by Danica Avet
“Tante ‘Breda?” Ruby asked tentatively, her face tight with concentration. “I remember a Tante ‘Breda and Tante ‘Shin?”
Queen Albreda laughed out loud, grabbing Ruby in a tight hug. “Yes! I am your Tante Albreda and your Tante Shin is Ocean, my sister.” She kept her arm around Ruby as she looked around. “Ocean! Saga! Get your asses over here and say hello to your niece.”
Two laughing women approached, both of them at an even height with the same shining brown hair as Bretina and Albreda, though their eyes were blue instead of brown.
Ocean, the older of the two, stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on Ruby’s forehead. “Welcome home, dearest. We missed you,” she said just as softly, her lips trembling slightly.
Saga, the next oldest sister, wrapped Ruby in a tight hug. “Ruby! We missed you so much! You need to tell us all about what happened when you were taken away.”
Ruby nibbled on her bottom lip. Should she tell them about her isolated childhood? Would they resent her father more than they already did? Ruby couldn’t tell. She wasn’t angry at her father for taking her away. He thought he’d never see his only child again, but she was angry he hadn’t told her about her family. If she had known about them, she might have been able to deal with life a little better.
“Girls, let her breathe. Ruby, let me show you to your tent,” Albreda said firmly, guiding Ruby from the hall. “Mom? Come with us?”
Bretina beamed, hooking her arm through Ruby’s free one as they trailed to the back of the longhouse. There was a doorway nestled in the far corner, almost hidden from view. It led back outside, but the walkway was lined with tall grass.
“We put the family tents together. The longhouse is for the single women with no families. It helps them to bond with others,” Albreda explained. “Families try to live close together.”
She led Ruby to a grouping of five tents at the end of the walk path. The first tent was the largest, which Ruby learned was Albreda’s as it had to accommodate five guards. The second largest tent was Bretina’s, since she was the elder of the family as well as the former queen. The other three tents were smaller, and only one was completely unadorned. Each tent so far had some kind of emblem painted on the side, insignias that matched the ones embroidered on each woman’s clothing or skin.
Albreda’s pants carried a red stag in an oval; Bretina’s vest had a silver hawk with three lines underscoring it. Ocean had boasted a brand on her bicep that showed a wave with a gull flying overhead, while Saga wore an amulet that depicted a musical note held in a hand.
“We will have the herald adorn your tent while you wash up,” Albreda announced as she led Ruby to the fifth tent. “It is important for everyone to know you carry your battle markings proudly.”
Ruby just nodded, too surprised at her accommodations. Though it was a tent, there was a large bed on a raised platform. A real bed, she thought, in a tent! The bedding was all plain white, but so thick and comfortable looking she didn’t think she’d balk at all. There was a small chair and wash stand in the corner and, hallelujah, there was a large fan hooked up to nothing.
When Albreda noticed where Ruby’s attention had strayed, she smiled. “We’re more pampered than we used to be, I’m afraid. We bargained with a coven of witches for some bespelled cooling devices and got these,” she said indicating the fan. “It doesn’t require electricity or batteries and will keep your tent as cool as you like.”
Eyebrows raised in amazement, Ruby said, “Neat.”
Looking over the rest of her new living quarters, she saw there was mosquito netting over the bed. It would keep the bloodsuckers out. Bloodsuckers. Lucian. Sadness washed over her, but she determinedly shook it off.
“It’s perfect,” Ruby said with a warm smile. Albreda and Bretina looked relieved. They obviously didn’t realize she’d spent her entire life roughing it with her dad and probably expected her to whine about sleeping in a tent. As far as Ruby was concerned, this was almost better than any hotel she’d ever gone to.
Hotel. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Briggs,” she said as they looked at her, startled. “My dog! He’s back in Cypress Point, and he’s been there without me for…how long has it been?” she asked out loud. She counted mentally. “Two weeks?” She’d lost complete track of time, Ruby realized in horror.
