The Twiceborn Queen (The Proving Book 2) (31 page)

I glanced across at him, busy collecting dirty plates under Dave’s direction. How would he feel knowing his mother was planning to murder someone in cold blood? For that matter, how did his mother feel about it?

Not as calm as Leandra would have. I hated being forced into this position, loathed the proving for setting up this whole hateful bloodbath. Kill or be killed. In millennia of so-called civilisation, this primitive hack and slash was the best dragon culture could come up with? Hadn’t they ever heard of elections, for God’s sake?

The whole shifter world was rotten to the core, with its violence and its feudal hierarchies. It was everything a human in a free democratic society abhorred. Yet even those at the top of the heap weren’t safe. You want to be queen? Fine, just kill off your whole family.

Was any amount of power worth that much?

Now Dave had Lachie at the sink, drying dishes. He’d always tried to wriggle out of that job at home. I wondered what Dave had promised him for his help. Or maybe he’d learned to do his share of chores living in a boarding school.

That was one family member I’d do anything for. Even kill. Alicia’s life didn’t even budge the scales when weighed against his. It was more than kill or be killed. It was kill or see Lachie die, and that made all the difference.

In the end Garth accepted the inevitable. When the thrall on the gate called in to say Alicia’s party had arrived, he and Mac and Steve retired to the comms room.

“Don’t forget to search them before you let them in,” he told the guards in the foyer as he passed. “No weapons of any kind.”

“Garth. They know what to do. Get to your position.” I shook my head. “You worry too much. I thought I was bad but you make me look reckless.”

“You
are
friggin reckless.”

I laid a hand on his cheek, by now rough with stubble. It had been a long day, and there was still a huge hurdle to leap before it was over. He scowled down at me, but I was used to his scowls by now, and I could see the fear that lurked behind his surly front. It shone in the yellow wolfish glint in his grey eyes. Fear for me.

He reminded me of Ben in many ways. Maybe that was what drew me to him. And it probably explained why they didn’t always get on so well. They were both a little too alpha and determined to have their way.

“Cheer up. It’s nearly over.”

He caught my wrist in his big hand. “Well, excuse me if I don’t start partying yet.”

“Just stay out of sight. Kasumi and I will handle it.”

I tugged on my hand but he didn’t let go.

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

I pulled harder and he released me. Geez, why did I always seem to surround myself with control freaks? First Ben, then Luce, now Garth. Kasumi was the only one that took orders without arguing.

Thank God for Kasumi. Together we headed for the throne room. The thralls all had their orders: two would meet Alicia’s party and guide them here. The rest were already spaced around the walls on guard duty, with two more ready to play the role of Elizabeth’s personal bodyguards and two to be my captors.

Bear and his selkie companion, together with the remaining goblins, stood ready to play spectators. I’d taken a few moments to strengthen my earlier compulsions. It would be more than awkward if they wore off in the middle of the big showdown.

The only ones missing were Dave and Lachie. Since I didn’t want Lachie seeing what was about to happen, I’d given Dave the job of keeping him amused in the kitchen. With all that junk food on hand, he had the easiest role of all.

Kasumi settled on the throne, looking every inch the ageing queen, the huge executioner’s axe laid across her bony knees. Elizabeth’s blood had been cleaned off it and its sharp edge glinted in the afternoon light from the open doors onto the terrace. She looked like some ancient goddess of war, one thin white hand clenched on the axe haft, a blood-red aura shimmering around her. Her likeness to the dead queen sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. Déjà vu, and not in a good way.

But this time the outcome would make it all worth it. One more death and I would be free. Well, relatively free. Not free to live the life I truly wanted. I stared at the ancient woman on the throne. One day Lachie would be that old, and I would have to see it. I’d have to see him die. See Ben die.

No, it wasn’t the life I wanted. But it seemed it was the only one left to me now. And I would seize it with both hands if it meant Lachie did get to live to be an old man.

A heavy silence settled on the massive room as we all waited. The seconds ticked by. Why were they taking so long? Had something gone wrong?

I shifted uneasily, my silver chains clanking. One of the thralls held the end of my chain. It was only loosely connected to the main chain so he could use the length as a weapon in the fight to come. I was about to send him to check what was happening when I heard footsteps approaching in the hall outside.

