"Oh--" Samorn hesitated. "We have just known Viktor a very long time, and no man has done as much for us as he has in these recent years. His power is very honed already, and I just think he's more equipped to keep them safe."
"I will certainly see that the other queens receive them," Viktor said.
Ansel gave me this brief little 'bitch, please' face.
The weird thing was, when Viktor found me in the elevator, I felt so drawn to him that I knew he must be my consort. I knew I had to follow him.
Since he was weakened by the attack on the vehicle, that feeling had diminished. It was very obvious that I was feeling a strong pull to Ansel--a bond of trust and understanding--which made my wariness of Viktor even more obvious.
The Grandmothers, the keepers of this knowledge--they clearly loved him. I couldn't bring this up to them. I had no idea if he was persuading them or whether he had simply earned it with his lifetime of hard work for Istara, but...
I had to figure out what his deal was, before he pulled anything else on me.
Chapter Seven
Mina
"I will show you to your rooms for the night," the younger woman said.
"We're sleeping here!?" I cried. "In the mummy's tomb?"
This was not a place that suggested a restful night. It had no windows. It was obviously a zillion years old. The doorways were so low that Ansel had to duck. There was obviously no electricity and I hadn't seen a restroom sign yet.
"The mummy is gone," the woman said archly. "So no worries. Unfortunately, this is one of the few places where shifters can gather safely here. Humans stay away because they think it is cursed."
"But it's not, though?" Ansel said.
She glanced at him and said, "Your rooms are here. I will bring dinner. You will sleep here, my lady, and your consorts in the two rooms beside you. There is a pot under the bed and more candles here." She lit a candle that was already sitting on a nightstand by the bed and pointed to the cabinet inside the stand.
A pot? Under the bed? Sleep? Here?
The bed looked old and the entire room had a weird smell. An old smell. And it was so dark. The stone walls seemed to suck up the light and trap it forever, so the candle barely put out anything.
"I will bring you some dinner and wine shortly," the woman said. "This is the home of your ancestors." She obviously added in that last part just because I was making a face.
"Could we get a basin of water and a washcloth?" Ansel asked. "I dare not ask for a shower, but we've been traveling and I'll take anything you've got."
"Of course," she said, and then she left us alone.
Ansel looked at me. "Do you want to sleep alone, or...?"
"No!" My eyes widened. "I mean, what are you asking?"
"I am your consort," he said. "You know it, and…I know it. Is it what I imagined for myself? No. Do you deserve a better guy than me? Yes. But here we are. And I'm not leaving you to Viktor, that's for sure."
"What is his deal, right? I can't figure him out. Is he a good guy?"
"I don't know," Ansel said. "He has some kind of strong ability to make people bend to his will, and we saw that today."
"Is he really my consort?" I asked.
"Well...if you have to ask...," Ansel said softly. "You know I'm your consort, don't you? That's why I'm not going to fight it. I do like you, and although I'm used to getting bored of people, maybe...I won't get bored of you." Ansel drew closer to me and he was looking at me like he wanted to touch me. I got the feeling he moved fast. He said himself that he was a playboy.
"I'm never boring," I said. "I try my best to get in trouble. And without Al around, I'll keep you on your toes."
"I'll bet." He smiled at me, and I loved his smile because it reached his eyes. His eyes got kind of a happy squint when the things I said pleased him, and he had a gorgeous mouth, lush and kissable.
I got this feeling that he would be an amazing person to share my first time with. That he really knew how to please a woman, and take his time.
Of course, I thought about Al too, and I knew in my bones that I was meant to be with him also, but...he could wait a little while. He could learn to miss me and lose me.
I felt a new sense of power that I'd never had before.
A whole little fleet of female servants came in lugging two large basins, washrags and soap. "I know you have had a long journey. I thought you might want one for soap and one for rinsing. Please enjoy," the attendant said, and as we thanked them, they all moved to the door.
"May you have many Children of Horus," she said, before she shut it.
"Oh...okay," I sputtered, laughing nervously.
"We can wait on the Children of Horus," Ansel said, and he poured some of the soap in one basin. It came in flakes and I hoped it was supposed to be for skin and not a dishwasher or something. "So, what do you suppose we do about Viktor, then?" he asked, as he stripped off his shirt.
Color me distracted. I didn't expect him to have a six-pack. His tall, slender body was deceptive with clothes on.
He saw me staring and raised his eyebrows, sweeping his hand down his chest. "Mama like?"
I snorted laughter. "Are you one of those guys who will ruin everything with a joke?"
"Not everything. but you had such an expression on your face, like you just walked into your first strip club... Have you and Alistair...or anyone...?"
"No," I said. "I wanted to put Alistair off as long as possible."
"I understand that completely. And he took no for an answer, so I guess he has some restraint."
"Alistair's body composition is ninety percent restraint," I said. "He's not very emotional. Kind of like Viktor, in that way."
Ansel soaped up his shirt in the bin. "If Viktor is not a consort, and he's lying just to get you to include him in your inner circle as queen, then he'd do just about anything for power, we could assume. We can't trust him. Although that sort of ambition is pretty sexy, I have to admit on the side."
"Yes," I said. "He's either sexy or scary, or--both."
Ansel rinsed and wrung out his shirt. It was some synthetic fabric that would dry fast. "Do you want to confront him with it?"
"Not so far from home," I said. "Not unless...he tries to have sex with me." I bit my lip. "You stay close, okay?"
Ansel walked up to me, gloriously shirtless, and I noticed how his skin had a golden undertone like mine. He looked gorgeous in the candlelight and the smooth planes of his muscles cried out to be touched.
"Mina, I want you to know that I won't do anything to you that you don't want," he said. "But...if you do want...I'll make it very good for you. I have a very high libido, and...it's in my best interest to make you like sex. A lot. I'm not so sure Alistair can do what I can do."
“Uh...I'm sure...he can't," I said. I was getting very turned on now, at the idea of someone tender and experienced showing me things. I was twenty-four, for god's sake. I definitely wanted to feel this.