CHESTER WAS KEPT IN THE JAIL when he arrived. The druid had the entire place to himself—and a shit ton of vampire guards outside the door, watching it. I couldn’t disagree with our inhospitality with what I read about him, nor did I disagree with the way he was captured and brought here. It wasn’t exactly hospitable either, but it got the job done.
Only my father went inside the jail with him.
I didn’t ask how he received Chester’s compliance to help with the spell. I merely saw him leave with copious amounts of blood on his suit, a contract in hand, and a smile on his face.
Although I had hoped that we would be able to kill the insatiable monster once we were done with the spell, his release had been part of the deal my father had struck with him.
Two days after his arrival, bound in spelled chains around his wrists and ankles, Chester wobbled into the stronghold with armed vampire guards surrounding him.
I stood next to Lord Belshazzar, who was back to rights in a tailored suit and looking as sexy as ever, on the winding steps leading up from the colossal foyer. The other lords stood behind us, a different Overlord on each step above us. I surveyed the druid, getting my first view of him in person, not just the stolen shots an idiot had managed to snap of him.
Chester was shorter than I had expected. The top of his head reached five feet nine inches, though the muscles underneath the gifted clothes he had received were large enough to be impressive. His strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, and freckled features lent the man an innocent mien that belonged nowhere on this druid.
He tipped his head back to look at us above him, and his crystal blue eyes ran over the Overlord next to me. Chester chuckled and lifted his red brows. “Here we are again, Lord Belshazzar. All these years later.” He lifted his bound hands. “And it seems you have me at your disposal this time.”
Lord Belshazzar smirked. “I believe you were in cuffs the last time I saw you too, Chester.”
Unprepared for that comment, my brows snapped together, and my lips thinned. I clasped my hands behind my back and attempted to keep quiet. Maybe it wasn’t what I was thinking—
“Yes, you’re correct, my lord,” Chester drawled, a sensual gleam entering his eyes.
Well, fuck.
My fangs lengthened inside my mouth. I kept my lips tightly closed and lifted my cell phone from my pocket. I opened the file Harmony had sent me on Lord Belshazzar’s personal lovers throughout history. I scrolled down the list, all of them from over a thousand years ago—odd that—and I scowled when I saw “Chester” on the screen.
I tapped on his name and the information of their time together appeared. A lethal growl grew inside my chest, but I bit it back. They had only been lovers for a few months, nothing serious, but they hadn’t slept with anyone else at the time either.
My fangs itched to take a bite out of Chester’s neck.
This is what I got for being with someone Lord Belshazzar’s age. Someone who lived that long had many varied lovers throughout time. And the fuckers popped up out of the blue when you least expected it.
The silence weighting the air finally hit me.
I snapped my head up and glanced around.
Everyone was looking at me.
Lord Belshazzar was even tilted to the side and reading the information on my screen over my shoulder.
I quickly hit the button on the side of my cell phone, turned it off, and pocketed it. I cleared my throat, and stated calmly, “My apologies.”
Lord Belshazzar gradually leaned back, straightening to his full height. He lifted a black brow in silent question about what he had read—and how I had gotten it—but only stated, “Chester asked you a question, your majesty.”
Perfect. His ex-lover was talking to me.
I turned my attention to the redhead below me and keeping my tone wonderfully pleasant, I asked, “What was your question?”
If my fangs were still showing a little, I couldn’t help it. The fuckers wouldn’t go away while I looked at the handsome—and criminal—druid.
Chester’s lips twitched. “I asked your majesty if you were enjoying your new position as queen.”
Why the hell were we even talking to this man?
“Yes, I enjoy it immensely.” I peered down my nose at him, but my tone was as sweet as pie. “Tell me, are you enjoying your new position as our prisoner, Chester? I understand Lord Cato gave you a warm welcome. I’m sure we can arrange it again if you’d like? Perhaps I’ll join him this time.”
I smiled.
Lord Otto coughed quietly behind me in warning.
All civility left Chester’s features. His lips thinned.
My grin only grew, fangs showing blatantly.
Lord Belshazzar moved quickly, trotting down the stairs, and drawing Chester’s attention to himself. “Well, enough of the pleasantries. We have work to do.”
