The Queen's Flight (Emerging Queens) (20 page)

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

“I knew it was a matter of time before they came for me.” He didn’t know how to explain it so it didn’t sound ridiculous, but he owed it to her to try. “I wanted you and me to have our time together without any baggage looming over us. I didn’t want you to be hurt if they tried to take me by force, so I went to them.”

“Isn’t there a poem about not going gently into that good night?”

“Kipling wasn’t a dragon.”

“No, he was only human.” She stuck her tongue out at him and wiggled out of his arms.

“My fate still hasn’t changed, but we have a few stolen minutes right now.” He moved the chains so they hung in back of him. Not wanting the collar or any of the Dragon Slayers’ magic to touch her, Sergei used what little magic he could summon to cover them up with a nearby blanket.

Viola walked toward the window and looked out. “Do you think they’ll capture Reed and Carolyn?”

“I don’t know, but Reed doesn’t take chances with his mate.” It was also a possibility that this was the last moment they would ever have alone together. There were several things he wanted to do and none of them revolved around talking about Amaranthe or Kira and her madness.

Viola tensed when Sergei’s hands landed on her shoulders.

“I wouldn’t take chances with you.” Sergei unbuttoned her coat as he pressed against her.

…

Viola was holding on to her sanity by a bare thread, but her insides were dancing with joy about being in Sergei’s arms again. It was like a neon sign was flashing
mate, mate, mate
over her head. This was their second chance. She would make him see reason. They would compromise. She glared out the window at the harsh landscape. They would ride off into the sunset, damn it.

“I missed you.” His thumbs circled her nipples over her bra.

“Sergei, this isn’t going to solve our problems,” she said and held his hands still. She could see him behind her in the window’s reflection.

“Perhaps not.” He pushed her sweater aside, brushing a kiss over her shoulder. “But you feel so damn good.”

“I need to tell you something,” she said, swaying into him.

He went back for another kiss. This one on her ear. Nuzzling her lovingly, he nipped at her earlobe. It so sweet she had to hold on to the window sill for dear life. This was what had been missing in her life these past few weeks.

Him.

“Tell me later,” he murmured, kissing the curve of her jaw. Sergei gathered her hair away from her neck and trailed kisses and nips over her throat.

Swallowing hard, she tried for the voice of reason. “No, this you pretty much should hear.”

“The only thing I want to hear right now,” he said, turning her around, “is you moaning my name.” Their lips met with such force that their teeth clacked. Softening the desperation, their tongues sparred until they were groping at each other.

Her hands wrapped around his neck as the kiss quieted down to more reasonable levels.

“I missed you,” he said, his breathing coming in gulps. Air had become less important than his mouth on hers.

“Did you?” A tear escaped before she could stop it, and he kissed it away.

“I’m so sorry for hurting you. I should have found a better way to leave you.”

“Wrong answer,” she said, clutching his shoulders. “
We
should have come up with a solution together. We’re a team.”

“For as long as they allow it,” he agreed.

“What’s the point in being a Queen if you can’t break the rules?” Viola winked at him. She vanished her clothes and leaned her head back, willing his mouth to finish his ministrations on her neck. Resistance was futile—if she didn’t have him right now she would go insane. She told him as much and he chuckled in her ear.

“Your magic is getting better,” he smiled, whirling her back to face the window. “Keep an eye out. Let me know if someone is coming.”

She looked over her shoulder at him, spreading her legs wider. “Are you expecting someone to”—she waggled her butt—“come?”

He gave a sexy laugh. Parting her legs with his knee, he stroked down her back and over her curves. “Just let me know if we’re going to have company.”

Viola sighed in pleasure, giving the frozen court a cursory glance. “No one is stirring, not even a mouse.”

“I’m pretty stirred up.”

“I can tell,” she gasped out as he was suddenly naked against the cleft of her ass.

“It’s convenient for times like this when I have to fuck you or go mad.”

He wrapped his arms around her. One hand cupped her breast, and the other moved between her legs.

“Oh. Yes,” she proclaimed when his talented fingers found her clit. The soft rubbing had her spreading her legs wider to allow him to work her faster. Sergei bit her earlobe, his breath harsh against her skin.

“Sergei, please.”

Bending over to tempt him to do more than play with her, she enjoyed the sweet friction as he stroked her faster, driving her closer to the edge.

“Mmmm.” He sucked hard on her neck.

“Now,” she choked out, her hips bucking as the pleasure built.

“Soon,” he purred.

Closing her eyes, she gave him control. Her knees shook. The worries of what would happen to her and the baby faded into the background. She let go, and sparks erupted under her eyelids. Watching the pretty lights as the pleasure engulfed her, Viola sagged.

