Long Live the Queen (The Immortal Empire) (33 page)

Please. There wasn’t nearly enough meat on a baby.

My gaze scanned the surroundings – old habit from my Royal Guard days. Nothing seemed amiss, but then it rarely
did until it was too late. Would Bertie show? Maybe. I wasn’t worried about Bertie. He and I would meet again one day. To be honest, I was more interested in crossing paths with Stephen Argyle, but I doubted that would happen, and if it did I would have to get in line behind Vex for a piece of the little bastard. Still, I wouldn’t forget that he poisoned my father. Vardan had never been much of a dad, but he had been my dad, and the only one I’d ever have.

Aside from William, that was.

Vex met me just inside the palace, where a security team of Royal Guards checked us and secured the area. It was odd, realising that I was now one of the people they were sworn to protect. At least while I was in this place. I watched them with their ear buds and stern expressions. Some of them couldn’t be any more than twenty.

I was going to be three and twenty later this month. These halfies weren’t much younger than me, but they seemed it.

“You look different,” my wolf told me as we climbed the stairs together. The meeting was to be held in one of the public rooms at the palace. There hadn’t been any public in it since the Insurrection, but such a space was still considered necessary for some reason.

“Do I? I actually put some make-up on.” I usually loved preening and getting dressed up, but lately I’d been a minimalist with both. I think it was high time I got some ruffles back – and maybe a new lipstick.

Perhaps I’d dye my hair. Candy red was fun and all that, but I’d had it my entire life.

“No, that’s not it.” He stepped in front of me in the upstairs corridor to prevent me from walking ahead. He was dressed in a formal coat, white shirt and his dress kilt, along with black
boots. He looked terribly sexy in his kilt, but tonight he was extra so. Must be all that goblin blood and fresh meat sizzling in my veins. I felt… free.

I gazed up at him adoringly. “I feel good.”

His lips curved on one side, deepening the lines around his eyes. He always seemed to find me amusing. Maybe I made him happy. He leaned closer – almost close enough to kiss – and sniffed. “You’ve fed.”

I grinned. “William. By the way, he and Elsbeth are married now. Do I have anything in my teeth?”

“Lovely. Xandra, sweetheart, what did you eat?”

“A heart – it was dead when I got it. And some ancient goblin blood.”

Vex’s eyes narrowed. “Ancient indeed. What else?”

That was it. Oh, wait. “More blood. I think from the whole plague.”

“That explains it.” He shook his head. “That bastard William is a wily one.”

“Why do you say that?”

He took my hand as we began walking again. Thankfully there was no one around. “Bleedings like that have been used for years amongst wolves and goblins – it’s to give strength in battle, like the whole pack is fighting with you.”

“It’s certainly a pick-me-up.”

He laughed. “Woman, you are madder than a hatter.”

“That’s so nineteenth-century of you. The term is hatters.”

“The term is ridiculous. Now, do you think you can sit quietly for a bit?”

I took a deep breath. I might feel a little anxious, but this was important. I could totally do this. “I’m good.”

We were greeted at the door by a footman, and announced
to the room. William had already arrived, as had Lord Ainsley, who had been chosen to represent the vampires in my father’s stead. Technically, Bertie was the leader of the vampires, but my father had always done most of the work, despite how little he’d been trusted. The PM was there as well – a striking black woman who was almost as tall as Vex. I noticed that she and the other human invitees sat as far away from the aristos as they could. Not good, but understandable.

Avery was there, dressed in head-to-toe black. Victoria was a stickler for the old ways, so my sister wore a gown rather than her usual modern attire. I’d bet the skirt had concealed slits in it, however – in case things got dicey. Probably had a handgun under her bustle, too.

After all this build-up, I had to admit I was hoping for dicey.

A few moments later the doors were closed, and Victoria entered the room from another point. We all stood as she approached. We sat when she sat.

“Thank you for coming here on such short notice this evening,” she said. “I know many of you have families you would rather be with, so I will attempt to make this process as abbreviated as possible.” That was a nice touch – a nod to the humans and their rampant breeding.

“I realise that these are difficult times for all of us in our country.” When one of the humans snorted, Victoria fixed her gaze on him and arched a brow. “Queen Alexandra has lost both a sister and her father due to the recent violence. Lord MacLaughlin has lost a son and friends. I have lost people I have known for more than a century. Whom have you lost, sir?”

The man flushed dark red – clashing with his ginger hair. “Uh… ahem. No one.”

Victoria’s chin lifted. “Indeed.”

I wanted to clap. Maybe even cheer when the little ponce averted his gaze, but I kept still, cheering on the inside. I was not going to knob this up by behaving like I’d eaten a handful of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

The tiny queen turned her attention to the PM. “Madam Prime Minister, I would like to propose that a formal agreement be made between the Crown and the human people of the empire. Between the Crown and
all
people of the empire.” She glanced at William when she said that last part. “Eighty years ago, His Royal Highness, my husband Albert, drafted a proposal that would limit the control of the monarchy and increase the participation of the human race. In honour of his memory and his fairness to all races, I would like to go forth with that proposal.”

The PM blinked. One of the humans whispered excitedly to her, but she might as well have voiced her speculation out loud, because we all heard her doubt our sincerity.

“No one’s going to eat you,” I said to her. She flushed too. You’d think that humans would take pains to prevent all that yummy blood from rushing to their faces. It made them look like ripe cherries on an ice cream dessert. “She’s proposing a new regime that will give a portion of lawmaking and government to humans as well as aristos and half-bloods. Equality through a slow process of removal of the monarchy.”

Every head turned to Victoria to validate my claim. “That is it in a nutshell, yes. In fact, I will have it made law that upon my death the monarchy is to be formally abolished.”

Now
that
would raise a ruckus. I thought Ainsley was going to have a fit of some kind, and the humans looked as though they’d been set in the middle of a Chinese opera and were expected to perform.

Victoria banged her hand on the table. The blow sent a shudder down the entire length of the polished surface. I’d be surprised if she hadn’t left a handprint.

Everyone fell quiet and looked to her. “What I want is for the people of this country to find a way to exist with one another. What we were doing eighty years ago didn’t work, and what we’re doing now isn’t working either. We’re afraid of you and you are afraid of us when we all came from the same place. We were once a great nation whose age and historical importance drew visitors to our museums and theatres. Now, we have busloads of Americans taking photographs of us like we’re sideshow freaks or visiting clubs where they can have a sexual encounter with an aristocrat or half-blood. We have come to a place where we find sport in watching each other die, where you are thought of as food and we are thought of as monsters. We are
not
monsters. And we would very much like to find a way for all of us to live together. Do not you think it time?”

Amazing. She was really into it – really inspired. I could imagine her eighty years ago, she and Albert both passionate about reform. Before the Insurrection made her afraid to leave her home for fear of attack.

She spoke some more, but I wasn’t paying attention. A familiar scent drifted to my nose, tickling and taunting.

Ali
. Bertie had sent his monster. He might have other friends here as well, but Ali was the only one I was worried about. She’d make short work of the humans and halfies. She only needed to take out Victoria for Bertie’s plan to work. If she killed the Queen before she signed the new constitution, he would be in charge.

Under the table, I nudged Vex’s knee with my own. I felt his fingers squeeze my leg in return. He smelled her too.

Where was she? Was she one of the humans? One of the aristos? I couldn’t turn around without looking suspicious.

And what was that other smell? I sniffed again. There was something else, and it was new. It smelled faint and sickly sweet. I couldn’t quite place it. Bloody annoying. I couldn’t determine if it was a harbinger of bad things or not.

My gaze fell on Avery, and that was when I knew Ali had shown herself. My sister stood near to Victoria, but her face was pale and her eyes were wide as she stared at someone behind where I sat. I didn’t have to turn to know whose face Ali would be wearing. There was only one that I would hesitate to hit, and it was my fault she knew that. Dede. She was wearing Dede as her disguise.

When I saw Avery’s hand reaching for her bustle, I knew things were about to heat up. “Avery,” I said, cutting off Victoria mid-sentence. “Get Her Majesty out of here, now.”

