Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Queen Regina stepped back. “W-we are on the same side.”
Ty headed over. “She is correct about that. At least for a while we are here. Queen Regina can keep us safe in the castle, until it is time to escape.”
“You better not call anymore guards.” Ian’s horns slowly sank back into his head. “You saw what happened to these.”
Victoria locked the door. “Speaking of the guards, they will be missed. We will have to take turns standing outside the door in their armor, so no one is suspicious.”
Leeta raised her hand. “I can begin the first watch. I will just need armor and covering for my face.”
Ty shrugged. “This could possibly work. By daylight, all will be asleep and quiet.”
Ian continued to watch Queen Regina. “I will stay with you, just in case you feel like yelling for more guards.”
She cringed. “You look familiar. Who are you?”
“Enough with the questions.” Ian faced Xander and me. “What is the plan now, nephew?”
Xander only gazed at me.
Are you okay?
I am. I just need time to come down from the blood lust.
I calmed, happy to hear his voice in my head.
I turned to the others.
“Queen Regina has to make the map so that we can free the Phinova dominas.” I’d almost blurted out blood mages. “And I’m sure that Ian will make sure she gets us leather uniforms and masks. For now, I think we should clean this up, go to these guest rooms, wash off the blood, and be prepared to travel to the dungeons at dawn.”
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest. “If we stay, there will be extra guards by our door to make sure we don’t explore the castle.”
I shrugged. “Then, we will have to kill them when it is time to go.”
Ian curved his lips into a smile. Those talons retracted back into his fingertips. “Spoken like a true queen.”
Chapter 5
Love
Camille
Silver silks draped the walls in Xander’s and my guest quarters. We’d been roomed together, of course. No doubt Queen Regina was hoping we would immediately start breeding soldiers. That thought made me sick.
Was it wrong for me to hate her? I didn’t like the way she saw Xander. For her, he wasn’t a son. He was a path to her freedom and power.
Would that have been my destiny, had I stayed?
I had taken off the costume, but wore the black leotard that had been underneath it.
When dawn came, I would put on the leather uniforms that the castle’s day guards wore.
I scanned the space.
A silver canopy bed in a lavish room was nothing new to me since I’d spent enough time in the castle. The rest of the furnishings were quaint—a chaise lounge heavily carved with vines and flowers that reminded me of a winter’s day, and washbasins made of stone set into the wall with pipes that led to who-knew-where. The queen’s maids had brought trays of fruit, meats, and bread. I didn’t dare eat any of it just in case she was still plotting.
Regardless, I felt confident that everything would be okay since Ian was watching the queen’s every move.
We should take this time to find out more answers in this castle.
When would be the next time we would have this opportunity? Once the Quiet King returned, it would only be death and war, fighting and trying to survive. We would never walk through the halls of this castle again.
Where could more answers be? The Quiet King’s lab? His room?
Xander stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair off. Another towel wrapped around his waist.
Damn it. Now I can’t think.
I directed my view to the princely markings on his legs. Dark black swirls decorated his thick thighs and soared down to his ankles. I swore they appeared darker today.
Wait.
I leaned forward.
Am I going crazy?
For a second, I thought that they moved a little as if pulsing with strange energy.
I blinked.
Xander let out a long breath. “Can you see it too?”
“Are the markings moving?”
“A little. Perhaps an inch every few hours.” Frowning, he finished drying off. “I don’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“It puts me on edge. I don’t like my body suddenly changing.”
“Had you been growing up in a world where vampire princes could survive, you would have been prepared for all of this.”
He sighed. “I hate to say this, but at least Ian is here to help me through my ripening.”
“He is proving to be loyal to you.”
“He better be. I’m still not over him tasting your blood.”
I frowned.
Xander went over to the fresh set of clothes and took off the towel. His muscular behind greeted my eyes.
I would have loved to get up, go over to him, and grab it.
But we were in the castle. It was too dangerous to have my mind on anything else, but getting away. Or at least. . .I could be thinking about finding more answers.