Dark Queen (Jane Yellowrock, #12)

by Faith Hunter

“We don’t poison. We shoot, stab, cut, slice and dice, eviscerate, disembowel, and decapitate. Sometimes shoot and blow up our enemies. We’ve been known to bury our dead in the swamp. But we don’t poison. Poison is wussy.”

Beast growled inside. Bad mate. Did not scent-mark Jane. Did not look at Jane. I ignored her. She thought at me, Rick is not mate now? No. Rick is not mate. Not now. Not ever again.

“The reason I disbelieve you, kitty cat, is because I recall you bringing Paka, a black wereleopard in heat, into NOLA and siccing the little kitty on my then-boyfriend.” “We were not informed that Rick LaFleur was involved in a romantic relationship. It was unfortunate you suffered because of the spell she wove.”

“Hey, Aunt Jane,” Angie said, answering. “How’s my sweet girl?” I asked. “I made a big butterfly. Mama punished me. I’m in trouble.” But she sounded proud of herself for the entire episode, even the being-in-trouble part.

“Yup. Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared,” she quoted. “Which means that magic and electricity and sunlight, which are energy, are the same stuff as things I can touch, which is mass or matter. And I can innerchange ’em ’cause they’re just different forms of the same thing. But I didn’t innerchange ’em.” My entire body had gone cold as she spoke. I was pretty sure my heart had stopped beating. “Okay,” I managed. “So what did you do to make the butterfly grow big?” “I didn’t make one grow big. I jus’ made a big one come to me. From one of the other places.” I breathed through my mouth in the beginnings of panic. “What other places?” “There’s bunches of other places. One has big butterflies with pink wings and purple eyes and blue bodies and feet. I just pulled it over. Mama’s mad at me,” she said again, with pride.

“Janie, I’d suck vamp blood myself if it kept my children safe from the Europeans. Remember, I’m ready to come if and when you need me.”

Shifting to Jane had kept Beast alive. Beast had learned to be glad that Jane had stolen body. But Beast had not told Jane this. Would not tell now. Beast licked own blood and chuffed at thinking human thoughts. Beast was more than puma.

But that made Jane an afterthought.” He looked at Ayatas again. “Just a note of caution, counsel, whatever—Jane Yellowrock is never an afterthought.” I smiled, seeing Eli’s tension as he said that, his jaw tight. No one else might notice his anger, but I did. “If you put Janie first you might get somewhere. If you can figure out how to do that, and still complete your investigation, you might like your life a lot better and live a lot longer.”

“That feeling, that need, and hope and dependence that kits feel toward their mother, that is love. That feeling that a mother puma feels toward her kits, the desire to protect, to feed, to share, to teach, that is love. You think we will become your kits tonight when we join Janie’s vampire clan. Therefore I love Beast. And Beast loves me.” Beast scented the air. Tasted his sincerity. Tasted the truth in his words. “Beast did not understand love. But Beast loves Eli.” She turned my head to the backseat and the three who sat there. I could see her golden eyes reflecting in theirs. “Beast loves Edmund. Beast loves Alex. Beast loves Gee, though Gee is wily like a fox and might have to die someday at Beast’s claws and teeth.” Gee’s eyes went wide and he laughed. “You can try, little kitten.”

Beast took over and dropped me, but I caught myself as she started to roll me over. Beast shows belly to alpha. No. No freaking way. I held myself upright on my knees.

I’d been flying by the seat of my pants so long I was surprised my undies didn’t have wings.

Eli sawed. Bra came loose and Eli peeled bra down Beast legs. Bra was dead. Jane should kill bras.

“Will you try?” he asked. “I have searched for you all of my life. I don’t want to lose you now.” “Yes,” I said softly. “I’ll try.” Relief flashed across his face, like the sun peeking between storm clouds, and quickly gone. “Good. Will you marry me? The Roberes will write up a binding prenuptial agreement to protect your holdings and your status as Dark Queen.” My throat hurt, but I managed wryly, “It’s immoral, and against the law, even in Alabama, to marry a five-year-old child.” “If you shift into a child, then I’ll wait until you grow up. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”