22. Karmen

22

KARMEN

A ll I really wanted to do was go away. Back to my manor, or at least somewhere without all these people. Pleasant and welcoming people, certainly, but still strangers. I didn't want to offend our hostess and leave in a rush after her assistance, but I also didn't know what was required.

I abhorred my ignorance. Even though Shara had been gracious thus far, I just wanted to leave. Though I wasn't sure how to extricate ourselves from her nest, especially as other guests began to arrive.

"Karmen, this is Gwenhwyvar, daughter of the White Enchantress, Guinevere of House Camelot, my sibling queen who rules New York City."

Her hair was in a thick, long braid, and she wore jeans and a simple shirt like the ones my Blood had started to wear. She inclined her head gracefully. "Just call me Gwen, please. This is my alpha, Lance, and the rest of my Blood, Bors, Mordred, and Merlin."

:The first three are swordsmen,: Musashi said in the bond. :Very good ones, too. At least as good as the Templar knight.:

:Their names sound familiar,: Vlad said. :Guinevere and Lancelot were legendary characters from the French writer, Chrétien de Troyes, even in my time.:

:I didn't know you read Old French romances,: Musashi replied lightly.

:I read everything. Especially tales about myself, no matter how ridiculous and overwrought they might be.:

The thought of my Blood known as the Impaler reading a novel made my stomach warm with good feelings, reducing some of the dread bubbling up my throat. :Can we read one together?:

He moved a step closer, his shoulder brushing mine. :Absolutely, my queen.:

I leaned my head against his shoulder and felt even better. The cold knot of lead in the pit of my stomach slowly loosened, though it didn't completely dissolve, especially as more people entered the room. A woman I assumed was the Isador consiliarius with Dagny, Detective Harris, and Eivind, along with more Isador Blood.

The other consiliarius handed Dagny a black folder. "Here's the document you requested we print."

Dagny beamed. "Ah, perfect. Thank you so much, Gina. Your Majesty, would you like to review the contract before we offer it to Detective Harris?"

My eyes widened. "Me? I'm sorry, I don't know much about contracts."

She patted my arm gently. "That's my job, Your Majesty, but I didn't want you to feel as though you weren't included in the decision. I used standard language and benefits that we've offered human friends in the past who wished to work for House Sunna."

"I trust you." The words came out before I realized exactly what I'd said, startling us both. Dagny's eyes shimmered with tears, but she smiled and offered the folder to Harris.

Thumbing through the pages, he jerked his gaze up to Dagny's face and let out a low whistle. "Is this for real?"

"Absolutely, Detective. Please review the contract carefully so you understand Her Majesty's need for loyalty and discretion. House Sunna takes very good care of their own."

"Anyone got a…" Harris patted his pockets and blinked at the pen Gina held out. "Thanks." He scanned the last page, shrugged, and signed the paper. "I'm probably signing my life away."

Dagny laughed and took the papers back, adding her signature as well. "That's another form entirely, Detective."

"I can file these with the Triune immediately if you'd like." Gina winked in Shara's direction. "One of the perks of having a Triune queen so handy."

Dagny nodded and handed the folder back to her. "Thank you. I'd like to make it official before we return to House Sunna."

"Absolutely."

Maybe it was the legal discussion of contracts and Triune—and my ignorance of what any of that meant. Or just too many people. New people. No one stared at me, let alone threatened me or made me feel uncomfortable. No one was rude. Yet it was… a lot. To feel so many expectant, observant eyes on me.

At least the Scotsman had been able to slip back to my manor house and grab me a change of clothing. I felt steadier and more assured in a clean, fresh, pretty dress the same color of blue as his eyes. Even better, the bleeding had stopped, at least for now, so I hopefully wouldn't ruin this outfit.

The long dining room felt spacious until so many people crowded around the table, standing and talking. The volume of chatter rose exponentially as three sets of Blood introduced themselves and took up positions around the room. Blocking the doors. Sucking up all the air in the room. My cheeks flushed, my breaths coming quicker.

Sunzi's bond hardened like steel in my head. :We can leave this very moment without a word to anyone. You owe these people nothing.:

:I don't want to be rude.:

:Fuck them all,: Kuros growled. :Our queen is not caused a moment of undo stress and upset by anyone.: Though I didn't understand why he immediately retorted, :No, that's not what I meant either,: to Chak Ek'.

"Forgive my casual attire," Gwen said. "I thought we were going on a rescue mission, or I would have put on a dress."

Rolling her eyes, Shara laughed. "Don't ever feel obligated to wear a dress on my account. You know I'm not that kind of queen. Besides, we're still going on that rescue mission. I wanted to introduce you both while you're here, and you know the Blood aren't ever going to skip a meal."

Ignoring the chatter, Sunzi stepped closer, pulling me back against him, his arms sliding around me in a hug. I hesitated for only a moment, giving furtive glances to see the other queens' reactions, but they both continued talking about the available food in the kitchen. No one frowned at such a public display of affection, and Sunzi's arms around me helped settle my nerves.

