The Queen's Dance (Emerging Queens) (11 page)

Nidhogg, was he sweating? He was acting like he wanted to talk her out of it, but she knew he was into her. If she hadn’t passed out, they’d already be lovers. The thought of that sent a throb of longing through her. “Why don’t we try a little experiment? There has to be a secluded area somewhere around here.”

“You couldn’t have come up with this before we left Burlington? Or my boat?”

“I didn’t want Casimiro to watch, and you were in no mood this morning.”

“I could’ve gotten in the mood.”

“Can you get in the mood now?”

“What do you think?” He took her hand and pressed it into the hard bulge tenting his kilt.

Margery’s breath caught. “I think you need to become my consort in deed rather than in words, and I get to find out if you’re a true Scotsman.”

“If the press gets photos of us doing this…”

“I’m not planning on running for office. How about you?”

Remy laughed. “All right,
chérie
, you can have your way with me. Let me see if I can find us a hiking trail that isn’t crawling with Cub Scouts or something.”

Margery leaned up and kissed around his ear and neck. “Better hurry,” she said, darting her tongue around the shell of his ear. “Or we can fool around inside the truck on the side of the road.”

“Damn Samaritans would probably stop and see if they could help.”

He tasted cool and fresh like sunlight on the lake. She tested her teeth on his exposed neck.

“Margery,” he warned, pulling her in closer.

She pressed little kisses over his jawline, and when she pushed her hand up his kilt, he pulled the truck off the road again.

“Why didn’t I buy a van?” he asked, throwing the truck into park and hauling her astride him. He kissed her like she was a drug he couldn’t get enough of. Her hands were pulling up his shirt, and he released her mouth only to help her get it over his head.

“Not how I pictured our first time. It should be more…” His head smacked back on the headrest when she ground down on his lap. He swore fluently in French and opened his driver’s side door. He carried her out of the truck. Margery wrapped her legs around his waist as he jumped down an embankment so they were out of view of the road. He vanished his kilt with a wave of his hand and pressed her against a tree.

“Take this off. Take it all off,” he muttered, kissing her as his hands slid up her sweater.

The shade from the tree didn’t block out the sun, but she shivered. “Oh,” she gasped against his mouth. His fingers pulled down her bra. They were shaking. Margery felt the darkness slipping over her.

“No,” she cried out helplessly.

“What?” He lifted his head up.

Margery heard him say, “Why?” as she faded out of consciousness.

Chapter Ten

Margery came back to awareness to the sound of arguing.

“What did you do to her, you cretin?” Casimiro said, the outrage in his voice vibrating through her.

She was being carried in Remy’s arms, and they tightened around her. “She’s doing too much. She needs to recover.”

I’m fine
, Margery tried to say, but it was hard to speak, even harder to open her eyes.

“Guys?” Viola said, her voice far away.

“You are a liability and a fraud. Get out of here. Go jump in a lake where you belong.” Casimiro tried to take her from Remy, but Remy’s body reacted, and Casimiro yelped in pain. “You’ll pay for that, you little pissant.”

“Guys!” Viola shouted. “Take her outside. She needs the sun. I can see her spirit fading in the weave.”

Wind blew against Margery’s face as Remy raced with her somewhere. She felt him kick a door off its hinges, and then she was in the sun again. Her eyes opened.

“Remy,” she croaked. “I’m sorry.”

“Shh,” he told her.

“Put her down,” Casimiro roared. He limped after them.

Remy sat her in a white wrought-iron chair. They were in a park of some sort, only there were huge buildings surrounding it. It looked like a college campus, but more businesslike. She could see a labyrinth and stone statues of dragons of all shapes and sizes.

“Where are we?”

“New York. In Reed’s compound,” Viola said, kneeling next to her. “Are you all right, honey?”

Margery nodded.

“Of course she’s not all right.” Casimiro sank to his knees beside her as well.

“I’m okay, Cas,” she said. “I just overdid it. Like Remy said.”

