Shifter Queen Read online

  She nodded, her face reserved.

  "You and your guards will be staying in adjoining rooms in my tower," she said. "I hope that meets with your needs."

  "That is very generous," Enzi murmured. "Thank you for your hospitality."

  Cinira gestured to one of her people, a petite blond woman.

  "I'll go with them to help them get settled," Ashur murmured, stepping away from me with a warm look.

  Everyone knew he was going to brief them about the situation.

  "I'll see you soon," I said, and he nodded at me.

  Cinira's appointee led the newly arrived group away.

  As soon as they left our side, Cinira turned to me.

  "Come. We don't have much time to ready ourselves before the other Lords will be flying in."

  Cinira and Ashur had both decided it would be best for Cinira to be the host for the meeting. She was older and well respected, meaning it would be more likely for the others to accept her. So far, it seemed like everyone had.

  As we turned to follow the same path back to Cinira's tower, a tall, well-built man in slacks and a button-down walked up to Cinira.

  "Cinira, should we get started with the cleanup?" He glanced back at the destruction that was apparent even from the square. "If we don't start soon, I don't know if we'll be able to make significant headway before everyone arrives. Truthfully, we might not finish even if we start now."

  The intervening time so far had been spent taking care of the wounded and the dead.

  Cinira shook her head.

  "I want you to leave everything just as it is," she ordered. "I want everyone to see the damage done to our city."

  The man nodded gravely. "I will inform everyone."

  We had discussed this too after the attack. The bodies had all been carted away, both the dragons and the phoenixes. But Cinira had deliberately not initiated a plan to deal with the physical aftermath of the city's destruction, explaining that the sight of it, being confronted with the gut punch of the actual destruction would help make our case better than words alone would.

  I could see her reasoning. It was a calculated move.

  I followed Cinira back to the tower and into the elevator leading up. But we didn't get off on her floor. I frowned as we got off on a lower floor and she led the way down the hall, white molding surrounding pretty paintings and small nooks with settees placed inside. Her feet were silent on the marble floor as she led the way down the hall to a pair of double doors inlaid with gold filigree.

  She opened the doors after a brief hesitation and entered. I stepped onto plush, cream colored carpet. The room itself was done in creams, silvers, and a delicate pink. The large bed had an honest to goodness gossamer thin canopy and more pillows than could ever be necessary. The dresser and furniture were painted a creamy white, made to look delicate and airy. The overall effect was girlish, though still sophisticated.

  Confused, I looked over at Cinira. She was looking at the room with a soft look on her face. She cleared her throat when she saw I was watching her.

  "When Grace didn't come back, I couldn't bring myself to pack up her room," she murmured. "But I haven't come in here in ages."

  Grace? This was my mother's room? I looked around with renewed interest. But I couldn't see the mother I knew in this pretty, girlish room. The Grace I knew had been tough as nails even thought she was also loving. But maybe...this was who she used to be. Before Emberich.

  Cinira seemed to shake herself.

  "In any case," she said briskly moving farther into the room towards a large wardrobe. "I brought you in here to find clothing for you."

  "Clothing?" I repeated, startled. "What's wrong with what I have?" I asked.

  She glanced over at me as she opened the doors.

  "Nothing at all, my dear. But when you're dealing with Dragon Lords, a certain amount of... showmanship is called for."

  Showmanship?

  "Great," I muttered.

  She chuckled as she rifled just through the hangers.

  "Sometimes the game must be played," she admonished. "Ah. Here we are."

  She pulled out a long and flowing creamy fabric. But I also saw a glint of silver.

  "It looks about the right size," she said, casting a critical eye at the dress and then me. "And I think it will send the right message. Try it on," she urged.

  I took the dress, the fabric soft and smooth under my touch. It was somewhat reminiscent of the ones that Cinira favored herself. But it wasn't exactly the same. Where the bodice of the dress would be, it was actually a silver-plated armor, molded to fit over a woman's body. At the back of the dress, I could see there were some breakaway clasps. The skirt was made of a silky creamy material that fell all the way to the floor, but had a high slit on one side for ease of movement.

  It was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. And Cinira knew more about a meeting like this than I did. She was probably right about what to wear.

  Decided, I quickly chucked my own clothes and pulled the dress on.

  "Here, let me help you," she offered.

  Stepping behind me, she did up the clasps and adjusted the skirt.

  The sleeves were small drapes of fabric leaving the tops of my shoulders bare. Not very practical, but that wasn't the intention.

  "And the shoes," Cinira muttered to herself, returning to the wardrobe and coming back with a pair of delicate-looking sandals that had multiple clasps rising up to mid-calf.

  I pulled them on and found that the clasps were actually only decorative. All I had to do was slide my feet into them.

  I straightened, and Cinira stepped back to take a look at me. She sighed.

  "It fits you like a glove," she said, a wistful expression on her face. "I wish..." She shook her head, not finishing as she wiped at her eyes. Squaring her shoulders, she let out a breath. "This is perfect." She cleared her throat. "If you will just excuse me..."

  I took a step towards her but she hurried out of the room, her head bowed.

