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“I’ll be staying wherever our queen sleeps,” Leonie replied.
“Me too,” Carys said. “Though I’d like to grab some of my books.”
“While this tower is now mine, I’ll rest more comfortably at the Isador house my mother built.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” For a moment, emotion flickered over Janelle’s face. Grim flashes of memories, I feared, from when Keisha Skye had controlled this tower. As if Janelle, too, would rest more comfortably elsewhere. “Would you like to meet with the other siblings now so you can retire for the evening?”
“First, I’d like to talk with you for a while, just the two of us. To be honest, I don’t really remember you or the other queens from my brief stay here, and I’d like to deepen our relationship beyond a casual sibling bond. If that’s something you’d be open to.”
“Of course,” she replied automatically, though with a polite hollow tone. “Right this way.”
Rik had already dispersed some of the Blood into various guarding locations in the tower, so our party’s size was diminished by the time we approached the small elevator that would take us up to the more public and accessible levels of the tower. When the doors opened, I frowned. “It’s going to take several trips to get everyone moved upstairs.”
“We’ll wait with Magnum and Winston,” Gina said, holding Frank’s hand. “Kevin should go up with you and Janelle. This is his territory. Julie and Regina can go with us too.”
Now it was Kevin’s turn for his cheeks to burn. “I never think of it that way. Besides, I’ll always defer to you and our queen, of course.”
“I can’t be everywhere at once, and you’ve been a lifesaver handling the New York City business. So smile, bow, and take some praise, young man. You’ve earned it.”
“By your leave, Your Majesty, we’ll go ahead to the Park Avenue house,” Magnum said.
After the scare in Paris, I didn’t care to leave any of my humans unprotected. Especially down here where thralls might quickly overwhelm them before I could get back down here.
:I can stay with them until they leave the tower,: Sekh said. :Though I’m loath to leave with them, I will accompany them to the next house if you wish, my queen.:
Relieved, I gave him a smile. :Thank you, my general. Stay here in the tower and return to me as quickly as possible. The Isador house is only a brief drive away. They should be fine.:
With Rik filling up so much space in the elevator, it was a tight fit for the rest of us, but we managed to get Kevin and Janelle on with us. Rik held me, with Guillaume crowded in close. Carys, Leonie, and Jenrade waited for the elevator to come back down.
“Is that your sword poking me?” Rik grumbled. “The other sword.”
Guillaume laughed. “Sorry. I’m always prickly in tight quarters.”
We exited into a hallway I didn’t immediately recognize. Though from what I remembered, the small elevator had been more of a service elevator intended for basic maintenance workers. This was probably some back way to the main areas. Keisha had used it to visit her daughter in the basement.
Janelle took the lead with Kevin, winding through the labyrinth of hallways while they chatted easily. Though I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Maybe I was more tired than I thought. My head felt floaty. I had the vague thought that I should concentrate on the lefts and rights in case I needed to find the elevator again. But I already felt lost. Turned around. Confused.
Blinking sleepily, I yawned. My arms felt heavy. Wooden. No, stone. I was turning into the stone general. Though he was always awake, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
I fought to keep my eyes open. My vision was blurry. Maybe that was why Janelle’s tattoos seemed to be moving on her skin. Flowing, dancing beneath the harsh overhead light. They weren’t black ink any longer, but a beautiful blue green fluid wave.
I needed to warn Rik. It was important. Fog drifted through my mind. I couldn’t sort one bond from the other.
Which told me something was wrong. Very wrong indeed.
47
RIK
Ijerked to a halt. My nape prickled, and my bones ached in warning. Something wasn’t right. I inhaled deeply, opening my senses, looking for anything amiss. Anyone who didn’t belong. But the only other people in the hallway were Kevin and Janelle. Empty offices lined the hallway, doors shut, lights out.
:Shara? What is it? What’s wrong?:
She mumbled, her head lolling back over my arm like a doll. She wasn’t in pain. But she didn’t respond in the bond.
She couldn’t. Cold, wet fog filled her mind.
:ALARM,: I roared down the bonds. :Lew, guard the roof. Sekh, guard the basement level. Everyone else, get your asses to me if you can.:
