Nerissa stared mutely at the vampire queen. After a moment, she turned to Roman. “If we agree—if Menolly does this, will you swear by your life, by your fangs, by whatever is sacred to you, that this isn’t your way of trying to take Menolly away from me?”
I started to interrupt, but she held up her hand.
“You see, I get it,” Nerissa continued. “I really do. Her Majesty makes sense. What we’ve seen the past few days . . . what I saw when I went out on those calls with Chase . . . was horrendous. The hatred, the anger, and the destruction aimed at not only vampires but the entire Supe Community? It’s terrifying. What’s worse is that I know it’s just the tip of the iceberg. And having Menolly in a position of unquestioned power would help a great deal.”
“How so?” I still didn’t quite see why I was the front runner.
“You never think you’re important. Not you, not your sisters. But Roman and his mother are right. You don’t understand what rock stars you D’Artigo Sisters have become in the area. The Fae will listen. Other Supes, who might not take kindly to vampires—like my Pride—will listen. Humans will listen because you are from Otherworld and you still wear that glamour like a cloak. This would help because you could also be a liaison between the Vampire Nation and the United Worlds Church.”
I frowned, beginning to understand what she was saying. I hated thinking of myself in any self-important way, but false modesty was as annoying as false pride. My sisters and I did stand out in the community, and because of our interactions, people paid attention to what we had to say.
Nerissa turned to Blood Wyne. “Pardon me for saying this, Your Majesty, but both you and Roman are inaccessible. And you’re fucking scary. Hell, I’m terrified to be here. I’m scared I’ll say something that will set you off and boom, no more Nerissa. My wife is scary, too, but she is a part of the community. The Wayfarer saw to that. So I understand what you are saying, and I agree that this may be a wise move for you. For the Vampire Nation. But I want guarantees. I want proof . . . I want to have something concrete that I can hold in my hand to calm my fears that you won’t try to take Menolly away from me.”
“What assurances can we give you?” Blood Wyne leaned forward, her elbows resting on the desk. “I want your cooperation. You are not only beloved by Menolly, but also by those who favor her. The last thing we want to do is to be seen as taking her away from you. Not if we seek to further our acceptance with the world of mortals. Tell us what you want in return.”
Well, this was a fine thing. My wife and my consort’s mother were bargaining as if I weren’t in the room. I was about to say something when I realized that, no—this was a good thing. They were coming to terms on their own, without my interference. Which meant a great deal for Nerissa. I sat back and kept my mouth shut.
Nerissa pointed to Roman. “You. I need you to seal the deal. Become my blood-oath brother. If you go back on your word after that, I’ll have the right to stake you without any repercussions. You agree to that, then we have a deal. I’ll marry you, along with Menolly, and we’ll move in here after her coronation.”
“Your coronation, too, my sweet.” Roman’s lips turned up in a wicked smile. He was enjoying playing cat and mouse with Nerissa. “You marry me, you’re both my princesses, although you could never ascend to the throne without becoming a vampire.”
“So not interested in becoming a vamp, let alone ruling them.” Nerissa’s gaze never left his. “Then we have a deal?”
“You have my word and yes, we have a deal. But . . . we exchange blood vows my way. I drink—a very little—from you. And you, my dear, drink a few drops of my blood. Are you game?” His gaze was totally fixated on my wife.
I felt like we had reached a line that—once crossed—would forever change the nature of our lives. And it all hinged on Nerissa’s answer. I didn’t have a say in this. She needed to fight this battle on her own. She was establishing her line, her boundaries, her rules.
Nerissa stood up and walked over to the desk. Blood Wyne sat very still, staring at the pair with an expression that mirrored my own incredulity. But she seemed inclined to the same course of action I was taking: Leave well enough alone.
Roman and my wife were jousting for position in my life. Nerissa would win if she went through with it, even though she would be giving in to Roman in terms of the blood sports. Because anybody who could claim Roman’s life if he broke an honor code held a dagger over his head, and nothing in his position could refute that. Especially when witnessed by the Queen of Vampires herself. She might be his mother, but I had the feeling Blood Wyne was all about the letter of her law.
Nerissa leaned across the desk to stare Blood Wyne in the face—an act so foolhardy and brave that even I recoiled from the idea. My wife had plenty of courage, that was for sure. “You heard him? He agrees to my terms?”