"My Queen, I beg you to have mercy. I did take another's identity, because I wanted to come here very badly."

"I will see him questioned, Raona." Gavin was at my side quickly, closely followed by Tony. They hauled Xandus from the Council Chamber.

The meeting was over shortly after that and I was glad—I was drained and the media was still waiting in the hall outside the Council Chamber. Drake and Drew flanked me as I strode toward the waiting reporters. All cameras turned to me immediately.

"Raona, was that for real in there? That wasn't a plant?" The reporter had his tiny microphone held across the barrier as far as it would go.

"Let's see, you're about thirty-seven and you had fish for lunch," I said.

"My credentials say thirty, but well, you're right," he muttered.

I could tell them you had sex within the last three hours, too, but that might be too embarrassing, don't you think? I sent to him. He jerked visibly when he received my mindspeech.

"What did I have for lunch?" The female reporter beside him asked.

"You smell like lasagna, with chocolate cake for dessert," I said. And you had sex with the man next to you afterward, I added mentally. She turned a light shade of pink.

"I'm convinced," the woman said. "Do you have anything against designer clothing or jewelry?"

"Obviously not," I tugged at the hem of my tunic. "I prefer Revili, since he designs this sort of thing." I dropped the hem.

"Who designed your earrings?" Another reporter asked.

"These are Tiralian crystal, designed by Grey House," I replied. They were a gift from Shadow—he'd given them to me that morning.

"Those alone could run her palace for five years," another reporter joked.

"They're protection jewels, so it would be ten years," Shadow came forward.

"Where have you been for the past six months?"

"Many places. I am not prepared to discuss my journeys at this time."

"Were you in an asylum or undergoing psychiatric treatment?"

"No. I am sorry to disappoint you, but no treatment facilities were on my list of places to visit or things to do."

"Tell us at least one thing you did while you were gone."

"I went to the funeral of a friend. That's all I have for now." I turned away, even as more questions were shouted at my back.

"Father, where are we going?" Flavio guided Roff down a hallway.

"We're going to visit a friend," Flavio replied. Flavio walked quickly, following Lissa and the guards that surrounded her. She was heading toward her suite while the media cleared out behind them. There would be no reception tonight. Roff's wings were tucked tightly against his body—Flavio had hired tailors to make shirts that fit around his wings. Roff was also dressed in tailored slacks, although he insisted on wearing sandals. Flavio made sure they were tasteful and went well with the rest of Roff's clothing.

"I woke in this room." Roff gazed about him. Lissa's suite was getting crowded—Drake and Drew had come inside, Merrill and Wlodek had folded in, Shadow had arrived and Reemagar and Connegar had come. Lissa was inside her spacious bath, the door closed.

"Yes, child, this is where you woke as vampire. Do you remember anything else?"

"No, Father. Only the waking."

"Would you like to sit, Roff?"

"No, Father. I want to stretch—those seats inside the Council were not very comfortable."

"I agree," Flavio smiled. "I also wish to stand."

"Giff, let's just get the coronet off for now," I sighed. I was exhausted. I was beginning to hate the media. More so than usual, anyway. Giff gently lifted the band off my forehead, careful not to mess up my hair.

"I believe you have visitors," Giff said, setting the coronet on its velvet stand.

"I know." I rubbed my forehead where the pale line showed from wearing the ornate gold band. "People waiting on me and I have hat lines."

Giff and I walked out of the bath together and she shrank against me when she saw Roff standing next to Flavio.

"It's okay," I said, hugging her against me.

"Lissa, whose funeral did you attend?" Wlodek asked. "Or was that a lie?"

"Wlodek, do not make me call you an old goat," I grumped. "I went to Winkler's funeral, if you must know."

"I should have known," he said and settled on the edge of my bed.

"You're co-mates with Weldon—he knew," I went on. Giff was hugged up against me as tightly as she could get. "He's not going to bite," I said soothingly.

"Why is she frightened of me?" Roff asked, puzzled. His voice was deeper, now. It was a nice voice.

"Roff, I don't think fear is the real motivator, here," I said. "I think sadness is. How do you like being vampire, now? Your wings are amazing."

"I like flying," he replied. I watched his handsome face carefully. There wasn't a bit of my old Roff hiding behind those beautiful, honey-brown eyes.

