Keeper (First Ordinance #2)(35)

"Quin?" Reah tapped on Berel's open door.

"Reah?" I slid off Berel's couch, grateful I didn't stutter her name. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, and with the power she held, she was magnificent. It was difficult to comprehend that the others failed to see these things in her.

"I have a request," she smiled at me. "From Torevik's mother, Queen Lissa. She would like you to visit—the Sirenali that Marid had with him in Kondar cannot speak and neither of us can read anything from him. We'd like to see if you can tell us anything about him."

"I'm not sure whether I can," I shook my head. I hadn't bothered with him—I'd focused on Marid because he held vital information. I'd only gotten a little of the knowledge needed from him before he killed himself.

"Will you try?" Reah's green eyes begged me to say yes. "Besides, the Queen would like to meet you. Gurnil and Ordin have volunteered to come with you, as have Kaldill and Daragar."

"May I go?" Berel asked. I realized then that we'd be traveling far away from Siriaa. Berel was excited by the prospect; I was terrified.

"Kaldill and Daragar will come?" I quavered.

"Yes. There is nothing to fear, I promise."

"Then I'll come. I don't wish to disappoint anyone; I can only promise to try to read this man."

"Sirenali," Reah corrected gently.

"As you say," I hunched my shoulders. "How should I dress?" It was a valid question—I didn't wish to offend a Queen.

"Dress nicely, but for comfort," Reah smiled. "The Queen isn't particular."

"I'll help," Dena stood with a smile.

*

Not long after, I was herded back to the research building where Berel, Kaldill, Daragar, Reah, Gurnil and Ordin waited. Torevik intended to come as well—the Queen we would visit was his mother.

As quickly as Daragar could transport me to Kondar, this trip was just as swift. I marveled at the ability to fly through the stars and arrive far away in less than a blink. Nevertheless, I'd closed my eyes for the journey, opening them once my feet settled on a solid floor.

Avii Castle was a wonder; buildings in Kondar, including the High President's palace home, were amazing. What met my gaze when I arrived at the palace on Le-Ath Veronis took my breath away.

Dark marble, with veins of gold and silver in its depths, covered the floor. A lighter version covered the walls. All of it was so carefully designed and beautiful I wanted to touch it to make sure it was real.

A woman—small and slender—waited for us. She was lovely, with blue eyes and reddish-gold hair. I discovered quickly that I couldn't read anything in her, either. The Queen of Le-Ath Veronis, dressed in a silk tunic and pants, smiled at us and lifted her cheek for Torevik to kiss.

Kaldill held a hand at my back and Daragar walked beside us as we were led inside the Queen's library. As massive as Gurnil's Library was at Avii Castle, this one eclipsed it. My fingers itched to open a single book—surely I could read it—and lose myself in other worlds and cultures.

I couldn't—it hadn't been offered and I'd been invited for other reasons. Others waited in the library for us to arrive—many of them mated to the Queen. Some of them made me want to shrink away—one of them could become a huge wolf whenever he wished.

Perhaps he guessed at my discomfort—he offered a gentle smile, convincing some of the tension to fall from my shoulders. Another there frowned at me, making the tension rise again.

It was Kaldill's son, Lendill. I knew it before Kaldill introduced him.

"Don't be a f*cking dick," Kaldill scolded his son. I jerked to a standstill—I'd never heard Kaldill curse before.

"Lendill, stop being a f*cking dick," Reah echoed Kaldill's words. They were mated; I could see it when Lendill turned in Reah's direction.

"Lendill, stop being a f*cking dick," Queen Lissa repeated. Winkler—the man who could become wolf at will, burst into laughter.

A woman stood with the many men in the library; she, like several others, was fascinated by winged people. "You really fly? I mean, Roff flies, but he doesn't have feathers."

"What Renée's saying is that she's used to winged vampires, but not winged people," Lissa said. "I don't know of another winged race such as the Avii in all the known universes."

"Renée is a pretty name," I offered. I was at a loss to comment on the wings—I hadn't had mine long, after all. Gurnil or Ordin would be better to ask about the Avii. A name—a real one, anyway—was also something I hadn't had for long.

"Thank you," she said. If she hadn't been described as a vampire, and if I hadn't seen it in her already, I would have thought her the same as any other. She had feelings for the one she believed had made her vampire, when the one who'd actually made her vampire stood nearby. The Queen had offered her blood for the turn and one named Montrose had taken over, teaching her the ways a vampire should behave and comport themselves.

Lissa lifted an eyebrow as all those things flew through my mind but didn't say anything; I couldn't read her but I could read the others about her.

"May we offer food or drink before we make our way to the Sirenali's cell?" the Queen suggested. That's how we came to have tea and tiny cakes in her library, while I was ensconced on a comfortable sofa with Kaldill and Daragar.