by Erin R Flynn
“It will be a team effort but my dreams have told me that’s what I need to do,” Inez muttered, studying the map and even leaning in closer. That wasn’t enough and she moved to her own chair to kneel on to get closer… Missing that we could all see down her romper. “Okay, so connecting Great Salt Lake to Utah Lake on the way to the coven won’t mess horribly with Salt Lake City.”
I lost the thread for a moment but then shook off my lust. “Yes, the city is mostly east of where you’re looking.” I realized why she had been so focused on doing new trains and machines for roads. “You eventually want to make new lines and highways to connect up your areas with ease and bridge the river, as you’ll disrupt the highways and rail lines already there.”
She nodded. “Plus, no one’s done anything for six years now. They’ll need upkeep or replacing if we’ll ever get back to some idea of normal. We don’t need anywhere near as much as we did if seventy percent of people are gone, so downsize the cities, return towns back to nature, and rebuild what we need to. That’s our current plan.” She sat back and sighed. “And I think I need to make some changes to deals.”
“Oh? How so?” Nora asked, her eyes wary.
She held up her finger as Kristof joined us, leaning in to give him a kiss. “Thank you for the milk. The whipped cream on the pancakes Nick made was amazing.”
“I’m glad you’re happy, My Princess,” he murmured, pushing back her hood and running his fingers through her hair. She turned so he could see her necklace and he smiled, biting his finger and putting his blood on the ring and her skin. “Thank you for accepting my ring.”
“Thank you for loving me and giving me one,” she said back, gasping as his blood affected her. “Will you join us? I have an idea to maybe improve on what we sort of started last night.”
“Will you sit on my lap?” He smiled when she nodded. “Then of course I will.”
She snorted as she stood so he could sit. “You would even if I said no, because you like to help.”
I swallowed a snort, seeing Sisay and Tian felt about the same as they joined us. Several others did, along with most of the princesses listening at the next table over, while Nora, Matilda, Hanna, and Leonor pulled up chairs to our table.
For the next ten minutes I listened to her wisely and intelligently outline her idea of pairing up friends with people she didn’t know, instead of letting three have a certain area that she didn’t doubt, and then worry about others that weren’t as clear in their intentions.
“But you’ve already promised us the islands and some of Seattle,” Nora reminded her.
“Yeah, I’m not taking that away,” she promised. “If you team up with two other covens Sebastian will be boss of, as you’re the powerhouse or whatever. You will be in charge of this project here but you will also get the surrounding areas: everything along this path to Salt Lake City and then Vancouver once what I need is cleared.”
“So more but split it,” she muttered, nodding her head. “But we take on more responsibility and time managing.”
“Yes, but then they’ll piss off two of us if they misbehave,” Inez chuckled. “Plus, I will throw in all of Columbus to control which has a clock on it if the humans will get to it. Those teams get the weapons, power, and gas stuff out… But then the rest is yours to send back to whomever in your coven you have to remake it all into new stuff.” She rolled her eyes when Nora raised a brow. “If Darius and Jaxon can, other nobles can too.”
“She really is bright,” Matilda muttered under her breath at a level most couldn’t hear.
“Yes, and kind, which worries me she will be taken advantage of, and she’ll cut us all off and fire the large weapons if anyone comes back,” Hanna replied.
“Now Hanna’s the bigger powerhouse, right?” Inez asked, completely serious and not realizing how insulting that was because she didn’t have the ego. Hanna snickered but nodded. “Okay, so we talked about wittle Grand Forks for the three of you to have teams at while others clear out those problem areas. How about you team up with three other covens and take over Salt Lake City?
“You have those other teams there, which is much bigger, and you control the other groups risking both our wrath if they misbehave. And once all my stuff is cleared, you can have Indianapolis that’s on the clock. And Matilda gets Cincinnati right away as soon as my stuff is cleared out, with say two or three partners since Jacob will be doing all the train stuff.”
“The ship,” James muttered.
“Right, we found another nuclear powered massive cargo ship,” she informed us like she’d found a lucky coin, leaning over and tapping the map at St. Louis. “So we put it there and you can sail it all out down the Mississippi and away from the crazy humans if you do it fast. We’ll let you use it for now after I fix it, and maybe you can have it after Cerdic becomes mine officially and we’re family, we’ll see.
“But you can also have St. Louis and Nashville as long as you get it all out and fast. Same deal as before, you raid one day for me for every two for you, and you handle the energy beads. I’m also fine with a bit of hunting now and again to help your covens, as long as we’re being really, really careful protecting the populations. We can get the smaller cities and towns later, but hit the big ones first.”
“Most would never think to ever allow that,” Hanna admitted, not hiding her shock well.
Inez snorted. “My coven isn’t even four thousand, and that’s including the clans I’ve accepted at outposts. Now, keep in mind that you can’t just take everything out from under them, as they’ll be staying there, but these are huge cities and—there’s enough of for everyone if we do it right and do it well.”
Later in the day, Hanna updated her on the plane landing in Grand Forks after Matilda sent two of her nobles to handle what they discussed after finding fuel. Inez nodded along and then called the meeting, not waiting for their replies, as she knew there would be a lot of posturing and back and forth but she was offering them a huge chance and they would take it.
