Shadow Queen

by Cyndi Goodgame

  His face fell so fast I worried my next words wouldn’t be heard. “But it is enough to be loved by you in the way we are to each other now. You can’t see any more that what it would do is mess up what we have. You'd never focus on us. It's against your nature.” I know him. He saw this as the “I see you as a friend talk” as he called it once before but with the whys.

  But he couldn’t see that he would have never loved me forever as he should because his purpose for things changed too often. I would always be in second place to anything he did.

  And...for once he didn’t shade the truth.

  “I am a Hunter, Stace.”

  Precisely.

  I searched for the house to make us on task. Finally, I caught sight of our destination and looked the opposite direction.

  “Who are you looking for?” His eyes flitted to mine.

  Evil villains. “No one. Just taking in the view.”

  I had to act this part. He would act first and figure it out later disguising his lack of a plan as “what he intended all along”. Ten or so joined up with little argument because we didn't go in guns blazing.

  After two more days of rounding up, we had over a hundred and twenty more ready to follow their previous leader. All it took was the reminder of the difference between a tyrant and a caring lord.

  The scene was set. Lord Jetten agreed to coming forward and taking command. Word made it to every faction of Borgon’s anger. Nara was back spending way too much time at the Cross Manor and Drac was unusually quiet.

  My mother visited me in a quick dream last night reminding me of the ones she chose. It was odd hearing her version of Orion after realizing she is telling a true story, yet the Hunters were not descendants of them. Calum was, the Hunter race was not. Either way, she gave me a great clue. Orion and Scorpion go hand in hand. In their story they use tactics such as trickery and good timing. Both of them are polar opposites and so are Calum and Cord. They are one in the same. I already knew this so I wasn't sure why she made her point.

  A strange text came to me in the middle of the night from Lee with some type of secret decoded message. I thought it woke me up, but it didn’t. I was already drowsily awake.

  BIRD NO MORE

  I didn’t show anyone for fear that someone else might know things I don’t and not tell me or that it would release information not ready to be released. I overheard a couple of the guards conversing with Angus about the club closing its doors and interrupted hopeful of learning what was meant by it. They all bypassed me with jobs that were suddenly more important but didn’t go far. It hadn’t gone unnoticed how much they were overdoing the following me around today. Not to be discarded so easily, I put on the charm for Cord who was lifting weights in his room that was remarkably close to the same as Cas’ room as well as the layout.

  Standing there long enough for him to stop and be forced to offer attention up he asked, “What are you up too?”

  “Why would that need to be said?” I batted my eyes hoping for answers that I didn’t initiate.

  “Quit the righteous act. I am aware of your only vow of innocence.”

  I screwed my mouth at him, “How would you even know that? My word isn’t always the truth.”

  “That will be all Angus. She is safe for the moment.” The door behind me closed.

  Cord mouth twisted up as he exaggerated the lift of his nose to the air and breathed in. “I am part animal, Stace.”

  Eww! Gross.

  “Whatever. You’ll never know, so quit your badgering.” We had this conversation twice now and I believed he knew the truth, but hearing he could tell with his animal instinct was as disturbing as the Vampires sniffing me.

  He grimaced lifting his towel to his neck. “What are you trying to get out of me? You’d never come on your own volition.”

  A reminder that my people skills still needed work no matter how forward they've moved up. “I am sorry for that. I have come to value your opinion Cord. I could blame it on my upbringing, but it is my own poor insight. I am working on it.”

  I smiled to hopefully reassure him.

  He relaxed a little and turned to his water bottle. After emptying the contents, he told me to talk.

  “Your guards were talking about a club closing.”

  He saw the challenge in my eyes if he lied to me. “Drac is gone. The club is closed until further notice.”

  “Gone?”

  “Extinguished.”

  “Dead?”

  “Yes,” he said irritated.

  “By who?”

  “Do you really want to know?” his voice was dark with insistence.

  “Is he okay?”

  “I am to keep you under lock and key until tomorrow at midnight or until he signals the cost is clear. You cannot leave. You cannot step to the balcony. You cannot use your phone except for Kassie or Maze.”

  “And when were you going to tell me?”

  “Wasn’t,” he shook the obviously damp towel over his hair sending spatters of sweat all over.

  “So who is telling you to do this? How do you know I won’t just go off on my own?”

  “Confidential. Besides, it’s my job to know your next move.”

  “Yeah. Well, you should get a new job. Your boss sucks rotten eggs.”

  “Vivid, but I will let him know of his lack for talent. Helps me out with the lady I’ve been trying to impress.”

  Full of anger at the implications of being left out again, I stomped over to him and placed a sturdy finger to his chest. “You tell me right now what I want to know or by the gods I will leave here right now and you won’t stop me.”

  “You’ll need that ruthless attitude for others, but acting like you don’t care doesn’t work with me. I knew you for years. You’re not the ice queen you liked to call yourself in the dark because you were lonely. You are not alone anymore.”

  And neither is he.

  “I’m not ruthless enough one minute and now I’m not kind. Which is it, cuz’ I’d really like to know. Sorry if wanting everyone alive is a crime.”

