Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(98)

Myrddin watched the fertility god and then turned to Daniel. “Is the fertility deity in charge, Your Highness?”

Stewart shook his head. “It would seem he thinks so.”

Myrddin pursed his lips thoughtfully. “He seems to believe he owns your companion. Does he have authority over the queen? Is he the one I should look to in regards to her?”

He made the question sound so innocent, but I could see Daniel’s face harden and his lips moved slightly. If you didn’t know what to look for you would miss it, but I knew his fangs had popped out, a sure sign of his temper rising, and I didn’t think he was getting pissed off at the wizard.

“She’s my wife,” Daniel all but snarled. He was emotional to start with. The last thing he needed was someone to challenge his rights to his companion. It was an instinct for a vampire, like waving a red flag at a bull. Daniel would charge. Myrddin knew exactly which buttons to push and seemed more than happy to push them.

“It seems to me this fertility god claims much which should be yours,” Myrddin said quietly, as though merely concerned. “He takes over your advisor’s body when the whim takes him. He claims rights to your companion. Perhaps you’re a different kind of vampire. I thought you would be possessive of those whose bed and blood you shared. I commend you on your forward thinking, Your Highness. I will need to rethink things, though. I had not expected a submissive king. It gives me different challenges.”

I felt Daniel’s roar before I heard it. “I submit to no one. She is mine. He is mine. I will kill anyone who thinks to take them from me.”

The chair Daniel had been sitting in sort of exploded when he brought his fist down.

“Myrddin, what are you trying to do?” Nim walked back in from the small kitchen. She’d been preparing some sort of concoction to aid in the wizard’s plan to fix Daniel. Her violet eyes narrowed suspiciously as she took in the scene.

“I’m attempting to discover who is truly in charge in the king’s household,” Myrddin explained simply. “I thought it would be the king, but it appears his queen belongs to an ancient god.”

“She is mine!” Daniel growled and he abruptly pulled me from Bris.

“Stop that!” I shouted at the wizard. “You’re the one causing trouble. Bris was only trying to protect his host.”

“Daniel,” Myrddin said calmly. He ignored me and he sounded so much like the voice of reason. “The fertility god may seem helpful, but he will crowd you out. He’ll attempt to take your place in the queen’s heart. He’ll say he’s interested in his host, but it’s all a ruse. He merely needs a proper body to get close to his goddess. His magic doesn’t work without a proper goddess from which it can flow. That goddess would be either a fertility goddess or something close to it.”

“What’s close to it?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t like the answer.

Myrddin smiled. It was the kind of smile you use on a na?ve child when you feel a little sorry for them. “A companion, my dear. You would be almost useless when it comes to magic on your own, but that glow would cause his magic to flow and flow. Did you think vampires are the only ones who could see it? Everyone wants to feed off you. Some just have different ways of doing it.”

I felt my face fall as I turned to see if this was the truth. Bris frowned as he reached for my hands, his voice sweet and cajoling. “Goddess, is this so surprising? What does it matter why I’m attracted to you? Devinshea’s love for you is just as appealing as your glow. I’ve grown to love both you and Daniel.”

Daniel jerked me away from him. “Don’t touch her.”

Bris’s eyes widened. “Daniel, he’s pushing you. He’s trying to bring out your beast to sow discord between us. He realized he couldn’t get rid of Devinshea. You’re far too close, and so he’s attempting to do the same thing by turning you against me. He wishes to be the only voice in your ear. He’s threatened by me and my host. Don’t allow him to shove a wedge between us. I’ve been nothing but loyal to you and he has not proven his worth. He’s only proven the he’s part demon and understands how to get his way.”

“Bris, it might help if you let Dev come back.” I needed Dev to come and smooth over this argument. “Let Dev come back so Daniel can be assured his precious blood is here and his.”

“This is a mistake, my goddess. The demonspawn will cause trouble between the three of you. We’ll speak on it later.”

“Daniel,” Dev said suddenly, his eyes normal again.

Daniel didn’t have to say a word for Dev to know he was riding that volcanic anger of his.

“Don’t you dare, Daniel.” Dev walked straight up to the pissed-off vampire. I had watched him do this many times. He had no fear when it came to Daniel. “We made the decision together. We decided it would be best for all of us if I attempted to ascend. You knew that meant bringing a fertility deity into our lives and our bed. We did it to make me strong for the fight. You don’t get to play the innocent, wounded party now that someone we’ve known for five minutes has passed judgment on our lives. Bris has done nothing but defend our wife and give up his corporeal being to save your life. If your jealousy and possessiveness are worth more to you than our friendship then you should tell me now. Am I your advisor, your partner, or is it this man?”