The humans were uneasy – I could see it. I could smell their delicious fear.

Victoria glared at me. “I’ll have you know that I am just as ready to fight as any of you.”

“Lady, if she kills you before those new laws get made, your mad-as-fuck son takes over and everything Albert wanted will die with you.”

She nodded. “Miss Vardan, you may escort me to the panic room.”

Panic room? Why did that surprise me?

I pushed back my chair. “Vex?”

He didn’t fight me. “I’ll take the humans.” There was no way those people would go with William. It was either Vex or Ainsley, and I didn’t know if we could trust him. Although
when he looked up, I watched the blood drain from his face. He’d seen Ali too.

And that
smell…
Oh, fuck.

“Vex, it’s the plague. He’s pumping the plague into the place through the air ducts. I can smell it.”

Vex swore, and hurried towards the humans. How much exposure did they need before the new strain kicked in? And could he get them to safety in time? Christ, two of them were already coughing.

I turned as I stood, braced for her attack as the others scattered. My job wasn’t to worry about humans. My job was to keep Ali from going after Victoria. William’s job would be to keep any friends she had with her from going after anyone else.

And she did have friends. Three of them. They looked like halfies, but then so did I.

“Be careful,” I said to William. “But take them out quickly.” He flashed fang. “As you wish.”

I was prepared to see Dede come at me, but that didn’t stop my heart from lurching when she did. Even though the smell was wrong, and the expression too severe, it was still my little sister’s face.

My hesitation got me a punch in the face that sent me flying backwards over the table. I hit the carpet on my back. Fuck. How could I have been so easily caught off my guard?

I pushed against the floor with my shoulders, bucked and came up on my feet fast. Just fast enough to kick her in the face. Now she was the one on the other side of the table.

When Ali rose, she wasn’t wearing Dede any more. She was just herself, except there was a mad gleam in her eyes and an odd twist to her mouth. She looked… well, vacant. She was
driven by the madness Bertie had put upon her. There was nothing of that naïve, scared creature who wanted me to help her, who claimed me as her mother.

I was glad that girl was gone. I wouldn’t want to kill her. This thing, though? I could kill it without remorse.

But Ali didn’t keep her own face for long. She cried out as a change overtook her. Her body contorted and spasmed as her limbs thickened and lengthened. Fur grew longer, providing added protection. Claws came out, and fangs glistened. She was an impressive sight. When she came at me, I barely dodged a swipe that would have taken the head off a bull.

This was not how I had planned it. Had I really thought it would be so simple to take her down? Of course I knew better. I reckoned it was a bit more choreographed in my head.

The next time she came at me, I jobbed her between the eyes with a hard right. It knocked her back a pace or two. She grinned.

“He wants me to kill you,” she taunted. “It’s going to feel so good to kill you and the old bitch.”

“Awww,” I whined mockingly. “Why can’t I be the bitch?”

She punched me hard in the solar plexus and I went down, gasping for breath. That was when she kicked me in the head and sent me sprawling.

I blinked. Lights danced before my eyes. Change hadn’t come yet. I hadn’t shifted. Not even my usual bit.

Maybe it had to be invited.

As I rolled out of the way of another kick and scrambled to my feet, I tried to let go of my control – just toss it away. It clung to me like a spiderweb. When she backhanded me and sent me into the wall, I looked up and saw William attending
to the last of the three opponents he’d taken on. Good, he could help me with Ali.

But Ali had no intention of waiting that long. When she came tearing at me, snarling and snapping, I knew there was only one way I could win this.

I invited change. I thought of all my loved ones, both alive and dead. I thought about goblin babies and a goblin matriarch whose blood was inside of me. I took the anger and despair – the sorrow – packed it up and tucked it aside. Those emotions sometimes triggered a shift, but this time I wanted to choose it.

I felt my bones move. My God, I could see them moving under my skin – skin that had started to grow that fine velvety fur once more.

Ali paused. Thank fuck for curiosity. “What are you doing?” Her voice was a low growl.

“What does it look like?” The words came out slurred as my jaw lengthened. Ali charged me, but I managed to dodge once again, giving me time for my claws to appear.