“By granting them full pardon and allowing them to become part of an official court once again.”
I laughed, amazed and appalled, excited and entranced by what she was proposing. “So you would have outcast rogues serve as Monère representatives. How utterly practical. Okay,” I purred. “Let’s bargain.”
TWENTY-THREE
THE BARE BONES of it all fell into place within hours: an hour on the phone with the Queen Mother, another hour talking to my own people, one more hour to pack what we would be taking with us. Then we were on our way to the airport.
Amber met us there.
My greedy heart gave an exultant cry as our car pulled up next to his in the short-term parking lot of the airport. “I didn’t know if you were coming,” I said, stepping out of the car.
“When you asked me to build with you what my heart never dared dreamed for or imagined would ever be possible, how could I not?” he said as I flew into his arms.
We held each other tightly.
“The risk . . .” I said against his chest.
“Is one we are all willing to take for that glorious possibility of maybe . . . just maybe,” he rumbled against me.
“Like, just maybe we can pull this crazy thing off,” Quentin finished dryly.
“Hey, pup.” Amber released me and swept his approving eyes over the rest of our group. “Glad to see you’re coming, too.”
“You kidding? Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Quentin said, smiling. “My timing in leaving Mona Maretta couldn’t have been more perfect. Makes me almost, like, prescient.”
“Or just damn lucky,” Dante muttered, messing up his brother’s hair.
“How could I not come,” Quentin said, eyes laughing as he ducked away and smoothed down his glossy locks, “after you jumped on board? Had to make sure my big brother stayed out of trouble.”
“And where our two sons go,” Nolan added, his big arm around his smiling wife, “Hannah and I go, too.”
Dontaine’s gaze met Amber’s. “Like you, Lord Amber, my place is beside our lady.”
Amber’s eyes rested last on Chami, standing beside Thaddeus.
“Nope, I’m just the driver,” Chami said to the silent question in Amber’s eyes. “I’ll be staying behind, watching over everything.”
“Ah. The new master at arms?”
“That would be Tomas,” said Chami.
Amber made a sound of approval. “A good choice.”
Chami grinned. “My sole charge will be to keep an eye on our new young master here, Lord Thaddeus.”
Thaddeus blushed and made a face. “Don’t call me that.”
“It will be your title,” I said without sympathy. “Get used to it.” It had been part of my agreement with the Queen Mother, after speaking with my brother. That Thaddeus would rule over the Louisiana territory in my place, and Amber’s as well, which would recombine back into the single original territory. It had been a shock to the Queen Mother, learning that a male could draw down the moon’s rays and Bask. But a small shock, quickly absorbed, among all the other jarring changes about to occur.
“Until she can find a replacement,” Thaddeus said now in clarification. “Then I can join you guys.”
“Not allowed until things settle down and stabilize,” I said firmly. That had been the one thing we had argued most about. “We’re about to shake up the world, Thaddeus. It will be dangerous enough coming out as the first male able to Bask. First let the Monères get used to you, then we’ll consider the rest of the world.”
“How long do you think it’ll take for things to settle down?” my brother asked wistfully.
“I don’t know. A year at the earliest, if we’re lucky. Heck, we might stumble at the first step—getting legal rights for the Monère people—and come crawling back here before you know it.”
“Won’t happen. You won’t fail,” Thaddeus said with the blithe assurance of youth.
“I pray not,” was my soft reply. Gathering our luggage, we made our way down to the terminal for private jets.
I was taking Hannah and Dontaine away—a healer and my master at arms—but I wasn’t leaving Thaddeus wholly bereft. My brother had some healing ability himself, his control of that useful talent coming along rather nicely after training under Hannah over the past months. Steady, faithful Tomas would be taking up Dontaine’s mantle, a good responsibility for the older warrior who had been underutilized, really. I’d had an abundance of older, powerful Monère males—some of them had been rogues, in fact, like Aquila—who would continue overseeing the business side of things. Rosemary would capably continue in her role as chatelaine, with her Mixed Blood children staying safely here with her. Jamie had wanted to come, but as with Thaddeus, I had deemed it too dangerous at this initial stage. The strong pull of Wiley, the young and wild Mixed Blood boy Tersa had taken responsibility for, kept her anchored safely at home.
Last, but not least, there was Chami, my very talented, deadly chameleon. I trusted Chami to keep my brother safe. I knew that he, Aquila, and Tomas would guard Thaddeus with their lives—he was as precious to them as to me. Their unique hope.
The Queen Mother and Lord Thorane were already aboard the private jet, waiting for us. We knelt in the aisle and entryway in respectful genuflection.
“Rise,” said the Queen Mother, her presence as commanding in the small airplane as if she had been seated on her throne. “Ah, a wise selection,” she noted astutely, taking a quick inventory of my people.
“And very fortunate, on my part,” I said, “that they are willing to venture forth in this matter with me. The Morells are already quite familiar with human society, as is Dontaine, my master at arms, who supervised most of the businesses in New Orleans under his former Queen’s rule. And Amber—”
“As a Warrior Lord, is the perfect male to beckon forth frightened, disenfranchised rogues out of hiding, serving as the ultimate example of what they could be.” The Queen Mother’s eyes glinted with approval.
“So we hope. Amber has agreed to relinquish his current territory to head up the new District Court we hope to form.”
“I do not know if that serves as an advancement or regression in status, Lord Amber,” the Queen Mother said with a small nod.
“Advancement, most certainly, Queen Mother,” Amber replied, bowing his head low. “I wish to thank you on behalf of all the lost warriors out there for the opportunity to serve you in this extraordinary way—for the blanket pardon you are willing to issue them.”
“It is a matter clearly close to your heart,” she said with kind observance, “but do not thank me yet. It is good that you believe so fervently in this cause. Hold on to it tightly. It will sustain you during the hard road ahead as you carve this new path for us. Though we will not be visible, be assured that you have my gratitude and High Court’s full support in this matter, as much as we can render.” Her voice grew dry as she glanced at me. “Though I do wish you hadn’t made us go through all the trouble of dividing your territory into two parts, only to recombine them once again, a few months later. Try and plan better in the future.”
“Yes, Queen Mother,” I said meekly.
“Chameleo,” the Queen Mother said, addressing Chami by his full name.
Chami paled beneath the Queen Mother’s scrutiny and gave a courtly bow. “At your service, Queen Mother.”
“That was my next question, in fact—who will you be serving? Do you stay or do you go?”
“I will be staying with young master Thaddeus, honorable Queen Mother.”
“Ah,” she said. “A good choice.”
Her glance fell on my brother, and I took the opportunity to introduce them. “Queen Mother, Lord Thorane, I would like to present to you my brother, Thaddeus Schiffer.”
Thaddeus bowed, imitating Chami’s courtly gesture. It came out endearingly clumsy.
“An honor and pleasure to meet you, Queen Mother, Lord Thorane,” Thaddeus murmured.