  “Stace, I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “Really. So you really meant to say I am a selfish b—

  “STACE! STOP!” His hands shot out to my shoulders. That jerked me to life. Cord’s hands on me was not a good thing.

  A commotion was heard outside, banging around and such. Being used to the Were’s and their rough housing ways, I ignored it. But a second later I had another feeling hit me. A feeling I’ve missed.

  The door flew open, no slammed and was unhinged. Cord stood up falling against me and knocking me down. With little room between the exercise contraptions, we fell through the only open space that would keep us from gaining a concussion. Whirled around to land atop him, Cord broke the fall for me.

  A second later, both of us were looking up to a halfway stunned/black eyed Cas who looked ready to uproot a tree.

  “What is going on here?” Gods, his voice was so deep and calling out things it shouldn’t. His nose flared as I stared upward.

  “It is not what you think, man. She was drilling me.”

  Cas flew through the room, lifted me like a feather, and started pounding on Cord.

  Cord and his way with words.

  “Drilling me for answers, dude. Stop—hitting—me!” This was said between fist thumps. I saw Cord’s lip bust at the third hit. “She wanted to know if you were okay and what happened. I didn’t tell her, man. She’s came to me.”

  One more gut hit and Cas jumped off him knocking over the weight bench. “I trust you to keep her safe and you make moves on her.”

  “I didn’t, man,” Cord stood up enough to mop blood off his lip with his towel.

  “Then why are you alone with her without clothes on and why does she smell like you?”

  Only then did I notice Cord was shirtless. His basketball style shorts were hanging low with boxers all hanging out.

  I tapped my head back in Cas’ direction. He was wearing his tradit
ional gray t-shirt and jeans. I wanted to run my fingers all over him and then some. I wanted to leave the room and make him see that Cord had nothing on him.

  Blinded with his presence, I still let my face follow the sound of his voice the way it made a hiss in Cord’s direction.

  “She just slipped in to corner me about you. The court forced a kiss that she was disgusted by. Would she really want me so bad if the chick can’t finish a conversation without your friggin’ name in it? Look at her face. She doesn’t want me. Believe me, I’ve tried. Look at where her eyes are even now.”

  I popped my head away, but not fast enough. Cas’ piercing gaze was on mine willing me to him. It wasn’t hard to see my state of failing composure. I warmed from head to toe with his stare. Waiting for the most horrific of moments for Cas to blow his top being the day he came back in my life after over a month, I was on the verge of a scream when he tossed a smile my direction. Faltered by the reaction, I only blinked.

  Cas ran a hand through his hair. “Have her things packed and sent over. We will meet at the warehouse at ten.”

  A little after lunch now and hours till that deadline I shouted out, “I don’t need them.”

  Physical space meant everything in that moment. My body screamed things it shouldn’t when his fingers touched the edge of my knuckles and slid around my palm.

  His hand led me out of the room and down the hall to the large sitting room that I’d spent every late night in for weeks now. I looked around feeling a peace about me to know I had yet another place to go that someone thought of my wellbeing. I knew Cord cared regardless of how he went about it.

  Cas walked me to the open terrace that led to the Hummer parked at the end of the circle drive. He opened the door for me, skirted around to the driver seat, and drove us off the Ryan Manor.

  Without a single word spoken, we pulled into the Cross Manor. I wanted to ask if my room was my room. I wanted to ask if someone was in my room. Would we go right back to the way it was? Is Drac really dead? Who actually killed him?

  “In good time, love.”

  He was reading everything.

  Straight to the weight room. The weight room?

  “I don’t want you in his rooms again.”

  Oh! “I didn’t choose to be in his rooms in the first place,” I snapped.

  “If it could have been avoided, I would have extinguished the problem long ago.”

  “Are you going to tell me how the problem was solved?”

  “If you force me too.” He didn’t look at me while saying this. His focus was on the guards currently opening the doors before us. When they were done, he made the best use of the weight room I’d ever seen. Forever lodged in my memory, we were not disturbed until an hour before we were expected at the warehouse.

  The night didn’t last long enough. I was greeted by virtually every patron of the home including a very peppy Claire who had ten different desserts ready for me across the dining table.

  Cas explained that he was without any other option except to go along with it until he could work out a plan. His plan didn’t fail, though Nara was never far away. She apparently went ballistic at the news of Drac’s death causing all manner of disturbances in various human circles. It took Cas all night to subdue the human authorities with the connections he held. Using ambassadors within the factions that were posed as human were the only options in cases like that.

  Dr. Quinn was to take over the club and therefore run the underground network of Vampires. With hope, the tides would change. Turns out, Cas knew all along that Dr. Quinn never held ill-will towards me or my familiars. When his family was taken, he set out to make a worthy cause of revenge in their name. Like his nephew, he played both sides to gain favor where needed.

  For the first time in a while, things were looking up. Lord Jetten was returning, the threats from Drac were gone, and I had Cas back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  …than a foolish wit.