Alicia entered, with Luce at her side. Luce looked the same as ever, her dark hair pulled into a no-nonsense ponytail, her clothes loose enough to permit easy movement. Luce was always ready for anything. Though she was still my enemy, my heart rose at the sight of her. She looked once at me, her gaze taking in the chains wrapped round my body, then turned her attention to Kasumi.

Two leshies followed them in and took up positions flanking Alicia. Though they bore no weapons, they too seemed ready for action.

Alicia was the only one who looked happy to be here. In fact she positively lit up when she saw me. Any fear she might have had melted away as she stalked toward me on her designer heels. She made a full circuit around me, her heels tapping on the marble floor, admiring the chains from every angle. They were looser this time, and I was holding my arms a little out from my body to keep them tightly secured. The game would be up if they slithered to the floor ahead of schedule. I stared straight ahead, trying to portray stoic resignation. My acting skills weren’t anywhere near as good as Kasumi’s.

“Satisfied?” that lady said finally, her tone icy.

Alicia tore her eyes away from me at last and gave her mother a perfunctory nod. “Where’s Thorne? I thought he’d want to see this.”

“Unavoidably detained, I’m afraid.”

Kasumi’s hands shifted on the axe, drawing Alicia’s gaze like a magnet.

“Should we wait?” Alicia glanced around at the sparse crowd. “Somehow I’d pictured a more … elaborate occasion.”

“If you’d prefer a full gala celebration, that could of course be arranged.” Kasumi’s tone was acerbic. “But I, for one, feel this proving has dragged on long enough.” She held the axe out to Alicia. “It’s up to you.”

I held my breath. If Alicia chose to wait we were up shit creek and no mistake. There’d be no hiding what was really going on here, and we’d be relying on luck and improvisation, our carefully crafted plan in ruins.

But my sister didn’t disappoint. “You’re right. Time to end this.”

Her gaze never left the axe as she all but skipped forward to take it. So much for Garth’s worries. He’d been unsure of this part of the plan, concerned she might make Luce do her dirty work for her.

But Leandra knew her sister well enough for me to feel confident she wouldn’t be able to resist the DIY approach. Alicia was a coward, true, but as long as there was no danger to her precious person she was only too happy to kill someone who couldn’t fight back.

Axe in hand, she approached me and struck a pose like some avenging warrior maiden. It might have looked more impressive if she hadn’t been wearing a tight pencil skirt with a silk blouse. As it was she looked like a rampaging accountant.

She laid a cautious finger on the chain that wrapped me, just to check. Dragons were such a suspicious lot. She pulled it back and observed with satisfaction the blister that formed and was then reabsorbed into her body.

“Wait.” I spoke softly, though obviously there was no hope of a truly private conversation surrounded by all these shifter ears.

She shouldered the axe, a vicious delight twisting her pretty features into something ugly.

“Yes? You wish to plead for your life, perhaps? Oh, this should be amusing.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I don’t?” She stepped in, the chains making her bold, and shoved her face into mine. “What could you possibly offer me that would tempt me to let you live? You have nothing. You are a worm. Worse than that, you are a worm that’s standing between me and the throne. Frankly, my dear, your situation could hardly be worse.”

I was so sick of blood. She was probably beyond saving, but I made the effort, feeling like an idiot. I could just imagine Garth’s reaction as he watched this from the comms room. It would be far safer for us all to kill this woman.

“Take the throne. I never wanted it anyway.” Not strictly true—there was a time when Leandra very much desired the power that came with the throne, but now? Now it made me sick. “Just give me back Luce, and me and mine will never bother you again.”

From the corner of my eye I saw Luce start. Alicia turned to her.

“Hear that, Luce? You’re worth a whole domain. My sister here thinks highly of you indeed.”

Alicia’s mocking laughter filled the room, and Luce’s eyes blazed. Alicia could force her loyalty, but not her love.

Kasumi cut in, still perfectly in character. “Must we listen to any more of this? Stop playing with the creature and kill it.”

She, at least, felt no conflicting desires, no last-minute regrets.