Vlad and Marcus both moved closer, even sliding a bit in front of me. Shielding me from some of the overwhelming attention. It was natural to wrap my arms around their waists as I'd done before. The warmth of their bodies, the sure confidence of warrior muscle, eased the tightness in my chest.

"Oh, forgive me." Shara quickly pulled out a chair. "Please sit, Karmen. Be comfortable. You've been through a lot today."

Gwen moved around the table opposite from me, and Shara took the seat at the head of the table. Most of their Blood left the room, though their alphas remained standing behind their chairs. I almost remained standing, just to keep my Blood touching me, but with the other two queens sitting, it seemed silly.

I kept my hands on both Vlad and Marcus so they stayed, with Sunzi behind me, much as we'd faced off against the Heliopolis portal. Dagny sat in the chair to my left, and the other woman I didn't know sat beside Gwen. Leaving Harris and Eivind to sort themselves. Harris sat by Dagny, which put Eivind across and down the table from me. It was easy to avoid looking at him while Shara filled in the other queen about the attack—though she thankfully left out my personal details.

I could feel his eyes on me, heavy with disapproval. Why, I couldn't say. I didn't care.

Leonides stepped back into the room, gliding around Marcus to set a plate before me, and then started to back away. Before I could think, I snagged Leonides' hand. He immediately dropped down to one knee beside me, using his other hand to pour me a cup of dark liquid, hot with curling steam.

"Do you have any general questions we can answer?" Shara asked. "We're happy to be of assistance."

"You said Gwen is your sibling," I replied. "Do you mean you're sisters, or something else? Helayna mentioned siblings to me but she didn't explain it in great detail."

"We're certainly friends—I hope," Shara flashed a quick smile at the other queen, who nodded. "But not sisters by blood. Gwen swore an oath to House Isador, and we exchanged blood to cement the bond to each other."

"Like the Blood bonds?" I asked.

Gwen shook her head. "Not exactly. It's rather more complicated with queens. Though I suppose there's a natural hierarchy that sibling queens accept, the same as the Blood."

I couldn't help but frown. "I'm not aware of any hierarchy among the Blood."

The Blood behind Shara's chair spoke, his voice so deep it seemed to rattle the floorboards beneath my feet. "I'm alpha. I command my queen's Blood and direct them as I see fit to ensure her protection and comfort at all times. Our goal is for the shifting and flow of Blood around her to be so smooth and seamless that she's not even aware of it, even if we have a problem to handle. Some Blood are naturally closer to the queen, depending on her needs at the time. For example, if we're traveling or preparing for a formal event, Nevarre is always close at hand, because he handles our queen's wardrobe and phone. If we're preparing for some kind of attack or battle, then Sir Guillaume and General Sekh are close, because they have the most experience in warfare."

"So in matters of warfare, you as the alpha defer to others' advice?" Sunzi asked.

"I do, though our queen has final say on any action we might undertake. I trust them to provide leadership when we need it, and the rest of the Blood immediately take their orders, even the smart-ass dragon."

A man yelled from somewhere behind us, presumably in the direction of the kitchen. "At least I'm not a dumb-ass sphinx."

The big man heaved a sigh that sounded like a landslide rumbling down a mountain. "As alpha, I'm fully capable of making any Blood eat his own ass. Especially if the dragon doesn't immediately take the sphinx's orders, which would put our queen at risk."

If the man behind us had a reply, he didn't say it loudly enough to be heard.

"As a highly respected leader and warrior in your own right, you may not want to defer matters of warfare like me. But there may be other areas where another Blood excels, and it makes sense to give them that responsibility. Everyone needs to feel important and valued. We're one of many, and our queen may not have as much time to spend with each of us as we'd like. Giving each Blood special tasks only they handle is more of a reward than any punishment."

Shara reached up and squeezed her alpha's hand with a rueful smile. "I do my best to spend time with each of my Blood, but as our group grows, it's challenging. There's only so many hours in the day."

"Since all of your Blood are former warriors and leaders, you may find it valuable to define an order of command," the man behind Gwen's chair said. "That way there's no confusion about what happens if any one Blood falls."

"I see the value in such an arrangement," Sunzi said. Though he didn't add any explanation.

My fingers found their way beneath Marcus' shirt so I could press my palm to his back. The skin-to-skin contact soothed me enough to ask more questions. "How did you define the hierarchy between you and Gwen?"

Gwen shrugged, with an easy smile that bore no ill will. "She's the more powerful queen."

I looked from one queen to the other, trying to see if I could tell. Gwen seemed older and more mature than Shara. Her Blood was older than Shara's too, at least in appearance. Though she'd only brought four Blood, and Shara had at least ten or a dozen. I wasn't sure if I'd even seen them all. If I had ten Blood, did that mean I was stronger than Gwen? I had no idea how old I might be, or if that was a factor at all. Age must not matter in determining a queen's strength, because Shara was much younger than either of us.

