Long Live the Queen (The Immortal Empire) (31 page)

That realisation made me understand something else, something I’d thought before. “He’s going to kill her.”

Vex paused in unbuttoning his shirt. “Victoria? That’s his plan, I wager.”

I shook my head and enjoyed the view as he pulled the shirt off. He wasn’t a heavily muscled man, but he wasn’t lean and ropy either. He was sculpted without the bulk and sleek without being thin. Perfect, in a word.

“No, Ali. He’s going to kill her when this is all done. I knew he’d have to do it, because he couldn’t have her running about mucking things up. He can’t risk losing control of her, so he’s going to kill her to make himself seem the big hero. She shows up, kills his mum; he fights her off, kills her and gets a shiny new hat.”

“And then he hangs all his crimes on his mother’s tombstone and becomes a new hope for the aristocracy of Europe.”

“He might even win a few human supporters with that.”

“Until he rips their throats out. Or infects them with the plague.” He unbuttoned his trousers. “You’re staring.”

“You’re putting on a show, of course I’m staring.” I smiled faintly. “Seems like it’s been forever since I had the luxury of watching you undress.”

Vex approached the bed, trousers tantalisingly low on his hips, just barely hanging on. “Let’s get the rest of those bandages off you.”

I was all too happy to oblige. Like the old gentleman that he was, he removed my robe and draped it over the footboard of his bed. Then he sat down beside me and went to work. When he was done, I was naked, my flesh marred by healing wounds, dried blood and the sticky salve William had used.

The salve had done wonders, as had food and blood directly digested. I had tender spots and bruised bits, but nothing open.

“Shower?” Vex asked.

“Yes please.”

He offered me his hand and I took it, easing myself off the bed. My legs held surprisingly well. Maybe I’d be in better shape than I thought by tomorrow evening.

He called down to the servants’ rooms and asked a maid to come up and change the bed. Then he carried me into the bathroom, and set me on a stool while he started the shower.

His tub was huge and the shower was no different. There was one attached to the tub, and then there was a separate shower off to the side that was easily big enough for four or five people. That was the one he ran for us.

“Expecting company?” I joked.

He grinned. “I like room to manoeuvre.”

A little quiver twanged low in my belly. Oh dear. It felt like forever since we’d done that as well. I didn’t know if he was serious about all that talk about marriage… No, who was I trying to fool? Of course I knew he was serious. He wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise. There was no point questioning him or myself.

I wanted to be with Vex, and he wanted to be with me. End of discussion. The rest would happen as it happened.

“You’ve an odd expression on your face,” he said, frowning. “Are you all right? Do you need a doctor?”

I lifted my chin. “Yes.”

He started to leave the room. “I’ll send Argyle.”

“No! Vex, that’s not what I meant.” He stopped and turned towards me. I’d be damned if I wasn’t stoned, maybe just a bit. The whole evening had a vaguely situation comedy feel to it. I pulled the IV needles from my arm. “I don’t need a doctor. I meant that yes, I’ll marry you.”

He came back, knelt before me and wrapped his arms around me. I was naked and sticky and he didn’t seem to care. I knew I didn’t. “I love you,” I told him. “So if you think you can put up with me for the next century or so, I’m all yours.”

His lips came down on mine. Oh, it was better than the laudanum. Warmth spread through my limbs and swirled around in my stomach. That was how I knew I’d made the right decision the night I first went home with him. Neither one of us seemed to be able to help ourselves where the other was involved. Everything just happened so fast. Maybe that was how the right things were supposed to go, or maybe we’d break up in six months.

For once, I wasn’t going to obsess over it. Coming that close to death made a girl take stock of things, and when I’d
thought I was going to die, the last thing I’d thought of was Vex, and not because he was hovering over me, calling my name. It was because he was all that mattered.

That was the end of my romantic inner monologue. He carried me into the shower, and washed away all the blood and honey from my skin. He shampooed my hair, and massaged in conditioner that smelled like cloves. And then I washed him, and when he picked me up, I wrapped my legs around him, pressed my back against the warm stone wall and dug my fingers into his shoulders.

It wasn’t the first time we’d had sex in the shower, or the first time we’d done it standing up, but it was the first time we’d done it after each of us had come so close to death. For all I knew, we were immortal, but that didn’t mean that we couldn’t be killed. Life meant so much more after you realised it could be easily taken away. And this wasn’t the first time Vex had seen me teeter on the edge.

I clung to him, and let him and the water take everything else away. For a little while we were indeed immortal, and forever stretched out before us.

I’d think about dying tomorrow.

We were rudely awakened at eleven o’clock the following morning by a furious pounding on the door, followed by said door flying open.

It was Ophelia. I could see her perfectly despite the blackout curtains. Her blue hair was in a messy bun, and her eyes were wild. “They’re saying the Human League bombed Clarence House!”

“What?” I sat up in bed, holding the sheets to my chest. Vex made a noise that was half growl, half snort as he woke up. “Someone had better be dead.”

“Most of the Prince of Wales’s half-blood and human staff.”

Fang me. That didn’t sound like the HL. Usually they targeted places where they knew there would be few humans. “And the prince?”

“Was not at home.”

“Convenient,” I muttered.

Vex also sat up, blankets pooling around his waist. Fee didn’t even look. Was she daft or respectful? “Bastard bombed his own house.”

“You reckon?” My sister was calmer now. “Isn’t that a wee bit extreme? He would have lost everything.”

“Unless he cleared everything of value out first,” I remarked. I’d seen it before. “It’s an effective way of getting rid of evidence. The Yard probably won’t find anything of any use in the rubble.”

“Do you think he figured it out?” Fee leaned against the door frame. “Knew they were coming?” She didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable with the situation. Meanwhile, I wished she’d turn her back long enough for me to snag a robe.

