Chapter Five

L iana woke early with Damien, eager to get to the mage training rooms, her schedule for the day blessedly empty. Phillipa dressed her in a simple tea gown, no crown today. She grabbed the advanced book of spells from the trunk her father had left on her wedding day.

She was one of the first in the training rooms, only one other male there that she hadn't met. Sasha trailed her as she went to introduce herself to the older male.

"Hello, Sir. I am Lia…" she cleared her throat before correcting herself. The man startled, his eyes darting around as if looking for others. "Queen Liana. What is your name, Sir?"

"Castor Glynn, Your Majesty," he answered with a bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, Castor Glynn. What are you working on this morning?" Liana inspected the various items he'd gathered. Some herbs, a jar of pickled chicken feet, a calendula flower, a vial of blood and a plain gold chain long enough to be a necklace. "Oh! An amulet, correct?"

He nodded, pushing up his glasses. "Correct, Your Majesty. You are familiar with the spell and ingredients?" he asked in surprise. That kind of spell had been reserved for males only. She shouldn't have known it. She shouldn't know a lot of mage things, yet here she stood.

"I am." Straightening her spine, she gave him a nod. "I will let you get back to it then. Good day, Castor Glynn."

He bowed his head once more. "Same to you, Your Majesty."

At her designated desk, which remained blank from the last time she visited, Liana set her father's book down and got to work. There was so much in that book she hadn't dared to try simply because of the lengthy list of ingredients, specialty ingredients at that. Her father would have noticed if such items were to go missing, so she refrained with a great deal of control that nearly killed her. Now though, there were no limits to what she could do. She knew that her magic could likely perform whatever she wanted, and likely create the same effect of any potion without the actual potion, but this was more than just getting to the end result. This meant doing the thing she was always forbidden from doing. This was the moment when she could freely practice magic without anyone telling her otherwise.

Filled with joy and excitement Liana was surprised she wasn't glowing from it. Beneath her skin, her magic danced with glee as well while she pulled all the ingredients and tools needed for a potion. Fifteen different plants were required, a vial of shifter blood, a drop of vampire blood, and two drops of mage blood. The potion would keep a shifter from shifting for a full day, which could be a deadly weapon in some hands considering shifters relied on the strength of their animals and the shift to heal any major wounds.

It took about an hour to get the water to boiling and to add in the ingredients in the appropriate order.

Lord Kent broke her attention. "Your Majesty, I am surprised to find you in the training rooms and working no less. I am sure whatever you need the Castors could do for you."

Liana ignored the condescension and smiled at the man, disliking him as much as his wife already. "No need, Councilman. I am plenty capable of creating my own potions and spells. I also enjoy it. The Castors have plenty of work to do as it is, so I shall keep my work to myself."

He shifted closer to the bench, his voice lowering which had Sasha taking a step closer at her back. "Your Majesty, I would be more than happy to find you a private workroom. I'm sure you would be far more comfortable…"

Liana sighed, causing a curl that hung loose to flutter on her cheek. "Councilman, you will cease your false platitudes and shove them right back where they came from. In fact, all the mage males in this room better listen, because I am only going to say this once." She raised her voice and looked out to the rest of the room who indeed paid attention. "I am female, but I am also a mage. I'd wager I'm more powerful than any male in here, and I've been studying magic in secret my entire life. I was born to be a mage, blessed with the same magic as males, and you will not keep me from being one. I am also Queen, so if I want to use the mage training rooms, then I will do just that."

Lord Kent stepped back and bowed his head the slightest bit.

"I did not come here to cause strife or segregation. I am here because I enjoy creating potions and casting spells. I had hoped that one day you might all get used to my presence and even come to me as a fellow mage. This is all very new to you all, so I do not expect anything aside from respect. You do your work, I'll do mine. And I'll be here if you'd like to talk."

She tilted her head back down toward the bench, her fingers already back on the locket before her. This one was for Damien, and she'd need a drop of his blood.

The room slowly went back to work after her declaration, Lord Kent hurrying away. She called to Damien in her mind. "Are you currently occupied? I need you."

His reply was instant. "When you say things like that, I am always available. Where are you?"

Letting him believe she meant something entirely different, she told him, "Mage training rooms."

"Your exhibitionism knows no bounds, love. You know, we never did trial the carriage."

He appeared before her with a gust of wind blowing her hair out of her face. Leaning over the table, she held the locket open.

"I need a drop of your blood in the center," she said aloud.

That damn brow rose. "Not exactly what I imagined when you said you needed me, temptress."

"Oh, I know exactly what you imagined. Now, blood. Give it up."

He pricked his thumb on a fang then held it over the locket. One drop of blood fell. "You are not putting a hex on me, are you?"

"Don't you think you should have asked that before you donated your blood?"

His eyes narrowed on her. "I do, but then I thought my lovely wife would never do anything to hurt me."

A harsh laugh escaped her. Closing the locket, she muttered a quick spell while cupping the locket between her hands. Walking around the bench, she lifted the necklace over his head which he helped by ducking his head. "Your blind faith in me makes it so much easier to torture you."

The necklace settled around his neck without any fanfare. Hesitant, he waited for something to happen. "No torture? What have I sacrificed myself to?"

Still smiling, she stood on her tiptoes, their lips almost touching. "Nothing so nefarious. Just a protection charm." She kissed him quickly and before she could walk back around, he grabbed her hips, steps fumbling into him.

"I already wear one," he said, lifting his hand to show the ring he always wore.

"I know, but mine is stronger and more thorough."

He pulled her into a kiss. "You are amazing, my love. Your confidence is astounding."

She accepted his kiss without hesitation. "I'm glad you can admit your ultimate devotion to me. Now, be a good subject and invite my family to dinner. They will all be getting protection charms as well." She walked back around her workbench and picked up a ring she'd grabbed from the bucket of loose jewelry among the supplies.

With a few quick spells, she polished the silver, etched a more elegant design into the band then formed one small, pyramidal point. "Sasha, a drop of your blood, please." She held the ring toward the vampire.

"Your Majesty, I do not…"

"Sasha, do not argue. It is pointless and I will make you do it anyway. Blood, please."

Damien chuckled. "I'm glad I am not the only one you are so bossy with."

She eyed him over her shoulder and said into his mind, "You enjoy every moment of my bossing." Sasha punctured her finger and let a few drops of blood cover the ring. Liana whispered the spells before polishing it once more and handing it to the vampire.

"You are such a tease, my love." Aloud, he said, "I will send a letter to your father to invite the family for supper." He disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Sasha bowed at the waist, an oddity for the vampire considering she really only ever bowed her head. "Your Majesty, I am forever grateful for this protection."

"You know you don't have to be so formal with me, Sasha. And you are most welcome. Now, I need to get appropriate items for Asher, Owen, Ramone, Evangeline, and my family. I'd make one for Luciano, but he would just as soon throw it back in my face."

Sasha coughed into her fist, hiding a laugh and her smile. "Probably right about that."

"Alright, well, help me pick out some items then. My mother will require something glittering and gold which I might need to pilfer something from my collection to give her. The others will be much easier. Perhaps a pin for the boys."

Sasha followed Liana to the bucket of jewelry once more, resigning herself to the fact that she'd likely be spending most of her time in the mage training rooms if the Queen's enthusiasm was anything to go by.