  So I decided to throw a dinner party. We’ d had enough doom and gloom for a day or two and could use the distraction. Cas reminded me of the last party I planned, The After Holiday party last December at my father's court that Borgon crashed. Cas was very reluctant only because of that event and secondly, his Vampire compadres. He didn’t want “edginess” to come around in his court remembering what they’d been through in recent days. So all were “edgy” it seemed.

  I invited all of my marked ones and their respective dates anxious to have us all together again. The menu was set. I didn’t even get to choose the outfit. My Vampire boyfriend insisted on it. And I couldn’t even begin to know what a disaster it would turn out to be. Or best night of my life!

  I remembered my Mother’s words from the first time she visited with me in a dream.

  Allow Eos’s son to calm you. The son of Orion will defend your greatest honor. The human will challenge your best and worst decisions. And my son will compliment you with any great need that I can’t bring to you. I leave you now. You have much to do.

  I’d accepted who I was now. I knew I was created for some greater purpose. And there was much to do.

  We were eating and enjoying ourselves with light conversations and laughter floating around the room. For once, I felt normal with friends and family in attendance avoiding the much to do.

  Then Cord did his worst.

  I stood to check on dessert expecting everyone to stay seated but as it would happen, Cord, who was five seats down from me, kneeled in front of my feet blocking my entrance.

  I peeked over to Cas, but he wasn’t in his seat. Where did he go and when?

  “Quit playing games Stace and come back to me?” Cord’s hand went to his heart and the other jutted out in front of me like he was about to sing Tom Cruise style. Being a comedian was his goal here, but with Cas on constant watch of who spoke to me and in what way and when would throw him over the edge.

  He pointed back to himself and said, “It’s not going to work. I know you want me.” He smiled trying to win the crowd more than me.

  “What do you think you are doing Cord Ryan?” I gritted my teeth and tried to back away but only hit the chair I was just sitting in. Szar yelled for him to keep it up. I was so confused.

  “You can’t deny the way you’ve been looking at me. You were once my betrothed, Anastacia.”

  “Are you drunk?” I countered hoping it would make everyone think he’d lost him mind.

  “I am on to you. You make it so hard to focus when you whisper in my ear during those interesting sparring lessons,” Cord sighed dramatically.

  “You are insane.”

  “Insane with you.” I glanced around a second time watching the crowd egg him on, even my brother. They are all enjoying this.

  “Kids these days are too spoiled. You can’t have everything you want, Cord. Didn’t your mother whoop you enough as a child?” Szar shared his insights.

  “Please say you’ll leave the loser Vampire and come home with me tonight?”

  “Yeah, like walking on four legs is sexy!”

  He jumped up and threw his hands in the air turning to the table and spoke even louder than before, “Folks, she thinks I’m sexy!”

  “If you don’t shut-up Cord Ryan, I’m going to shut you up,” I blazed with fury. His moronic idea of a sideshow was going to get him scarred and burned. And not just by me.

  “If I let the others go on without them knowing you’re denying true love, they will all give up before it comes. I can’t live without you, baby.” He grabbed my hand and pulled it to his chest at my vehement refusal.

  The entertainment ended when Cas stepped back into the room. His dark look went from bad to worse when he saw Cord’s hand touching mine. He was not happy and I was bubbling up fast to severe the situation as a joke and not a fistfight, but something else inside of me wanted to see Cord punished for his farce.

  “Anastacia, can I see you a second,” the deep timbre of his voice boomed low enough for me to hear.
/>   “No. He started this. He can finish it. Tell him what an idiot you are Cord?”

  All eyes turned to the Were. “I was just telling Stace here that she has a fine—

  I lost all control. One second I was standing and the next I was lying prostrate over the Were barring his hands and feet without touching another single part of his body. I wanted my point made and Cas diffused.

  “Cord is the one who started this ridiculous coo. Don’t blame her,” Calum actually came to my defense. "He planned it."

  "Shut up, Green."

  “Man down,” yelled Szar. “Rubbernecking essential. My fine sister, the badass chick who has never kissed the earth, has face planted...well a Werewolf.”

  He thought he was so clever with his words.

  “Oh, Stace. He is so jealous of our special connection. It doesn’t do to let him see us making more.” Cord wiggled his eyebrows up and down a mere inch from my face. So...it wasn’t my greatest moment.

  “I don’t know what game you’re playing at right now, but it won’t work. Cas knows my every thought and how utterly revolting I find you, so this little show only makes you look like the foolish one.” It was then I remembered I wasn’t wearing pants. And although I had a knee-length pencil skirt that was rubbing at my thighs to tear in pieces at the strain my legs were pulling on it, I knew that only Cas was behind me and he was a gentleman. I peeked back to be sure to show Cord of “my connection” with Cas was evident and was greeted with a very lengthy stare that was not aimed at my eyes.

  CAS!

  Kissa. You need to get up and pull that skirt down...now.

  And here I thought you were a gentleman. I rolled off the chump on the ground and stood a little taller beside Cas adjusting my dress just to prove a point with an extra wiggle in my step.

  “I enjoyed that from my view babe,” Cord stretched his hand out to pull up on my chair to standing. “But I’m betting my man Thorn, had a better one.”