The Bloodstone Prophecy - Book 2 (complete)

Chapter 4 - The Queen

She looked like a regular human, but she didn't know what Liam knew. He'd seen too much, including the way she callously fed the corpse to the shadow creature.

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Liam said. He blurted it out before he thought, and winced as soon he said it. He must have some kind of death wish to classify her with a rat. She only smiled, walked inside the room, bringing with her a small stool and set it next to Liam.

"I think we started off on the wrong foot. I'm afraid my pets are a little overzealous in protecting me from what they perceive to be threats. Are you a threat?"

Liam was silent. He was surprised that despite her accent, her English was flawless.

"Please, have a seat."

Liam remained standing.

"Very well. I thought it would be more comfortable eating your dinner in a seated position, but if you prefer to stand, you are welcome to."

She left the cell and returned a moment later with a heavily laden tray overflowing with juicy red grapes the size of large marbles, pomegranates, sweet dates, fragrant breads and aromatic cheeses. She held the tray to him. He hesitated. She might have poisoned the food to prepare him to become a shadow creature's main course. Then again, if he was to be locked up in this room with the shadow creature anyway, he may as well not be conscious when it attacked him.

He took the tray from her.

"Good," she said in her low husky voice. "I think we're beginning to understand each other."

Liam put a grape in his mouth. It burst, releasing the most divine flavor he could imagine. He ate another, then another. He was used to good food. His family's chef regularly served them delicious meals, but this, this was on a whole other level. His stomach growled, and he grabbed the bread slathered in golden honey and bit into it ravenously. It melted in his mouth like manna from heaven, pure ambrosia. Nectar from the gods.

All of a sudden the Shadow Queen was behind him, her hands on his shoulders. He squirmed away, repulsed by her touch.

"Relax," she whispered in his ear. Her hair brushed against his neck. "Your muscles are so tense. Your body is nicely formed, like a young Achilles. Do you have any idea how attractive you are?"

It wasn't like he hadn't been seduced before, even this blatantly as ridiculous as it seemed. But most of them had been silly, harmless girls. This girl was neither. He tried to remember that, to fight against the heady perfume that filled his head and clouded his mind. What was she doing to him? He thought of the bodies in the hive and felt the bile rise in the back of his throat. He shook his head.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me," Liam said through gritted teeth.

"Testy, aren't we? I gave you a peace offering. Can't you do the same?"

He looked over at the hand on his shoulder. The intricate lace may try to hide it, but he knew the hands beneath the gloves. He knew what those hands had done.

"Quit messing with me," Liam said. "I know what you are."

Her fingers dug into his shoulders painfully.

"Sit," she ordered, pushing him down in the stool with surprising strength. His legs gave out and he sat, balancing the tray awkwardly on one knee. She turned and faced him.    

"It was a try. You've got spirit, I'll grant you that. You westerners are usually so easy, narcissic weaklings deluded enough to believe every beautiful woman is in love with you. You're too open, expose yourself to things that hurt you and are too blind to see them for what they are."