Queen of Darkness

By the time she caught up to them, Titian was questing back and forth in the corridor like a hound searching for a scent while Saetan prowled more slowly. Neither of them paid any attention to her arrival.

”It was here,” Titian said as she searched. ”It was here.”

”Can you still sense it?” Saetan asked too quietly.

Titian’s shoulders tensed. ”No. But it was here.”

”I’m not doubting you, Lady.”

”But you sense nothing.”

”No. Which only means that whoever created the spells designed to hide him knew exactly who and what to hide him from.”

”Hekatah did this,” Titian said.

Saetan nodded. ”Or Dorothea. Or both. Whoever he is, they made sure he would blend in so there would be no reason to give him a closer look. The only thing they couldn’t anticipate was a Harpy catching a trace of his true psychic scent. But why was he lingering here?” He turned to study the doors. ”Surreal’s room. And Wilhelmina’s room.”

Surprised by her own discomfort, Surreal cleared her throat. ”It could just be a man who hasn’t heard that I retired from the Red Moon houses.”

Saetan gave her a long, assessing look, then turned to Titian, who shook her head. ”I agree,” he said cryptically. He knocked sharply on Wilhelmina’s door. When he got no answer, he went in. He came out a minute later. ”She’s in the garden with Dejaal. He’ll stay with her.”

It took Surreal a moment to connect the name with the young tiger she had frequently seen with Wilhelmina.

”Graysfang is on his way,” Saetan said, giving Surreal a hard look. ”He’s not to leave your side tonight.”

It took her another moment to fit the pieces together. She bristled. ”Wait just a minute, High Lord. I can take care of myself.”

”He’s a Warlord,” Saetan snapped. ”He defends and protects.”

”He wears Purple Dusk to my Gray. You can’t assume that this other male wears a lighter Jewel than he does.”

”I’m assuming nothing. He defends and protects.”

Furious, Surreal strode up to Saetan and grabbed two fistfuls of his robe. ”He’s not fodder,” she snarled. ”It’s not right for him to die when I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”

Dry amusement slowly filled Saetan’s eyes. ”You will not wound his pride by telling him he isn’t capable of protecting you. However, since the Queens share your opinion, it is considered acceptable for you to provide the protective shields for both of you and to guard his back.”

”Oh.” Releasing him, Surreal tried to smooth the wrinkles in his robe that her fists had made. When she noticed Saetan’s amusement growing, she gave up and stepped back.

”Will you station guards tonight?” Titian asked.

Saetan thought for a moment, then shook his head. ”No. Nothing that obvious tonight. The Ladies in the court will be protected. The rest we’ll deal with in the morning.” He looked at Surreal. ”I’d like you to stay in your room tonight, or the inner garden your room overlooks. No one will be coming at you or Wilhelmina from that direction.”

All of Surreal’s instincts sharpened as she considered all the ways an assassin could gain access. ”Are all these rooms occupied?” she asked thoughtfully. Slip into an empty room, slip through the garden, enter the victim’s room through the glass doors that opened onto the garden…

”A couple of the guest rooms are empty,” Saetan said, ”but no one will be coming at you through the garden. Kaelas will be there.”

Daemon took one look at Saetan and Titian, stepped into the corridor, and closed Jaenelle’s sitting room door. ”Lady Titian,” he said respectfully, masking his surprise at seeing her. He knew she was demon-dead, but he hadn’t expected to see her at the Hall-and he didn’t like her tense stance any more than he liked Saetan’s controlled neutrality.

”As Steward of the Court, I’m formally requesting that you remain with the Queen tonight,” Saetan said quietly. ”All night.”

Daemon tensed. This evening was the first time since Jaenelle had finished healing his mind that she’d been willing to spend time with him, and he’d hoped playing a few hands of cards would remind her that he was a friend, which was the first step toward her accepting him as her lover. But if he told her he was going to spend the night in her bed, she’d start running from him again. Didn’t Saetan understand that?

Yes, he realized as he studied that controlled neutrality, Saetan understood. But the Steward of the Court, while sympathizing with the Consort’s hesitation and feelings, felt compelled to dismiss them.

”I’m making this request to all the Consorts and First Escorts,” Saetan added.

Daemon nodded as he considered that bit of information. A formal request like that, in this court, was equal to a call to battle. Every Warlord Prince at the Hall would be riding the killing edge that night. ”Will Lucivar be with Marian?”

”No,” Saetan said, ”Prothvar will stay with Marian and Daemonar. Lucivar will… tour… the Hall tonight.”

”Where will Kaelas be?” Daemon asked. Suddenly that feline strength and temper were a comfort.

”Kaelas will be in the garden. It will give him more flexibility.”

”Then I’ll wish you a good night-and good hunting,” Daemon added too softly. ”High Lord. Lady.”

”Is there a problem?” Jaenelle asked when he returned to the sitting room.

Daemon hesitated but couldn’t think of any other way to say it. ”The Steward has formally requested that I remain with you tonight.”

The flicker of panic in her eyes hurt him, but it was the knife-edged way she focused on the sitting room door that made him wary-especially when that focus shifted to him.

”Is that request being made of all the Consorts and First Escorts?” Witch asked in her midnight voice.

”Yes, Lady, it is.”

A long silence. Then Jaenelle wrinkled her nose. ”A formal request seems a bit much just to get the boyos off the couches tonight.”

Daemon suppressed a sigh of relief. She was willing to pretend that that’s all the request meant. Most likely, she just wanted a few more hours before admitting that Alexandra or one of her entourage had done something serious that would have to be dealt with.

”Would you like to play another round?” he asked, taking his seat.

She narrowed her eyes. ”Whose deal is it?”

He smiled at her. ”Mine.”

”Why didn’t you tell him about the tainted male?” Titian asked.

”I can’t count on Daemon’s control right now,” Saetan replied after a long pause. ”A Warlord Prince who’s focused on being accepted as a Consort has an extremely volatile temper.”

After a moment, Titian shook her head. ”Even if everyone else didn’t sense the spells Dorothea and Hekatah created, I don’t understand why Jaenelle didn’t notice them.”

”Nor do I. But as I said, Dorothea and Hekatah knew exactly who they had to hide him from,” Saetan replied, feeling his heartbeat thicken until he could feel each thump like a blow.

”Even so, Jaenelle always takes a careful look at the people who intend to stay in Kaeleer.”

”But she would have no reason to look that closely at someone who wasn’t intending to stay, especially if emotional and personal issues were being used as a blind to hide a different purpose.”

Titian frowned. ”Who else is staying at the Hall?”

”Jaenelle’s Chaillot relatives and their companions.” He saw his own hatred reflected in Titian’s face.

”And you haven’t done anything about them?”

”My formal request for execution was denied,” Saetan replied, doing his best not to respond to the accusation in her voice. ”I’ll choke on it, but I’ll abide by it. Besides, there will be another time and another place to settle those debts,” he added softly.

Titian nodded. ”If I slip into their rooms, maybe I can sense something. Then we could quietly take care of the tainted male tonight.”