The Red Queen (22 page)

His hard body pressed against hers, and hers melted into his.

Someone coughed politely. Kian? Maybe Pyon?

A slice of sense cracked into her skull.  How long had she and Ash locked like this? She almost forgot how dangerously enticing the Lure was. If she kept giving in to its whim, she’d mate with Ashburn right here, right now. Her face flaming furiously, Lucienne twisted herself away from Ashburn, calling on whatever willpower she still possessed.

The punishing pain from the Lure that exploded inside her had never been so welcoming. Lucienne needed the pain to gain her dignity. She stepped a little further from Ashburn, and with a wince, looked up at him. “You’re back, Ash.”

He’d lost weight, though he was still masculine. His silver hair flowed in the breeze. His marble white face was perfectly symmetrical, and his blue silver eyes drew her in again. He was still the most striking man she’d ever seen.

“I never really left, Lucia,” he said. “And I brought someone.”

Until then, Lucienne had not noticed a
distinguishingly gorgeous woman standing behind him. Her breath immediately caught in her throat.

The woman was of indeterminate age. Her thick brown hair sprinkled with strawberry blond pooled around her elegant shoulders. Her eyes were stars in the deep night sky, bright yet ancient, full of mystery and the dangerous unknown—and they gazed back at Lucienne intensely. 

Pyon pointed his gun right at the woman. “A Sealers elder!” he warned. “She wears an elder’s ring.”

Lucienne finally breathed out in order to inhale. The woman was Jekaterina, her mother.

Redness came like the wind. Ashburn’s hands on her shoulders tightened. “Stay with me!” she heard him saying.

No, you’ll not take me,
Lucienne hissed and then begged.
Not now
. But it still came. How could one fight the wind? As she put a hand in front of her, desperately and helplessly to fend it off, a pulse of energy poured into her, coursing in her, until the red wind passed through her. Through the reflection in Ashburn’s eyes, Lucienne saw the red rings in her eyes faded. He’d aided her with his power. He’d pushed back the assault of her insanity.

Lucienne stared into his eyes in amazement and gratitude. He reluctantly removed his hands from her shoulders as the danger passed. Lucienne turned to
Jekaterina. There was a strange sadness and understanding in the woman’s eyes. Did her mother actually perceive what had just transpired between her and Ashburn?

“Hello, Lucienne,” Jekaterina said, her voice smooth like silk. She paid no attention to half-dozen guns pointed at her head.

“Jekaterina,” Lucienne breathed, “why are you here?”

“You should have informed me before bringing her here, boy,” Kian growled at Ashburn, but Lucienne knew how delighted he was that Ashburn had delivered him Jekaterina.

“Sorry.” Ashburn shrugged. “I don’t have a phone.”

“That’s not an excuse! You can—” Kian stopped himself. Lucienne knew he wouldn’t want to spill out Ashburn’s power in front of everyone—especially Jekaterina.

“Don’t give him grief, McQuillen,” Jekaterina said in her soft, enticing voice. “It was my arrangement. I do not come as an enemy. I come so you won’t throw yourself into a dungeon again to look for me. I come for my daughter.”

“Take her to the interrogation room,” Kian ordered.

“No,” Lucienne said, “bring her to the house.” She swept a gaze at Pyon and the guards. “She isn’t armed. There’s no need to point that many guns at her.”

A subtle smile touched Jekaterina’s lips.

“Siren, we don’t know—” Pyon said.

“This woman won’t harm me,” Lucienne said firmly. “Even if she tries, I can easily handle her. You can tag along, Director Pyon, if you aren’t sure.”

Kian led the group toward the grand hall’s side exit reserved for Lucienne. The guards escorted the Russian woman at the front. Lucienne was placed in the center of the rank and file, Ashburn in step with her.

Across the hall, a redhead sprang toward them.

The guards moved, ready to take her down, but Ashburn pushed forward. “Let her pass, please.”

Violet flung herself into Ashburn’s arms, and he embraced her.

“Ash!” Violet cried. “Ash, you knew I was here and you came for me!”