"I still have a hard time telling strength among queens," Shara admitted. "Though after taking a seat on the Triune, I'm starting to understand how the Great Mother measures strength among Her children. A queen may have a very powerful gift from her goddess but carry very little of Her blood. As far as the Triune is concerned, what matters is how much of the Mother's blood runs in your veins."

"I'm several generations removed from the original Guinevere," Gwen added. "Her blood runs thinly in me now. I inherited many of Her powers, but they're lesser in strength, at least until I manage to call more Blood to sustain them."

Centuries of schooling my reactions in Heliopolis kept the confusion off my face. Plus the slow, steady stroke of Leonides' thumb against my other palm. The warm, steady pressure of Sunzi's fingers on my throat and shoulders. "So the more Blood you have, the stronger you are?"

Shara tipped her head from side to side. "Sort of. A strong queen needs more Blood to sustain and feed her growing power. But a weaker queen can certainly grow in power if she's able to call—and hold—more Blood."

"What does that mean?" A fresh surge of anxiety pulsed through me. I squeezed Leonides' hand and tipped my face up toward Sunzi. "You could leave? I didn't call anyone. It just happened."

"Never," my present Blood said, while the rest echoed in our Blood bond.

Sunzi's bond burned brighter, hot and steady and fierce, though his fingers lightly stroked my bare throat. :Nothing will ever force us from your side, my queen. I swear it on all honors I ever possessed both in human and after lives.:

"Your need Called them," Shara replied softly. "You were in grave danger, and they found a way to save you. You might not have understood what was happening in the moment, but your magic found a way. Besides, there's many more available Aima warriors than queens, so most queens don't have to worry about holding them to her will. I'm talking more about non-Aima Blood, like General Sekh. I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep him at my side."

One of the Isador Blood approached her, his body lithe, his steps gliding across the floor like a panther. "And now you couldn't make me leave even if you wanted to."

:Whoa.: Leonides whispered reverently. :He's definitely some kind of huge feline.:

:Really? He almost seems like a child next to her alpha,: I replied.

:Look at him with your magic, my queen.:

I blinked a couple of times but nothing really happened until sunfires flared inside me, licking through my veins like eager flames. Then I saw what he meant. Energy roared all around Sekh like a huge, hungry lion. Tawny gold beamed from his eyes and horns curled around his head. Not just lion but… ram?

:He's the sphinx the dragon was talking about,: Sunzi said. :I'm not sure what the All Seeing, Never Sleeping legion is though. Kuros, do you know?:

:I'd guess something Egyptian,: Kuros replied. :They were an ancient civilization even in my time.:

:That makes sense with his queen's lineage,: Sunzi said. :I wonder how Ra never managed to resurrect him to Heliopolis?:

:He'd have to die first,: Leonides pointed out.

So many thoughts ran through my head. Shara's lineage through her goddess was Egyptian, so she called a sphinx general to her Blood—who was so old it impressed even my Blood, who'd lived human lives thousands of years ago. My Blood weren't Aima at all. They had nothing to do with my lineage, which I'd never known anyway. Dagny said Sól was a Germanic Norse solar goddess. What did that even mean? What kind of Blood would I have called if I'd never been stolen away to Heliopolis for centuries?

It didn't matter in the slightest. Because I wouldn't change a single thing.

Of course, if I could wipe away the torture of Heliopolis and the agony of serving as God's Wife, I would do so in a heartbeat. But that wasn't possible. Sunzi had saved me when nothing else could. He'd found a way to get me out despite captivity for hundreds of years. Then he followed me and made sure I stayed alive. While being the gentlest, safest, kindest, most honorable person I had ever known.

I suddenly didn't care about being rude to our hostess. Not when I could have Sunzi show me exactly how safe and gentle he could be in private.

His fingers convulsed, making me smile as I focused on Shara. "I thank you for all the assistance you've given us. Is there any exchange needed to make things right between us? I'm willing to swear to you like Gwen if needed."

Shara's eyes widened and she shook her head. "There's no debt between us. I'm honored you came to us for help. I don't see us becoming siblings, either, though I'm eager to build a friendship with you if you'd like to do so. I've seen our blood mingling in a much different manner than a sibling bond."

I hadn't touched the plate of food or the drink but I stood anyway and inclined my head. "I would like to be friends. Your doctor recommended I come back in a week. Is it acceptable for me to visit here again?"

Shara stood too and came closer to tuck her arm around mine. "Of course. I'd love to see you. House Sunna is welcome to visit us any time it's convenient for you." She laughed softly. "We're just a Smoak away."

She didn't ask questions or try to delay my departure, merely walking outside with me. Her alpha and sphinx followed us, along with all my Blood, Dagny, Detective Harris, and yes. Sigh. Eivind.

:I don't want him to come with us,: I told Sunzi. :I don't want him to know exactly where I am.:

:Have no concerns in that regard, my queen. We'll see to him.:

His words remained pleasant, but his sunfire burned like a comet in our bond. I didn't remind him of my wish to leave Eivind alive.