“Hold on to the window sill.” He pressed a hand on her back.

Tossing her hair back, she looked over her shoulder at him. “Hurry.”

“Is someone coming?”

“I hope so.” She grinned.

Sergei parted her thighs more and slipped inside her. “Nidhogg, you’re so tight.” His head fell back as he held her hips close against him.

Viola reveled at his hard thickness inside her. “I missed you,” she whispered.

He started slowly, with long strokes that took him almost out of her, and then as deep as he could. She enjoyed the feel of him, and rocked her hips back against him in pleasure and impatience.

“We don’t have all day. They’ll be back any minute.”

Sergei pumped faster. Viola cried out with each thrust as the sensation of him filling her became a frenzied need.

“More,” she begged, writhing underneath him.

His breathing was labored. When she glanced at him again over his shoulder, his eyes were closed in bliss and his jaw clenched with concentration.

“Faster,” she urged.

Sergei made an inarticulate grunt and picked up the pace. He was muttering in Draconic, deep guttural syllables that touched a spark in her heart. The friction of his body sliding in and out of her hit all the right places. Clenching around him, she cried out.

“So sweet,” he groaned, slamming into her with ferocity.

Viola lost her breath on a screaming orgasm. The window sill splintered under her hands.

He came with a harsh roar that filled the small barracks and slowly decreased his pace as she whimpered in pleasure. When he pulled out all the way, she pounced on him, holding him close.

“I’m ordering you to stay with me. To hell with your rules. Snap my neck. I don’t care. You are mine.”

He held her tight. “It’s not my decision. But if I could, I would.”

“You’d let me investigate the Queens who’ve been taken prisoner?” Viola asked.

“It was never about that.” He stroked her cheek. “Of course. If I’m released until the Conclave, I will be yours to command.”

“I won’t let them execute you,” Viola vowed.

Sergei kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

“Sergei,” she breathed. “I—”

The door opened and Viola quickly magicked herself a new outfit. If Carolyn and Reed noticed she was wearing different clothes, they didn’t mention it. Although Carolyn did wink at her and gave her a thumbs-up behind Reed’s back.

“Well?” Viola bounced on her toes.

Reed shook his head. “Mei Hua will not let Sergei go. We have a half hour to leave her lands or she will attack us.”

It took a moment to sink in. Everything had been perfect, she had assumed… She just figured… No. She wouldn’t let this happen.

“Bring it on,” Viola snarled.

“I can’t risk the children you’re carrying. Especially not the baby Queen you mentioned,” Reed said.

Viola winced.

Sergei’s knees hit the floor with a clunk.

“What the hell were you talking about when we were gone if you didn’t tell him?” Reed exclaimed.

Carolyn jammed an elbow in his gut. “We should leave.”

“Don’t leave her unguarded,” Sergei wheezed. His hands were tearing at the collar and the red magic was dancing over his body in punishment.

“Sergei, stop!” Viola said and would have stepped in, but Carolyn pulled her back.

“That’s nasty stuff,” she said. “It could hurt your son and daughter.”

Sergei’s hands dropped and the red magic arced over him, sizzling around his body before it dissipated. He shuddered. “Babies. One of them a Queen.” His voice was hoarse, unbelieving.

Viola said. “I tried to tell you.”

“You did,” Sergei said, smiling like an idiot.

“I think the collar zotted him a good one.” Viola bit her lip and waved her hand in front of Sergei’s face.

“Sorry about that.” Reed cleared his throat. “I…ah…I assumed you told him.”

“I will have a legacy,” Sergei murmured. “It’s almost worth dying.” He caught Viola’s hand and kissed it.

“I’m not losing you,” Viola said. “I’ll march right in there and bitch slap Mei Hua until she tells her major domo to give up the keys.”

“I can’t let you do that,” Sergei said, starting to sound more like his bossy bad-ass biker self.

“We have a half hour,” Carolyn said. “Let me see if I can talk some sense in her. Mei Hua trusts me after what we went through with Esmeralda.”

“There’s no sense,” Reed said. “The Mei Hua that we rescued is gone. We need to find out more about Kira and Amaranthe.”

“Kira was killing humans, asking the Inuit to sacrifice their first born to stop her from raiding their livestock. She was eating babies,” Sergei said, grimacing. The memory still had the power to make him gag.

Carolyn shuddered. “Was Kira always like that?”

Reed grimaced and held her shoulders. “None of the Queens were man-eaters after the Crusades. The fact that Kira was risking the treaty is unheard of. The Order of the Dragon Slayers would have put her down for that offense. Sergei just beat them to it.”