“It’s good to see you too, Violet,” Ashburn said. “I’m glad you settled down here.” He darted a glance in Lucienne’s direction, and she forced a smile.

Lucienne wasn’t smiling inside as she fought to snuff out her jealousy.
Ash isn’t mine.
She’d told that to everyone and showed Ash himself that they wouldn’t be together. Then why was she so possessive about him?
I’m a horrible person
. Yet she was pleased to see Ashburn pry himself from Violet’s clinging grasp.

“I need to take care of something first,” he told the redhead. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Now go ahead and watch the fireworks with your friend.”

“I don’t care about fireworks—” Violet protested.

Kian frowned at the teen drama and ordered the guards, “Let’s get moving!”

Bayrose stood several yards away from them, staring at Jekaterina, eyes wide and mouth agape. Lucienne bit back a forceful swear. She should have taken greater precautions not to expose Jekaterina like this, but she was a bit overwhelmed to see her estranged mother for the first time in her life.

Bayrose stepped toward the group, face paling, eyes flashing in fear and worry.

A guard blocked her, but Bayrose shoved him. The guard grabbed her arm. “You can’t pass, Miss Thorn.”

“Let me go, you barbarian!” Bayrose kicked the guard in the calf—she’d never behaved like that since arriving in Sphinxes. “You can’t take away my mother!”

Mother? Lucienne felt cold air rushing toward her.

The guard stopped short and turned to look at Jekaterina, then at Lucienne. Bayrose took the chance to break free and spring toward Jekaterina. “Mom?” she asked. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here!”

Mom again?
Lucienne narrowed her eyes.

“I came for your sister, Rose,” Jekaterina said. “She needs my care.”

“My sister?” Bayrose darted a perplexed glance from Jekaterina to Lucienne. “I have no sister.”

Lucienne stared back at Bayrose, her face a mask of stone.

“Not here,” Kian snarled, gesturing for the men to move.

The guards blocked Bayrose and drove back Violet. The girls screamed murder as they struggled to follow.

My mother, a power-hunger whore, bred a Siren and a Sealers elder.

An array of fireworks erupted into the sky, then brought down the red storm.

Ashburn rushed toward Lucienne, but he was too late. The storm hit her in the face before she could raise a hand to defend herself. “Kia—” She sent a warning toward Kian and Thaddeus, her voice whimpering in her throat.

“Don’t touch her!” she heard Ashburn’s warning. “I’m here now. I’ll take her home.” He held her in his arms protectively and possessively.

Lucienne blinked. Chaos swirled around her.

Ashburn lifted her as if she weighted nothing. He put her on Spike, then swung his leg over and rode behind her. “Ash!” she cheered. She liked his strong thighs against her legs. She twisted her torso to look up at him, inhaling his clean, masculine scent. “Let’s ride to the sunset!” she cried with excitement, only to realize it was night. “To the moon!” she amended it, stretching her hand toward the sky.

None of her guards stepped forward to stop her from flying away with Ashburn. They didn’t even protest. Last time she’d gone off with Ashburn, they’d acted like they were having a collective heart attack. Now they just kept quiet and looked grim. Even Kian didn’t try to be a buzz killer—his specialty. The men had learned not to get in her way.
Super!
A girl’s gotta have fun sometimes.

Spike flew her and Ash toward the open balcony.

“Ash! Wait!” Lucienne heard a girl cry out. She turned to see the redhead wriggling to break free of the guards. Ashburn, however, didn’t stop. He didn’t even look back at the pretty teen.

Lucienne flashed a triumphant grin at the girl. “Ash is mine,” she declared and wrapped her arms around his waist as he flew her out of the grand hall toward the sky.

Fireworks exploded like a thousand little stars.

“Ooo, fireworks!” she called.

Now the blossoms in the sky were beneath her. Lucienne looked down and caught sight of her white gown. Had she lost her mind? Why did she wear a boring white to such a grand party? It was an unforgivable neglect on Aida’s part. She shouldn’t rely on her nanny anymore. Aida was getting old and forgetful. She must immediately relieve Aida of her service. But where should Aida go? Lucienne felt pity for the aging nanny.