Chester’s crystal blue eyes flicked up at me, then back to the Overlord walking toward him. His tone was droll, as he muttered, “Yes, it was so delightful. We should get to work before your new queen decides she dislikes me even more.” He even tilted toward Lord Belshazzar when he stopped next to him like they were still best companions, and whispered, “What the fuck did I do to her? Have I killed someone she knows or some shit?”
Lord Belshazzar shook his head and placed his hand on our prisoner’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Let’s focus on what needs to be done, and you’ll be free to leave then.”
I stared at where my lover was touching him.
Did he really need to do that? I mean, come on.
Lord Otto placed his hand at the small of my back and started herding—gently shoving—me down the stairs so the rest of them could move down the stairs, too.
I didn’t want to go anywhere near Chester.
I might kill him. And that wouldn’t help right now.
Maybe later? Hmm.
Yes, maybe later. Then I might kill him.
We followed the procession of Lord Belshazzar, Chester, and vampire guards. My father swiftly maneuvered himself to stand by my side, cast a reprimanding glance in my direction, and looped his arm through mine—as if to keep me from doing anything else he deemed reckless.
I sniffed and looked forward.
We stopped inside a lone cavern room. The shape was flawlessly circular, crafted with care. The space was completely bare except for the many lights hanging from the black rock ceiling and the pile of ingredients in the center of the room.
Lord Belshazzar and Chester strolled to the pile of goods while the rest of the Royals fanned out against the walls in a ring around them. The guards left the room as silently as they had entered. My father still didn’t leave my side, his grip hard on my arm. The two spell-casters walked around the ingredients, inspecting them.
Chester stopped at ‘the head.’ His lips twitched, and he grumbled, “Lord Cato didn’t mention this was who I’d be working on. Surprise, surprise.”
“Will it be a problem?” Lord Belshazzar probed and squatted next to the feathers. He lifted one and examined it. “Dead is dead, right?”
“No, not a problem. I’m just happy…” His lips curved up into a smile that made him appear even more innocent. “Actually, I’m fucking thrilled that jackass is dead.”
“I thought you might be.” Lord Belshazzar lowered the feather back to the ground and straightened to tower over our prisoner. “Will you behave if I release you?”
His red eyebrows lifted. “Does it matter? No matter what, you’ll need to remove the spelled chains for the spell to work correctly.”
Chilling, ice blue eyes drilled into his gaze. “You will behave, Chester. If you try any shit, I won’t be happy with you.”
“Good God. I get it. I get it. Don’t hurt any of your precious people. Blah, blah, blah.” He lifted his hands between them. “Just remove the freaking chains and quit giving me your scary look. You know it doesn’t work on me, anyway.”
Lord Belshazzar ground his teeth together. “Behave, Chester. I mean it.”
My vampire Overlord lifted a spelled key from his pocket and jammed it into the lock at our prisoner’s wrists, twisting the key. Both sets of chains, at his wrists and ankles, magically unlatched and dropped to the floor. Lord Belshazzar kicked them away from their ingredients and tossed the key away too.
Chester rubbed at his wrists and wiggled his legs a little in place. “I hate those fucking things.”
Lord Belshazzar snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have killed two guards when they simply asked you what you wanted for dinner.”
Chester’s freckled nose crinkled. “It was the way they asked it. It wasn’t very kind.” His brows furrowed. “Speaking of that…”
Our prisoner suddenly disappeared.
I sucked in a sharp breath. Goddamn druid shit!
Everyone’s heads snapped left and right, searching the room for our wayward prisoner. Aggravated and confused voices filled the small area, most talking all at once.
He reappeared right in front of me, with our noses touching. Ruthless crystal blue eyes stared into mine, and he asked quietly, “Why don’t you like me, Queen Gwynnore?”
My father jerked me to the side in a blur and shoved me behind him, right as Lord Belshazzar’s arm wrapped around Chester’s throat in a chokehold.
Lord Belshazzar hissed against his ear. “Why don’t you ever fucking listen to me?”
“Because rules are boring,” Chester choked on air, his face turning tomato red. But, damn, if he didn’t grin. “She’s kinda pretty, don’t ya think? Too bad she owns my death in her eyes right now.”
He was right.
My eyes were fiery red as I stared at him from around Lord Cato’s arm, my damn father not letting me by him as he kept shoving me back. I already had a knife in my hand. I really, really wanted to end this sarcastic butcher.
Lord Belshazzar growled low in his throat. “You know I hate parlor tricks. Don’t try that shit again.” He squeezed his arm tighter around our prisoner’s throat, making him wheeze. “Got it?”
