The Archer (The Blood Realm Series Book 3) (52 page)

“Before we vote, I would humbly remind everyone that the Queen of Air and Darkness is already here. Voting to keep her son and her daughter-in-law out would not, in effect, keep them out, but would rather have the unfortunate effect of seeing them here, but put out with us.” He gestured at Robin. “You’ve heard him say that being here is the best way to keep his wife safe. Do you really think he’s going to leave? Regardless of what we say here?”

“He has a point,” Robin admitted. “I have rather already made my decision.”

“We could make him leave,” Patricio growled. He drew his sword a few inches from its sheath, catching the firelight.

“A remarkably poor allocation of resources,” Kirill muttered. He shook his head and looked around at the others. “Gentlemen, let calmer heads prevail. What say you?”

“I want them in,” Adonis said immediately.

“Me too,” Ivy echoed.

“I believe they will be a most interesting addition,” Saamal agreed. He looked at Aiyana, who nodded regally from her seated position. “That’s another two for staying.”

The wolf pup whimpered in its sleep and Loupe hushed it, murmuring comfort. She let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Let them in,” she said finally, exhaustion dripping from every word. “It will be fine.”

Etienne rubbed a hand over his face, staring at Kirill as if he wanted to argue just because he knew Kirill was going to vote for them to stay. Finally he let out a long breath. “Let them in. The damage is done regardless.”

“My love?” Kirill asked Irina.

“I believe they should stay,” she said, giving Marian and Robin both a warm smile. “And I do hope they’ll join us for dinner sometime soon so we can make a proper second impression to mollify the dreadfulness of the first.”

“Another two in favor then,” Kirill said evenly, staring at Patricio. “Well?”

Marcela looked at her husband, then came to stand by his side. He leaned down without prompting, and she whispered something in his ear that Adonis couldn’t quite make out. Patricio growled, but then sheathed his sword, the movement unnecessarily violent. “Fine. Let them in.” He pointed at Robin. “But I will be watching you. And your mother.”

Adonis relaxed, wings sagging in relief as he patted Robin on the back. “There, see? One big, happy family.” He looked over at Etienne who was still glaring daggers at Kirill. “Er, why don’t you and Marian go wait for me outside? We’ll have dinner. Ivy?”

Ivy nodded and smiled at Robin and Marian, gesturing for them to follow her. Robin wisely didn’t press his luck, and kept his head down as he led Marian across the room and out the large double doors that would lead them down the long hallway and out of the castle.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Etienne rounded on Kirill. He opened his mouth, but Kirill raised a hand, halting him before he could speak.

“They aren’t human, wolf. Their hearing is quite good, so perhaps you could wait until they are actually out of earshot to spew whatever venom you have waiting?”

Etienne looked like he would leap at him then, the fury vibrating his skin an almost tangible force. Adonis watched, intrigued, as he thought he could see Etienne’s wolf roll beneath his skin, the promise of a lupine form just there under the surface. It didn’t matter how many times he saw it, it was always intriguing to see another form writhing underneath his skin.

Finally Kirill nodded. “They’ve gone.”

“Did your ward tell you that?” Etienne growled.

Kirill met his eyes, held them without a trace of shame. “Yes.”

“I can’t believe we let them in,” Patricio muttered. Marcela raised a hand to stroke his chest, curling herself against his side. In a rare show of insight, Patricio slid behind her, rested his large hands on her shoulders, and began kneading her muscles. Given how long she’d held her spear tonight, Adonis could only imagine how sore the former mermaid was. He wondered if changing to her air form would relieve that.

Suddenly Patricio paused, looked at Kirill. “I can’t believe you were so quiet that whole time, that you didn’t intercede, try to calm things down. What happened to your precious strategy, to controlling the situation?”

Adonis chuckled then, both because he was genuinely amused and because he knew it would irritate Patricio. “You really don’t get it do you? You have no idea what was going on. Why the queen was working so hard to start a fight, poking at everyone with a stick?”

“Oh, and you do?”

Adonis smirked. “Yes. And so does Kirill. He saw it right away, and that’s why he let it go on.”

Kirill remained silent, but Adonis was sure he saw a spark of satisfaction in his eyes. Every teacher liked to see evidence that his pupil was learning.

“Well?” Etienne demanded.

“She wants to be part of this kingdom,” Adonis explained patiently. “And she wants a position of power. Dubheasa is no dummy, she’s a strategist like Kirill. And as a strategist, what would she want before she came into this kingdom?”

“I’m not playing games, demon,” Patricio snarled. He must have tightened his hands too fast, because Marcela winced. He forced his hands open, took a deep breath. “Spit it out.”

Adonis rolled his eyes. “She wanted to understand the politics. She needed to know how strong our loyalty was to one another, who gets along, who doesn’t. Who speaks up, who watches. Who leads, who follows.” He shook his head. “And she certainly got what she wanted. All our petty problems spread out for her like a scrumptious little banquet of information.”

“And you just soaked it all up, took advantage of her prodding to gather your own information,” Etienne accused Kirill. His face darkened, his eyes glowing gold. “You haven’t changed. It’s
your
loyalties we should be questioning.” The gold in his eyes flared brighter. “Making plans to kill all of us. You talk about us being united. What kind of united council has a member plotting against other members?”

“Etienne, my plans are only a precaution. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead,” Kirill said softly.

“I would like to see you attempt it.”

“If I attempt it, you will not see me.”

“Enough!” Irina raised her hands, glaring at Etienne and her husband in equal measure. “You are acting like children.” She looked at Etienne. “The fact of the matter is that none of us can know for certain what sort of person we’ll become. Etienne, we’ve all heard the stories of werewolves going feral, killing without conscience.”

