Queen Takes Rook (Their Vampire Queen Book 4) by Joely Sue Burkhart

Author:Joely Sue Burkhart [Burkhart, Joely Sue]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

16

Shara

My grove had been extremely busy while I was away in Mexico. I stared in wonder at what Morrigan had wrought.

At the base of the heart tree, the ground had cracked open and fallen away to create a deep, hot mineral spring. Lined with smooth stones, a pool bubbled and steamed, inviting me to step down into the water for a nice long hot soak. Rose petals from my heart tree covered the surface, releasing their delicious scent into the air. Almost like Mayte’s flowery scent, but thicker and less sweet, like the difference between a cabernet sauvignon and a crisp, light moscato.

The tree itself looked damaged with a deep gaping hollow in its trunk, but then I noticed the flash of brilliant feathers inside. Quetzals. They were flying in and out of my tree… like the ones in Mayte’s nest.

A portal, between the two heart trees. My mind raced with possibilities, though I didn’t step into my tree in order to find out if I was right. I didn’t want to smell whatever was happening with the traitor Mayte had disposed of in hers.

Rik gave me a hand as I slowly stepped into the water. “When you admired the Zaniyah grotto, I had a feeling you might find your own surprise when we returned home.”

It was smoking hot and oh so good. I had to step down incrementally until I was in up to my neck. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against his chest. “Intention, I guess. I need to be careful with random thoughts. I don’t want to accidentally wish ill on someone and regret it later. Surprises like this, though, I absolutely love.”

Daire sat on a boulder beside us and dangled his feet into the water. “Are you ready to talk about how to deal with Marne’s mirror call?”

I blew out a sigh. “Yeah, we need to talk through a strategy. Guillaume said she doesn’t do anything without a plan, so I can’t afford to wing it. You said that Triune politics were your gift. Do you mean like a power? A strength? Or just something you’ve always been interested in?”

“Both.” He quirked his lips, flashing his dimples. “I’m easy to talk to. I’m easy to get along with. Mom and our queen always said I was too amiable by far. So I built that as my reputation. It’s my greatest strength. The Triune game gets tricky when other people know you well enough to start playing to your weaknesses. If I said I’m too amiable by far, what do you think my weakness likely is?”

“That you’re naive and too trusting.”

“Exactly. I allow people to believe that I’m naive and too trusting. It’s what they expect and it matches my strength. You’d be surprised how much people will tell me, hoping to mislead me, or worse, hoping that I’ll mislead others because I won’t see through their lies.”

I frowned. “I don’t like lying to anyone. Even Marne.”

Omissions, sure. My life wasn’t anyone else’s business and I didn’t have to correct their ridiculous assumptions.

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