  I swallowed, a knot in my throat as I forced back my own tears. I missed her too. I wanted to tell Cinira that, but maybe now wasn't the time. I couldn't break down right now, though I understood why Cinira had. The news of my mother's death was much more recent for her. She hadn't known when it happened. Taking a deep breath, I looked around, trying to distract myself.

  There was a floor-length mirror in one corner of the room. Smoothing the skirt down, I walked over to it. I didn't recognize the person looking back at me. The dress did fit like a glove, molding to my torso and flowing out from my waist to the ground. I looked like a princess in a children's story. One that wouldn't be averse to carrying around a sword. As formal clothing went, I could hang with this.

  I fingered the fabric. I liked it much more because it was my mother's.

  I looked around the room again, but then I grabbed my clothes and headed out. I'd come back some other time to explore more thoroughly, but I was worried that I would break down just like Cinira if I hung around there much longer. And I didn't have time to break down right now. So I headed back to the suite Cinira had given us in her tower, taking the elevator straight to it.

  When I stepped in, Ashur was on the couch, tapping something on the screen of his pad. He looked up, a greeting on his lips, but then his eyes widened as he took me in. He stood up, setting down his device.

  "Wow," he said. "You look..." he trailed off.

  "Likes Cinira's granddaughter?" I asked with a small smile.

  "I was going to say sexy as hell," he corrected, closing the distance between us. "And if we didn't have this meeting to get to, I would show you just how much I meant it," he murmured sliding his arms around me.

  "Ditto," I said, stepping closer. "You look amazing."

  He was dressed in a suit that was obviously tailor-made for him, fitting his broad shoulders and carved body perfectly. He looked like he was about to crack some heads in a boardroom. And that he wouldn't even break a sweat while doing so.

/>   "Hmm," he murmured, kissing the sensitive spot just below my ear and sending a wave of heat through me. "Let's hold on to this thought until after the meeting," he murmured.

  "Deal," I agreed, winding my arms around his neck, feeling better.

  I really wished this meeting was already over. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. Or maybe they were more like anvils with wings.

  We stood there in each other's arms until the very last second before we had to leave.

  Showtime.

  Chapter Eight

  Lavender dragons hovered in the air around the city and near the border of the territory, ready for the influx of other dragon contingents.

  When they started flying in, it was really a sight to see. I'd only ever seen lavender and golden dragons in person, Cinira's and Ashur's skeins respectively. But there were all sorts of colors—blacks, grays, chocolate browns, oranges, reds, whites, hides with iridescent shifts, and more subtle variations. There were a total of thirty skeins and each one was represented by three individuals, since each Dragon Lord was allowed two guards each. Everyone was on time or early, which resulted in a sky filled with dragons, the sunlight glinting off their scales in a beautiful splendor of color.

  Seeing the variety that existed all together, I couldn't help but think that maybe being separated wasn't the way that dragons were supposed to live. Or perhaps it was. What did I know? I’d only just recently gotten in touch with my dragon relatives and my dragon roots. Perhaps it was a little early for me to judge before I even met everybody.

  Cinira had designated a specific guide for each dragon contingent, a guide and guard all in one. Efficient. Cinira's people directed the guests on when and where to land, the square not being large enough to accommodate that many fully-grown dragons at once.

  They landed with packs that they set down on the ground before they changed. None of them were at all self-conscious of their nude human frames as they rifled through their packs and found clothing to wear. Maybe at some point I would be just as unselfconscious about my naked body. But I couldn't see that happening anytime soon.

  Cinira leaned close to one of her aides and had a murmured conversation with her before turning back to Ashur and me.

  "That's everybody," she said, nodding at the latest arrivals. "They will be led to the meeting hall now. We'll follow within a few minutes. Let them settle in a bit. Then we'll make an entrance."

  I mentally sighed. I wasn't really the type to make an entrance, but I trusted Cinira to know what the proper protocol was here. Or the proper amount of showmanship, I supposed.

  So, about ten minutes later, we followed Cinira into the hall. Housed in a building near the tower but not inside it, it was a long, rectangular room, punctuated with columns lined with the same stone that made up the cliff, the sconces glinting off the shimmering dark veins in it. The floor was also made of stone, but creamy white that was shined to a polish rather than the variegated stone used for the columns.

  The long, solid table set in the center of the room was already filled with the visiting Dragon Lords. Each one had a pair of guards standing at the ready behind him or her. Their own people.

  The room itself was lined with Cinira's people, bristling with weapons. If anyone tried anything, they didn't have a chance.

  Everyone was already tense.

  The murmur of conversation was pretty loud with so many people there, but the room quieted as Cinira led Ashur and me towards the head of the table, her personal guards trailing behind us. I found it a little ironic that we were showing up as part of her inner circle when we'd felt like complete outsiders when we first arrived. And still did, to be honest. My relationship with Cinira was growing, but I didn't know if her people had really softened any towards me or Ashur.

  We looked like a coordinated group. Cinira had dressed in a silvery gown and put her guards in silver armor to match. She must have also given Ashur the heads-up because I realized his suit was made of a shimmery gray material.