“You need to be in bed.”

“I’ve been asleep this entire time.” Margery tried to stand up, but it was a little awkward when Casimiro refused to move off his knees in front of her. He gave her a seductive smile and let his gaze wander over her.

“Get up.” She smacked him. “Give me some room.”

“I’ll give you everything you need,
corazoncito
. Unlike some others.”

“What I need is to have Reed’s files.”

“He told me to give you this.” Viola handed her a mug of tea.

“Oh!” Margery wrapped her hands around it and took an appreciative sniff. Earl Grey. Maybe Reed wasn’t all bad.

Viola showed her a new MacBook Air while Margery drank in the fragrant scent of ginger-peach black tea.

“Shiny,” Margery said in approval, sipping her hot tea. “This is very generous of him,” she added with a sidelong glance at Remy, whose face was back into its stone mask.

Viola snorted. “It’s a bribe. He wants the doctors to look you over. He thinks the prisoners injected you with something and that’s what’s causing you not to be able to shift.”

“Can he bring them out here so I can talk to them?”

“He’s questioning them right now. The doctors should be here any minute.”

“Where’s Sergei?”

“He’s helping Reed with the ‘questioning.’” Viola made air quotes.

“What about Carolyn?”

“She’s on the phone with either Arianna or Mei Hua. I distinctly heard the phrases ‘suck it up, buttercup’ and ‘bring that shit to me,’ so I decided to come out here where it’s safe.”

Casimiro shifted into his dragon form. “I will protect the Queens. Join me, Chump, and we’ll provide a fearsome defense.”

Remy ignored his jibe and laid his hands on Margery’s shoulders, softly massaging them. She leaned her cheek against his hand while Casimiro preened and primped, but when he realized he was being ignored pushed into the air and flew above their heads in a protective circle.

“So what do you know about the sky dance?” Margery asked Viola.

“Never heard of it. But Reed has some experts flying in to show you.”

Remy’s hands tightened on her shoulders.

The doctors were also dragons, and once they realized that Margery needed to be outside, the garden bustled with more dragons in various forms setting up an outdoor examination room.

Margery powered up the computer and started reading through Reed’s files. He was anal-retentive about his paperwork, and she was impressed, in spite of herself, by his thoroughness. Even though the victims were human, he was taking the investigation seriously.

She checked through all the dead women to see if one of them was Bella. All of the women died carrying dragon eggs, but Margery didn’t see anyone she recognized. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or not that Bella wasn’t in Reed’s files. On the one hand, it meant that she might still be alive. Of course on the other hand, it could also mean they’d buried her body where no one would ever find her. Margery hoped for the best.

After that quick glance of pictures that would haunt her dreams for days, she opened up the dossiers on each of her attackers. They were common thugs with nothing in common. She was about to click on the warehouse files when Remy grumbled a warning as one of the doctors came closer.

“Hello, my Queen. I am Dr. Able. Is your consort here?” a handsome, dark-skinned man asked. His voice had a hint of an English accent. He wore the requisite doctor’s lab coat and a male nurse followed him.

Remy growled, and the male nurse fled. “I am Queen Margery’s consort,” Remy said.

“Then you’ll want to be present for the examination.”

“Um.” Margery was about to protest, but the look of sheer fury Remy shot her had her swallowing it. “Right.” She hopped up on the large examination table. They were inside a makeshift pavilion, but the roof flapped open, and the sun touched everything inside.

“I’ll take the sky patrol so no perverts look in,” Viola said and shifted into the three-headed dragon Margery recognized from her rescue.

“No funny stuff, Doc, or I’ll bite your arm off,” the red goat head said.

“Just ignore her,” the white horse head said. “She’s off her meds.”

“Don’t worry, Margery,” the violet head said in Viola’s voice. “You’re safe here. You’ve got Champ and me, and even though Casimiro may be a grade-A louse, he won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I need you to shift into your dragon form,” Able said to Margery when Viola took to the sky.

