Page 110 of Their Blood Queen

Glancing at her from over my shoulder, I give her a raised brow.

She gives me another one of her characteristic smirks, then bounces to her feet. She pops her hips as she marches to her closet and emerges a few moments later with a tailored suit. One I know will fit me perfectly.

“They aren’t my mates,” I argue. She doesn’t try to correct me. “Did you know they were coming?” I ask as I accept the clothes. I put them on while I wait for her reply.

She shrugs, sending her long, silky hair unfurling over her shoulder as she moves. “I suspected it based on the type of distortion I had been sensing closer to Monsters Night, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case I was wrong.”

“Distortion?” I ask.

“Do you recall the peekaboo portal that kept popping up? Someone from the other dimension had their eye on us, but there was more to it than that. Many of them came through, and a few decided to stay.” She grins. I know there’s more information, but she isn’t going to share it with me right now. “Including your new mates,” she continues in complete disregard of my protest about them being mates. “I had an Emissary ready to locate them once the portals opened. They accepted my invitation and have been staying here.”

“Hmm,” I say as I decide if it’s worth it to argue with her or not. While I highly doubt these two monsters are also my mates, Helia likely can sense their connection to Scarlett. Explaining that to her would require explaining my connection to Scarlett and therefore risk her understanding that I’m going to have to leave this world. Permanently. I don’t need anyone trying to convince me to stay when it’s not the right thing to do. “Anything else I should know?”

Her smirk turns into a full-on grin, which is usually a horrible sign of misfortune on its way. “They aren’t the only interesting monsters who traveled here from that dimension.”

Any monsters worthy of Helia’s attention are typically powerful, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. There’s a refreshed energy about her.

No, that’s not just rejuvenated energy. She has new energy.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask her with a raised brow.

Her eyes glitter with delight. “Guess.”

I blow out a breath. “Helia.”

She rakes her fingers through her hair as she gives me a softer smile, one I haven’t seen on her in a very long time.

One that comes from a place of happiness.

“Bernard didn’t tell you?” she asks, but she knows he couldn’t tell me whatever it is she chose to share with my Raven instead of me.

That’s not his fault, though. I’ve been in the Dream Realm for days.

She finally chooses to end my torment and spits it out. “I found my mates, Cain. At least, I found two of them.” She tilts her head to the doorway. “They’re both enjoying the spa level. I sensed you’d be invading my space tonight.” She eyes the broken glass on the floor with distaste. “They’re human. I didn’t want your brutish beast to break them.”

I go silent. I take no offense to her concerns about my beast around fragile humans, but I can’t ignore the impossibility of this coincidence.

What are the odds that the Monster City Queen and the Elite City King both find mates after centuries of failure?

“I wouldn’t dream of allowing even a hair to be harmed on your mates’ heads. I offer you my congratulations.”

She hums in reply. “Congratulations to you as well.”

That might be a little preemptive of her. As powerful as Helia is, I doubt she understands the depths of my predicament.

“Don’t you find it unusual? Both of us finding mates, I mean? There could be foul play.”

She shrugs. “Perhaps. Who do you suggest would be interfering with fate?”

“Have you met any Gods recently?” I ask. I mean it in jest, but she doesn’t laugh.

“I’m about to meet with one named Orcus,” she replies, surprising me. “But he seems as lost here as the rest of us were. If there is a deity meddling, I don’t think it’s him.” She tilts her head as if she’s pleased with herself. “He’s… interesting, though. I think you’ll like him.” Her eyes glitter with delight as I try to keep a straight face, but it’s as if the Monster City Queen can read my mind. After how many centuries we’ve known each other, she practically can. “Would you like to stay and discuss the circumstances of a budding new alliance? I promise it’ll be interesting.”

“I’m sure it will be,” I say as I adjust my cuff links. “But I trust you to handle monster affairs.”

I don’t mention that I doubt I’ll be remaining in this plane for very long. Helia might know me well enough, but I’ve never given up my city.

Not even when I lost control and my beast destroyed everyone and everything in Vulcan Village. That place is now a pit, nothing more than crumbled ruins at the edge of my city.

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