towards Jorah.
Genevieve snapped her fingers and the servants put the trays on the coffee table, lifting the domes. One platter held five delicate plates filled with danishes, tiny muffins, and a clutch of grapes. The other platter held two teapots and five cups. One teapot was black and the other white, ringed with tiny red flowers.
The servants passed out the plates and then the cups. One of the servants, a young male named Kerry, filled a cup from the white pot and lifted it towards the queen. Genevieve made a gesture with her hand, “Tera first, she’s a guest in our ambush.”
Kerry nodded and handed the cup to Tera. Then he filled a second cup and handed it to Genevieve. The queen lifted her cup with a thin smile on her face and paused, as if waiting for Tera.
Tera smiled at Tahlon and gave a small shrug of her shoulders, lifting her cup to her lips.
Wait.
What was that smell?
He jerked Tera’s arm, snatching the cup from her fingers.
“Tahl?” she asked in surprise as he brought the cup to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Fleonra-weed!
That was the herb that he used to prevent himself from being able to impregnate the queen. For a female, it was so potent that it would terminate a pregnancy within hours of ingestion. If the queen tried to get Tera to drink it, that meant…Tera was pregnant! Joy and rage rose up inside him like twin tidal waves, rage winning out.
Slamming the cup down, he rose to his feet with a snarl, his fangs elongating in his rage. “You tried to abort our mate’s cub? Have you lost all sense?”
Genevieve gasped in surprise, lifting her hand to her chest in mock offense. “Why, Tahlon, to speak such things to your queen —”
“You are no queen of mine!” Tahlon roared. A veil of red slid over his eyes, and his cat struggled to break free, to shift and tear her into pieces so she would never terrorize another person again.
“Stand down, Tahlon.” Jorah stepped in front of Genevieve. “I will not allow you to attack the queen.”
“She tried to kill our cub while it lay helpless in its mother’s womb, Jorah. She should die!” Tahlon snarled.
“I will kill you before I let you touch a hair on her head, Tahlon,” Jorah said, but Tahlon could hear the regret in his voice. He didn’t want to fight Tahlon, but he would.
Tera stood up quickly. “Get out of this house, now. All of you.”
No one moved. Tera lifted her hands, and the house began to shake. The sound of pipes rattling filled the house.
“Get. Out.” Tera’s voice was low and dangerous. The tea in the cups and pots boiled, causing the porcelain to shatter.
Jorah pulled Genevieve to her feet and hurried both her and Tiduaron out of the home. The young male servants gathered the trays quickly and exited the house.
Tera lowered her hands and sank down on the couch, letting out a gusty sigh. The rattling ceased immediately.
“Shit. Shouldn’t do that.” She fanned herself, panting.
Tahlon sat down fast, as did Melo, who had risen when Tera did. “Are you sick? Did you hurt yourself?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s just a bad idea to use my power when I’m upset, it drains me faster. I feel like I just ran ten miles uphill.”
“What did you do?” Melo asked.
“I boiled the water in the cups and in the pipes. It made the old copper pipes make a lot of noise. Impressive, but relatively harmless. Unless of course I got really mad, and then I’d probably have let the water break through the pipes and wash Genevieve right out the door.”
Melo kissed her temple with a chuckle. “Clever little sweetheart.”
She stopped fanning herself and looked between Tahlon and Melo. “I’m pregnant?”
Melo said, “There wouldn’t be any reason for her to have given you the fleonra-weed except for that purpose.”
Tahlon picked up her hands that were clammy and trembling and held them between his. “I think the mark on
Genevieve snapped her fingers and the servants put the trays on the coffee table, lifting the domes. One platter held five delicate plates filled with danishes, tiny muffins, and a clutch of grapes. The other platter held two teapots and five cups. One teapot was black and the other white, ringed with tiny red flowers.
The servants passed out the plates and then the cups. One of the servants, a young male named Kerry, filled a cup from the white pot and lifted it towards the queen. Genevieve made a gesture with her hand, “Tera first, she’s a guest in our ambush.”
Kerry nodded and handed the cup to Tera. Then he filled a second cup and handed it to Genevieve. The queen lifted her cup with a thin smile on her face and paused, as if waiting for Tera.
Tera smiled at Tahlon and gave a small shrug of her shoulders, lifting her cup to her lips.
Wait.
What was that smell?
He jerked Tera’s arm, snatching the cup from her fingers.
“Tahl?” she asked in surprise as he brought the cup to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Fleonra-weed!
That was the herb that he used to prevent himself from being able to impregnate the queen. For a female, it was so potent that it would terminate a pregnancy within hours of ingestion. If the queen tried to get Tera to drink it, that meant…Tera was pregnant! Joy and rage rose up inside him like twin tidal waves, rage winning out.
Slamming the cup down, he rose to his feet with a snarl, his fangs elongating in his rage. “You tried to abort our mate’s cub? Have you lost all sense?”
Genevieve gasped in surprise, lifting her hand to her chest in mock offense. “Why, Tahlon, to speak such things to your queen —”
“You are no queen of mine!” Tahlon roared. A veil of red slid over his eyes, and his cat struggled to break free, to shift and tear her into pieces so she would never terrorize another person again.
“Stand down, Tahlon.” Jorah stepped in front of Genevieve. “I will not allow you to attack the queen.”
“She tried to kill our cub while it lay helpless in its mother’s womb, Jorah. She should die!” Tahlon snarled.
“I will kill you before I let you touch a hair on her head, Tahlon,” Jorah said, but Tahlon could hear the regret in his voice. He didn’t want to fight Tahlon, but he would.
Tera stood up quickly. “Get out of this house, now. All of you.”
No one moved. Tera lifted her hands, and the house began to shake. The sound of pipes rattling filled the house.
“Get. Out.” Tera’s voice was low and dangerous. The tea in the cups and pots boiled, causing the porcelain to shatter.
Jorah pulled Genevieve to her feet and hurried both her and Tiduaron out of the home. The young male servants gathered the trays quickly and exited the house.
Tera lowered her hands and sank down on the couch, letting out a gusty sigh. The rattling ceased immediately.
“Shit. Shouldn’t do that.” She fanned herself, panting.
Tahlon sat down fast, as did Melo, who had risen when Tera did. “Are you sick? Did you hurt yourself?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s just a bad idea to use my power when I’m upset, it drains me faster. I feel like I just ran ten miles uphill.”
“What did you do?” Melo asked.
“I boiled the water in the cups and in the pipes. It made the old copper pipes make a lot of noise. Impressive, but relatively harmless. Unless of course I got really mad, and then I’d probably have let the water break through the pipes and wash Genevieve right out the door.”
Melo kissed her temple with a chuckle. “Clever little sweetheart.”
She stopped fanning herself and looked between Tahlon and Melo. “I’m pregnant?”
Melo said, “There wouldn’t be any reason for her to have given you the fleonra-weed except for that purpose.”
Tahlon picked up her hands that were clammy and trembling and held them between his. “I think the mark on
Similar Books