Margery watched her in longing and stretched herself up to join her. It felt like a giant hand slapped her back down to Earth. She saw stars, and the blackness threatened.

“Margery,” Remy cried and reached over to cradle her upper body in his arms.

“I’m okay,” she said, closing her eyes and feeling the sun melt away the darkness.

“Hmm,” Able said. “I’m going to do a host of diagnostics. I need to take blood and urine. I’m also going to set up an EKG to get a baseline. Tell me who your human doctor was, and I’ll get your records from him.”

It took the rest of the day, poking, prodding, and peeing in a cup. Margery was hooked up to monitors and had electrodes taped to her body. When the sun started to set, she began to shiver uncontrollably.

“I think it’s best that you stay exposed to the sky,” Able said. “I’ll have the studs bring out some bedding so you and your court can stay out here for the night.”

After a brief meeting, Casimiro shifted back to human form to carry in several mattresses. Two men behind him brought in silk coverings, pillows, and puffy-looking comforters. The pavilion was starting to resemble something out of Arabian Nights.

“I am Rathin, a naga.” One of the men bowed to her. He was dressed like an Indian prince, and he offered her a box of jewels. The emerald was as big as an egg, and several sapphires and rubies winked back at her. “My tribute to Queen Margery for allowing me to serve in her court for this night.”

Margery was a little confused, but she figured Reed had arranged this. She didn’t mind the extra bodyguards, but it was a little strange that she was going to bunk down with her old lover, her future lover, and some strange men.

“I am Seriah, a sky dragon.” The other held out his hand as if to shake hers, but when his fingers clasped hers, he pressed a Smooshie doll into her hands. Margery stared at it in shock. Remy lunged at Seriah, wrestling him to the ground.

“I don’t understand,” Seriah said. “I was told the Queen favored the toys.”

Casimiro plucked it out of her hands.

“Who told you that?” Remy demanded, slamming Seriah’s head against the ground.

“Remy, stop,” Margery said.

Casimiro slit open the doll with a talon, and dragon feathers fluttered to the ground, along with a chunk of plastic explosive and wires. Remy shifted, tackling Margery in his coils. She had just enough time to scream before every part of her was enveloped by him. Blind, deaf, she fought down panic. What the hell was happening?

Rolling, Remy took the pavilion with him as the explosion blew him back several yards.

“Margery,” he whispered.

She could feel him against her, knew that his scales had protected her from the shrapnel and the heat. It burned, and she could almost taste the magic that sprouted up from the explosive. He continued to roll, protecting her—until he hit a building.

“Are you okay?” she whispered back.

“Are you?”

She had to take a mental inventory.

Commandos poured out of the building, but Remy didn’t shift back. They either hopped over him or went around.

“Say something to me,” he begged.

“What the hell was that?” Her voice was smothered, and he loosened his coils up slightly so she could peek her head up at him.

“That was war.” Remy trembled.

Was this how they killed Cassandra?

“Was it the Cult of Humanity?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

Chapter Eleven

Remy watched Casimiro, bloody and battered, nearly commit suicide by Reed when he launched himself at the black dragon. Reed swatted him away as if he were a fly. Both dragons were outside in full form.

“You said she would be secure here.” Casimiro peeled himself off a tree, dropping into a crouch.

“It’s under investigation,” Reed said, flaring up to his full height.

“Well, your prime witness is dead,” Casimiro said. “There was dragon magic in that bomb. It nearly killed all of us.”

“Who sent Seriah?” Margery asked. She was the only one in human form among the chaos. Remy had forced her to sit down on him, and he snaked around her like an enormous python. Any other assassin would have to go through him to get to her.

“I did,” Reed said.

“You bastard.” Casimiro prepared for another attack.