“A dog, huh?” Bretina said slowly. “When I was coming back from our first meeting, I followed your trail back to that house, then followed one of the Councilors to town. They believed you might have returned for him. When they realized you hadn’t, I took the dog.”
“You have Briggs?” Ruby asked her grandmother in astonishment.
The other Amazon blushed lightly. “It was nothing. He’s quite flatulent, isn’t he?” she asked in disgust before leading Ruby to her own tent.
When Ruby heard a grunting snuffle, her heart lightened. It was Briggs! She saw him sleeping on a tiny bed with soft covers and shot her grandmother a teasing look, which made her blush even more.
“Briggs!” Ruby cried happily, rushing to the bed.
Briggs, overwhelmed by the sight of his mistress, opened one eye and snorted.
Not worrying about his lack of excitement, Ruby gathered him into her arms, squeezing him tight. She’d missed him so much, she thought with surprise. He had been a constant in her life and now that her life was out of control, she needed his steady, unflappable presence. He obliged her sentiment by swiping a quick tongue across her cheek before groaning again.
“Well, maybe now you can take him back to your tent,” Bretina said gruffly, apparently not wanting to show she was touched by the scene.
“Thank you so much, Ma-maw,” Ruby whispered.
Albreda cleared her throat. “Well, come along. We’ll feast tonight, and we can decide how to fix this problem with Council once and for all,” she said firmly.
Ruby put Briggs down, grabbed his bed and headed back to her tent. Her thoughts were centered on the problem with Council, and Lucian was at the center of it all. His absence and subsequent fall into Bianca’s hands felt like a blow to her heart.
That night, most of the tribe gathered in the long hall for a feast the likes of which Ruby had never seen before. There was roasted wild pig, deer, and duck. Someone had caught an alligator and the tail was being fried outside. The smell of that and fish frying tantalized the senses. Huge vats of red beans and sausage were served with mounds of rice. There was so much food Ruby worried it would go to waste, but she quickly realized these women had hearty appetites.
She sat at the front of the hall with her family, noting the similarities between them, mainly their facial structures and builds. They were a lively group. Saga was perky and friendly, while Ocean was more quiet and shy. Albreda spoke with her people with a casualness Ruby found fascinating. Though she was the queen, she didn’t seem to let it go to her head. There were moments when she addressed someone formally, but usually they were elders of the tribe. Bretina was treated with respect by all, though she acted as though she’d never ruled the tribe at all, her manner friendly and open with everyone. The pride she showed in Ruby’s status as Chieftain was evident for all to see.
Ruby’s current difficulties with Council were discussed by everyone, and they all had suggestions. They ranged from sending Ruby to various tribes around the world to attacking Council flat-out and taking over. None of it really appealed to her.
“I want to be a part of the Veil,” she said when someone asked her what she wanted. “I’ve never been a part of something before and with these powers, I feel like I need to be available to help when needed.”
Albreda nodded. “This is true. You have a responsibility to your office, but there is also a lot of danger for Chieftains. We’ve seen it for centuries, but we’ve never paid much attention to it.” She saw Ruby’s confusion and smiled. “Amazons have never relied on Chieftains for confirmation of their queens. I like to think that because we’re all women, we’re smart enough to realize the strongest of the
warriors should lead and trust in her to step down when she is unable to,” she said softly, tilting her head towards her mother.
Bretina just smiled. “It’s always been that way. I don’t regret stepping down from the throne. I should have done it before because then I could have spent more time with you, Ruby, but I didn’t. Now, I see that the queens before me knew when to step down, conceding leadership to the newest strong warrior. It just so happened to be Albreda when I stepped down. Chieftains are called in when sons and brothers and husbands get involved in the leadership process. Men want their legacies to live on, wanting empires. We just want our families to be safe and we know the strongest should lead. It’s always been this way and always will be.”
“I believe we should provide Ruby with protection at all times,” Ocean said softly, her gaze thoughtful. “She belongs to our family, and we have relatives all over the world. If we rotate a select group of guards, she’d always be protected anywhere she went.”
Albreda and Bretina nodded enthusiastically.