“Do you think this Amaranthe chick turned her into a man-eater?” Viola asked. “She’s hella powerful and, if you don’t mind me saying so, seems like a real dragon.”

Reed raised an eyebrow while Carolyn hid a grin behind her hand. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know.” Viola made claws with her hands and hacked like she was going to hurl a furball.

“I assure you I do not.”

Viola put a hand on her hip. “Let’s just say you wouldn’t catch her in a day spa having a facial.”

Reed frowned. “Amaranthe would have to have been very old if I haven’t heard of her. But I think it was more likely the spell Carolyn pointed out is what drove Kira and now Mei Hua crazy,” Reed said. “I should attempt to talk to Joachim once last time before we go and warn him, in case she starts to show tendencies of wanting to eat humans.”

“Let’s all go,” Viola said, holding out her hand to help Sergei off the floor. “We stand together on this. No more noble deeds.” She looked at Sergei. “Right?”

“As my Queen commands,” he said.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I want to speak with Mei Hua,” Viola said, feeling a little like an exorcist. She peered into the weave and Mei Hua’s energy was a fading white. Amaranthe’s was a cloudy purple, and Kira’s was a fierce, pulsing red. They swirled around, fighting for dominance.

Viola, acting on impulse, pushed into the weave and pulled Mei Hua forward.

The slim girl sank to her knees and gasped, holding on to her head.

“What did you do?” Joachim said, approaching Viola.

Sergei’s tail struck out and wound around his neck. Joachim slammed to his knees, fighting the choking coil. “Hold,” Sergei growled out to the approaching soldiers. “Or I’ll poison him and then work on the rest of you.”

“No one wants a blood bath,” Carolyn spoke. She held up her hands in a placating motion. “Joachim is my friend.”

“My Queen is carrying my eggs,” Sergei told them. “I will kill you all before you harm her.”

“Not helping,” Viola said, grimacing as the other two Queens’ energies tried to push back into Mei Hua. It was an easier route. Mei Hua’s channel into the weave was open to them. Viola was shielding, and Carolyn wasn’t in deep enough for them to get a firm grip on either one of them…yet

“I need to get out of here,” Mei Hua said. Her voice was high and panicked. “They’re going to possess me again.”

“Allow Sergei to leave with us, and I’ll hold them here while you fly away.” Viola strained to get the words out as the clashing energy of the two Queens tried for one last attempt at Mei Hua.

Mei Hua nodded. “Joachim, take him out of the collar. Xavier, get the children. They can’t fly yet.”

“We can help carry them,” Carolyn said.

“You take Kiana?” Mei Hua asked, stumbling to feet.

“Of course,” Carolyn answered. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” She ran to hug her. “I’m so glad you’re you again.”

Mei Hua gave a choked laugh. “They’re crazy. And mean. We need to leave.”

Sergei unwound his tail and Joachim spit perilously close to Sergei’s feet. But he unchained him. The collar fell to the floor and Sergei immediately shifted.

“Let’s get out of here,” he growled.

“Not that simple,” Viola said and shifted herself. The weave expanded and she felt the other two Queens rush toward Mei Hua. But Viola’s red goat head snapped and swallowed up Kira’s essence. The white horse head did the same for Amaranthe.

“This is unacceptable,” Goat told her. It smacked its lips and blew a raspberry. “Ugh, tastes like moldy moth balls.”

“It is unnerving,” the white head agreed, snorting out a blast of weave.

“What the hell did you just do?” Carolyn asked, her hands fluttering. “The weave went whoa nelly and the spell twanged.”

“What the hell did you just say?” Reed asked.

“I’m housing Kira and Amaranthe’s essence,” Viola said. She was getting dizzy as her other two heads lolled and rolled through the changes.

“You pulled them out of the weave,” Carolyn gasped. “I see them as a part of you now.”

“That’s impossible,” Reed said.

“It happened to me and Arianna,” she pointed out.

“Kira and Amaranthe were blocked from the weave by this spell,” Viola said, shielding her embryos from the discomfort of the two Queens essences.

“Are you positive the Cult of Humanity cast this spell?” Reed asked. “I need concrete evidence to take to the embassies.”

“It’s the same magic,” Carolyn said. Her face was white with the effort. “It’s a real nasty one. It makes me want to do terrible things.”

“Like what? Killing humans, demanding sacrifices?” Reed peered into her eyes.

“Tearing pages out of books,” Carolyn said holding her cheeks.

“We’re getting you out of here,” Reed said, grabbing her arm and pulling. Kiana paced from one side of her shoulder to another. “Sergei, handle things from here and keep us informed.”

“Viola and I are going with you,” he said.