Etienne clenched his teeth. “I would never—”

“What if Loupe were murdered? Tortured, killed in front of you—”

Etienne took a step toward her, and in a flash Kirill stood between him and Irina. No weapon was visible, but there was a clear message in the tension singing in his form that suggested it would be in Etienne’s best interest to keep his distance.

“Just the suggestion is enough to move you,” Irina said calmly. “Do you see my point?”

She looked at Patricio. “Both of you have struggled with violent pasts. Patricio, you’ve only just admitted your hunger, begun to own it. I can see you struggle still. Who’s to say what could happen to strain your control?”

Patricio looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to argue, but wasn’t ready for the retaliatory arguments that might be made. Marcela patted his arm, leaned back against him.

Irina turned her gaze toward the fireplace and Saamal. “You’re a death god, and though I understand you come from a different culture, the fact remains you oversaw human sacrifice in your kingdom for a long time. And we all saw what transpired between you and the pirate. You struggled, however briefly. Perhaps having your full power again has changed you in ways even you aren’t aware of.”

Saamal returned to his seat, retrieving his glass from the table and swirling the contents. “I am not the least offended by Kirill’s precautions. If anything I find them very…interesting.”

Irina nodded. “Even Adonis, sweetheart that he is, could be a nightmare under the right circumstances. I don’t need to tell you what happens to an incubus who finds his true love and loses her.”

Ivy squeaked and it was only then that Adonis realized he’d tightened his arms, wrapped his wings and tail around her. Too hard, it seemed, because she was batting at his arm, trying to make him loosen his grip.

“I notice you didn’t paint a grim picture of the women,” Patricio said stiffly, though the way he cuddled Marcela to him suggested he hadn’t included her in the statement.

Irina rolled her eyes. “We don’t need it spelled out for us. We’re well aware of our own destructive potential.”

“So, what, Kirill is the master that holds the key to all our deaths? If this is really about being secure, then shouldn’t all of us have a plan to kill all of us?” Etienne demanded.

“You don’t have a plan to kill me?” Kirill asked, a real note of interest in his voice.

Etienne sneered. “A stake through the heart has a nice, classic feel to it.”

“Where?” Kirill inquired, his voice the epitome of academic interest.

Etienne frowned. “In the heart.”

Kirill pursed his lips. “Yes, I understand that, but where would you do it? Location? How would you get me there, how would you take me by surprise?”

Etienne remained silent and Adonis almost winced in sympathy.

Kirill sighed. “Someone else will have to kill me, I’m afraid. Such planning is beyond the wolf.”

Irina stepped forward and clapped her hands, neatly cutting off the scathing retort sizzling on Etienne’s lips. “If that’s all the business we have here, I have a contract negotiation to get back to.”

“And I have a painting that will be ruined if my colors dry out,” Ivy added. She looked wistfully into space. “Though I suspect it’s already too late for that.”

“I’ll help you make more,” Adonis promised, kissing her gently on top of her head.

“I’m done here,” Marcela muttered. She tilted her head back to look at her husband. “I want to fly home, if you’re up to it? The portal makes me nauseated.”

Patricio nodded and they both started for the door.

Aiyana took Saamal’s hand. “Will you be returning with me now?”

“I will.” Saamal looked around. “Unless there is something else that requires my attention here?”

“No,” Etienne said. Suddenly his posture relaxed. “I’ll be bringing a new candidate shortly.” He looked at Kirill. “It would be nice if you didn’t come up with a plan to kill him right away.”

Kirill smiled.

THE END

I hope you enjoyed book three of the Blood Realm series. If you haven’t yet read the series that spawned the Blood Realm, pick up a copy of
BEFORE MDNIGHT
, book one in the Blood Prince series, for FREE.

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Other Books by Jennifer Blackstream

Blood Prince Series

Before Midnight

One Bite

Golden Stair

Divine Scales

Beautiful Salvation

Additional Books Featuring Characters From the Blood Prince Series

Dead To Begin With

What Sharp Teeth You Have

The Blood Realm Series:

All for a Rose

Blue Voodoo

The Archer

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Preview of
ALL FOR A ROSE
, book one in the BLOOD REALM series

Chapter 1

“Wait, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Maribel paused and swiped a hand across her sweat-dampened brow, leaving behind a thick trail of mud as the earth from her hands happily clung to her skin and the lock of brown hair that had pasted itself to her forehead. She squinted at the book propped up on a tomato plant in front of her, pointing to the faded words with her gardening spade.

“Mountain arnica… Paste made from its leaves eases bruising and muscle pain… Poisonous if it comes in contact with the skin.” Maribel tapped her knee with the spade, ignoring the clumps of dirt that flung themselves with wild abandon in every direction. “Well, which is it? Does rubbing it into bruised skin heal you or kill you?” She plucked a cherry tomato from the plant beside her, chewing savagely as she glared at the text.

One didn’t get this sort of ambiguity with cooking. A plant had a certain flavor and that flavor mixed with other flavors, lending its unique qualities to the overall experience of the dish. There was no question on whether or not something was poisonous, it either killed you or it didn’t. Maribel snared another cherry tomato, admiring the sleek, perfect red skin before popping it into her mouth. The frustrating herb lesson faded from her mind as her taste buds sang their praise of the sweet flavor that only came from sun-ripened fruit. Her gaze slid to the side, snagging on the thin beige shoots that stuck out of the ground in the garlic patch, letting her know the small bulbs were ready to harvest. Sliced tomato sprinkled with minced garlic and drizzled with olive oil. A dash of salt and pepper, perhaps some finely grated cheese…