and then placed the leaf on his tongue with the sugar sphere on top of it.

“I’ll care for you,” Calder promised in the queen’s language. “I’ll keep them away until you heal.”

Taryen closed his mouth and was silent for a long moment, as if waiting for the sugar to melt before he smiled at Calder and answered him, “I know.”

Laysa turned to Sari, obviously unmoved by the touching scene of love and devotion. “He’s all yours.”

Sari wanted to question her, to ask what sort of effect those drugs had, but she decided time was a little too precious to waste. It was obvious Taryen knew exactly what this particular herb did to his body.

“Thank you.” Sari stood up, quickly seizing Taryen’s hand. Like everyone else at the table, she was far gone with her own dosing of mood-altering drugs, and she prayed her haste wouldn’t be perceived as odd. “This is a great honor.”

She pulled Taryen to his feet. His face showed the first signs of true shock. He hadn’t expected Sari to be the one he was serving. He’d missed the exchange after the show and was still expecting Taris. Sari didn’t bother to explain; she just turned and started walking away from the table, Taryen’s hand clasped tightly in hers.

“Follow them. Make sure they aren’t disturbed.”

Sari almost cursed when she turned to see two of Laysa’s servants following them as she and Taryen headed toward the large doors to the banquet hall. She walked quickly, hoping the servants would give them space.

“What can we do to flush it out of your system?” Sari asked quickly once they were in the hallway, keeping her voice low. Hopefully they weren’t being heard by the two attendants who were keeping a distance but still following as they walked away from the banquet hall.

“Nothing,” Taryen said with a small, pained laugh. “It hits the bloodstream too quickly.”

“You could drink oil? Try to purge it that way.”

“Doesn’t work.
We’ve tried it. It absorbs too fast to throw up.”

“How long does it last?”

“A normal dose will be intense for twelve hours and then linger for two or three days afterward.” Taryen stopped walking and looked at her seriously. “This was more than a normal dose. Did you eat the fruit at the table? The one soaked in herbed wine?”

Sari turned to see the attendants had stopped to give them privacy but were still close enough to make sure Sari and Taryen ended up alone and secluded together. “Yes. Is it the same thing you took?”

Taryen nodded and then also looked back to the attendants. “We’re in trouble, Lady Sari.”

“It’s a sex drug, right?” Sari asked fearfully. “I’ve seen them in use before.”

“This one’s unique. It was supposed to be for the claiming ritual when the queen first seals her bond with her consorts. It doesn’t just stimulate and make one desire sex; it lowers inhibitions. You can imagine it’d be very awkward for three young people to go from being friends and companions to being lovers. We were supposed to be raised with the queen and—”

“No time.” Sari recognized the drugs in his voice already, and she felt them in her bloodstream as well, trying to fight their way past the adrenaline rush that kept the rabid desire at bay. “We’ll go to the baths. Maybe the waters will dull the effects and keep you from getting ill afterward.”

“I’m not the only one who’s going to be ill. The herbed wine is extremely strong. Calder was in bed for four days the last time Laysa forced him to eat fruit soaked in it.”

“She did this on purpose,” Sari snapped as they walked in the direction of the baths next to the consort suites. “She wanted me to take you. She even said it for all to hear.”

Taryen squeezed her hand tighter, his voice low and concerned. “That means she wants you dead.”

Calder watched Taryen and Sari walk off as his heart beat erratically inside his chest. He hardly noticed the sting in his knees from kneeling in only a loincloth on the hard marble floor. It was one of those irritations of his life he’d learned to ignore. His gaze darted to the bowls of fruit around the table, recognizing the telltale signs of herb-brewed wine, which created that unique color of bright green.

If Sari had eaten it—and he was certain she had—then she and Taryen were already doomed. They could barely control themselves without the drugs that blocked out all sense of reasoning and made one starved for sexual completion.

Hell, Calder had gotten off on serving Laysa more times than he could count while on the herb, and she was very high on his list of Rayian’s he’d gladly execute if given the chance.