“He’s not stupid. It was ballsy of him to send Victoria my father’s finger. He must know we’re on to him.” I couldn’t get the image of Vardan’s dead flesh out of my head. “Or at the very least realise we will be. And now he can pin this on the League and use it to incite animosity towards humans amongst the aristo population – and with the humans as well.”

“His timing was impeccable,” Fee agreed. “An hour later and Special Branch might have got in there. It’s almost like he was watching for them.”

“Or knew they were coming,” Vex concluded, jaw tight. “Just like someone knew we were going to that lab where Ali attacked me. He’s been one step ahead of us. I wonder if he knows his mother came here last night.”

“You don’t think we have a traitor, do you?” Really, that would just be the cherry on top of the last few months.

“Fee, be a love and go and rouse Argyle, if he’s not up and around already. If anyone might have betrayed us, he’ll find out who it was.”

As soon as my sister left the room, I jumped out of bed, grabbed a robe and slipped it on. The thick velvet was so lovely on my skin. Vex also left the bed and pulled on his own dressing gown.

“How do you feel today?” he asked.

“Good. Almost one hundred per cent.” I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “You must have healed me.”

He grinned in that lopsided manner I loved so much. “I have been told that my skills in the art of seduction are nothing short of therapeutic.”

I laughed. “Because you want sex to be like a session with your head shrinker. No thank you.”

Vex brushed a lock of hair away from my face. I’d slept with it down and no doubt looked a fright. “Now is probably a good time to tell you that you scared the hell out of me the other night. I thought I was going to lose you.”

I wrapped my hand around his. “I thought you were too.”

His other hand cupped the back of my neck and pulled me close so he could rest his forehead on mine. “I don’t ever want to be that scared again.”

“Neither do I, but I don’t reckon that’s the sort of promise either of us can make, is it?”

“No, I reckon not. Can you live with that?”

This was heavy conversation for having just woken up. I hadn’t even had any coffee yet. I almost said that, but this wasn’t the time for smart-arse remarks or pretending to be witty just to avoid the topic.

“I can.” I didn’t know if I could or not. Someday it might be too much, but for now it was a chance I was willing to take. Because maybe our lives would be quiet one day and we wouldn’t have to worry about hidden dangers.

It was a good hope to cling to.

He lifted his head and kissed me on the top of mine. “Good.”

Ophelia came back into the room. She looked worried – trepidatious.

“Vex…”

He turned away from me to face her. “Where’s Argyle?”

My sister looked as though someone had kicked her in the chest. I immediately took a step towards her. “Fee? Are you all right?”

“No,” she whispered. “It’s just that… Stephen’s gone.”

“Gone where?” Vex demanded. He didn’t understand yet, but I did.
Oh no
.

“I’ve no idea,” Fee answered, “but his wardrobe has been cleaned out, and all his books are gone.”

I could only watch helplessly as the full implication of that fell on Vex’s shoulders. There was a second when his expression was one of complete and utter anguish – betrayal – and then it was gone, replaced by that steely look that meant he wanted to hit something.

“So, we had a traitor after all.” He ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “Ophelia, you’re going to be my new secretary. Go
tell MacGreggor about Argyle and see if his tracker is still online. Send word to every pack member that there is a price on Argyle’s head. I want him alive.”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. Oh, and thank you.” Then she ducked out of the room.

“She won’t be thanking me once the press get hold of this latest titbit and start calling for comments.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “She’ll be fine. How are you?”

He hugged me back. “Shocked, though I know I shouldn’t be. Just because a person’s family, it doesn’t mean they can be trusted.”

“That’s true, but you did trust him, and he’s betrayed you. That has to hurt.”

“Of course it bloody hurts! It’s like someone stuck an axe in my chest.” Vex growled and ran a hand through his hair. “And I teased you for not trusting family. Fucking bastard. Christ only knows how long he’s been feeding information about us to Bertie.”

“He was here last night.” I laughed even though this wasn’t the least bit funny. “He announced Victoria himself. Bertie has to know she was here.”

“No doubt that was why he chose to destroy his house. He knew Special Branch would strike soon.” Vex shook his head. “He knows we plan to ambush him tonight. Fuck!”

He blamed himself; I knew it. I also knew there wasn’t anything I could say to change that. Still… “It’s not your fault. Of course you trusted him. He’s been with you for years.” Even I had liked the back-stabbing bastard. “How did Bertie get to him?”

“The title,” Vex replied without hesitation. “Stephen’s my closest male relative in line for marquess.”

The lengths people would go to just so they could ramble about in a huge house and stick a “lord” in front of their name. It was ridiculous, and not worth betraying family for.

“I’m surprised the little bastard hasn’t already tried to kill you,” I remarked bitterly.

Vex turned to me. The resignation in his gaze cut deeper than sorrow ever could have. “I think he did. He must have told Bertie about the raid on the laboratory. That’s why it was easy to get in and not well staffed. They knew we were coming and had time to prepare. They counted on Ali killing me that night, I’m certain of it. Stephen was very… attentive. I wager the fact that Ophelia got me out of there and stayed with me drove him mad. Your sister – and you – probably saved me from being poisoned as well.”

Oh, that was a kick. “He’s the one who poisoned my father.” It made sense. No one would think twice about Vex’s trusted cousin skulking around. I was going to kill the little bastard. I’d rip him apart, piece by piece. Maybe suck the marrow from his traitorous little bones – and make him watch.

“Bertie won’t make a move tonight. He’s too smart for that. He’s going to lie low. He may even leave the country. He can kill his mother just as easily from Paris, if he wants.”

“He can set up new labs too.” I shoved both hands into my hair and tugged at the roots to wake myself up. “With no evidence, he’ll just walk. Think Argyle would turn on him?”