Remy scanned the area looking for threats. He’d feel a lot more comfortable if he could get Margery inside. He was making damned sure they were heading back to Vermont tomorrow morning and letting Reed’s crew handle the investigation. It wasn’t worth losing a Queen over this drug nonsense. He wasn’t a cop or a fed. He was a fisherman and a trapper. This was over his head, and Margery was underestimating the dangers. Staying here didn’t seem like such a great idea, especially since he’d taken damage from the bomb, too. He’d be fine as soon as he was back in Lake Champlain. Until then, he was vulnerable. And if he was vulnerable, so was Margery.

It burned his ass, but he was going to need some help. It was going to kill him to do it, but Casimiro was the only one who was as ballistic about the situation as he was.

“Wait,” Carolyn called, running out of the building and shifting as soon as she was free of the door.

“I told you to stay away until we cleared the debris,” Reed said.

“So you did,” she said, flapping up to meet him face-to-face. “But Reed’s lying about who sent Seriah.”

“Carolyn,” he growled.

“It was me. I set you up with Rathin and Seriah. Rathin I knew from my human days. Seriah was a friend of Niall’s. I never thought he would try to harm you.”

“I don’t think he did it intentionally,” Rathin said. “I had a few moments to speak with him this afternoon, and he seemed rather dim.”

“It could have been an act,” Remy said. It took serious mojo to put dragon magic into a bomb guaranteed to do destructive damage to everything it hit. Seriah had taken the brunt of it, which decimated him into pieces and sent his essence into the weave. It smacked of Queen magic, which meant Margery was finished with her investigation whether she liked it or not.

Rathin shrugged. “Seriah was from Hawaii. All he talked about was the waves and curls. He called me ‘brah.’ He was looking forward to taking Margery to Maui for a surfing convention and then to flying over the volcanoes, because that would be ‘totes rad.’”

“It still could have been an act,” Remy said, racking his brain to remember which Queen ruled over Hawaii. He thought it was Esmeralda—Reed’s mother.

“Then Seriah was a damn fine actor,” Rathin said. “And that’s the other thing. His tribute wasn’t that stupid doll.”

“What was it?” Reed growled.

“He was going to give her a lei of flowers and a shark tooth anklet, but when he saw my gift, he was ‘bummed out.’ I lost track of him for a few hours, and he came back in better spirits and smelling of marijuana.”

Margery shook her head. “He didn’t smell like marijuana. It always makes me sick to my stomach. I would’ve ralphed on his Tevas if he’d been smoking.”

Rathin sniffed around. “Maybe it wore off, my Queen.”

“Maybe.” Margery didn’t sound convinced.

“Sergei and Viola have flown out to confront Smythe to see what he has to say for himself,” Reed said.

“This is my investigation,” Margery said.

The hell it is.
His coils tightened protectively around her.

“Someone just tried to kill a Queen in my territory. It’s now
my
investigation.” Reed turned his baleful glare on her. Margery cuddled deeper into Remy’s coils, and he was torn between snapping at the black dragon to back off and applauding his stance.

“Do you need to go back in the water or change back to human?” Margery muttered to Remy. “Your scales feel dry and scratchy.”

“I’m fine, my Queen,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument.

“What did the prisoners say?” she asked Reed.

“They did not inject you with any drugs or poisons while you were in their possession.”

“Did they say who they worked for?”

“They worked with a French Canadian customs agent calling himself Inspector Javert.”

Remy snorted.

“Wait? Like in
Les Mis
?” Margery slumped. “That’s an alias. What was his real name?”

“Your pirates aren’t schooled in Victor Hugo,” Reed drawled. “They took him for his word.”

“So we’re looking for an Inspector Javert in Quebec by the Rue du Rivoli?” Margery cried.

Despite the situation, Remy had to stifle a chuckle.

“
We’re
not looking anywhere, my Queen.
My
agents are following that lead.
You
are quarantined until you can fly, and then we finish the strengthening of Champ’s defenses in Vermont.”

