I blinked in confusion. “What are you doing?”
A thin stream of water splattered the tile underneath her. Her black eyes blinked and watched me.
Eeeeee-eee.
“Oh my god. You’re one of those potty dolls.” My face crinkled in horror. “Is that really piss?”
She straightened.
Yellow pee pooled around her feet.
“Master Niallan, this is a new low.” I aimed point blank at the doll. “Say good-bye, asshole.”
I wasted an entire clip on it. An entire clip.
I lowered my weapon and bared my fangs. The bitch was powered by Master Niallan’s power—including his vampire power which was much older than mine.
And it was even worse than that.
I’d been bested by a children’s toy.
I swiftly glanced down the empty hallway, looking both ways, and hurried to put my weapon away.
I was never going to tell anyone about this.
I side-stepped the shattered vase and spilled white flowers, and my feet moved at a fast charge away from the scene of the “crime.” The demented doll followed after me on stiff legs, teetering back and forth like she had a large stick up her ass. I hissed over my shoulder, “Master Niallan, if you make her piss on my boots, I will piss on your favorite shoes. Don’t mess with my footwear.”
Eeeeee-eee.
My shoulders hunched. I tugged at my ringing right ear and then my other smarting ear. I growled, “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.”
Eeeeee-eee.
I gritted my teeth.
Perhaps it was best to ignore it.
I traveled down multiple hallways, attempting to keep in sight of the druids walking by—from servants to guards to the upper-class. They rubbernecked all around—that was for damn sure—but I was making myself known to them. I wanted their eyes on me. I wanted witnesses in case Devin or Ysander tried underhanded tactics to take me out.
All while I opened all my senses.
I searched for power.
It led me to a courtyard in the center of the castle, all four golden surrounding walls towering and rising high into the sky, shielding the open outdoor area from the outside village.
Guards filled the private space. Their feet trampled over the dead winter grass while their swords clashed against the swords of the others. White, glowing druid power sizzled over the steel blades and glistened under the sun, creating white sparkling tracers in the air with their efficient strikes. The guards weren’t in full battle gear, simply dressed in golden practice attire.
And there was a shit ton of them.
All with weapons.
Cracked-and-Nosy waddled up beside me.
She squatted and took another piss.
While staring up at me.
Hint received. This was not a safe place for me.
But fuck. I turned my attention back to the druids.
This was where the most power was.
My brows puckered. I backed away slowly.
I ducked back into the castle and took a survey of my surroundings while I continued to think this through.
I hadn’t been able to feel any power from the Original vampire amulet. It was quite possible I wouldn’t be able to feel the Original druid amulet either. If that were true, I was searching this way blindly. I needed to think of a different angle, one more personal in nature. I needed to delve deeper into Master Niallan’s psyche.
Shit.
I might actually fail at this. I may be of no help.
Because the man truly confused me at times.
I started walking again and kept to the main hallways. I turned my thoughts around and around in my head while I strolled and evaluated everything in view. And I mean everything. I kept track of the flowers. I counted the women working here. I stopped and examined every piece of art. I looked for patterns in the tiling or in the carved white ceilings full of angels. I paused at every window to look at the view. I listened for which hallways were quieter than others, compared to how worn the tiles were under my feet. I even studied the designs and colors of the drapes hanging from the open windows.
In the end, as the sun started to set, I slammed my bedchamber’s door on Cracked-and-Nosy’s face and moved to stand in front of the lone portrait inside the room. Master Niallan’s mother blinked down on me. This painting was truly exquisite if you studied the care with which each brush stroke covered the canvas. I lifted my eyes to hers, and asked calmly, “You loved her very much, didn’t you, Master Niallan?”
The lilies gave it away.
There were fucking lilies everywhere all over this castle, including in the painting behind his mother.
She blinked rapidly.
I sighed and started removing my weapons. I placed each one on the desk with care, watching my hands work. “I don’t know the whole story, but I am sorry you lost someone you cared that deeply for.” His mother may have been a criminal or a peasant, but to Master Niallan, it didn’t matter. She had been his mother. I cracked my neck and peered up with tired eyes, exhausted from my long day, and the fact I hadn’t found what I was truly searching for—not even a hint of it. I asked, “Did you pass your first Challenge?”
His mother blinked swiftly.
I high-fived the air in front of her portrait with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. “Way to go. Make sure you get rest tonight. They won’t go easy on you. You know that.”
Her lavender eyes lifted over my head. Stared.
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. “Yes, I heard them come in a few seconds ago.” I waved my fingers through the air and still stared up into her eyes. The Overlords stayed mute, had been silent since they’d slipped into the room, while zips unleashed and shirts dropped to the ground behind me. “By the way, I’m beat. Have your people send food to our room. We’ll eat in here tonight.”
Her eyes didn’t blink.
I rolled my own eyes. “I’m serious. I’m tired.” I waggled a finger at the painting. “Do not start right now. Or I will steal every tub of ice cream I can find and chuck it out the window out of spite. Every meal should not be an issue like this. The lords said they didn’t treat you this way. You shouldn’t treat us like this.”
Finally, she blinked fast.
“Thank you.” I turned around and walked to my own bag. I waved a hand over my shoulder. “Good night, asshole.”
I stared down at my bag and placed my hands on my hips. I yawned wide, and grumbled, “How much of a fucking lunatic did I look like when you gentlemen first came in?”
Lord Belshazzar grunted next to me while he changed into a short-sleeved cotton shirt and loose fitting gray pajama pants—and refrained from commenting.
Lord Pippin chuckled under his breath. “If you had been anywhere else, you would have been dethroned.”
“That’s what I thought,” I replied. I bent at the waist and unzipped my bags. I grabbed a clean set of pajamas and tromped to the bathroom with the soft material in my hands. I halted right before I entered, asking over my shoulder, “Did any of you receive…a little present…when you left the room earlier?”
“Go open the front door.” Lord Otto snorted. “It’s fucking ridiculous.”
Lord Cato asked casually, “Before you do that, your majesty, is there a reason why there are bullet holes all along our hallway now?”
I lifted a stopping hand in his direction. “Don’t go there.” I hurried and changed in the bathroom, and then I quickly went to the front door and threw it open—morbid curiosity getting the better of me.
My lips twitched.
I held the door open with my left hand and pointed with my right to the rubber snake that lifted his head off the ground. “That one is for Lord Cato.”
Lord Otto walked to stand beside me and crossed his arms. His eyes peered at where I was pointing. “Correct.”