Bel snickered softly and leaned down to speak directly against my ear. “He was the lone vampire the gem did not kill. His name is Aiko. He followed us from afar until our horses met up. He is another friend of Kimber’s. My brother isn’t happy with this. I believe this vampire took him by surprise—and not the way you would think.”
I blinked, stunned. “Damn. I slept well.”
Mischievous blue eyes looked down into mine, a scrumptious smirk lifting his lips. “Maybe you won’t sleep tonight, then?”
“Oh, yes. I will sleep tonight. All night long.” I raised my black eyebrows on my disgusting, blood-covered face. “You are still in the doghouse. Do not think you are not.”
Bel immediately glowered.
“Truth.” I smiled with fang. “It will set you free from that damned doghouse, don’t you know?”
He grunted. “So we are back to that now?”
“Denial. It is a wonderful thing,” I singsonged.
King Belshazzar kissed my mouth softly, speaking against my lips. “Stay in denial as long as you need. I’ll be strong, even when you can’t be.”
It was my turn to scowl.
My lover chuckled deeply.
He was such a bastard.
4
KIMBER
S’Kir
Island of the Unseen Gods
“Niallan was my son.”
The words tumbled over and over in my head.
Of all the things that had happened in the days it took us to return to the city, those words just kept spinning in my head.
Dorian had a son, and he was glad he was dead. His twin brother had murdered him, took his head, and brought it back—after three thousand years.
I looked out over the countryside from the window of the room I had been given. I could see the pale glow of the city ahead. We were only a half a day out, but after the insanity that was this afternoon, I needed to stop riding. I needed to sleep in a bed.
All of Savion’s men had dropped dead when they tried to attack the queen.
What kind of power did that amulet have? It was the kind of artifact that the council would have crushed and destroyed. It was too strong. And certainly too dangerous to wear as if it were a bauble.
What if it accidentally struck out at someone? Aiko had survived it, but what if he hadn’t?
I had to admit that I was very glad the queen ripped it off and threw it at King Belshazzar. He seemed too casual about such power.
What strange people they were. I wondered about the world they lived in. They spoke our language fluently, but it was peppered with words I didn’t know or that didn’t have an equivalent.
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I let out a breath.
“Niallan was my son.”
But then, at the same time, we had brought Savion’s with us to… trade, I suppose. Was Niallan as bad as Savion in his mad lust for power? I knew that Savion and his co-conspirators were horrible people. Selling children. Stealing and selling.
Dorian’s wife and son had been part of that.
Taking a deep breath, I realized it was better the three of them were now dead. I’d never know Niallan now, and it didn’t matter. I saw the insanity in Savion, and that was all I needed.
“Where the hell is the bathroom?”
A smirk crawled to my face as I turned to find the queen standing there.
“I’ve opened every door I’ve come across, and I can’t find a bathroom.”
“Are you looking to take a bath, or are you looking to relieve yourself?” I asked.
“I have to pee, lady. I really gotta pee.”
“The loo is out the backdoor, about one hundred feet back. There will be a path.”
“Seriously? Even this close to a big city, you’re still peeing in wooden boxes?”
“What else would you have us do?” I asked, twisting my lip. “Bedpans are gross enough.”
“Toilets? Water closets? Something you flush?”
I realized what she was talking about. “We don’t have those here, yet. I’m sure we will soon enough.”
“You don’t…?” The queen let out a rough huff. “Fine. Just tell me there’s paper to wipe with out there?”
“We aren’t savages, Your Highness.”
She snorted and turned out of the room, letting the door close.
I giggled. She was a strange one.
The door popped back open. “Do you have a flashlight? It’s dark out there, and I don’t know your wildlife.”
“Our most dangerous birds are safely flightless.”
“I… Jesus.”
Walking to the table, I grabbed a lantern. “Come on, Your Highness. I’ll guide you to the loo.”
I flicked the light on with a touch of power when we reached the stairs. I led her down the three flights to the door that led to the outside of the inn.
“You don’t have any crazy animals?” she asked, staying extremely close to me.
“We have several venomous snakes in the south, the iruki birds, but they are on an island. We have a large rodent that has a bad habit of going senile if it gets too old, the pamada, but they live in the forest. There are golodorol, but they live on the plains. Sort of massive cows that can stampede.” I paused. “There is always the rigali.”
“What are they?”
“Hmm. Long spindly legs, but completely clumsy. They have been known to fall over and crush their own young. They kind of look like someone took a horse and stretched it but swapped out the head for a rabbit’s.”
“Damn, this place is weird.”
I chuckled, holding up the lantern to show her the little house. “We’re here.”
She pulled the door open and started smacking the wall on the one side. She grunted and smacked the wall on the other side. “Where the hell is the light?”
“I just conjure one, usually,” I answered and held out the lantern. “But a lot of people use this.”
She grabbed it and hauled herself inside.
“Would you like me to wait, Your Highness?”
“I’ll be fine,” she called out. “And stop calling me that. I’m Gwen.”
“Kimber,” I answered. “I’d shake your hand, but… ew.”
I heard her chuckle.
“I’m going to head back in, Your—Gwen. Good luck.”
“I’m going to need it.”
Doing exactly as I told her, I created a small ball of light to show me the path to return. Heading back to my room, I caught a glimpse of the lounge where Dorian and his brother were seated on two chairs and talking softly.
I watched their backs for a moment, not knowing how to feel about any of this.
“Niallan was my son.”
Now wasn’t the time. I needed sleep, and there was a wonderful, serviceable bed up three flights. Tearing myself away, I answered the siren’s call of my pillow.
Tomorrow, we would be back in the city.
As I headed down the hall back to my room, I saw Rilen walking away from my door. I cleared my throat, and he spun around.
“Ilati,” he whispered and turned back to me. “I was just coming to check on you.”
“I had to show the queen where the loo was,” I answered and pushed the door to my room open. He followed me in and closed the door behind us. “Rilen, do you think it’s okay to use some of the ideas and inventions from the Stronghold? Savion was mad, oppressive. But there were things there that were… useful. Logical. Things that helped everyone.”