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Hoping to not interrupt their conversation, I lightly picked up her free hand and laid her nails against my chest. Pressing just enough to prick my skin with the silver tips. Her reflexes took over and she pressed deeper. Her eyelids fluttered, her nostrils flaring as if she scented her prey in the jungle.

“Fair, I guess,” she said, her voice husky. “Even before I came to Paris, I have earned the reputation of killing other queens. Though I swear before Isis that’s not my goal. Once word spreads of how I dealt with the Valois siblings, you’ll probably get even more requests because they won’t dare come to me.”

“You said something about them coming for dinner this evening, so I assumed taking control of House Valois had gone well.”

“I’ll have to ask Gina for the final numbers, but out of the fifty-five that presented themselves today, I think about ten survived.”

Mayte’s eyes widened. “So few? But why?”

As she filled my sister in on the betrayals, a long tendril of Shara’s hair glided up my arm like a luxurious black snake. Then around my neck. Not tight. Not making me gasp for breath. Just holding me. Tying us together. Magic whispered over my skin, making me shiver with delight.

When she withdrew her nails, I fought the urge to whimper with loss, even though she’d fed enough to make my head fuzzy. She moved her nails to Itztli. Then Rik. Feeding even longer and deeper on him. But he was alpha. He could take it.

“I’ll have my future siblings swear the same oaths,” Mayte said. “Though I won’t be able to drain them if they plan any subterfuge or betrayals. My capacity has grown, but I can’t begin to rival yours, my queen.”

“Drink as deeply as you can from them. That should be enough. Though I wonder… I might change up how often I interact with the other siblings. In your experience, how often do sibling queens exchange blood after the initial oaths are shared?”

“It varies greatly. If it’s just formal oaths to form an alliance, I would say exchanging blood again in the future is quite rare. Though closer siblings certainly feed on each other more often.” She blushed, her cheeks rosy pink. “Though not often enough in our case. I’m quite jealous that you’ve fed on your three Blood while I am so close and eager, my queen.”

Shara laughed softly but sat upright in Rik’s lap rather than taking my sister up on her offer. “That’s because I’m hoping you’re able to stay the night.”

“Oh yes, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Her hair began twining back into the long, thick braid she’d worn earlier today. Except for the strands around my throat.

On cue, Nevarre stepped into the main room carrying the chosen outfit for the evening, a soft, flowing gown in Egyptian turquoise that swept down her body to the floor. “I brought your protective jewelry in case you’d like to wear it again, my queen.”

She nodded and held her wrist out, accepting the first heavy gold bracelet. “I don’t want to, but I’d like to keep these siblings on their best behavior. The realization that they’ll have to take my head to kill me may help prevent any attacks. Hopefully none of them have access to a fae weapon or discover how we healed Warwick.”

Mayte gaped at her for a moment. “But they’re your siblings now. You tested them. Even Carys judged them, right?”

Shara’s jaw tightened. “One hundred percents are rare, my friend. I trust my Blood implicitly. You, Carys, Leonie, and Gwen. Frank, Gina, and Kevin, of course. Winston and Magnum. I think I’ll be able to trust Harvey, but he doesn’t carry my blood yet, and I don’t know how often I’ll be staying in this house. Julie and Regina are maybes. Otherwise, no. I trust no one. Even Carys’ eighty or ninety percents. There’s still enough wriggle room for someone to decide maybe this world will be a better place without me after all.”

Her words made us all flinch. Rik let out a rumbling growl. “There will be no more talk about anyone even thinking about taking your head, Shara, my queen. They’ll have to go through us first.”

She patted his arm as she stood. But her words were for Mayte. “I’d like you to put some thought into the best and easiest way I can ensure my humans cross over with me when I cross to Isis’ embrace. I don’t want to make any of my Blood responsible for taking the life of someone I love. Something that won’t rely on my blood or my magic to trigger it. Though of course I can usually resurrect myself, so I don’t know how a poison pill or something like that would work.”

“Of course. I’m sure we can think of something.” Mayte glanced over at me, noting the tendril of hair wrapped around my throat. She swallowed hard, and I braced for her to say something derogatory. “Though you will surely outlive all of your humans many times over.”

Yes, she was my sister, but she hadn’t endured Teotihuacan with us. She certainly hadn’t participated or witnessed any of the times our queen made love to us. She couldn’t know my preferences. Or that our queen didn’t mind⁠—

:I fucking love giving you exactly what you need.: Shara stepped into her dress and waited for Nevarre to zip it. :Every fucking time.:

“Your hair is quite long now,” Mayte finally said, accepting Shara’s offered elbow so they walked toward the door together. “I don’t remember it being so… Um…”

Words failed her, making Shara’s lips curve with amusement. “Flexible?”

Mayte’s cheeks heated again. “Something like that.”

“I inherited this hair from my mother, and it’s proven quite useful. She carried her power in her hair.” Without turning her head, Shara allowed another tendril of hair to escape the braid. The silken strands floated over to stroke my sister’s cheek. Just a light graze and then the tendril flowed back into the main braid, but it was enough to make Mayte’s eyes widen. “Plus a few surprises, like a time-stopping feather that contributed to saving us today.”

The look my sister gave me turned from awe into raw, naked longing. Not for me—for the hair around my throat. Just for a moment. Before she caught herself and looked away. Even a touch of jealousy.

Because our queen bound me with her hair. Not her.

“Is that how you were able to put Warwick to sleep while Lancelot did his work?”

The former Isador Blood guarding the door fell into step with us as we started downstairs to the main level.