I took one last peek of all that naked flesh on display. “I’m going. I’m going.” But I paused. “I had fun last night.”
His lips curved up, cocky and satisfied. “As did I.”
I used my vampire speed to race in his direction, jumping and kissing his lips, and then I was at his bedchamber door and unlocking it, all in the blink of an eye.
His deep laugh followed me out.
* * *
I put my key in my lock, asking, “Anything I need know?”
Crow shook his head. If he wondered about my oversized attire, he didn’t show it. His dark eyes stared straight forward.
“Excellent. Let Phoenix know I’ll need him in a half hour for Cleo’s ceremony.” I opened the door of my new apartments and slipped inside. “And if a royal couturier comes by, I am never available. Make sure Phoenix knows that too.”
They would send one soon.
I didn’t care. I liked my clothes as they were.
I picked them to my tastes. Not what others said.
Crow nodded.
I shut my door on his silent form.
Time to hurry my ass up.
I took the quickest and most thorough shower ever. My hair dried fastest by running around a room at vampire speed. I grabbed the counter, my vision spinning. I hated doing that—dizzying shit that was. I shook my head, my black hair tumbling around my head. Time to brush it out now, even worse. I wouldn’t fuck with makeup today.
A knock came on my door when I was jumping on one foot to put my other black heel on. I shoved it on my foot and smoothed down my black dress. I only needed my crown and weapons after this.
I slipped my gifted necklace under the neck of my dress and opened my door.
Lord Pippin stood in the hall, his hands in his suit pockets. His lush lips tilted up into a honeyed smile. “Do you have a minute, your majesty?”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. “We both have, like, two minutes available before we need to go. Will that work?”
“That’s more than enough.”
I waved him inside. “Come on in.”
The Overlord shut the door behind him, his gaze darting around my quarters. “I haven’t been in this room in forever.” Not since the last queen—his queen—had lived here. He pointed at the white walls. “They used to be red.”
“I’m sure they’ve been many colors throughout history,” I mumbled, strapping on my weapons. I surveyed his profile as he walked around the living room area. “You didn’t come here to talk about decorating, my lord. What is it you wanted to discuss?”
Though, I would need to get a decorator in here. The place was a blank canvas. Even my bedding was white. All in preparation for the new queen—me—to change it.
Lord Pippin turned in my direction, placing his hands back into his pockets. He rocked back and forth on his heels, his rugged, redheaded good looks just as formidable as they were when we’d dated. He stated simply, “I received a curious call last night. I’m not entirely sure why she contacted me either, instead of you. Or even how she had my private number.”
“Who was it?” My eyebrows puckered.
“Harmony.”
One name. Not even the last name. I didn’t need it.
“Damn. What did she want?”
“To be the Queen’s personal assistant.”
I stared. Blinked once. “And she called you?”
“Yep.” His brown eyes flicked around the room again. “She’s here for Cleo’s death. After that, she’s available to meet with you, if you’re interested in her offer.”
I snorted. “Are you fucking kidding? Text her ass now and tell her she’s got the job.”
His laughter was soft as he pulled his phone out, typing on it. “I thought you’d say that. I’ll let her know to come by your office today. We’ll be leaving for Cape Argent the day after next, so you’ll want to solidify her employment before then.”
My mouth dropped open. “We’re going to Cape Argent?” I shook my head. “Why the heck are we going there?”
His red brows lifted in surprise as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. “For Master Niallan’s Challenges. I thought you…” He trailed off and shook his head, his eyes returning to mine. “That’s right. You left in the middle of the conversation—with flair if I remember correctly. It was discussed with him the night of the King Challenge. He agreed to it.”
My heart beat heavily in my chest, excited…and frightened. “But no vampires have ever been invited into the druid’s main stronghold.”
“It appears Master Niallan really wants the job.” His lips twitched.
I shook my head in awe. “I have no idea how the fuck you guys talked him into that, but bravo.” I clapped twice. “Seriously. Brav-fucking-o.”
