I crossed the plush cream carpet to the couch and sat on the cool leather. The two men followed and silently sat on either side of me.
"Excuse me while I change into something more comfortable."
She strode through the room toward the door on the opposite wall that I assumed led to her bedroom and walked inside closing the door behind her. Castiel looked at me and opened his mouth. I slapped my hand over it before he could get a word out. His eyes widened and I removed my hand pointing at my ear then at the door the Queen had disappeared behind.
"Yes, I can still hear you." Her voice called out from behind the wood.
What kind of sight did she have with those unnerving alabaster eyes?
Castiel blinked and faced forward again. Maverick leaned back into the leather throwing his arms across the back of the couch and I crossed my legs and folded my arms. Silently the three of us waited.
The Queen did not leave alone us for long. She came back in the room in a white robe. The sheer silk did little to hide the full figure underneath or the fact that the robe was the only thing she had on. She sat across from Maverick and slowly crossed her long dark legs. I fought an eye roll. Her gaze snapped to me and she grinned.
"Well, I think that now we can talk freely. I must say you three play the game well. I almost believed it."
I did not like the direction this conversation was going. I could feel the tension in the muscular thigh Maverick had pressed against my own. It seemed like he didn't either.
"I know the true reason behind your visit tonight. The Caorthannach has escaped."
The silence that followed her statement was thick and heavy. Both men were tense balls of apprehension beside me. I forced myself to uncross my arms and relax back into the supple leather under me.
"It seems we have underestimated you, Amaris."
"Not something you will do again I suppose," She replied with a grin.
"No. I don't think so."
"Augustus has told me much about you, Delany, but even still his information was quite lacking. What sort of supernatural creature are you?" She tilted her head at me. A stray curl broke free from her updo and brushed the side of her delicate neck. I watched it.
She is trying to glamour me.
I met her white gaze and smiled blandly.
"I can smell the carrot in the powder from here. Can't blame a girl for trying though, can you? Though I wonder if you really needed it..."
"What do you know of the Caorthannach?" Maverick spoke drawing her attention away from me.
Her body relaxed languidly as she faced the Male.
"I can smell the electricity in your veins Fae. You would be such a delightful challenge to break." She purred at Maverick and stroked a long red tipped finger down her neck toward her exposed cleavage. A threat. And an invitation.
I tensed but Castiel spoke. "Majesty, you seem to be much better informed than we prepared for, allow us to apologize and start anew."
"You three are smart to never let my attention settle on one of you for too long. I wonder who advised that strategy." She looked at me.
"What would you have of us, Amaris?" I asked, keeping the bland expression on my face.
"Let's cut to the chase? As the saying goes." She lost the flirtatious and relaxed demeanor and sat up straight. A predator in her den. "I fear that unless something is done an old enemy of mine will be making a deal with the she-demon."
"What would they hope to gain from this deal?" Castiel asked.
"My death."
I opened my mouth and then closed it, at a loss for words.
"Might we have more information? If it pleases you." The nephilim requested politely.
"Your she-demon wants to free her children, but that poses a problem to the vampire population. I don't fancy trying to compete with the bowels of hell for food."
"You mention an old enemy, would that be Augustus' former master?" I asked.
"You are perceptive, Delany, but your facts are not completely straight. Augustus has only ever had one master. Me. I sent him to my enemy's door as my eyes and ears. To be a spy among the King's scions. He has returned home with details of the King's plan. The King has entered into negotiations with the Caorthannach. He will help her release her children from their fiery prison and she will complete a task for him."
"Which would be killing you?" Maverick enquired.
The Stygian Queen inclined her head in affirmation.
"Wouldn't the King be concerned about competing with Carothanach's demon children for food?" I asked with disgust. I hated casually referring to humans and supernaturals as 'food'.
"Part of the negotiations keep her and her children out of his territory."
"Who is this King, where is his territory?" Castiel questioned.
Amaris looked directly at me. "Mircea, vampire King of Tennessee."
"Should the name mean something to us?" The Male to my right asked.
"I suppose not since the two of you are from Underhill. You might recognize him by his historical name. Mircea Dracul, the long dead brother of Vlad the Impaler also known as one of history's most vicious rulers. I am sure Delany would be able to shed some light on who the King is in a more personal capacity." The Queen lifted a dark brow in question.
Augustus had more information than I had previously thought.
"You know as well as I do, Amaris, that the King is no personal friend of mine."
But I now knew who sat in front of me. Amaris Bararov, former lover of Mircea Dracul, blinded by the aforementioned man when he caught her gazing longingly at his younger brother Radu, also known as Radu the Handsome. It didn't seem to matter to Mircea that his younger brother was far more interested in the men of the court than in the lovely Queen in front of me. She was left for dead in the street with bloody vacant sockets where her eyes had been. Drawn by the smell of blood a vampire had happened upon her, and moved by her beauty turned her. Apparently the eyes had grown back, but not how they were before her lover plucked them brutally from her head.
She smiled wide enough that her fangs peeked out from behind her crimson lips. "Oh Delany, what I wouldn't give to know what goes on behind those viridian eyes of yours."
Maverick grunted and I fought not to scowl at him.
"Perhaps we should get back to the subject at hand." Castiel said drawing her attention away from me once more.
"Yes, yes." She waved her had dismissively. "Dawn grows closer and I find myself tiring of this conversation. Recapture the Caorthannach. I have no wish to waste my resources defeating her. I will have Augustus stop by the Guild tomorrow and work on reinstating you into their network and provide you with any support you need. And in case you require anymore motivation; if the demon children are again released on Earth I will be forced to find a way to continue to provide food for my scions. If there is not enough to go around I will be obligated to.. cultivate my own. You three would be a lovely starting point."
She just threatened to enslave humans and supernaturals. To breed them like prized mares to provide for her coterie.
I swallowed down the growl that was trying to force its way up my throat.
"We wouldn't want to take up anymore of your time. Let us leave you. We will look forward to meeting with Augustus tomorrow and begin carrying out your wishes." Castiel could pander with the best of them.
Thank the merciful gods for his presence, because I don't think I, or Maverick for that matter, could have handled the threat so gracefully. Castiel stood and bowed to the raven-haired beauty with the pearlescent eyes. A true Queen, albeit an evil one. Maverick and I stood as well offering our own, less elegant bows. Maverick motioned me ahead of him, turning his vulnerable back to the dark predator.
We filed out of the room and exited the mansion. Not a word spoken between the three of us. Dawn was indeed a distant glow on the horizon by the time we had made it back to the gate we had entered through hours before. The Trow were nowhere in sight, nestled into their boroughs for the day. The gilded gates swung open for us and clanged shut after we exited.
"We will meet you at your house, Delany." The Male spoke, not a request.
I wanted to rest, but I knew the Male would have his questions answered before I would get it.