“Actually, we’re not,” Viola’s violet head said. “That was the deal. I remain here until they’ve settled in. They’ll let everyone else go, but they don’t want to lose their contact with another Queen. That’s me.”

“You can’t make that decision,” Sergei said, his tail whipping about in agitation. “The babies…”

“I can and I did. The babies are fine. You’ll still have to go to trial next year at the Conclave, but with Kira and Amaranthe testifying, there could be leniency.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You’d at least see your children born.”

“What about your sanity?” Sergei said. “What if you start to demand human sacrifices?”

“I’ve always had voices in my head. I’ll be all right.” Viola smiled at him.

“This isn’t a joking matter,” he snarled.

“I was prepared for it. For them. Kira and Mei Hua were not. Amaranthe thinks humans are yummy. We need to work on that.”

Sergei sat down in shock. “I don’t like it. But where you go, I will follow.”

“Thank you,” Mei Hua said. “If I could ever do anything to repay you, you need only to ask.”

“Vote to let Sergei live at the Conclave,” Viola said.

“I will,” she vowed.

Joachim put his arm around her and walked her out of the palace. “The Order will continue to take care of Mei Hua,” he spoke to Reed, who nodded.

“Viola,” Carolyn said, holding on to the squirming blue hatchling as Kiana tried to go to her Mommy. “I’ll get Smythe to send you your things and your hoard.”

“Smythe?” Sergei asked. “Why the hell did you go to Smythe for help?”

“It was familiar. He owed me one, and it was better protected than the farm.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” he growled.

“As you wish.” Viola shrugged. She turned back to Carolyn. “Thanks. I’ll be back helping to find Margery and the other Queens as soon as Kira, Amaranthe, and I come to an agreement about a few things. Keep this all secret for now and let’s keep the sanction up on Greenland. I have a feeling there are a lot of things we can learn from this spell and from Amaranthe.”

“We’ll be in touch. Good luck.” Carolyn waved and, tucking Kiana under her arm, took leave of the palace. Reed stalked behind her, guarding her back.

The dragons flew out of sight as soon as the children were secure, but the Order of the Dragon Slayers took most of the day to pack up and leave.

“Kira and Amaranthe are blocking me from shifting into my human guise,” Viola said as the last airplane left the runway in Nuuk.

“That’s the least of my worries. Let’s go back to the palace, so we can get out of the wind.”

“I want to fly over my land, catch some fish in the sea for dinner,” Kira said, snapping her teeth at him when he leaned in too close.

“Stop that,” Viola, speaking from the middle head, reprimanded her. “All right, but we don’t want to scare the villagers.”

“Are you going to be able to stay sane?” Sergei asked.

“I think so.”

“That wasn’t a yes.”

They flew around the island, coasting in low at Thule air force base so as not to spook anyone into firing at them. But it seemed Reed had prepared the humans because instead of scrambling for a fighter jet, a small battalion of soldiers appeared on the parade grounds in full dress uniform. There was even a band playing “God Save the Queen.”

They left the area to play in the fjords and around the icebergs. The Queens inside Viola were in awe of being able to fly and dive and hunt after such a long absence. Mei Hua’s wings had been clipped by her torturers before Carolyn and Reed rescued her, so she was unable to fly unassisted. The Queens kept Sergei at claw’s length, but tolerated him as they flew over their land.

“Stay here,” Sergei said, as they skated over the ice cap, startling polar bears back into their caves.

Viola made herself comfortable on the ice, the weave coating over her so she didn’t feel the cold. She stared out at the pure expanse of nothingness and shivered.

Sergei darted away.

“It’s not like him to leave me alone,” Viola said.

“We’re surrounded by 300 feet of ice. What do you think is going to attack us?” Kira said.

“I saw a pretty rude looking polar bear.” She thought her trumpet might splinter the ice and echo if she let loose. That would buy her time to get into the air.

“Dinner,” Amaranthe said, and hunger gripped Viola.

Amaranthe didn’t speak as much as she envisioned feelings and emotions. As she sat there, Viola prodded the magic spell in the weave and it responded like Jell-O. She was careful not to let it engulf her. She didn’t want to end up like Amaranthe, whose essence was tightly bound inside it.

“Humans are easy prey,” Kira said. It was obvious she was getting used to the red goat head. Viola didn’t have much control over it, so she’d have to fight Kira if she decided to bite Sergei.

“They’re forbidden and what got you killed,” Viola responded.

“Tasty,” Amaranthe agreed, the horse’s head was slower to respond but had yet to not creep her out when she joined the conversation.

“Your mate has changed,” Kira said. “At one time, he would as soon piss on a Queen than he would dive for fish.”