I watched as she went off with Kristof who wanted a bit more of her attention. They ducked down a hall and she let him touch her right there, thinking no one was watching or around, but Kristof knew, smirking at me as he fingered his princess because she let him.
She let them do whatever they wanted to her, soaking up the attention, and smiling that they were happy. After playing with Kristof, she went off with Cerdic who—from what I could tell—worked with her on tai chi and a bit of emotional cleansing.
It seemed to really help her… And she rewarded him with hot sex when he wanted it.
Then she let Jaxon shower her again, as her workout had made her sweaty and I could hear her cries of passion from the hallway, wanting her to make those sounds for me.
She handled the ghosts and used that energy to do so, so much that it was crazy to really think about. She ate lunch as she did, excited about the leftover crab made into salad like it was the best thing she’d ever tasted.
She was so grateful and I’d never known a princess to act that way, instead simply demanding and reprimanding if they didn’t get everything they wanted. And the kicker was she completely didn’t understand how special she was.
When they finished fixing what she should, I followed when Darius whisked her off to a neighborhood in Everett that had already been cleared out. She kissed him and hurried to undo his jeans.
“Does it bother you that you’re not my Night?” she asked him, her voice worried. “That I don’t love you most when it was just us to start?”
“No, not at all,” he swore to her, cupping her face and meeting her tear-filled gaze. “No, Inez, I promise.” He swallowed loudly and hugged her. “It might kill me if you loved one of them more than me. I get how nobles wither and die because they aren’t loved, but I swear to you that it doesn’t bother me that you love us equally. You do. We know that.”
“I do, I promise,” she rasped. “I could never choose one of you or pick who I loved most. I love
all of you so much. Please believe me.”
“I do.” He gasped when she dropped to her knees. “Inez, no, a princess never kneels for anyone.”
“A wife can for her husband,” she whispered, undoing his fly. “I won’t do it all yet, I promise. I know you want to build me a castle to deserve it, you crazy man.” She took him out and stroked him before nuzzling his groin. “Can I feed from you?”
“Yes, always, yes, my love,” he breathed, cupping her head as she bit his upper thigh while stroking him. He moved his fist in his mouth to keep quiet as he orgasmed. She drank a bit more, drawing out his pleasure, and then licked the bite, still stroking his dick as she smiled up at him.
“Make love to me? Please?” she whimpered, begged really, and I watched as she completely gave herself to him. She gave him—all of them—everything, every piece of her.
I wanted that love. I wanted to know that trust and connection.
I wanted her.
I needed to make her mine, even if I had to share her with a hundred others as her heart was big enough that there was no limit to her love.
10
Darius was extra affectionate and loving after I showed him what I’d done to Kristof that had been such a hit. He was so sweet as he took me, praising me, loving me with all he had, that I hoped he knew how much I truly treasured him and what we shared.
When we were done I leveled a whole neighborhood in Everett, the progress pretty good for not even a full day really. But then I was wiped, completely and totally.
“You’re pushing too hard,” Inez,” Darius worried as he swung me up in my arms.
“Sorry, just wanted to help,” I muttered as I snuggled up to him. I was out a few moments but then I heard another voice and swam to the surface a bit.
“You are a very lucky man,” Moon told Darius. “She is truly perfection as you all call her.”
“She is, but you shouldn’t have seen her kneel.”
“You have my word I will never speak of it. She gives herself freely because she loves you and is pure, I would never wish her to know cruelness and lose that.”
“She’s known a lot of cruelness but refuses to let it change her,” Darius argued. “I thank you for keeping it to yourself.”
“I thank you for not hiding her from me and letting me see her pleasure.”
“You like her and I would never block a noble from courting her as long as she’s not shut them down. I worry about Tian.”
“She didn’t deny him,” Moon said firmly. “She interjected and told him to hold off because of the craziness with all the others there. I would not—and he did not—take that as a formal rejection. There is no bad blood there.”
“Good. Shocking because she killed him, but speaking as someone she shot and still wanted her, I get it.”
“Yes, she is one of a kind.”
I dozed then but was still in Darius’s arms and woke with a start. The dream I’d had rode me hard and the temperature change was a bit disorienting, as it was much warmer—which was the only excuse I had for what I did.
He set me on my feet and asked me if I was okay, but I pulled away, shaking my head. I only had eyes for one of the princesses, grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face me.
And punching her squarely in the face. Just for good measure, I did it again.
“Inez, love, what’s going on?” Cerdic worried as he slid between me and her. “They’ve all agreed to your deal and have grouped up.”
“Move,” I ordered, and he did, sighing. I stood over the princess, who was now on the ground, holding her face. “You fucking asshole. Leave. Get out of here before I shoot you.”
“For what, you little bitch?” she hissed, rolling to her feet.
“For planning to go to Branko’s mother and tell her all of what I have so you can use that for an alliance with her and get him,” I snapped, her eyes going wide. “Yeah, I saw it all just like I’ve seen other stuff. You think there’s gotta be cities like we have in Russia as they were hit hard too. You get in with her and you have full access not partial with Hanna controlling you.