He was glad Reed was drawing the line. It would take some of the heat from him when he pretty much echoed the sentiment. The only thing he’d have a problem with was if they tried to stop him from leaving with her tomorrow.

“You can’t quarantine me, I’m a Queen,” Margery said, looking to Carolyn for confirmation.

“I would never consider refusing a Queen’s wishes, but I have a doctor’s report that you are contagious, and until we find a cure, we risk having all dragons lose their power of flight and ability to shift.”

Aside from him, the only dragons that didn’t flinch away from her were Reed and Carolyn.

Idiots.

“
Corazoncito
, I am going to find you a penthouse apartment. I’ll be back to take you there once the deal is complete. You can be in the sun and sky all you wish. I will return.” Casimiro flew out of there like his tail was on fire.

Well, there went his backup. Remy shook his head. Casimiro would be back, and they could fight about where Margery was going later.

“I, too, would like to assist you,” Rathin said, backing away from her.

Margery fake sneezed, and Rathin jumped like a frightened cat. Remy didn’t like the punk, but that could have just been the foul mood he was in.

“I am going to see if I can get you a sponsor. I know Mercedes is looking for a dragon representative. Perhaps L’Oréal? You do have great skin. I’ll be in touch.” Rathin slithered away before Remy could tell him not to bother.

With all the other studs gone, Remy shifted back into human form. He secured Margery to his side when she stumbled from the loss of his bulk. “Where are we staying tonight?” he asked Reed, emphasizing the last word.

“We’re securing a rooftop and putting up a no-fly zone.”

“This is bullshit,” Margery said.

“I know,” Reed admitted. “But if it buys us some time to find who is trying to kill you, I’m willing to take the risk.”

“It must have been a drake. One of the ones that got away,” Remy said.

Reed’s face showed what he thought of the idea that a mere drake could undermine his security.

One that was backed by a Queen could probably do it. It all pointed to Esmeralda. Sanctioned or not, she still had power.

“Someone gave Seriah the Smooshie. That means someone knew I was here and what I was after,” Margery said. “Who had that knowledge?”

Carolyn flew back. “I hate to say this, Reed, but Arianna knew.”

Esmeralda’s daughter.

Reed swiveled his big head to glare down at her. “You aren’t suggesting Arianna tried to assassinate Margery? Even
you
wouldn’t be so spiteful over a hall of moldy books.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t,” Carolyn said, buzzing her wings. “I’m trying to figure out what’s more offensive in that statement. The ‘even you’ or the ‘moldy books’ or maybe the assumption that I’m accusing Arianna of trying to kill a fellow Queen. I’ll spell it out for you, ace, since thinking doesn’t seem to be your strong point. We had to get Arianna’s permission for Margery to be here. Arianna and I had an argument. Anyone could have listened in.”

“It was just her and Jack in the room.” Reed said between his impressive teeth. “You spoke on a secured line.”

“We were yelling at each other,” Carolyn cried. “I’m so sorry, Margery. I think this is all my fault.”

“Maybe in the future you will be more careful,” Reed said.

Remy hated the way Carolyn wilted. She drifted back down to earth and changed back to human. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to Margery and walked inside with her chin up. Remy could see that it was shaking with the effort.

Prick.

Reed glared at him as if he heard the thought.

On second thought, there was no way they were spending any night under Reed’s care. Remy just had to play it cool so the big dragon didn’t suspect anything. They were on Reed’s turf and completely outnumbered.

“I’d like to get Margery inside until the roof is secure,” Reed interrupted his thoughts. “The doctors have assured me that she is strong enough to be away from the sun, as long as she doesn’t strain her powers.”

“What powers?” she grumbled.

Remy nodded, guiding her toward the main building.

“I’d actually like to get the hell out of here.” Margery dug in her feet to stop the forward motion. “Reed has a leak. They know where I am. They have to know I’m still alive. They’re going to try again—or is that what you’re hoping for?”

“I don’t use Queens as bait,” Reed said.

“Then let me go.”

