Work fucks were work fucks.
But they weren’t easy to swallow.
My nostrils flared. I turned my attention to the lords who were trying to look anywhere but at us. “Are we going to the party or not?” I clapped my hands twice. “Hurry up, my lords. It’s time to bust out of this joint!”
*
Lord Belshazzar stepped forward next to me, and his eyes brightened at the view before us. The whipping flames of a bonfire lifted fifteen feet up into the air. Scantily clad druids painted with white chalk markings on their faces, arms, and chests danced to a brutal tribal beat of drums—all gathered around the flames.
Their bodies contorted and flung in every direction, each motion charged and beautiful. Heads snapped back. Arms rose. Bare feet kicked up dust. Legs bent and jumped. Torsos arched. None matching the person next to them, but the rhythm was all the same. They felt it in their bones.
The Overlord broke his moody silence. His words were quiet and reverent. “I haven’t seen this in forever.” He took a step forward as if he couldn’t help himself. “Fuck, I want to get in there.”
I eyed his strong profile. My lips curved up into a slow grin. There was genuine excitement in his eyes. “What’s this called?”
“A duranki,” he whispered. “They’re showing their gratitude to the world around them for all that they are. The good and the bad.”
I watched the druids move with different eyes, enchanted. “It’s terrifying and exquisite.”
Lord Belshazzar nodded. His blue eyes shone from the fire. The Overlord took another step forward, and his chest heaved with a decision made. “Fuck it. I’m going in. Stay with the others until Master Niallan comes for you.” He basically bounced on his toes, ready to charge into the fray.
My lips twitched. “Have fun, my lord.”
He tore his shirt over his head and dropped it on the dirt, ignoring the other lords who watched him like he’d lost his mind. The Overlord bent over and removed his shoes and socks, and his black belt went too. Lord Belshazzar stood in a loosely fitted pair of dress slacks that hung low on his lean waist. The muscles in his stomach rippled as he twisted and smiled at me—full of fang and exhilaration.
He purred, “Fuck yes.”
“Wait.” I grabbed his wrist over his thick, black leather bracelet and pulled him close for a moment. I lifted on my tiptoes, and whispered too quietly for anyone—or the dolls—to hear, “The Original druid amulet. Do you think it’s in his room? I can’t feel it…and I think you probably can.”
Lord Belshazzar wasn’t completely like us.
Not like a vampire or a druid.
He was something other.
I knew without a doubt that was true now.
The Overlord pressed his mouth against my ear. “How do you know I can feel it?”
“Not the time,” I replied. My hooded gaze swung over the crowd while I stood absolutely still. I stopped searching, my prey found. “Answer me. He’s coming.”
He chuckled softly, his breath puffing against my ear. “You should have told me your exact reasoning for your liaisons with him earlier. It would have saved us an argument.” The Overlord pressed his heated body against mine. “We thought coming here would give us answers. Because you’re right. I should be able to feel its exact presence. Instead, it’s still everywhere that fucker goes and it’s not anywhere on his body. Try to figure out why.”
Fuck.
This was a game changer.
I needed to come up with a different plan.
Right. The. Fuck. Now.
I brushed my cheek against his. “Okay.”
Lord Belshazzar smirked and pulled away from me. He walked backward and stared into my eyes, heading for the duranki. The lord stopped at a wooden bowl and placed his palms inside it. When his hands lifted, they were covered in a mixture of white chalk. He ran the tips of his fingers down his face, from forehead to chin, leaving many small trails of white on his skin. Then he slammed his hands down on his bare pecs, two handprints now there.
The lord never stopped watching me.
I shooed my right hand and laughed. “Get going, my lord. Life waits for no one. And fun is even more elusive.”
“True enough.” Lord Belshazzar spun and disappeared into the celebration, no longer visible in the throng. He was simply part of the arms and legs and bodies, all pulsing together to the base beat of their existence.
His spy doll hopped on his lone leg after him.
Master Niallan’s side brushed mine as he stopped beside me. Neither of us spoke while we watched the gathered crowd in their beautiful, chaotic celebration. His arms crossed and his sparkling green eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled in contentment.
I murmured, “You can go in there too, Master Niallan. Don’t let me stop you.”
The stunning druid shook his head with his gaze still on his people. “I’m content where I am for now.”
The Overlords stayed silent. Watchful.
I tipped my head up and examined his profile. “May I ask you a personal question?”
The druid ruler turned his head and looked down at me. A blond brow lifted. “If I may ask you one in return.”
I nodded in agreement. “What do you love the most about your people?”
His forehead crinkled in thought. “I think the easiest way to answer that is for you to look to your right.”
I turned my head and searched the area. “What am I looking for?”
Master Niallan snorted. “You are such a vampire.” He leaned over me and pointed over my shoulder. I followed his finger to a child sitting on a man’s shoulders. “Do you see the way his daughter’s pulling his hair?”
The little girl’s hands were fisted in her father’s hair. She bounced on his shoulders to the beat of the music, unknowingly, jerking her father’s head side-to-side. The poor man grimaced with each yank, but he only moved closer to the celebration, allowing her a closer view.
I lifted a black brow. While I continued to watch the pair, my tone wasn’t amused. “If you’re saying vampires don’t know unconditional love, then you’re sadly mistaken.”
The druid snickered softly and draped his arms around my shoulders from behind, hugging my back to his front. He placed his chin on the top of my head, and said, “It’s the daughter’s innocence, your majesty. My people are comfortable with their lives. They enjoy themselves.” He turned us to face the revelry. “As you can see.”
I sucked in a large breath, and admitted, “While I don’t agree with many of your laws, and your leniency if druids stray from them, I will agree that the majority of your people are happy with your rule.”
The celebration only became larger.
More druids poured from their homes.
“My turn.” He kept his chin on top of my head and started swaying our bodies to the heady beat. “This one is hard, so you may not be able to answer it. If you had the choice to die to bring your mother back, would you?”
Lord Cato’s head jerked in our direction. His brown eyes narrowed on the druid’s face over my head. My father’s lips thinned, but he stayed quiet, not interrupting.
“That is a hard question.” I crossed my arms over my chest, directly over where his arms were crossed over my shoulders. My black brows puckered. I stated, “The correct answer would be to say, yes, of course, I would.”
Master Niallan hummed softly. “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”
“You’re right.” I swallowed and scrunched my face. “My mother wouldn’t want me to take her place in death. No loving mother would—and she did love me with her whole heart. So, my actual answer would be no, I wouldn’t take her place. It wouldn’t be the right choice. Not for me. Not for her.”
We continued to sway to the music.
Until Master Niallan suddenly released me.
The druid held out his right hand. “And is it the right choice for you to come with me tonight, your majesty? Or is it the right choice to save yourself for Lord Biotch, a possible mate for you? You’re playing a very dangerous game by having sex with both of us.”