CHAPTER 49

Morbid laughed,leaning his chair onto its two back legs. He rested his booted feet on Rune's desk, crossing his ankles. The laces of his tall leather boots mostly untied, spilling heedlessly onto Rune's documents.

His study remained cluttered with piles of books. Rune exhaled and swirled the crimson wine in his glass, surveying the other shelves he had yet to fill. The blonde harpy must have spent hours shuffling books between shelves until nothing was where he'd arranged it.

Why are you thinking of books when we could have our queen in our bed?

If all goes well her ritual will take place tomorrow night,Rune said to the Ra'Voshnik as his gaze returned to the Familiar King.

"Would it pain you terribly to stop laughing and answer my request?" Rune asked.

There is much we could do before her ceremony. We could learn from her. The ceremony will go smoother if she's acquainted with us. Draw our queen a bath. She's always soaking in the hot spring.

The Ra'Voshnik droned on and Rune tuned it out in favor of listening to Morbid finally speak. "How did she convince you to do this?"

Rune remained silent because he honestly didn't know. Perhaps he was a fool to agree. A fool to give in to the deep-seated want to touch her and learn all the different ways he could coax her into screaming his name.

We could take her until the young she wishes for… takes root.

Be silent,Rune growled. His indulgence in her was enough of a danger. Immortals did not beget young with mortals.

Do you intend to sit by and allow another male to sire her young?The Ra'Voshnik offered him a scene of Faye beneath the copper-haired vampire they'd seen at the brothel. The male's fingers dug into her hip and tangled in her hair. The cries he wrangled from her when she'd allowed him to tend to her, echoing through his mind.

Rune's fangs lengthened. A growl slipped from his lips as he banished the sight of his queen with another male.

The Ra'Voshnik laughed, circling his mind.Our queen, it purred. A muscle ticked in Rune's jaw as he dragged it so far beneath the surface he no longer heard its taunting laugh.

Rune swallowed the contents of his glass and set it on his desk. He'd been fighting an unavoidable fate. One he would come face to face with shortly.

Morbid folded his hands in his lap and smiled at Rune. "I will help anchor your woman. Have you asked Sadi?"

"I intend to."

"Asking Lyssa to serve as a well?"

Rune cursed in High Tongue. Lyssa became murderously jealous anytime a female was within his proximity. Her behavior worsened after he relinquished the position of her consort. Rune narrowed his eyes at the Familiar King. He would not be requesting Lyssa's assistance but asked, "And how do you see that ending?"

Morbid looked up for a moment. His brow drew together, and he jerked his head back as though something was thrown at him. "Not as much blood as I thought there would be. More tears, though."

"Do you truly foresee these events, or is it all Familiar bullshit?"

Morbid looked him up and down then broke into a wide grin. "Ask Lyssa and find out."

Rune raised his brow and looked away. "I am not that curious."

"Coward," Morbid laughed.

He turned his attention back to Morbid and asked, "Will you tell me what she is?"

The Familiar King winked at him and answered, "Your queen."

Faye held the crimson silk robe up in the mirror, smoothing the material over her hip.

"Wow, you're getting the full experience." Sparrow whistled low as Faye turned to her with a questioning glance. Her sister twirled a finger at the robe, and said, "Ceremony of Blood robe. Runey will be wearing a matching one."

She imagined Rune dressed in the same red silk. The front of it hangs open to reveal the hard planes of his chest. She dismissed the thought. She would see him soon enough. His court arrived this evening. Sadi included.

Faye wondered if the High Queen would be there. If she had to pick between her evil twin or the high bitch, she would go with the evil twin. Hissing bitch trumped the High Queen asking Rune if she spread her legs for him.

She folded the robe over her arm and turned toward her sister. Faye took a deep breath willing the tension from her body. Her action did the opposite, and Faye bit the inside of her lip.

She glanced at her sister, asking, "Do you have any more collars that…"

Faye bit the inside of her lip and waved her hand over her body.