Viola squinted. “What the heck is he carrying in his claws?”

“Whale,” Amaranthe said.

Sergei dropped the poor thing and if it wasn’t dead from fright or Sergei’s claws, the impact would have killed it. As it was, Viola thought she heard the ice crack.

“When I said I was hungry enough to eat a whale, I didn’t mean it literally,” Viola examined the colossal beast even as her other two heads dove in.

“You need the protein and the mass of food. There’s no warehouse store to purchase your meat in bulk.”

Viola still felt squeamish, even though she could taste how delicious the food was through her other heads—which was weird. “Is this an endangered species of whale?”

Sergei tore off a strip. “It’s not as if I brought over a baby seal appetizer. Think of it as a sea cow.”

Viola took a nibble and was happy that it tasted like fresh sushi.

“Good provider,” Amaranthe thought, and then faded back into the spell, much to Viola’s amazement.

“That was unpleasant,” her white horse head said, shaking off the effects of the ancient Queen.

“I am not that easily appeased,” Kira said, glaring daggers at Sergei.

“What just happened?” he said.

“Amaranthe is no longer possessing my right head.”

“Is she gone for good?”

Viola shook her head. “No, but I think she’s trapped in the spell and can only leave it for short amounts of time. She feeds on the Queen that resides here.”

“Is she feeding on you?”

“No, the whale was enough. Have I told you that you’re brilliant?”

“He’s an assassin,” her right head said.

“He’s the father of my soon-to-be hatchlings.” Viola knew she had no right to feel giddy.

Sergei sank his head on the ice. “Yeah, I still am trying to wrap my head around that.”

“You’re pleased, though? Aren’t you?”

“Of course,” he leaned in to kiss her, but Kira snapped at him.

“You’re cramping my style,” he said to her goat head.

“Good, you wretched thug.”

They finished their dinner in relative peace and then flew back to the top of Sermitsiaq to rest inside the ice palace.

“Do you think we could build a lair closer to civilization? It’s too cold for my alpacas up here.”

“It’s too cold down there, too,” Sergei said, moving as close as Kira would let him.

“How do you feel about musk oxen?” Viola had seen a herd while they were out flying around.

“Ambivalent.”

“I think I can spin wool from their coat.”

“Sounds odiferous.”

“Yeah,” Viola said. “I’ll have to see if there is a way to de-stink it. Maybe Carolyn will have a book for me on it.”

They lumbered toward the throne room.

“Can we get someone to take down the dragon heads? It’s creepy.”

“You two disgust me,” Kira said. “You are the apex predator of the world and all you can do is cuddle and mewl around in an abandoned ice palace. We should have minions. We should have a harem of studs to serve our needs.”

“All I want is Sergei,” Viola said.

“What about my wants?”

“You’re dead. You would have gone into the weave, except there’s this spell that’s preventing you. It may only work here in Greenland.”

“Which is why we shouldn’t leave,” Kira said, panicked.

Sergei cocked his head. “So if we decided to fly back to Vermont and your lovely alpacas, Kira might get absorbed into the weave from there?”

“I won’t go.”

Viola concentrated on the weave. “No, she’s caught in the spell like a bug in a spider’s web. The very worst that would happen is she would come back here and possess the next Queen to come along.”

“What about the best-case scenario?” Kira asked.

“You’d come along for the ride.”

Kira snorted. “I don’t know why I’m worried. You won’t be able to leave. I couldn’t. I have not left this ice-capped hell in centuries.”

“I have a theory on that. Maybe we could work a deal,” Viola said.

“No deals,” Sergei broke in.

“Shut up, thug,” Kira snarled. “I’m listening. What is this theory you have?”

“Can you see the tendrils surrounding you and Amaranthe?” Viola said, her voice far away.

“I don’t like this,” Sergei said.

“Of course,” Kira said.

“Then you can see the cords now around me as well.”

“What?” Sergei stalked around her, his tail waving in agitation.

“So what?”

“When I freed Mei Hua, the tendrils grabbed me. I’m as connected to this island as you and Amaranthe.”

“Why did you do that?” Sergei said.

“It’s not as if the spell came with an instruction manual,” Viola said. “Anyway, Mei Hua was able to leave Greenland. Kira, were you hatched or shifted?”

“I was hatched,” she said turning her nose up in the air.

“But you and Mei Hua were—” Sergei said.

“Shifted,” Viola finished. “So because we shifted into dragons instead of being hatched, I think the spell won’t hold me here.”

“Well, then let’s go,” Kira said.

“What’s in it for me?” Viola said.

“I told you that I would not pursue the assassin’s death as long as the Queens who allowed him to do it are sanctioned.”