“Ash,” she called, “we need to go to my house first. I must change my outfit.”

“That’s where we’re going,” he said.

Ash was so considerate, so unlike the other one—Prince Vladimir? Now she thought of him … where was he? She hadn’t seen him for a while. They said that he’d gone to Tibet. Was he going to be a monk? It might be good for him. That boy needed to have some discipline—the lustful looks he used to send her way often made her shiver. Maybe she shouldn’t be too hard on him. She could be delicious and irresistible. Of course, she couldn’t blame herself for that either. Lucienne smirked to herself.

Spike skimmed over a jungle of red leaves and landed on the rooftop of the mansion. Ashburn stepped off and offered her a hand, but she hopped off with the look of I’m-an-independent-girl.” His gray eyes didn’t move from her, but this time, Lucienne didn’t see his “hot for her” inside them but rather an ocean of sadness and resignation.

Lucienne didn’t like those negative emotions. They dragged her down. After she changed to her red gown, she’d cheer him up. She sprang toward the stairs. The bulletproof glass door slid aside, recognizing her heat signature.

“Are you coming, Ash?” She looked at him invitingly over her shoulder.

“I’m coming,” he said, a twirl of unfamiliar emotion flitting across his face. “I won’t leave you again.”

She flashed him a feral smile. “Guess I’ll have to live with that.” After she had her red dress, she’d show him what good fun she could be, and he’d never let her go.

They were in luck that no one was in the mansion. It had been too crowded lately. Good thing she and Ash had ditched the guards at the castle.

Lucienne entered her bedroom and headed straight for her wardrobe without closing the door. She didn’t mind Ash seeing her undressing, but blushed at the naughty thought of him watching her.

Ashburn stopped at the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen. I’m going to brew coffee.”

“At this hour?” she asked, peeking at him through her thick lashes. 

“I’m trying to stay awake.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Do I bore you?”

“No,” he said, “you can never bore me even if you try, but I haven’t slept much lately.”

She regarded him. He had faint bluish circles under the hollow of his eyes. He was telling her the truth, but he also hid something from her. An amused light danced in her eyes as she saw through what it was. He was worried he couldn’t resist the temptation if she revealed her nude body to him.

“Why didn’t you sleep?”

“I had many things on my mind.”

“Was I on your mind too?” she asked in a honeyed, throaty voice.

“All the time.”

That was nice. He hadn’t enough sleep because he was thinking of her. All the time! She’d let him go now to make coffee. Once she changed into her red gown, she’d reward him beyond his wildest dream. “Don’t be too long,” she purred.

The wardrobe door slid open at her approach. Inside the closet was a huge collection of dresses, sweaters, pants, and jackets, all in different shades of red.

What should she wear? Her gaze fell on a gown with a low neckline that would show half of her breasts. Ash seemed nervous around her this time. It was best to let him get used to her first, so she should avoid being provocative. Shrugging off her white gown, Lucienne selected a simple red tank top. It outlined her shape. She was just a non-threatening teenage girl now.

She found a mini skirt to go with the top. Before she put it on, she heard voices. It must be Ash. He just couldn’t stay away from her. She put aside the skirt with a smirk. She wanted to see his expression when he saw her in her cherry-colored panties. The tank top covered half of it, which made her look more suggestively sexy.

She waited, but didn’t see Ash coming. The voices came from the open library. Was Ash talking to someone? Who dared stall him? Annoyed, Lucienne pricked her ears to hear more. Even since she had all the elements of Forbidden Glory, she had super hearing.

“It poses a plight for you to have a mad queen while you’re forming a nation.” It was the voice of the Russian woman—her mother, who vanished for seventeen years, only to pop up unannounced and uninvited.  

But who was the mad queen Jekaterina had referred to?

“How did you know we were going to make Lucienne Lam the queen?” Pyon demanded. “You were locked in Abaddon 5. Who is your informant in Sphinxes?”