His cheeks pinched as he chortled. “Thank you. But Lord Belshazzar had it all under control. He played him like a virgin on their wedding night.”
I snorted. “I think you need to drink a human who’s younger. Your metaphors are a little dated.”
Lord Pippin brushed his red hair out of his eyes, his smile only growing. “It was funny. Admit it.”
I opened a glass cabinet where my crown was held while shaking my head. “I’ll admit…it was bad.”
“Come on. There are hardly any virgins left anymore on their wedding night, so that means Master Niallan is a liar—”
I held up a stopping hand, cutting him off. “If you have to explain your joke, then it’s not funny.”
He flicked his right hand at me. “Or I misjudged my audience.”
“That too,” I conceded. I struggled to place the crown on my head right. “This fucker is heavy.”
“And it’s crooked too.” Lord Pippin stepped in front of me as he raised his hands and adjusted it on top of my head. He tilted his head, eyeing his work. “That looks right.”
I jiggled my head side-to-side. It didn’t fall off.
“Oh, my god.” Lord Pippin removed his phone from his pocket, aiming it at me. “Please do that again. I want to record that shit.”
Laughing, I shoved his phone away. “Stop it. We need to go.”
He sighed and put his cellphone away. His hands brushed down his black suit jacket, tugging at the bottom of it to remove a wrinkle. When he lifted his head back up, his brown eyes were hard—cold. The Overlord was staring out at me.
I lifted a black brow, murmuring, “I’d wondered where he’d run off to.”
His eyes narrowed. “I can cut off the business behind closed doors if I want to.” Lord Pippin cleared his throat. “And you were doing your Challenges. I had to behave a certain way.”
I decided to use his nickname. “You know, Pippy, I honestly don’t give a fuck.”
Lord Pippin stared. “Will you ever forgive me?”
Good question.
I sighed heavily. “It’ll go away with time. It’s only because I cared about you so much.”
The Overlord’s swallow was audible. He surprised me, bending at the waist to place his mouth against my ear, speaking softly, “Fine. You want the truth? I’ll tell you. I know I didn’t handle it right, but I was afraid to contact you. I was afraid you’d be a distraction to me, to the crown…because I cared about you so much too.” The lord straightened an instant later, brushing his jacket down again as if he hadn’t just blown me away with his honesty. He marched toward the door, barking over his shoulder, “Let’s go, your majesty. Death awaits us.”
Chapter Ten
~ Gwynnore ~
Lord Pippin and I stepped into the cavernous royal waiting room. The rest of the Overlords were already here, sitting and talking amongst themselves before the ceremony began. I stopped Lord Pippin before he could walk away, gently placing my palm on his forearm.
His eyes dipped to where my hand rested, then back up into my gaze. “Yes?”
My lips thinned into a straight line, not enjoying this persona. But I did understand it. I stood on my tiptoes, my mouth aiming for his ear. Luckily, he o
bliged and bent so I could speak privately with him. I whispered too quietly for anyone else to hear, “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”
The redheaded Overlord nodded his head once and straightened. He strolled over to a chair, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sat fluidly onto the seat. Back to ignoring me.
I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. I took a seat next to Lord Xenon on the love seat and pretended the entire morning hadn’t shaken me to my core. I asked, “Who’s going to officiate her ceremony?”
Lord Xenon cast his black eyes on me. “Cleo requested Lord Cato handle it all.”
I tapped my fingers on the arm of the loveseat. “Even the beheading? Isn’t that normally the Queen’s job here?”
“It is unless the individual wanting Eternal Slumber requests for someone else to do it.”
My attention turned toward my father. “Why did she request him? Were they friends?”
“No, they weren’t,” Lord Xenon hedged. “But Lord Cato and Lord John were close before he requested his own Eternal Slumber. And Lord Cato performed his. She’d like the same.”