“Fuck.” Chester coughed hard, wet and long, his eyes bulging. “Okay. Okay.”
My vampire Overlord didn’t immediately release him. He walked backward and dragged Chester with him. Only when they were back at the center of the room did he free him. Lord Belshazzar watched his ex-lover bend over and cough in great gulps of oxygen, no remorse on his features.
My father turned around and faced me. He pointed one sharp finger back at the wall and didn’t speak. His lips were so thin in anger there were creases at the corners. He was a little upset right now.
Fuck him. That druid had scared me.
I did take my place back against the wall.
I didn’t put my knife away. Not going to happen. Not with how fast Chester had appeared in front of me with a goddamn druid parlor trick.
Chester eventually rose. His wicked smile graced his guileless looks as he turned to the Overlord. Blue eyes clashed, glare for glare. He stated in a croaking voice, “I won’t do the spell until the queen answers me.”
Lord Belshazzar growled under his breath, but he quickly looked in my direction. “Answer him, your majesty.”
I twirled my knife through my fingers and quirked one side of my mouth into a semblance of a smile while I analyzed our prisoner. “Does it bother you so much that I dislike you? Is your self-esteem that low?”
“Queen Gwynnore!” Lord Belshazzar barked, his blue eyes blasting me with a warning to be cautious.
“What?” I shrugged a shoulder, still twirling my knife. “A question for a question sounds fair.”
Chester tittered softly. “Guess she doesn’t listen to you, either.”
“Oh, fuck off.” Lord Belshazzar griped and waved a hand between us. “Fine. Go ahead and make enemies of each other. Both of you will see how far that gets you.”
Chester rolled his expressive blue eyes and then turned fully in my direction. “I’m naturally curious, your majesty. I don’t honestly care if you dislike me. I merely wanted to know why.”
I nodded my head once. “I dislike you because everything I do is for my people, while you only care about yourself. You kill anyone you feel like killing, with no regard for them, their families, or who might get hurt in the process. You’re lucky I signed my name on your release papers along with the other Overlords. Had I not, you’d be dead by now. You harm what I protect, and I don’t like that.”
I didn’t mention anything about my jealousy. I’d wanted the bastard dead even before I’d known about their love affair. He needed to be dead.
His crystal blue eyes twinkled in amusement. “Thank God you need me for that spell then.”
“Yes, you’re fortunate that we need you.”
He lifted a finger into the air. “I think you’ll be a great queen, your majesty.”
“And I don’t give a fuck, Chester.” I pointed my knife to the ingredients. “You have a spell to do now.”
He grinned. “I do have one more question for you.”
I sighed with aggravation. My eyes flashed red. “What do you want to know now?”
“Actually, it’s not really a question.” He shrugged. “And since you’re a Royal, I’m allowed to discuss it with you per my contract. You know all of those innocent people I’ve killed? Well, the men standing around you are the ones who ordered the hits. I am merely the weapon they use to do their dirty work.”
My jaw slowly started to fall open.
That couldn’t be right.
He laughed outright. “Still want to kill me?”
I jerked my attention to Lord Belshazzar, my question in my startled blue eyes. I lowered my knife to my side, waiting for his answer.
My vampire Overlord’s nose scrunched adorably. “Your majesty, they weren’t innocents. They were enemies, I give you my word.”
“Oh my God.” I tossed my hands up into the air, thoroughly vexed right now. “Why the hell haven’t I been told about him yet? All of you made me look like a damned fool.” I pointed my knife at our prisoner. “In front of someone who fucking works for us!”
Lord Cato grabbed my knife and jammed it back in the sheath at my thigh. “We’ve been a little busy, your majesty, as you well know. Giving you our assassins list hasn’t been the priority.”
“A little heads up would have been helpful,” I snarled. I crossed my arms over my chest and studied the druid. His job was no different than my assistant’s past. “Why aren’t you just helping us instead of putting up a fight like you’ve been doing?”
“As I told Lord Belshazzar, rules are boring. I live my own life and take the jobs I want.”
My lover rubbed at his forehead in exasperation. “He barely does what we tell him anyway when he does take the job. And he is extremely dangerous when someone pisses him off. Like the two fucking guards that he killed a day ago!”
I stared at the prisoner’s head. I blinked. “He has red hair.”