Chapter 13

"They're recalling all the Saa Thalarr and Demon hunters," Merrill explained over dinner. Wlodek had let the initial bomb drop inside my suite, when he announced that Drake and Drew had to go back—Kiarra was coordinating hunting parties to search out and destroy Ra'Ak-enhanced humanoids. They'd been planted everywhere and the Saa Thalarr would be stretched to their limits to find them. That sucked.

"How about hiring High Demons?" I asked, when Merrill said they'd be short-handed, with all the worlds that had to be searched. "They could probably take those guys out with no trouble."

"That's an idea," Merrill said. "We'll look into that."

"We really need to find where they're from," Wlodek added. "They had to originate somewhere. Nobody is able to find any particular location. They're being shielded, somehow."

My eyes strayed to Roff more often than I wanted as I listened to the conversation. He sat quietly next to Flavio, drinking a bottle of blood substitute and listening attentively to everything we were discussing.

"We have to go back now?" Drake asked. I knew what he wanted—to spend the night in my bed before they had to go.

"Kiarra wants you there in the morning, ready to go," Merrill replied.

"We'll be there in the morning," Drew promised.

"We'll bring in more vampire guards," Gavin said. I nodded. I had to replace my Falchani at the palace. That sucked, too.

"We'll be back. Soon, I hope," Drake kissed me first and then Drew took over. I was trying not to cry. Both kissed me again before folding away. I cursed a little and threw pillows around. At least I didn't break anything.

"Drugs," Tony said after he and Gavin finished questioning Xandus. "He had some friends using their business as a front to sell," Tony went on. "We've already contacted the Alliance—they have records on him and they'll be here in two days to pick him up."

"Good. I want him out of here." I looked at Xandus through the bars of his cell—he wore the cuffs to keep him subdued. They'd have to bring a lightproof box or bag to keep him from frying when they picked him up—he was safe on Le-Ath Veronis but he wouldn't be where he was going.

"I didn't believe it," he said, before I walked away. "I thought it was all hype and lies." I turned back to stare at him.

"There weren't any Queen Vampires. That was a myth. I was taught that by my maker. He said the only females he'd ever seen were mostly playthings that someone accidentally turned. He said if I wanted sex to find a humanoid female. At least they were good for a meal with the sex."

"Did he teach you the drug trade, too?" I asked.

"Yes. But I was a dealer when I was turned. The drugs didn't work afterward."

"So, do you still believe there aren't any Queens?"

"There is only one Queen, now." Kifirin had come to weigh in on the situation.

"Hi, honey," I said. Xandus jerked in surprise when Kifirin appeared.

"You're the King?" Xandus had seen the footage of my coronation, I'm sure.

"I am Lord of the Dark Realm," Kifirin blew smoke, indicating his annoyance.

"If I serve my time, will you consider allowing me to come back?" Xandus asked.

"I'll consider it," I said. "As long as you straighten up."

"Avilepha, come," Kifirin said and away we went.

I hadn't gone to energy in a couple of days, so Kifirin forced the issue. We passed over several worlds. I felt it on a few of them—the Ra'Ak-enhanced. I sent mindspeech to Kiarra, who in turn sent mindspeech to the others. She told me she would send someone out quickly. I thanked her and Kifirin and I continued our journey.

"When she's energy, she can sense them when she passes the worlds they've invaded," Kiarra sighed. Merrill had his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. "She would have been the ultimate weapon, as Saa Thalarr."

"True." Merrill continued his seduction.

"Out of our reach, now." Kiarra was relenting to Merrill's attention.

"True."

"Yet you had her in your care, once. Had a M'Fiyah with her, once."

"Fucked that up. Beyond repair." Merrill was kissing and nipping, now.

"True," Kiarra agreed.

"Now I know how Theos was taken." Arvil San Gerxon cursed at the current turn of events. He'd watched the news vids of the Council meeting. The Queen had sensed the wrongness in one of her Council members and he'd been investigated and imprisoned. Arvil's Chief of Security had made several suggestions on whom to send to Le-Ath Veronis as a spy, but they'd held off until the Queen had returned to the planet. Now, the Chief brought in what he considered the perfect employee to send to Le-Ath Veronis, but Arvil had his doubts.