Page 95 of Wicked Allure
The warrior, tall and wide, came to stand in front of them. He was a high-ranking guard by the looks of the insignia embedded in his uniform. “The queen awaits you. Please allow me to escort you. She’s in the throne room.”
“Thank you,” Dru murmured.
The guard spun on his heel and led them inside the keep. More of the royal guards trailed behind their small party. It was much warmer inside, which Dru appreciated. The sconces on the walls burned bright with fire, while portraits of past dignitaries lined the way. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Every step felt as if she were getting farther away from her mate. She held back the restrained violence that wanted to be released.
Get this over with, she instructed herself. Deliver the head. Bow down to the queen and king. Then burn the world to find your mate.
At this moment, she couldn’t care less about how she’d be rewarded for completing the quest from the queen. She hadn’t taken this mission for recognition. It had been the right thing to do. But it was now done. She had the traitor’s head, and the king and queen could have closure that a part of the past could be buried.
As she moved deeper into Dorston Keep, the cold seemed to follow her. Not the chill of Savadeen, but the kind that came from within, a fury held too tight. Beneath the weight of her anger and rage, one thought pulsed steady and sharp.
Hold on, miere. I’m coming.
They arrived at a set of massive twin doors engraved with the royal crest. They groaned as the guard pushed them open. He stepped in and moved to the side to allow her to enter. Dru and her warriors followed him. The throne room was a cathedral of shadows and power. Lights from crystal chandeliers throughout shimmered across the obsidian pillars carved from stone. At the far end of the chamber, beneath a ceiling so tall it vanished into darkness, stood the twin thrones sitting upon a dais of black marble veined with gold.
King Niall lounged in his with his assessing stare, watching them approach. Every inch of him spoke of a predator, a warrior—a king. Beside him sat the very elegant Queen Mira, her blue eyes unreadable as she leaned against her throne’s armrest.
Dru walked with precision straight to the dais. Her long coat swayed against her legs. She tightened her grip on the satchel which held the stains of blood from the severed arteries. It had been brutal yet satisfying to cut Solomon’s head from his body. She smirked at the memory. The rest of him had been burned along with the bodies of the lycans he’d sided with. It was an all-too-fitting end for the traitorous vampire.
“General Dru Moldark.” The guard’s voice echoed through the room.
Dru stopped at the base of the dais and went down on one knee and bowed her head. Her warriors did the same behind her. The powerful couple before them was due respect. She kept her gaze on the floor and inhaled.
“Your Majesties,” she murmured.
“Rise,” the king said, his voice smooth but carrying the hint of an edge and authority.
Dru stood, her jaw tight. The scent of blood drifted up from the bag. It was the stench of the traitor, and it turned her stomach. Dru met the steady gaze of both king and queen. Mira’s lips curled up in the corner as her gaze dropped down to satchel Dru held.
“My mate tells me that she chose you for a mission,” the king said.
“That is correct, Your Majesty,” Dru replied.
“And by the looks of it, I would say I chose the perfect person for the job.” Queen Mira reached out a hand and rested it on Niall’s arm. She graced her mate with a beautiful smile. Her blonde hair was in a sophisticated updo, while she was dressed in the finest gown that money could buy.
Even though the woman was dressed formally, Dru knew the queen. She’d have plenty of weapons on her person somewhere in order to defend herself.
Once a warrior, always a warrior.
“So tell me, General Dru Moldark. What have you in the bag?” King Niall asked.
“I was given two options, Your Majesty. It would seem the traitor decided on his own which I would be presenting to you,” Dru said. She unlatched the satchel and withdrew her grisly prize by the hair. She held the head of the traitor for all to see. His dead eyes stared sightlessly ahead.
The royal couple stood from their thrones. The room was deathly silent as everyone waited for their reactions. They walked down the stairs and stopped a few feet from Dru. Niall’s gaze was locked on the face of the traitor.
“This would be the second time I have looked upon this face in death,” King Niall said. An unreadable expression crossed his face. He turned to his mate and nodded. It would seem that the success of her mission was giving the king something he’d needed.
“I assure you this time, Your Majesty, he’s dead,” Dru replied. “Even all of these years, he continued to betray our kind. He was in league with the lycans.”
“He was once a great man. Someone who was close to me.” The king stood to his full height as a scowl appeared on his face.
“His betrayal cost us plenty.” Dru slipped the head back in her satchel. If what she suspected was true, this vampire had even cost Tomesha her father who’d disappeared during the lycan attacks. This male deserved his death ten times over.
The king snapped his fingers. A royal guard appeared their side. She handed the satchel over to the guard who turned and walked off with the bloody bag.
“You appear to be unsettled, General. I thought you would be pleased that you were able to present such a gift to me and my mate. Is there something else disturbing you?” the queen asked.
It was no surprise that she’d picked up that something else was on Dru’s mind.
