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Undina’s head turned sharply, drawing my attention in that direction. Two more yachts approached the island. “They’re here.” Then she whispered softly, “Goddess be with us.”
46
RIK
Granite shifted beneath my skin, a monumental landslide ready to slip loose at the first sign of any threat to my queen.
So many fucking Blood disembarked from the two yachts.
So many ways this whole thing could go sideways with a wrong look or a single word from anybody.
Not to mention four of the most powerful living queens staring each other down without a word.
House Kijin had twenty-one tattooed Blood in slick, expensive suits with lots of gold jewelry. They moved like Xin with the easy, graceful promise of a silent, quick death. All except the biggest one, who was shifted into his beast with a bull head and thick curving horns that swept out from his head like a Texas longhorn. Though his bottom half looked more like… a spider? Or an octopus. I couldn’t tell.
He didn’t move like an alpha despite his size, and he didn’t walk close to his queen. When they came closer, I saw why.
The big bull monster’s upper body was wrapped in black cloth that bound his arms to his sides. Chains wound tightly around on top of the cloth were attached to a heavy metal collar. His lower face was more human, and his mouth was covered with a tight metal mask, leaving only his nose and red, malevolent eyes uncovered. Four of the Kijin Blood guarded him instead of their queen.
:He’s a king flesh eater,: Sekh warned in the bond. :That’s why he’s gagged and bound. He’ll eat anything in his path.:
:I can fucking take him,: Leviathan offered, his hunger pulsing through the bond.
:Let’s see who they bring into the blood circle before we assign targets,: I replied.
Their queen, Nuri Kijin, was dressed in golden flowing silks with red and gold ornaments in her upswept black hair. A red mask with small black lacquered horns and long white fangs covered her face.
:Does anyone know her power?: Shara asked.
:She’s descended from Nure-onna,: Daire replied. :Her Blood are different kinds of oni and yokai.:
:What’s that?:
:Japanese demons in folklore, though they’re just another flavor of Aima descended from the Great Mother,: Guillaume added. :The Skolos courts are known for their darker monsters.:
:Nuri can shift into a snake-like sea monster,: Sekh replied. :With her power, she could call a tsunami strong enough to flood the entire southeast coast.:
“House Ketea welcomes Queen Nuri Kijin,” Aleka said. “You may select five Blood to accompany you into Her Majesty’s blood circle.”
Same as us, though we also had Xin. I still didn’t like those fucking numbers. At least three to one, depending on how many Blood Undina had.
Leviathan clashed his teeth together in frustration when the bull king remained outside of the blood circle. :Light the fucker up, Smoak.:
:I’ll roast his ass,: Vivian promised.
That still left fifteen other Kijin Blood outside the blood circle with only six Isador Blood.
:Seven,: Lew said. :Thierry says his bite will contaminate them.:
Undina brought Nuri into her circle and then turned to Gina, who introduced my queen and her Blood. Shara inclined her head politely but didn’t touch the other queen. There was no need since it wasn’t her blood circle.
It took three tender trips back to the yacht to bring all of House Gorgos ashore. Twenty-nine Blood, some of them almost as big as the bull king. Her alpha was shifted into a giant cyclops. Slightly taller than me but not as thick, and certainly not as big as the rock troll. He moved slowly, too. He stared straight ahead, not even flicking an assessing look at me or the other alphas or kings.
Evidently supremely arrogant.
I wouldn’t be so dumb—especially when I had such incredible resources at my disposal. :Recommendations on how best to deploy our Blood outside the nest?:
:Kijin’s Blood have katanas hidden in back sheaths beneath their suit coats and hair,: Guillaume said. :If Vivian’s handling the king, only Itztli has any blade skill. I recommend using Gorgos as shields, forcing them to kill each other to get to our Blood and let Itztli pick them off until they’re too close to matter.:
