Page 11 of Treasured

My shadows were restless serpents writhing in me. I refused to give in to their call, though. I was better than the shadows. Better than primal vampiric urges. I was the best. All of this was below me. I should have been enjoying my reign as queen, but instead, I was fretting like a simpleton over my missing son.

This was all her fault. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into the tender flesh of my palms. I would destroy that once-human bitch, just like her family and the people of Rivin before her. I’d never been so sure of anything in my entire life.

One of the Favorites cried out, her distress pulling me out of my thoughts. Marianne’s brows were furrowed, and a cut that was several inches long ran across her wrist.

I tilted my head. “Oh, dear.”

Blood poured like a river from the wound, streaming onto the ground. The Favorite swayed. “My Queen?”

“That looks like it hurts.”

Marianne’s gaze dropped to her wrist. “It does.”

“Hmm.” I stared at her dispassionately. “Pity.”

The other eleven kept working, not daring to stop. Marianne paled. “Q-q-queen Marguerite—”

Her next words never came. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed on the floor. Within moments, her once-brown hair was red and matted with blood.

Weak. Mortals were so, so weak. That’s why Isvana and Ithiar put vampires in charge.

I sighed. “Guard!”

A vampire shadowed into the room. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

It was a shame. Marianne was beautiful for a mortal, and she was pleasant in bed. She’d been a Favorite for over five years, which was practically a record.

Now, she was dying and of no use to me. So much for that.

“Get rid of her.” I pointed to the fallen human.

“Of course.” The guard took Marianne’s arm and shadowed her out of the room.

The others didn’t even blink.

For a long moment, the clinking of porcelain was the only sound.

I counted my pets.

“Damn,” I muttered.

Eleven. Gods, I hated uneven numbers almost as much as I hated humans. What was I going to do? I could kill another just to level things out, but that would leave me missing two Favorites. Unacceptable.

I’d have to find a suitable replacement.

I sighed.

Just another problem on my plate that would have to be dealt with.

Sending out another summons, I waited for a response. It never came. My gods-damned prince was ignoring me.

How dare he?

I hissed and red tinged my vision. It was the Tether. It all came down to that cursed magic rope.

My fingers tightened on the ruby until the hard edges dug into my skin. Did Ciro know what he was doing when he spoke the Tether into existence? Did he know about soul sharing, or was he trying to be an ass?

It didn’t matter.

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