Ruby felt overcome. “You’d do that for me? But what if I want to live in a city?” she asked, thinking about some of the women’s problems with male aggression.
Saga made a rude sound. “The guards we’re talking about will be seasoned and carefully selected for their mild tempers.”
“A good thing, too, ‘cause Ruby here has more than enough of her own temper,” a woman’s voice cut into the conversation, bringing utter silence to the hall. Emerging from the shadows was none other than Pagan, the blue-headed vamp.
Albreda flashed to her feet. “Pagan! You came!” she cried, rushing to greet the vampire with a whoop and bone-crushing slaps on the back. “Look at you. Wasn’t your hair purple last time?”
Pagan grinned, flashing those sharp fangs. “Yeah, got tired of it,” she said jokingly, her eyes pinning Ruby to the spot. “Got room for one more?”
“Of course,” Albreda answered warmly, pulling the vampire down to sit between her and Ruby.
“Chieftain,” Pagan said solemnly, though her eyes sparkled with something Ruby couldn’t pinpoint. “How did you end up here?” she asked mildly as she accepted a plate piled high with food.
“Ruby’s Zoe’s daughter,” Albreda said from Pagan’s other side.
The vampire froze, her eyes wide and unblinking. If Ruby hadn’t been watching, she’d have thought the vampire wasn’t even breathing. “You’re the Lost Child?” she asked incredulously.
Ruby shrugged. “Apparently my dad kidnapped me and hid me away.”
“Holy cow,” Pagan breathed. “You’re supposed to be at the Council safe house, aren’t you? What happened? The ladies bust you out?”
Ruby didn’t bother answering, but the rest of the tribe filled in the details, embellishing here and there as they saw fit.
Pagan’s mouth was hanging open when the tale was finished. “Have you told Lucian any of this?” she demanded.
“No, and he won’t know either,” Ruby replied sternly. “I’m going to handle this on my own.”
Pagan let out a loud laugh. “Oh, girl. You just joined the Veil and you think you’re ready to take on a Councilor?”
Silence descended as everyone waited for Ruby’s reply. Pagan seemed to realize she’d just challenged Ruby and though she looked contrite, she didn’t take it back.
Without another word, Ruby motioned for Pagan to follow her outside. When they were outside with most of the tribe looking on, Ruby launched herself at Pagan.
Chapter Twenty-Six
They grappled. Ruby knew Pagan had more strength than she did, but she was hoping her weight and longer reach would help her in the fight.
Pagan grunted as she pelted Ruby with a flurry of painful kicks and punches to the chest. Ruby was stunned at first but recovered quickly, grabbing the vampire’s foot and flipping her away. She had half a second to regroup before Pagan was on her again.
Ruby fell beneath the other woman’s fierce attack, but didn’t let her seemingly defenseless pose undermine her confidence. Once Pagan was on her, Ruby grabbed her right shoulder as she slid her body to the left, pushing Pagan’s upper torso further over as she rotated her body to the side. She nudged the vampire’s head away, hooking her foot under her chin, causing Pagan’s shoulder to get locked between Ruby’s knees.
Ruby suspected the submission pose was something one of her Chieftain predecessors had used, and somehow she knew once she grabbed Pagan’s waistband and began to lean forward on her knees, she could seriously hurt the other woman. Ruby set herself up holding Pagan’s trapped arm, and began leaning forward. The vampire hissed and shouted in pain before slapping her hand on the ground.
Ruby released Pagan, helping her to her feet. When they were standing face-to-face again, Pagan bowed slightly. Cheers erupted as the tribe congratulated Ruby for her victory.
“How’d you know that shoulderlock?” Pagan asked curiously.
Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby answered, “Must’ve seen it somewhere.”
Albreda rolled her eyes. “She’s a fully transitioned Amazon with Chieftain abilities. Combine them together,” she said with a clap of her hands, “and you’ve got a bad mama jama.”
Ruby said nothing, knowing this was true. Her Chieftain abilities were becoming more pronounced. She didn’t feel the need to attack, just defend, and the combative moves she’d learned from her predecessors were definitely helping her out.