“Fuck you. She’s offering to help. Your ego is so fucking big and for what? You able to help people? You have this that you can offer? No, right? But you think you’re such the fucking shit that you should just have it. You’re prettier than me and older and smarter and whatever else you think, but guess what? You don’t have it. You would have to cheat and spy to force him to be yours.
“They’re not fucking cars to trade for the coolest model! They are people. He’s a person. He’s a nice person who cares. What is wrong with you that you don’t see that?” I sneered at her. “You need a real look in the mirror, because the only way you could get him is to sell out someone for that deal you think you can make. That’s pathetic. You’re fucking pathetic and I pity those in your coven.”
She launched for me but then I couldn’t see her. It took me a second to realize Kristof appeared in front of me and blocked me.
And he wasn’t the only one.
Branko, Tian, Moon, Cerdic, and Sisay had moved to block me. Even Sebastian and Jacob were closer than they had been when I’d first hit her.
Wow.
“How dare you stand in my path,” she seethed. “You’re a relic from a disgraced house who found an idiot to puppet who likes your legendary cock. Lots of us have fucked it. So what? What does she really give you that the rest of us didn’t?”
“Respect,” he answered. “She respects us, which is why nobles not even hers moved to protect her.”
“You’re so grounded if you slept with women around me and didn’t warn me,” I grumbled, knowing he heard.
“I had forgotten,” he sighed. “It wasn’t memorable and I had a lot of wine that night. I thought she was the blacksmith’s daughter I found sexy when I let her in my room.”
The noise she made was something between a screech and something so high-pitched, it might have broken glass.
“And my mother wouldn’t ever make such an alliance but trick you into agreeing to be adopted,” Branko told her. “You blew a chance with Inez, but still I warn you, because I would not wish my mother upon my worst enemy. You cannot reason or use logic with her madness.”
“And I’m not a puppet,” I said as I darted out from around them. “How can you reduce someone to their dick and seriously look down your nose at others? There’s something wrong with you in the head.” I looked at Branko. “I’m sorry I left it open. Ask me. Let her know before we kick her back to wherever.”
“Really?” he whispered.
I flushed red hot and nodded. “Of course. I just like how we were… It was fun. I didn’t mean to belittle you or act like you were a dirty secret I wouldn’t claim.”
“I know.” He knelt before me. “Princess, I am Branko of the house Dranga, and I submit a formal request to court you.”
“I accept,” I whispered, sliding to sit on his thigh and moving my arms around him. He got the idea and kissed me, gently at first, but then he kicked up the heat.
And then it got a lot hotter as his hands found my ass as he stood with me. He spun us around, smiling widely. “You really accepted. I was worried you’d get scared at the new older nobles that showed up and would back away from me.”
“No, I would miss you,” I admitted. “But now I want more from you than taping books for me.” I leaned back and stared into his sexy eyes. “Think we could have that date tonight? Maybe start a new book with some chaperons? We keep having so much crazy and you were here while I was handling the tree and recovering.”
“I missed you too,” he murmured against my lips. “And yes, I would love that.” He set me on my feet and moved protectively in front of me. “She’s my princess now. You go to my mother and try to make a deal to hurt Inez, and I will cut down your entire court in retribution.”
“Wait, it’s not their fault if she’s a bitch, that’s not fair,” I whispered. “They wouldn’t get a say in anything if she’s so me
an to nobles. I feel bad for the ones that get trapped.”
“They made the decision.”
I shook my head and hugged him. “You know people can be mean and add weight to the scales. Olivia was all ready to try to throw the Wessex weight around, use Cerdic as a bargaining chip. Others would do that too. Or like Eddie is young and his mom tried to force him. That’s not fair. Don’t punish the nobles who might be stuck with her.”
“As you wish, My Princess,” he agreed after a moment.
Kristof snorted. “Yeah, we puppet her, truly, we do. Leave. Go back to your little coven in Salzburg and do not step foot in any of the lands my princess has claimed.”
“And as a neighbor of yours, I would think it wise not to betray her when she will take one of ours as hers,” Hanna warned. “Our alliance is already stronger than any we had, so be smart and quietly lick your wounds instead of risking all you have.”
She sneered at me when I peeked around at her. “I refuse to believe you are Aether’s champion. It would serve you all right if you were Erebus’s and this is a farce to ruin us all.” She blurred away before we could reply and I saw Tian gone the next instant.
“See, that’s why we don’t say to people that I’m Aether’s champion,” I grumbled. I glanced over at Hanna. “Thanks. You want the plane we found?”
She blinked at me several moments and nodded. “Yes, thank you, I would once we’re done getting people here.” She sighed and shared a look with Matilda. “We’re concerned how nice you are.”
I snorted, getting what she meant. “I’m not a doormat.”
“No, you’re not, but people see kindness as the same, and will take advantage of it.”
I smiled at her as I leaned against Branko. “Well good thing I have three scary powerhouses managing these projects for me to provide some shielding like you just did, huh?”
Matilda burst out laughing, laughing so hard even that she leaned on Jacob who looked just as amused. She kept laughing and I felt the conflicting emotions as Tian came back, nodding that the princess was gone.