I hummed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the wall. It was damn hard to do with a crown on my head. I yawned behind a fist. “She wants to make sure she sees her soul mate in the afterlife. I didn’t know she was superstitious.”
“Actually, I don’t believe she is.” The Overlord poked my arm, barely even a touch. “Don’t fall asleep. They’ll be coming to get us shortly.”
“Not sleeping.” Another yawn. “Just relaxing.”
A thoughtful moment. “Rough night?”
I snorted. If he only knew. “The entire day was rough.”
The gentle knock came too soon on the door.
I groaned as I stood up, stretching. I fixed my dress and patted my cheeks to wake myself up. Eternal Slumbers were never pleasant. And they were fucking long. Especially, if the individual was old. And Cleo was.
Lord Cato opened the door to stop the knocking.
We filed out behind him.
Our bodyguards shadowed our steps.
Lord Otto’s blond head turned in my direction, and he flicked a finger at me. He reminded, “Up front, your majesty.”
I quickened my steps and moved to the front of the line. We stopped at the doors to the memorial hollow. Friends and family would already be inside, including the woman wanting to die.
None of us spoke, standing patiently.
The voices inside the room finally began to quiet.
Almost time.
Cleo was saying the last of her good-byes.
She eventually opened the door for us, allowing her executioner in. It was tradition. Their last chance to change their mind. If the door didn’t open, then the Eternal Slumber was called off. But the door was open.
It was death time.
I walked into the silent room, the Overlords and bodyguards following behind. This entrance opened up directly onto the platform, only one light lit from above spotlighting a single chair on the raised area. More chairs surrounded it, facing out into the intimate crowd. I led our group to those seats.
The only royal who didn’t sit was Lord Cato.
He stood in the middle of the stage next to Cleo.
My father turned to her. “Cleopatra Conto, do you agree you’ve requested your Eternal Slumber?”
“I do, my lord,” she answered.
My eyes narrowed at her in surprise.
Her tone had bite. Not what I’d expected.
Lord Cato questioned, “Cleopatra Conto, do you still wish for your Eternal Slumber?”
“I do, my lord,” Cleo hissed.
She definitely didn’t like my father.
He stared patiently at her. “Cleopatra Conto, do you have any last words?”
Her mouth thinned, pausing a moment. “I do not, my lord.”
My father gestured toward the chair. “Please have a seat.”
This was the strangest Eternal Slumber I’d been to.
Why in the world would she want my father to officiate her death when she didn’t even like him? It made no sense whatsoever. But, occasionally, the old were…odd.
Cleo took the seat under the spotlight.
Lord Cato began speaking of Cleo’s life. Her childhood and adult time in Egypt. Her slow migration to the west. Her accolades within the vampire hierarchy. Her previous husband. Her two surviving children. Her soul mate.
Her entire damn life.
I kept my ankles crossed and my hands placed on my lap. If I swayed at one point, I wasn’t the only one. Hours passed by. My stomach growled—quietly, thank god.
I should have had breakfast.
I eyed my father.
He was even talking about her favorite heirlooms.
After a moment, it clicked.
Fuck. My father was brutal.
Lord Cato was drawing this out.
Making her wait. He didn’t like her either.
Another hour passed. Then another.
Her family and friends had even stopped crying.
I stifled a yawn and blinked relentlessly.
I would not fall asleep. I would not.
Cleo held up a hand, her tone a warning. “Lord Cato, I believe that is enough. Your words have been very kind, but I’m ready.”
Thank fuck.
The Overlord nodded his head. “As you wish.” He moved behind her and released the back of her chair. It gradually reclined until she was lying flat on the seat, now a table. My father reached behind his head, drawing out his sword. It gleamed in the spotlight. “Cleopatra Conto, your Eternal Slumber is granted.”
His sword blurred, ending her life painlessly.
Luckily, her head didn’t fall onto the floor.
I’d witnessed that a few times. Very distressing.