  I almost felt like I was part of a girl group. A very confused girl group. Maybe we should have learned a choreographed dance number for our entrance. All right, I was definitely not suited for this kind of thing. I didn't know if I would ever take this kind of pomp and circumstance seriously, but I could say that Cinira sure knew how to make an entrance.

  Ashur and I were seated to her right, with me closer to her.

  Ashur leaned over to murmur in my ear. "Let the show begin," he said wryly.

  It surprised a smile out of me and helped me relax a little. Yes, this was an important meeting. But everyone here was also just a person. That steadied me somewhat.

  Cinira didn't sit down when she reached her chair. She remained standing as the room slowly came to a silent halt and everyone turned to look at her.

  "Thank you all for joining me today on such short notice," she started, meeting each Dragon Lord's eyes as she looked around the table, giving them personal attention. "I appreciate your swift replies and arrivals. Now, I'm not inclined to draw this out. I know you are all wondering why I asked for a meeting." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room and she nodded. "The reason why I couldn't say anything specific in my message was because the information is highly sensitive," she explained. "And I ask that you treat it as such," she added firmly, looking around the room. "I'm also sure you noticed the damage to my city as you flew in. And wondered what caused it."

  You could hear a pin drop in that room.

  Cinira let the silence hang for a moment. She knew how to play a room. She finally completed the thought.

  "We were attacked yesterday." Another beat of silence. "By phoenixes."

  It felt like the air had been sucked right out of the room.

  And then the group erupted in a cacophony of outrage.

  "An unprovoked attack?"

  "That's outrageous!"

  "Has Emberich gone insane?"

  "Forget insanity! What does he have to say for himself?"

  Cinira raised her hands to quiet the room down, her face stoic.

  "I'm sure you've all heard that Ashur and I have come to a truce," she said, looking over at Ashur.

  He inclined his head at her.

  "We have," he said in a clear voice that was sure to carry.

  She gave him a brief smile.

  "I am also sure that all of you have heard the rumors why from your various sources," she continued. "I believed Ashur's skein was responsible for my daughter Grace's disappearance so long ago. But I was recently confronted with clear evidence that indicates otherwise." She looked over at me, her face softening as her eyes settled on me. "I will now cede the floor to Mia. My granddaughter. And Emberich's daughter."

  There it was. I could tell from the shocked murmurs that that last bit was news to many of the people gathered here. Though some of it may have already pieced it together. In any case, there was no point in hiding my phoenix heritage from them.

  They could smell it on me.

  Hiding my bloodline, specifically the fact that I was Emberich's daughter, would only make them lose trust in us. It would also be difficult to explain the events we needed to without that background. Nothing would make much sense without that key piece. So we'd come to the decision to throw that information out in the beginning. Be up front with it.

  As I stood, I felt the suspicious regard emanating from those gathered as they watched me. And I didn't blame them. An idiot could put together now that perhaps the attack on Cinira was related to the fact that I was here. And they had no reason to trust my intentions.

  I took a deep breath.

  "I know none of you know me, but I'm so grateful that you all came," I started. I knew my place here. And it was basically at the bottom of the totem pole. "I also know that you are all probably very familiar with Emberich's relationship—or lack thereof—with his children. Specifically," I continued, meeting people's eyes. "That he doesn't particularly like his children to live. So much so that he's fathered at leas
t a dozen children, if not more, but none of them are above ground today." That was based on the information Cinira had gathered over the years. "They're all dead." I licked my lips trying to gather my thoughts as they wanted to scatter. "The only reason I'm still alive is because my mother, who I'm sure many of you knew, ran away with me because she feared for my life. She feared that Emberich would kill me as well." The story about how she got involved with him in the first place was a complete mystery to me. I didn't even know he was my father until well after she'd passed. "So, she decided to raise me in the city dome, among the humans. And it was fine. I was living my life." And it was true. A lot of people had a much worse lot in life than I had. "However, completely unbeknownst to me, my biological father was searching for me the entire time." I scanned the table. "And he found me. Unfortunately." I swallowed, feeling my mouth drying out. "To get to the point, I have survived multiple attempts on my life since he discovered where I was. Though that is not why I want to talk to you." Here it was. I felt my heart pounding. "Recently, it's come to our attention that perhaps Emberich's power base is not as strong as he might lead you to believe. In fact, it might have a very deep fissure in it." I looked over at Hathai in the corner and nodded at her.

  She opened the door and Sven entered the room. He was still sandwiched between Fuera and Enzi, but he wasn't in shackles and he'd cleaned up. His blond hair was neatly arranged and his tunic and pants freshly pressed. The room erupted once again.

  "What is this phoenix trash doing here?" an older black gentleman yelled out in a gruff tone.

  "Your own granddaughter is one thing, but Sven from Emberich's own Court?" a younger woman of perhaps Indian descent said in a disgusted voice.

  "What is the meaning of this?" a middle-aged man with a balding head said in a low voice. "Have you no sense of what is and is not appropriate?"

  Cinira raised her hands once again, though it took some time now for people to quiet down and listen. The mood of the room was not receptive.

  "If you will please hear my granddaughter out," she said, deliberately highlighting our relationship. Throwing her weight behind me. No pressure at all. I took a deep breath. There was no going back now.