“Where are you going? Back to Vermont? It’s a long drive, and your protector needs to rest.”

Margery bit her lip and looked at Remy.

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Let’s go.”

“You don’t look fine.” She touched his temple and mouth. “I can see the strain in your face.”

“I’m fine,” he repeated. “My truck is out back.”

Reed said, “Your truck is compromised. Assume the enemy knows it. You don’t want to be ambushed in the middle of your journey.”

Damn the bastard, but he has a point.

Margery stepped between them. “Actually, I’d like to talk to the pirates that captured me. That’s what we came here for.”

“They aren’t in any condition to talk to you.”

“Take me to the prisoners.” Margery glared at him.

“One moment.” Reed bowed his head and took off into the sky.

Remy tensed and darted his gaze all over the compound. It was just the two of them. If Reed was going to pull something, he’d do it now.

“Think he’s going to refuse to let me see them?” Margery asked.

Remy shook his head. “You gave him an order. Only Carolyn could stop him from obeying.”

“What if I’m not powerful enough of a Queen to command a freaking black dragon? This is his turf. Reed’s ancient and a predator.”

“Then it’s good we find out now.” Remy had one last fight in him, and he’d make sure it counted. But he had to make sure she had a replacement. “You need to name Casimiro your protector.”

“Cas? I don’t think he wants that job. He wants consort. And he’s not getting it,” she assured him, by patting his arm.

Remy fought down the pleasure and surge of possessiveness her words gave him. Now was not the time to get distracted.

“I think Queen Esmeralda might be behind this,” Remy said in a low voice and told her his theory.

“This just makes my news story even more important,” Margery said.

Remy’s eyes almost crossed in vexation. “Just the opposite. Drop it. Reed will handle it through the proper channels.”

“Screw the proper channels, and screw him. The elder Queens can’t do shit like this anymore.”

“Who’s going to stop her? You and me?”

“And Casimiro.” She leaned forward.

Remy gritted his teeth. “You’re a naive idiot.”

“Don’t you call me an idiot, you jerk. You’re so used to kissing these bitches’ asses you can’t see past your nose.”

“I don’t kiss Queens’ asses,” he snarled. “Certainly not yours.”

“Good,” Margery fired back. “She thinks she can scare me off? That means I’m close. Don’t you get it?”

“Close to being dead. Look, you want to do this? Fine. You need a court of protectors and a base that we can fortify and protect.”

“How many women will have to die before that happens?” She grabbed his arm and shook it.

They stared at each other. Remy controlled his temper by taking deep breaths through his nose. Margery’s eyes were blue lightning, and they were inches from each other. He wasn’t sure if she was going to belt him one or kiss him.

“Fewer than will die if you get assassinated,” he said when he could speak without shouting at her.

“I’m a New York journalist with my teeth in a story. Esmeralda doesn’t stand a chance.” She smiled at him.

Remy just shook his head at her cluelessness.

The door to the compound opened, and Reed, who had shifted back into his human guise, held the door open for them. “Follow me.”

Margery shuddered as they walked down the stone staircase to the basement levels. Remy put a hand on her shoulder. “Steady,” he whispered.

“I refuse to be claustrophobic. I just hope my brain is listening,” she whispered back.

A fierce tug at his heart was the only warning he got that not only would he slay dragons for her, he was starting to fall for her stubborn ass.

The camera-laden hallway tracked their progress as Reed activated a retinal scan to open up the first door. Margery jumped as the door slammed behind them.

“Easy,
chérie
,” Remy murmured, stroking his hand down her arm.

Pressing his palm against the panel at the far end of the hallway opened up another door, and Reed strode through. Remy was feeling a little
Mission: Impossible
when they finally entered the cell block. Most of the jail cells were empty. Reed walked to the middle of the section and waited for her. The first that was occupied held two unconscious, badly wounded men. He could see the acid corrosion on their lower limbs. If they survived, they would be forever marked.