Ruler [Blood Magic, Book 3]

Chapter 56: Blood of the Queen

"Mildred, we are royals. We use the tools we have at our disposal. All of the tools. Our people have certain expectations of us, and it would be a grave mistake to challenge them in a time of war. The Nosferatu need to see that we are stronger than ever for this union and not compromised by it."

I hated that he made sense.

"You'll feel better once we figure out what the bond gave you. Any ideas?"

"None." All day I'd been waiting to feel or experience something that would give me some clue, but there hadn't been anything. "I can feel that there's a lot more power running through us now, and holding that shield spell all night barely drained me, but there's nothing additional, nothing new."

"That we've discovered so far," Keel said, softer.

"You think I'm jealous? I'm not jealous, I'm worried. Remember when I was back in New York messing around with bond magic as if it was nothing and the whole time it was making you sick. With magic it's never nothing. There's always a price."

"Maybe so, but here's another reality: I have exactly one week to become competent enough to win this war, so what would you have me do? Pretend that we didn't consummate the bond so it could be used a weapon?"

"I don't know," I said, feeling way out of my league again. Keel had made a queen out of a kid, a wife out of a naive schoolgirl who had barely any human left in her but couldn't let go of that part of her upbringing, or Ephraim's dire warnings about using magic frivolously. My head dropped. "I shouldn't have questioned you."

"No, you should always question me." He tipped my head up with a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "But you also need to trust me. I know Nosferatu."

"Okay," I said, and that finger drifted up until his hand was cupping my cheek. I tried not to lean into it. A near impossible feat, as all of me hungered for all of him. That had not ended with consummation. If anything, the longing had deepened, shooting its network of roots so deeply through the bond and into each other that it would never be untangled. 

"I doubt I'd be using magic if I hadn't been studying with you and Ephraim. It's just like working those spells in our lessons, only now when I pull, the resistance is gone. It's easier to cast and control. Want me to show you?"

I shook my head. "I think I've seen enough magic for one day."

His hand dropped from my face, and I caught a trace of disappointment on his - because I didn't want to watch him do magic or at the loss of contact between us? - and then he straightened. "Want to come with me as I tour the compound and survey how the evacuations are going?"

"Sure."

The corners of his mouth turned up as he reached out and secured the upper clasp of my robe, before taking my arm and leading me to the door. I was surprised when he didn't release it even after we'd moved into the public areas of the compound, but after our last argument I was content to let him lead and do what he did best. We moved through the enclave level by level. The sun would be up in a couple of hours and the first wave of Nosferatu evacuations had taken place while we'd been in meetings in the throne room, so there were less vampires in the hallways and vestibules than usual. The ones we did come across, dropped to their knees in reverent bows as soon as they noticed us - obviously word of Keel's casual and skillful use of magic had travelled wildfire fast, and from their heartbeats I knew their deference was part respect and part sheer terror.

They are as scared of you as they once were of your father.

More.

How do you feel about that?