Serpent's Kiss (Elder Races #3)(110)

“Of course,” said Carling. She focused on Julian. “I didn’t leave the island just to be willful. I left with a clearly defined purpose.”

Rune interjected. “We’re willing only if we’re together. Carling is my mate, and I am not leaving her.”

And there drops the other shoe, Carling thought, as a fresh argument erupted. She almost found it in her to be amused.

Julian no longer wanted Carling in the Nightkind demesne. Carling gave him a heavy-lidded smile. She said gently, “That is perfectly fine with me.”

Her smile said to him, I know what you have done and tried to do. Exile me and turn your land into a prison. I may no longer come to the Nightkind demesne, but take one step out of your jurisdiction, and you are still my progeny, my child, and I may still command you. And now you have no idea how long I might live, or where I might be. You tried to take me down, and you would have killed me, and maybe you did all of that sincerely for the good of your people, but you also did it because you thought you would finally get out from underneath my authority. And while I understand all of that, I will not forgive you, because I know how to hold a grudge with all of my heart, and one day I will remind you of that. One day.

Then Dragos stirred and said, “This is a stupid conversation. Rune, of course you can come home to New York and bring your mate with you.” He gave Carling a machete smile. “We’d love to welcome you into the fold.”

“I’ll just bet you would,” she said to the dragon, with a blade in her smile every bit as keen and bright as his.

The argument that erupted at that was more vociferous and impassioned than ever. It turned out nobody was in favor of that option.

The morning was brightening. Streaks of yellow and pale rose lightened the dark purple sky. The sun would crest the horizon soon. Rune took Carling by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He stroked the short choppy hair off her face. He looked as tired as she felt. I’m not sure anybody could really stop us if we did live in New York, he said. Although there is a great deal of pressure on Dragos right now.

No matter how strongly they had spoken to the tribunal, they still did not know if they had found a solution. She did not say it. She preferred, as he did, to look ahead with hope. Instead she asked, Do you want to go back to New York?

He took a deep breath and shook his head. No. I haven’t forgiven him for the last conversation we had. I also think he’s yanking everybody’s chain right now. I don’t believe he would let me go back and pick up my duties as his First with you as my mate. He would always wonder if having you in my life skewed my motives, and he would be right. Maybe he and I can repair our friendship over time, but for now I think the only thing you and I can really do is start somewhere fresh and new.

She smiled up at him. What in the world are we going to do with ourselves? The thought of the unknown was exhilarating and frightening. There was her good friend again, the spook house/roller coaster.

Rune’s face lightened and he smiled back. I have no clue. It’s going to be fun to figure it all out.

As long as they could buy themselves time.

She squeezed his hands. I have a few things I need to say to a couple of people.

She watched as he struggled with himself. There were too many Powerful and dangerous people around, and they had skated too close to the edge for him to let go of her easily. But he had to know it was not a good thing to try to hold on to her too tightly, because his grip loosened. All right.

She turned and walked over to her wayward children, Rhoswen and the Nightkind King. They stared as she approached, noting the changes in her hair and dress. Julian asked in a low voice, “Did you really do it? Did you find a cure?”

Carling let her gaze travel over Julian’s rough, intelligent features one last time. They had been close friends once, long ago, and political partners for far longer. He was another one like Rune, an alpha male born to command. Perhaps she had simply ruled him for too long. Maybe like Rune and Dragos, when this anger of hers had died down, they could achieve peace, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath.

“That question may grow to haunt you over the next thousand years or so,” she said. “But you’re going to have to find your own salvation.”

She turned her attention to Rhoswen, who grew more and more agitated under her steady regard. “You went straight to Julian, didn’t you?” she murmured, low enough to keep her words from everyone else but not so low that Julian couldn’t hear. “What did you tell him—how unstable I’d become, how dangerous I was, how it made no sense that I would send my most loyal and devoted servant away and latch on to that manipulative Wyr? I know what you told him. You told him everything he wanted to hear to justify doing the things he did. Then you told the same things to the tribunal.”

Rhoswen straightened and held her head high, while her eyes glittered with angry tears. “I spoke my truth.”

Carling’s contemptuous expression never wavered. “What a poisonous little snake you turned out to be,” she said softly. There were too many fractures in Rhoswen’s behavior. Carling no longer believed the younger Vampyre was stable. If they were anywhere else, Carling would have taken her head. But Rhoswen was not worth breaking the laws of sanctuary over. Carling and Rune had come too far, through too much, to throw it all away.

As she turned away, she said to Julian, “She’s your problem now.”