As the fight had come to an end, the tribe headed back to the feast, leaving Ruby and Pagan standing alone.
“Does Lucian know where you are?” Pagan began once everyone was out of earshot. “’Cause I don’t think he’d appreciate having his mate─”
“He’s mated to Bianca,” Ruby cut in harshly, turning her eyes back on the vampire. Rage at her feelings for Lucian and her inability to have him flared within her. “He used me so I would willingly go with Council. He left me there with that bitch, and she was planning to kill me before the nuptials. Does that sound like we’re mated?” she asked through her teeth, red flickering at the edge of her eyes.
Pagan’s violet eyes widened. “What the hell? Bianca? That isn’t possible!”
“I heard it from her mouth, Penelope. She was planning to have me killed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m tired and need to sleep.”
She stomped off in the direction of her tent, ignoring the bewildered vampire she left in her wake.
* * * *
“Something isn’t right,” Lucian whispered to Malachi.
His brother just grunted, “You think? We’re in the Council sewers and your heavy ass is standing on me.”
Lucian shifted his weight on Malachi’s shoulders and peered through the drain. People were rushing around, but none of them were the seasoned GE’s. So far, he’d only seen much younger recruits who seemed lost. Something wasn’t right, and Lucian had a feeling it involved Ruby.
“What’s going on?” Malachi hissed, adjusting his shoulders.
“There are several guards I’ve never seen before, some very young recruits who look like cadets, and not a single Elite running around,” Lucian whispered back. “I also don’t see any councilors. Where in the hell would they be? They’re supposed to be guarding Ruby. Wait, is that─damn, that’s Davide.”
“Davide Harrity?” Malachi asked his voice properly horrified.
Harrity was a complete monster as far as the Veil was concerned. A half-Demon, half-Giant, Harrity had been implicated in so many crimes many wondered why he hadn’t been incarcerated. Except the witnesses to every one of his crimes managed to disappear which just ensured no one ever said anything against him. Standing at well over seven feet tall, the Halfling shouldn’t have been anywhere near the Council safe house, but he walked through the hall like he owned it.
“He’s one of Bianca’s friends,” Malachi grunted softly. “I think she uses him to intimidate the rest.”
Lucian swore under his breath. This was not looking good at all. If Harrity was here
with not a single councilor or GE in sight, it could only mean Malachi had told the truth and Bianca was a traitor to the Council and a danger to Lucian’s mate.
“What are you doing here already?” a woman’s voice asked sharply.
Lucian’s eyes widened. Bianca appeared in the doorway, but she looked nothing like she normally did. Gone was the designer clothes and perfectly coiffed hair. She was wearing a vinyl cat suit that molded to her body like paint. She was wearing what Lucian had always called hooker heels and had a whip wrapped around her waist. She looked dangerous despite her diminutive height.
Harrity’s face broke out into a sappy grin. “Bianca,” he cooed, his smashed up mug softening into infatuated lines. “I came as soon as you called.”
He picked her up, kissing her passionately. Bianca was stiff at first, but then those vinyl clad legs wrapped around as much of Harrity’s waist as they could. Soon they were panting and groaning in the middle of the hall. Several recruits stared in shock and dismay. They’d apparently expected the Oculum to come to their rescue.
Lucian watched one tiny woman slip away so silently no one else noticed. He only hoped she was finding a way to alert the GE’s that the safe house had been invaded.
Harrity and Bianca broke up their snogfest with a loud sucking sound. Lucian tried not to gag.
“Have you seen her yet?” Bianca cooed at Harrity, smoothing back his greasy blond hair.
“No, my love. I thought I’d wait until you got here. I know you like to watch me work,” he said with a leer.
“Oculum,” one brave recruit spoke up timidly. When Bianca narrowed her eyes on him, he gulped. “What are you planning to do?”
“None of your business,” Bianca stated coldly, slithering down Harrity’s body. She approached the half dozen recruits who stood frozen in the hallway. “You should be at drills. Why are you here?”