I blinked. “Yes, my lord.”
I turned and hurried to catch up with Lord Belshazzar. The Overlord didn’t glance back, but his pace subtly slowed, allowing me to reach him without running. Neither of us commented on the bitty fact that our vampire senses worked again now that we were here—that I simply wanted to walk next to him, as he did me. We marched back up the same steep hill in companionable silence, while dead leaves crunched under our boots. An owl filled the air with its powerful hoot, the arresting creature hidden up in the limbs of the barren winter trees.
“Is the weather always like this?” I asked curiously.
“The nature around us continues to change with the seasons, but, yes, the temperature is constantly the same in my stronghold,” Master Niallan answered. The stars winked down on our group, lighting our trek up the hill. “The druids here prefer it this way.”
Lord Belshazzar grunted. “Finally, you speak of your people’s wishes.”
Master Niallan flicked a quick glare at the lord. “I am not a dictator, as you seem to believe, and my people are not all ‘fucked in the head’ as you said before. I merely have different laws for druids, compared to the severe laws that govern your people. Druids are allowed more freedom than yours—as they should have.”
“We all know that’s the way you feel,” Lord Belshazzar countered. He stepped over a root—the root I had tripped over before—without pointing out his vigilance versus my previous lack of it. The lord shook his head. “There is a difference between being a kind ruler and being a careless ruler. Your people have been running amok and creating chaos. Surely you can see that.”
Hell, even I’d witnessed the druids’ brazen behavior.
“I don’t care what my people do to the humans.”
“You should when their actions are thoughtless. They’re becoming increasingly bold.”
Master Niallan sighed heavily. “I’m also not afraid of a war between our people if it ever comes to that. We would win. Humans are no match for vampires and druids, despite their large numbers.”
Lord Belshazzar wasn’t even out of breath from our tramp through these woods—again. “You’re correct. We would. But we would lose good people during the fight. And, in the end, we’d have to accommodate the humans, so that wars wouldn’t continue to erupt needlessly. Druids and vampire citizens alike would find fault in that.”
The Original druid snorted. “We could annihilate them.”
That was an old conversation. We all knew that.
We could wipe humans out. If we wished.
But not everyone wanted them gone…
“And take away our pleasures?” One of the lord’s black brows lifted. “It would be akin to no longer having a cellphone. How would your people like that? About as well as mine would, I’d presume.”
Master Niallan swatted a branch aside and stayed quiet. Because, deep down, he had to know all this already.
“You need to take control of them,” Lord Belshazzar stated calmly. “Now. While we’re here. I don’t give a fuck how you do it, but take care of your people before it’s a shit storm you can’t control. They need to compose themselves before they make things even worse.”
His green eyes clashed with the lord’s icy blue gaze. “Do not tell me what to do with my own people.”
Lord Belshazzar shook his head slowly. “That attitude will be your downfall. And make my life harder in the long run.”
Master Niallan turned his attention to where he walked. “I wonder, Lord Belshazzar. Do you know that your ego is as big as mine?”
“I do.” The Overlord’s lips lifted into a small, cruel smile. “But I also know I’m the biggest motherfucker here too. I have the balls to back up my ego, where you do not.”
The Original druid snickered. “Fuck, you’re just like him.”
My brows puckered in confusion. I glanced back and forth between them, hoping for a tidbit of information while they argued.
Lord Belshazzar’s smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You would,” Master Niallan grumbled under his breath. He stopped as we crested the hill again and spread his arms wide, our coats still dangling over one of his arms. “We’re here. It looks better than the crumbling decoy, don’t you think?”
I damn near swallowed my tongue. “Uh…yes.”
Deep in a valley lay a city of gold. No border surrounded it, as the druids had no need for one. Tiny, adorable buildings lined pebbled streets, lights still lit inside businesses and homes, even in the middle of the night. The scents of bread and sweets already wafted on the breeze—bakers up early and working. And in the middle of their sanctuary sat a castle, a large golden castle that glimmered under the moonlight.
Master Niallan tilted in my direction, pointing a finger, and fake whispering, “Don’t forget, your majesty. The tallest tower is where my room is.”
I lifted my brows and laughed—disgusted and reluctantly amused. “My god, do you ever stop?”
His lips twitched. “Only when we’re both exhausted and ready to pass out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
He’d fallen asleep after our bout of sex.
I sure as hell hadn’t.
Even if it had been interesting.
And…fun.
I could—grudgingly—admit that to myself.
However, he was no Lord Belshazzar. Not at all.
The quiet lord standing next to me could go all night long until we were drained of all energy and spent from passion. The Overlord ticked every single one of my boxes in the bedroom. Every single one of them. If no one was around right now, I’d tackle him to the ground and demand that he fuck me. I wanted him again—already. I had ever since I’d left his bedroom, the constant alluring thought of his beautiful body pressed against mine tempting.
Master Niallan’s green eyes sparkled. “Object all you want. But your eyes are dilating right now while you look at me.” He winked. “I’ll be seeing you soon, your majesty.”
I doubted he’d think that if he knew I was currently thinking about how fucking pretty his main adversary’s cock was.
I used what I had available to me though, not swaying him from his line of thinking. “Just show us to our rooms, Master Niallan. It’s been a long day.”
*
“Oh my god,” Lord Xenon muttered. He turned in a slow circle inside the one room that all six of us were standing in. “Is this his idea of a joke? Some of us will have to share beds.”
Two golden bunk beds were situated against the left wall, their sides pressed up against each other. A twin-sized bed was on top, and a full-sized bed was on the bottom of each one. The blankets were piled high, and the pillows were fluffy.
I dropped my bags and pointed to the top left bed, the farthest away from the lone bathroom. “That one is mine.”
“The fuck it is,” Lord Otto stated in a hurry. He rushed right to the bed I’d pointed at and threw his luggage up onto the mattress. He grinned with glee. “I got here first, your majesty.”
There was only one single bed left.
The remaining five of us charged at it.
An elbow landed in my neck—pretty sure it was Lord Xenon’s flying limb—and I stopped and placed my hands on my knees, choking and coughing. I couldn’t even see the rest of the struggle clearly, as my eyes were watering too badly. It was all a blur of rapid limbs, grunts and shouts, men being tripped and falling over each other, and even some blood winging through the room and splattering onto the beige tiling.
I held my throat and straightened. I scowled at Lord Xenon where he was now perched on the last single bed, like a damn contented cat, grinning from ear-to-ear. Dots of blood peppered his left cheek, smearing as he rested his head down on his pillow. Pain resonated inside my neck, making it difficult to speak. I croaked, “Dickhead.”
“I didn’t hit you that hard.” He snickered. “You’ll be healed in a minute or two. Don’t be a sore loser.”