Blood Double (God Wars #1)(25)

*

"She has disobeyed me, that's why," Gavin snarled at Trevor and Kooper. "I've already passed the information to my son, so Stellan Starr will be kept away from her as well. Do not think to thwart me in this—vampire law supports the punishment of a child in any acceptable way the sire sees fit."

"So, in punishing her, you're punishing us, is that it?" Kooper Griff wanted to strangle Gavin Montegue. Gavin had called them to his palace office to pass on the news of Breanne's punishment.

"Griff, I don't give a damn what your opinion is on the matter. The law of Le-Ath Veronis supports me in this. Stay away until I confirm her punishment is lifted."

"Do you think to let it stand the full five years?" Trevor growled.

"It will stand for as long as I say it stands. Keep away from her. I forbid any contact. Contacting her in any way will only force me to extend the period of punishment," Gavin snarled at Trevor, his dark eyes flashing a warning.

*

"What can we do?" Kooper studied Trevor's face. Trevor, his dark hair in disarray from the many times he'd raked fingers through it, glanced at Kooper.

"I don't know. This cuts her off from anyone who might be sympathetic toward her. He's mistreating her, there's no doubt about that, but who do you go to? That's the Queen's first mate, and he holds the reins while she's gone."

"And nobody knows when the Queen will return. Meanwhile, that sadistic bastard hauls her off to Council meetings disguised as the Queen and we have no recourse against him. If vampires were susceptible to lion snake venom, Gavin Montegue might be a dead man."

"We'll hold that in reserve," Trevor sighed. "She still doesn't know about you, does she?"

"No. I was waiting to tell her. I have to say, not many women would so readily accept that kind of shapeshifter in their bed."

"I still can't believe it. Most women I know would run away screaming."

"She let me read over her shoulder," Kooper sighed.

"If I know Stellan Starr or any of the Starr brothers, I might not want to be Gavin Montegue when they learn of this." Trevor shook his head.

*

"Stell, he's her sire."

"I don't care if he's Ildevar Wyyld's sire."

"Look, just wait it out. She disrupted a Council meeting today."

"If she'd had any sleep the night before, it might not have been disrupted."

"I realize that, but I know things you don't about this and well, you just need to back off for now, all right?"

"I know he's your father. That's no secret to me or any of my brothers."

"I know you know that. And I trust you with that knowledge. Just wait this out. I promise she won't be in that situation forever. You can have her then."

"You make it sound like she's worthless. Something to be discarded when it's not needed anymore. How would you feel if I said that about Reah?"

"Stellan, I said it wouldn't last forever. It's time you left my study." Teeg San Gerxon gave a hard stare to the second oldest of the Starr brothers. "You'll have her when this is over. I promise."

Stellan muttered as he walked out the door, and Teeg would have been fooling himself if he hadn't heard the "f*ck you," tacked on at the end of it.

*

"I'm telling you, she's a Q'elindi," Erland Morphis sighed and sipped a glass of wine one of Rylend Morphis' personal servants handed to him.

"But only a Karathian Witch can be a Q'elindi," Rylend offered. "You said she was from Earth, so there's no chance of that, is there?"

*

Breanne's Journal

Punishment. That's what I received. No, Gavin didn't hit me, but he wanted to. Instead, he forbade Trevor, Kooper and Stellan from approaching me, speaking to me or generally having any contact. He pulled out his authority as my sire, dusted it off and implemented it. Of course, he still wasn't doing anything else in the sire department, but as long as Adam Chessman was absent on assignment, I had no recourse at all.

I'd already been punished—by the palace comesuli. They weren't planning to feed, clothe or do anything else to keep my life from sinking farther into misery. The only reason I had anything to wear at all was because it belonged to the Queen, and they wouldn't destroy her belongings. They could choose not to clean anything, though, and that's how I ended up in the palace laundry room after the staff had left, so I could wash and dry a load of underwear.

My friendly snake, too, disappeared off the radar. I worried about him—how could I not? While I pondered that and many other injustices in my life, I fell asleep during the drying cycle.

*

"Wake her and make sure you lock that door at night from now on. If she breaks it down to use our machines, we'll report it to Gavin. She's already being punished for what she did yesterday in the Council Chamber," Cheedas felt smugly satisfied that he could get back at the intended usurper in some way.

"How do you want me to wake her? She's still a vampire." The kitchen helper wanted nothing to do with waking vampires.

"I'll do it." Cheedas shouldered the frightened comesula aside and walked into the laundry room.

*

Breanne's Journal