Sparrow's brow lowered for a moment before her eyes widened. "Yeah, I have a ton of them."

She folded the robe over her arm and turned toward her sister. Faye took a deep breath willing the tension from her body. Her action did the opposite, and Faye bit the inside of her lip.

She glanced at her sister, asking, "Do you have any more collars that…"

Faye bit the inside of her lip and waved her hand over her body.

Sparrow's brow lowered for a moment before her eyes widened. "Yeah, I have a ton of them."

"Ones you haven't worn," Faye clarified, the last thing Faye wanted was Rune smelling her sister on her.

Sparrow snorted and leaned her head into the hallway. "Babe."

Vashien appeared next to her a moment later. He glanced between the two of them and leaned in the doorway. "Don't do whatever she's telling you to."

Sparrow slapped his arm. "She is asking, thank you very much," she said, holding her hand out. "I know you stockpile the lingerie collars, give."

Vashien's cheeks tinged pink as he glanced at Faye's way.

"Hey," Sparrow said, jabbing him in the arm. "She's not going to save you, she's the one asking. She needs one I haven't worn for Runey."

"You want to wear lingerie to your Ceremony of Blood."

Faye found the stone squares making up the floor riveting as her face heated. She thought Sparrow would have a cache of them, not mortify her in front of Vashien. How was she supposed to look him in the eye tomorrow at breakfast?

"Stop embarrassing her. You're always pulling them out. I know you're hiding a bunch of them. Give me the shoe box you hide them in or whatever so Faye can pick one."

Faye ignored the sound of shuffling and glanced up when the door closed.

"He's gone. It's so cute how your blushing minutes before you're going to fuck the Shadow Prince."

Faye's flush deepened. "It's a ceremony."

Sparrow queried her lip and nodded at her. "You keep telling yourself that," she said as she dumped the contents of a wooden box over the bed. "I thought he would have five or six," Sparrow said, grabbing a handful of collars and letting them fall.

Faye glanced over the scraps of different material. There were dozens of them. Faye held up one made of leather with metal studs in it. "These are the ones you haven't worn?"

Sparrow gave her a toothy grin and shimmied her hips. "He likes to play dress up."

"Darkness, save me," Faye muttered, picking through the collars. "How do you know what they look like?"

"Easy," her sister said, spreading the chokers out. Dark mist coated her hand and she waved it over the bed, as her dark mist rolled over them, they changed.

Faye swallowed. Maybe she shouldn't have asked what they looked like. Some of them were straps and ribbons, others were made of studded leather. Faye picked up a piece that was underwire with thin chains draped over the front of it and held it out toward her sister. "Vash likes this?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Sparrow said, taking the lingerie. It transformed back into a leather choker, and she dropped it back in the box.

Faye stared at the assortment of lingerie, not sure what to pick. She didn't want her ceremony to be one-sided. They could both have a pleasant evening before completing her ceremony. She wanted something for him but wasn't sure what direction his tastes ran. She'd never imagine Vashien would like some of these, maybe the same could be said for Rune.

Sparrow snorted at her indecision. "You're taking too long. Stop thinking so hard. They're men. Wrap your tits in some lace and they're happy."

Faye's shoulders slumped. "What if he doesn't like it?" What if she just made her ceremony awkward trying to give him something he didn't want.

"Darkness, you are the most over-thinking bitch in all the realms." Sparrow waved her hand again, reverting the lingerie into strips of material. She outstretched her fingers, curling them in a rolling wave as she peered over the assortment. She picked up one made of gray and pink lace, and another made of red leather.

"Pick one," Sparrow ordered.

Faye took the lace choker and her sister snickered, "Pussy."

"I'm not wearing red leather for our first…"

"Date?" Her sister finished for her.

"It's not a date," Faye argued, sliding the collar in her pocket.

Sparrow linked arms with her and started toward the door. "Come on. We can't be late for your date."

"It's a ceremony," Faye hissed as they met Vashien in the hall.