Her loved ones started crying again, sniffling and weeping at the loss of her life. I really hated these things.
Lord Otto snapped his head in my direction.
Shit. Right.
I quickly stood to my feet, the other royals following. I led them from the room, exiting into the hallway again, our royal guard following our silent procession. I headed straight back into the waiting area…and right to the bathroom.
“Don’t you dare take forever, your majesty. I’ve had to piss for an hour!” Lord Otto growled in warning. He punched my father’s shoulder hard enough to knock him back a step. “Really, asshole? That was torture.”
My father simply grinned.
With my right hand on the bathroom’s door handle, I hissed in annoyance, “Someone tell Phoenix I want a fucking feast sent to my office. I’m heading there after I finish my business.” I glared at Lord Otto as I moved into the bathroom. “And it will be a long piss. Because I’ve been holding it for three hours!”
I slammed the door. Jesus.
* * *
“This is not exactly what I had in mind,” I griped, speaking to the Overlords sitting inside my office. I cut into my steak with quick jerks of my hands. Squinty glares for all the bastards here. “I had intended this to be a private meal.”
Lord Otto pointed his fork at my closed door. “The entire stronghold is packed with Cleo’s clan, and the staff is busy with them.” He stuffed mashed potatoes into his mouth. “And we were hungry too. No need to make the servants work even harder.”
I sniffed. “We need to hire more staff.”
Lord Xenon lifted a brow at his companions. “I’ve been saying that for years.”
Lord Belshazzar leaned back in his chair and sipped at a glass full of crimson blood. “And the funds will still go toward our army. That discussion is closed.”
Lord Xenon frowned—slightly—but didn’t argue.
How could he when we’d been attacked yesterday?
Guess Lord Xenon and I had something in common.
We liked to be pampered.
I sighed and attempted to ignore them the best I could while I ate. It wasn’t difficult really. We sat in
comfortable silence and relished the feast we were partaking of. I was beginning to think most of them had skipped breakfast too.
A ping from Lord Pippin’s phone had him removing it from his pocket. He tapped on his phone and began reading. He appeared to be reading it over again and again. The freckles on his nose and cheeks stood out in stark contrast as his face paled, his teeth clenching so hard the muscles showed on his jaw. He muttered under his breath, “Fuck.”
By now, we were all staring at him.
“What’s happened?” Lord Cato questioned.
The door to my office slammed open.
Harmony entered the room, holding her phone up into the air. “I tried to stop it, but they’d put it on too many of our servers. I couldn’t catch them all.”
I laid my napkin on my desk, appraising the woman who I hadn’t seen in four hundred years. “Hello, Harmony. It’s lovely to see you again.”
The small woman waved off my greeting. “You gave me the assistant job too late, your majesty. Ten minutes faster, and I could have handled this with the full force of the Queen’s name backing me.”
This didn’t sound good.
I steepled my hands on my desk. “Talk to me.”
The once human sat on the edge of my desk, staring down at me. She had everyone’s attention. Harmony was a legend, a whisper on the wind. A spy. A soldier. Her services were coveted by all—if you could find her. All wrapped in a mousy appearance. She even wore fucking glasses. Prescription glasses. She needed the damn things to see, which was unheard of in the vampire race—even for those who had been turned into a vampire.
Harmony handed her phone to me. “It’s all over the vampire news by now.” Our news was private from human sight thanks to a spell used on the Original vampire amulet.
As one, the Overlords grabbed their phones and started tapping on their screens, their eyes rapt on their findings.
I took her phone and started reading.
My mouth turned down at the edges, and my hands started to tremble. I whispered, “Oh, my god.”
Lord Pippin stood from his chair and started pacing the room, rubbing his hands through his hair. His face was still pale and only getting whiter. The Overlord’s gaze was narrowed on the floor as he walked back and forth. Back and forth. His feet kept on moving.
King of Gods (Vampire Crown Book 2) Page 12