Page 15 of Wicked Allure
“It’s quite all right. Parties in my honor are not my thing,” Dru admitted.
“Either way, I will not hold you long.” The queen paused and turned to Dru.
Her eyes hardened slightly. The air around them grew tense. Dru immediately sensed there was a serious reason why the queen had brought them away from the castle and the coven. Why else would she guide them away from potential prying eyes and eavesdroppers?
“I wanted privacy for what I need to discuss with you. Out here, there is no one but us and my guards. What I am about to say is not to be shared with anyone else. Not even my daughters know what I am about to ask of you.”
Dru held back her surprise. This certainly confirmed that Lethia was in the dark about this meeting. Dru swallowed hard and faced the queen.
“Your Majesty, you have my solemn swear of fealty and confidence of my silence.” Dru pounded a fist above her heart. It made her feel damn good to be trusted.
“Something has arisen that I need someone to take care of. I feel you would be the best person for this job. I know you’re now a general, but this job is something I will not trust with just anyone,” Mira said.
“Whatever it may be, I’ll take care of it,” Dru automatically said. She was honor bound to the woman before her. She may serve under Lethia, but ultimately she served the vampire crown. Determination filled her. If the queen determined she was the best for this assignment or task, then so be it.
“There was a time where my mate had a vampire whom he trusted solely. The right hand of the king. He betrayed not only my mate but the crown and all vampires,” Mira snapped. Her fangs flashed as she spoke. A scowl that was unfit for a queen spread across her face.
Hearing this information shocked Dru. She hadn’t heard of any tales of betrayal of someone close to the king. She had a love of history and had studied the Riskel rise to power. Niall wasn’t the first Riskel to sit on the throne.
“We’ve suppressed this information because my mate killed the vampire,” the queen continued. “He did not deserve the honor to have his name scribed into the history books.”
Dru nodded in satisfaction that the king had handled the traitor. She folded her arms. If he was dead, then what did the queen need from her?
“Or at least, we thought him to be dead,” Mira announced.
Dru froze. Her interest was definitely piqued.
Mira took a few steps away and stared at the moon. She exhaled before glancing over her shoulder at Dru. “I want you to confirm whether or not this vampire lives.”
“Do you have proof or —”
“There have been rumors of things going around that only he’d know. What caught my attention was what that lycan alpha had said. She knew things that weren’t made public. Conversations that were private. There were only three people privy to them, and two of them are present now at your celebration.”
Hearing this brought about a fierceness in Dru. That would be similar to her, Lethia, and Alima. Dru would never betray the princess or her mate, and certainly not the crown. Her loyalty knew no boundaries. What could have caused the vampire to cross the king? And the right hand of the king at that? Her hand balled into a fist at the thought of the deception.
“What is this vampire’s name?” Dru said. To think that someone close to the king would betray him, their people, had a dark nature rising in Dru. That vampire didn’t deserve to breathe air or have the pleasure to drink blood. She thought of all of the tales she’d heard of the centuries past, and not once had she known of a vampire betraying the king. Even if he was erased from the history archives, there must be some information on him. She’d dig until she found what she was looking for.
If he was truly alive and hiding, she’d find him.
“He went by the name of Solomon Winterborne centuries ago. If he’s alive today, there is no telling what name he uses. But I want him found and brought to me,” the queen demanded. She stalked to Dru and stopped inches from her. Her fierce glare met Dru’s. “I trust you’ll complete this mission, General.”
“You have my word, Your Majesty. And if there is resistance?” Dru asked.
“Then you have my permission to bring me his head.”
Tomesha glanced down at the gold coins resting in her drawer. It had been two weeks since she’d started working at Madam’s. She was still in training, but so far, Starla had said she’d been a quick study.
Maybe it had something to do with being close to eviction or needing food on the table that drove Tomesha. She blinked. She hadn’t seen this much money at one time—ever. Even with her years as a seamstress, she’d never brought in this amount in such a short time. It would take years for her to earn this, and here she’d done it in a matter of two weeks.
She bit back a smile.
She’d been praised for being a fast learner. Tomesha was determined to succeed; she didn’t have a choice. Learning the bar wasn’t hard. The process of preparing the blood was new for her. Warming it for consumption wasn’t something a human did. She compared it to preparing an alcoholic drink for humans. Some drinks had to be made certain ways for it to taste good. Some vampires had certain preferences for blood types, warmed or chilled.
Servicing her first customer had been a little challenging. From the moment she’d hit the club, offers were being tossed to her left and right. Mistress had been correct. Apparently, there was something sweet about her blood that drew the vampires to her, and the fact that she wasn’t to be bitten made the allure of her all the more enticing for them.
She’d at first thought having sex with a random stranger would be hard, but again, with everything hanging over her head, Tomesha was able to perform well enough, and the vampire tipped her generously. She fingered a few of the coins and sighed. Each one became easier than the next. Thankfully, she hadn’t had any difficult patrons.
Leaving to come to work today hadn’t been easy. Tarek was still upset at her choice in employment. He hadn’t said a word when she’d left. He’d sat on the front steps of their house as she’d bid goodbye to their grandmother. She loved her brother dearly and prayed he’d eventually come to terms with what she did for a living. This was her decision, and she was going to stick by it.