“Yes, Mother.” Alicia turned back to me with a sneer. “Never has obeying an order given me so much pleasure.”

“It’s on your head, then,” I said.

She raised the axe. “No, I think it’s on yours.”

The glittering axe head swept through an arc as she took a back swing. The thralls on either side of me exploded into action. One drove his shoulder into Alicia’s exposed midriff. The other attacked Luce with a length of silver chain jerked free from my bonds.

Alicia crashed to the floor and the axe went flying. I threw off my chains and lunged for it, but Luce got there first. As she snatched it up her eyes met mine.

“Help me,” she whispered.

I punched her hard in the face and her eyes rolled back in her head. Then I pulled the axe from her unresisting hands and leapt across to where my thrall was scrambling away from Alicia as her form shimmered. No one wanted to be underfoot when an enraged dragon materialised.

She saw me coming and her eyes went wide with terror. I swung the axe with power born of desperation. Damn, but that blade was sharp. It sliced through her neck like a hot knife through butter.

Blood sprayed. I dropped the axe, panting hard from the adrenalin rush. Thank God Lachie didn’t see
that
.

The door flew open and Garth burst in, Mac and Steve hard on his heels. He ran straight to me, careless of the spreading pool of blood underfoot.

“Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Check Luce.”

Obedient for once, he knelt over Luce. She groaned, and he helped her into a sitting position. I watched, heart pounding. Alicia’s death should have severed the binding between them.

Blood dripped from her nose. Oops. Maybe I should have pulled that punch a little. I’d probably broken it. Just as well she was a shifter. She felt it gingerly, then grinned up at me.

“What kept you?”

I grinned back, then burst into tears.

Garth shook his head. “You cry
now
? When it’s all over? Women.”

But he was smiling too, as glad to have Luce back as I was. I pulled her into a hug, and she stiffened in surprise. Leandra hadn’t been the hugging type. Then she squeezed me tight. Garth patted us both on the shoulder awkwardly, so I dragged him into the hug too. For a moment we were our own little pack of three, drawing comfort from each other’s nearness.

“I’m getting blood on your clothes,” Luce protested, and she pulled away, still wiping at her nose. The blood was already drying. Anyone else would be sporting a black eye after a punch like that, but super healing came with the gig for shifters. No shiners for us.

Kasumi came down off the dais to join us, wearing her own form again.

Luce raised one delicately arched eyebrow. “And who is this?”

I made the introductions, and Kasumi offered one of her formal little half-bows.

“It’s rare to meet a kitsune outside Japan,” Luce said.

“I am the first in a generation. After a moon cycle we begin to sicken and must return. In fact—” She turned to me and bowed again more deeply, red-streaked hair swinging loose. “I’ll go now and make the arrangements to have my sister’s body returned to Japan.”

“Must you go so soon?” I couldn’t help the disappointment that coloured my voice. I’d grown fond of Kasumi, even apart from her undeniable usefulness as an ally. “It’s Friday night. Nothing will be open now anyway. Stay and celebrate with us.”

She laid a hand on my arm; a rare intimacy from her. “I don’t begrudge you your celebration. You will make a much better queen than any of these others.”

She cast a scornful glance at Alicia’s headless body, sprawled messily on the pale marble floor.

I squeezed her hand, surprised to find a lump in my throat at the thought of saying goodbye to my newest friend. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

She bared her teeth in a quick, savage grin. “Perhaps not, although you will never get the wolf to admit that. But I have done what I came to do, and my time is running out. The people who will help me do not keep office hours. I must go.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“And I you. May your rule be long, Twiceborn.”

And just like that, she spun on her heel and strode out. Garth watched her leave with undisguised delight. When he caught me watching him he quickly rearranged his expression into something less gloating.

“Strange,” said Luce. “I’ve never heard that business about moon cycles and sickness before.”

“Such a shame,” I said. “She’s amazing.”

“I’m heartbroken,” Garth said.

I punched him.

He barked at the two nearest thralls to remove Alicia’s body. He, at least, was eager to start the clean-up and move on without Kasumi. Alicia’s leshies had stood quietly as we spoke, surrounded by my thralls, who had them covered with guns loaded with silver. Now they watched her corpse leave the room with despair on their faces.